Claudia Payton continues her 'miracle' return from injury to make a mark in Swedish sprinting. Sky Brown isn't the only British teen skateboarding wunderkind. Meet Bombette Martin. Who is Beth Potter? She's making waves in both triathlon and road racing. A strong performance at Hungary's national swimming championships last month put Kristof Milak back on target for more breakthroughs at Tokyo 2020.
Giovanni Tocci plays in the sand.
Garbine Muguruza sets out in orange.
"Spanish canoeists at play"
Maarten Hurkmans and crew are on the march,.
Shaolin Liu has a friend for a photoshoot.
Need a reminder of the effort that would-be Olympians undertake to pursue their dreams? Check out "Abanderados del Esfuerzo" ("Champions of Effort"), released last summer after the first few months of quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Abanderados (in Spanish) gives a brief look at seven Spanish athletes as they work toward Tokyo 2020, including gymnast Nestor Abad, beach volleyball player Liliana Fernandez, decathlete Jorge Urena, taekwondo star Raul Martinez, swimmer Lidon Munoz, judoka Ana Perez, and para triathlete Hector Catala. Starting before the pandemic, the production by FER (Foment Esportistes amb Reptes) is a means to introduce Spanish names to watch. But as the global impact of Covid-19 takes hold in spring 2020 and "normal" training life shuts down, the filmmakers adjust to showcasing the efforts that these athletes take to keep training and motivated. Watching make shift gyms and equipment appear in garages and living rooms gives a reminder of the disruption to Olympic schedules and the sudden frustration - yet focus - athletes across the globe feel as they strive to still reach the Tokyo Games. It's a short documentary, at just under an hour, but it's that focus of the athletes that is inspiring to follow. To date, some athletes still need qualification confirmation - namely Urena and Perez - but Abanderados leaves you rooting for them in Tokyo all after 2020's shift in direction. You can watch Abanderados (in Spanish) on Radio y Television Espanola (rtve.es). Speed skater Artur Nogal is a study in perseverance as he focuses on Beijing 2022 after disappointment at Pyeongchang 2018. Will Bruce Springsteeen's equestreian show jumping daughter Jessica make the U.S. Olympic team? A new competition avenue for embattled middle-distance runner Caster Semenya? But Christian Coleman meets a dead-end in his fight to make it to this year's Games. Rower - and medical doctor - Philip Doyle looking forward to Tokyo 2020 on both the competitive and medical recovery fronts. The 42 checks in with several Irish Olympic hopefuls, including hurdler Sarah Lavin, race walker Brendan Boyce, and judoka Ben Fletcher, as they weather the months in training leading up to their ultimate goal at Tokyo 2020. Magnus Krog: A once-wild-haired Olympic medalist retires from Nordic combined. And, keep track of all of his season's cross-country retirements via FIS-Ski.com, including veteran Hanna Falk's recent announcement. Welcome to the other side of celebrity, Gus Kenworthy! Gymnasts Becky and Ellie Downing look to continue their Olympic ambitions together as sisters for Great Britain at Tokyo 2020. Meanwhile, former men's world all-around champion Artur Dalaloyan hits an injury roadblock on his road to Tokyo.
Add historic flooding to the challenges canoeist Jessica Fox has faced on her Tokyo 2020 journey. Want to hear fencers interview fellow fencers? Check out Matyas Szabo and Max Hartung's podcast Demaskiert. (mostly in German) Czech Adam Ondra solidifies his status as Olympic favorite as he wins his 20th career sport climbing World Cup title. Boxer Mandy Bujold: Another story of how the global pandemic has disrupted athletes' plans for Tokyo 2020, in this case irrevocably. Sarita Sarita makes history for India as the first two-time Asian Championships titleist in women's wrestling. Star U.S. swimmer Ryan Murphy opens up about his struggles to combat migraines. No pressure, but...Adam Peaty may be looked upon for Great Britain's surest gold bet at Tokyo 2020. More swimming: Cody Simpson makes a splash at the Australian Nationals last week. Rulon (2021) A Quick Film Review Rulon Gardner's gold medal win at Sydney 2000 was the stuff of made-for-instant-celebrity legend. Relatively unknown internationally and competing in relatively obscure Greco-Roman wrestling, Gardner didn't receive much media attention as he made in onto Team USA and arrived in Sydney. But as he progressed through the heavyweight category bouts and reached the final, a Cinderella tale was set. For the gold, Gardner would face three-time defending champion and renowned Russian intimidator Aleksandr Karelin. In true Rocky vs Ivan Drago fashion, Gardner, the lovable bear of a man from small-town Afton, Wyoming, who honed his skills from dairy farming, would take down Karelin, the Siberian iron bear of a sculpted man who was likely the surest bet for a gold at the entire Games. Overnight, Gardner became the face of a champion. His unlikely win, his cartwheel celebration, his aw-shucks charm...his is one of the lasting memories from Sydney. Rulon, from The Olympic Channel's Five Rings Films, narrated largely by Gardner himself, takes us from that start through his challenges since. And what challenges. Driven by a will to succeed in the face of adversity, Gardner has survived a snowmobile accident that left him (luckily only) with a lost toe, a motorcycle accident that resulted in his wrist needing three pins, a plane crash into Lake Powell, and a financial fraud scheme that wiped out his savings. Along the way, he made it to Athens 2004 - winning the bronze medal - and to the trials for London 2012. But with a self-effacing honesty, Gardner shares his potentially biggest challenge...getting his health on track as he continues to battle weight to avoid, as he says, premature death. It's a problem he faced publicly on tv's The Biggest Loser in 2011 and continues today. Admitting that he has struggled to adjust to post-Olympic fame, he's now settled into a role as a coach and mentor for children through wrestling. His charm is still a winner, and is what carries Rulon. How can one not pull for him? I teared up at the flashback to Sydney 2000. And at the Athens 2004 footage, where he retired with his shoes on center mat. I rooted for him as he came back from injury, and injury (and injury). And, I cheered as he, by documentary's end, is seemingly getting back on track. Rulon is a tale of an American hero, a champion persevering through challenges and adversity. It's an Olympian story, one true to the Olympic creed: "...the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle". |
Above: Athens' Kallimarmaro, the site of the 1896 Summer Olympics
About This BlogAn Olympics fan blog celebrating all things Olympic sport athletesRead about me.
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