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A Friday Roundup

5/29/2020

The upcoming Bislett Alliance Impossible Games look like an intriguing set of matchups, and maybe a blueprint for future competitions.

The 'Iron Lady' of cross-country skiing may just not be done yet...

Best wishes for a successful recovery to double Olympic champion and world record-holder David Rudisha after his recent ankle surgery.

The Olympic Channel shares a look at cycling's 'Golden Couple', Laura and Jason Kenny.

And congrats to American luge legend Duncan Kennedy, now the head coach for Luge Canada.

Is October the new key date to target for Tokyo 2020 decisions?

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Go for a lap with race walker Perseus Karlstrom.

Annalise Murphy threwback to training time in Dublin Bay. Check out the original post for more striking images from former Olympic triathlete Bryan Keane.

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Nothing better then getting to sail in the sun â˜€ï¸ photo by @inphobryan

A post shared by Annalise Murphy (@annalise_murphy) on May 28, 2020 at 7:48am PDT

Oleg Verniaiev goes hairless.

London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympian Vasek Pospisil shows off his homeland.

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Locked down but still free. For those of you wondering where I grew up... in the most beautiful place in the world. #homeland

A post shared by Vasek Pospisil (@vasek.pospisil) on May 28, 2020 at 4:02pm PDT

Thomas van der Plaetsen celebrates Asics.

Modern pentathlete Valentin Belaud cross trained on the waves.

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â–¡ Jâ€™adore profiter de mes semaines de relÃ¢che pour faire dâ€™autres sports. Cela me permet de croiser les entrainements pour me faire plaisir en travaillant diffÃ©remment. Me lancer de nouveaux dÃ©fis et dÃ©couvrir dâ€™autres sports me permettent aussi de mettre en place de nouvelles stratÃ©gies dâ€™adaptation pour Ã©voluer et revenir au pentathlon avec une nouvelle Ã©nergie. Et, depuis le weekend dernier je suis servi !!! Au programme du surf tous les jours. Jâ€™avais dÃ©jÃ appris il y a trois ans, mais sans pratique depuis, le (re)dÃ©marrage fut difficile. Lâ€™envie est lÃ mais lâ€™Ã©quilibre encore prÃ©caire. Comme toutes reprises, je dois attendre quelques sÃ©ances pour retrouver des repÃ¨res et commencer Ã progresser. Et depuis ce matin, grÃ¢ce Ã de belles conditions (et de bons profs de surf), je me rÃ©gale, jâ€™enchaine les vagues les unes aprÃ¨s les autres et je peux enfin lÃ¢cher ma mousse (une planche pour dÃ©butant) pour une vraie board. Câ€™est toujours la classe sur la plage mais arrivÃ© dans lâ€™eau, câ€™est le retour Ã la rÃ©alitÃ©, il va me falloir des heures de pratique pour commencer Ã taquiner les vagues, mâ€™amuser avec elles. En revanche, cÃ´tÃ© plaisir câ€™est juste magique, les sensations de glisse sur lâ€™eau, lâ€™adrÃ©naline quand les vagues sont plus grosses et le plaisir de dÃ©rouler le long des vagues. Une vraie bombe de bienfaits avant mon retour la semaine prochaine sur lâ€™INSEP. Entre deux sessions de surf je retourne Ã la piscine et je continue de courir dans le relÃ¢chement. Rien dâ€™intense pour cette semaine, toute lâ€™Ã©nergie est rÃ©servÃ©e au plaisir pour recharger les batteries, diffÃ©remment. Avec Armelle, ma coache dâ€™optimisation du geste, on fait Ã©voluer notre travail cette semaine, en profitant du surf qui sollicite le corps diffÃ©remment. Il faut dÃ©velopper des adaptions naturelles et rÃ©aliser ce que je dois corriger. Rien de bien dur, ne vous inquiÃ©tez pas, simplement des petits conseils pour utiliser mon corps de la meilleure maniÃ¨re possible. La premiÃ¨re chose qui a Ã©voluÃ© chez moi, câ€™est ma longueur. Et oui Armelle mâ€™a retrouvÃ© plus petit! #surf #surfing

A post shared by Valentin Belaud (@valentinbelaud) on May 28, 2020 at 11:08am PDT

Athlete Worth Watching

Kingsley Tay hopes to lead Singapore to beack volleyball glory.

Steve Nash is a Hall of Famer (Again)

5/28/2020

A Little Roundup

Congrats to Canada's new Sports Hall of Fame inductees, including Olympians Steve Nash and Eric Lamaze!

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Congratulations to these #TeamCanada stars â–¡ heading to the Canadaâ€™s Sports Hall of Fame âœ¨â–¡â£â£ â£â£ Steve Nash, Eric Lamaze (and â–¡ Hickstead!), Diane Jones Konihowski and Lorie Kane are members of the @cansportshall Class of 2020/2021 â–¡â£ .â£ FÃ©licitations Ã ces Ã©toiles â–¡ dâ€™#Ã‰quipeCanada qui seront intronisÃ©es au PanthÃ©on des sports canadiens! âœ¨â–¡

A post shared by Canadian Olympic Team (@teamcanada) on May 27, 2020 at 3:29pm PDT

A quick look at how just two of many athletes are contributing to the fight against COVID-19, courtesy of the International Handball Federation.

Beijing 2008 boxer Paul Fleming is now a commissioned artist.

ESPN caught up with swimmer Simone Manuel and her training and motivation during the pandemic.

Take a look at the Associated Press's photojournal on Venezuelan Olympic-hopeful athletes in training, including BMXer Stefany Hernandez and karate stars Andres Madera and Antonio Diaz.

USA TODAY checks out Rai Benjamin's guitar ambitions, plus others' new quarantine hobbies.

Happy Birthday to Jim Thorpe, born this day in 1887 (maybe)!

Beach volleyballer Daniele Lupo looks forward to getting back on...the beach.

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Mo Farah with a 'fro!

Rising track star Angela Tenorio shows off her pink weights.

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â–¡

A post shared by Angela Tenorio (@angela_teno) on May 27, 2020 at 2:21pm PDT

Athlete Worth Watching

Looks like Ryoo Su Jung may be the next South Korean archery star.

Athing Mu's an Athlete Worth Watching

5/27/2020

The New York Times takes a look at rising track star Athing Mu, and how, for her, the Tokyo 2020 postponement may just work out for the best.

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Kevin Mayer takes off. But what's with the lone shoe?

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Finally ! Pas la piste que jâ€™espÃ©rais mais enfin de retour sur une piste â–¡

A post shared by Mayer Kevin (@mayer.deca) on May 26, 2020 at 11:03am PDT

Ona Carbonell channeled her inner mermaid.

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Â©ï¸ Foto : Moll-Tartinville / Ona Carbonell / 2018. â–¡â–¡â€â™€ï¸Pelo y maquillaje: @estrellaelorduy. . . Como pez en el agua â–¡ #MermaidFeeling

A post shared by Ona Carbonell (@ona_carbonell) on May 26, 2020 at 9:15am PDT

Beach volleyballer Robert Meeuwsen is also a rooftop volleyballer.

Johannes Klaebo gives us more selfies. (Except they're not really selfies...)

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Sorry for all the selfies... corona made me do it â–¡â–¡â€â™‚ï¸ #selfquarantine

A post shared by Johannes HÃ¸sflot KlÃ¦bo (@johanneshk) on May 26, 2020 at 10:40am PDT

Max Whitlock enjoys some protein.

Allyson Felix is ready.

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Ready. â€¢â€¢â€¢ Life and my sport continue to teach me to be open. Open to learn from my experiences and the journey I am on. I never would have imagined this would be the path in the pursuit to make a 5th Olympic Team, but I know Iâ€™m absolutely where I am suppose to be. Doing my best, giving my all and living in my purpose. â–¡: @pwesley22

A post shared by Allyson Felix (@af85) on May 26, 2020 at 9:36am PDT

A Little Roundup

5/26/2020

The USA TODAY network shared the route swimmer Lily King and others took to find ways to still train.

Indian field hockey legend Balbir Singh passed away. He helped win India's first-ever Olympic gold medal, one of three in succession for the golden era in the sport for the country.

World Triathlon caught up last week with Rio 2016 bronze medalist Henri Schoeman, who's brush with MERS last year gives him a unique perspective on the current pandemic.

Have you found out if you're judo fit? (I'm pretty sure I'm not...)

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Morten Thoresen went completely basic.

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Helt basic??â€â™‚ï¸ #vikingstotokyo2020

A post shared by Morten Thoresen (@mortenthoresen) on May 25, 2020 at 12:20pm PDT

Chris Mazdzer hit southern Utah during the weekend.

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I hope everyone had an awesome Memorial Day weekend! We just got back home after a quick but amazing trip to southern Utah. I love how all of this is just in our backyard. Thanks @caitlinhhansen and @marzmedia for letting us crash your trip and for the awesome photos! Have fun and enjoy the red, white and blue â–¡â–¡â–¡ #beutahful #southernutah #goblinvalley #galaxyquest #littlewildhorsecanyon #sanrafaelswell #thewedgeoverlook #littlegrandcanyon #4runnernation

A post shared by Chris Mazdzer (@mazdzer) on May 25, 2020 at 12:55pm PDT

Athlete Worth Watching

Another Spaniard to keep an eye on, but for Paris 2024...kiteboarding star Gisela Pulido looks forward to the discipline's scheduled debut in those Games.

An Unfortunate Olympic Anniversary

5/25/2020

It was 40 years ago this year that the United States announced a boycott of the Moscow 1980 Games. Here in the states, in retrospect, it's a decision mostly viewed with dismay. Too often, though, we don't consider the impact on athletes from outside the U.S., who were also impacted by their respective governments' varying degrees of solidarity with the boycott. Timed with this weekend's anniversary of the Australian Olympic Federation's decision to allow athletes to compete, Inside the Games looks at swimmer Michelle Ford's experience - it's a powerful story that underscores the heartbreak many athletes experienced, even if they made it to Moscow. One moment that struck me is Ford recollecting the team from Afghanistan, the very nation supposedly at the heart of the boycott issue, marching in the Opening Ceremony, causing her to ponder the effective worth of the boycott. It's a question still asked today.

A Little Roundup

A happier anniversary is today's marking of 85 years since Jesse Owens' historic world record(s) day.

The New York Times profiles would-be 2020 Olymplans gymnast Sunisa Lee and swimmer Regan Smith as they each navigate deferred Tokyo plans.

Olympics Cancelled? Irish field hockey star Ayeisha McFerran voices what a lot of athletes are thinking.

Catching up from last week...The Guardian shared a fascinating piece on sprinter Dave Sime's connection to the United States C.I.A. and jumper Igor Ter-Ovanesyan and others ahead of - and during - Rome 1960, complete with Cold War intrigue mixed with sports drama.

Christophe Lemaitre opened up to Tokyo 2020 on patience, card games, and psychology.

Irish Olympian legend Ron Delany finally gets his name corrected on his street of honor.

And finally, proving he's as sharp-witted and engaging as always, figure skater Adam Rippon entertains in an appearance on NPR's "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!" radio show.

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It's a successful 10,000 calorie challenge for Arthur Lanigan-O'Keefe.

Catch up on table tennis-er Michael Maze in a recent Facebook Live video.

Johnny Weir goes glam in his photoshoot.

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22.5.2020 Save it for a rainy day. | COAT @_februaryfirst â–¡ SHOES @robertwun | â–¡ @b_weir6 | #rain #furniture #haircut

A post shared by â€¢JOHNNY WEIRâ€¢ (@johnnygweir) on May 22, 2020 at 12:21pm PDT

Renaud Lavillenie hung out - not quite socially distant - at home with some friends.

Learn about Olympic swimmer and pioneer surfer Duke Kahanamoku, courtesy of the Olympic Channel for Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month.

Superstar - and Beijing 2008 gold medalist - Leo Messi styles in his clothing collection.

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Se viene una nueva temporada... preparate con los nuevos estilos clÃ¡sicos en TheMessiStore.com A new season is coming... get ready with new classic styles on TheMessiStore.com #TheMessiStore #PRECIS10N

A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi) on May 22, 2020 at 9:03am PDT

Happy Birthday to Tina Weirather!

Congrats to the newly married Nick Symmonds!

And...congrats on a great career to Anna Veith, Olympic, World, and World Cup champion skier who recently announced her retirement.

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Iâ€˜m ready for the next chapter. My heart and head are telling me itâ€˜s time to do something new. And so, I have decided to retire from ski racing. Skiing is my whole life. It has made me who I am today and will always be something Iâ€™m passionate about. I am so grateful for the opportunities Iâ€™ve had, to learn and achieve in the past fifteen years. Iâ€™ve been able to fulfil my childhood dreams and more. I could never have imagined, that skiing would teach me so much. Itâ€™s not just about winning or losing for me. Itâ€˜s building and being a team. I truly believe that this is what takes you to the top. I have been lucky to have many people stand by my side, even when success didnâ€™t always come. For those people and partners, I will be forever grateful. Thank you for believing in me. I have made friends for life and will always look back on my experiences with a huge smile. Now, Iâ€˜m excited to see what the future holds and look forward to seeing many of you there. Thank you, for your endless support. It has always and continues to mean so much to me. â–¡â¤ï¸ Your, Anna

A post shared by Anna Veith (@anna.veith) on May 23, 2020 at 10:26am PDT

Adam Peaty stretches.

Borna Coric misses Roland Garros.

Taekwondo Olympian Joel Gonzalez enjoys a dip in the Costa Brava.

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DespueÌs de una buena carrerita â–¡â–¡â€â™‚ï¸â–¡ hemos anÌƒadido algo de natacioÌn â–¡â–¡â€â™‚ï¸ Pd: Espero podamos mantener las playas tan limpias como me las encontreÌ hoy â–¡â–¡â–¡ #stopplastic #cleanseas #sea #mar #training #marlimpio #stopplasticos #natacion #aguasabiertas #natacioÌn #greenpeace #ecomar

A post shared by Joel Gonzalez Bonilla (@joelgonzaleztkd) on May 21, 2020 at 7:13am PDT

Athlete Worth Watching

World champion karateka Sandra Sanchez could be a star at Tokyo 2020.

<<Previous

A Friday Roundup

Steve Nash is a Hall of Famer (Again)

Athing Mu's an Athlete Worth Watching

A Little Roundup

An Unfortunate Olympic Anniversary

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