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Athletes Worth Watching 04.07.21

4/7/2021

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Although she didn't duplicate the performance in the final, teenager Natsu Ohta proved a one to watch with her qualifications win in the first modern pentathlon world cup of the year.
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Tara Davis is now the outdoor collegiate women's long jump record-holder, after setting the indoor mark two weeks ago.
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Luger Madeleine Egle looks to translate Youth Olympics success into Beijing 2022 success, continuing her upward trend over the last years.
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Sprinter Rohan Browning is the first Australian man to qualify for an Olympic 100 meters in 17 years.
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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

3/17/2021

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Erin Go Bragh...The Olympic Sports World Celebrates

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A Little Roundup 02.22.21

2/22/2021

 
I remember Seiko Hashimoto's presence at the Winter Olympics - she competed at four between 1984 and 1994 - for some reason, I was distantly charmed / impressed at her world-class success as a Japanese speed skater amidst the (East) Germans and Americans dominating the sport those years. And I was thrilled seeing her win a medal, her only one as it turned out, at Albertville 1992. And I became even more as she competed in three Summer Games, as a cyclist, She certainly has been an Olympian! And now, she's a late-arriving President of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, charged with stabilizing the organization after her predecessor's misogynist remarks and steering Tokyo 2020 toward fruition. A monumental task, but Hashimoto's Olympic and political experience will serve her well to move beyond impressions of tokenism as a female president. Congrats and best of luck!

Congrats to Greece and Montenegro! The finalists at water polo's Olympic Qualification Tournament are winners of Tokyo 2020 placements. Croatia also secured a spot also with their third place finish.
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Five skiers won two gold medals each at the Alpine World Skiing Championships over this past week - Vincent Kriechmayr, Mathieu Faivre, Sebastian Foss-Solevag, Lara Gut-Behrami, and Katharina Liensberger. But U.S. star Mikaela Shiffrin was the top overall individual, with four medals...winning one in each event she entered.

More Alpine worlds: Mexico's erstwhile six-time Olympian, Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe keeps on skiing.

Meanwhile, the AP looks at the rare single-coach setup that Italy's top female skiers - Sofia Goggia, Federica Brignone, and Marta Bassino - share.

After a disappointing Rio 2016 and a horrific crash in 2019, triathlete Katie Zaferes is looking forward to cementing a comeback at Tokyo 2020.

BWF checks in on Indonesian doubles star Greysia Polii and how she has developed her forehand serve as a unique attribute in badminton.

Chelsie Giles was a surprise winner in the women's -52kg event at judo's Grand Slam in Tel Aviv, overcoming Olympic champion Majlinda Kelmendi in the semifinals en route.

Also from Tokyo 2020...a look at karate champion Alexandra Recchia, looking to add an Olympic podium to her numerous career accolades, while maintaining a legal career.
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Shortly before winning her fourth Grand Slam title, tennis champion Naomi Osaka lent her voice in support of progress at Tokyo 2020.

Norway sure provided the star power at the Biathlon World Championships last week. Breakouyt star Sturla Holm Laegreid's mass start victory yesterday gives him four gold medals at the event, including two individual. That tally pushes him past more noted teammates Johannes Tinges Bo and Johannes Dale on the men's side. Compatriot Tiril Eickhoff was the overall medal winner, though, as she earned a sixth medal with a bronze in the mass start. Her finish included four titles as well.

Six Olympics is just enough for India's luge Shiva Keshavan, as he focuses on mentoring a new generation of athletes now.

Nyjah Huston: a Tokyo 2020 skateboarding top contender in the news for hosting a Covid-19 "super spreader" party in Los Angeles.

Blanka Vasic: a champion high jumper retires.

Keep the Flame Alive's latest podcast feature interview is Jordan Gray, U.S. women's decathlete (right!) and her work to make that established,

Even more from Tokyo 2020...world champion and world record holder decathlete Kevin Mayer is using the next five months to the Games to continue fine-tuning his comeback from 2019 disappointment.
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Let's Get Social 02.09.21

2/9/2021

 
Anna Veith looks ahead.
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Tamas Kenderesi is free.
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Antoinette de Jong is happily redheaded.
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Hi, Kjeld!
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Venus Williams shows off her cap...and her legs.
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A Little Roundup 02.08.21

2/8/2021

 
Team USA's Kallie Humphries makes history as she wins a fourth women's world bobsled championship this weekend. Her brakewoman was Lolo Jones, who also has previous world titles of her own - as a track athlete, in indoor hurdling. And on the next day, Germany continued its dominance, sweeping the men's two-man event, after taking the silver and bronze in the women's. The German sweep was led by Francesco Friedrich's tenth world title, a new championship record.
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Natalie Geisenberger, with her eighth overall title, is the star of the show at the Luge World Cup's final stop in St. Moritz.

"My last two Olympics have been horrible experiences and I would like this one to be joyful". Short track speed skaterElise Christie shares with The Times her view on her career struggles as Beijing 2022 nears. (paid access)

Surfer Sally Fitzgibbons is the covergirl feature subject for Australia's Women's Health. 

​Here's a look at five athletes looking to complete unique doubles, competing at both the Tokyo Summer Games and the Beijing Winter Games coming up, including taekwondo star Pita Taufatofua who's already contested cross-country at Pyeongchang 2018. Other combinations include across cycling & speed skating and track and field & bobsled.

Sarah Davies: the chairwoman of the IWF's Athletes Commission details more governance problems for weightlifting. TL;DR: It's not good.

Cat Osterman: a softball legend plans for Tokyo 2020 to be a key part of her swan song season in 2021.

Tokyo 2020 also looks at Callum Hawkins, Team GB marathoner eager to upgrade his two fourth-place finishes at the world championships and put past race disappointment behind at the Tokyo Games.
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Meet the Gerken Schofield sibling trio that can make history for Team Great Britain as freestyle skiing teammates at Beijing 2022.

Can middle-distance stars Wesley Vazquez and Ryan Sanchez bring milestone glory for Puerto Rico in the 800 meters at Tokyo 2020?

​Could U.S. football star Tyreek Hill make it to the Olympics as a sprinter?
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The Olympic Channel gets to know Italian Dominik Paris...herdsman, father, heavy metal singer...and world-class alpine skier.

Take a peek inside Serena Williams' Florida home.

R.I.P. to boxing champion, and Team USA's Montreal 1976 light heavyweight gold medalist, Leon Spinks. The champ was 67.

And more mourning for USA gymnastics great Dianne Durham who passed at 52 last week. Durham had made history in 1983 as the first African-American gymnastics national all-around champion.
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