Tai Tzu-Ying is all smiles.
Fabio Basile serves it Italian style.
Thomas Roehler enjoys a workout.
Race Imboden's feeling tough.
Francesco Bonsanto doubles up.
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The AP looks at Shaun White, owner of "the most successful (snowboarding career) in history" as he looks ahead to Beijing 2022...and possibly Milano Cortina 2026.  Masahiro Tanaka: Team Japan might get a huge boost in its baseball medal aspirations at Tokyo 2020 with the former New York Yankees star. Speaking of Japan...Yoshihide Kiryu pens a feature for Spikes offering a perspective on his career as he looks for more Olympic sprinting glory. Team GB heptathlon star Katarina Johnson-Thompson - already carrying huge expectations - has an injury setback in her Olympics preparations. USA long jumper Brittany Reese and sailor John Dane receive high-profile seats on the new Commission on the State of US Olympics and Paralympics. After multiple world and European championships, Irish rower Sanita Puspure has her eyes set on finally securing an Olympic medal to complete her collection.  Congratulations to the 20 Olympians recently named as Athlete Friendly Education Centre (AFEC) Assessors! Including athletes from Los Angeles 1984 to Pyeongchang 2018 and representing the breadth of sports, assessors champion opportunities to continue education while competing. Canadian diver Meaghan Benfeito finds community support after falling victim to a house fire that destroyed her belongings, including three Olympic medals. The Olympic Channel's Nick McCarvel features Serena Williams, who at almost 40 years of age still has the fire for elite tennis and is on target for another Olympic appearance. Australia names its preliminary men's basketball team for Tokyo 2020. The pool of 24 players, including standouts Patty Mills, Ben Simmons, Matthew Dellavedova, and Joe Ingles, will be trimmed to 12 for the tournament. Ice hockey player Yu Baiwei is set to return to the Olympics 12 years after her debut at Vancouver 2010, but this time with additional responsibilities; she's helping to coach Team China in addition to playing. 
Karsten Warholm chats with The Olympic Channel on his current training, Usain Bolt, and what he's been up to lately.
Kyodo News: Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi takes a leading positive stance on the prospects of Tokyo 2020.
Add Irish sprinter Phil Healy to the list of athletes voicing reservations on Olympians "skipping the line" on Covid-19 vaccinations. Ditto, say Australian tracksters despite official practice underway. fie.org: U.S. Olympic medalist Gerek Meinhardt is balancing medical school studies with training for one more Games this year. Prospective Team USA shooters and boxers train where they can. (I appreciate the moxie in finding where you can go, but why is an abandoned indoor department store approved vs a socially-distant gym?) World Archery looks at Michelle Kroppen, thrust into leadership on the German team ahead as it looks to solidify ahead of Tokyo 2020. 
Double Olympic medalist sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke are 2020's honorees for New Zealand's Lonsdale Cup, for their "outstanding contribution to an Olympic or Commonwealth sport".
​Joe Joyce: Rio 2016 boxing silver medalist now puts his hands to more artistic Olympic-inspired uses. Cross-Country: You would think Russians would be on best behavior alert these days, but... And the news for Team Russia gets worse, thanks to "ANA poster athlete" Sergey Shubenkov. Already the first Canadian to win two individual Olympic gold medals, trampolinist Rosie MacLennan is well poised to make it three this year. Meanwhile...fellow champion Jason Burnett retires... Olympic.org features double Olympic champ Iivo Niskanen, who has built a reputation for training and endurance as he works toward more success.  Francesco Friedrich continues his bobsled winning streak, with win #s 47 and 48 this weekend to cement his status as the all-time World Cup winner. German bobsled isn't the only team setting domination. Natalie Geisenberger wins her 50th luge World Cup win...showing she's still got it. It was an unsurprising Dutch show of force at the European speed skating Championships, as the Netherlands won eight of 12 podium spots - including all four titles: Antoinette de Jong and Patrick Roest in the all-arounds and Jutta Leerdam and Thomas Krol in the sprints. Gefeliciteerd! Bahamanian sprinter Steven Gardiner is the focus of World Athletics's first installment in a new series checking in on how 2019 world champions are handling the Covid-enhanced lead-up to Tokyo 2020. Irish legendary runner Sonia O'Sullivan pens an appeal for Tokyo 2020 to proceed. Canadian shot putter Brittany Crew hopes that a new-found focus on nutrition during the pandemic translates to heightened success on the field.  Greysia Polii offered a bittersweet moment of triumph when she won the women's doubles title with partner Apriyani Rahayu at badminton's Thailand Open this weekend. Vincenzo Nibali: Well, at least here's one professional road cyclist prioritising the Olympic Games. Sydney 2000 sailing champion Sofia Bekatorou unveils a sexual abuse charge...13 years later. He's the breakout star of handball's World Championships. Meet DR Congo's Gauthier Mvumbai! Catch up with WNBA legend and three time Olympic gold medalist Seimone Augustus, via this Knuckleheads podcast interview. 3x3 basketball player Marco Lehmann comes out as gay in order to "perform at the highest level...at peace with himself."  Need help setting goals for the new year? Diver Steele Johnson advises to dream big.  Fellow champions help feature Brazilian star Gabriel Medina's rise in surfing ahead of the sport's debut at the Tokyo Games. Australian swimming champion Emily Seebohm opens up on her eating disorder challenges in order to help others, and herself, treat themselves better. Long-distance runner Gabriela DeBues-Stafford hopes a quiet 2020 has set up a strong 2021 on the track. In The New York Times, a look at how would-be marathoner Sara Hall inspired in 2020 despite missing out on Olympic qualification. World record-holder Joshua Cheptegei hopes to become the eighth man to win the 5,000 and 10,000 meter double at next year's Olympics Games.  Whether it's England or Great Britain, team selection is always cause for early hand-wringing for soccer pundits and fans, for the women's team, too. Congrats to sailor Hannah Mills and rower Martin Helseth on their appointment to the team of European Climate Change Ambassadors. Could Canada's equestrian jumping team reclaim an Olympics berth, and at the expense of Argentina? Mujerhoy features an interview with tennis star and Rio 2016 Olympian Garbine Muguruza, touching on 2021 plans...including a good run at the Tokyo Games. (note, in Spanish) Beijing 2008 medalist Becky Hammon becomes the first woman to head-coach an NBA regular-season game, and rightfully acknowledges the "substantial moment".  Don't forget to check out my recent wishlist for the Tokyo Games this year, featuring Caster Semenya, Team Russia, the end of a gala, and more.
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About This BlogHighlights from the world of Olympic sports, focused on the athletes, and as seen through the cheeky lens of this one particular, passionate fan.
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