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A Little Roundup 04.05.21

4/5/2021

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Could budding Team Great Britain's budding Olympic skateboarding star Sky Brown also compete in surfing at Tokyo 2020?
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The Bridge asks if 38-year-old Mary Kom can win boxing gold at Tokyo 2020 after bronze at London 2012.

Relive Sturla Holm Laegreid's breakout 2020/21 biathlon season, courtesy of IBU TV'S "Best 5 Moments".

Judoka Lioc Pietri reflects on a "small mistake" that pushes him now to focus on Paris 2024.

FIVB's Roster 100 series looks at Norwegian stars Anders Mol and Christian Sorum, the current top-ranked beach players.

Ever want to go behind-the-scenes of Team Canada's divers in training? Team Canada has you covered.

More biathlon: Italian Nicole Gontier retires after two Olympic appearances and two World Championship medals.

Brazilian soccer superstar Marta shares her start in the sport with The Players' Tribune.

Kyle Dake and Helen Maroulis headline the results of Team USA's Olympic Trials for wrestling.

"Leaner and stronger", Irish swimmer Shane Ryan hope his new level of fitness bodes well for Olympic success this summer.
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Rikako Ikee: Anyone needing a feel-good story? Start here. And watch this.

More swimming: Not all Olympic medals lead to immediate euphoria and satisfaction. Daniel Kowalski's Atlanta 1996 success started a period of depression.

Karate star Douglas Brose uses his sport to help his community and support the International Day of Sport for Development and Perace.

Beijing 2022 checks in with Guo Dan and her rise in speed skating after a start in roller skating.

HIgh jumper Priscilla Frederick-Loomis gives testament to the effects of Covid-19 as she battles through recovery to make it to Tokyo 2020.

Middle distance runner Bryce Hoppel reflects on his steady rise in the 800 meters with World Athletics.

Athens 2004 medal-winning kayaker Nathan Baggaley found guilty in a drugs case in Australia.

Soccer star Alex Morgan and basketball player Sue Bird will produce a retrospective TOGETHXR documentary on Atlanta 1996's role in lifting women's sports.

Speaking of film, get to (re) know Rulon Gardner ahead of watching Rulon, an Olympic Channel feature highlighting his championship wrestling beginnings and career.
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A Little Roundup 03.11.21

3/11/2021

 
Kierin cyclist Yudai Nitta has big hopes for Tokyo 2020, including an inspiration for continued recovery for his home region of Fukushima.
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Johannes Klaebo breaks his silence on the controversial end to the cross-country world championships.

Meanwhile, history is made as Jessie Diggins is the first American woman to win the World Cup overall title for cross-country skiing.

NBC's OlympicTalk looks back at the unique story of Margaret Abbott, the first female Olympic champion for the United States. The golfer didn't realize it though!

Need an inspiring story? ESPN.com offers a feature on surfer Tyler Wright, whose return from illness inspired an outspokenness out of the water.

Artistic swimming: anyone out there surprised that the sport has a culture of abuse problem?

Count NBAer Kawhi Leonard as one star with plans on a Team USA appearance at Tokyo 2020 despite a potentially challenging schedule.

London 2012 swimming sensation Missy Franklin announces pending motherhood.

Planet Canoe explores how the Spanish K4 men's team is adjusting to a new canoeing race distance for Tokyo 2020.

Toyko 2020 hopeful, IWF Athletes Commission member - and former beauty pageant competitor - Sarah Davies works to show that "strong is beautiful".
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Get to know Canadian women's skateboarding trailblazer Annie Guglia as she looks ahead to the sport's debut at the Olympics this year.

There's no stopping freestyle skier Mikael Kingsbury, even with a fractured spine.

Turin 2006 medalist Tomasz Sikora has high hopes for Poland's biathletes at Beijing 2022.

Rio 2016 long jump champion Jeff Henderson finds inspiration in his quest to defend his title: his mother.
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Wayde van Niekerk fights to fully return from a "devastating" injury in 2017 and defend his 400 meter title from Rio 2016.

Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross gets a seat on the board for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.

​Ice hockey player Mark Pavelich: a "Miracle on Ice" star passes away.

In a personal feature on The Players' Tribune, sprinter Dina Asher-Smith shows why she's a champion off the track as well as she acknowledges her potential as a role model.

Hammer thrower Anita Wlodarcyzk gets honored as a "shero" with a custom Barbie doll.
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A Little Roundup 03.08.21

3/8/2021

 

International Women's Day Edition!

Team New Zealand recognizes International Women's Day with a celebration of wahine toa. Team Australia looks back at Olympic heroines.

Ayomide Folorunso speaks with World Athletics  on breaking barriers and representing a multi-cultural Italy alongside fellow teammates.
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Australian swimmer Shayna Jack takes her fight to keep her suspension reduced public.

The AP ​looks at Simone Manuel's increased visibility using her voice on issues outside of the pool.

Can Tatjana Schoenmaker become the next great South African Olympic swimmer after setting an African 100 meter breaststroke record?

The Olympic Channel: Dutch skateboarder Candy Jacobs' drive was refreshed with a timely partnership with Tony Hawk's Birdhouse brand.

Three-time Olympian and Vancouver 2010 medalist Wang Binyu is fully anticipating curling at Beijing 2022 as the sport's Sports Manager this time.
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Field hockey's Neha Goyal has a  quick message of thanks for women who have inspired her.

U.S. skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin adds her voice to the chorus of concern on Beijing as the host for the 2022 Winter Games.

Cross country skier Therese Johaug completes a "perfect" world championships as she clobbered the field in her final event, the 30km classic, for her fourth gold.

Olympic champion Claressa Shields is now a professional, undefeated, and has some thoughts on her lack of exposure.
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Suzanne Schulting is the undisputed star of the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, capturing all five possible women's gold medals.

Can Indian tennis star Sania Mirza make it back to the Olympics to pursue medal dreams? Let's hope there'd be no drama this time around.

More tennis: Serena Williams offers her statement of support for her friend, Meghan Markle.

Catch up with Russian rhythmic gymnastics legend - and double Olympic champion - Evgeniya Kanaeva in an interview with FIG.

Double Olympic gold medalist in taekwondo Wu Jingyu takes a positive approach to the postponed Tokyo 2020 as she targets a third Games appearance.

Olympic.org checks in with snowboarder Hailey Langland, Pyeongchang 2018 veteran determined to fulfill her medal potential at next year's Games.

Tokyo 2020 goes in-depth with Tokyo-qualified shooter Lynda Kiejko, hoping for an Olympic podium after Pan American and Commonwealth medals.

The World Olympians Association adds former Olympians Janet Evans (swimming) and Chantal Brunner (track & field) to its Executive Committee, charged with "supporting Olympians at every stage of their lives."

More snowboarding: fresh off of successfully defending a world title, Olympic medalist Selina Joerg retires.
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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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A Little Roundup

11/3/2020

 
It's an Olympic-worthy engagement! Congrats to gold medalists Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe!
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sue Bird (@sbird10) on Oct 30, 2020 at 4:20pm PDT

Justis Huni has already made his professional boxing debut, but is also looking for a rare Olympic medal in the sport for Australia.

FIS-ski.com catches up with Giulia Tanno, victim of bad luck ahead of previous big competitions, but still pushing to reach new freestyle skiing heights.

South Korea's demanding national archery team trials are underway, with Olympic recurve spots on the line for the sport's top nation.

Gymnast Samir Ait Said had a memorable Rio 2016 competition - for a horrific and notorious injury in competition. But he still has Olympics on target.

​The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee profiles (in spanish) sprinter Alex Quinonez, who is on target to make an impression at Tokyo next year.
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Alex Quinonez via coe.org.ec
Meanwhile, track star Mo Farah is the subject of concerned chatter with rumored training disruptions. 

Tokyo 2020 looks at a group of Brazilian women who are ready to make an impact at skateboarding's Olympic debut next year.

Ryan Lochte plans his route to another Olympic appearance. (Please, no).

Is Netflix's Cobra Kai an accurate depiction of karate? Team USA investigates with karateka Tom Scott.

Get to know short track speed skater Itzhak de Laat, Norwegian death metal fan and helmet designer.
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Itzhak de Laat via ISU.org
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