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A Little Roundup 01.19.23

1/19/2023

 

Which Olympic Sports Stars Are Making News Headlines?

Sky News checks in on youth figure skater Gosha Mandziuk, who has resumed training in Kyiv despite the opportunity to escape the war in Ukraine.
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Gosha Mandziuk (Sky News)
Olympic figure skater and commentator Johnny Weir gets ISU Awards hosting duties next month.

Rising tennis player Holger Rune pens a blog for ITF: "(Winning) Grand Slams is the natural step for me".

CNN.com​: Tennis star Ons Jabeur, beach volleyballer Doaa Elghobashy, fencer Ibithaj Muhammad, and modern pentathlete Aya Medany are just some of the Muslim women to have "opened doors for a new generation of athletes".

Team Poland's men's volleyball team recognized as 'Team of the Year' back home for 2022...while beach volleyballers Anders Mol and Christian Sorum did the same in Norway.
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Biathletes Sturla Holm Laegreid and Ingrid Landmark Trandrevold are two athletes leading calls from Norway to address increasing climate change impact.

Olympians Miho Nonaka (sport climbing) and Haylie McCleney (softball) make the shortlist for the World Games 'Athlete of the Year' award for 2022.

Getting corny: Soccer superstar Lionel Messi gets a unique honor in Cordoba, Argentina.

More soccer as Team Iceland's Sara Bjork Gunnasrsdottir gets personal in The Players' Tribune on her experience with pregnancy while a competitive athlete.

Who will win the inaugural Global Triathlon Awards tomorrow? Team France, apparently, for one...

Judo great Teddy Riner is using a training camp in Kazakhstan on his road back to competition.

FIG: Rhythmic gymnast Stiliana Nikolova is 'embracing new chances in the new year'.

With two European golds, are Team Belgium's Hanne and Stijn Desmet the latest super short track speed skating siblings?

Will 2023 be the 'toughest season' yet of top-ranked Viktor Axelsen's badminton career?

Weightlifters Forrester Osei, Hidilyn Diaz, and Luisa Peters are elected to the IWF Executive Board.

Swimmers Joshua Liendo and Summer McIntosh win Aquatics Canada Aquatiques' 'Athlete of the Year' honors for their successes in 2022.

Doaa Al-Ayoub made taekwondo history at the age of six...and has done it again at the age of eight.

Newly retired Kurt Baker ponders his prolific rugby sevens career as he begins a new sporting chapter.

Olympics.com: At Paris 2024, skateboarder Gustavo Ribeiro wants "revenge on (his Tokyo 2020) results".

Beijing 2008 Olympian Marcie Lane (van Dusen) now leads equality efforts at a new program for girls' wrestling in Wyoming.

Go #OfftheMat in a 'Day in the Life' of wrestling champion Jordan Burroughs.

Flashback: Canoeist Saul Craviotto could become Team Spain's most-ever decorated Olympic athlete at Paris 2024...MujerHoy checked in over the holidays.

Boxer Khadija Mardi fought past difficult life moments to achieve success in the ring for Team Morocco.

Meanwhile, London 2012 champion Katie Taylor's marquee boxing match against Amanda Serrano wins Ring Magazine​'s 'Event of the Year' honors for 2022.

Speed skater Nil van der Poel won the top prize at Sweden's annual Idrottsgalan Awards, which also honored table tennis pair Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson, golfer Linn Grant, and swimmer Sarah Sjostrom, amongst others. (What...no Armand Duplantis??)

Paula Torres might be next in line for Team Ecuador Olympic race walking, if a new training set-up and recent continental U23 success is an indicator. (in Spanish)

Seeing competing in track & field as a "privilege", Irish long jumper Ruby Millet looks ahead past studies to being able to focus on her sport more.

Sprint hurdler Tiffany Porter blogs us through her 'geriatric' pregnancy.

Recently retired sprint legend Allyson Felix gets her name on her home stadium.

FIBA: How did playing for Team Finland help basketball player Lauri Markkanen 'flip the switch'?

Who were the 3x3 men's and women's players who 'defined' the 2022 season?
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Thibaut Vervoort (FIBA3x3.com)

A Little Roundup 11.28.22

11/28/2022

 

What's New With Olympic Sports Athletes?

Olymics.com​: Get to know Polina Buhrova, a top-ranked junior badminton player who's rise coincides with the conflict in her home in Ukraine.
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Polina Buhrova (Jnanesh Salian/BWF)
FINA.org checks in with artistic swimmer Miyako Tanaka: Seoul 1988 memories, working as a sports psychologist, and more.

With a 'long apprenticeship' in the sport, taekwondo world champion Omar Salim relishes following in his father's championship footsteps.

Kaillie Humphries still has peak competitive fire as she and the Team USA bobsled team look to a new season of challenges this winter.

South African Danisha Patel is not just a top table tennis player, but a double major in biokinetics.

Olympic rowers Aifric Keogh and Eimear Lambe 'dare to believe' in outreach to schoolchildren in Ireland.

Now having "finally made it", gymnast Adem Asil revels in his first world championship medal...a gold.

Fulfilling 'a dream', Beauty Dungdung is ready for her senior debut with Team India field hockey.

Retiring road cyclist Aafke Soet turns her attention to helping others battle eating disorders.

New world triathlon champion Leo Bergere "can't believe" his title, a win he's been chasing a long time.

Meanwhile, Alex Yee's and Georgia Taylor-Brown's mutual second-place finishes at the world finals may cement their positions to still challenge through Paris 2024.

Long-time teammates Summer Britcher and Emily Sweeney are now partners as they eye women's luge doubles this season for the first time.

Remember Alpine skier Nina O'Brien's hard crash at Beijing 2022? She's back on the slopes this season. 

How has Aleksander Aamodt Kilde become 'the master of consistency'?

"Everyday was a challenge", but 2022's been a 'breakthrough' season for diver Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix.

U.S. Open junior tennis champ Alex Eala makes the cover for Vogue Philippines.

Beach volleyball players Esteban and Marco Grimalt are just one example of family members finding international success for Team Chile in 'less traditional sports'. (in Spanish)

Speaking of beach volleyball...did you know that Croatian soccer World Cup player Ivan Perisic once played on the beach volleyball tour?

Count Team Spain's number one goalkeeper and Tokyo 2020 Olympian Unai Simon as surprised to even being ever called up for the World Cup squad.

Look back at a pre-World Cup interview with Team Australia soccer player and Tokyo 2020 Olympian Riley McGree: Middlesbrough, parmos and lost in Qatar.

Will one of my earliest favorite Olympic athletes, Los Angeles 1984's P.T. Usha, become president of the Indian Olympic Committee?

Race walker Jemima Montag was a double honoree at the Victorian Institute of Sport Awards of Excellence: Performance Lifestyle Award and Award of Excellence.

Softball Olympians Monica Abbott and Maria Soto headline the new additions to the WBSC Athletes' Commission as representatives on the executive and softball boards, respectively.

Can Japanese-born freestyle wrestler Gaku Akazawa make it to Paris 2024 representing Samoa?

Beijing 2008 boxer Azea Augustama arrested for 'threatening to shoot up a gym in South Florida'.

Olympics.com: Swimmer Daniel Wiffen reflects on that Game of Thrones cameo, and more.

Swimming great Kyle Chalmers has two big items left to do on his career bucket list, and feels ready to tackle one of them at the short course worlds next month.
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Has 'enigmatic' biathlon star Emilien Jacquelin found a 'new balance' as the season gets underway?
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Emilien Jacquelin (IBU)

A Little Roundup 10.20.22

10/20/2022

 

Olympic Sports Athletes Are Making Headlines

Viktoriia Marchuk is just one of the Ukrainian athletes receiving support from World Taekwondo's 'Rapid Response Taekwondo Team' as a result of the Russian invasion.
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Viktoriia Marchuk (r) (WTT)
Berlin 1936 long jumper Luz Long's silver medal, won behind Jesse Owens' gold, fetches more than $488K U.S. at auction.

The Guardian looks at some of the infamous 'sport cheating scandals', including the St. Louis 1904 marathon, Moscow 1980's men's javelin competition, and figure skater Nancy Kerrigan's 'kneecapping'.

Figure skater veteran Gracie Gold isn't done yet - and is motivated to prove competitiveness.

"What else are we capable of?" Figure skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier look toward a new competitive season after a strong 2021-22.

More Olympic Talk: Beach volleyballers Sarah Hughes and Kelly Cheng are united as a pair, years after they were targeted as Tokyo 2020 contenders.

Former swimmer Carsten Vissering talks his new bobsled ambitions with SwimSwam.

Wait...star swimmer Katinka Hosszu didn't vacation until age 31? (link in Hungarian)

Field hockey player Neha Goyal thinks Team India's recent strong run portends good results at the upcoming Women's Nations Cup.

The Association of National Olympic Committees announces its honorees from Beijing 2022 for its ANOC Awards 2022, including Team Sweden curling, Eileen Gu (freestyle skiing), Team Canada ice hockey, Sven Kramer (speed skating), Nick Baumgartner and Lindsay Jacobellis (snowboarding), and Hawng Dae-heon (short track).

Star snowboarder Shaun White approaches his first full winter season as a businessman, not athlete.

Gymnast Anina Wildi looks to 'thrive' at the World Championships this month, particularly after missing the last edition through injury.

With retirement approaching, triathlete Non Stanford reflects on her career after converting from multiple other sports.

Just how did Alpine skiing stars' Mikaela Shiffrin's and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde's romance start?

Still in jail in Russia, basketball player Brittney Griner spends her 32nd birthday in prison.

How did Rio 2016 basketball Olympian Klay Thompson 'rebound' from injury to star in 2022's NBA Finals?

Cycling superstar Pauline Ferrand-Prevot confirms her Paris 2024 mountain bike intentions.

Rising team Sweden cross-country skier Emma Ribom chats with FIS on her hopes for 2022-23.

SportsPro Media ranks the world's '50 most marketable athletes', including Olympians Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer), Serena Williams (tennis), LeBron James (basketball), Lionel Messi (soccer), Naomi Osaka (tennis), Alex Morgan and Samantha Kerr (soccer), Simone Biles (gymnastics), Simona Help and Rafael Nadal (tennis), Neymar (soccer), Katie Ledecky (swimming), Chloe Kim (snowboarding), Roger Federer (tennis), Candace Parker (basketball), Megan Rapinoe (soccer), Eileen Gu (freestyle skiing), Garbine Muguruza (tennis), Sky Brown (skateboarding), Becky Sauerbrunn (soccer), Sydney McLaughlin (track & field), Luka Doncic (basketball), Novak Djokovic (tennis), Katie taylor (boxing), and Rory McIlroy (golf).

Speaking of Simone Biles...the champion gymnast pens a guest essay for USA TODAY: "...why I'm a voice for others".

Olympic softball multi-medalist Tanya Harding gets a Sport Australia Hall of Fame nod for 2022.

Sport climber Elnaz Rekabi's fate is uncertain after the Iranian makes a bold statement in competition. Or did she?

Biathlete Dorothea Wierer is the Dolomites' top sportswoman for the fifth time at the 2022 Sporthilfe Gala. (in German)

Team Canada star rugby sevens player Bianca Farella contemplates what's next after a Covid-19-related disappointing end to her 2022 season.
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"Boring" is how retired road cyclist Dan Martin sees the state of today's athletes on the circuit.
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Dan Martin (Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

A Little Roundup 10.03.22

10/3/2022

 

Olympic Sports Athletes Making Headlines

Skeleton racer Vladyslav Herskevych and canoeist Yuriy Cheban remind us of the role sports can play in countering Russian aggression. (in Ukrainian)
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Athletes for Ukraine and supporters (Athletes for Ukraine)
A 'consistent' pre-season training and some unique 'fun' has Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin looking to compete "a bit more" this upcoming season.

'Baby Bron Bron' Alyssa Thomas' global championship debut  was a key element to Team USA's ability to stay on track during the women's basketball World Cup.

Will there be a national team bidding war for the services of basketball big man Joel Embiid?

Lauren Jackson: Team Australia's basketball star says goodbye.

More Team Australia as congratulations go to new members of key IOC positions, including surfer Sally Fitzgibbons and canoeist Jessica Fox.

The upcoming "The Redeem Team" recounts a friendly - but serious - rivalry between Beijing 2008 basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.

Gymnast Adem Asil is "very happy" to have upgraded to a silver medal at the recent European Championships after two bronzes.

R.I.P. to four-time Olympic medalist artistic gymnast Andrea Schmid-Shapiro, who was also a landmark figure in rhythmic gymnastics, too.

​Badminton women's doubles pair Margot Lambert and Anne Tran have proven to be 'taken seriously' as they rise through the rankings and target Paris 2024.

Who are FINA's swimmers to watch in the upcoming World Cup 2022 series?

More FINA as Russell McKinnon checks in on the members of Team Australia's golden water polo team from Sydney 2000.

Olympics.com: Can Hugo Calderano challenge the reign of Team China in table tennis?

More Olympics.com: Will Delicious Orie fulfill a wish to win Paris 2024 gold and then dominate the professional boxing ranks?

Snowboard champion Shaun White makes it into a Saturday Night Live sketch.

A retiring Lutalo Muhammad reflects on how his 'unique' Olympic experience helped promote taekwondo in Great Britain.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Julia Brueckler takes her love of skateboarding local to get a community's input on a planned skatepark.

Tokyo 2020 weightlifter Zacarias Bonnat of Dominican Republic elected to IWF's Athletes' Commission.

Will skipping the 2022-23 season help speed skater Gao Tingyu better prepare for Milano Corina 2026?

Call him Lin Xiaojun now, as embattled South Korean short track speed skater Lim Hyo-Jun switches allegiance to Team China.

Team USA's triple Olympic medalist Cat Osterman headlines the list of 2022 inductees for the National Softball Hall of Fame.

37-year-old Karina Ocasio is back at the Women's Volleyball World Championships, the only player there to have competed at the 2002 edition.

Judoka Clarisse Agbegnenou set for a distinctive honor as she joins an impressive list of fellow athletes immortalized at the Grevin Museum.

Sprinter Joseph Fahnbulleh has 'a lot to look forward to' as he comes off consecutive global event finals appearances.

Sprint legend Allyson Felix gets an Inc. 'Female Founders' feature for 2022.

What is the 'biggest fear' of the 'world's sexiest athlete', sprinter Alicia Schmidt?

Los Angeles 1984 marathon champion Joan Benoit-Samuelson has still got it (and is still at it).

"It means a lot for my country. It means a lot for the people back home..." Mayar Sherif makes Egyptian history with here WTA tennis win.

Angelina Topic is the European Olympic Committees' 'Best Summer Sport Young Athlete' for 2022.

'Family' is a key to rowing success for Nick and Rohan Lavery, the latest in a line of Team Australia siblings in the sport.

More rowing: Paul O'Donovan reflects on balancing rowing and his education on the heels of World Championship success with Irish Examiner.
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Paul O'Donovan (r) and Fintan McCarthy (Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile)

A Little Roundup 08.29.22

8/29/2022

 

Olympic Sports Athletes Making Headlines...

21 current and former tennis players gathered to raise more than $1.2 million for Ukrainian war relief in the 'Tennis Plays for Peace' exhibition ahead of the U.S. Open.
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Tennis Plays for Peace (USTA)
Retired Ukrainian runner Lyudmila Dzhigalova 'finds refuge' from the Russian invasion in California.

Victor Kovalenko: A Ukrainian sailing legend reflects on his Soviet-era career and his coaching success.

It's not often you see a tennis legend ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

Speaking of...Serena and Venus Williams chat with The Today Show on retirement and 'new chapters'.

"I feel like actually I'm not the Wimbledon champion." Life after her first Grand Slam tennis title is not what Elena Rybakina expected.

Boxing legend and Mexicio City 1968 champion George Foreman faces assault charges from the 1970s.

Olympic medalist Ye Zhaoying opens up about Team China shenanigans in the Sydney 2000 badminton tournament.

Meanwhile, did you note how many notable records were made by the Badminton World Championships winners?

Basketball star Giannis Antetokounpo's home debut sets a new European Qualifiers attendance record. 

Justin Kripps: A bobsled champion retires.

Luke Treharne and Team Wales knows their rugby sevens experience will be different after this season.

Ahead of her mountain bike worlds triumph, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot's profile in Pink Bike covered her Rio 2016 disappointment, Tokyo 2020, training, mental challenges, and more.

Don't call road cyclist Enric Mas 'a moron'.

Speaking of road cyclists, did you know there was a 'twitter war' happening between Tadej Podacar and the retired Dan Martin?

And more...as esports champion Jay Vine continues to prove his road cycling worth.

Track cyclist Katie Archibald reveals heartbreaking details of the passing of her mountain biking partner Rob Wardell.

Fresh off both Tokyo 2020 and Birmingham 2022 success, field hockey player Josh Simmonds looks ahead to mentoring newcomers in the national system.

Leisel Jones: Is (was) there a 'toxic culture' in Team Australia swimming?

More Team Australia swimming: Teenager Molly O'Callaghan is adjusting to her 'sudden ascent' of success in the pool.

The Australian Olympic Committee turns its eye on double Olympic softball medalist Tracey Freeman, who's made a unique switch to a career in national defense.

To mask or not to mask: Team China's health precautions cause a stir in volleyball's Asia Cup.

Campbell Wright is easy to spot on the biathlon circuit not only as a rare New Zealander, but also due to his noted consistently relaxed demeanor.

Ice hockey star Sarah Nurse gets a feature in The New York Times: 'A Found Voice for Hockey'.

Will freestyle skiing aerialist Marion Thenault be one of the 'first carbon-neutral Olympic athletes in the world'?

Shot putter Sarah Mitton is 'proud to inspire' after a breakthrough season that included a Commonwealth gold medal.

Runner Mark English contemplates what's next and how to get there, now with outdoor European Championships medal success.

As incoming Chair, retired hurdler Lea Sprunger headlines the new slate of European Athletics' Athletes Committee members announced last week. Other members include Thomas Roehler, Milan Trajkovic, Kristyian Uldbjerg Hansen, Ivet Lalova-Collio, Alessia Trost, Asha Phillip, and Oleksiy Kasyanov. Congrats to all!
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Lea Sprunger (European Athletics)
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    Above: Athens' Kallimarmaro, the site of the 1896 Summer Olympics


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