The Games of the XXXI Olympiad are now over. The athletes have all gone home, and many are enjoying the transition period of their periodization cycles. A significant number of others who retired after the ... Continue Reading
A Few Thoughts at Olympic Halftime
Well, even halfway through the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, there was plenty to catch up on. In my last entry on these pages, I mentioned the athletes that Canada, the USA, and Great Britain would be ... Continue Reading
Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Is it Okay to Switch Citizenship Just for a Gold Medal?
I am a sucker for the Winter Olympics. I am an avid snowboarder myself, and I love to watch the ski and snowboard events. So now that the winter Olympics are over, what was the biggest thing I noticed at ... Continue Reading
How to Train Like an Olympic Speed Skater (Those Legs!)
If you weren’t impressed by speed skating at the Olympics this year, then you must not have been watching. I know I was impressed, and it led me to want to learn all I could about where that speed (and ... Continue Reading
How We Can Apply the Olympics to Our Own Training
Olympians are glorified and their success is celebrated worldwide. Their biggest dreams come true, but at what cost were they achieved and what do they do afterwards? And what does it really have to do ... Continue Reading
5 Lessons the Olympics Teach Us about Sport and Life
The Olympics Games are a bit silly. Every four years, we tune in to our television sets as if we’re somehow overnight fans of obscure and strange sports like luge and curling. On top of that, the random ... Continue Reading
Technology Doping in the Olympics: Cheating or Progress?
It’s the Winter Olympics, and that means we get to see athletes soar through the air, race along a track, and dance on skates (not to mention curling!). But as the event takes place, discussion tends to ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Holley Mangold, Entry 17 – One-Armed Snatch Practice
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Athlete Journal of Olympic weightlifter Holley Mangold. Follow her journey here as she trains for the 2016 Olympics! Holley's journal will be posted every Friday. You can ... Continue Reading
Staying Ahead of the Cheaters: A New Test for Human Growth Hormone
I know this is a beat-to-death topic, but you have to admit, any breakthrough in drug testing for sports merits some discussion. After all, are we not attempting to level the playing field so ... Continue Reading
The Paralympic Games: Changing Perceptions, Popularity Still Challenged
One of the best things to have happened to enhance the popularity of the 2012 Paralympic Games was when Oscar Pistorius tried to separate himself from them. When Pistorius qualified for this summer’s ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Holley Mangold, Entry 15 – My Olympic Games Experience
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Athlete Journal of Olympic weightlifter Holley Mangold. Holley is part of Team USA headed to London this summer. Follow her journey here as she trains for the 2012 ... Continue Reading
U.S. Wins Gold in Wrestling, Decathlon, and 4x100m Relay
Ashton Eaton finished the decathlon with 8,869 points to defeat fellow American Trey Hardee by 198 points. It is the first time the Americans have won both the gold and silver in the Olympic decathlon ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Holley Mangold, Entry 14 – The Big Day Happened
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Athlete Journal of Olympic weightlifter Holley Mangold. Holley is part of Team USA headed to London this summer. Follow her journey here as she trains for the 2012 ... Continue Reading
U.S. Women’s Soccer Wins Gold and Lightning (Bolt) Strikes Twice
In a World Cup finals rematch, the U.S. women’s soccer team hoped this time to defeat Japan. After going up 2-0 thanks to both of Carli Lloyd's goals, Japan scored to cut the lead to 2-1 in the second ... Continue Reading
U.S. Regains Medal Lead with 81 Medals Total
Sprinter Allyson Felix added another gold to the United States’ total as she beat two-time 100-meter champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica. Felix finished with time of 21.88 seconds, whule ... Continue Reading
China Pads Both Overall and Gold Medal Lead; U.S. Still Within Reach
The U.S. captain of the women’s gymnastics team, Aly Raisman, matched teammate Gabby Douglas by earning the gold on the floor exercise on Tuesday. Raisman also won bronze on the balance beam, making her ... Continue Reading
The Literariness of the Olympics
“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald I easily ... Continue Reading
Day 10 Olympic Updates: U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Advances to Final
The U.S. women’s soccer team faced a tough opponent in Canada. Each was vying for a spot in the final round, and both were unbeaten. Regulation was not enough to determine a winner, as the game was tied ... Continue Reading
Phelps Wins Another Gold While Franklin Breaks a World Record
Michael Phelps will go out a winner in London. He has proclaimed he is done after these games, so one can assume the gold medal he earned today in the 100-meter butterfly was icing on the cake. Phelps ... Continue Reading
U.S. Catapults Into Medal Lead, Tied With China at 18 Golds
The Olympic pool has been extra nice to the U.S. as of late. Yesterday evening, Allison Schmitt anchored the U.S. to gold in the women’s 4x200-meter relay. Australia earned the silver, and France took ... Continue Reading
China Regains Medal Lead, U.S. Close Behind
The United States men’s gymnastics team earned some redemption Wednesday as Danell Levya earned the bronze in the individual all-around event. Leyva was in a hole early on due to some miscues on the pommel ... Continue Reading
Michael Phelps Officially Winningest Olympian in History
Things have been looking good for the United States in the Olympics: The U.S. women gymnastics team won their first gold since 1996. This team has been nicknamed “The Fab Five” and they lived up to ... Continue Reading
17 Medals, 5 Golds – Team U.S.A. Continues to Perform
Monday saw some ups and downs for the United States. The men’s artistic gymnastics team was hoping to earn their first gold since 1984, but some costly mistakes resulted in them not even medaling. The ... Continue Reading
Four Medals for Team USA: Day 1 of the 2012 Olympic Games
The 2012 Olympic Games are off to a running start, and the United States is second in the medal count. The United States took its first medal of the Olympics in men's team archery, after losing to Italy by ... Continue Reading
