December 3, 2008

I’m chubby and I’m pregnant and it’s awesome!” Kerri told Billy [Bush] on Wednesday morning.

And as it turns out, a gold medal wasn’t the only thing Kerri and husband Casey Jennings brought home from the games in Beijing.

This will be the first child for the couple and it comes as no surprise.  During the Olympics Walsh and her beach volleyball partner Misty May-Treanor both said that after the games they would be turning their attention to starting families with their husbands.
Congratulations Kerri!

Listen to the whole interview.

October 7, 2008

Flanagan shattered her own American Record in the process, running 30:22.22. That’s 4:53 per mile, for more than 6 miles in a row. She crossed the finish line absolutely dumbfounded, asking “Did I do it?” and covering her mouth with her hands as she watched the big screen and learned that she did, in fact, do it.

Flanagan has been known to keep to herself; she trains mostly alone or with her husband, unlike many professional women runners who live near each other and train together. You don’t see her writing blogs, showing up in commercials, or giving speeches. The only commercial I’ve seen her in is a Johnson & Johnson one that honored mothers; Shalane looked into the camera and thanked her mother for all of her support.

Watch Shalane open up a bit to Runners World, below:

August 26, 2008

The way Olympic medals work is that a medal for a team sport - such as the golds won by each of the women on the U.S. soccer team  - counts as just one. If, instead, the medals awarded to each individual are counted, the totals underscore the American commitment to team sports. They read like this:

Americans: 315 medals
Chinese: 186

Notable medal heads include:

• Basketball: The U.S. team, led by Lisa Leslie, claimed a fourth straight Olympic gold medal with a 92-65 blowout of Australia.
• Beach Volleyball: Kerri Walsh and Misty Misty May-Treanor are the first pair, male or female, to repeat as Olympic champions in beach volleyball.
• Cycling/BMX: Two American women took home medals - Kristin Armstrong won gold and BMXer Jill Kintner captured bronze.
• Equestrian: A number of women from the U.S. team medaled including Laura Kraut,  Beezie Madden and Gina Miles.
• Fencing: Americans Mariel Zagunis, Sada Jacobson and Becca Ward swept women’s sabre.
• Gymnastics: Nastia Liukin became the third American woman to take the individual all-around in gymanstics and Shawn Johnson won a gold medal on the balance beam. The pair of gymnasts won five and four medals respectively.
• Pole Vault: Jenn Stuczynski, making her first Olympic appearance, captured a silver medal.
• Rowing: The U.S. women’s eight won gold for the first time since 1984.
• Soccer: In stellar fashion, and without injured striker Abby Wambach, the U.S. women took gold by beating arch rival Brazil.
• Softball: In their first Olympic loss, the U.S. team garnered a silver medal in what may be the last softball match played at the Summer Games.
• Swimming: Americans won 31 medals including six by Natalie Coughlin, the most by a U.S. woman in Beijing. Dara Torres, the oldest swimmer at the Olympic Games, won three medals as did Rebecca Soni, Margaret Hoelzer and Katie Hoff. Swimming Medals
• Taekwondo:  The Lopez family kicked its way into history as Diana Lopez captured a bronze medal.
• Tennis: Venus and Serena Williams won gold medals as doubles partners.
• Track & Field: Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards took home two medals each. Stephanie Brown-Trafton won a bronze medal for discus.
• Volleyball: The U.S. women’s team took home a silver medal after failing to upset Brazil in the gold medal match.
• Water Polo:  The women on the U.S. water polo team captured a silver medal.

Fun Fact: The hardware handed out at the Beijing Games included a nod to the Olympics’ Greek roots and a ring of jade, representing honor and pride in Chinese culture. Each medal weighs about five ounces.

1. Check out eight things you might not know about Andrea Duran.  

2. Read this article about the player’s reactions to the IOC’s decision to keep softball out of the 2012 games.  

3.  View Vicky Galindo’s inspiring story about overcoming an injury here. 

4.  Check out player blogs, including Jennie Finch’s heartfelt reaction to the gold medal game. 

The Beijing Olympics ended with a blaze of deafening fireworks on Sunday, bringing down the curtain on a Games that dazzled the world with sporting brilliance and showcased the might of modern day China.

Some top moments for us include:

Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva winning a gold medal with a world record-breaking pole vault performance that captivated the 91,000 crowd.

Dara Torres winning a silver medal in swimming and proving she’s one hot mama.

Sanya Richards come from behind burst to help the U.S. win the 4×400 relay.

The U.S. women’s soccer team patience and perseverance as they came back from a sobering first round loss to win the gold medal in a tough battle against Brazil.

Thirty-three year old gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, competing for Germany for the first time but in her fifth Olympics, winning silver for her autistic son.

What were your favorite moments?

Basketball:
US women’s basketball wins fourth straight gold - Lisa Leslie capped off her illustrious Olympic career with a fourth straight gold medal scoring 14 points in a 92-65 victory against Australia.

Track & Field:
Richards leads US to women’s 4×400 relay win - Sanya Richards has anchored the United States to a gold medal in the women’s 4×400-meter relay.

Volleyball:
Brazil defeats US 3-1 for volleyball gold - Brazil has won its first gold medal in women’s volleyball, ending the United States’ dramatic run.

BMX:
Jill Kintner earns a bronze medal - The debut of BMX on the Olympics stage brought bronze on the U.S. women’s side to 26 year old Jill Kintner.

Field Hockey:
Netherlands defeats China for field hockey gold - The Netherlands, silver medalists at the 2004 Games in Athens, defeated China 2-0 to win the Olympic gold medal in women’s field hockey.

Track & Field:
US drops baton in relay handoff - The U.S. men and women both dropped the baton in the Olympic 400-meter relays and failed to advance out of the first round.

August 21, 2008

Now, according to the Times of London, the International Olympic Committee has ordered an investigation into mounting allegations that Chinese authorities covered up the true age of their gold-medal winning gymnastics star because she was too young to compete.

He’s true age has been a subject of swirling controversy since the Games began. Questions over her eligibility intensified after she edged out the U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin for the gold medal in the uneven bars on Monday, and was part of the team gold triumph last week.

The minimum age for female gymnasts was increased from 14 to 15 in 1981, and up to 16 in 1997, to protect the physical and mental health of young athletes.

With the games wrapping up Sunday, the IOC wants to quickly end any lingering doubts about underage competitors. China coach Lu Shanzan said the  gymnasts’ parents are ‘indignant’ over age questions. In an interview with The Associated Press, Lu said Asian gymnasts are naturally smaller than their American and European rivals. Lu added that government documents have been repeatedly provided to dispel lingering questions.

How aggressive and sustained the IOC-ordered investigation will be remains to be seen. If it did ultimately result in the stripping of gold medals from one of China’s favourite athletes, it would be an Olympic scandal with reverberations far beyond the sport itself. Stay tuned….

August 21, 2008

By most accounts goalkeeper Hope Solo, who made six saves to earn the shutout victory, was the star of the game but let’s not forget the other 17 members of the team who all contributed whether on the field or on the bench. This was USA’s third gold medal since women’s soccer was added in 1996.

Hopefully injured striker Amy Wambach, as well as Leslie Osborne and Cat Whitehill who are out with ACL tears, were able to celebrate some of that much-deserved glory.

Source: US Soccer

Check out player reactions and full coverage of the game and medal ceremony here.