Daily Archives: September 20, 2021

ATEEZ Responds To Olympic Volleyball Star Kim Hee Jin Revealing She’s A Fan + Naming The Song That Meant A Lot To Her At Tokyo Olympics – soompi

Posted: September 20, 2021 at 9:15 am

ATEEZ shared a sweet message for Olympic volleyball star Kim Hee Jin after learning that shes a fan of theirs!

During a recent interview, Kim Hee Jinwho is currently one of Koreas most beloved athletesmentioned that shes a big fan of ATEEZ.

When asked if shed requested any K-pop songs to be played during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the volleyball player replied that she hadnt been given the chance to request a song. However, she went on to share, I like ATEEZ. The reason I like them is because they put so much hard work and energy into their dance. They give it their all.

Kim Hee Jin then revealed that one particular ATEEZ song held special meaning for her after it unexpectedly wound up being a lucky charm for the South Korean team at the Olympics.

People probably dont know this, she said, but during the Tokyo Olympics, whenever there was a crucial moment for us, [ATEEZs] song WIN would always start playing. Every time it played, we would always win. We would turn the game around for an unexpected victory. So Im still listening to that song these days.

Later, during ATEEZs guest appearance on DAY6s Kiss the Radio, DJ Young K brought up Kim Hee Jins interview by remarking, As expected of a group thats all the rage, a person whos very popular these days revealed that shes a fan of yours.

He then asked the group if they wanted to share a message for Kim Hee Jin. Turning to the camera, San said, Thank you so much. I really love volleyball. I was really rooting for you while watching these [Olympic] games. Thank you so, so much for shining so bright. And thank you so much for liking us. Well continue to be a hard-working ATEEZ in the future. We love you. Thank you.

ATEEZ recently made a comeback with the mini album ZERO : FEVER Part.3, which made them the boy group with the fifth-highest first-week album sales in Hanteo history. Check out the music video for their new title track Deja Vu here!

Watch Kim Hee Jin on the latest episode of The Manager below:

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ATEEZ Responds To Olympic Volleyball Star Kim Hee Jin Revealing She's A Fan + Naming The Song That Meant A Lot To Her At Tokyo Olympics - soompi

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Road to Canada’s Olympic curling trials crowded in Ottawa tournaments – CBC.ca

Posted: at 9:15 am

Jockeying to represent Canada in team curling at the 2022 Beijing Olympics escalates Wednesday in Ottawa with a pair of events designed to complete the trials and pre-trials fields this winter.

Five men's teams are chasing two berths and five women's foursomes will compete for three spots in November's Tim Hortons Curling Trials in Saskatoon.

Regina's Matt Dunstone, Saskatoon's Colton Flasch, Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., Winnipeg's Jason Gunnlaugson and Mike McEwen will vie to join Edmonton's Brendan Bottcher, Toronto's John Epping, Brad Gushue of St. John's N.L., and Calgary's Kevin Koe already qualified for the men's trials Nov. 20-28 in Saskatoon's SaskTel Centre.

Charlottetown's Suzanne Birt, Corryn Brown of Kamloops, B.C., Edmonton's Kelsey Rocque and Laura Walker and Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., seek to join Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., Tracy Fleury of East St. Paul, Man., Ottawa's Rachel Homan and Winnipeg's Jennifer Jones in Saskatoon.

The men's and women's champions in Saskatoon will wear the Maple Leaf in team curling in Beijing.

Another longer road to trials is entry via a pre-trials tournament Oct. 26-31 in Liverpool, N.S., which will produce the final two men's and last two women's entries for Saskatoon.

A parallel tournament running Wednesday to Sunday at Ottawa's RA Centre will complete that pre-trials field.

Eight teams of each gender compete in a triple knockout draw for two men's and women's berths in pre-trials.

Fans aren't allowed into the RA Centre because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Curling Canada will stream games lives on its YouTube channel.

Curling Canada revised its qualifying criteria for both team and mixed doubles Olympic trials because the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the majority of 2020-21 events that would have determined those fields.

Six duos have already qualified for the mixed doubles trials Dec. 28 to Jan. 2 in Portage la Prairie, Man.

Ten more will earn spots via bonspiels from September to December or by a high ranking in Curling Canada's Canadian mixed doubles rankings as of Dec. 14.

Canadian champions Einarson and Gushue, runners-up Kadriana Sahaidak and Colton Lott, Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant, Jones and Brent Laing, Nancy Martin and Tyrel Griffith, Homan and John Morris, andEpping and Lisa Weagle have already gained entry into the mixed doubles trials.

Morris and Kaitlyn Lawes won gold in the Olympic debut of mixed doubles in 2018.

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Road to Canada's Olympic curling trials crowded in Ottawa tournaments - CBC.ca

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Cornelius Denies Bullying Incidents That Led To His Removal From Olympics Ceremony – Stereogum

Posted: at 9:15 am

Japanese experimental musician Keigo Oyamada, better known as Cornelius, resigned from his role as a composer for the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony in July after old interviews, in which he apparently admitted to bullying and abusing schoolmates with disabilities, began recirculating online.

I sincerely apologize to my classmates and their parents who have been hurt by my words and actions, and I feel deep regret and responsibility for not being a good friend in school life, which is supposed to make good memories, but being in a position to hurt them, Oyamada said at the time.

But now that the Olympics and Paralympics are over, Cornelius is denying that he ever bullied or abused anyone, claiming that the original interviews which ran in Rockin On Japan and Quick Japan in 1994 and 1995 misquoted him and got his stories wrong. I wish to clarify the facts, Oyamada writes in a new post on Instagram.

I had talked about bullying that I experienced at school when I was in elementary and junior high school, Oyamada says. The headlines of the widely reported Rockin On Japan, stated that I had forced my classmates to eat feces and masturbate. I had never forced my classmates to do such acts or ever make any suggestions to do so.

In one story, I spoke of on the way home from elementary school where a classmate said jokingly that he could eat dog feces that was on the side of the road and picked it up and put it in his mouth and immediately spat it out, Oyamada explains. All the children there laughed, including the classmate who performed the act.

The other story is that I forced a classmate to masturbate, which I also did not do, he continues. The perpetrator was a senior student who was older and intimidating to us. I mentioned during that interview that I had witnessed outrageous violence, beyond my moral limits, when I was a student and that I had become withdrawn and distanced myself from these people.

I spoke of such things during the interview but the magazine that was published had misleading headlines mentioned that I had violated a classmate. Since I could not check the manuscript for Rockin On in advance, it was only after the release of the publication that I saw the article, he adds. I was shocked with the factual inaccuracies, but at that time I did not have the maturity to realize that I should correct them. In hindsight, I regret that I did not set the record straight directly with Rockin On.

After the publication of the next interview in Quick Japan, which Cornelius says he agreed to in part to correct the misinformation, a blog post was edited to make it seem as if I were the perpetrator of the gruesome acts of violence and was published. This false information spread through various forums and social media and is now used as a source for most publications, even though the interview with Quick Japan clearly states that the violent acts were not committed by me.

I believe that it is my own fault for not taking appropriate actions in explaining or correcting the false information about me that has been circulating over the internet for nearly 20 years, Oyamada concludes. As a result, I believe I have caused secondary damage to my classmates, their families and those who had the same experience, and I am truly sorry. Read his full statement below.

In July 2021, I resigned from the creative team of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics following reports of past statements in a magazine interview that had said I bullied a classmate when I was a student. Now that the Olympics are over, I wish to clarify the facts.

What triggered the report was an interview I did 27 years ago (1994 and 1995) for two magazines, ROCKIN ON JAPAN (Jan. 1994 Issue) and QUICK JAPAN (Aug. 1995 Issue) which stated that I had talked about bullying that I experienced at school when I was in elementary and junior high school.

The headlines of the widely reported ROCKIN ON JAPAN, stated that I had forced my classmates to eat feces and masturbate. I had never forced my classmates to do such acts or ever make any suggestions to do so.

In the interview, I discussed my experiences growing up and attending school.

In one story, I spoke of on the way home from elementary school where a classmate said jokingly that he could eat dog feces that was on the side of the road and picked it up and put it in his mouth and immediately spat it out. All the children there laughed, including the classmate who performed the act.

The other story is that I forced a classmate to masturbate, which I also did not do. The perpetrator was a senior student who was older and intimidating to us. I mentioned during that interview that I had witnessed outrageous violence, beyond my moral limits, when I was a student and that I had become withdrawn and distanced myself from these people.

I spoke of such things during the interview but the magazine that was published had misleading headlines mentioning that I had violated a classmate. Since I could not check the manuscript for ROCKIN ON in advance, it was only after the release of the publication that I saw the article.I was shocked with the factual inaccuracies, but at that time I did not have the maturity to realize that I should correct them. In hindsight, I regret that I did not set the record straight directly with ROCKIN ON.

I had agreed to an interview with QUICK JAPAN (Aug. 1995 Issue) with bullying as the theme, as I had felt that I wanted to correct the misinformation. The publishers plan and intention of using bullying as the main subject of the article, to my current understanding, is unethical and lacking consideration for the feelings of the victims and people that were in the same position. However, at the time, I did not think about this and did the interview and explained what I had witnessed as a child.

After the publication of the two magazines, a blog post was edited to make it seem as if I were the perpetrator of the gruesome acts of violence and was published. This false information spread through various forums and social media and is now used as a source for most publications, even though the interview with QUICK JAPAN clearly states that the violent acts were not committed by me.

I am fully aware that my tone of speech for both interviews was vulgar and inappropriate. I would like to sincerely apologize to the people involved for this and for bringing up such horrific events and not taking into consideration, the humiliation, pain and suffering I caused to the bullying victims by exposing their personal trauma to the public.

I believe that it is my own fault for not taking appropriate actions in explaining or correcting the false information about me that has been circulating over the internet for nearly 20 years. As a result, I believe I have caused secondary damage to my classmates, their families and those who had the same experience, and I am truly sorry.

I deeply regret both my actions in the past and the way I talked about them in the articles, which reflected a past attitude that I am not proud of. Over the past two decades I have tried to think with a broader perspective and an awareness of how I should relate and contribute to society, and I will continue to reflect on this more than ever before, as a person and as a musician.

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Cornelius Denies Bullying Incidents That Led To His Removal From Olympics Ceremony - Stereogum

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Kobe Bryant Once Told an Olympic Gold Medalist That He Would Sometimes Just Chuck the Ball Toward the Basket and Get Surprised Whenever It Went In: It…

Posted: at 9:15 am

Kobe Bryant left a lasting impact on almost everyone he crossed paths with throughout his life. He wasnt just one of the greatest basketball players to ever play, but he also had a personality people gravitated toward including Olympic gold medalist Susan Francia.

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bryant and Francia a rower got to know each other throughout multiple conversations. And during one of them, he made a comment she will likely never forget.

Following Bryants tragic 2020 death, Francia penned a column in The Philadelphia Inquirer; she and Bryant both lived in Philly when they were kids, but didnt meet until their paths crossed at the 2008 Olympics.

Francia and her U.S. rowing teammates had just won gold in 2008, and while she was out enjoying her time in the Olympic Village, Dwight Howard took an interest in her medal. Bryant then joined him in admiring it, and Francia quickly couldnt believe that she had something Kobe wanted.

I cant even explain the feeling that I had as I realized that, despite all of his trophies at home, in this moment Kobe wanted something that I had and he didnt have yet, she wrote.

After chatting about what it took for Francia to get to gold, they then ran into each other multiple times following that first interaction.

One instance came at a McDonalds in the dining hall, in which Bryant invited her and her teammate to eat with the mens U.S. basketball squad.

He was always interested in peoples stories and did his best to make us feel included, she wrote. I didnt care that it was Kobe. He was just a cool guy.

While on a media tour after the Olympics, however, the two athletes ran into each other again. This time, their conversation came while sitting on a bus, and Kobe made a comment that Francia will likely never forget.

We all know how hard Bryant worked to become one of the best players in the NBA. His dedication to his craft likely made it easy for him to just trust his abilities, even if he didnt know whether the ball was going in or not.

And it appears that sometimes he actually had no idea if the ball was, in fact, going to go in.

We went on to talk (on the bus) about his love of basketball and what its like to be such a big sports star, she wrote in the Inquirer. One of my favorite quotes was when he said, Im going to be honest. Sometimes I just chuck the ball up there in the direction of the basket, and I am just as surprised as everyone else when it goes in. And then it plays on SportsCenter for a week! Um, what?

For years, Bryant surprised everyone with a plethora of incredible shots during some of the biggest moments in NBA history. But, apparently, sometimes he was just as shocked as the rest of us when the ball went in.

His elite shot-making abilities, though, also helped him get a gold medal of his own at the 2008 Olympics.

Team USAs mens basketball team had just come off a disappointing showing at the 2004 Games when it settled for a bronze medal.

During the 2008 Olympics, however, Kobe Bryant who wasnt on the 2004 team led the Redeem Team to gold.

The U.S. went 8-0 at the 2008 Games and won 118-107 over Spain in the gold-medal game. Bryant was one of the teams top scorers that year, as he averaged 15.0 points to go with 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals. The only players on Team USA ahead of him in scoring were LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

James averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.4 steals. Wade, on the other hand, was essentially the teams MVP. He played fewer minutes per game than James and Bryant but led the team in scoring with 16.0 points per game to go with 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 steals.

Bryant may have been wanting something Francia had while at the 2008 Olympics. But as expected, his hard work paid off and helped him win his own gold medal that year. He then later won it in 2012 as well.

It would, however, be nice to know how many shots he just chucked up during those runs.

Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference

RELATED: Kobe Bryant Once Said Phil Jackson Would Take Conversations They Had in Confidence and Use Them to Manipulate the Media Against Him: Im Done With This Guy

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Kobe Bryant Once Told an Olympic Gold Medalist That He Would Sometimes Just Chuck the Ball Toward the Basket and Get Surprised Whenever It Went In: It...

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Olympic Team Gold and Individual Silver Medallist Tom McEwen’s Top – United States Eventing Association

Posted: at 9:15 am

Sep 20, 2021

Following his impressive performance which resulted in Team Gold and Individual Silver medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Great Britain's Tom McEwen shared some of his top tips to keep in mind when walking your cross-country courses with the USEA.

The first thing to be sure of in your mind is that you are walking the correct course, so check what color the fence numbers are and what the optimum time is. How many fences are there and how many jumping efforts?

Start your course-walk from the start box itself - dont be tempted to skip those first few yards and cut in at fence one. For me, cross-country is about rhythm and flow and understanding your horse, because every horse is different. Do you need to let him run a little bit quicker out of the start box so he settles down, do you need to build up speed as you go round, or is he quite consistent? There are many factors. But dont complicate things too much. The simpler you keep things, the better they tend to go.

The most important thing for me is knowing your line and having a point to aim for, mainly for a combination fence, of course, but also for single jumps. The point also comes into your preparation as you are approaching a fence.

Usually the line between fences one and two isnt in a straight line, its on a curve, so you want to consider whether you should be left of center or right of center. If you can make your lines a bit tighter naturally by being clever about where you jump a fence and how you go round a corner, you can save meters there without having to go at top speed in order to finish as close to the optimum time as possible.

The most difficult thing I find about walking a course is keeping full concentration all the way round, so its good to keep making yourself look ahead for your line, and also look behind you to see the line from the previous fence. Its sensible to find your line and then re-evaluate and also check to find the line that takes you the quickest route and the one with the most flow which takes the least out of your horse. A bit like Formula 1 racing, touching the apex of a corner and almost letting them fall off it, rather than turning very tightly, will make it easier for you and them.

When walking a distance, think about whereabouts on the course that particular combination comes, because that always changes things. I do ride to a stride, personally, but not everyone does. Some just ride the line. But if you are riding on the right line with the right balance, you will always be ok from wherever you are. Thats more important than riding for the distance itself, I think.

Walking a course isnt just about assessing the actual fences. Youve also got to consider the ground you are crossing; is it flat, is it undulating, is it uphill, is it downhill? All of those things will change the way your horse feels underneath you and possibly the way you need to balance yourself and him. And is the fence an upright or an oxer? That changes the way your horse will land. When jumping an oxer, you will be landing a little bit shorter and closer to the back bar and an upright fence tends to send you quite far out, especially if it has a bit of hedge on top of it, you land a lot further out than youd ever imagine when walking the course. And take something like a log on top of a hill, some horses will launch and land at the bottom of the hill, whereas some will land about 30cm after the log! Every horse is different and its about learning what yours does and how to react when he does something that you dont expect.

It can be really helpful to have pictures of each fence on your course to refer to. I use CrossCountryApp quite a lot, especially towards the end of a long season when Ive jumped a lot of courses on a lot of different horses. Being able to flick through pictures of the fences, be it on the app or your own phone pictures, is useful. And some people write notes on their phone about things they want to remember about the course such as I need slight outside flexion at this tree before turning left into this fence, for example, which can be very handy.

The fresher in your mind the course is, the better. If the event takes place over a couple of days, I love doing a bit of a wander round the track the first time, then the second time doing it properly. But I will always walk the course on the morning [at a three-day event] of cross-country day.

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Olympic Team Gold and Individual Silver Medallist Tom McEwen's Top - United States Eventing Association

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From the Archives, 2000: Freeman rival Perec flees the Sydney Olympics – The Age

Posted: at 9:15 am

The Age's coverage of Perec's departure during the Sydney OlympicsCredit:The Age

The situation did not improve after Perec, by now hysterically sobbing, clicked off her mobile telephone to board a flight to Melbourne, where she spoke to Menant again shortly after midnight.

She seemed calmer this time and told Menant she was looking forward to seeking comfort from her family. Menant implored Perec to stay, begged her not to give up and Perec hesitated but finally boarded her Singapore flight.

But her family, in the form of boyfriend Maybanks, only served to tarnish her increasingly hysterical image upon landing in Singapore early yesterday. Maybanks and airports and TV crews have proved a lethal combination during his partners ill-fated bid for a third Olympic 400 metres title.

Arriving in Sydney, Maybanks had attempted to block a Channel 7 cameraman with his baggage trolley. The incident in Singapore created more concern.

Give me the tape, demanded Maybanks, a relay runner who did not make the US Olympic team, You do not come near me or I will hurt you.

Late yesterday, police in Singapore said they would not be pressing charges against Maybanks, after the couple had departed Singapore for Europe.

Given that Perec has been seen by Australia as the woman standing between Freeman and Australias first Olympic track gold medal since Seoul 1988, you might think that the Frenchwomans torturous and strange retreat from the Sydney Olympics proved a source of celebration yesterday in the Freeman camp.

Not so. Those close to Freeman were not saying much except that the favourite was surprised by Perecs departure. It was also pointed out that as long as Perec remained a confirmed starter in tonights heat, she would be considered a threat.

The strong French theory in several reports, however, was that it has been Freeman who unknowingly psyched out Perec with her starring role in the Olympic opening ceremony. Perec and Freeman have seen each other only on television in recent weeks but when Perec, who did not march with the French team, watched Freeman light the cauldron, she reportedly fell apart emotionally.

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The story of Marie-Jose Perec, who grew up in Guadeloupe in the Caribbean and became Reeboks highest-paid female athlete after her two gold medals in Atlanta and also a popular French catwalk star, appears to have ended in farce and sadness but there was little sympathy for Perec from the French contingent in Sydney yesterday.

Adam Taloni, the manager of Perecs home in Sydney, the Grand Mercure apartments, denied she had been threatened or that an intruder had banged on her door and harassed her. French chef de mission Michel Vial, who tried without success for two days to contact Perec before she departed, said Perec had made a bad decision not to stay at the village.

Asked whether Perec had arrived in Sydney and trained periodically at Narrabeen on Sydneys northern peninsula purely to satisfy sponsors, Vial replied: It would be a shame if it was (the reason). It would be detestable.

Perec had contested only one 400 metres race since losing to Freeman late in the 1996 season and has trained in secrecy all year in Rostock on the Baltic Sea under the latest in a string of coaches, Wolfgang Meier. For years, Perec had claimed Meiers wife, the 400 metres world record-holder Marita Koch, was a drug cheat. Then at the start of the year, she employed him as her coach.

In July, she agreed to a rare interview with Frances TV6 but when the crew arrived in Rostock, she said on camera: I dont give a shit with TV. I dont give a shit with the media and you cant imagine how I dont care about you. I dont need you.

She has run as determinedly from the French media as she has from the Australian she has accused of harassing her. Said Le Figaros Cedric Voisard yesterday: She built the problems in Australia for herself. The most secure place you can live in the Games is the village. She is paranoid. The real question is, did she really want to race? That is the big question for Reebok, her sponsor.

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The biggest Australian winner as far as Perecs heat one tonight, however, was Nova Peris-Kneebone. Her heat remains tough, even without Perec. Now two of Freemans biggest threats for the 400 metres final are Britains Katharine Merry and Jamaicas Sandie Richards, and both will line up against Peris-Kneebone.

And Freemans response to the Perec saga? Cathy was gracious and brave in addressing the issue at the Australian news conference on Tuesday, said Athletics Australia chief executive Simon Allatson. Cathy Freeman is a class act and I think she has flourished enormously since she has been allowed and decided to front more of these things herself.

While Perecs midnight departure has caused some happiness in some areas of the Australian camp, Freeman was not celebrating.

Just as Perec watched from afar as Freeman lit the Olympic cauldron last Friday night, Freeman has been watching Perec. And for all the times she has watched the small screen shots of Perec running away, Freeman has never seen her disappear.

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From the Archives, 2000: Freeman rival Perec flees the Sydney Olympics - The Age

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Track queen Harmilan Kaur–hate, love and a burning Olympic dream – Hindustan Times

Posted: at 9:15 am

The bedtime stories Harmilan Kaur Bains was told as a child were seldom fairytales. When you are the daughter of two international athletes, it is not just good genes that you inherit. Stories of the parents sporting careers will also dominate conversation in the house.

Mother Madhuri Saxena, 800m silver medallist at the 2002 Asian Games, and father Amandeep Bains, 1,500m medallist at the South Asian Games, couldnt be faulted if they felt their young one would be excited by their experiences on the track.

Initially at least it only stoked defiance in Harmilan, the young girl rebelling against running and being pushed by over-enthusiastic parents to wake up before dawn to hit the track. Good at studies, any little enthusiasm she had in athletics vanished after losing to a boy in a local race.

Her mother then threw a gentle challenge. Madhuri cajoled her young daughter to run one more race, beat the boy and leave athletics as a winner. That got Harmilan interested. She trained for a year and won the race, beating the boy to whom she had lost the previous year. And she no longer wanted to quit.

That first success made the seven-year-old fall in love with athletics. With the high the past week, Harmilan, 23, announced herself as Indias latest middle-distance queen at the Open national athletics meet in Warangal, Telangana.

She broke the 19-year-old national record in 1,500m, set by Sunita Rani in the 2002 Busan Asian Games while winning gold. Harmilans mother was fourth in that race. Harmilan's timing of 4:04.39 brought good cheer to Indian track and field post the Tokyo Olympics where javelin thrower Neeraj Chopras gold headlined Indias performances.

Harmilan completed a double on Saturday, winning the 800m clocking 2:03.82. Sunita Ranis national mark in 1,500m was 4:06.03, which is still the Asian Games record.

The sprint which helped me beat that boy when I was only seven infused interest for running in me, Harmilan says. I love to win all the time.

Her mother comes from Uttar Pradesh and father is from Punjab. But Harmilan, who has grappled with frustration due to slow progress and injuries, went away to Dharamsala to train in altitude, which was also to escape her parents' interference in her training. Running was something my parents knew and understood, and they wanted to pass it on to me, but I wasnt interested at all, she recalls.

Harmilan grew as an athlete at school and then at Punjabi University. In 2019, she broke the universitys 1,500m record clocking 4:16.68. A bronze at the 2016 Asian Junior Athletics Championships and double gold in the Khelo India University Games followed. Soon, she was being spoken of as the next big thing in Indias domestic circuit. Chasing the Olympics 1,500m qualification mark (4:04.20), she won the Federation Cup and Indian Grand Prix titles but failed crack even 4:08.

The 1,500m has fascinated her while Harmilan has grown up hearing about the 2002 Asian Games. Her mother managed only fourth (4:14.78) in 1,500m, but won the 800m silver (2:04.94).

The Warangal effort is consolation after Harmilan failed to achieve the qualifying mark for the Tokyo Olympics. This despite her 800-1,500 double at the National Inter-State Championships in Patiala in June.

Madhuri, who comes from Lucknow, could not realise her Olympic dream, narrowly failing to qualify for 2004 Athens. It was quite satisfying when Harmilan broke Sunitas record, I wanted to do such things myself.

She is delighted her daughter has followed in her path. Today, I feel proud that my daughter is on the right track. For sure she will fulfill my dream of winning a medal at the Olympics.

Harmilan is happy to chase her mothers dream, especially in the longer distance. I dont know why but its easy for me, I love the 1,500m more. I felt so good, relieved, after breaking the record. I can run freely now, she says.

The parental pressure has eased now, but only just.

I used to tell her my stories of sport every night at bed time, she didnt like them ever at that time, Madhuri laughs.

Harmilan though hates their constant attention. Their continuous instructions keep me under pressure, so this time I came to Warangal on my own, Harmilan laughs. My father chased me here too and was watching me run from the stands when I broke Sunita Ranis record.

Her next target is to win gold at the World University Games next year and then make a big entry into her first major competitionsthe 2022 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

A gold medal at the World University Games with a record is my next mission, I am working hard for this. Success at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games would help me achieve my biggest goal, to qualify for the Paris Olympics. My mom missed Olympics qualifying by five microseconds. I want to realise my mothers dream.

Harmilan has plans beyond athletics too. I want to travel the world, its my biggest dream. I want to build my own house somewhere in the world, but only after finishing my sporting career on a high (with an Olympic medal).

For now its only training. Me and my coach dont discuss sport all day as we feel it hurts performance, we talk about it only only on the ground, she says. I enjoy good music, it keeps me motivated. I love Punjabi music, it has a great beat.

Her mother wants her son also to take up athletics. I am keen my son also makes a mark in athletics, which has given me everything in life.

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Track queen Harmilan Kaur--hate, love and a burning Olympic dream - Hindustan Times

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Idiot.com

Posted: at 9:10 am

Welcome to Idiot.com

I worry that, especially as the Millennium edges nearer, pseudoscience and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the siren song of unreason more sonorous and attractive. Where have we heard it before? Whenever our ethnic or national prejudices are aroused, in times of scarcity, during challenges to national self-esteem or nerve, when we agonize about our diminished cosmic place and purpose, or when fanaticism is bubbling up around us - then, habits of thought familiar from ages past reach for the controls.

The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles. Darkness gathers. The demons begin to stir.Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

I update occasionally, but would like to do more. Until then, be patient.

I'm a firm believer in education. Unfortunately many parents think school and schooling is really day-care. We learn everyday. Keep learning. I hope to add more educational items and move away from just plain idiot reporting.And what is your opinion on Common Core? I'm mixed and the jury is still out.

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EU partly to blame for UKs hardline tactics, says former May aide – The Guardian

Posted: at 9:10 am

The EU is partly to blame for the Brexit minister David Frosts aggressive negotiation tactics on the Northern Ireland protocol, Theresa Mays former special adviser on Europe has said.

Raoul Ruparel said Brussels refusal to give May concessions on the protocol, only to subsequently agree a deal with Boris Johnson, feeds the perception in London that the hardline approach was the only one that would pay off.

For this reason he believes Lord Frost will carry out his repeated threat to trigger article 16, the controversial safeguard clause allowing either side to unilaterally suspend the application of the agreement even if the consequences mean already damaged UK-EU relations take a further dive.

Whether you agree with him or not, I think that he, and to some extent the prime minister and others, think that playing hardball has proven to be effective and is the only way to really get them to sit up, said Ruparel, a respected former adviser now working for Deloitte.

If youre looking at it from his perspective it has to be a credible threat and [he must] be willing to follow through on it.

Frost has warned the EU on several occasions that the UK believes the conditions have been met to suspend part of the protocol in an effort to get the UK to renegotiate part of it.

Earlier this month, the European Commission vice-president, Maro efovi, warned that a renegotiation would merely lead to more instability for businesses and communities which landed badly in Downing Street.

Two days later, Frost waded in again, hardening the language contained in the threatbefore saying the EU would be making a significant mistake if it did not take the UKs demands seriously.

The UKs tough talk approach is mystifying for some. The German ambassador to the UK, Andreas Michaelis, tweeted on Thursday that it seems we are entering a new phase with regard to the Northern Ireland protocol.

He added: Just as the EU becomes more pragmatic and understanding, the UK adopts a less flexible approach.

The Conservative MP Roger Gale complained at a UK trade and business commission conference on Thursday that Frost seemed to be negotiating by megaphone, questioning what the effect of such public criticism would be.

Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said he was baffled as to why people in the government thought they were winning concessions through hardball tactics.

I find that a really fascinating argument because I know that trade and cooperation agreement quite well, and the UK did not get much of what it wanted at all, he said

He added: Yes, it got rid of the references to the court of justice, but then in terms of the offensive interests of the UK: the UK wanted more expansive rules of origin, better provisions on mutual recognition of professional qualifications, a deeper relationship when it came to the mutual recognition of products; the UK didnt get any of that.

Ruparel suggested the further strain on UK-EU relations after invoking article 16 may be thought of as irrelevant by Frost. He said: He may think: whats the point in having better relations if they [the EU] dont actually allow us to have these conversations and achieve anything?

If its just better relations in of themselves and youre not getting a better deal or these concerns are not being, he may be thinking then whats the use?

How is article 16 is triggered?

The UK would have to give the EU one months notice that it was triggering the clause, which can be invoked by either side in the event the protocol leads to serious economical, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist, or to diversion of trade.

The UK would also specify what safeguard measures it would take but article 16 specifies that these are restricted with regard to their scope and duration, so dont expect an immediate trade war.

What are the safeguards likely to be?

Checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea into Northern Ireland from Great Britain could be unilaterally suspended indefinitely.

But it could be worse. Remember when the EU threatened to trigger article 16 during the vaccine wars? What came as a shock to many commentators was the fact measures in the Brexit protocol designed to protect peace in Northern Ireland could be deployed in a completely different theatre of war.

How would the EU respond?

Initially in a legal fashion, arguing that the test to trigger article 16 had not been met, or with a counter-action based on allegations that the UK had breached the terms of the protocol. As the thinktank UK in a Changing Europe explains: Article 16 does not provide any detail on what constitutes a serious impact or what is meant by diversion of trade. So a field day for lawyers.

Can the UK suspend the protocol?

No. The agreement calls on the UK and the EU to immediately enter talks through the UK-EU joint committee with a view to finding a commonly acceptable solution in the event of article 16 being triggered.

So they just go back to talks?

Although the agreement limits the scope of safeguard measures, the fact that the EU considered using article 16 to secure Covid-19 vaccine supplies shows that cross-retaliatory measures and trade wars are not beyond possibility.

What would a trade war look like?

It would be tactical. Lowe at the Centre for European Reform recalls how Donald Trump used safeguard measures to put a tariff on aluminium and steel.

The EU was targeted in its reaction applying a massive jump to 56% in the tariff on Harley-Davidson bikes imported from the US.

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EU partly to blame for UKs hardline tactics, says former May aide - The Guardian

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Labour to open EU talks on new agreement to end post-Brexit crisis forcing musicians to abandon tours – The Independent

Posted: at 9:10 am

Labour plans to open its own talks on a new agreement with the EU to end the post-Brexit crisis forcing musicians to abandon tours, piling pressure on the government to finally act.

Brussels will be asked to revive its offer of visa-free visits across the EU for creative artists and to remove huge new fees and red tape to transport equipment, The Independent can reveal.

Keir Starmers party has been criticised for a reluctance to reopen Brexit wounds by committing to plug gaps in the skeleton trade deal reached by Boris Johnson, but will now make its own move to rescue touring.

Alison McGovern, Labours shadow culture minister, said: The job for us now given what the Tories have failed to do is to go and have those practical conversations.

The move has been hailed as a potential breakthrough by big-name musicians hoping it pushes ministers to reconsider a visa-waiver scheme, which the UK rejected last year.

Speaking to The Independent, award-winning singer-songwriter Katie Melua welcomed steps being made towards a solution, while Joff Oddie, guitarist with the Mercury Prize-nominated rock band Wolf Alice, urged the government to listen on an issue that could make or break the UK music industry.

The Society of Musicians has warned how artists are professionally paralysed with many tours unviable telling a parliamentary inquiry: We fear our industry is in grave jeopardy because of Brexit.

Its survey revealed an alarming picture where just 43 per cent of touring musicians plan to visit the EU in future and 42 per cent would consider quitting the UK in order to pursue their careers.

Mr Johnson made a high-profile pledge to fix the crisis, but the minister put in charge of that David Frost, the Brexit minister appeared to wash his hands of the controversy and refused to say it would be resolved.

Ministers were then condemned, including by Elton John, for wrongly claiming 19 of the 27 EU countries are offering visa and work permit-free access when severe restrictions still exist.

On Friday, Elton John said he is on the warpath over the failure to end the crisis, accusing the prime minister of snubbing his request for a meeting.

Now Ms McGovern has revealed Labours plans to end the stalemate by opening its own negotiations with the European Commission and other organisations in the EU, including trade unions.

She told The Independent: What we know from creative people whether they work in theatre production, opera, or are gigging bands is that what the Tories agreed is not sufficient.

Poisonous red tape is holding back creative people from working across Europe and going on tour. This is one of our finest British exports and thats why weve got to do more.

Everybody is fed up now of waiting for the Tories to figure this out. They havent negotiated anything new and thats why we want to see a new, additional agreement.

Poisonous red tape is holding back creative people from working across Europe and going on tour. This is one of our finest British exports and thats why weve got to do more

Alison McGovern, Labour shadow culture minister

The deal would cover all the key problems encountered by touring artists, an EU-wide visa-waiver programme, work permit exemptions, a deal on cabotage for vehicles and carnets for transporting instruments.

Ms McGovern, shadow Brexit minister Jenny Chapman, and Jo Stevens, the shadow culture secretary, plan to visit the commission this autumn following the precedent of talks with opposition politicians during the Brexit crisis.

Labour stresses that the initiative is not about unpicking the Christmas trade and co-operation agreement (TCA), but securing an addition to it.

The EU has always stressed it was the UK that walked away from the talks on a mobility chapter and that the proposal has never been withdrawn.

Melua hailed Labours announcement, stressing the red tape now involved in touring, telling The Independent: Its good to see steps being made towards a solution.

We rely on touring so much, I just did two shows in Germany with my band and the paperwork we needed for our guitars seemed like overkill even to the customs guard.

Oddie said: This is an issue that could make or break the UK music industrys position and reputation.

We rely on touring so much, I just did two shows in Germany with my band and the paperwork we needed for our guitars seemed like overkill even to the customs guard

Katie Melua

As it stands, and without further intervention, EU touring will be unviable for all but the most established artists and well see a reduction on new talent breaking through. The government should consider the calls from Labour very carefully, stop paying lip service to the industry and start to take a proactive approach in engaging with the EU on this topic.

Deborah Annetts, chief executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, said: We welcome Labours support for a visa-waiver agreement, which would be a big step forward in enabling artists to tour in Europe with ease once more.

And Horace Trubridge, general secretary of the Musicians Union, said: Very little has happened to cure the problems caused by the TCA. With Labours help, we are much more optimistic that a breakthrough might be possible.

The crisis delivered by what one senior Tory MP called a no-deal Brexit for touring artists has triggered huge protests demanding a government rethink.

The #LetTheMusicMove campaign is backed by Radiohead, New Order, Wolf Alice, The Chemical Brothers, Annie Lennox, Biffy Clyro, Anna Calvi, Bob Geldof, Midge Ure and members of Blur and Portishead, among many others.

The Carry on Touring petition secured almost 300,000 signatures triggering a Commons debate and the campaign sent an open letter to ministers, demanding a retraction of the claim that performers can tour easily in 19 countries.

It points out that far from offering 90 days of permit-free touring as suggested, many offer very few days and that the UK has secured no improvements through its talks with national capitals.

But in the Commons last week, the government again ruled out a rethink, insisting it is up to the EU to agree to an original UK proposal that Brussels said was far more unlimited and unworkable.

We will continue our intensive negotiations [with nation states], but we have to accept that this is not in our control, claimed Julia Lopez, a junior culture minister.

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Labour to open EU talks on new agreement to end post-Brexit crisis forcing musicians to abandon tours - The Independent

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