Daily Archives: August 2, 2022

AMERICAN FORK, Utah The two vaults MyKayla Skinner performed at last years Olympic finals in Tokyo were over in seconds but their combined result proved life-defining for the Latter-day Saint gymnast.

Prior to the Aug. 1, 2021, Olympics womens vault finals, Skinner had long been classified as an elite international athlete and a medal hopeful.

But when her second-place finish was announced, she graduated to rarified company that holds no expiration date: Olympic medalist.

Church News readers have long followed the gymnastics career of the Arizona-born, lifelong Church member stretching back to her teenage days as a Team USA alternate on the 2016 Olympics squad, then as a decorated All-American collegiate at the University of Utah and, finally, as an Olympic medalist who became one of the biggest stars of the Tokyo Summer Games.

Her Latter-day Saint fans also appreciate that Skinner is as comfortable talking about her religious beliefs as she is breaking down her performances on the balance beam or uneven bars.

Days prior to the first anniversary of her 2021 medal-winning performance, Skinner spoke to the Church News, marveling over times speedy passage.

Its all gone by pretty fast sometimes I wonder where the time has gone, she said. Its definitely been crazy but a good crazy. Ive been busy doing so many things.

Skinners Tokyo story is well-known:

Just days before the Aug. 1, 2021, womens vault finals, her competitive gymnastics career appeared over after initially not qualifying for the apparatus final. But when her friend and American teammate Simone Biles withdrew from the vault competition, a spot opened up.

Skinner seized her unexpected Olympic moment, finishing second in the vault behind Brazils Rebeca Andrade. She returned to her homeland with a silver Olympic medal hanging from her neck and a fortified testimony of personal preparation, prayer, faith and family.

World-class gymnasts practice their routines over and over and over again to eliminate uncertainties. For over a decade, Skinner had been preparing for that magical day when an Olympic medal was on the line.

But nothing Skinner or her coaches trained for in the gym could have fully prepared her for Tokyos many Olympic surprises. So she found the additional strength she needed through prayer and the inspired words of her patriarchal blessing along with the long-distance encouragement of her husband, Jonas Harmer, and her family and many hometown friends, fans and fellow Church members.

Even though they werent there in person, I could still feel them in my heart. I knew that they were proud.

Now a year removed from the Games, Jonas Harmer can still recall his own battle with nerves while watching his wife compete in a distant Olympics from his laptop and television screens.

It was tough but fun, he said. I remember the watch parties with my co-workers and staying up until 4 or 5 in the morning to watch the vault finals.

Few Latter-day Saints will claim an Olympic medal after navigating a maze of setbacks and complications. But all will experience setbacks and uncertainties. After all hope of winning a medal seemed lost, Skinner took her burdens to the Lord.

I remember getting down on my knees and praying, she said. I just kept having a feeling that [my Olympics] was not over. It was as if the Spirit was telling me, This isnt over.

Her husband and her parents, Cris and Kym Skinner, were unable to attend the Olympics in Tokyo because of the ongoing pandemic. But on repeated phone calls and Zoom meetings stretching across two continents and multiple time zones, they encouraged her to remain in Japan even though it appeared her competition was behind her.

The rest of the story is, well, Olympic history.

But even now, a year later, when I sit back and think about it, it still doesnt seem real, said Skinner.

The past 12 months havesharpened Skinners appreciation for growth opportunities that double as difficulties and trials. I needed those challenges and struggles to become a better person. Im a stronger person now and hopefully I can now walk out of any situation or trial throughout my life.

Even prior to unprecedented events of the Tokyo Summer Games, Skinners path to her Olympic medal was rarely straight. It was never simple. She counts prayer and the guidance of her patriarchal blessing as priceless spiritual friends. They have helped her persevere and find joy in a journey that continues to this day.

My gymnastics journey is my mission especially to help the youth of the Church, she said.

Her gospel testimony, she added, allows her to face whatever the day brings.

Life is not easy, but knowing what I know as a Church member helps me know that its all going to work out in the end, some way or another.

Mykayla Skinner and her husband, Jonas Harmer, at their home in American Fork, Utah, on Friday, July 29, 2022. A photo of the couples temple marriage hangs on the wall.

Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Harmer laughs recalling the whirlwind of activities that came in the aftermath of his wife winning an Olympic medal. Immediately after reuniting in the United States, the couple embarked on a wild, exhausting schedule to meet media demands and other promotional events.

Following a welcome breather in Utah, Skinner joined Biles and several other female gymnasts at the end of 2021 for a multiweek gymnastics exhibition tour through dozens of U.S. cities.

Then we both started back in school, so it was like weve never had a chance to really enjoy the moment, said Harmer. Its all been nonstop. The year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Skinner and her 6-foot-7-inch husband also put their athletic skills to the test during recent appearances on American Ninja Warrior including a couples competition.

Now a 25-year-old retiree, Skinner is still adjusting to life as a public figure and Olympic medalist. But in her day-to-day interactions with family and friends, she still feels like the same Arizona girl they watched grow up.

It has been fun to enjoy life and not have to stress about gymnastics anymore, especially after ending my career on such a good note.

It is humbling, she added, when Latter-day Saints approach her and thank her for representing her Church and her country.

One of the great things about being a member of the Church is knowing that there is so much more to my life than just gymnastics, she said. I know that that can be hard for a lot of [retired] athletes, especially in the gym world. But the blessings that we have like being sealed in the temple for all eternity give me a bigger picture.

Skinner is, in her words super competitive, so she misses the thrill of matching her skills against other talented gymnasts. But other than that, Ive just been enjoying life.

Harmer and Skinner both have a semester of college to finish. They are looking forward to starting a family. I definitely want to have kids, she said.

For now, Skinner is uncertain how involved she will remain in gymnastics. She has considered coaching, but time will tell. Television work is more likely. She is studying sports broadcasting and, no surprise, shes comfortable in front of the camera talking all things gymnastics.

She also hopesto connect more with Latter-day Saint youth, write a book about her story and perhaps utilize the Harmer-Skinner YouTube channel and their other social media platforms to discuss Church-related items, such as the purpose of temples.

Id just like to help the younger generation know that life is going to be hard, she said, but you can get through it through Christ.

Excerpt from:

Catching up with Latter-day Saint medalist MyKayla Skinner on the anniversary of her 'pure silver' Olympics - Church News

Bill Russell, the NBA great who after winning Olympic gold anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years the last two as the first Black head coach in any major U.S. sport and marched for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr., died Sunday. He was 88.

His family posted the news on social media, saying Russell died with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. The statement did not give the cause of death.

Bills wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. Perhaps youll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded, the family statement said. And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bills uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6.

A Hall of Famer, five-time Most Valuable Player and 12-time All-Star, Russell in 1980 was voted the greatest player in the NBA history by basketball writers. He remains the sports most prolific winner and an archetype of selflessness who won with defense and rebounding while leaving the scoring to others. Often, that meant Wilt Chamberlain, the only player of the era who was a worthy rival for Russell.

The battles on the court between the centers were fierce signature showdowns in the NBA. Russell led the University of San Francisco to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956 and won a gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

Russell, then 22, scored a team-leading 14.1 points per game as the U.S. won all eight games in Melbourne by an average of 53.5 points per game.

The gold medal is very, very, very precious to me, Russell said in an interview for NBCs Olympic Show in 1999. In terms of trophies and things, its probably my most prized possession.

Russell could have skipped those Games, which were held during the NBA season in November and December, but instead delayed the start of his Celtics career.

Ever since I was a kid, there were social and physical icons that I always heard about. And you think of these things in awe. And when I got to the age where I qualified for the Olympics, I wanted to go, Russell said,according to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Then, the honor of The Olympics was to compete. Not to win, but to compete. I really wanted that. If I hadnt made that Olympic basketball team, I was going to participate in the high jump. I was ranked second in the country in the high jump [Editors Note:Track and Field Newsranked Russellthird in the U.S. and seventh in the world in 1956], so either way, I was going to Melbourne. I wanted to be a part of that Olympic experience.

Russells gold medal sold for $587,500 as part of an auction of hundreds of his personal memorabilia items last December.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports.

Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league. At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps, Silver said. Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.

In Boston, Russell left a lasting mark as a Black athlete in a city and country where race is often a flash point. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Medal of Freedom. Two years later, a statue of Russell was unveiled on Bostons City Hall Plaza.

I cherished my friendship with Bill and was thrilled when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Silver said in his statement. I often called him basketballs Babe Ruth for how he transcended time. Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Jeannine, his family and his many friends.

His family said that arrangements for Russells memorial service will be announced in the coming days.

Read more here:

Bill Russell, Boston Celtics legend and Olympic champion, dies at 88 - Home of the Olympic Channel

Japanese corporate sponsors of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have distanced themselves from an executive of the games' now-defunct organizing committee currently being investigated for accepting bribes, recent interviews by Kyodo News showed Monday.

Of the 69 companies contacted, all 64 of those that responded said that they did not sign a contract with Haruyuki Takahashi's consulting firm.

File photo taken in Tokyo on Feb. 1, 2017, shows Haruyuki Takahashi, an executive of the now-defunct Tokyo Olympic organizing committee. (Kyodo)

Takahashi, 78, is believed to have received around 45 million yen ($340,000) until last July from Aoki Holdings Inc. after the company he headed reached a consulting deal with the suit retailer in September 2017, according to sources close the matter.

Separate to this, Aoki also transferred around 230 million yen to Takahashi to donate to sporting groups, but 150 million yen of that remained in his possession, the sources said.

Aoki had earmarked around 500 million yen for Olympic sponsorship contract costs, and around 250 million yen to help train athletes. The latter was facilitated by an official of Japan's largest advertising agency Dentsu Group Inc., with the funds transferred to Takahashi's firm via a company affiliated with Dentsu at the time.

Following the signing of the contract in 2017, Hironori Aoki, the founder and a former chairman of Aoki, and one of his subordinates met with Takahashi at a restaurant at which time, sources say, they handed him a letter of Olympic-related requests.

Takahashi, however, said the letter had nothing to do with the Olympics and that he destroyed it.

Takahashi, a former senior managing director at Dentsu, told investigators he used the funds to settle payments, such as those owed to financial institutions.

Aoki announced in October 2018 that it had become an "official supporter" of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, allowing it to use the games' emblems for business purposes and sell officially licensed products. It subsequently sold over 30,000 suits emblazoned with the logo.

When questioned about the sponsorship process, other companies stressed they had no relationship with Takahashi and did not even know him.

An official of bedding manufacturer Airweave Inc. said that the company had "absolutely no contact" with anyone on the Japan Olympic Committee and liaised solely with Dentsu, adding that "We were surprised to hear what has been reported in the news."

Separate to top-tier sponsors, which have contracts with the International Olympic Committee, sponsors that sign a contract with the Tokyo Games organizing committee are classified into three categories based on the amount invested.

Related coverage:

Tokyo Olympic exec's home searched on suspicion of bribery

Tokyo Olympic organizing exec likely paid 45 mil. yen by sponsor

Read more from the original source:

Tokyo Olympic sponsors deny relationship with exec suspected of bribery - Kyodo News Plus

Dame Laura Kenny has been backed to achieve further Olympic success after she voiced doubts over continuing her career (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Great Britain performance director Stephen Park has backed Laura Kenny to achieve more Olympic success after the five-time gold medallist this week revealed she had considered quitting the sport.

Kenny won scratch race gold for England at the Commonwealth Games on Monday, and then admitted she had wondered if it might be her final race after a terrible period for her personally.

The 30-year-old had planned a second child with husband Jason but suffered a miscarriage in November and then had one of her fallopian tubes removed in January due to an ectopic pregnancy.

Kenny has spoken to Park about possibly taking some time out, and it seems likely she will miss next weeks European Championships, which would in turn put an appearance at Octobers World Championships in doubt.

But with the Olympic qualifying period starting next year, there would still be plenty of time for Kenny to return.

I think Laura and a lot of her teammates and support staff have found the last two years really hard, Park said. That whole, Is the Olympics on? Is the Olympics not on? It takes a huge toll, youve worked yourself up for four years.

Lauras own ambitions for her own family these things are well documented. That all plays heavily. Now were straight into the qualification process for Paris. Its quite tiring and relentless, and has felt like that for a lot of the riders and a lot of the staff.

When you have that success, particularly when youre a multiple medallist from multiple Games, youre looking at, can you go one more? Can you keep going? Personally I think she can keep going.

(PA Wire)

Shes clearly a fantastic champion but theres absolutely no doubt youve got to make sure youre fresh in body and mind and youre ready to go.

The Covid-disrupted Olympic cycle has impacted several riders, with sprinter Jack Carlin speaking about his own struggles this week.

One of the things we have to learn about and develop is how we continue to deal with experienced multi-medallists who know well how to get themselves up for the right performance, Park said.

Story continues

We need to work in partnership with them and their support teams to get the very best out of them.

Equally we need to make sure the programme as a whole keeps creating talent, keeps creating that upward pressure because there will come a time for everyone when they choose to retire.

It will be fantastic if Laura continues her run of Olympic medals. If she decides for all the major reasons that are in play thats not what she wants to do Im very confident there are plenty of young women wholl step up and take up that mantle.

Kenny won Englands only track cycling gold as Australia and New Zealand dominated the top step of the podium. However, collectively, the home nations had 24 medals to 13 each for Australia and New Zealand.

The lack of gold can be partly explained by the home nations focus being on the Euros and the Worlds, while Australia and New Zealand make a bigger priority of this event.

Riders across the Great Britain squad have also been adjusting to new coaches. With Monica Greenwood due to step down as womens endurance coach, all four departments of the team will have had new coaches since Tokyo.

Jason Kenny is among the new faces in charge, but Park admitted there will be a period of adjustment.

Clearly they dont have the years of coaching knowledge and coaching experience that some of our outgoing coaches have, he said.

Weve got to support them as we go through that programme, but I think the spirit and the mood in the camp was fantastic.

See the article here:

Laura Kenny backed to achieve more Olympic success after she considered quitting - Yahoo News

Anne Audain has a message for all the bullies out there: that young girl you are teasing incessantly, who has trouble walking properly? She just might grow up to be an Olympic distance runner.

A three-time Olympian for New Zealand and a former 5,000-meter world record holder, Audain will share her Triumph Over Adversity story at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Shoulders Commons inside Harrison High School. The event is free to the public.

You should be careful how you treat people, said Audain, 66. You never know what they might turn out to be.

Audain, who was born with severe bone deformities in both feet, has inspired people to take risks and reach for the impossible. At age 13, she underwent corrective foot surgery. Within three years, Audain qualified for the 1972 Munich Olympics. That was only the beginning.

Local life:'The best thing.' The Ohio River camper captured Evansville's attention. Why?

During her running career, which would span more than 20 years, Audain set a world record for the 5,000 meters in 1982 and was the first female runner to be endorsed by Nike, one of the most recognized brands in the world. Along with Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, a bust of Audain adorns Nike world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

She said the only major difference between her and other promising young runners is a genetic gift. Through meticulous training, Audain developed into a world-class runner.

Then living in Boise, Idaho, Audain met future husband Chuck Whobrey at a running camp in Asheville, North Carolina, and came to Evansvilles Arts Fest River Run in 1994. Audain and Whobrey were married by Pat Shoulders in 1997 and she has been an Evansville resident ever since.

Following is a Q-and-A with Audain. It has been edited for length and clarity.

What is the moment you are most proud of? Setting the women's world 5,000-meter record (with a time of 15:13.22 on March 17, 1982)?

In the end, I would say my complete career. I was in the top 10 in the world for 10 straight years. I was the first female track athlete from New Zealand to win gold. I couldve retired after that, but I continued on another 10 years. I have a Nike plaque in Beaverton, Oregon.

Have you met Lilly King?

By coincidence, I was at the (SIAC) high school cross country meet at Angel Mounds. I was autographing cards and Lilly (who was running for Reitz) came up to me and talked to me. Her mother (Ginny) said (Lilly) would never forget it. I still have communication with Ginny back and forth.

What do you believe the average person doesnt understand about competing at the highest levels?

First of all, I would say I am genetically gifted. But you have to have the right coaches. It becomes very scientific on how you train. You have to train for a long time. My first coach (Gordon Pirie) got me to the Olympics. The second coach (John Davies) had a philosophy that was completely opposite and it got me to the top of the world. Such a huge part of it is that its so structured. The average person doesnt understand how specific the training is.

You were adopted, almost lost sight in one eye after being pushed into a concrete water fountain by a bully, underwent operations that enabled you to walk, then run, and shattered all limitations. How did you do it?

I get asked that all the time (laughs). I eventually met my birth parents who got married after I was born. I have six younger siblings. They said, "You would never have been who were were if they had stayed with us." My adoptive parents were so much the facilitators of this (success).

You noted that your birth parents, Johannes and Margaret Oosthoek, were dairy farmers. Your adoptive father was a printer for the New Zealand Herald, the largest paper in the country. You said he educated you about sports.

He took me everywhere, to rugby and cricket games. We listened to a Muhammad Ali fight on the radio. My dad helped me gain an understanding of what it took, in terms of working hard. On the other side, I love to run. I found my niche. Plus, I love to run competitively. Wherever that came from, I have no idea.

Contact Gordon Engelhardt by email at Gordon.engelhardt@courierpress.com or on Twitter @EngGordon.

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Q-and-A with an Evansville woman who went from bullied youngster to Olympic runner - Courier & Press

A ban on Russian gymnasts from international competition due to the war in Ukraine will likely keep its Olympic champion teams from qualifying outright for this falls world championships.

The European Championships, the lone pathway for European nations to qualify teams for gymnastics worlds in October and November, start next week. Russia and Belarus athletes have been barred by the European Gymnastics federation (UEG) and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) until further notice since early March after Russia invaded Ukraine.

When asked if Russia could be reinstated in time to compete at the European Championships that start Aug. 11 in Munich, a UEG spokesperson responded with text from and a link to the early March ban announcement. The competitions detailed gymnastics schedule does not include Russia in its list of participating nations.

Russias gymnastics federation appealed both the UEG and FIG bans to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). When asked if a decision on the appeals was expected before the European Championships, a CAS spokesperson said Tuesday, The procedures are ongoing and the decisions are not expected to be announced in the coming days.

When asked how, if at all, Russia can qualify teams for the world championships without participating at the European Championships, an FIG spokesperson noted the current ban and said the federation will not comment further as a CAS decision is awaited.

Last week, the head of Russias gymnastics federation reportedly said there is no chance Russian gymnasts will be allowed to compete at worlds.

Bans on Russian athletes in most Olympic sports kept them out of other world championships this summer, including in aquatics and track and field.

Long before the Russian bans, the FIG changed its qualification system for the team event at world championships starting this year. In the past, any nation could compete in the team event at the worlds taking place two years before the Olympics (barring banned athletes and federations, of course).

Now, the 2022 World Championships field is capped at 24 teams, all qualifying via continental meets such as the European Championships.

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the IOC called for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be barred indefinitely from international competition to protect the integrity of the events and the safety of the other participants.

Russias ability to qualify gymnastics teams for the 2024 Paris Olympics will not be significantly impacted unless the ban extends to major 2023 competitions.

Last year, Russians won the Olympic mens gymnastics team title for the first time since 1996 and the womens team title for the first time since Russia began competing on its own after the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Russians competed in Tokyo as the Russian Olympic Committee team as the nations name, flag and anthem were banned due to Russias well-publicized anti-doping violations.

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Russia ban likely to extend to qualifying for world gymnastics championships - Home of the Olympic Channel

Ex-Olympic champions, retirees from sports and seriously injured athletes are being paid less than half the Iranian minimum wage in pensions and stipends if indeed they are being paid at all, documents seen by IranWire show.

The Sports Champions and Pioneers Support Credit Fund was created in 2004 by the Khatami administration, under the auspices of the Ministry of Sports. Over time it has deviated from its original mission, with subsidiary companies created that do not follow the charter but continue to receive a budget from the Ministry.

The records seen by IranWire also show that apart from delaying payments to athletes who won medals in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the Credit Fund has been issuing gifts and benefits to non-sporting personalities, including two news reporters at the IRIB.

Just $36 a Month for Bringing Home the Gold

In May this year, Ruhollah Rostami, Irans Para Powerlifting champion, announced on social media that he was bidding a permanent goodbye to the Iranian Paralympic weightlifting team. He had come to this decision, he wrote, after sports officials pressured his doctor to lie to him following an injury, encouraging him to start training before he was fully recovered.

The doctor, Rostami said, had later confessed to having been coerced into signing him off three weeks early. The reason for it, he claimed, was so that his monthly stipend would not have to be stopped.

The Supreme Labor Council raised the minimum wage in Iran this year to 2.655 million tomans (about US$84 at open market exchange rates). Documents seen by IranWire indicate that all the current and ex-athletes covered by the Sports Champions and Pioneers Support Credit Fund are significantly less than the legal minimum.

Based on the available information, monthly payments to deaf athleteswho won gold, silver or bronze medals at the Paralympics start at 1,010,808 tomans ($32) per month and run to a maximum of 1,113,451 tomans ($35).

IranWire has also been provided with a list from the Credit Fund entitled Pensions of Qualified Champions andAthletesof 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. It indicates not all of those who win medals at international contests receive any payments at all.

The list includes the names of 24 ex-Olympic and Paralympic champions. Of the 12 members of the Iran Men's National Sitting Volleyball Team that won a gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics, only three are listed as eligible for a stipend. Their monthly payments stand at 1,130,063 tomans ($36). Just two former wrestling champions are named on the list, each in receipt of a monthly sum of 1,176,375 tomans ($37). They and others are obliged to practice and keep competing to receive these funds, which will stop if they sustain an injury.

Ex-IRGC Sharpshooter Raking In the Biggest Payments

Javad Foroughi,a former member of the IRGC, controversially won gold in the mens 10m air pistol contest at the Tokyo Olympics last year. News outlets affiliated with the IRGC, such as Fars, Tasnim and Varzesh 3, praised his service in Syria as an officer in the Quds Force. Ordinary Iranians were less impressed.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was later pressed toopen a probeinto the sporting identity of Javad Foroughi and his connections to the IRGC. As soon as that happened, Irans Sports Ministry and National Olympic Committee changed tack, emphasizing Foroughi had only been there as a nurse who had tended to the injured on both sides of the line.

According to the list seen by IranWire, Foroughi receives a stipend of 1,932,255 tomans ($61), considerably more than other Olympic and Paralympic champions albeit still far short of the minimum wage.

A further, supplementary list prepared for the Credit Fund includes the names of 20 well-known Iranian athletes who won medals at the 2020 Olympics but have yet to be approved for payments by the Ministry of Sports. If approved they, too, are set to receive below-minimum payments starting at 1,115,305 tomans ($35). Notably, Javad Foroughi has been on the approved list since 2019, two years before he became an Olympic medalist.

Why is the IRIB Receiving Athletes Welfare Funds?

A separate set of records seen by IranWire shows that in 2021, the Credit Fund gifted one-off goods baskets containing rice, vegetable il, lentils, split peas, beans, macaroni and spices to some 289 people described as Iranian sports pioneers.

The list includes a field to be filled in stating which sport the person is a pioneer in. But there are some surprise inclusions; numbers 38, 73, 97 and 187 are men and women based in the cities of Dezful, Andisheh and Tehran who are described only as fans, with no particular discipline and no record in professional sports.

Employees of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting are also on the list. Entries 276 and 277 are named as Mehdi Ali-Moradi and Davoud Abedi, two reporters with the IRIBs News Network. Their field of sporting prowess has similarly been left blank. Meanwhile, in trying economic times for Iran, many well-known athletes and sportspeople were omitted from the list.

Go here to read the rest:

IranWire Exclusive: Iran's Olympic and Paralympic Medalists Rewarded With... $36 a Month - IranWire |

Event Date:

On Saturday August at 2 p.m., Wylder Resort Hope Valley continues its Eastern Sierra history series with a 50 minute slide show-Going for the Gold-Lake Tahoe and the Olympics.

Alex Cushing and the State of California brought the 1960 Winter Olympics to the Lake Tahoe area. Walt Disney brought the Olympics to the World. From hosting the first Olympics that truly utilized modern technology, to creating a world class Olympic training facility deep in the Sierra Nevada Forest, the Lake Tahoe region has played an important role in Americas success in both the Summer and Winter Olympics for generations.

This weeks program will be at the Wylder General Store, located 1 mile east of the junction of Hwys 88 & 89 in Hope Valley ( mile east of Wylder Resort). Its free and open to the public. A lunch counter is available at the store. For more information call David @ 760 920-8061

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Eastern Sierra history program features Lake Tahoe and the Olympics - Carson Now

By Katrina ScaliseRepublican-American

NAUGATUCK Borough native Michael Mason will become acting CEO of Special Olympics Connecticut effective Aug. 29, after serving as the organizations chief financial officer and senior vice president for 20 years.

Mason has 40 years combined experience serving Special Olympics on local and national levels, working to provide sports training, insurance, and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Mason has been involved in sports and volunteering for the organization, particularly in the Waterbury area, since he was 9 years old.

Ive always been an athlete, participated in college sports and Ive enjoyed the relationships forged through athletics, he said. My cousin, Charlie, had Down syndrome so I grew up around the Special Olympics as a kid.

He originally became a certified accountant after graduating, working at Ernst & Young as a tax manager before leaving to work with the Special Olympics again. Mason was a volleyball coach for the United States team at the 1991 Special Olympics World Games in St.Paul, Minn.

When Special Olympics CT said they needed help, I thought they meant coaching, but they needed a businessperson, so I came along, Mason said.

He then served on the organizing committee for the 1995 Special Olympics World Games in New Haven, an event that drew more than 7,000 participants from 143 countries.

Mason continued his involvement in the organization as CFO in October 2002. He also served on the national Special Olympics committees for marketing and finance.

The leadership change comes as Beau Doherty, the Special Olympics Connecticut president and CEO for nearly 30 years, is retiring.

I am very happy that Mike Mason has been selected to take over the CEO role after I leave, Doherty said in statement. He has been a dedicated and effective staff person for so many years, and is committed to the mission of the organization. One added perk is he has an understanding of the global movement and its leaders.

Mason said, The biggest challenge now is to bring the organization back to where it was pre-COVID in terms of number of athletes, volunteers and programs.

He also hopes to continue Special Olympics Connecticuts collaboration with other states organizations on issues such as health insurance and risk management, as well as sports programs and events.

In New England theres a lot of collaboration, he said. Were having the Unified Sports Fall Festival croquet competition in Westerly, R.I., with Special Olympics Rhode Island on Sept. 17 and 18.

The organization aims to strengthen local programs and increase volunteer numbers over the next year or so.

Were working with (Police Athletic League) programs in urban areas across Connecticut, Mason said. We have a strong relationship with Waterbury PAL. Now were working in New Britain, Danbury, Bridgeport and Hartford.

The new initiative Im excited to be part of is our partnership with HomeField to provide online fitness for our athletes through live and recorded sessions. We had online support during COVID, and its an opportunity for our athletes to get a much richer experience.

Special Olympics Connecticut has volunteering opportunities at the local level working with athletes, day-of-event help, coaching, fundraising, and at its office and warehouse.

Whatever the person is interested in, they can get involved, Mason said. It takes an army of volunteers to run an event. Pre-COVID our events would have up to 2,500 athletes, and it would take 5,000 to 6,000 people to come out and make it happen.

Those interested in volunteering can sign up at soct.org.

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Borough native named new leader for Special Olympics of Connecticut - My Citizens News

File photo of PV Sindhu AFP

Olympic medalist PV Sindhu took a trip down the memory lane and shared a picture of her bronze medal, to mark the first anniversary of the Tokyo Olympics triumph. After facing a defeat in the semi-final clash against Tai Tzu-Ying of Chinese Taipei, Sindhu thrashed China's He Bingjiao 21-13, 21-15 in the bronze medal match at the Games last year. "A year since I stood on the Olympic podium representing a billion dreams. Still feels surreal. Nothing tops the feeling. #tokyoolympics #1yeartotokyo2020," wrote Sindhu on her Instagram account.

Celebrating one year of Sindhu's bronze medal win, Olympic Khel also took to Twitter to post a video of the shuttler's medal winning moment.

"The goosebumps moment #OnThisDay PV Sindhu scripted history by becoming the first in woman to win Olympic medals! Relive her medal ceremony from Tokyo 2020," tweeted Olympics Khel.

Earlier in July this year, Sindhu had clinched the title of Singapore Open after defeating Chinese shuttler Wang Zhi Yi in the final match, which lasted for 58 minutes.

Currently, the Indian shuttler is competing in the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022, at Birmingham. The Indian badminton Mixed Team unit comprising Sindhu, Srikanth Kidambi, Lakshay Sen and Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy assured themselves of atleast silver medal on Monday after storming into the finals with a 3-0 sweep of Singapore in the semi-finals.

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The doubles duo of Chirag and Satwik began the rout, with Sindhu making it 2-0 before Lakshay Sen swapped world champion Loh Kean Yew in straight games.

Sindhu, along with the men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh also led the Indian contingent as the flagbearers in the Commonwealth Games 2022 opening ceremony that was held in Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on July 28.

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"Still Feels Surreal": PV Sindhu's Post On Anniversary Of Tokyo Olympics Bronze - NDTV Sports