Category Archives: Olympics

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

It is our duty to be the best that we can be, says the 25-year-old athlete

Published: Tue 2 Aug 2022, 4:39 PM

UAE fencing champion Khalifa Al Zarooni is currently training relentlessly with the aim to represent the UAE in high-level competitions such as the Olympics.

The 25-year-old has already represented his country on local and global stages, making a name for himself with every tournament.

As a budding young athlete, Al Zaroonis high school coach noticed his talent and encouraged him to explore the competitive sport of fencing beyond the gymnasium.

Guided by his coach, he dedicated himself to the sport, where he found a special sense of camaraderie among his teammates within the UAE Federation.

The school coach encouraged me towards fencing back in 2012, given my good height and potential, Al Zarooni told Khaleej Times on Tuesday. At first, I was reluctant to pursue the sport, but the coach pushed me to train until I mastered it.

With support from his family, especially his mother and siblings, the Emirati has been able to win titles within the Gulf region and in Asian competitions such as when he and his teammates won gold at the Gulf Regionals in Bahrain in 2017, knocking out seasoned competitors and earning the UAE its very first win.

Fencers under the age of 20 seldom go beyond the primaries, let alone finish with a medal, making this a milestone achievement for fencers everywhere.

Despite his numerous wins and successes, the Emirati considered retiring due to the difficulties he faced without a sponsor. There were many challenges in the sport, especially regarding finances. I used to pay for most of my facilitation including training, travels and others, which was costly, he said.

The game changed for Al Zarooni when he won sponsorship by Mubadala Excellence Programme. The initiative, which commenced in August last year, supports UAE-based talents in pursuing their dreams and finances their sporting activities, including training, and travel.

Through it, the athlete found a support system to continue excelling and was able to join international training camps to practice alongside the French and Hungarian national teams. This top-level training boosted the Emiratis confidence and enhanced his natural skill and talent. He also gained a better understanding of international fencing standards.

Getting the sponsorship was like a dream come true for me. The day I signed the contract with Mubadala Excellence Programme is among the most important days in my life as it changed everything in my sports career, Al Zarooni said. He highlighted how he even got to compete against top fencers like his role model French Olympian fencer Yannick Borel, whom he only watched on TV till a few years ago.

I am now one of them and can even beat them. I will continue doing my best to make the UAE proud, he said.

It would give me great pride and the highest honour to represent my country at the Olympics," he continued. "Sports are an example of our nations advancements and progress on all levels. Our leadership strives to give us the means to reach our dreams, and it is also our duty as Emiratis to be the best that we can be.

Al Zarooni is an airspace engineer and graduated from the Higher Colleges of Technology - Abu Dhabi Mens Campus in 2021. He has 16 siblings: 9 brothers and 7 sisters.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

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Emirati fencing champion hopes to represent UAE at the Olympics some day - Khaleej Times

Jalen Hurts, Eagles open training camp

The Eagles opened training camp with high expectations coming off a playoff season in 2021.

Martin Frank, Delaware News Journal

PHILADELPHIA The race is coming eventually. Devon Allen knows this.

The Eagles wide receiver is only a few weeks removed from the track and field world championships, where he was disqualified from the final of the 110 meter hurdles for a false start by leaping out of the blocks too quickly.

Allen is among the fastest runners in the world. So it only stands to reason that ever since he showed up to training camp, he has received challenges from the Eagles' other wide receivers who believe they are faster.

"We'll probably get (a race in) here sometime during camp," Allen said. "I just don't want to do it too early, mess around and get hurt, and then I won't be able to practice. That'd be bad. I gotta make sure I take care of myself, number one, and focus on what I'm doing on the field.

"And then we can have fun."

For now, Allen is trying to find a spot on the roster. He is considered a longshot for the 53-man roster, mainly because he hasn't played organized football since 2016, his last season at Oregon. Since then, Allen has run the 110 hurdles at two Olympics, finishing fifth in 2016 and fourth in 2021.

Allen, however, does have speed, which makes him intriguing both as a wide receiver and as a kick returner. That's why Allen said it doesn't surprise him that practically every wide receiver on the team wants to race him.

He said DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins and Jalen Reagor are the main guys who say they're faster.

Watkins, for one, is ready for the challenge.

"I'm the fastest guy in the NFL," he said. "I'm standing on that."

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was later asked if Watkins' comment is true. He replied: "We got an Olympian on our team."

Added Allen: "I think those guys, and me especially, wouldn't be in a position that we are in if we didn't think we're the best at whatever we do."

But Allen also revealed a surprise challenger, although he didn't take that one too seriously.

"AJ Brown put his name in the hat (for a race)," Allen said. "He's a big guy, and I know he's fast, too, but I don't know if he can keep up with me."

As for Allen, his speed has never been in question. It's his football ability.

In 2016, Allen had plans to finish out the season, go to the NFL Combine the following spring, and then hope to get drafted.

But Allen tore his ACL in Week 3 that season and decided to devote his attention full time to his Olympic career. In his brief 2016 season, Allen showed how much of a speed threat he could be, with 4 receptions for 141 yards, or 35.3 yards per reception.

In his only full season at Oregon, in 2014, Allen had 41 receptions for 684 yards, averaging 16.7 yards per reception. Allen tore his ACL in the Rose Bowl that season and missed half of the following season.

Allen planned to give the NFL another shot after the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. But the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the games back a year, and thus Allen's football hopes.

Allen, 27, knows he has a lot of catching up to do. But the Eagles are intrigued enough with his speed to give him a chance. Allen ran a 4.35 in the 40 at Oregon's Pro Day in March. That would have ranked sixth among wide receivers at the NFL Combine.

"I gotta learn how to play the receiver position again," Allen said. "It's been a few years and I have to learn how to do other positions on special teams, other than just return it."

Here are some other unheralded players who have stood out through three days of training camp practices:

Chachere made the team last season because of his special teams prowess. But he could end up having a spot as a reserve safety as well. Chachere had interceptions in each of the last two practice days. On Saturday, he picked off Jalen Hurts.

Like Allen, Covey is considered a longshot to win a spot on the 53-man roster, but he has impressed both in the spring and early in camp with his speed in space. Covey hasn't gotten any chances with the first or second units, but when he gets in there, he's fun to watch.

For some, it seems like a matter of time before Nakobe Dean replaces Edwards as a starting linebacker. And that might still be the case. But it has become clear that Dean will have to earn it because Edwards has been a stalwart on defense. He's in the right places, and knows everything about the Eagles' defense.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said there was nothing to Miles Sanders getting all of his reps Friday with the second unit. It was just how the running back rotation played out. Then he reaffirmed Sanders' standing as RB1 by saying, "Miles is our guy." But Gainwell will have a significant role because he gives the Eagles a pass-catching dynamic that Sanders doesn't, at least since his rookie year in 2019.

The Eagles returned to practice Monday following their day off.

Hurts, who had thrown three interceptions through the first three days of practice, was much sharper. He didn't turn the ball over Monday. But there also weren't any long completions. But he did complete passes to each of his three main receivers A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert.

Backup quarterback Garnder Minshew, meanwhile, through two interceptions. Linebacker Shaun Bradley picked off a short pass over the middle intended for tight end J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, and Marcus Epps had his second INT of camp after a deflection.

Rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis got some reps with the first team on defense. He is quickly proving to be a force in the middle.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.

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Some Eagles wide receivers want to race this new Olympic teammate - The News Journal

When breaking debutedat the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, planned on observing the new event for just 15 minutes. Instead, captivated by the young dancers gravity-defying moves, the musics irresistible beat and the crowds exuberant cheering, he stayed for the whole event.

To have the face of the IOC believe in what was going on and what the athletes were expressing was a change in direction for us, says Moises Moy Rivas, a renowned breaker from Houston who served as a judge at the Youth Games. We are amazing athletes and dancers, but it is very rarely recognized.

With its success at the Youth Games, breaking will become a new sport at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. While breakers around the world ramp up their training, the organization recognized by the IOC to conduct the program, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), faces the unprecedented challenge of bringing a dance form to the Olympic stage. On one side, you have the breakers. One characteristic of breaking is everything is allowed, says Markus Sonyi, the breaking sports officer at the WDSF. On the other side, you have the structured international sports federation within an even more structured IOC. These two spheres need to get brought together to bring breaking not only as a pure sport to the Games, but also as a culture.

Representing With Integrity

Breakingincorrectly popularized as breakdancing in mainstream mediais a freestyle dance form from the Bronx. Started in the 1970s, it is a cornerstone of hip-hop culture, along with deejaying, emceeing and graffiti art. The dance consists of roughly five main elements: top rocks (standing dance), drops (transitions to floorwork), footwork/down rocks (floorwork), power moves (acrobatic moves) and freezes (poses). Fundamentals exist within each element, such as the salsa-step top rock, the six-step down rock and the windmill power move. But breakers, also called b-boys and b-girls, are expected to innovate beyond the foundations by creating their own moves that incorporate individual execution.

Central to breaking culture is the battle, in which competitors alternate dancing improvised sets. A set from each competitor constitutes a round, and a battle generally consists of three to five rounds. While the earliest battles occurred on the streets, todays battles are highly organized competitions with entry fees and cash prizes. The Olympics will retain the battle format in two events, one for b-boys and one for b-girls, each featuring 16 breakers facing off one on one in a single-elimination tournament.

For https://loganedra.comLogan Logistx Edra, who was the 2021 champion and youngest-ever b-girl to win the international breaking competition Red Bull BC One, the battle presents an opportunity to tap into another self. When Im battling, Im not Lo anymore. Im completely in Logistx mode, she says. When Im angry, sad or tired of dealing with certain things, I can take it out as Logistx.

Becoming a full-time professional dancer at 12 years old, Edra has garnered a long list of enviable accolades in her seven-year career, including winning Season 2 of World of Dance with The Lab. The success came with an unhealthy amount of pressure. I always felt this expectation as a little girl in the scene. People want your talent to be something thattheywant it to be, instead of letting it just bloom, she says. During some competitions, I just didnt enjoy it.

In early 2020, she relocated from Southern California to Florida. By training at BreakinMIA and working with a supportive team of mentors, trainers and friends, she reinvigorated her relationship with breaking at a high competitive level. Her in-season training regimen consists of physical conditioning, dance practice, and strengthening her mental performance. With help from a therapist, she has learned strategies for dealing with her critical inner voice, visualizing moves and stressing less about winning.

Though bringing home Olympic gold is a dream of Edras, she prioritizes the larger goal of representing with integrity the roots of breaking and hip hop, she says. If we lose that, breaking might not impact people through the Olympics in the way its supposed to.

Its Grassroots Here

Although breaking was born in the U.S., the country lacks anational governing body for the dance form. To create a pathway for Americans to reach the Olympics, USA Dance formed a breaking division called Breaking for Gold USA, led by a group of veteran breakers.

Were volunteering because we have the skills to organize events, do sanctioning forms, write rule books, attend meetings, says Rich Nyce, Breaking for Gold USAs chair of the Rules and Eligibility Committee. The more burden we can take off the competitors to let them train, the better the outcome.

Within months, the group organized the competition circuit that would determine breakings Team USA. Between March and May 2022, Olympic hopefuls competed in regional competitions to earn a spot at the national championship. Team USA will consist of four b-boys and four b-girls, who will then try to earn their spots in the Olympics in the WDSFs multi-path qualifying process. They will also gain access to training resources that Breaking for Gold USA is currently working on securing.

Other countries have government programs that fund a lot of this stuff. Were trying to match our infrastructure to what exists around the world, says Zack Cracker Zacks Slusser, VP of Breaking for Gold USA. Its grassroots here.

Without centralized programming, Americas breakers have taken charge of their own training. Houston b-boy Jeffrey Jeffro Louis follows a workout program he initially developed as a college project and has since turned into a fitness company. Called FitBreak, the exercises use low-impact, breaking-inspired moves to improve mobility, strength and endurance. Some dancers want to gain more stamina, so they go running. For me, it doesnt make sense, he says. I dont see Michael Phelps running whenever hes getting ready for a swim meethes swimming! I train my body the way its supposed to move for breaking.

Louis discovered breaking at 10 years old, through his older brother. Considering it a hobby, he planned to quit in college to find a career path that would align with his Haitian-immigrant parents values of education and security. He instead received a sponsorship from Monster Energy, which not only helped him pay for his education but also convinced him that breaking was a viable profession.

While Louis, now 27, has practiced physical fitness since his college days, the Olympics motivated him to learn nutrition. He follows a loose ketogenic diet and, through trial and error, has determined his ideal competition weight. On battle days, he will eat about 15 grams of protein, try to stay low on fat and carbs, and drink a lot of water until the pee is clear, he says. His calculated approach has paid offin March, he won the Regionals in Las Vegas and Austin, becoming the first b-boy to earn a place at Nationals.

You Cant Put a Number on Art

Breakings rise to larger stages around the world revealed a need for a better judging system. While many methods exist, and have traditionally been highly subjective, the major events leading up to and during the Olympics will utilize the Threefold and Trivium systems. Developed by Kevin DJ Renegade Gopie and Niels Storm Robitzky with help from others, the Trivium was designed to be fair, transparent and holistic.

It doesnt work by prescription but by description, says Robitzky. Rather than dictate what a breaker must do, the Trivium uses a direct comparison model with no strictly mandated criteria, in which the judges react holistically to what is presented in each battle round. Judges use sliders on an interface to indicate which breaker performed better across six components, organized into three domains. Technique and variety comprise the body, or physical, domain; creativity and personality comprise the mind, or artistic, domain; and performance and musicality make up the soul, or interpretive, domain.

Breaking really is a combination of art and sport. Its not like gymnastics, where you have to do a move a certain way and you get points on that, explains Sunny Choi, a former competitive gymnast who found her way to breaking after a knee injury. There are thousands of ways to do everything in breaking, and its how you do it that makes it great. You cant put a number on art.

Creative fulfillment and physical challenge have kept Choi dedicated to the craft since she first fell in love with it as a college student in Philadelphia. Though she now works a full-time job in operations at a prominent beauty company in New York City, she has represented the U.S. at the last two WDSF Breaking World Championships.Learning the right balance has taken time. She used to travel for breaking competitions nearly every month, often overseas, finishing her work on planes, during layovers and well past midnight on many occasions. She burned out quickly.

She now takes a more measured approach. Being female and into my 30s, dancing every day is no longer really feasible. Its pretty straining on your joints, she says. I do a lot of stability and mobility workouts to make sure my body can take the impact when Im dancing. In addition to exercising, she practices breaking three to four times a week, regularly creating new moves and often ending sessions with 50 flares, which involves balancing on her arms and swinging her legs in circles around herself.

Choi, who recently won the 2022 Breaking for Gold USA Regionalsin New York City and Phoenix, hopes that the Olympics will allow more breakers to pursue their passion professionally. Its tough to make a living off breaking, she says. By having more opportunity, money and attention in breaking, there will be more avenues to find a career in it, like you can in so many other sports and dances.

Improving the sustainability and accessibility of breaking careers would have positive repercussions beyond the dance world and Olympic stage. Hip hop is a lifesaver, says Louis. Its not something we do leisurely. Its something that helps us come out of a certain situation, keeps us from negative things in the world, and puts our focus on something positive.

Kristi Yeung is a writer and dancer currently based in Philadelphia

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Breaking Into the 2024 Olympics - Dance Magazine

Mo Farah, the first British track and field athlete to win four Olympic gold medals, has revealed that he was trafficked to the United Kingdom three decades ago as a child under a false name.

The stunning disclosure significantly rewrote the life story of Farah, one of Britains most famous sportsmen. It also raised questions about his citizenship status in a country where battles over immigration have in recent years become a polarizing issue in domestic politics.

Most people know me as Mo Farah, but its not my name, or its not the reality, he said in a BBC documentary scheduled to be released on Wednesday.

The real story is I was born in Somaliland, north of Somalia, as Hussein Abdi Kahin. Despite what Ive said in the past, my parents never lived in the U.K., Farah said in clips of the documentary that were released on Monday.

Farah, 39, previously said he arrived in Britain with his parents as a refugee.

He said he was putting his citizenship at risk by sharing his story, but Britains government quickly signaled that he had little to fear. A spokesman for the Home Office said in a statement on Tuesday that no action would be taken against Farah and to suggest otherwise is wrong.

According to government guidance, children are not complicit in fraud or false representation committed by their parent or guardian.

A lawyer who spoke with Farah in the documentary, Alan Briddock, said that Farah was not likely to lose his citizenship because he was trafficked as a child and had shared his story with the relevant authorities.

In the documentary, Farah said he was separated from family after his father was killed during Somalias civil war. He was brought to Britain at 9 with a woman under the name of another child, Mohamed Farah. He thought he would be going to stay with relatives, but was forced into domestic servitude.

I had all the contact details for my relative and once we got to her house, the lady took it off me and right in front of me ripped them up and put it in the bin and at that moment I knew I was in trouble, he said.

If I wanted food in my mouth, my job was to look after those kids, shower them, cook for them, clean for them, Farah said. And she said, If you ever want to see your family again, dont say anything. If you say anything, they will take you away.

Years later, when he was enrolled in school, Farah told his gym teacher, Alan Watkinson, about his real identity. He was placed in the care of a friends mother.

In July 2000, with the help of Watkinson, Farah was granted British citizenship under the name Mohamed Farah, according to the BBC. He would go on to become one of Britains greatest sports heroes.

Farah, a distance runner, won two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races. He successfully repeated as champion in both races four years later at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, winning gold despite a dramatic fall halfway through the 10,000.

Farah was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2017.

He has competed in major marathons since briefly retiring from competitive track and field in 2017, and set a national record after winning the 2018 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2 hours 5 minutes 11 seconds.

Farah recently announced that he will run this years London Marathon on Oct. 2, his first marathon since 2019.

Isabella Kwai contributed reporting from London.

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Olympian Mo Farah Says He Was Trafficked to the UK as a Child - The New York Times

The Spring Games sporting event hosted for the last 50 years by the Carroll County Special Olympics has been canceled. There will be no event in spring 2023 or thereafter.

The reasons? Cost and the amount of time thats required to organize the games.

Laurie Brewer, area director for Carroll County Special Olympics, stressed that though that event will no longer be held, the organization is not going away.

Just because Spring Games is not going to happen anymore has nothing to do with Carroll County Special Olympics, she stated in an email. We are going strong with 17 teams across 12 sports and over 300 athletes.

Special Olympics is the worlds largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. Their mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition through a variety of Olympic-type activities.

I know that a lot of people think that Spring Games is Special Olympics, but ... Spring Games is just one small part of what Carroll County Special Olympics is, Brewer said.

The Spring Games has been a big event in the county for decades.

The 50th opening ceremony for the Spring Games was held in April at Westminster High School and included more than 260 athletes from 27 county schools. In addition to student athletes, 35 adults from the adult sports team, the Tigers, participated.

We hosted this event, did all the work, funded the entire event, and got all the volunteers, because we wanted the students in the school system to have a day where they could compete in track and field events, receive awards, and have a stage to be recognized for their achievements, Brewer said. As it evolved over the years, it became a very big project, one that we can no longer host, because of needing to be able to put the time and funds into Carroll County Special Olympics and the 17 teams that we have year-round.

More than 300 volunteers and about 200 athletes typically participated in the Spring Games.

Our community and our high school students step up every year and provide the volunteers that we need, and we are never hurting for volunteers, Brewer said. We are so grateful for all the community support that we get and could have never done this event without all of those people.

We also provided lunch for everyone who participated or came to watch and most of the food was donated by parents, businesses and the community, she said.

But the cost and the time spent on the event are the two reasons its ending.

We are all volunteers and there was a group of people who worked on this event from December until April getting all the pieces in place, sometimes up to 20 hours a week, she said. Cost is another factor and this year it cost ... around $6,000.

An email sent Monday from Carroll County Public Schools to families alerted them about the end of the Spring Games.

We know that the Spring Games is a very special event for our students, families and community.Carroll County Public Schools is working to explore potential alternatives for the event.This may include hosting a similar day independent of Carroll County Special Olympics.As we explore these alternatives, we will keep families informed and seek feedback from our community and stakeholder groups, the email stated.

Nick Shockney, director of special education for Carroll County Public Schools, said he has already been approached with some alternative ideas.

The partnership the school system has enjoyed with the Special Olympics via the Spring Games has been very important, Shockney said, and he is thankful for it.

The [event] brings the community together, and I know this is very important to the community, he said.

Though the Spring Games are ending, the Carroll County Special Olympics program is not.

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I cant stress enough that even though we [are] not hosting Spring Games we will still be providing all the programs in Carroll County for our athletes with intellectual disabilities, she said.

Carroll County Special Olympics has three sports seasons.

In the spring, they offer track, swimming, bocce, cheerleading, golf and kayaking. In the fall, its soccer, flag football, powerlifting, and bowling, and in the winter, there are three levels of basketball.

A young athletes program for children ages 2 through 8 is also active in the county, Brewer said.

We also offer leadership opportunities through Special Olympics Maryland, she said. Carroll County Special Olympics offers our athletes a stage where they can compete in their sports and be recognized for their accomplishments.

There is never any cost to the athlete or the family and we welcome them to participate in as many sports as they would like, she said. We are hoping that some of the school students that have participated in Spring Games will join one of our sports teams and be able to practice and compete with us. Our coaches are all amazing and put so much time into making sure our athletes get the best experience they can.

For more information on the Carroll County Special Olympics go to its website at socrathletes.org or contact Brewer, at lbrewer10@verizon.net or 410-848-0102. Shockney can be contacted at nrshock@carrollk12.org.

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Carroll County Special Olympics' annual Spring Games event canceled after 50 years in Westminster - Baltimore Sun

Ten events to watch at the world track and field championships that start Friday in Eugene, Oregon, listed in chronological order

Mens 100m (Final July 16 10:50 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Marcell Jacobs (gold), Fred Kerley (silver), Andre De Grasse (bronze)2022 World Rankings: Kerley(9.76), Trayvon Bromell (9.81), Yohan Blake/Marvin Bracy-Williams/Ferdinand Omanyala (9.85)

Jacobs, the surprise Olympic champion from Italy, has been plagued by injuries and illness since winning the world indoor 60m title in March. He raced two meets this outdoor season with a best wind-legal time of 10.04, ranking 40th in the world this year. Kerley, who last year dropped down from the 400m to the 100m, ran the two fastest times in the world in 2022 in a two-hour span at the USATF Outdoor Championships 9.76 and 9.77. If any of the six fastest men in the world this year take gold, it will mark a fourth different global champion (Olympics or worlds) since Usain Bolt descended from the throne.

TRACK WORLDS: Broadcast Schedule | U.S. Roster

Mens Shot Put (Final July 17 9:27 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Ryan Crouser(gold),Joe Kovacs(silver),Tom Walsh(bronze)2022 World Rankings: Crouser (23.12), Kovacs (22.87), Walsh (22.31)

Crouser, the world record holder (23.37), has the worlds top five throws this year, including his four most recent throws from the USATF Outdoor Championships. In Tokyo, the Olympic podium was a copy of the one from the previous Games, the first time that happened in any individual event in Olympic history, according toBill Mallonof Olympedia.org. But at 2019 Worlds, in the greatest shot put competition in history, Kovacs won by one centimeter on his final throw over his fellow American Crouser and Walsh.

Womens 100m (Final July 17 10:50 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Elaine Thompson-Herah (gold),Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce(silver),Shericka Jackson(bronze)2022 World Rankings: Fraser-Pryce (10.67), Jackson (10.77), Thompson-Herah (10.79)

After sweeping the medals in Tokyo, the Jamaican women are favored to do so again in Eugene. Thompson-Herah ran the second-fastest time in history (10.54) in Eugene at the August 2021 Pre Classic, but her pursuit ofFlorence Griffith-Joyners world record (10.49) has cooled a bit as shes managed minor injuries this season. Enter Fraser-Pryce, the 35-year-old mom who is bidding to become the oldest world champion in an individual event on the track, according to Mallon. She can also become the first person to win five world titles in an individual running event.

Mens 200m (Final July 21 10:50 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Andre De Grasse(gold),Kenny Bednarek(silver),Noah Lyles(bronze)2022 World Rankings: Erriyon Knighton(19.49), Lyles (19.61), Reynier Mena (19.63)

The Canadian De Grasses slow start to the season (best time of 20.38, ranked 74th in the world), gives way to a budding American rivalry between Knighton, who was fourth in Tokyo at age 17, and Lyles, the worlds fastest 200m runner in the last Olympic cycle. On April 30, Knighton ran that 19.49 to supplant Lyles as the fourth-fastest man in history behind Bolt, Yohan Blake and Michael Johnson, generating a bunch more comparisons to Bolt, whose best time at the same age was 19.93. Lyles, believing he was being doubted, decided to contest the final at nationals, even though he had a bye into worlds as reigning world champion. He ran down Knighton for the victory and, just before the finish line, celebrated with a point in the direction of Knighton and the scoreboard. Lyles said afterward that the point was not directed at Knighton, while Knighton prematurely walked out of a joint TV interview on the track with Lyles and third-place Kerley.

Mens 400m Hurdles (Final July 19 10:50 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Karsten Warholm(gold),Rai Benjamin(silver),Alison dos Santos(bronze)2022 World Rankings: dos Santos (46.80), Benjamin (47.04), Trevor Bassitt (47.47)

Last year, the Norwegian Warholm brought the longest-standing world record in mens track races down from 46.78 (Kevin Youngs time in the 1992 Olympic final) to 45.94. This year, he has raced once, stopping after one hurdle with a hamstring tear on June 5. But Warholm still eyes a three-peat at the world championships. Benjamin and dos Santos became the second- and third-fastest men in history in that epic Tokyo Olympic final. Benjamin recovered from a COVID-19 bout and tendinitis to win the national title last month in 47.04. But its Dos Santos, at 22 the youngest of the trio, who holds the 2022 No. 1 ranking.

Womens 400m Hurdles (Final July 22 10:50 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Sydney McLaughlin(gold),Dalilah Muhammad(silver),Femke Bol(bronze)2022 World Rankings:McLaughlin (51.41), Bol (52.27),Britton Wilson(53.08)

In her last four meets contesting the 400m hurdles, McLaughlin has lowered the world record three times, and in the outlier she ran the fourth-fastest time in history with one of the hurdles spaced incorrectly. She is a massive favorite despite the presence of the second- and third-fastest women in history in Muhammad, the 2016 Olympic champion and former world-record holder, and the Dutchwoman Bol. The drama lies in McLaughlins ability to lower the record even further, should she receive a little push from the other stars. McLaughlins legendary coach, Bob Kersee, said that she is going to eventually turn to the flat 400m and chase that (37-year-old) world record, perhaps after winning her first world title, NBC Sports analyst Ato Boldonsaid.

Mens 5000m (Final July 24 9:05 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Joshua Cheptegei (gold), Mohammed Ahmed (silver), Paul Chelimo (bronze)2022 World Rankings: Nicholas Kipkorir (12:46.33), Jacob Krop (12:46.79), Berihu Aregawi (12:50.05)

A gathering of reigning Olympic gold medalists in the 1500m (Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway), 5000m (Cheptegei) and 10,000m (Selemon Baregaof Ethiopia). In Tokyo, Ingebrigtsen didnt contest the 5000m as it overlapped with the 1500m. Barega wasnt in the Olympic 5000m as no Ethiopian distance star entered multiple events. These three likely wont be in the same field at the Paris Games. Ingebrigtsen said he asked 2024 Olympic schedulers to separate the 1500m and 5000m (they overlapped in Rio and Tokyo) and the request was denied, though the schedule hasnt been published yet. At worlds, the 1500m final is two days before the 5000m heats.

Womens 800m (Final July 24 9:35 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Athing Mu(gold),Keely Hodgkinson(silver),Raevyn Rogers(bronze)2022 World Rankings: Mu (1:57.01), Aje Wilson (1:57.23), Mary Moraa (1:57.45)

In Tokyo, a 19-year-old Mu became the youngest American to win an individual Olympic track and field title in 49 years. Her last defeat in an outdoor 800m race was in 2019, but Wilson came seven hundredths shy of snapping that streak at nationals. Great Britains Hodgkinson, who is the same age as Mu, looked like more of a threat before Kenyas Moraa beat her in the last Diamond League meet before worlds. The U.S. has an outside shot of a medals sweep with Rogers and Wilson.

Womens 100m Hurdles (Final July 24 10 p.m. ET)Tokyo Olympics: Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (gold),Keni Harrison(silver),Megan Tapper(bronze)2022 World Rankings:Harrison (12.34), Alaysha Johnson (12.35), Camacho-Quinn (12.37)

Five of the 13 fastest women in history are entered. Harrisons world record of 12.20 is under threat. Last year, the Puerto Rican Camacho-Quinn went undefeated (save one DQ) and ran 12.26 in the Olympic final, the best time ever into a headwind. This year, Camacho-Quinn has suffered a defeat. Harrison ran her best time in five years to win the U.S. title, also into a headwind. Johnson, who qualified for worlds as an unsponsored 25-year-old, has this year lowered her personal best from 12.69, going from outside the 130 fastest women in history to tied for 12th.

A distance race that Sifan Hassan enters

Hassan, an Ethiopian-born Dutchwoman, won gold in the 5000m and 10,000m and bronze in the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics, an unprecedented triple. Last Friday, she raced for the first time since September, a rust-busting 5000m in Portland. She is entered in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m for worlds, but she is expected to drop at least one of those races. The 10,000m final is 18 hours after the 1500m heats and six hours before the 1500m semifinals. The 5000m heats are two days after the 1500m final. At the last worlds in 2019, Hassan won the 1500m and 10,000m and passed on the 5000m, which overlapped with the 1500m. The most intriguing possible head-to-head would be with Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, the two-time Olympic champion, in the 1500m.

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Team Texas took home a gold medal in this summers Special Olympics in Orlando, defeating Washington in the playoffs for the championship title in National Intercollegiate Flag Football.

The members and coaches of Team Texas during their June stay in Orlando

Texas A&M Rec Sports

Part of Texas A&Ms Unified Sports program, Team Texas is comprised of unified athletes and partners. When the team landed in Orlando, Florida, last month tocompete, they were greeted by two-time Superbowl champion Peyton Manning.

Fred Clubb, clinical professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, coached the team and is father to one of the athletes, Ross Clubb.

The coach said his goal is to inspire these students so when they graduate they will continue the next generation for Special Olympics. I think we met and exceeded these goals with this victory.

He said the intensity of the training and competition with A&M intramural team members helps Special Olympics athletes make major strides in improving their game. The team spent months preparing for the competition, utilizing Texas A&M Rec Sports facilities for practices in anticipation of the games.

Unified Sports is an international Special Olympics effort in which about 1.4 million people participate, breaking down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities in a really fun way, the organization says. Teams are made up of people of similar age and ability, which makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common helps to sweep away preconceptions and false ideas.

In addition to flag football, the Unified Sports program at A&M includes basketball and bocce.

Texas A&M Rec Sports Director Rick Hall said he and his staff are enthusiastic about the program and the recent win.

We are so proud of Texas bringing home the gold, he said. It has been thrilling watching them compete over the years and we are looking forward to seeing this program continue to grow and strengthen the relationship with the Texas A&M student body.

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Team Texas Wins Gold At 2022 Special Olympics - Texas A&M University Today

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New leadership for the Union County chapter of Special Olympics Oregon, athletes heading to regional games in July - La Grande Observer