Category Archives: Olympics

The Olympics start the first week of February, and Team USA will include a skier from Ashburn, Virginia.

Ashley Caldwell, 28, will compete as an aerial skier skilled in doing breathtaking flips and twists. She told News4 the tricks still sometimes make her nervous.

Aerials is obviously a very scary sport, but also a very fun and rewarding sport, she said.

When you stand on top of that jump, were scared to do some of the tricks that were doing, she added. But then you do the trick, and you overcome that fear, and its successful because of all that hard work. Thats just a really rewarding feeling, and thats why I keep coming back to it.

Caldwell grew up doing skiing and gymnastics, and then her mom suggested she try combining the two.

I thought she was insane, obviously, and thought there was no way I could possibly do that, she said.

But sure enough, she did. Caldwell got so good it only took her two-and-a-half years to make her first Olympics. Twelve years later, shes headed to Beijing for her fourth Winter Games.

Its incredible. I dreamed as a little kid to go to one Olympics, and now here I am on my fourth. Its incredible. Im so proud to be able to represent my country again, she said.

In the summer, Caldwell trains at a pool. Shes had setbacks along the way, including hard falls and needing surgery on both ACLs. But she has always overcome and even won the world championship in 2017.

Shell go for gold again at this years Olympics.

In addition to being an Olympian, Caldwell is in the middle of getting a second masters degree, in legal studies. She already holds a masters in real estate development.

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A Very Scary Sport': Aerial Skier From Virginia Headed to Olympics - NBC4 Washington

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January 27, 2022 1:00 pm ET

For the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the worlds biggest stage. Leading up to the Opening Ceremony, were highlighting 15 Team USA athletes we think you should get to know.

Its rare to get two Olympic Games about six months apart, but here we are. Although to some, it may seem like the Tokyo Summer Olympics just ended, the Beijing Winter Olympics are nearly here with the Opening Ceremony set for Feb. 4.

In the weeks leading up to the Winter Games, we here at For The Win are rolling out a ton of Olympics content to help get you ready, including spotlighting some Team USAs top athletes.

And weve got them all right here in one handy place.

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Beijing Olympics: Meet some of Team USA's best athletes ahead of the 2022 Winter Games - For The Win

In summer 2019, figure skater Mariah Belldrove to a Dunkin Donuts, ordered two strawberry frosted pastries and made a career-altering decision.

She calledAdam Rippon.

She said, Im a mess,' Rippon recalled. And I was like, what does that mean?

Come help me, she said. Bell was coming off a bronze medal at the previous national championships, and her best world championships finish (ninth).

But she was struggling come the 2019-20 preseason. Particularly on this day at the U.S. Figure Skating preseason Champs Camp to assess skaters.

Her coach,Rafael Arutunian, said she was disorganized. Arutunian, who doesnt like to have to repeat himself, suggested she call Rippon, his former student who retired after reaching the Olympics in 2018.

He could hold your hand, Bell remembered Arutunian telling her.

Theyve been inseparable ever since.

Rippon helped choreograph Bells short program every season in this Olympic cycle to music from Britney Spears, Celine Dion and Lady Gaga. Anything that was on my Spotify most listened to list was up for grabs, he joked.

But since that strawberry frosted epiphany, Bell also leaned on Rippon as a secondary coach. Or fairy godmother, as he says. Together, Arutunian and Rippon helped Bell reach her two primary goals: winning her first national title last month and making her first Olympic team.

At 25, she became the oldest U.S. womens figure skating champion since 1927. Next month, she will become the oldest U.S. Olympic womens singles skater since 1928.

Our goal is to go there and for her to show that being 25 is amazing, Rippon said. That you can be 25, and you can be in the best shape of your life.

Rippon began training under the gruff Arutunian in Southern California in 2012. Bell joined the group, which includedNathan Chen, in 2016. Bell met Rippon years earlier, getting a picture with him at a skating show. Though Rippon and Bell shared ice for a year and a half leading up to the 2018 Olympics, they only casually knew each other.

In 2018, Rippon made his first (and last) Olympic team at age 28. He became the oldest U.S. Olympic rookie singles skater since 1936.

That same year, Bell entered nationals with an outside chance at the Olympic team (slim, she said) and finished fifth, earning an alternate spot.

I wasnt heartbroken, she said, knowing her real opportunity was coming in four years. I remember watching the Games from home and just being like, I want to be there so bad.

She watched as Rippon became a national celebrity with his team event bronze medal and engaging candor.

He had arguably the busiest post-Olympic whirlwind of any athlete, beatingTonya Hardingto win Dancing with the Stars and writing a memoir titled, Beautiful on the Outside.

Amid the hoopla, Bell took her shot and asked Rippon if he had time for another new venture: choreographing her short program for the 2018-19 season (also at Arutunians suggestion).

I wasnt really doing a lot of things with skating, he said. And it was a great way for me to still be connected.

Over the next three years, Bell experienced highs (getting engaged, then having the free skate of her life a month later at 2020 Nationals) and lows (missing the world championships team in 2021, then having that engagement broken off last summer).

She considers herself lucky for her coaching arrangement through all that. When Bell asked Rippon to help her, in that call outside a Dunkin, it was a Friday.

Sure I wouldnt mind, as long as Rafael is on the same page, Rippon remembered telling her. So I called Rafael, and he was like, oh my god, please come in.

By Monday Rippon was at the rink. In a typical week, hes there two or three days (but more often in this Olympic year).

His schedule really doesnt allow him to work with many other people, Bell told NBC Sports On Her Turf. But hes also like, I dont really want to coach. I just want to help you, which Im so fortunate for.

Arutunian focuses on the technical work, including jumps. There are ancillary benefits.

The reason that this works out so well is that Rafael is our guiding light. He is our team captain, Rippon said. Hes also coaching me on how to be a good coach.

Rippon, known for his work ethic to make the 2018 Olympics over younger skaters, helps with her training plan and conditioning.

I basically treated her like I was Cesar Millan, and she was a troubled dog that needed direction, he said. I was super tough on her and made her do a million more things than she was used to doing in practice.

One of Rippons most powerful decisions was to step back. Bell began the season with a Lady Gaga short program choreographed by Rippon, then made a new one with renowned choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne.

Bourne, a Canadian who won six world medals in ice dance, has a 32-bullet Wikipedia list of skaters whom she has choreographed for, including Chen and two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu.

If I have to sit down and really decide whos a better choreographer, me or Shae-Lynn Bourne, obviously Im going to go with Shae-Lynn (expletive) Bourne, Rippon said. So in this Olympic year, it was really important to me. I told Mariah, listen, Im still a coach on this team. But I am imploring you that Shae-Lynn needs to do both of your programs.

All of Bells decisions paid off earlier this month. Rippon, who made his Olympic team in his ninth senior U.S. Championships appearance, was rinkside in Nashville for her crowning moment in her ninth senior nationals.

I pulled her aside, and I said, This is the hardest competition youll ever do in your entire life. And you did it, you finished it,' Rippon said. And not only did you finish it, you were strong, and you were brave.'

On Her Turf editor Alex Azzicontributed to this report.

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Mariah Bell goes to the Olympics with her fairy godmother Adam Rippon - Home of the Olympic Channel

The good news is that two of Northeasterns biggest ice hockey stars will be competing at the Olympic Games next month in Beijing.

The difficult news is that the Huskies nationally ranked teams must survive without the leadership of senior forward Alina Mueller, who will be playing for Switzerland, and sophomore Devon Levi, a goaltender for Canada.

The womens team always figured that Mueller, 23, would be leaving for what will be her third Olympics. At 15 she scored the winning goal in the bronze-medal game at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, making her the youngest player to medal in womens ice hockey.

In 2018, Mueller scored an Olympic-record four goals in one game while helping lead Switzerland to fifth place in South Korea.

The selection of Levi, 20, was finalized recently. He emerged as a surprise star one year ago at the World Junior Championships while leading Canada to the final. An injury prevented him from playing for Northeastern last season, but this year he is leading the NCAA with a .948 save percentage and nine shutouts, needing just 17 games to break the school record of six.

Levi becomes the first active mens ice hockey player at Northeastern to represent his country at the Olympicsa result of the NHLs refusal to participate in these Winter Games because of COVID-19 disruptions.

Im really proud of Devon, says Northeastern mens coach Jerry Keefe. Thats a huge honor to get selected to play for Team Canada at the Olympics. I know our whole team is proud of him and well miss him. But at the same time its a great opportunity for him.

Levi left Northeastern on Monday to join his Canadian teammates. If Canada reaches the mens gold-medal game on Feb. 20, Levi will miss five Hockey East games in addition to the Beanpot tournament (Feb. 7 and 14 at TD Garden).

The Huskies (16-7-1), No. 17 nationally in the PairWise Rankings, lost 6-0 at home on Saturday to the University of Massachusetts in their first game without Levi.

Weve got to be that much hungrier as a group without him, and some guys are going to get opportunities now, says Keefe, who will be relying on backup goaltenders Evan Fear and TJ Semptimphelter. Whoevers in, weve got to make sure that were playing really good defense around him. If anything, its going to make us a better hockey team, so were all excited about the challenge in front of us.

Mueller is tied with Maureen Murphy for the team lead with 29 points (8 goals and 21 assists) despite missing eight games for her Huskies (21-2-1), who have earned a No. 1 national ranking in the midst of a 20-game unbeaten streak. In August at the Womens World Championship in Canada, Mueller suffered torn ligaments in her right ankle, but decided against surgery. She has fully recovered, she says, and now looks at the injury as an unusual blessing that forced her to take a break during this busy run that will include the world championship, the Olympics, and the Huskies bid for a national championship after losing the NCAA final in overtime last year.

I honestly think my injury help helped meit kind of gave me a stop halfway through the season, Mueller says. I feel very energized and ready for whats coming. Im definitely going to be stronger when I come back.

Mueller will return to Northeastern just before the Hockey East playoffs, says Huskies coach Dave Flint.

Shes so fit and shes young, Flint says. With the excitement of the Olympics and then getting back to help her team win another [Hockey East] championship, shell find a way to get herself ready to be at her best.

Mueller is excited for her third Olympic opportunity.

I just love our country, she says of Switzerland, and being able to play on the national team makes me really proud to know that Im a role model for so many younger girls and boys in my hometown. Its so amazing that you will be an Olympian for the rest of your life, and thats something nobody can take from you.

For media inquiries, please contact media@northeastern.edu.

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Two Huskies Ice Hockey Stars are Headed to the Olympics - Northeastern University

MILWAUKEE Were officially one week out from the start of our Winter Olympics coverage and as the race to Beijing heats up, one local athlete is poised to be at the cutting edge of this years games.

After finishing second to last in the 5000-meter race at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, speedskater Emery Lehman took a step back. He took some time off in 2018 and 2019 to finish his civil engineering degree at Marquette, before storming back in this years trials and taking third place.

Before heading to Beijing, he shared his thoughts on what his third time in the Olympics means to him and how excited he is to represent his country.

It happens every four years. So, you know, four years out for something, it's tough to imagine, you know, Wow, I have to replicate my best performance ever that I just put four years of work in again in four years. And then, you know, here we are four years later and I was able to do that. And it is something special and it's still you know, something I'm trying to wrap my head around, and I'm sure it won't really hit me until I'm in China, said Lehman.

Emerys journey for the gold comes early in Beijing, with the mens 5000-meter race happening on Sunday, Feb. 6. If you would like to watch it live, it is set for 4:30 p.m. Beijing time (2:30 a.m. CST) right here on TMJ4.

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Speedskater and Marquette grad ready to take on Winter Olympics - WTMJ-TV

Anchorage resident, Olympic ski team member and Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center athlete Rosie Brennan. (Alaska Pacific University)

Alaskans account for more than half of this years U.S. Olympic cross-country ski team, and that includes Anchorages Rosie Brennan, who is returning to the Olympics after racing in 2018.

Brennans performances early in this seasons World Cup races earned her a spot on the team which was announced last week.

Brennan says shes helped by her experience, not just in Olympic or World Cup racing, but in having already navigated the first year of a global pandemic as an athlete.

Listen here:

The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Rosie Brennan: I think all of us this summer had hoped that this winter was not going to be the same, that we would be able to spend more time together and not have races canceled, and so on and so forth. And here we are: I dont know maybe things are arguably worse right now? Im not sure. Thats a little frustrating for sure.

Just the consequence of getting COVID before Beijing is pretty extreme. I think in the last probably month or so, thats been weighing very heavy on everyones mind. We made it through the whole season with everyone staying healthy. So I think, hopefully, that means that the things that we were doing were working for the most part. Maybe we just got lucky. Its hard to say. But I think we at least have some feeling that we did have enough control over our behaviors to put ourselves at least in a place to have good luck.

Casey Grove: Well, I should say congratulations on making the team.

RB: Oh, thank you.

CG: My admittedly limited understanding of how this works is that there are different avenues to making the Olympic team. How did that work out for you?

RB: There are different tiers of standards that you can meet to get selected for the team. I actually met the first standard on the first weekend of World Cup racing finishing 6th in a classic race in Ruka, Finland, so it was pretty slick for me. Id say, it went according to plan, very, very well since knew that I had met the standard to make the team back in November.

Since then, Ive really been able to focus on the path I need to take to be in the best shape I can for the Olympic games. So thats been an exciting approach for me, and just a great place to be.

CG: Thats awesome. One thing that a lot of folks here in Alaska have been talking about are all the the athletes on the team with connections to Alaska. Of course, Alaskans have to do that but I wonder, what do you think that says about Anchorage, or Alaska in general, that so many people on the on the U.S. Ski Team are from here, or have connections to here?

RB: I mean, I think thats what it says! I think it speaks volumes to the nordic community thats in Alaska, and also just the incredible momentum weve had over the last 10 years or so, probably starting with Kikkan Randall. When thats what you see everyday growing up, someone out there crushing World Cup races, it certainly gives you the confidence and the belief that its possible.

Its a tight-knit community, and I think we really pride ourselves in being supportive and really rooting for one another, putting in a lot of hard training hours in probably some subpar weather compared to some of the other club teams around the nation. But also being super fortunate to have access to so much snow in Alaska.

For me, anyway, thats made a huge difference in my training, just being able to ski so much more than all the other teams. I think the best example is when we head to World Cup in November, for the first weekend of racing. At that point, I have anywhere from like three to four weeks of training on snow under my belt, and all of my other teammates on the national team have had zero hours on snow at that point. And I think it pays off to just be able to ski a lot.

CG: Y mentioned different generations of skiers inspiring the ones that that came after them, including yourself. I wonder how you feel about maybe inhabiting that role now as the person inspiring the next generation and just what what would you say to that person?

RB: Honestly, its been one of my biggest motivators to continue my career this far. The womens team in particular had made so much progress, and I felt like the youngers were really close but still needed a little bit of guidance to make that step. And so I definitely have been motivated to not step away until I felt like they were really ready to carry things forward. And we do have a lot of younger athletes on the team. We have a very, very young team.

I think it will be a great opportunity for them to gain experience and hopefully the veterans on the team can share what knowledge we have.

For me, my career really took a long time to take off, I guess you could say. And so my message has always just been to give yourself that patience, to have the patience and to continue the belief and to know that not every two skiers paths look the same. Theres so many different ways to become a good athlete, and its really about being true to yourself, who you are and having the patience, but also the willingness to put in that work year after year after year. If you believe its worth it.

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Anchorage nordic skier Rosie Brennan heads to Beijing Olympics with high hopes for herself and the next generation of athletes - Alaska Public Media...

Russian T-72B3 main battle tanks drive during drills in Rostov Region, Russia, January 27, 2022.(Sergey Pivovarov/Reuters)

CNNs Matthew Chance reports that President Biden told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during their call today that a Russian invasion of his country is imminent and that his government needs to prepare for impact.(Spokespeople for the White House and Ukraines presidential office quickly denied Chances reporting, with NSC spokesperson Emily Horne saying that Biden repeated his previous warnings that theres a distinct possibility of an attack.)

Even if the invasion is virtually imminent, however, a senior administration official said earlier this week that it might have to wait until after the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

Russian president Vladimir Putin is expected to be abroad, attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics on February 4. Hell be attending the international sporting event with U.S.Russia talks on Moscows military buildup faltering and an influx of Russian forces and equipment to positions close to Ukraine well underway.

Deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman told an audience yesterday that the timing of the Olympics could factor into Putins timeline for military action. During an appearance at the Yalta European Strategy forum, the State Department official said that only Putin knows what Russias intentions are here. People close to him know the plans of setting up the military to be ready to go and to have plans to make use of the military, but I suspect the president has other plans in mind as well.

She added that Putin has said he will attend the opening ceremony. I think probably President Xi Jinping would not be ecstatic if Putin chose that moment to invade Ukraine, so that may affect his timing and his thinking.

That said, theres plenty of time between the start of the games and the final events on February 20. As Isaac Stone-Fish, the CEO of Strategy Risks, recently observed about the link between recent Russian invasions and the Olympics, during the past seven Olympic events, he wrote, Russia has invaded other countries twice, or roughly 29% of the time.

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Putin's Invasion Timeline and the Olympics - National Review

Daniel Carr isn't the only former Union College hockey player who's headed to the Olympics.

Spencer and Parker Foo, brothers who played for the Dutchmen, will represent host China in the Beijing Winter Games, according to the Chinese roster posted on the Olympics website.

Carr is playing for his native Canada, which announced its roster on Tuesday. The Foo brothers, who grew up in Edmonton, are of Chinese descent. They're currently teammates for HC Kunlun Red Star, a Kontinental Hockey League team that plays in Beijing.

They're the first three Union hockey players be named Olympians.

The Chinese men's hockey team opens Olympic play on Feb. 10 against the United States. It will face Canada and Carr on Feb. 13.

The Foo brothers did not play together at Union. Spencer scored 49 goals for the Dutchmen from 2014 to 2017, followed by Parker, who had nine goals from 2017 to 2020.

Spencer Foo played four games for the NHL's Calgary Flames during the 2017-18 season.

Efforts to reach their parents, Diane and John, were unsuccessful.

On the Chinese roster, Spencer and Parker Foo are listed by the names Jiang Fu and Shuai Fu, respectively.

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Union hockey's Foo brothers headed to Olympics - Times Union

After experiencing a year of delay for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which ended up showcasing in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing is proud to present this year's Games, and, right on schedule.

The Games will take place from Friday, Feb. 4 to Sunday, Feb. 20, as international stars begin their trek to the podium.

And looking even further, once the torch is extinguished in Beijing, here are the cities that have been selected to host upcoming editions of the Olympics.

The competition will mark the third time that Paris has hosted the Olympics, with the city also hosting the second modern Olympics in 1900 and the 1924 edition of the event. Paris will join London as the only city to host the Olympics three different times.

It will be the sixth Olympics hosted in France, giving it the second-most Games ever hosted by a single country, behind the eight hosted by the United States.

Several changes will be made to the lineup of events for the 2024 Games, with baseball, softball and karate all removed from the event after being contested in 2020. The sport of break-dancing will be added to the Olympics for 2024.

The surfing event will not take place in France, and will instead be moved to Teahupoo in Tahiti.

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won the mens marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming just the third man to win back-to-back Olympic marathon gold medals.

According to the IOC, this Olympics will mark the first time that two separate cities will share official hosting duties for the Games.

The event will be the fourth Olympics to be held in Italy, and the third to be held there during the winter. Cortina dAmpezzo hosted the 1956 Olympics, and Turin hosted the 2006 edition of the event. Rome hosted the Olympics during the summer of 1960.

A new sport will make its debut at this Olympics, as the discipline of ski mountaineering is expected to make its first appearance. The sport involves competitors climbing up the side of a mountain on skis, and then descending the mountain with those same skis.

For the first time in 26 years, the United States will host an Olympics, with Los Angeles earning its chance to host the Games for the third time in history, meaning it will also join London and Paris in that exclusive club.

The United States has hosted more Olympics than any other nation, and the 2028 Games will mark the ninth time that the competition has taken place here. The 1996 Games in Atlanta were the most recent summer edition of the event to be held in the country, with the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis and the 1932 and 1984 Games taking place in Los Angeles.

The most recent Olympics to be held in the U.S. was the 2002 event in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Several sports are being proposed for inclusion in these Games, including baseball and softball, cricket, flag football and ultimate Frisbee.

The U.S. womens volleyball team won its first ever gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, beating Brazil 25-21, 25-20, 25-14.

Recently, the International Olympic Committee announced its decision to award the 2032 Olympics to Brisbane, Australia, making it the third different city in the country to host the Games.

Sydney hosted the most recent Olympics in Australia back in 2000, and Melbourne hosted the Games in 1956.

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After Beijing, Here Are the Future Olympic Sites Chosen by the IOC - NBC Chicago

Sport and Solidarity

The Tokyo 2020 Games were an unprecedented demonstration of unity and solidarity as the world came together for the first time following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic for an Olympic Games focused on the pure essentials: a celebration of athletes and sport.

This sense of solidarity was critical to the success of the Tokyo 2020 Games following their historic one-year postponement, especially in the establishment of the Tokyo 2020 Playbooksguidelines for safe and secure participation and operations. The Playbooks set a new standard for large-scale sporting events and ensured that everyone from athletes to the media would be able to safely take part in the Games.

Youthful, Urban, and Gender-Equal

The Tokyo 2020 Games showcased the evolution of the Olympic programme, introducing new sports and events that strengthened the timeless appeal of the Olympic Games for a new generation. Tokyo 2020's 339 events in 33 sportsthe most in Olympic historyincluded the Olympic debut of sports such as skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and karate, as well as events such as BMX freestyle and 3x3 basketball.

The expansion of the programme also included an increase in gender-equal competition opportunities. The Tokyo 2020 Games were the most gender-balanced in history, with a nearly 50/50 ratio of male and female athletes.

Sustainable Operations and Legacy

Almost 60% of Tokyo 2020 venues utilised existing facilitiesincluding six legacy venues from the Olympic Games Tokyo 1964. Tokyo 2020's Toward Zero Carbon push resulted not only in reduced emissions but also in offsets that more than equaled the emissions produced, driving the Games beyond carbon neutrality.

Tokyo 2020 also pioneered innovative projects to include the Japanese public in concrete sustainability actions. The approximately 5,000 medals cast for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were created from 100% recycled metals sourced from small electronic devices donated by the Japanese public. Meanwhile, the Victory Ceremony podiums were created from post-consumer plasticonce again donated by the Japanese publicand recycled marine plastic waste.

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Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics - Athletes, Medals & Results