Category Archives: Olympics

As he stood in Hyde Park almost misty-eyed, talking with such passion about the Brownlees at London 2012, you had to imagine Vincent Luis was thinking ahead to Paris 2024.

The iconic race which saw Alistair take gold and Jonny claim bronze clearly left an indelible mark on Vincents memory. The passion of a home crowd which literally made the ground shake, and the way they cheered their favourites to Olympic glory.

Luis stood again at the starting point for that 2012 Olympic mens triathlon during filming for the latest episode of his Super League Triathlon documentary series, which was released this week. He remembered it like it was just yesterday.

It was crazy, I think they said it was one million people or something. That was insane, that was big.

I remember they called us on the pontoon for the line-up and everything. At the Olympics youre not called by your world ranking, but just by the pontoon draw or whatever.

The French, we were already on the pontoon and then when they called the two brothers, I remember the noise that was crazy, the ground was shaking. I remember everyone in the pontoon looking at each other, like what the f*** is happening! That was insane.

These guys, the pressure they had, and they delivered honestly respect them because they had their names everywhere, pictures on the bus, everywhere and yet they did it. That was crazy. Eleven years ago. Makes me feel old.

Luis may feel old but at 32 he is far from done at the highest level he will be 35 by the time the Olympics lands in his home nation in 2024.

He got a tiny taste in a COVID world of what it might be like to enjoy success at home after winning Mixed Relay bronze in Tokyo, courtesy of a post-Japan celebration in Paris. It was not something he was initially looking forward to though after finishing 13th in the Individual race on the back of an injury-hit preparation.

Obviously before the race I was looking forward to showing the gold medal around but its not the case. Beforehand I just dont feel its something useful, I was thinking nobody will be there, its gonna be a waste of time.

But then you just see the smile of the people, the smile of the kids when they can carry the medal and touch it, and its nice for people to actually see the athletes and feel a bit of the vibes from the Olympics.

Thanks to COVID, the Olympic runway to Paris is already a short one, and thoughts inevitably turn to 2024 and what lies between now and then.

Next Olympics is three years, its really short. You cant waste weeks and days of training, said Luis.

I better make good use of the next three years because they will be the last three years of my short-distance career. I just want to enjoy every single day, just having fun, doing what I love to do.

Get out and train no matter if it rains or if its sunny doing whatever I want to do and whatever I love to do. And yeah, just making the most of the next three years.

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"It was insane" - Vincent Luis on the Brownlees and London 2012 - Tri247.com

Kayla Harrison is the biggest success story coming out of the 2021 PFL season. She now sits at a bit of a crossroads as a promotional free agent. Harrison, 31, made the move to MMA in 2018 after capturing her second gold medal at the Olympics in judo. With 12 pro wins under her belt (only two of those reaching judges' scorecards), she's quickly rounding out her skillset as a true powerhouse at 155 pounds.

Harrison captured her second consecutive PFL Women's Lightweight Tournament title in October, earning a second $1 million grand prize in the process. The question now becomes: what's next? Let's take a closer look at the three potential options on the table from the three largest MMA promoters in the U.S.

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Pros:An easy million-dollar payday, no need to cut to 145 pounds. Cons: A lack of competition that won't build a legacy.

PFL's attempts to romance Harrison for another season is the promotion's most enticing storyline. Harrison weighs legacy over money, but an arrangement probably exists that would convince her to stay. PFL recently acquired inaugural Bellator women's featherweight champion and Strikeforce veteran Julia Budd (16-3), a valuable addition to the company's shallow women's divisions. A fight against Budd would certainly be the most significant fight of Harrison's MMA career. It may not be the most breathtaking option on paper, but it serves as an important test for Harrison and better prepares her for a run with UFC or Bellator down the line. It also may require the promotion adding another name, like recently released former UFC title challenger Megan Anderson to make the run more legitimate. Plus, cashing in a third $1 million playoff paycheck never hurts.

Pros: A marquee super-fight with Cris Cyborg.Cons: Halfway step, weight cut.

If Harrison and PFL part ways, the next logical step in progression would be a move to Bellator. Cris Cyborg is still among the bigger names in the sport. Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) has just one loss in the last 15 years and that came in a wild shootout with UFC two-division champion Amanda Nunes in December 2018. Cyborg vs. Harrison is the biggest fight to make for the Judo Olympic gold medalist outside of a clash with Nunes. Cyborg presents a brain-rattling power threat that Harrison has yet to face and more than twice the pro fights. Harrison has historically had difficulties making featherweight, but she has said she could do it for the right fight. Alternatively, Harrison may have an easier time negotiating a women's lightweight or catchweight fight in Bellator than she would in UFC. If Harrison can ground Cyborg en route to a decision or finish, it will leave no doubt that conquest of Nunes' kingdom should follow suit.

Pros: Legacy, superstardom Cons: A tough out and tough weight cut

Nunes vs. Harrison is the hardcore fan's fight to make, whether UFC president Dana White agrees or not. The list of meaningful, enticing contenders for the two-division UFC champ is fleeting at both women's bantamweight and featherweight. A fight against Harrison is the most exciting matchup for Nunes outside of a trilogy bout with UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Harrison always ventured into MMA with the intention to carve out a meaningful legacy. The biggest concern with leaping from Taylor Guardado (3-2) to Nunes (21-4) is the absurd jump in competition level. Nunes' hit-list includes Cyborg, Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, Shevchenko (twice) and Germaine de Randamie. Harrison's most impressive win is arguably a pair of dominant decisions over Larissa Pacheco. The necessary weight cut to 145 may also leave Harrison compromised against the greatest female MMA fighter in history. But, hey, maybe Julianna Pena renders this entire point moot by upsetting Nunes at UFC 269 on Dec. 11.

Harrison is a stellar acquisition for any MMA company on earth. With brains, brawn and business savvy to boot, Harrison appears well-positioned to cash in however she sees fit.

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Kayla Harrison next fight: Making the case for the Olympic gold medalist to sign with UFC, Bellator or PFL - CBSSports.com

JTA This summer, Linoy Ashram became the first Israeli woman to win an Olympic gold medal, in any sport, when she eked out a victory in individual rhythmic gymnastics.

But that wasnt the only history she made at the Tokyo games.

She became only Israels third-ever Olympic gold medalist, and the first Israeli rhythmic gymnast to win gold. Ashrams win also broke a streak of Russian gold medalists going back to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. (And before the five Russian wins: 1996 and 1992 were won by Ukrainian women, and 1988 by a Soviet Union gymnast.)

No big deal, right? The 22-year-old looks back on it with humility.

I didnt dream of winning the gold, she told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. I would never have expected that I could do it I was hoping for the bronze.

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For those who hadnt been following her triumphs in European tournaments for years, Ashrams accomplishments in Tokyo made her an Israeli sports icon one who rose from a working class background in the city of Rishon LeZion, where she grew up training without infrastructure, without backing, to the new face of Israels Olympic success on the global stage.

Its true that this sport is dominated by people from Eastern Europe, Ashram said. The best athletes are from there. When I was small, I never imagined that it would be possible to reach their level because it [felt like] their sport. But as I went from competition to competition and I got better, I began to realize that it doesnt really matter where [youre from] or who dominates the sport I can still win it because of who I am.

Im very proud of my country and Im proud to represent my country in the best way that I can, she added.

As United States gymnastics superstar Simon Biles highlighted with her many mental health-related withdrawals from her contests this year, Olympic competition and stardom is not all fun and lighthearted.

Winning, for Ashram, was in reality a mixture of feelings. Her family wasnt allowed to watch her performances because of the COVID-19 restrictions. There was stress along with the happiness and relief that the competition had ended.

Olympic Gold medalist Linoy Ashram is greeted by press, family and friends as she arrives at Ben Gurion Airport after winning the Gold medal in the rhythmic gymnast at the Olympic Games in Japan, on August 11, 2021. (Menahem Kahana/AFP)

That is likely in part because her victory came down to the wire, with what her Russian opponents would like to call a controversy.

Ashram narrowly beat out her Russian competitor, scoring just .15 of a point higher than Dina Averina, spurring the Russian Olympic Committee to call the result an injustice and submit an official inquiry.

The International Gymnastics Federation dismissed any allegations of unfair judging. But the PR damage was done, and Ashram was hit with a wave of online criticism and insults.

She didnt let the row impact her.

I really didnt pay attention to what they were saying [my coach and I] were completely focused on the win, she said.

Ashram was born in Rishon LeZion, a city about five miles south of Tel Aviv, to a Yemeni Jewish father and a Greek Sephardi Jewish mother.

I was especially proud of the fact that I could prove to others that even though this sport [has been] dominated by Eastern Europeans, I could win it and I could bring something new to it. And its not a given fact Eastern European athletes [win], Ashram says.

Israels Linoy Ashram celebrates winning the individual all-around final of the rhythmic gymnastics event during Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics center in Tokyo, on August 7, 2021. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP)

The sport or any other in the Olympics, for that matter is also not usually dominated by a Jew. Ashram showed off her Jewish pride by performing her gold medal routine to Hava Nagila, which will of course go down in history next to another iconic Jewish gymnastics moment: Jewish gymnast Aly Raismans floor routine at the London 2012 Olympics to Hava Nagila, which she also won gold for.

Ahead of the 2012 Games, Raisman told JTA she was proud to be using the Jewish song because there arent too many Jewish elite [athletes] out there.

We brought in Hava Nagila, Ashram said, because we wanted to bring to the Olympics this year something Israeli, something Jewish. I know that theyve used it in the past at the Olympics, and it shows how much were really connected to the country and we want to bring this Jewish touch to the world.

Rhythmic gymnastics was introduced to the Olympics in 1984. In the sport, gymnasts compete with four different apparatuses: hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. Ashram has no favorite among the four; each requires a different style, and different music. She excitedly described how she and her coach pick the music to match each apparatus: the hoop is dramatic, the ribbon is joyous, the ball is romantic, and the clubs are groovy.

Ashrams choice for her clubs routine in Tokyo was a mash-up of Beyonc and Ciara pop hits, but for the ribbon routine, Hava Nagila, a staple of Jewish celebrations everywhere, checked the joyous music box.

Ashram also has praise for Raismans former teammate, Simone Biles, and the conversation around athletes and mental health that she turbo-charged this year.

Im glad that she recovered after what happened, Ashram said. Athletes also have mental health crises. Im really happy that she was able to overcome it and go back and train and to be part of the Olympics she left in the middle, but then she came back for the final exercise, and it shows what a strong character she has.

Ashram has a quiet personality. On her days off she hasnt yet committed to the next Olympics in Paris in 2024, but she is still training as she normally does she likes eating her familys chicken schnitzel at home, and going to the beach or the movies.

Though Israel is currently in full sufganiyot mode for Hanukkah, shes not a big fan of the traditional jelly donuts. Still, she looks forward to the holiday and being able to enjoy it with her entire family.

Shes still adjusting to the public facing side of being a star athlete. After Hanukkah, shes set to visit the US for the first time, as part of the Israeli American Councils National Summit 2021 in Florida. Its the first major Jewish organizational gathering to take place in-person since the start of the pandemic, and Ashram is excited to speak.

Israeli gymnast Linoy Ashram performs during the rhythmic gymnastics individual all-around final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on Saturday, August 7, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP/Ashley Landis)

Im especially excited to be meeting another kind of audience not [just] Israelis in Israel. Its exciting to be able to address new audiences, she said.

Returning home to Israel and her family after the Tokyo Games hit home the fact quickly just how drastically her profile had grown. She received a heros welcome at Ben Gurion Airport and called it really amazing and moving. The excitement over her hasnt slowed down yet.

On one hand, its really nice because I love receiving all this warmth and love from people, and know that people are happy for me, she said. On the other hand, its hard for me to walk out in the street [when] people are recognizing me all the time.

In disbelief, she recalled a moment when she was wearing her face mask and hat and someone still recognized her.

My life has certainly changed a bit, she said.

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Gold medalist Linoy Ashram on her Olympic whirlwind and becoming an Israeli icon - The Times of Israel

By: Michael Bamberger November 23, 2021

Rory Sabbatini is wrapping up a wild and wonderful year.

getty images

Rory Sabbatini, the native South African golfer who lives in South Florida, is home for the holidays. Hes done for the year. Hes 45. Hes been a professional golfer for more than half his life. Hes never had a year like this one.

Sabbatini left one tournament with a shiny piece of metal attached to a ribbon. That is, his silver medal for his second-place finish in the Olympic golf tournament in Japan, where he represented Slovakia, his wifes homeland.

The famously fast-swinging, fast-playing golfer left another golf tournament last weeks RSM Classic in Sea Island, Ga. with four shiny stickers on the face of his fairway wood.

That silver medal made Sabbatini a golfing legend in the short history of golf in Slovakia.

That foursome of shiny stickers made Sabbatini another cautionary tale in the long history of odd PGA Tour rules debacles. Those four shiny stickers rendered one of his clubs, a fairway wood, as non-conforming andthatled to him being DQed.

I had these four little stickers on the club, three on the toe, one on the heel, Sabbatini said in a phone interview on Monday. He used the club on the first hole. One of my playing partners said, Are you allowed to have those stickers on the club?

Sabbatini was playing with the veteran Colombian golfer Camilo Villegas and Doc Redman, the former Clemson golfer and the winner of the 2017 U.S. Amateur. Sabbatini declined to say which player brought up the issue with him.

I said, I dont know, Ill check when we get in, Sabbatini said.

The stickers, Sabbatini said, are something he and his instructor, Rick Smith, have been using in conjunction with Foresight Sports, a motion-detecting tracking system.

Sabbatini had been using the system in a pretournament practice session to get more information about precisely where his clubhead was at different points in his swing. He didnt know the stickers had to come off before tournament play began.

Sabbatini said he did not believe he had ever played in an event with the stickers on his clubs before the Sea Island tournament.

So we get in and I ask [Tour rules official] John Mutch if theres a problem with the stickers, and he said he thought there was but he would check with the USGA to be sure, Sabbatini said. I never signed my card. And then he says, Listen, theres no way around it. Its a non-conforming club. I could see he felt bad about it, but a rule is a rule.

I wasnt annoyed. I was highly disappointed. I had shot 68 and it was as if it never happened.

Rory Sabbatini on his rules violation

And the penalty was the penalty: disqualification.

I asked, Whats the difference between these little stickers, which do nothing, and lead tape? Sabbatini said, describing his conversation with Mutch.

Mutch said that lead tape, used to add weight to a distinct part of the club, becomes an integral part of the clubs design.

You cannot, by the way, add lead tape to your clubhead during a round. Golfs rule book attempts to cover everything. It doesnt, but that is the goal.

The stickers, by the logic of the rules, are an example of something that could fundamentally change the playing characteristic of a conforming club. That theseparticularstickers, in the Sabbatini case, didnt does not matter. Others could. Golf needs each rule to cover as many situations as possible and eliminate ambiguity and judgment calls when it can.

Sabbatini had violated a rule of golf. There is, per theRules of Golf, no two-shots-per-infraction penalty, not in this situation, not anymore. Just this one harsh sentence from on high.

I think its a pretty asinine rule, but its my own fault I should have known, Sabbatini said. I wasnt annoyed. I was highly disappointed. I had shot 68 and it was as if it never happened.

What an end to his playing year. Still, what a year. Sabbatini was the oldest athlete to represent Slovakia at the Olympics this year. One teammate won a gold in womens shooting, one won a silver in individual mens canoeing and four won bronze medals in mens team canoeing. Theres a lot of wilderness in landlocked Slovakia. Also, about two dozen golf courses.

Sabbatini showing off his silver medal in Japan.

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Sabbatinis silver medal is in his home in Boca Rotan, over his bar. At some point, it will be displayed in the pro shop at the Broken Sound Club, his home course in Boca, where the PGA Tour Champions has an annual stop.

Winning the medal hasnt changed my life, Sabbatini said. Although he and his wife, Martina Stofanikova, did fly straight to Slovakia after the Olympics, where he got a reception the likes of which no Slovakian golfer before him ever did. That is, he got a reception, period. The first sentence of his Wikipedia entry now reads, Rory Mario Trevor Sabbatini (born 2 April 1976) is a South African-Slovak professional golfer.

Sabbatini said that as he winds down his playing career theres been an awful lot of wear-and-tear to my body he would like to devote more time to trying to grow the game in Slovakia. He is clearly fond of his adopted motherland, which he described as a combination of rural upstate New York and mountainous Washington State.

Sabbatini has had a long, successful career loaded with interesting moments, some but not all of his own creation. At the 2007 Masters, he, Retief Goosen and Tiger Woods finished in a three-way tie for second, two shots behind Zach Johnson. Few golfers have played in as many as the same tournaments as Woods, or have shared as many RV lots near tournament sites with John Daly and Davis Love.

Sabbatini and Woods have never been anything like chums. What they share most is the trauma of ailing bodies. They both have a medical, and professional, relationship with Centinel Spine for their different and complex medical needs.

Sabbatini said that his pain, before a surgical procedure performed by a Centinel Spine medical team, was so intense he was eating Vicodin like they were Skittles. He said his pain gave him an insight into the kind of pain Woods has endured in his career. He recalled the pressure of never knowing, one day to the next, if hed be able to play. He recalled a tournament in Las Vegas where, after contending through 54 holes, he was unable to play the fourth round, because his body had locked up.

He said he looked at the single swing Woods posted Sunday night and deemed it very impressive. Only a fool, Sabbatini said, would bet against a Woods comeback. Its super-human, what hes accomplished, Sabbatini said. What hes done is what folklore is made of.

But Sabbatini, in his own cheeky way, has contributed to the lore of the game, too, sometimes without doing a thing.

In March, in the third round at the Players, Jordan Spieth hit a wild tee shot that ricocheted off a tree before nearly hitting a player in the group ahead. A boom mic picked up Spieths commentary: Is that Sabbatini? Oh, God. I couldnt pick a worse person to hit into. Spieth knew what he was talking about. Nobody would call Sabbatini mellow.

At the 2005 Booz Allen Classic outside Washington, D.C., Sabbatini had grown frustrated with the glacial playing pace of his fellow player, Ben Crane. On 17, Sabbatini simply completed a hole and moved to the 18th tee before Crane had even reached the 17th green. It was most unusual. Later, by statement, Sabbatini apologized for his breach of etiquette. He said that he and Crane would soon play a practice round together.

Fast-forward a dozen years, to 2017. Crane was playing in the first round of the Albertsons Boise Open, a Web.com event, when he received an eight-shot penalty, in keeping with the rules as they were written at the time. He described what happened, via Twitter. Heres the text of it, in full:

Had a new thats golf moment today. Was penalized 8 shots for having tiny stickers on two clubs (help launch monitors collect data).

Sabbatini must have missed that tweet. But now he knows what Crane knows: Those stickers can get you.

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments atMichael.Bamberger@Golf.com

Michael Bamberger writes for GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. Before that, he spent nearly 23 years as senior writer for Sports Illustrated. After college, he worked as a newspaper reporter, first for the (Marthas) Vineyard Gazette, later for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He has written a variety of books about golf and other subjects, the most recent of which is The Second Life of Tiger Woods. His magazine work has been featured in multiple editions of The Best American Sports Writing. He holds a U.S. patent on The E-Club, a utility golf club. In 2016, he was given the Donald Ross Award by the American Society of Golf Course Architects, the organizations highest honor.

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Its my own fault: Rory Sabbatini on his weird DQ, Olympic medal and Tigers comeback - Golf.com

Shaun White is considered one of the finest snowboarders of his time. The 3 time Olympic Gold Medallist holds the world for the maximum gold medals in X games. He is also the snowboarder with the most Olympic medals.

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The 2022 Winter Olympics will witness the most experienced athletes around the world. The Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing, the trials for which will begin in December 2021 itself.

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Now, the real question is whether the most experienced snowboarder Shaun White will be participating in the Winter Olympics.

According to the reports, White has already started preparing for Winter Olympics 2022. Shaun White is one of the most feared competitors because he is the most experienced. This will be Whites 5th Olympics.

White took to his Instagram account to show off some insane skills while practicing for the qualifiers. White is super excited to be competing for the 5th time, a commendable achievement.

Been putting in work for this upcoming season. I cant believe the Olympic qualifying is only three weeks away! So proud to still be competing in a sport I love and excited at the chance to represent @TeamUSA for the 5th time possibly!!, posted White.

White also revealed how each Olympics is a different experience for him, and full of different challenges.

Its living. Its great and usually, theres something amazing at the end, win or lose. Im excited about the journey of it all, said White.

White revealed that he gets to learn new tricks at every Olympics. Even though there are ups and downs, its a fulfilling journey.

Recently, Shaun White also revealed his mental health issues. He said that after athletes like Simone Biles talked about the topic openly, he got the courage to speak about his issues. Before that, he went through it all alone.

He revealed he hadnt talked about these struggles for a long time since his childhood.

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However, nowadays he just prefers to talk about it. He no longer pretends in believing its not happening.

Having other athletes talk about it was really inspiring to me, so then I started talking about it, because it affects us all, even people outside of athletics. Nowadays, I just talk about it. I just bring it up. I dont pretend its not happening, said White.

Mental health is a major issue that affects athletes worldwide. However, they are not encouraged to speak about it openly and this takes a huge toll on their health and well-being.

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DIVE DEEPER

Why is US Olympic Icon Shaun White Called The Flying Tomato?

1 day ago

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Is Shaun White Going To The Beijing Winter Olympics 2022? - EssentiallySports

Andrew Westerhoff did not know what he was getting into when his sister took him to a climbing gym for the first time. The Arizona State junior started off as an outdoor climber in high school, doing some courses and spending a few weeks climbing in the Rocky Mountains.

Now, after falling in love with sport climbing, there isnt a day where Westerhoff isnt at a gym.

When it comes to the Olympics, traditional sports such as gymnastics, swimming, and track and field spring to mind. However, one sport gained enough traction and made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020: sport climbing.

With climbings increased popularity in recent years, more and more competitive teams are popping up across the nation, including at ASU.

READ ALSO:15 must-see places for an Arizona road trip

Sun Devil Climbing was founded in 2018 by a group of dedicated climbers. The club aims to promote the sport locally and provide a community of climbers regardless of experience.

With interest from all levels, the club is split into two sections: a recreational club and a competitive team. Recreational club practices are held once a month at Phoenix Rock Gym in Tempe while the competitive team practices once a week at Black Rock Bouldering Gym in Phoenix. Outdoor bouldering takes place at South Mountain, or on day trips to one of the Valleys many recreational spots.

Once I got to college, I realized ASU didnt have a competitive team, Westerhoff said. I kind of talked to a couple people who were interested in it, and we decided to start one up here.

Westerhoff, who is now the coach of the Sun Devil Climbing competitive team, hopes he can help others who are just getting into the sport as it continues to grow.

My main role is to train the competitive team and try to help new climbers out just to make sure they take proper training programs and that they just dont get injured along their path into climbing, he said.

Sun Devil Climbing competes through USA Climbing, which provides opportunities for college students to participate in competitions. The competitive team is part of USA Climbings Rocky Mountain Division, one of the organizations seven divisions at the collegiate level.

The club has climbers who have competed on the youth circuit and have been to nationals. With a strong group, Westerhoff hopes to have the Sun Devils competing at the highest level.

I think itd be great if we could get a couple people to nationals, he said. I know we have a bunch of strong people on this team. I think we can definitely get a couple people to nationals. If anyone makes it to finals, Id be beyond stoked.

While it is clear that the sport is gaining momentum, there have recently been a few bumps in the road.

The competition format for sport climbing at the Tokyo Games stirred some controversy among the climbing community.

The Olympic competition was split into three climbing disciplines: bouldering, lead and speed.

Bouldering consists of a problem-solving aspect where climbers must solve and climb walls without safety ropes in a limited amount of time, earning points by reaching the top or getting to certain zones.

Lead climbing involves athletes traversing as high as they can on a wall within a specific period of time.

Where the controversy begins is the inclusion of speed climbing, an event that pits climbers in a head-to-head race to the top of a wall.

Speed climbers must rely on explosive power rather than the more technical aspects of bouldering and lead, and the International Olympic Committee wanted a fast-paced racing element, as seen in other events, for the sports Olympic debut.

The growth to the sport is great, but some of the formats for the Olympics, along with other competitions, are kind of newer to the sport and havent quite fully been thought through yet, Westerhoff said. Theres a little bit of controversy on how the competition should be set up because a lot of climbing tends to be very powerful but static movement where youre not making massive jumps all the time.

In competitive climbing, you get a lot of these super dynamic gymnastic-y moves.

Another format issue with sport climbing at the Tokyo Games came when the IOC only awarded two gold medals, one for men and one for women, with the winner determined by each climbers combined scores in each discipline.

I think its controversial because it combines three different disciplines that require three different trainings, said ASU senior Richie Winter, who handles the clubs social media. What you end up with is the jack of all trades instead of a master of a sport or discipline of the sport.

The trend, and speeds inclusion in the Tokyo Games, has bemused many in the community because it requires climbers to throw in training for a discipline they are not as strong in or have never even tried before.

Over time, climbing competition routes have been increasingly made to look more impressive to the public, ASU freshman Ethan Weiss said. You look at a climbing competition 20 years ago, it looks like an outdoor climb or a climb that you see in (rock climbing gyms). If you look at a modern climb, theres a lot more jumpy moves and parkour stuff. Personally, Im just bad at those, so I dont like that.

Luckily for many in the climbing community, their concerns were heard.

The IOC announced that there would be four total medal events at Paris 2024, separating speed into its own event while combining bouldering and lead for both men and women.

Despite the controversy, climbings inclusion in the Olympics is exciting for the community.

Matt Kamin, a staff member at Focus Climbing Center, believes all publicity for the sport is good publicity. As a skateboarder, a sport that also made its Olympic debut in Tokyo, Kamin was intrigued to see both events on the worlds biggest stage and what it means for the future.

I think its a really cool thing, he said. Obviously, its going to expose a lot more people to the sport, possibly grow the sport. Adding those more subjective, creative sports into the Olympics is a really exciting thing to see, and I think its really good exposure for those sports.

With more eyes on climbing, there could be an increased investment in the sport that would help those who want to one day reach Olympian heights.

I would hope it being an Olympic sport we could have a lot more money in the sport, Kamin said. A lot more money to support people when they want to pursue this sport professionally. I know there have been problems in the past with USA Climbing not necessarily having the funding to support their athletes to go overseas, go to all these expensive competitions, pay for hotel rooms and things like that. I think that would be great.

With the sports inclusion in the Olympics, many have begun to wonder if rock climbing will one day become an NCAA emerging sport and even reach full NCAA status.

I think it could in the future, Westerhoff said. Right now, its still a little bit too new of a sport to fully become at that level. We can already kind of see that with the progression of collegiate climbing. It started off as more of a club and (its) slowly growing into what youth competitive climbing became where it slowly progressed into a very competitive sport.

Now that were getting all this attention with the Olympics, its going to grow from just a club sport to a bit more of a competitive sport, and hopefully we can see a little bit more sponsorships within the sport and stuff like that.

Whether climbing sees a large financial uptick or becomes an NCAA sport remains to be seen, but its increased popularity is evident.

Since it started as a competitive sport in 1985, participation has increased to 25 million climbers in about 150 countries around the world.

Winter cites climbings inclusion in the Olympics along with recent documentaries Free Solo and The Dawn Wall as big reasons behind the sports increased interest, momentum that could bode well for the future.

It all starts at the youth and collegiate level. With 39% of climbers under 18, Sun Devil Climbing hopes to serve a role in encouraging more people to join the climbing community.

It may not be the most conventional sport, and it may take some time before it is seen as an Olympic staple, but climbing allows people to chase impressive heights regardless of their level.

If you arent into it, just try it out and see if you like it, Weiss said. I think its fun because its one of those things that you can always get better at. Theres no hard cap that if youre this good, thats as good as you can ever get. Theres always a harder climb out there, so I think that keeps it interesting.

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Sport climbing debut in Olympics creates spike in participation - AZ Big Media

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia on Wednesday said that he has started training after recuperating from his knee injury but would give this year's Senior National a miss to better prepare himself for 2022.

Bronze medallist Bajrang Bajrang of India poses during the medal ceremony (Image Courtesy: Reuters)

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia has started training after recuperating from his knee injury, but has decided to skip the Senior National to prepare himself for 2022.

The 27-year-old Indian had suffered a ligament tear in the run-up to the Olympics but still managed to claim the freestyle bronze medal in 65kg category at the Tokyo Games.

He couldn't compete in this month's World Championships after being advised a six-week rehabilitation.

"My knee is fine now. I have started training just two days back. I am feeling good but I won't participate in any events this year. I will skip the Nationals this year to remain fresh for next year," Bajrang was quoted as saying by PTI.

Bajrang, however, refused to divulge his plans for next year.

"It's too early to say anything. I am not playing any competitive tournament this year that's for sure. But I am yet to chalk out my plans for next year."

The Senior Wrestling Nationals will be held from November 19 to 21 in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.

Bajrang is eager to reunite with his personal coach Shako Bentinidis of Georgia but said the final call rests with the Wrestling Federation of India.

"I am ok with what WFI decides. But I obviously will like to continue working with Shako. But the WFI has to take a call. Whatever WFI suggests I will agree," he said.

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Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia ...

The ICC has been for a long time looking to give emerging countries the hosting rights for the mega events (AFP Photo)

The USA is likely to host the T20 World Cup in 2024, which could serve as a launch pad in the ICCs bid for crickets inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The ICC is expected to award a joint bid by USA Cricket and Cricket West Indies to host the 2024 T20 showpiece.

According to a report in Sydney Morning Herald, a decision on venues for ICC events in the next cycle was imminent, and that an outward, global focus would mean they were more widely distributed than in the recent past.

If all goes as per the plans, it would be the first global tournament not hosted by either India, England or Australia since the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

The ICC has been for a long time looking to give emerging countries the hosting rights for the mega events.

The 2024 T20 World Cup is expected to have 20 teams and 55 matches as compared to the 2021 and 2022 editions which have seen 16 teams playing 45 matches.

Between 2024 and 2031, the ICC is set to host several global tournaments, which will begin with the 2024 T20 World Cup.

In addition to marking a significant move away from those years, the choice of the US to help host the 2024 tournament would also serve as a launch pad for crickets long-awaited inclusion in the Olympic Games, starting with LA in 2028 and following up with Brisbane in 2032, said the report in the Australian daily.

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Eyeing LA Olympics, ICC likely to award 2024 T20 World Cup ...

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MYTISHCHI, Russia (AP) The players hoping to make Chinas mens hockey team for next years Beijing Olympics lost a second trial game against a Russian club on Wednesday as uncertainty builds over whether they will be allowed to play at the Winter Games.

International Ice Hockey Federation officials observed Kunlun Red Stars 4-1 loss to Avangard Omsk in the Kontinental Hockey League. The Chinese teams 5-4 overtime loss to Amur Khabarovsk in another KHL game two days earlier was also used to assess the competitive strength of the team. Kunlun has a 7-22 record in the Russia-based league.

China is using Kunlun as a proxy for the national team. Most of the roster consists of North American-born players who league records list as having taken Chinese nationality. More players could be naturalized in time for the Olympics.

Avangard had 35 shots on goal while Kunlun had 14, but the score was only 2-1 with four minutes remaining. Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Chelios son of NHL great Chris Chelios scored Kunluns only goal.

China has never previously competed in a mens Olympic hockey tournament. It most recently played in the fourth-highest division of the IIHF world championships in 2019, before it naturalized foreign-born players.

The IIHF has acknowledged concerns about Chinas competitiveness but president Luc Tardif said this month the federation would not remove the team from the Olympics. Tardif appeared to change his stance Tuesday, telling reporters in Canada that the IIHF and International Olympic Committee would decide next week whether China could play and that Norways team could step in as a replacement.

Its unclear how many foreign-born players could represent China. The IIHF has refused to say which Kunlun players are eligible Chelios, for example, is listed as a U.S. player in KHL records and Tardif has said the IIHF needs to confirm player eligibility.

Kunlun coach Ivano Zanatta, who has experience at the Olympics as a Canada-born player for Italy, has said his players will struggle to keep the score down in Beijing.

For me, its pretty easy, having lived the experience of the heritage player with the Italian national team. We basically circled the wagons and we held solid defense and that has to be the attitude, Zanatta said Monday. Lets face it, were playing Canada, USA. Were not looking at anything other than, you know, youve got to be able to compete, stay with them.

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Chinese Hockey Team Loses Another Game in Test for Olympics - Sports Illustrated

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While 2021 has seen the devastating rise of transphobia, it has still been a promising year for trans rights: The International Olympic Committee has announced new guidelines that no longer require trans women athletes to undergo hormone therapy or medically unnecessary treatments to be eligible to compete, because there is no presumption that athletes should have an advantage due to their transgender status.

From an organization that distributes messaging to nearly every country in the world, thats a powerful denouncement of the discrimination that permeates nearly every level of American sport todaythe impact of which should not be understated.

Given that the HRC reported 2021 as the deadliest year on record for trans and nonbinary people, with over two thirds of the victims identified as Black trans women, the new guidelines are sorely needed. And, as nearly three dozen anti-trans bills were introduced in the US in the last year, many of which would require trans girls to provide proof of their sex in order to participate in high school sports, the frameworks decisive language could drastically change the lives of trans girls across the country, who are experiencing much of the same discrimination and harassment as trans Olympic athletes.

News of the IOCs 2021 guidelines comes at a time when the Olympics are suffering from one PR nightmare after another. Outside of the Games being a nightmare for host cities, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics saw trans athletes dealing with harassment from President Donald Trump, two nonbinary athletes getting repeatedly misgendered on a global scale, and an ongoing, contentious conversation about whether trans women have an unfair advantage in competition. As per a 2015 IOC policy, trans and intersex athletes were required to undergo hormone therapy and tested to ensure their testosterone levels fell below a random threshold to meet eligibility requirements hopefully for the last time.

Notably, the one bright spot of the Tokyo Games was that they marked the first time in history that openly trans women have qualified for the Olympics.

But the new IOC guidelines are just that: guidelines. They are not mandates nor requirements, and the language is vague, which ultimately leaves the most crucial decisions up to the international federations (IFs) that govern each sport. One such organization, World Athletics, has clarified that it is keeping its current policy for differences of sex development or DSD athletesthe very same policy that rendered South African 800m runner Caster Semenya, who was assigned a woman at birth, ineligible for her event because her natural testosterone levels were too high to compete as a woman.

For trans and intersex athletes, that means these groundbreaking new guidelines that validate their gender identity and existence in the international sports community come with one big discriminatory asterisk. Athletes should be allowed to compete in the category that best aligns with their self-determined gender identity, but IFs dont have to let them. IFs shouldnt test for testosterone levels, but they can. And IFs shouldnt exclude trans athletes from the Olympics altogether, but they will, if they can show theres an unfair advantage. The IOC has the power to enforce equality on their world stage. They chose instead to make some very nice suggestions and pass the buck to the IFs instead.

The issue here isnt whats fair, but who gets to define whats fair. As journalist Britni de la Cretaz told NPR back in August, The idea of fairness is determined by dominant, mainstream society. In this case, what we are deeming fair is what is fair to cisgender athletes and how cisgender athletes feel about having to compete against trans women and trans people, rather than centering how the trans folks feel about being excluded and whats fair to them.

In some respects, this is progress, and could even be considered a victory. But these gestures are measures that suggest equality without actually doing the work to get there.

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The International Olympic Committee Is Finally Advocating for Trans and Intersex Athletes - Jezebel