Category Archives: Olympics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sep 20, 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The parental pressure has eased now, but only just.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The NHL is heading back to the Olympic Games, after it was announced earlier this month that the NHL and NHLPA came to an agreement to send NHL players to the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

That means the best hockey players in the world will be coming together to represent their home countries and compete for a gold medal. It will be the first time since 2014 that NHL players have competed on the international Olympic stage.

With that, lets take a look at some of those players that could be participating in the Beijing Olympics.

There will be 12 countries competing in mens ice hockey for the gold medal in Beijing. The 12 will be split into three groups of four to kick off the preliminary round.

Group A will consist of the United States, Canada, Germany and China, who automatically got a bid as the host country. Group B will have the Russian Olympic Committee, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Denmark. Group C will be Sweden, Finland, Slovakia and Latvia.

For the first time in five Winter Olympic Games, the NHL did not send its players to the Olympics in 2018.

Previously, the IOC covered travel, insurance, accommodations and other costs for NHL players. However, the IOC decided against it for 2018. When that was announced, the NHL decided to pull its players from going to the Olympics, also citing injury concerns that would affect the rest of the NHL season.

As a result, countries were forced to look elsewhere to fill out their rosters. Players were pulled from the AHL, European professional leagues and the NCAA level to participate in the Olympics.

Part of the reason for the NHLs return in 2022 is because the IOC will cover those costs that they did not in 2018.

The Boston Bruins have quite the number of candidates to play in Beijing.

The pair of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand should be representing Canada on the Olympic stage. It will be Bergerons third Olympic Games, with two gold medals under his belt already, and with three points in 13 Olympic games played. Hes still looking for his first Olympic goal, which could come in Beijing.

It will be the first Olympics for Marchand, who didnt make the cut in 2014. Hes vastly improved since then, becoming one of the top scoring wingers in the NHL. His 2016 World Cup of Hockey performance further proved he belongs on Team Canadas squad. Marchand led the tournament with five goals and three assists, as he, Bergeron and Pittsburghs Sidney Crosby combined for 25 points in six games. The Bruin winger scored a shorthanded goal to clinch a gold medal for Canada in the event. The line of Bergeron, Marchand and Crosby could make their return in Beijing.

Taylor Hall, who re-signed this offseason, has an outside shot at making Team Canada, but needs to go on a tear to begin the season to work his way onto a loaded Canada squad.

Speaking of dominant lines, the third member of the Bruins top line will also likely be in Beijing. David Pastrnak will be at his first Olympic Games, leading the way for Czech Republic. Pastrnak has plenty of experience playing for the Czechs, as hes been donning his home countrys jersey since 2012, playing at World Juniors and World Championships. A brief reunion with former Bruin David Krejci is likely in store for Pastrnak in Beijing, as Krejci could be playing in his third Olympics.

Given the Czechs lack of depth on defense, Jakub Zboril could find himself as one of the eight defensemen to make the roster, especially if he sees more NHL time in Boston. Newcomer Tomas Nosek is likely on the bubble for the Czech forward group.

As Charlie McAvoy continues to blossom into an elite NHL defenseman, he likely will get a nod to play for Team USA at the Olympics. A native of Long Beach, N.Y., McAvoy will join a defense core that will probably sport a number of other young stars like New York Rangers' Adam Fox, Chicagos Seth Jones and Columbus Zach Werenski. McAvoy is coming off his best season yet, finishing fifth in Norris Trophy voting.

New goaltender Linus Ullmark looks to be in line to be one of the goalies selected for Sweden. There are only three goalies right now from Sweden in the NHL who have seen significant playing time -- Ullmark, Vegas Robin Lehner and Calgarys Jacob Markstrom. Lehner most likely will be the starter, but a strong enough start in Boston for Ullmark could see him pass Markstrom for the backup spot.

Another new face in Boston, Erik Haula will be fighting for one of the 14 forward spots on Finland. Theres a number of young Finnish forwards like New York Rangers Kaapo Kakko, Carolinas Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nashvilles Eeli Tolvanen who could earn a place on the roster ahead of Haula. Hell need a strong beginning of the season to lock his spot in.

Depending on his health, former Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask could be on the roster for Finland. Hes expected to be ready by January or February,coming off surgery for a torn labrum. However, it may make the most sense for Rask to skip the Olympics if he is planning a return to the NHL.

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Which Bruins could play at the 2022 Beijing Olympics? - NBC Sports Boston

Balancing the relationship between sports and politics is often challenging. (Matthew Tate)

In the wake of continued human rights violations and outcries from advocacy groups and other organizations to boycott the Olympics, democracies like the United States have an important matter to settle: whether or not it should send its athletes to the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The relationship between sports and politics is uniquely challenging and rarely presents a clear-cut moral direction. In the Olympics, the most international sports stage, there is a pressure imposed on democratic nations like the U.S. to balance obligations to athletes seeking to participate on the highest stage and sending a clear message to authoritarian nations like China. The Chinese government stands accused of various human rights abuses, including a genocidal campaign against the Uyghurs of Xinjiang.

Many recall triumphant images of Jesse Owens taking the gold in the heart of Nazi Germany, winning a victory not just against Hitlers perverted sense of German superiority but race supremacy in general. However, like other feel good moments in sports, this tends to gloss over the dark reality that was the 1936 Olympics.

While Hitler promised to eliminate all suggestions of Jewish persecution from the Berlin Olympics, his actual rhetoric and policy towards the Jewish people and other minorities both before and after the games is more than known. The hosting of the games in the Reichs capital city was in reality an opportunity for Germany to put its tyrannical and oppressive regime in the international spotlight. There is a real concern that the spotlight and revenue that China will receive by hosting the Olympics could be used to promote propaganda and further human rights violations throughout the nation.

The question to boycott an Olympics in China is not a novel one; the 2008 Olympics were also held in Beijing, and likewise many international entities voiced concerns over participating. While China pledged full transparency for news outlets and journalists, the International Olympic Committee admits to allowing the Chinese government to censor certain internet sites and media coverage throughout the 17 days of competition. At the time, the Chinese government received criticism due to excessive pollution and riots across Tibet.

Olympic boycotts are not uncommon either; notable examples besides 1936 including the 1976, 1980 and 1984 games. The 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow were famously boycotted by more than 60 countries as a response against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. While the boycott was a clear message of intolerance from the international community towards the USSRs international agenda, it did little to abate the actual conflict it was seeking to protest, which would not conclude until 1989, albeit in a tactical disaster for the Soviets.

The case of the 2022 Beijing Games provides an opportunity for democracies around the world to finally send a clear message to the Communist Party of China that it will no longer reward genocide, espionage and other illiberal activities with international spotlight and prestige.

The U.S. should lead the charge in pressuring Olympic sponsors and the International Olympic Committee to relocate the games to a different country. By pushing for relocation as opposed to pure boycott, countries will be firm in their messaging against China without affecting the already narrow window of time that Olympic athletes have to compete in the games. Simply choosing to not participate will do little, if nothing at all. China will win more medals as more countries refuse to compete, which will only further fuel state propaganda and messaging.

Sports have never existed free from political and social factors. The opportunity for nations of the world to join together to set a clear and firm international precedent while still holding the Olympics in its full form is one that cannot be missed.

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From the Basement | US should boycott 2022 Olympic Games - Tulane Hullabaloo

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah The Utah Jazz open their season on October 20, just 36 days from today. With the clock ticking, we look at50 things for Jazz fans to be excited about leading up to the 2021-22 NBA season. Coming in at number 35, how Jazz players who played in the Olympics return to the court.

The Jazz had three Olympians travel to Tokyo to compete for medals and impressively, both Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles came home with the silver and bronze.

Miye Oni was impressive in his own right, helping Nigeria qualify for the Olympics while finding a spot in the rotation among several more proven NBA players.

Now the question becomes how do these Olympic Jazz players who had heavier loads during the offseason return to the NBA floor?

For Gobert and Ingles, the question may be one of exhaustion after each Jazzman played significant minutes during the runs to the medal rounds. Gobert played the 10th most minutes of any player in the Olympics while competing in all six outings.

Likewise, Ingles played in a full six games after reaching the medal rounds, and played a total of 185 minutes, the third-most of any player at the games.

How will those games, exhibition games, plus practice time and travel factor into their fatigue this season?

Additionally, how does the satisfaction of winning a bronze medal for Australia change Ingles outlook on his future as a professional basketball player heading into the final season of his contract? And, is Gobert motivated by falling just short of Olympic gold?

On the flip side, how might the experience of getting significant time while playing among fellow NBA players and against some of the best players boost Onis talent and confidence?

Oni averaged over 21 minutes per game during group play, and while the sample size was limited, averaged 6.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting an impressive 46 percent from the three-point line on 4.3 attempts per game.

With Georges Niang leaving the Jazz for the Philadelphia 76ers, the bench unit has lost its second-best three-point shooter behind Ingles. If Oni can keep up his hot shooting from the Olympics while continuing to develop his terrific 6-foot-6, with a 6-foot-9 wingspan frame, he could be a valuable 3-and-D option for the Jazz off the bench.

While all eyes will be on the Jazz progressing through the season, its the minutes and experience from the Olympics behind them that could change the outcome of the Jazz season.

With 35 days left to go, the Jazz three Olympic stars post-Tokyo play is one of the 50 storylines to monitor heading into opening night.

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35. Three Jazz Players After The Olympics - KSL Sports

Simon Biles revealed Wednesday that the sexual abuse she was subjected to by disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar had a direct impact on her mental health at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, from where she unexpectedly withdrew from several events.

Biles and several other members of Team USA Gymnastics spoke before the Senate Judiciary Committee over the FBIs failed investigation into Nassar. Biles' impactful statement touched on a range of issues related to the investigation and went on to detail the lasting impacts the abuse has had on her and many other athletes years after allegations were first made in 2015.

US OLYMPICS GYMNASTS SLAM NASSAR INVESTIGATION, ALLEGE FBI TURNED A BLIND EYE, FALSIFIED REPORT

"I will close with one final thought. The scars of this horrific abuse continue to live with all of us," she said. "As the lone competitor at the recent Tokyo Games who was a survivor of this horror, I can assure you that the impacts of this man's abuse are not ever over or forgotten."

Nassar was charged in 2016 with federal child pornography offenses and sexual abuse charges in Michigan. He is now serving decades in prison after hundreds of girls and women said he sexually abused them under the guise of medical treatment when he worked for Michigan State and Indiana-based USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)

"The announcement in the spring of 2020 that the Tokyo Games were to be postponed for a year meant that I would be going to the gym, to training, to therapy, living daily, among the reminders of this story for another 365 days. As I have stated in the past, one thing that helped me push each and every day was the goal of not allowing this crisis to be ignored. I worked incredibly hard to make sure that my presence could maintain a connection between the failures and the competition at Tokyo 2020."

She continued: "That has proven to be an exceptionally difficult burden for me to carry, particularly when required to travel to Tokyo without the support of any of my family. I am a strong individual and I will persevere, but I never should have been left alone to suffer the abuse of Larry Nassar. And the only reason I did was because of the failures that lie at the heart of the abuse that you are now asked to investigate."

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Biles competed at the all-around team event in Tokyo before withdrawing from the vault, individual all-around and two other apparatus events citing her mental health struggles. She would eventually return to close out the Games with a bronze medal in the womens balance beam final.

The four-time gold medalist made no mistake in placing the blame on Nassar but also looked for accountability from USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee that she said was aware of the abuse.

"I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse," she said. "If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough."

United States gymnasts from left, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols arrive for a Senate Judiciary hearing about the Inspector General's report on the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar investigation on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021, in Washington. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)

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The hearing is part of a congressional effort to hold the FBI accountable after multiple missteps in investigating the case, including the delays that allowed the now-imprisoned Nassar to abuse other young gymnasts.

At least 40 girls and women said they were molested after the FBI had been made aware of the problem.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Simone Biles details how Nassar's abuse impacted Tokyo Olympics: 'I never should have been left alone' - Fox News

Representing the U.S. in rugby sevens at the Tokyo Olympics, Kristi Kirshe 17 evades a tackle in a game against Australia. (Photo Courtesy of Mike Lee, KLC fotos.)

Div. III athletics are not commonly thought of as a breeding ground for Olympic athletes. But four Williams alums Joey Lye 09, Tala Abujbara 14, Will Hardy 10, and Kristi Kirshe 17 have broken the mold, appearing in this years Olympics in a variety of roles and for three different countries. From the Purple Valley to Tokyo, and after a year-long delay of the Games, these four alums have traversed a diverse array of paths to reach the pinnacle of their sports.

Joey Lye 09

Joey Lye 09, alongside the rest of the Canadian softball team, received her Olympic bronze medal standing on the Olympic podium in front of a near-empty stadium. Even though the stadium wasnt overflowing with spectators and cheers, that moment was an extremely special one for our program and country, she wrote in an email to the Record. I will forever remember the emotions of placing [teammate] Erika Polidoris medal around her neck and receiving mine from Jenn Salling in addition to sharing a big embrace with each of them.

Lye helped Canada bring home a bronze medal with a 3-2 win over Mexico. The typical exclusion of softball in the Olympic games it hadnt been in the games since 2008 and will not be in 2024 made this experience especially historic, despite the lack of spectators.

While we would have loved to share the experience with family and friends, we enjoyed the intimate experience of making history for our country with just us to witness it in person, she wrote. It was a special moment for our team that we will remember forever.

While Olympians could not bring family and friends to the Games, Lye noted that there was a sense of community in the Olympic Village. Despite [having to mask at all times], there were still many athletes out and about trading pins and sharing stories, she recalled. You could feel the energy and excitement, especially when we returned to the village from our trip to Fukushima where we played our first two games.

Lye also had the opportunity to meet up with fellow Ephs Kirshe and Abujbara, which proved to be her favorite moment off the field. It was pretty special to meet fellow Eph athletes and hear about the successes and obstacles they faced in order to be competing in Tokyo, she wrote.

The transition from college athletics to the international level is an adjustment, according to Lye. My nerves were probably the biggest thing I had to learn to control after having been so comfortable playing at Williams by the time I graduated, she wrote. Lots of attention has been given to the mental side of the game over the past 12 years.

[But] Williams prepared me by challenging me in every aspect physically, mentally, emotionally, and with time-management and balancing various responsibilities, Lye wrote. Stepping into the real world after graduation, I felt I could accomplish almost anything I set my mind to.

Tala Abujbara 14

Abujbara had never rowed before stepping foot on the Colleges campus. In a whirlwind 11 years, however, she learned to row, became the first Qatari woman to qualify for and compete in the Olympics in her sport, and achieved a goal she had set for herself many years before.

When Abujbara returned to her home country of Qatar after graduating from the College in 2014, she began training with the Qatar Sailing & Rowing Federation. At the time, rowing was still relatively unknown in Qatar, according to Abujbara. Due to the lack of rowers in Qatar, she was forced to row in a single. I am a team sport athlete at heart, so to be training and competing alone for most of my journey has been the part I struggled with the most, she wrote to the Record.

The transition to individual rowing was challenging for Abujbara. Seemingly overnight, I went from winning consecutive NCAA championships in an eight [-person boat] to survival-rowing my way to the finish line in a single at the 2014 World Championships, a full 1.5 minutes behind all other competition, she told the Record. However, my experiences at Williams instilled a love for rowing and a passion for high-level sport which helped carry me through the challenges over the years.

Undeterred by these challenges, Abujbara had her eyes set on a greater goal: competing at the Olympics. Her plan was simple. She would finish her Masters program, compete at the Olympics, and then return to Qatar to start working. The pandemic and resulting postponement of the 2020 Olympics, however, presented significant obstacles to that plan, as she now had to balance training with working a full-time job.

Despite these obstacles, Abujbara managed to secure an Olympic qualification spot at a regatta last May. Earning the spot meant Abujbara would represent Qatar in the womens single sculls competition. It was a huge honor to represent my country and to be competing at the Olympics, she wrote. I went into the competition knowing that I was way out of medal contention, but I had my plan and my job to do.

Abujbara did just that, winning her final race with a 6.78-second margin of victory over Ugandas Kathleen Noble and finishing in 25th place in the womens single scull competition.

Like Lye, Abujbara also found community in the Olympic Village. Every single rower competing at the Olympics has been through inconceivable challenges to make it to the start line, she wrote. It was extremely inspiring to be in the midst of that and there was a great sense of sportsmanship and solidarity between us.

While at the Olympics, Abujbara created once-in-a-lifetime memories. Not only was she a flag-bearer at the opening ceremonies, but she also enjoyed meeting with Lye and Kirshe. We chatted about our sports careers during/after Williams and found a lot of common ground in our experience, she wrote.

Having returned home from Tokyo, Abujbara plans to take a step back from rowing and focus on other aspects of her life that she has had to sacrifice over the past few years.

Becoming an Olympian has taught me that achieving a big goal is great, but it is only truly worth it if you enjoy the process along the way, she wrote. I have no regrets and am so grateful for my journey, but I am now ready to spend less time relentlessly grinding away at the future and more time focusing on the present.

While her time representing Qatar in rowing may be drawing to a close, Abujbaras impact on womens sports in Qatar has just begun. Several young women have already reached out to me expressing their interest in taking up sport and asking for my advice, she wrote to the Record. If I could inspire even just a handful of girls to start participating in sports, then this was all worth it.

Will Hardy 10

Hardy took a slightly different route to the Tokyo Olympics than his fellow Ephs. Chosen by San Antonio Spurs and U.S. mens basketball head coach Gregg Popovich to be a member of his staff, Hardy stayed with the basketball team in a hotel away from the Olympic Village. It was a far different Olympic experience than people are familiar with, Hardy said. They really kept everything very separate to try to prevent any type of outbreak [of COVID].

As a coach, Hardy also had a different set of responsibilities and priorities from the other Ephs during his time in Tokyo. Hardys main role was briefing the U.S. mens basketball team on the various opponents that they faced on the way to their 16th gold medal. My responsibility was really making sure that everybody had the video they needed and preparing the scouting reports, Hardy said.

Hardy had taken on a similar role earlier in his career. After a successful playing career with the Colleges mens basketball team, Hardy worked as a video coordinator for the Spurs. It was there that Hardy grew close to Popovich, eventually rising up the ranks to become the Spurs assistant coach for five years and even joining Popovichs staff for the USA mens basketball team at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

While Hardy left the Spurs to join the Boston Celtics this summer, the Olympics gave him the opportunity to have one last run with Popovich, his long-time mentor. It was kind of a couple-year commitment because [Popovich] was going to coach the [USA] team for that long and he wanted to have the same staff all the way through, Hardy said. He asked a couple years ago it was a pretty quick decision to say yes.

Like all the other teams, U.S. mens basketball had to face the ramifications of the year-long delay brought about by the pandemic. However, the process of assembling the team and preparing for competition remained largely unchanged.

I dont know if COVID and the delay affected our preparation super directly, because a lot of that preparation happens towards the end once you know whos in the tournament and then what the groups are, Hardy said. We dont know what the team would have been in 2020, in terms of the people that would have been on it, because the team isnt selected until much later.

U.S. mens basketball had a rough start, losing pre-tournament exhibition games against Nigeria and Australia and its opening game of the Olympics to France. As the most prominent team in one of the biggest sports at the Olympics, Hardy knew that there would be pressure to deliver results. Team USA basketball always draws a big audience, Hardy said. A lot of people [are] excited to see our guys play, and probably a lot of people [are] hoping to see our guys lose.

The lack of spectators at the games added a new element to the mix. To be in a building of that size without the noise is eerie at times, he said. Chandler Gym with no one in it would be weird to play a game [in].

Still, the team made the best of the strange circumstances, according to Hardy. In some ways, it really brings you back to the team dynamic because you have to create your own energy, he said. The bench is probably more animated than it would be in a regular game because theyre trying to carry some of that energy that a crowd would bring.

Despite their slow start, the team closed out the tournament with five consecutive wins, earning them their fourth consecutive gold medal. I think it just takes a little time for everybody to sort out how they best fit together, said Hardy. The guys are so competitive they just want to win. I think this group in particular was really fun to watch. They all put their own personal egos and all that stuff aside and just tried to figure out how they best fit together.

U.S. basketball is no stranger to Olympic gold medals. However, Hardy said that this years victory was especially sweet given the unforeseen challenges of competing during a pandemic. It was hard, I think, for a lot of reasons, Hardy said. There was the slow start, some guys had to leave the team with COVID, we had three guys come in the first day of the game from the [NBA] Finals, being away from your family for a month It was isolating in some ways, and I think everybody, really, just put their heads down and worked, he said.

Still barely 10 years out from his graduation, Hardy reflected upon how far he had come from his time at the College. Id be lying to you if I said I had a master plan while I was at Williams, he said. At 20 and 21 I was just trying to get an education, and I was enjoying college and being on a team and being in Williamstown, which was an experience I still look back on so fondly because it changed me and matured me in ways I never expected. Im not going to sit here and tell you I knew when I was 20, living in [Mark] Hopkins and eating at Greylock, that I was like, Im going to be a coach one day.

Kristi Kirshe 17

Throughout her time in college, Kirshe didnt give much thought to the possibility of an athletic career post-graduation. I figured that once I made the choice to go to Williams and play Division III soccer my life was going to be outside of purely athletics, she said. I thought my moment had passed already.

At the College, Kirshe was a consistent standout on the womens soccer team, earning two-time All-American honors and setting school records for all-time career goals and points. In fact, her rugby career did not start until nine months after her departure from the Purple Valley. Barely four years later, Kirshe was representing her country at the Olympics in womens rugby, a sport she had never even tried out until after graduating. It was quite a whirlwind of a process, Kirshe said.

After joining a local club in Boston, where she was working, Kirshe was quickly recruited to a regional academy team. Kirshe was scouted at her first tournament with the team at the U.S. rugby training center in California and called up to a national team camp soon afterward. I made my national team debut in January of 2019, 11 months after first going to a rugby practice, said Kirshe. Pretty crazy little timeline.

Some parts of her soccer experience, Kirshe said, served her well during the transition to a career in rugby. One of the big elements is just the fluidity of soccer and rugby, she said. Theyre not really start-stop sports, theyre sports where youre constantly kind of in motion.

Like the other Olympic athletes, Kirshe and U.S. womens rugby struggled with the adjustments required after the year-long delay. It was tough because we didnt have the same level of competitions and international games and all that kind of stuff that we would have in a normal year, so we spent a lot of time playing ourselves, practicing against ourselves, Kirshe said.

After the postponement, I didnt want to put too much weight on [the Olympics] because you never knew if it was actually going to happen, Kirshe added. But moments like the opening ceremonies and running out on the field for the first time were such special, surreal moments that Im just so thankful I got to experience.

The camaraderie of the Olympic experience was also a highlight. Being with all of Team USA and being around all these athletes that you grow up looking up to was a really special moment, Kirshe said. It was just such a dream come true.

When reflecting on her time as an Eph, Kirshe explained that the environment of athletics at the College prepared her well for Olympic rugby. When youre at Williams, your sport feels like the most important thing, Kirshe said. [The] environment is very similar, very professional. So that was actually a pretty easy transition for me because I was like, Yeah, I know how to do this. I know how to show up every day ready to play because I learned it all at Williams.

Not satisfied with just one Olympics appearance, Kirshe is training hard with an eye towards Paris 2024. For now, rugby is my full-time job, [my] full-time career, she said. So at this point, Im hoping to stay around until 2024.

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An Olympics like no other: Four alums reflect on their experiences in Tokyo - The Williams record

PHOENIX -- Amy Bockerstette will be taking her talents to the national stage next year.

Bockerstette, who has Down syndrome, was one of five golfers selected for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, which will be held next June at the Orange County National Golf Center in Orlando, Florida.

PGA Tour golfer Gary Woodland told Bockerstette she was selected to represent Special Olympics Arizona in a video Monday.

"Millions of people have been inspired by your positive attitude and the positive energy you share with everyone," Woodland said in the video. "I look forward to cheering you and your fellow athletes on as you compete and shine as one. I know you will continue to inspire us and make us all so proud. Amy, you got this."

The two first met in 2019, when Bockerstette played the famous No. 16 hole at TPC Scottsdale during that year's Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am. She parred the hole with Woodland and Matt Kuchar by her side, becoming a viral sensation in the process.

Bockerstette and Woodland continued to stay close. He credited her "I got this" mantra for helping him win the U.S. Open in 2019 at Pebble Beach.

"I was so happy to see Gary invite me to go to Florida next year for the Special Olympics USA Games," Bockerstette told ESPN. "We are best friends. I am very excited to go to Disney, too!"

Bockerstette, who plays golf for Paradise Valley Community College, will be one of more than 200 Special Olympics athletes competing in the USA Games.

"Amy loves playing golf in Special Olympics and this will be her first opportunity to compete at the USA Games," Amy's father, Joe Bockerstette, told ESPN. "We're grateful to Special Olympics Arizona for facilitating Amy's introduction to Gary Woodland at the Phoenix Open in 2019 and it is special for her to receive the invitation to the USA Games from her friend, Gary. We are looking forward to a fun and challenging competition in Orlando."

Bockerstette became the first person with Down syndrome to play in a collegiate championship on any level in May, when she played in the NJCAA Division I women's golf national championship.

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Gary Woodland surprises friend Amy Bockerstette with Special Olympics USA Games selection - 'Amy, you got this' - ESPN

A wretched 24 hours for UK Athletics continued on Tuesday when CJ Ujahs B sample confirmed his positive drug test at the Tokyo Olympics. It now seems increasingly likely the Team GB mens 4x100m team will be stripped of their silver medal.

Separately UK Sport has admitted to having concerns about the crisis in British athletics, which led to several Team GB stars asking Sebastian Coe to save the sport in this country when they met him last week in Zurich.

That news, which was revealed on Monday night, has sent shockwaves through the sport and UK Sport has urged those athletes to come forward to air their grievances.

The suggestion that athletes may be considering leaving the worldclass programme is a concern and something we will discuss with the UK Athletics leadership team, a UK Sport statement said.

Furthermore, we are committed to an athlete-first approach within Olympic and Paralympic sport and would urge any athlete who has a grievance to speak up. There are various channels dedicated to supporting athletes on the World Class Programme, including independent advice through the British Athletes Commission.

That statement did not impress one participant in the meeting, who told the Guardian it was a load of rubbish. However UK Sport says it will review UKAs performance in Tokyo, where it won six medals, in the coming weeks.

It looks increasingly likely that the UKA medal haul will be reduced to five in the coming months after the International Testing Agency confirmed there were two banned substances in Ujahs B sample. The ITA confirmed they were the selective androgen receptor modulators ostarine and S-23, which are used to treat muscle wasting and bone health respectively. The case has now been referred to the court of arbitration for sport anti-doping division.

Unless Ujah is exonerated the British mens quartet which also included Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake will lose their silver medal.

The Cas ADD will consider the matter of the finding of an anti-doping rule violation and the disqualification of the mens 4x100 relay results of the Great Britain team, the ITA said.

Under World Anti-Doping Agency rules if an athlete of a relay team is found to have committed an antidoping rule violation, that team are automatically disqualified from the event in question, with all resulting consequences for the relay team, including the forfeiture of all titles, awards, medals, points and prize and appearance money.

Once the matter is settled under the IOC ADR, the case will be referred to the Athletics Integrity Unit to follow up on sanctions beyond the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the ITA said.

Ujah has maintained his innocence and last month released a statement saying he was shocked and devastated by the outcome of the test. To be absolutely clear, I am not a cheat and I have never and would never knowingly take a banned substance. I love my sport and I know my responsibilities both as an athlete and as a teammate.

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Team GB set to lose 4x100m Olympic silver after second positive for Ujah - The Guardian