Category: Olympics

protesting on the podium

Věra Čáslavská made clear her opposition to the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos were less subtle at those same Olympics.

In his autobiography, Silent Gesture, Smith stated that the gesture was not a “Black Power” salute, but a “human rights salute”. …

The american sprinters Tommie Smith,John Carlos and Peter Norman during the award ceremony of the 200 m race at the Mexican Olympic games. During the awards ceremony, Smith and Carlos protested against racial discrimination: they went barefoot on the podium and listened to their anthem bowing their heads and raising a fist with a black glove. Mexico City, Mexico, 1968 Mexico city, Mexico, 1968

In a perfect world we would keep politics and sport separate.

We don’t live in a perfect world.

On Nov. 1, Smith and Carlos will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed because of their “character, conduct and off-field contributions,” as well as their athletic achievements.

Nancy Armour – USA TODAY – Opinion: ‘We were wrong,’ as USOPC finally do right by Tommie Smith, John Carlos

It’s been 51 years since the USA expelled Tommie and John. Time to make it right.

related:

Hurd, Melnikova, Chen Yile – part 2

This documentary episode was posted before Morgan was named a non-traveling alternate for USA. You can see how competing 3 meets back-to-back did not work out for her.

Both Angelina Melnikova and Chen Yile did qualify to Worlds.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Russia could be banned from Tokyo 2020

Putin loves sport.

I suspect corruption in Russian Anti-Doping goes all the way to the top.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has given Russia 3 weeks to explain how multiple positive drug tests were deleted from a database during the agency’s investigation into the massive doping scandal that broke in 2016.

Why it matters: If Russia doesn’t comply, the country will likely be banned from next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. …

Axios

Laurie Hernandez for @Coke

Heart this.

1st World Urban Games – Budapest

An event so new it doesn’t yet have a dedicated Wikipedia page.

The inaugural edition of the World Urban Games is taking place in Budapest from 13-15 September 2019.

Six competition sports are featured, including non-traditional and emerging Olympic events such as 3×3 basketball and BMX freestyle park, (both already set for the program at Tokyo 2020 and breaking (provisionally included for Paris 2024).

John Belushi was a gymnast

If you are too young to remember the comedian John Belushi, search for him on YouTube.

John as a youth was a good athlete, captain of both football and wrestling teams. Turns out he did some Gymnastics, too. Barry Keeley taught him tumbling in High School.

John once — uninvited — did a series of cartwheels on stage to join the Grateful Dead to sing the chorus.

John did his own backward handsprings in the Blues Brothers film.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Actually, it was stuntman Jonathan Yarbrough (stage name Jonathan Pendragon) who did the backward handsprings in a fat suit.

Jonathan had trained at Cal State Fullerton with coach Dick Wolfe.

Here’s one of Belushi’s funny skits on Saturday Night Live. Well past his athletic prime.

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook. 🙂

John Belushi died age 33 of drug overdose.

Tokyo Olympic Gymnastics venue

Environmentally friendly.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

Akash Modi interview

Great gymnast. One impressive young man.

Not only is he currently pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, but he is also a world-class elite artistic gymnast who has his eyes set on making the U.S. men’s gymnastics Olympics team at Tokyo 2020. …

Who are your role models, both in life and in sports?

I try to follow Raj’s path the most, but I pull from everyone else who surrounds me. I try to pull qualities from my mom, dad, sister, and my teammates at Stanford. …

How do you want to be remembered in the sport of gymnastics? What do you think you would add to the US Olympic team?

I want to be remembered the guy you can always count on — you can put him up and he’s always going to do a solid routine for you, no matter what.

Read more – In Conversation with Olympic Hopeful Akash Modi

Simone’s interview on the Olympic Channel

Click PLAY or watch it on The Olympic Channel.

That’s from an excellent post by Scott Bregman:

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2019 WORLD ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Can Turkey qualify a Men’s team to Tokyo?

There are a LOT of men’s teams in the running for the 12 available Olympic team spots.

“We see we have the chance to go to the Olympics with a team,” said Onder, who helped Turkey finish 15th at the 2018 World Championships. …

“We are totally concentrated on Stuttgart,” Onder admitted.

“The team is the most important thing, we are very close. We have been training together in camp in Mersin and we are expecting some great results in the competition. …

Turkey on the verge of something special, says Onder

related – Turkey’s Onder: ‘The Hard Work Begins From Now’

Ahmet Onder, TUR, during apparatus final at 2019 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Szczecin; 14/04/2019; Foto: SCHREYER

A World Challenge Cup is being held in Turkey this weekend.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.