Sport

Blame it on the IOC: its profiteering Olympics has never looked more exploitative – The Guardian (blog)

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

There are more empty seats at the Rio Olympics than there would be at an IOC lecture on moral courage, given at the Etihad. It is traditional for any Olympic Games to be followed at a seemly distance by photo-stories detailing the slide into disuse of the various eye-wateringly expensive venues in the host city. In the case of Rio this seems to be happening concurrently, live on air alongside…

Rio Olympics 2016: Jason Kenny wins keirin to equal Sir Chris Hoy’s British record – BBC News

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Media playback is not supported on this device Kenny equals Hoy with sixth gold Jason Kenny equalled Sir Chris Hoy’s British record of six Olympic gold medals on a sensational night in Rio. The 28-year-old won a dramatic keirin, that twice had to be restarted because of infringements, to add to his team sprint and individual sprint victories. Kenny has won seven medals in total – his one silver coming…

João Havelange, Who Built and Ruled World Soccer With Firm Hand, Dies at 100 – New York Times

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

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Sweden ousts Brazil in penalty kicks to reach women’s soccer gold medal game – Sports Illustrated

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Sweden’s sound strategy paid off again, and it’s headed to the Olympics gold medal game in women’s soccer for the first time ever. After holding host Brazil to a 0-0 draw, Sweden won in penalties 4-3, with Lisa Dahlkvist scoring the decisive penalty for the second straight game. Sweden ousted the USA in shocking fashion in the quarterfinals, winning by that same score in the penalty round. The…

Rio Olympics Today: Simone Biles Soars to Fourth Gold Medal – New York Times

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

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British Cycling head coach hits back at rivals questioning Olympic success – The Guardian

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

British Cycling’s head coach has hit back at other nations who have questioned Team GB’s dominance in the velodrome, accusing them of simply not being good enough. Iain Dyer, who leads the Olympic track coaches, was responding to criticisms from former gold medal winners who have lost out to British riders this week. “It’s a shame,” he said. “I can only point to the fact you can look at athletes…

Rio Olympics 2016: Usain Bolt casually wins heat, qualifies for 200-meter semis – CBSSports.com

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

While competing in the first round of his favored event, the men’s 200-meter, Usain Bolt looked as relaxed as ever. While Bolt was kicking out of the blocks, as is his preference in this race, he took it easy down the stretch. Real easy. The Jamaican sprinting star broke away from the pack fairly quickly before looking to his left and right before steadying his pace to his version of…

Swimming should be America’s favorite sport – Quartz

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

For approximately ten days every four years swimmers are given a global audience. US swimmers in particular tend to shine in the Olympics’ spotlight. This year alone, US swimmers garnered a whopping 16 gold medals, with 33 medals overall—to put that in perspective, Australia won the second-most gold medals, three, with a medal count of 10 overall. The indomitable Katie Ledecky. The barrier-breaking Simone Manuel. The history-making Michael Phelps. These…

US Women’s Field Hockey Team Exits Olympics With Quarterfinal Loss To Germany – NPR

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

i Michelle Kasold of the U.S. leaves the pitch as Germany’s players celebrate their win in a women’s quarterfinal field hockey match at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images Michelle Kasold of the U.S. leaves the pitch as Germany’s players celebrate their win in a women’s quarterfinal field hockey match at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images They came…

Rio Olympics 2016: Jack Burnell insists 10km swim disqualification is ‘a joke’ – BBC News

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Media playback is not supported on this device ‘This whole thing is a joke’ – disqualified Burnell Great Britain’s Jack Burnell says his disqualification from the men’s 10km open water swim was “a joke”, as Dutchman Ferry Weertman took gold. There was plenty of confusion after a dramatic finish, with Greece’s Spiros Gianniotis initially given the win before being downgraded to silver. Burnell’s disqualification was for two yellow cards –…

US Women’s Field Hockey Team Exits Olympics With Quarterfinal Loss To Germany – NPR

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

i Michelle Kasold of the U.S. leaves the pitch as Germany’s players celebrate their win in a women’s quarterfinal field hockey match at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images Michelle Kasold of the U.S. leaves the pitch as Germany’s players celebrate their win in a women’s quarterfinal field hockey match at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images They came…

Rio Olympics: Shaunae Miller Dives to Gold in 400 Meters – New York Times

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

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The Deceptive Calm of Olympic Open-Water Swimming – The New Yorker

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Twenty-six women raced a ten-kilometre course this morning in the choppy aquamarine waters off Copacabana Beach, completing the last of the Olympic women’s swimming events, and the only one not held in a pool. (The men will follow tomorrow.) It was a fitting conclusion to the past week’s exhilarating and historic indoor aquatic performances. Although marathon swimming, as the contest is known, only became an Olympic event in 2008, at the Beijing…

Simone Biles loses bid for record-breaking 5 golds in single Olympics – CBS News

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Last Updated Aug 15, 2016 10:41 PM EDT RIO DE JANEIRO — Simone Biles is no longer Rio de Janeiro‘s juggernaut. A mistake on the balance beam prevented the American gymnastics star from a record-tying fourth gold at the Olympics, which were dogged Monday by rain, wind and fire. U.S. women gymnasts go for gold Simone Biles came out on top and and Aly Raisman claimed silver in the individual…

Cycling’s keirin is known as NASCAR on two wheels, and the pace car’s a guy on a scooter – Los Angeles Times

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

A green-and-white scooter buzzes along, its electric motor humming as it circles the polished wooden track at the Olympic velodrome. Ivo Siebert keeps to a modest pace with a pack of elite cyclists following close behind. He can sense their impatience to burst past, can feel the rumble of their wheels, but he holds them back a little longer. The crowd and the television cameras watch his every move. “Yes,”…

US Women’s Field Hockey Team Exits Olympics With Quarterfinal Loss To Germany – NPR

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

i Michelle Kasold of the U.S. leaves the pitch as Germany’s players celebrate their win in a women’s quarterfinal field hockey match at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images Michelle Kasold of the U.S. leaves the pitch as Germany’s players celebrate their win in a women’s quarterfinal field hockey match at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images They came…

Pro Boxers at the Olympics: An Opportunity, or a Dangerous Power Grab? – New York Times

Monday, August 15, 2016

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Olympics|Gymnast’s Specialty: Returning to the Olympics. (She’s 41. It’s Her 7th Trip.) – New York Times

Monday, August 15, 2016

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