Olympics News and Info

A record year we will never see again

IT’s a strange world in which Michael Phelps can win a record eight Olympic gold medals and still be challenged for pre-eminence in the year of the Beijing Games.
But a bolt from the blue Caribbean, in the shape of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, managed to drag the spotlight from the Water Cube to the [...]

Olympics cap a golden year

Relish the memories - 2008 was a special year for sport, and the outlook for the next few does not appear half so rosy.
Next year is thin in terms of big international events. The World Athletics Championships take place in Berlin, and it is left to rugby union - a minority sport globally - [...]

Member of the Other Olympic Relay Team Had Gold Medal Stolen In Philadelphia

Filed under: Americas

While authorities still check to see if Tatum Bell has taken a job with the TSA, one Olympian sits waiting for his gold medal to be returned after it was snagged from his backpack.

Brendan Hansen, member of the the 4×100 medley relay with Michael Phelps, had his gold medal in his backpack in Philadelphia but after arriving in Austin, Texas, couldn’t locate it.

Hansen told authorities that he knows the medal at Philadelphia International Airport, when a TSA official checked his backpack.

It’s not clear whether the medal went missing in Philadelphia, Nashville or Austin. Police said they are trying to determine whether Hansen took the medal out on the plane or whether it might have been stolen.

See, this is exactly why I insist that athletes always wear the medal around their necks, like Phil Mickelson did with his first green jacket in 2004. No matter the situation, a gold medal goes with anything, even this.

Update: Looks like they found the medal. Convenient.

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Golden Child: Michael Phelps Is LA-LA-Loving Life

Filed under: USA

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

In this exclusive video, we find out what life is like for Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. During the Olympics, millions around the world were in awe when Phelps won a record eight gold medals, but these days — thanks to hanging out with everyone from Lindsay Lohan to Demi Moore — Michael is the one that is starstruck. We caught up to Phelps while he was in Los Angeles, and asked him a bunch of questions, including who he thinks is the greatest athlete of all time.

Youtube link.

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Braylon Edwards and Michael Phelps Make a Bet on Medal Count Versus Touchdowns

Filed under: USA

Attempting to compare Olympic gold medals and NFL touchdowns is an apple-orange type debate. One is a four year culmination of hard work (unless you’re a backstroker, then you just need to learn how to swim on your belly like everyone else) condensed into several hundred seconds celebrated on a world stage. The other is a week’s worth of hard work condensed into several seconds celebrated on a … Oh.

Well, maybe they are kind of similar, value and frequency aside. Which would explain why pool-pals Michael Phelps and Braylon Edwards are making a bet on quantity, which was confirmed by an NBC halftime report during the Notre Dame - San Diego State game.

The foot injury wasn’t a complete loss. Edwards used the time on his couch to catch up with swimmer Michael Phelps’ chase for history at the Olympics.

Edwards and Phelps have University of Michigan ties and struck up a friendship. Edwards bragged before Beijing that he would more than double Phelps’ gold-medal total with touchdown catches. After Phelps’ record eight golds, Edwards needs to set another franchise record.

So, as you can see, they actually made this bet before the Olympics. Whoops, Braylon.

Now the Browns wideout, who has been dealing with a Stallworth on his foot all preseason, has beat his 2007 total of 16 touchdowns, since Phelps recorded eight Golds at Beijing. (At least I think that’s the number; I can’t recall it being reported anywhere.)

So Braylon, you better get your focus on. And that means no watching Rich Rodriguez turn Michigan back into a power house, and certainly no celebrating in strip clubs with a bunch of half naked Playmates.

Of course, at this point we don’t even know what the actual bet is — only that 1/2 Olympic Gold = 1 NFL Touchdown. And that Braylon probably wants the replay tapes of that 100-meter butterfly released.

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Michael Phelps Is Human, Appears to Enjoy Touching the Skin of Playmates

Filed under: USA

If you have eight Olympic Golds, millions of dollars and you could just spend the rest of your life swimming metaphorical laps, what are you interested in? (Yes, you are Michael Phelps.) How about Playboy Playmates? Because that’s something that might pique my interest for the remaining 60 years of my life.

And, according to Radar Online, Phelps may also have some interest in women who are paid to take their clothes off doing just that.

Radar Staff Writer Neel Shah spent the evening in Las Vegas (more on that later), and was kind enough to send along these fine photos of Olympic hero Michael Phelps “massively skeeving on girls at the Playboy Club” in that city’s Palms Casino. Neel notes that the Olympian was accompanied by an entourage of striped-shirted schmucks, one of whose sole duties appeared to be pointing a flashlight at anyone attempting to photograph the swimmer during his efforts to obtain a gold medal in ass-grabbing. (”It was unreal,” says Neel. “Within moments of entering the club he summoned two girls over… I’ve never seen such an aggressive grip.”)

Sure, it’s a little creepy that he’s so over the top gropy and what not, but come on; dude is rich and famous beyond his imagination.

Have you ever heard him talk about his social life and its non-existence based solely on the fact that he swims five miles a day and needs about four hours just to pound 12,000 calories?

The guy is dedicated enough to kill off 90% of the things he enjoys just to train so our freaking country can continue its worldwide athletic domination; if he wants to take a year and spend all 365 days in a strip club fondling Playmates before getting back on the exercise wagon, well, I’m all for that.

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Michael Phelps To Host Season Premiere of ‘Saturday Night Live’

Filed under: USA

When you win eight gold medals at one Olympics, you get to do a lot of neat stuff when you get home. SI covers, Corn Flakes boxes, Speedo deals and media demands.

Michael Phelps will do just that, as he will host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live”. The show kicks off its 34th season on September 13th with Lil’ Wayne as the musical guest.

Of course, it is always dicey when an athlete hosts SNL. Some do really well (Peyton Manning) while others have come off bland (LeBron James). Some just stunk up the joint (Lance Armstrong).

Others have had iconic appearances. There was Michael Jordan hanging with Stuart Smalley … Tom Brady in “Sexual Harassment and You” skit … and Joe Montana as a chronic masturbator. Let’s see what the writers can come up with for the great Olympian.

Michael Phelps is a bit of an unknown. Aside from the fact that he’s a ridiculous swimmer, we don’t too much about his personality. I guess we’ll find out in a few weeks.

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Synchronized ‘Homies’ and Other Fun Memories From an Olympic Insomniac

Filed under: Beijing, China, USA, Attractive Olympians

For most people, the dust is already settling on all the extravagant Olympic action, but this sports graveyard desk editor is still riding high from sixteen sleepless days of swimming, more swimming, and the occasional taekwondo kick to the face. You want a unique perspective on the Beijing Games? This is the place to be. Just don’t expect there to be any fresh coffee.

Michael Phelps is signing an endorsement deal for IHOP somewhere in exchange for free 5,000-calorie breakfasts for life.

Usain Bolt is concocting new ways to hot dog and high-step so he’ll have some records left to break in 2012.

And I’m somehow still awake watching NBC replay the closing ceremony and Turkish oil wrestling highlights (now there’s the next event!)

Spending the majority of the past sixteen days engulfed in Olympic coverage wasn’t always a treat, but the memories I’ll take with me will last a lifetime … or at least four more years.

The visual treasures embedded in my mind aren’t what you’d expect them to be. Phelps’ record-breaking eight gold medals? Definitely wasn’t a cakewalk, but we saw it coming. Bolt’s ridonkulous sprints to history? Dude, his last name is Bolt.

Spanish synchronized swimmers dressed in ‘gangsta’ outfits, on the other hand? Now there’s something I’m never going to forget, or hopefully see again for the rest of my life.

So let’s toss the “memorable performances” and “winners and losers” aside for now. Here are my selections for the “Sweet 16″ — the lasting images that are off the beaten path …

China’s Liu Xiang retires, entire red-wigged nation cries … For the first time in a while, we witnessed how much one athlete can mean to an entire nation. While American media coverage was saturated with the Phelps Fest and the splice of America’s Sweethearts, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, I found it much more fascinating to scan through the countless images of China’s citizens bawling their eyes out because Xiang Liu couldn’t run the men’s 110-meter hurdles at the “Bird’s Nest.” This man represented the hope of an entire nation, but only in track and field. It’s not like he was their only shot at a gold medal in Beijing (heck, they won 51 of them).

It got me thinking — how many people in America would shed tears if Phelps pulled up lame in one of his heats, and coudn’t race towards any of his eight golds? Entirely different scenarios, yes, because the US is known for dominant swimmers while Liu was China’s chance to make an impact in largely unchartered territory. But I’m not sure we have one athlete that single-handedly carries the pride of our nation on his or her shoulders.

Don’t ever cross a Cuban taekwondo athlete, unless you want to lose teeth … Look, we all know taekwondo judging was on the crooked side, but that doesn’t justify going brainsick and belting a judge. Cuba’s Angel Matos definitely won the nomination for “Olympian Most Likely to Wind Up in a Nuthouse” when he delivered a kick reminiscent of ‘Bloodsport‘ to the face of match referee Chakir Chelbat. Still, how many people can say they’re the subject of 100 slide-by-slide YouTubes? One. That’s our good friend, Jose Offerman. Oh, and Castro will defend you, for whatever that’s worth.

Jamaicans know how to have a good time … For all the terrific performances by Bolt, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser, the sad fact is that many Americans watching at home are going to come away with one thing … they sure know how to rub it in. Bolt was even criticized by IOC prez Jacques Rogge for reveling too early in his 100-meter finish. But what about Fraser? She seemingly paraded down the track about five times as long as it took to win her 100-meter gold, even rolling around with the flag at one point. For me, the showboating won’t tarnish her performance, but I did find myself saying “all right, enough already” — and I would have still said it even if it was an American rejoicing.

George Bush knows how to have an AWESOME time … If there was anyone on this planet who could show the Jamaicans a thing or two about the right way to party, it’s definitely G.W. If you missed his hysterical jaunt to Beijing, don’t fret. You can relive the power of the Bush in this gallery here. Just beware the ‘chalk’ pranks and volleyball butt slaps.

Paraguay’s Leryn Franco didn’t win a medal, but won our hearts … In all the ‘Attractive Olympian’ posts we ran in FanHouse, there’s wasn’t one mention of this mysterious javelin beauty — a massive oversight, to say the least. Thanks to Fourth-Place Medal for cracking the mystery and discovering her identity. To amend for not featuring her earlier, here’s a gallery to make your heart sing for Paraguay. Viva la Franco!

Spain’s synchronized ‘homies’ … There are probably synchronized swimmers out there that think their sport is unfairly lambasted — that they’re just one long running joke started by Martin Short in a classic ‘SNL’ skit. But how do you expect to be respected when you get banned from wearing suits with lights on them, and then follow it up with a ‘gangsta’ encore. Tone down the makeup five shades, invest in a can of hair spray instead of hair gel, and most importantly, stop looking so freaky … then maybe people will respect the skills behind the show. Then again, maybe it won’t truly be ’synchronized swimming’ if that happened. Kind of like Dennis Rodman without dyed hair, tattoos and piercings.

Ara Abrahamian doesn’t need your stinking medal … More judging controversy, and more hilarity ensues. Abrahamian left the podium immediately after receiving the bronze medal, then placed it down as if he was saying, “Pick this piece of crap up.” Then it turns out that Abrahamian actually had a right to be angry, according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport — his penalty wasn’t assessed until after the round. One thing is for sure: they’re definitely recycling that medal and giving it to the trap shooters.

Meet Rohullah Nikpai, the hero of Afghanistan … Eight medals will be worth countless endorsements for Phelps, but the Afghan taekwondo bronze winner is the proud recipient of … get this … a new house, a Toyota sedan, and $20,000 from the owner of the country’s main cellphone network. That’s what you get for being the first Afghan ever to win an Olympic medal. Let’s face it… legendary US swimmer Matt Biondi could walk the streets without anyone recognizing him now. But Nikpai will be swamped with love and adulation for a single bronze. And we’re here quibbling about China beating us in gold count?

Germany’s Thomasz Wylenzek faints in his canoe
… and in a completely unrelated incident …
Japan’s Kobayashi Hiromi faints in the pool … Wylenzek and his teammate Christian Gille really knew what it took to get me turned on to canoes. Fainting! In the process of winning the silver medal in the double 1,000-meter final, they crashed into a buoy and Wylenzek took a dip. He turned out to be OK, but days later, a synchronized swimmer followed suit. Hiromi hyperventilated as Japan’s synchronized routine ended, and the other team members climbed out of the pool more concerned about their scores. The press officer’s response? “She is a very nervous athlete,” he said. “She is good. Don’t worry.” Thanks guy. As if the sight of the wacky routine wasn’t off-putting enough.

You want human rights? How about the right to wear adult diapers while buried under boxes? … I’m a big fan of filmmaker Zhang Yimou’s work. ‘House of Flying Daggers’ was great stuff. Performers being forced to wear adult diapers for his crafted opening ceremony is a far cry from flying daggers. Especially when it involved nearly 900 performers under 40-pound boxes for at least six hours. But hey, the Chinese invention of movable type, that involved “suffering and sacrifice” too, right?

Something called ‘Dressage’ will be back, but Jennie Finch will not … So, let me get this straight. A ’sport’ that involves people wearing silly top hats and suits while training horses will stick in the Olympics. But flamethrower Jennie Finch and USA softball will never be back? I wonder how NBC did on ratings and Web site searches for dressage results compared to Finch. Let’s get rid of dressage and bring back softball. At least there’s no mess over judges for the women.

Chinese cheerleaders have a future in sporting events … For the most part, there was way, way too much volleyball. Yet not enough of the cheerleaders who deserved a gold medal of their own (bringing the mighty total to 52!). The rainy final was interesting to say the least, and it wasn’t because Misty-May Treanor and Kerri Walsh exchanged high fives every two seconds.

Handball is an Olympic sport? Bring it on. … Right. So we got the endless hours of beach volleyball, swimming, and even diving from NBC’s masterminds. But where was handball on prime-time display? That and BMX were two of the underrated events that deserved more coverage. They involve blood, crashes, and as the legendary ‘Razor Ramon’ would say, “oozing machismo” …

Tajikistan’s Dzhakhon Kurbanov bites his opponent, citizens of Kazakhstan collectively scoff at him … I definitely think this was Mike Tyson’s vicarious revenge for not getting to represent US boxing in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Maybe he coached Kurbanov on the side? The harder part of watching the bizarre infraction and subsequent disqualification was seeing them try to announce that Kazakhstan’s Yerkebulan Shynaliyev won the bout.

Kim Jong Su, a sport shooter, gets booted for doping. And even horses banned too! … We learned that the Olympics are not safe from drugs, even in the most mind-boggling scenarios. Using propanolol to pick up medals in shooting? The only thing more pathetic than that is being a team jumping horse that was suspended for a banned pain reliever. And not just any pain reliever. We’re talking about Capsaicin, a derivative of chili peppers. And not just one horse — four horses.

And that’s my Sweet 16 of Beijing. I’m going to slip into a sleep coma now and dream of being struck by a javelin from Franco. Feel free to share some Olympic memories of your own with me at ThomasHerrera07 [at] aol.com.

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Michael Phelps Is Going to Be One of Those Author People

Filed under: USA

In his continued push to strike that iron right when it’s hot, Michael Phelps has announced he is, shockingly, going to write a book about these here Olympic games.

As you might have heard, Phelps won eight gold medals, among other things, and is the most popular human on the planet right now.

The book is to be titled “Built to Succeed” and will not be about forcing your parents to birth a baby that grows to 6 foot 4 inches with an enormous wingspan and the ability to kick those feet really fast.

In “Built to Succeed,” Phelps will also cover his philosophy on training and competition, as well as his life being raised by a single mother and coping with an attention-deficit disorder, the publisher said.

The book is scheduled to be released in December.

Hey Dad, looks like I know what you’re getting for Christmas, and for once it won’t be coming in a tie box.

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Gold Medal Couple: Michael Phelps and Australian Swimmer Stephanie Rice

Filed under: USA

Michael Phelps has had a pretty good time at the Olympics, and not just because of the eight gold medals. The New York Post reports that Phelps also has had a good time with another Olympian, Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice.

The gory details:

The pumped-up pair clinched and swapped spit at a celebratory bash outside the Olympic Village.

The Baltimore Bullet swooped in for the lip-lock with the 20-year-old brunette just weeks after she split from Aussie swimmer Eamon Sullivan. “All the swimmers are talking about it, and [Sullivan] is cut up about what happened,” the source said.

As for Rice, the big news on her in Australia is about, of all things, her Facebook page, which got plenty of attention after she posted pictures of herself that Australia’s swimming governing body told her to take down because they were “too raunchy”:

Swimming Australia media director Ian Hanson confirmed the organisation had taken the step in consultation with the Beijing-bound Dolphins team management.

“It’s something we had counselled them on in the past two years to be careful of,” he said. “Some of the photos were somewhat distasteful and we thought it was best that they took a bit more care.”

Rice won three gold medals of her own in Beijing. Somehow that didn’t get as much attention as the Facebook pictures.

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