2009

16

Oct

Preview: Trophee Eric Bompard Cachemire

The International Figure Skating Union’s Grand Prix Series enters its 15th season this weekend with its first event: The Trophee Eric Bompard Cachemire, in Paris. Competition starts Friday in competition, the first of six that will lead up to the Grand Prix Final in Tokyo in December and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. It will [...]

Filed under: Adam• Adam Rippon• Adeline Canac• Alban Preaubert• Aliona Savchenko• Anna Jurkiewicz• Brent Bommentre• Brian Orser• Bryce Davison• California• Canada• Candice Didier• Caroline Zhang• Chao Yang• China• Czech Republic• David Wilson• Ekaterina Rubleva• Elene Gedevanishvili• Emily Samuelson• Evan Bates• Fabian Bourzat• Figure skating competitions• Finland• France• Georgia• Germany• Gershwin• Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final• Great Britain• Greater London• Gustav Mahler• Gustav Mahler's Symphony• Gwendoline Didier• ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating• International Figure Skating Union• Italy• Ivan Shefer• Javier Fernandez• Jessica Dubé• John Kerr• Kim Yu-na• Kimberly Navarro• Kristina Gorshkova• Los Angeles• Maria Mukhortova• Marissa Castelli• Maxim Trankov• Maximin Coia• Nathalie Pechalat• Oleg Vassiliev• Ontario• Paris• Peter Liebers• Pierre-Loup Bouquet• Poland• Russia• Ryan Bradley• Scott Moir• Sergei Voronov• Simon Shnapir• Sinead Kerr• South Korea• Spain• Sports• Tessa Virtue• Tomas Verner• Toronto• Trophée Eric Bompard• United Kingdom• United States• Vanessa James• Vaughn Chipeur• Vitali Butikov• Wilson - George Gershwin• Yannick Bonheur• Zoé Blanc• brian joubert• carolina kostner• information• japan• london• mao asada• nhk trophy• olympic• other sports• robin szolkowy• sasha cohen• skater• surgery• the 2006 Olympic• the 2010 Vancouver Olympics• the Olympics• tokyo• yukari nakano Posted by RSS

2009

2

Oct

Rio wins bid for 2016 Olympics; Tokyo eliminated in 2nd round

Tokyo’s hopes of hosting the 2016 Olympics were shattered Friday as the Japanese capital was eliminated in the second round of voting by the International Olympic Committee.
Rio de Janeiro was named the winner of rights to stage the 2016 Games, beating Madrid in the final round of voting to become the first South American [...]

Filed under: Barcelona• Beijing• Brazil• China• Dai Tamesue• Fashion designer• Hiromi Miyake• Hiroshi Sato• Illinois• JPY• Jacques Rogge• Japanese Olympic Committee• Juan Antonio• Kansai Yamamoto• Nawal El Moutawakel• Olympic Games• Olympics• Osaka• President• Prime Minister• Rio• Shintaro Ishihara• Spain• Sports• Tokyo Metropolitan Government• Tokyo Metropolitan Government building• Tokyo Tower• Tomiaki Fukuda• Tsunekazu Takeda• United States• Yukio Hatoyama• Yuko Arimori• asia• chairwoman• chicago• chief• de Janeiro• event producer• international olympic committee• japan• madrid• marathon runner• olympic• olympic stadium• rio de janeiro• solar energy• the 1988 Olympics• the 1992 Summer Olympics• the 2016 Olympics• the 2016 Summer Olympics• the 2020 Olympics• the Olympic• the Olympics• the Summer Games• tokyo• vice president• vote Prime Minister Posted by RSS

2009

30

Sep

Tension mounts, tempers fly ahead of 2016 Olympic host city vote

The International Olympic Committee is no stranger to tough decisions. It took the risk of sending the games to Beijing and said “No” to New York in the aftermath of 9/11. Yet, despite all of that accumulated experience, some IOC members are struggling with their latest conundrum: choosing the Olympic host for 2016.
Just two [...]

Filed under: Athens• Beijing• Brazil• Cherie• Chiharu Igaya• China• Craig Reedie• Efe• IOC hotel• Jose Maria Odriozola• Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr• Juan Carlos• Kevan Gosper• King• Lausanne• Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva• Michelle Obama• Multi-sport events• Nicole Hoevertsz• Olympic Games• Olympics• Samih Moudallal• Singapore• South America• Spain• Spanish Olympic Committee• Sports• Sydney• United States• Valerie Jarrett• Willi Kaltschmitt• barack obama• chicago• chicago olympics• copenhagen• first lady• international olympic committee• japan• juan antonio samaranch• london• madrid• news agency• olympic• rio de janeiro• summer olympics• the 2012 Olympics• the Summer Games• tokyo• tony blair Posted by RSS

2009

15

Jul

NBC remains intent on bidding for 2016 Olympics

NBC plans on bidding for rights to televise the 2014 and 2016 Olympics despite the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision to build a competing Olympic network.
NBC spokesman Brian Walker said Sunday that nothing had changed in the network’s intentions to bid for the games.
Because of the rough economy, the International Olympic Committee has postponed the [...]

Filed under: Beijing Olympics• Olympics• olympic Posted by RSS

2008

13

Aug

NBC: Is it live or is it taped?

The New York Times blog questions NBC’s practice of screening broadcasts that are live to Eastern and Central time zones are actually taped for Pacific and Western time zone viewers. The feed shown to Pacific and Western time zone viewers still has the “live” water mark shown, even though it is not.
An NBC spokesman [...]

Filed under: NBC• News• broadscast• olympic• streaming Posted by RSS

2008

12

Aug

Beijing Olympics a huge hit for NBC so far

The Beijing Olympics is proving to be a huge hit for US broadcaster NBC. There has been huge interest in Michael Phelps’ swimming events, the men’s gymnastics and women’s beach volleyball.
An average of 29.7 million viewers watched the fourth night of the Beijing summer Games, about 2.5 million more than during the comparable night in [...]

Filed under: NBC• News• broadscast• olympic• streaming Posted by RSS

2008

17

Jul

US Olympic Gymnastic Hopeful Chellsie Memmel Making Something of Twenty

We’re less than a month away from the Summer Games in Beijing. The anticipation is killing me… So many curiosities are cutting diagonals across my brain. 


What is going on behind the piney gates of the Karolyi ranch? 

Who is allowed inside with Marta and the girls? 

Will a third “true bar-worker” emerge for Team USA? 

What kind of meals are the girls being fed? Where the heck is this ranch anyway? 

One question about which I’m less curious is whether or not former World Champion Chellsie Memmel will make the six-gymnast American squad. True, she may have only recently healed from a long-standing shoulder injury, but the 2004 Athens alternate has proven her mettle by nailing her routines during the recent 2008 US Olympic Trials. 
The three-routine specialist will arrive as an uneven bars medal contender at the seasoned age of 20, once considered “ancient” in elite Women’s Gymnastics. However, with advancements in training methodology and innovations in injury prevention, female gymnasts are sticking around much longer than their predecessors.
Also, college gymnastics has come a long way from its initial inauguration into the NCAA. The college gymnastics circuit now hosts a slew of former Olympic medalists, a mix of former national and international team members, and an all-around group of high-caliber elite competitors. 
Take, for example, the 2008 NCAA Champs: the Georgia Gymdogs. From Bottom-to-Top, it’s a who’s-who of US elite gymnastics. The top of the list goes to Athens Olympian Courtney Kupets who I would argue to be the top American uneven bars worker… still! If not for a crushing mid-season Achilles rupture, I would’ve started an internet campaign to lobby her into the Karolyi selection camp!
Aside from Kupets, there’s her Olympic teammate, Courtney McCool. Then there’s former National Team members Katie Heenan, Nikki Childs, Grace Taylor, Marcia Newby… on and on. 
I love the lengthening life-span in women’s gymnastics. I love seeing older, taller gymnasts (i.e. gymnasts with the first name, Svetlana) thriving in a sport that was once dominated by young, pixie machines (even though i love them, too). 
So, I will be rooting for “roaring 20-yr old” Chellsie Memmel (and Alicia Sacramone!) and all the other women bringing down the podium, Old-school. 

Filed under: Beijing 2008• Gymnastics• alicia sacramone• chellsie memmel• georgia gym dogs• karolyi• kupets• mccool• ncaa gymnastics• olympic• shawn johnson• usa today Posted by RSS

2008

9

Jul

Beijing is One Month Away!

We can officially begin the Beijing ‘08 Countdown since we’re inside one month of the Opening Ceremonies for the Summer Games! Let the (prediction) Games Begin!

 
Check out the latest interactive feature from ESPN.com which includes profiles on Olympic hopefuls (like Alicia Sacramone, left), updates on past US Olympians and info on the broader international Olympic scene.

Also, check out the entire list of this year’s US Olympic Hall of Fame inductees, which includes each of the Magnificent Seven from the 1996 US Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team from Atlanta.   Congrats!

Filed under: Beijing 2008• Gymnastics• magnificent seven• olympic Posted by RSS