Summer Olympian

Team USA shooting comes together; Callahan poised for record books

Posted May 18, 2008 at 10:30 AM by Os Davis

Section: Beijing 2008, Events, Other, Featured Writers, Os Davis

olympic logo shooting The United States’ shooting team will be finalized this weekend, with the completion of this week’s Olympic team trials in Colorado, and one team member will enter the domestic Olympic record books simply by competing in Beijing.

On Thursday, Libby Callahan was officially named to the team in finishing second to Beki Snyder in the sport pistol competition. At age 56, Callahan will become the oldest American woman to ever compete in the Games; the four-decade long mark is currently held by equestrian Kyra Downton.

Joining Callahan on Team USA shooting are:

• Snyder, who will participate in her fourth consecutive Olympics; she also debuted at the age of 20 at Atlanta 1996, and her highest finish in the Games was at Sydney 2000, where she placed ninth. Snyder also competes in taekwondo at the black-belt level.

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Human Interest Saturdays: Oscar Pistorius

Posted May 17, 2008 at 02:54 PM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, 2008 Paralympics, Culture/History, Human Interest, Socio-Political, Events, Track & Field, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

The big news this week for Human Interest Saturdays is of course the startling decision by Court of Arbitration for Sport to allow double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius the chance to qualify and compete in the Olympic Games. No one expected the judicial board to allow him to compete given January’s International Association of Athletics Federations ban that said his prosthetic limbs afforded him a competitive advantage and the CAS’ stingy reputation. But they have and now the “Blade Runner” must lower his 400m time and meet the qualifying standard.

I think it is terrific that Oscar will now have the same chance to compete in the Olympic Games as any other human being. I’m not saying that the IAAF ban was preposterous but it certainly strikes an exclusionary and arbitrary judgment. The Olympic dream and the Olympic movement is about chance and opportunity and it strikes me as important that Oscar be afforded the same chance and opportunity as the rest of us “able-bodied” humans enjoy.

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Athletes Learn Cultural Awareness and the Value of Numerology

Posted May 15, 2008 at 08:20 AM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Beijing News, Culture/History, Design/Art/Culture, Socio-Political, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

Last Tuesday the United States Olympic Committee brought in Chinese cultural experts to speak to about 35 athletes. Their message: “Be good ambassadors. Don’t do anything that would offend.” Our first thought was what did they really learn? We love learning what’s…

Team Argentina notes: All aboard the bandwagon!

Posted May 14, 2008 at 12:34 PM by Os Davis

Section: Beijing 2008, Events, Basketball, Featured Writers, Os Davis

For Team Argentina, Nocioni in, Prigioni probably, Gabini maybe. And by the way, they ain’t afraid of the big, bad USA.

Royalty Returns to the Olympics

Posted May 13, 2008 at 09:00 AM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Beijing News, Culture/History, Human Interest, Events, Equestrian, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

Zara Phillips’ recent confirmation as a member of the five-person British equestrian team took no fan of the sport by surprise. She is the reigning world eventing - a rugged combination of equestrian’s three disciplines…

Mother’s Day Olympians

Posted May 12, 2008 at 01:43 PM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Culture/History, Human Interest, Socio-Political, Events, Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

Image details: "Fan Celebration Tour" finale served by picapp.com

Did you get your mother a card and some flowers for her special day? Well here’s another gift from the…

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Beijing 2008: Last hurrah for Pepu Hernandez

Posted May 8, 2008 at 10:34 AM by Os Davis

Section: Beijing 2008, Events, Basketball, Featured Writers, Os Davis

With a starting team comprised of wall-to-wall NBAers, Team Spain hardly needed psychological incentive to add to all the talent taking the floor at the Beijing Games; Los Españoles have that as well.

Said motivation takes…

Beijing Price Tag Difficult for Olympic Parents

Posted May 8, 2008 at 08:17 AM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Culture/History, Human Interest, Socio-Political, Events, Aquatics, Boxing, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

While your watching the your favorite athlete at the Beijing Olympics this year the cameras will inevitably flash to his/her nervous parents. Maybe one of them has left their seat out of anxiety, maybe one has their eyes covered, or maybe they’re…

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Performance-Enhancing Drugs and the Olympics

Posted May 7, 2008 at 09:00 AM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Doping, Culture/History, Olympic History, Socio-Political, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

Performance-enhancing drugs and the Olympics. The proverbial elephant in the room. Someone’s not afraid to talk about it and it’s none other than Victor Conte, head of the infamous Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco) lab and supplier to countless would-be cheaters. In…

The Pangs of Puerto Rican Patriotism

Posted May 6, 2008 at 12:01 PM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Culture/History, Human Interest, Socio-Political, Events, Boxing, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

The Wall Street Journal has had the most thoughtful, insightful, and interesting Beijing Olympics coverage of any English language news source. Their nonpareil work continued today with this excellent Page One article about the Puerto Rican…

Whirlwind Finish and Post-Race Drama at Men’s 10k Open Water Worlds

Posted May 5, 2008 at 01:00 PM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Beijing Results, Events, Aquatics, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

Image details: 2008 Australian Championships: Day 3 served by picapp.com

What news could possibly emerge from the Men’s 10k Open Water World Championships that would top yesterday’s…

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Team USA slayer Schmidt gets Ordem de Rio Branco

Posted May 5, 2008 at 10:17 AM by Os Davis

Section: Culture/History, Olympic History, Events, Basketball, Featured Writers, Os Davis

Oscar Schmidt, all-time Olympic Games scoring leader and b-ball star in five Olympiads, was this week given Brazil’s top honor to private citizens, the “Ordem de Rio Branco.”

Injury buzzsaw trims Olympic squads

Posted May 4, 2008 at 10:25 PM by Os Davis

Section: Beijing 2008, Events, Basketball, Featured Writers, Os Davis

Spain, Australia rosters face injury problems; Cape Verde has hard economic issues to worry about

Briefs: Taekwondo, Baseball, Archery, Yoga, Sailing

Posted May 4, 2008 at 03:30 PM by Os Davis

Section: Beijing 2008, Events, Baseball, Other, Featured Writers, Os Davis

News briefs: Iran and China look good in taekwondo; death of Olympic baseball bad for Cuba; US Olympic Archery Trials continue; one man’s bid for yoga as Olympic sport; North Ireland names sailing team.

Paralympic Champion Swimmer Qualifies for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Posted May 3, 2008 at 09:00 PM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Beijing Results, Culture/History, Human Interest, Events, Aquatics, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

South African Natalie du Toit qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games today in the 10 kilometer open water race after finishing fourth at…

Human Interest Saturdays: Chinese-Canadian Olympians

Posted May 3, 2008 at 03:00 PM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Beijing News, Culture/History, Human Interest, Events, Aquatics, Other, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

Not every Chinese-born Olympian will be competing for their birth country in Beijing. Dozens of competitors now living throughout the world will be making a homecoming during this years’ Olympics. In fact eight will…

Gary Hall, Jr. Ready to Face the Sprinting Newbies

Posted May 2, 2008 at 06:00 PM by Michael J. Sedor

Section: Beijing 2008, Events, Aquatics, Featured Writers, Michael Sedor

Image details: Swimming - Finals served by picapp.com

Beware 50m men’s freestyle johnny-come-latelies. The 33-year-old Gary Hall, Jr. is tanned, rested, and ready to return himself to the the…