Free Republic

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday blasted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over its stated desire to include Russian athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympics. In spite of Zelensky’s calls to exclude Russia from next year’s Summer Olympics, the IOC on Wednesday said it aimed pursue a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as “neutral athletes” who “in no way represent their state or any other organisation in their country.” The organization said the passport an athlete holds should not be a reason why they can’t compete, citing a “unifying mission” during wartime. It pointed to the example...

Any prospect of Russia’s athletes returning to the international spotlight at the 2024 Summer Olympics was flatly rejected Wednesday by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. In a phone call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach as reported by Fox News, the Ukraine leader slammed the idea even if the athletes arrived under a neutral flag. His condemnation came just days after the IOC said it was open to exploring options that would allow athletes from Russia or its ally Belarus to join others in some international sporting events.

Efforts to promote Muay Thai as a global sport have been met with resistance from some corners, with fears that international exposure will dilute its tradition and heritage.Thailand’s national martial art Muay Thai could soon make its debut on the world’s biggest sporting stage, the Olympics. The combat sport already has an increasingly global audience, with many would-be fighters making trips to its birthplace to immerse themselves in the culture. After the inclusion in numerous multi-sport events such as the World Games earlier this year, the next step is for Muay Thai to be featured at the Olympics. But efforts...

The Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will shut down on Sept. 30. NBC has been notifying cable and satellite operators this morning that the five-year old channel will go dark in three months. “In order to best reach our target audiences, we are reevaluating our programming distribution strategy regarding the content that currently airs on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA with our partners at the IOC and USOPC,” an NBC Sports spokesperson said via email. “We will be announcing our exciting new plans for Olympic content in the fall.”

The National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) have reportedly reached an agreement to not have players participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In the NHL and the NHLPA's most recent collective bargaining agreement, the two sides negotiated the participation of NHL players in the 2022 and 2026 Winter games after NHL players were barred from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics. However, an agreement was reached that if the NHL season was "materially impacted" by COVID-19 that the NHL had until January 10th, 2022 to opt out of Olympic participation without incurring a...

---SNIP--- In a post to Instagram on Thursday, the devout Christian wrote a message of "submission and obedience to God," and included an image showing her draped in an American flag after her victory. "Let me start off by saying, what an honor it is to be able to represent not only my country but also the kingdom of God," McLaughlin wrote. "What I have in Christ is far greater than what I have or don't have in life. I pray my journey may be a clear depiction of submission and obedience to God."

KASHIMA-SHI, Japan - Jessie Fleming scored on a penalty kick in the 74th minute to help the Canadian women's soccer team to a 1-0 semifinal victory over the United States on Monday at the Tokyo Games. American defender Tierna Davidson was called for a foul after her left foot hit Deanna Rose's leg just inside the penalty area as they chased a loose ball. Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul pointed to the penalty spot after a VAR review. American goalkeeper Adrianna Franch dived to the correct side but couldn't get a piece of Fleming's powerful right-footed shot. Canada will next play...

More than three dozen Republican House members have penned a letter to the US Olympic Committee to express their concerns about American athletes holding political protests at the Summer Games in Tokyo — singling out hammer thrower Gwen Berry, who turned away as the national anthem was played during the national trials last month. The 39 Republicans wrote to US Olympic and Paralympic Committee Chair Susanne Lyons and CEO Sarah Hirshland, urging them to comply with Rule 50 of the International Olympic Committee’s charter that prohibits political expression by athletes, Fox News reported on Thursday. “We are deeply concerned by...

Olympic hammer thrower Gwen Berry's history of offensive tweets has been uncovered after she snubbed the American national anthem during trials last weekend. Berry, 32, made a variety of tasteless jokes and observations in messages dating back up to ten years, but which are still visible on her account. The athlete - who has insisted that the National Anthem is racist - posted tweets mocking Chinese, Mexican and white people.

Joe Biden has a lot of respect for the America-hating Olympic hammer thrower who turned her back on the American flag, says Jen Psaki.White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday was asked about Gwen Berry, the race activist who disrespected the US on the world stage.Biden “has great respect for the anthem” but also “part of that pride” means “respecting the right of people to peacefully protest,” Psaki said.The Biden White House backs the America-hating Olympian who turned her back on the US Flag as the National Anthem played during the medal’s ceremony.VIDEO:CLICK ABOVE ARTICLE LINK FOR THE VIDEO...

Olympic figure skater Yekaterina Alexandrovskaya, a 20-year-old Australian national who was born in Russia, has died after falling out of a window in Moscow, her coach said. Russian officials did not immediately comment on the cause of death, but coach Andrei Khekalo told AFP news agency that she had fallen from a sixth-floor window in central Moscow. The coach said Aexandrovskaya missed a training session in January and was later diagnosed with epilepsy, leading her to quit the sport. He said she had earlier suffered from depression.

Montage Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, California February 18, 2020 5:22 P.M. PST THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. It’s a great pleasure to meet with the leaders of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Committee. They’ve done a fantastic job in bringing the Olympics here. They called me when I was President-elect. Casey, that was quite a call. MR. WASSERMAN: Yes, sir. THE PRESIDENT: And they asked me if I could get involved because the other administration refused to call the Olympic Committee, which is the one in — the people that make the decision. So it was a little...

An out of control vehicle almost smashed directly into a man in Armenia. Amazing video at link...................

Breakdancing and three other sports took another step toward appearing at the Paris 2024 Olympics after the International Olympic Committee on Tuesday voted in favour of their inclusion. The Paris 2024 organizing committee in February proposed surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing as well as breakdancing for inclusion in the Games, and the IOC's executive board gave the initial green light in March.

Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs can heave a 16-pound ball farther than just about anyone else. Meanwhile, their lives have become track and field’s version of a buddy flick.[...snip...] Crouser got the best of Kovacs again at the indoor championships on Saturday in Staten Island, putting his shot 72 feet 10 3/4 inches to Kovacs’s 70 feet 2 1/2 inches. [...snip...] “You don’t have to worry about the implement or the elements or even a team,” said Crouser, who is 6-foot-8 and about 320 pounds. “It almost gets addicting to measure your progress so accurately. All that matters is pure...

The message traffic from the night the Titanic sank presented in more or less real time (removed long silences and messages repeated many times). I am not sure why, but reading each message as the situation becomes more and more desperate left me somewhat disturbed. Even knowing what happened and that it was over 100 years ago, the sudden silence at the end was... appalling.

North Korea takes part in the 2018 Winter Olympics would that technically violate UN Security Council resolutions sanctioning the regime over its nuclear and missile programs? Province Governor Choi Moon-soon met with North Korea's sports chief Mun Ung in China and offered to ferry them to South Korea aboard a cruise ship. The International Olympic Committee has also said it is willing to shoulder their expenses.

**SNIP** 2016 communications director Mario Andrada revealed the reasoning behind the medal problems. "The most common issue is that they were dropped or mishandled and the varnish has come off and they've rusted or gone black in the spot where they were damaged," he said. "The second thing is that a small few, about 10, had problems with the extreme cold." Andrada also called the issues "completely normal."

FULL TITLE: After the crowds have gone: Haunting images show dilapidated Olympic venues in Rio just SEVEN MONTHS after the event - despite promises the games would provide a lasting legacy A drained pool filled with mud, crumbled roads and overgrown plots of grass. These eerie images aren't from a post-apocalyptic movie, they are photographs of several Olympic venues in Rio - just seven months after the games finished. Despite promises from the organisers that the billion-dollar site would be used to benefit Brazil's citizens, it remains deserted and dilapidated. The country remains in a deep economic and political crisis...

Ralph Lauren announced Monday it would not renew its sponsorship contract with Ryan Lochte, becoming the second company to drop the U.S. Olympic swimmer in the wake of his scandal in Rio de Janeiro. Earlier Monday, Speedo USA executives said the company would drop its sponsorship of Lochte and donate $50,000 to charity. In Ralph Lauren's case, the company stated its contract with Lochte was for the 2016 Rio Olympics only, and would not be renewed. "Ralph Lauren continues to sponsor the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team and the values that its athletes embody."