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Tag: Olympics

  • Twitter Offers Event Targeting To Rio Olympics Advertisers

    Twitter Offers Event Targeting To Rio Olympics Advertisers

    “We launched event targeting to provide a fast and easy way to reach a target audience on Twitter that’s actively interested in an event,” says Jay Bavishi, the Marketing Manager at Twitter. “Event targeting gives you the ability to target the Olympics as an entire event or an individual sport throughout the entire Olympic Games.”

    Twitter has previously posted a best practices guide to event targeting on Twitter. “For brands who want to engage with this live audience, Twitter created event targeting,” stated Eric Farkas who is Twitter’s Product Marketing Manager. “It gives advertisers a fast and easy way to reach a target demographic that’s actively interested in an event.”

    “Unlike the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals which happen over a day or the course of a week, the Olympics are an “always on” sporting event that runs from August 5-21,” Bavishi said. “Not only are competitions occurring throughout the day, but athletes, fans, and broadcasters are poised to make news away from the field of play at any point. Given this, it would be impossible for a brand or agency to stay attuned to everything that is happening on and off the field in Rio at all times. We’ve got you covered: event targeting gives you the ability to target the Olympics as an entire event or an individual sport throughout the entire Olympic Games.”

    Screen Shot 2016-07-11 at 3.42.47 PM

    Bavishi recommends that marketers “leave the targeting to Twitter” stating “by relying on keywords and other contextual cues, we’re able to help you zero in on only the conversations that are related to the event you want to target.” Bavishi added, “Layer on demographic and geographic targeting to refine your audience. Don’t use tailored audiences or additional targeting as it may limit your campaign’s reach. If you are planning to use follower targeting based on an athlete or another Olympic-related account, we recommend setting up a separate campaign.”

    He also says that advertisers should “start engaging before the event” noting that “typically we start tracking an event audience 30 days before an event begins, giving you plenty of time to plan your campaign.”

    “To seed interest,” Bavishi says, “Send Tweets early. Doing this will increase the list of people engaging with the event (and your campaign). As activity levels rise, your connections multiply and you’ll find yourself at the heart of a growing crowd.”

    Lastly Bavishi suggests that marketers “build 360-degree engagement by aligning multiple channels.” He wants you to tie your TV, print and other internet marketing to your Twitter event marketing strategy in order to maximize impact noting, “This will help drive home your message to Olympic fans.”

  • Gabby Douglas Intent On Reaching Elusive Olympic Feat

    In the world of gymnastics, time is the undefeatable enemy. Gymnastics is hard on the mind and body, making longevity in the sport a difficult task. Gabby Douglas, however, wants to take on that task and become the first two-time winner of the Olympic all-around title in 50 years.

    The first female gymnasts to accomplish this feat were the former Soviet Union’s Larisa Latynina and Věra Čáslavská of the Czech Republic. They were successive two-time all around champions, but arguably during a time when the sport was not as demanding. A number of other gymnasts have since come close but were unsuccessful and soon Douglas will have her chance at the elusive repeat.

    The American phenom won her first Olympic gold medal for the individual all-around in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and took home a second gold medal at the games for the all-round team competition. Soon after, Douglas started taking breaks, had inconsistent camps, and suddenly the hopes of a successful return was met by criticism.

    As a gymnast, taking a break is a major setback as months of training and repetition can turn to rust after just a few weeks of idleness. The mind might think that it’s still able, but the body won’t cooperate.

    But after all the skepticism and the rise of a new gymnastic superpower in Simone Biles, Douglas is ready to reclaim what she won years ago.

    “I never really wanted to retire. I wanted to take a little bit of a break, and then go for it,” said Douglas whose first real competition since the Olympics was at the Secret Classic in Hoffman Estates, Ill., held last Saturday.

    She came in second overall behind Biles, who beat her by 1.9 points. Though she came up short on Saturday,  Douglas is now older and wiser and certainly more motivated to become the next Olympic two-time champion.

    “My comeback wasn’t fake, guys,” said Douglas.

    Gymnastics fans have to wait and see if Gabby Douglas can successfully defend her title in 2016.

  • Lindsey Vonn Aims to Come Roaring Back, Plans to Skip Aspen to Prep

    Even after setbacks in November and December of last year in which she re-injured her knee during training, Lindsey Vonn had high hopes for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Alas, it was not to be. The Alpine skiing darling skipped the Sochi event as an official competitor and served as a corespondent for NBC News there.

    But don’t count Vonn out. She is the most successful American ski racer in history. That’s not just as a woman; that’s both genders. She has won 59 World Cup races, two Olymbpic medals, five World Championships, and holds the medal record for women’s Alpine skiing.

    Vonn is taking it easy, competition-wise, right now. She is healing, training, and getting back to form. She had meniscus damage with her last knee injury, making recovery tougher. But she tells the Denver Post that things are healing nicely.

    “Everything is going really well,” said Vonn. “The knee feels really good. With the meniscus stuff, I expected something to go wrong or there would be a setback of some sort, but there wasn’t anything. It was great the whole time. I didn’t have any pain, didn’t have any swelling. It was quite a bit better than I expected.”

    Vonn plans to skip the Aspen competitions over Thanksgiving and hold out until the downhill and super-G races at Lake Louise, Alberta, in December.

    Her injury means that Vonn is in a different training stage than the rest of her team, but she hopes to be able to catch up to them soon.

    “I definitely have a different progression,” Vonn said. “Everyone is already in race mode, they’ve been skiing in the summer and they’re at a different stage in their prep period. I hope and anticipate being able to train with the rest of the team.”

    And Vonn definitely aims to be in the 2018 Olympics, even though she will be 34 years old when that comes around.

    “Because I haven’t really competed in two years, and that’s a quite unusual for me — I’ve been competing since I was 9 years old — it’s been frustrating for sure,” Vonn said. “I’m ready to be racing again, I’m excited for this season. I had heard a couple of interviews where other girls had expected me to retire, and that’s just not what’s going to happen. I’m very fired up for this season and I’m looking forward to being back in the starting gate and being aggressive again.

    “I’m definitely going to bring everything I have. I’ve got four more years left and I intend to make them count.”

    Vonn has previously spoken about the depression that can come from long periods of training in downhill skiing.

    “I have good days and I have bad days,” she told the German magazine Focus.

    Vonn recently visited Mt. Brighton, Minnesota, where she launched her new Ski Girls Rock program. She went through a 45-minute workout with the girls team at Brighton High, and worked with the instructors on a girl-focused program that will culminate in a series of three-day training weekends.

    “Obviously academics come first, but they seem like they are incredibly enthusiastic and very motivated young women, and that’s great to see,” Vonn said. “I can only encourage them to continue working hard and keep enjoying what they’re doing, because it’s showing not just on the slopes but also off the slopes. Their attitude in general is really quite something. It’s cool to see.”

  • Michael Phelps Suspended After DUI Arrest

    Michael Phelps was planning to make a comeback at the next Olympic games, but after his recent DUI arrest, he has been suspended by the USA swimming team and will not be allowed to participate in next year’s world championships or any USA Swimming-sanctioned meets through April 6, 2015.

    In addition to being banned from the sport, Phelps also lost six months of funding from the sport’s national governing body.

    Phelps was banned after USA Swimming claimed that he violated the Code Of Conduct.

    “Michael’s conduct was serious and required significant consequences,” said Chuck Wielgus, USA Swimming executive director. “We endorse and are here to fully support his personal development actions.”

    Phelps was not happy about the decision, but accepted it.

    “Michael accepts USA Swimming’s sanctions,” according to a statement from his representatives at Octagon. “He has apologized for his actions and, as he shared yesterday, is taking steps to address them.”

    He later apologized to his fans and expressed his regret on his Twitter account in a series of posts.

    He also tweeted about his suspension.

    Do you think USA Swimming’s decision was fair?

  • Michael Phelps Arrested For DUI In Baltimore

    Michael Phelps, who has won more Olympic medals than anyone, was arrested for DUI in Baltimore on Tuesday morning.

    Phelps was arrested by the Maryland Transport Authority at around 1:43 a.m. in the Fort McHenry Tunnel on I-95.

    “A Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police Officer was operating stationary radar on southbound I-395 leaving Baltimore City when a White 2014 Land Rover entered the radar’s area of influence at excessive speed (84 mph in a 45 mph zone),” the MDTA said in a statement.

    “The officer followed the vehicle onto northbound I-95, through the tunnel and initiated an enforcement stop just beyond the tunnel’s toll plaza. Mr. Phelps was identified as the driver by his driver’s license and appeared to be under the influence. He was unable to perform satisfactorily a series of standard field sobriety tests. Mr. Phelps was cooperative throughout the process.”

    Phelps was charged with speeding, crossing double lane lines and driving under the influence. This wasn’t Phelps’ first run-in with the law or his first DUI.

    He was charged with a DUI in 2004 as well. After his 2004 arrest, he released a statement saying,

    “I recognize the seriousness of this mistake. I’ve learned from this mistake and will continue learning from this mistake for the rest of my life.”

    Phelps had been training to make a comeback at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. He did not release a statement about his recent arrest.

    Will the DUI charge affect Michael’s Olympic comeback or will he be able to shake it off?

  • Michael Phelps Arrested On DUI Charges

    Michael Phelps Arrested On DUI Charges

    Gold Medal Olympian Michael Phelps was arrested early Tuesday morning in Maryland for suspicion of Driving Under the Influence. Authorities have reported that the swimmer was pulled over at 1:40 am for speeding. Phelps was driving 84 mph in a 45 mph zone. He also reportedly crossed over the double lane lines at the Fort McHenry Tunnel on I-95 in Baltimore.

    According to the police statement, an officer spotted a 2014 white Land Rover speeding and followed it through the tunnel. The officer stopped the car around the toll plaza.

    The 29-year-old was given a field sobriety test at the scene. A spokesperson for Maryland Transportation Authority told ABC, “Mr. Phelps was identified as the driver by his driver’s license and appeared to be under the influence. He was unable to perform satisfactorily a series of standard field sobriety tests.” Phelps was subsequently charged with DUI, crossing the double lanes, and speeding.

    This was not the first time that the Olympian has been charged with DUI. He pleaded guilty to DUI in 2004 and was given 18 months probation.

    Phelps announced in April that he was coming out of retirement to swim in the Arena Grand Prix in Mesa, Arizona. He had not competed since the 2012 London Olympics. Phelps currently has 18 Olympic gold medals and 22 medals total. He is the most decorated athlete in Olympic history.

    Phelps said that he returned to the pool because he was bored with retirement and liked the structured schedule of swimming. “It’s good to have some structure back in my life,” Phelps said in July. “That’s how I’ve always been. That’s something I need. I was happy to get that year and a half where I did whatever I wanted, went wherever I wanted. I got that out of the way, and I’m happy to have this back.”

    The speculation was that Phelps was deciding on whether or not to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero. He has been training since last fall and also re-entered a drug testing program with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

    How his current DUI arrest affects his decision on whether or not to compete in 2016 remains to be seen. Phelps’ rep has yet to comment on the situation.

  • Katie Ledecky Smashes 400m Freestyle Record

    It was a comparison of old versus young at this past week’s 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships of Swimming as Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, shared the pool with 17-year-old swimming phenom Katie Ledecky, the winner of the 800m freestyle event at the 2012 Olympics at only age 15. While one can argue the advantages and disadvantages of either being old or young, one thing is for certain – Katie Ledecky is fast.

    After she stretched out to punch the wall in her final lap of the 400 meter freestyle swim at the William Woollett, Jr. Aquatic Center in Irvine, California, Ledecky had to know she swam well. After all, she had posted the third fastest time ever in a 400m qualifying heat earlier in the day. However, Ledecky put her past performances to the side as she geared up for the 400m finals.

    “(The record) was on my mind but I didn’t let it overtake me today. I was very relaxed and whatever happened, happened… I just tried to make sure I didn’t rush the first 100. Right after that, I could just race the final 300. I think it was probably pretty close to a perfect race,” stated Ledecky afterwards.

    Katie Ledecky stopped the clock at 3 minutes, 58.86 seconds on Saturday, setting a new World Record. The previous record was held by Federica Pellegrini of Italy, whose time of 3:59.15 was posted while wearing a polyurethane swimsuit, suits which have since been banned.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEkVG3Qm1RA

    With her performance at the US Nationals, Ledecky has now become only the second woman ever to hold three freestyle world records concurrently – the 400 meter, 800 meter, and 1,500 meter races. The last woman to do so was Janet Evans in 1988.

    “It’s an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as Janet. There’s a great history of U.S. distance swimmers, and we’re just trying to follow in their footsteps,” Ledecky humbly stated.

    Michael Phelps, who finished second in the 100m butterfly, sixth in the 100m backstroke, and seventh in the 100m freestyle, was in awe of Ledecky’s performance:

    It’s amazing. I thought it was going to be really tough to get under four minutes twice (in one day). She puts it out there. It’s good seeing somebody who is hungry and wants it like her.

    Ledecky’s coach, Bruce Gemmell, echoed Phelps’s sentiments, stating that Ledecky has an edge on her competition because “She’s not afraid to go for it. I think that’s important.”

    Ledecky’s performance at the US Nationals qualified the 17-year-old high school senior for the Pan Pacific Championships later this month in Australia. Ledecky has already thought about the upcoming meet, choosing to opt out of her last 1,500m race to begin training.

    “I just like to train hard and swim fast. I’m glad it’s paying off,” surmised Ledecky.

    Image via YouTube

  • Oscar Pistorius Breaks Silence With Three Tweets

    Just days after the Oscar Pistorius murder trial was adjourned, the Olympian broke his silence on Twitter. Ever since being charged with the murder of his girlfriend back in February 2013, with the exception of a single tweet, the South African runner has remained silent on the popular social media outlet.

    Pistorius, who has been out on bail, admitted to shooting and killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria, South Africa on February 14, 2013, but maintains that the shooting was accidental. Pistorius says that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder, which is why he says he shot her through his bathroom door. Following some inaccuracies with Pistorius’s account of what happened, the runner was charged with premeditated murder, and the trial began earlier this year.

    The last tweet Oscar Pistorius made following the death of Steenkamp sent followers to his personal website where he made a statement about the incident:

    No words can adequately capture my feelings about the devastating accident that has caused such heartache for everyone who truly loved – and continues to love Reeva.

    The pain and sadness – especially for Reeva’s parents, family and friends consumes me with sorrow.

    The loss of Reeva and the complete trauma of that day, I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

    Now that the trial is nearing its end, Pistorius has returned to Twitter by posting a photo collage of himself with amputated youths and the caption “You have the ability to make a difference in someone’s life. Sometimes it’s the simple things you say or do that make someone feel better or inspire them.” Pistorius also posted a quote from a psychiatrist as well as a Psalm.

    Check out Pistorius’s tweets below.

    Oscar Pistorius’s trial will wrap up starting August 7, when the lawyers give their final arguments. If Pistorius is found guilty of premeditated murder, he could face life in prison.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Amy Van Dyken Stays Positive After ATV Accident

    On June 6, former gold medal-winning Olympic swimmer Amy Van Dyken’s life changed forever following an ATV wreck in which she severed her spinal chord. While doctors were able to perform surgery to save Amy’s life, she was left paralyzed below the waist, with no feeling at all in her legs or toes. Despite the huge setback for such a successful athlete, Amy’s spirits have not dampened – in large part due to the outlet of social media.

    Before Amy had fully recovered and awoke from her surgery, her husband and former NFL kicker Tom Rouen placed her cell phone in her hands, knowing how important sharing her life through social media had become to Amy. Unbeknownst to Tom at the time, that small gesture may have made a world of difference in Amy’s route to recovery.

    ”She sends stuff out there and gets so much positive energy and positive feedback that I really think it helps her a whole lot. It’s also been good to be able to have a distraction with everything that’s going on,” stated Rouen.

    Simply hours after her initial surgery following the accident, Van Dyken was posting to her Instagram account, sharing a picture of her family and her dislike of hospitals with the rest of the world:

    Of course, Amy is not only benefitting through the catharsis of revealing her own thoughts and emotions to her fans. Van Dyken has been on the receiving end of many kind words and gestures, pieces of daily communication that Van Dyken no longer takes for granted: ”It’s blowing me away. It truly is. I’ve gotten a lot of messages sending me thoughts, prayers, positive vibes. I feel them. It’s helping me and I just want to say thank you to everyone.”

    So far, all the hard work and well-wishes have paid off, as Van Dyken heard perhaps her best news in quite some time on Tuesday:

    Image via Instagram

  • Judo Champ Assault: Peter Seisenbacher Under Investigation For Sex Crimes

    Austria’s Peter Seisenbacher, one of the best judo practitioners, is under investigation for purportedly sexually assaulting four of his minor pupils that he coached back in the 2000s.

    On Wednesday, the Vienna state prosecution confirmed the reports about the Olympic gold medalist. They said that the investigation on Seisenbacher started last year when the four pupils filed sexual assault charges against their former coach.

    Seisenbacher, 54, became the first judoka to win consecutive Olympic gold medals. The first medal was in 1984 at the Los Angeles Olympics for the Men’s Middleweight (86 kg.) event, and the second one was in 1988 at the Seoul, South Korea Olympics, again for the Men’s Middleweight (86 kg.) event.


    Before the 1984 Olympics, Seisenbacher went to Japan to develop his judo skills, which provided the optimal conditions for his training. Training in a different country allowed Seisenbacher and the rest of the Austrian team to have world-class partners that they could train with. According to his coach, George Kerr, Seisenbacher returned from Japan “a different fighter.” His extensive training in Japan made him a better athlete.

    After winning his first Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles, Seisenbacher created a winning streak by being the world champion in 1985 and the Europe champion in Belgrade in 1986.

    From 2010 until 2012, Seisenbacher was the head coach of the Georgian national judo team. He continued to win European championship medals and world championship medals. From 2012 to 2013, Seisenbacher became the head coach of the Azerbaijan national judo team. Seisenbacher followed the footsteps of Coach Kerr, and has proved to be successful. Kerr is a Scottish judo expert who competed for the United Kingdom. He has four European championship medals under his name.

    If found guilty of the sexual harassment charges, Seisenbacher could spend up to 10 years in prison.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Amy Van Dyken Rouen Severs Spine in ATV Accident

    Amy Van Dyken Rouen, six-time Olympic gold medalist, severed her spine in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident near her Scottsdale, AZ home on Friday.

    Van Dyken, 41, and husband Tom Rouen were coming home from dinner Friday night when the ATV she was driving hit a curb in a restaurant parking lot and tumbled down a five- to seven-foot embankment.

    Tom Rouen, a former punter for the Denver Broncos, said he raced to his wife’s aid on his motorcycle.

    “She wasn’t breathing,” Rouen said. “I raised up the back of her neck with my hand, she started gasping for air.”

    Van Dyken was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

    Tom Rouen said she had not been drinking alcohol that evening. He told police that he had recently changed the throttle mechanism on the ATV Van Dyken was driving from a thumb accelerator to a twist accelerator. It is currently not clear if that was a factor in the accident.

    Van Dyken was transported by helicopter to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center where she underwent surgery to repair her spine.

    Tom Rouen said the first three days following surgery were critical, but she “is strong and has a great attitude.”

    Van Dyken’s family released a statement to Swimming World:

    “Amy’s spinal cord was completely severed at the T11 vertebrae, but, miraculously, a broken vertebrae stopped within millimeters of rupturing her aorta, and she did not suffer any head trauma. Amy awoke within hours of surgery acting like her typical spunky, boisterous, ebullient self and has spent the last 24 hours entertaining her family and her medical staff in the ICU. She has made at least one male nurse blush. Amy’s attitude has been overwhelmingly positive and optimistic. She has been far more of a comfort to us than we have been to her.”

    Missy Franklin, 19, is a four-time Olympic gold medalist who has met Van Dyken several times over the past few years. The two swimmers, also fellow native Coloradans, bonded and became friends.

    “I think everyone is just shocked by it,” Franklin said Monday. “My mom told me, and I just immediately started praying for her and her family. Hearing that she’s in ICU is obviously very scary. … I know the entire swimming community is thinking about her and praying for her.”

    At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Van Dyken became the first US woman to win four gold medals at one Olympics. She followed that up with two Olympic relay gold medals in 2000 at the Sydney Summer Olympics.

    Image via Instagram, Amy Van Dyken

  • Brazil Olympics Prep Off To A Bad Start

    Brazil Olympics Prep Off To A Bad Start

    The Brazil Olympics are set to take place in Rio in 2016. While the Summer Olympics may be two years away, it’s only just enough time to make sure the city is ready to host people from all over the world. The only problem is that Brazil is hosting another huge sporting event this year and those plans are already hurting its Olympics preparations.

    CNN reports that the International Olympic Commission is none too pleased with Brazil’s preparations for the Summer 2016 Olympics. John Coates, the International Olympics Vice President, recently visited Rio to see how preparations were going. He came back unimpressed and even said that the preparations were the “worst [he’s] ever experienced.” To help move things forward, the IOC says it will be sending its own people to Rio to make sure Brazil puts on a good show in 2016.

    So, what’s the problem in Brazil? Well, the main issue that the Olympic Committee can blame is Brazil putting priority on the World Cup happening this year. After all, it makes more sense to focus on a large sporting event happening in 2014 than a sporting event set to take place in 2016. Despite that, the IOC feels that Brazil should be putting equal if not more emphasis on the upcoming Olympics.

    While it may be focused on setting up Rio for the World Cup this year, the Olympics committee in Brazil says it remains focused on delivering “excellent Games that will be delivered absolutely within the agreed timelines and budget.” It notes that this is the first time the Olympics have been in South America and it can’t afford to screw this one up. The eyes will be on Brazil and South America as a whole in 2016. It’s the continent’s chance to truly shine in the eyes of the world so the pressure is on to deliver Games that the world will admire.

    Brazil is under a lot of pressure to deliver in 2016 and the International Olympic Committee says that it will be there to help them meet its goals:

    “The Rio 2016 Olympic Games have great potential for being a very exciting event which leaves many legacies,” said IOC Coordination Commission Chair Nawal El Moutawakel. “But although progress is being made, each decision that is postponed and each subsequent delay will have a negative impact on delivery. Total focus and dedication are therefore required. The Olympic Movement stakeholders will continue to actively and constructively assist the organizers towards their short and long-term objectives.”

    The International Olympic Committee may be concerned now, but Rio will hopefully not screw this one up. If its introductory video is any indication, Rio at least knows what it’s doing:

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Mark Pavelich Auctions Olympic Gold Medal

    Mark Pavelich Auctions Olympic Gold Medal

    Mark Pavelich was one of the most instrumental players in the Lake Placid Winter Olympics in 1980.

    Pavelich was a member of the “Miracle on Ice” team, who had an amazing win against the Russians. Their win is still, to this day, considered one of the biggest upsets in the US Winter Olympics history, and led them to win a gold medal.

    Now, nearly 25-years later, Pavelich has decided to part with his medal, and will be selling it through Heritage Auctions in Dallas. Pavelich said that he wants to sell the medal to get a head start on his daughter’s future.

    “I’m doing a lot for my daughter here. I want her to get a step forward in life. That’s probably the biggest reason,” Pavelich said. “The only thing is you’re limited to what you can do with these things. … You keep it in a vault in the bank somewhere and you take it out once in a while and you look at it and you put it back in. You can’t put them in a house because it could burn or get stolen and it’€™s just gone and useless. It’€™s just an impractical thing.”

    Pavelich explained that he doesn’t have to have the medal in his possession to know that he won it. “You can’t say that you never did win a medal just because you don’t have it anymore,” he continued. “You always can say that you got it.”

    Pavelich is not the first player to sell their medal. Mark Wells sold his, through the same organization, in 2010 to help pay for medical bills. His medal sold for a whopping $310,700.

    Image via sports.ha.com

  • Michael Phelps: Olympic Champ Ends Retirement To Compete In Swim Meet

    Michael Phelps, known to be the world’s most decorated Olympic athlete, will return to the pool on April 24-26 for the Arena Grand Prix, ending his retirement. The swim meet will take place at the Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa, Arizona.

    Phelps is set to enter three events: the 100-meter butterfly, the 50-meter freestyle, and the 100-meter freestyle. It will be his first competition since his 22-medal win in the London Games in 2012. By competing again, Phelps may also have a chance to swim at the next Summer Olympic Games in 2016, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    The 28-year-old champion swimmer returned to his training regimen in the fall of last year and also re-entered the United States drug-testing program. Phelps was able to complete the six-month waiting period required by the United States Anti-Doping Agency that would give him the eligibility to compete.

    Bob Bowman, Phelps’ coach since he was 11, said that the April swim meet is a chance for Phelps “to test the waters” to see how it goes, and is not necessarily a complete comeback. He says that Phelps has been training five days a week at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and is in “enough shape” to compete but is still not in his top form.

    If the results of the swim meet aren’t up to par with Phelps’ performance in the previous Olympics, Bowman said that it won’t tarnish the swimmer’s reputation: “His legacy is sealed.”

    Aside from Phelps, fellow Olympians Katie Ledecky and Ryan Lochte are also expected to join the Arena Grand Prix. Ledecky shared her enthusiasm for Phelps’ comeback, saying that it will “bring some more energy to swimming again,” adding that Phelps has nothing to lose “whether he adds a couple more gold medals or not.”

    Apart from the competition, Phelps may be swimming again for something else: fun. According to Bowman, “I think he’s just really enjoying it… He enjoys the training and being physically fit.” Phelps doesn’t need the money, having already earned millions of dollars in endorsements.

    Chuck Wielgus, the executive director of USA Swimming, was happy Phelps was returning to the pool, saying that the move “will surely inspire even more kids to give swimming a try.”

    Image via YouTube

  • USOC 2024 Determining Potential US Olympic Bid

    On Tuesday, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) expressed much interest in narrowing down its field of potential cities to make a bid to host the 2024 summer Olympics.

    “The dialogue is really around which cities do we think can put together a bid that is going to be a fantastic bid and which cities do we think have the opportunity to win… Before we make a final decision we need to get into fairly detailed discussions with hopefully a smaller number of cities so our objective is to be in that position within the next couple of months,” stated USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun.

    Last year, the USOC sent out 35 letters to the biggest cities in the United States to gauge the interests US cities had in hosting the Olympics once again.

    The list is expected to be narrowed to two or three finalists within the next month, with San Diego being the only city to have submitted a formal bid thus far.

    The United States has not hosted an Olympics since the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah and has not hosted a Summer Olympics since the 1996 games in Atlanta, Georgia.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z33rvWOh8N0

    Part of the reason the USOC has had issues in cementing a US Olympic bid was due to tense relations with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over revenue sharing.

    In an open-ended contract created with the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, the USOC received a 20 percent share of global sponsorship revenue and a 12.75 percent cut of U.S. broadcast rights deals. When the US went to apply to host the 2012 Olympics in New York, it received a huge amount of backlash from the IOC due to the international community feeling that the US shares were excessive.

    In 2012, however, the USOC and IOC came together to enter into negotiations to settle the dispute. Since that time, Blackmun and the USOC have gotten back in the good graces of the IOC and have decided to submit another bid.

    “We’ve received plenty of encouragement from multiple IOC members about a bid,” USOC chairman Larry Probst said.

    At the current time, the leaders to host the 2024 summer Olympics in the United States are San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and San Diego.

    Image via YouTube

  • Michael Phelps Making An Olympic Comeback?

    After the 2012 London Olympics, and winning a total of 18 gold medals (22 medals in all) during his Olympic swimming career, Michael Phelps decided to retire at the age of 27.

    But has he changed his mind?

    Many began to wonder if Phelps would stay out of the competitive world of swimming after being vague about his future with swimming during an interview at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona last June, and even more so when he rejoined the US Anti-Doping Agency and underwent doping tests in November of last year.

    Now there is even more speculation that Phelps will be swimming in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and it comes straight from the mouth of Phelps’ swim coach, Bob Bowman. Coach Bowman said ever since Phelps rejoined the testing pool nine months ago, he has been training and attending afternoon practices at the North Baltimore Athletic Club “four-to-five times a week.”

    Phelps is now eligible to compete since he has completed the six month waiting period required by the USADA. The probable next step for Phelps would be to compete and earn a spot on the 2015 U.S. World Championship team, which would mean racing at the 2014 U.S. Championships in Irvine, California this August.

    “If he swims a meet in the next couple months and does well, he will probably give it a shot in Irvine. But he doesn’t have to do that to have a shot at the 2016 Olympics,” said Bowman.

    So will Phelps try to compete at Worlds, or pass go, collect $200 and go straight to Rio? Only time will tell.

    If Phelps does return to the competitive waters, Bowman said he will likely focus on shorter events like the 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle.

    Fans are excited about the news that Phelps could be competitively swimming again, and breaking more records.

    One person had a feeling that Phelps couldn’t stay retired after the London Olympics in 2012.

    Image via Bob Bowman, Twitter.

  • Harding On Kerrigan: She’s Not Worth My Time

    During the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by a man with a pipe to the knee. The cameras which had followed her off the ice from practice that day also followed her through a blue curtain to the backstage area and then swung away; moments later, the damage was done. Now, 20 years later, a documentary sheds new light on the women at the center of the biggest scandal to dominate the media in the early ’90s.

    The doc, which aired on Sunday and closed out the Sochi Olympics, gave us interviews with Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, the figure skater who competed against Kerrigan that year and who was implicated in the attack, which was carried out by her ex-husband.

    “I was done with practice for the day. I got off the ice, went through the curtain and then I was hit. And then that just changed everything,” Kerrigan said. “I remember being at the hospital and I was going to try a jump and I couldn’t even bear weight at all.”

    The drama that unfolded following the attack became a tabloid editor’s dream, and many who initially sided with Kerrigan came to view her as a spoiled ice princess after Harding’s story of abuse came out. The media had a field day with the incident and with both women, eventually changing the sport and the way it’s covered–for better or worse–forever.

    “This may have changed skating a little bit, but to me, it changed media forever,” said U.S. champion Scott Hamilton.

    While Kerrigan says that she doesn’t speak about the attack much–especially around her children–Harding says that she’s apologized as much as she’s going to.

    “I have apologized so many times that it’s not worth — I’m sorry — she is not worth my time anymore,” she said.

  • NBC’s Heroes Will Return With 13 New Episodes

    For those people that were watching the Olympics at just the right time, some fans may already be aware of the big news involving NBC’s Heroes. The series has been a cult favorite for years, and previously ran for four seasons before getting cancelled.

    NBC teased the die hard fans of its old show with a new series that will premiere next year during last night’s coverage of the Olympics, and revealed that the new series will be called Heroes: Reborn. NBC will bring the show back for 13 more episodes during the 2015 season.

    With all of the people that have been watching the Olympics, it has been used as an outlet for others to premiere new videos in relation to upcoming films as well, with the film Divergent releasing their latest clip during Thursday’s Olympic coverage.

    NBC’s Heroes has had a large number of fans since its departure from the network in 2010, as people continue to re-watch it, and discover it through its addition to Netflix. The series blended elements of drama, action, and science fiction, and was a thrilling show with an ensemble cast that was used to launch the careers of several actors.

    While the new show is scheduled to have its own cast and plot, there is a chance that at least a few characters may return to the limited event series.

    Entertainment President Jennifer Salke teased the news when saying “Until we get closer to air in 2015, the show will be appropriately shrouded in secrecy, but we won’t rule out the possibility of some of the show’s original cast members popping back in.”

    The upcoming Heroes: Reborn is set to center on a new set of characters, with a brand new plot for people to get excited for. While the show started out with virtually none of its stars being well-known when it premiered in 2006, a few have gone on to receive starring roles in their own films and television shows, most notably Hayden Panettiere and Zachary Quinto.

    NBC’s new version of Heroes will come from the show’s original creator, Tim Kring. He has clearly been paying attention to the news that has been buzzing about the upcoming reboot of 24, and will be making a revival of Heroes, which may share some similarities.

    Science fiction continues to be a hot genre with the revival of several other comic book heroes such as Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, and ABC has also had success with the recent Agents Of SHIELD, paving the way for a revival of another series of the past. Although the plot for Heroes: Reborn is being kept under wraps, fans are likely to theorize about what could be happening with the new series.

    Are fans excited for more of NBC’s Heroes?

    Image via Youtube

  • Mikaela Shiffrin Wins Historic Gold for U.S.

    Mikaela Shiffrin has become the first U.S. Alpine women’s skier to win gold at the Sochi Olympics. She dominated the women’s Slalom with a combined time of 1:44.54.

    The victory is even sweeter for Shiffrin because the 18-year-old from Vail, Colorado is also officially the youngest women’s skier to ever win an olympic slalom, according to the Washington Post.

    Her mother said that on top of general pressure and nerves faced by a young olympian and being the surprise favorite, Mikaela was also battling a cold from the Giant Slalom that was held Tuesday entirely in frigid rain.

    “In general it’s nerve-wracking,” Mikaela’s mom Eileen Shiffrin said. “It just is. But she seemed in a good place when she went up there. But it’s funny. Nerves are funny. You can be fine one second and awful the next second. You never know when it’s going to creep in there.”

    But Mikaela didn’t seem to be suffering from nerves as much as her mom thought she would. She beat out some pretty fierce competition with a confidence that can only be manned by an 18-year-old who knows what good is, and she’s it.

    “I was pretty relaxed,” she said. “Thank goodness, because there are a couple points throughout the day where I was like, ‘Oh my God, here we go.’ But no, I was relaxed in the start, and that was awesome.”

    That winning run was very nearly thwarted by a close call early on, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Her left leg seemed to have a small revolt as she cruised down the mountain.

    Her coach, Roland Pfeifer, said, “I thought it was over.”

    To which Mikaela added, “That was scary,” she said. “I thought I was going off the course.”

    But it wasn’t over, not by a long shot. She recovered and skied on to victory.

    The win was welcome for the U.S. as Americans have generally owned Alpine Skiing, taking 12 medals between the Vancouver and Sochi Games. However, the Slalom has thus far escaped American athletes. Until now.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Johnny Weir Admits NBC Nixed One Wardrobe Item

    Johnny Weir spoke in a recent interview about his Olympic Games style–which has been the talk of various blogs and news stories since the Sochi games began–and said there was one thing he isn’t allowed to wear while he’s working.

    The fashionable figure skating star has dominated NBC’s morning programming along with Tara Lipinski as they commentate for the athletes on the ice, with some bloggers writing daily about his clothing and jewelry choices. But there’s one thing the network didn’t want him to show up in on camera, and he’s okay with that.

    “We’ve been having conversations since the fall about how I was going to appear in Sochi,” Weir told Access Hollywood. “They said go for it, do whatever you want, just on our air, no fur. And that’s something I can understand. I said I don’t think it’s really appropriate [to wear fur on the air]. Fur is a very distinct decision that a person makes, they support it or don’t. I don’t want to be in a position to throw [NBC] under the bus if people get upset.”

    Weir understands that fur is not for everyone and even promised not to wear it during the 2010 Vancouver Games after he received threats from animal rights activists.

    “I’ve had death threats before Vancouver from fur activists; I’ve been protested by fur activists,” Weir said. “Every bad thing that can come of wearing fur, I’ve had.”

    Weir’s on-air companion, Tara Lipinski, has drawn a lot of attention this week herself. 16 years after she dominated on the ice and brought home the gold for the U.S. at the tender age of 15, she’s excited to be working for NBC with her friend and says it’s her dream job.

    Image via Access Hollywood

  • Sochi Wolf Video Was a Jimmy Kimmel Hoax

    Sochi Wolf Video Was a Jimmy Kimmel Hoax

    Another day, another well-orchestrated Jimmy Kimmel prank.

    Yesterday, Team USA Olympic luger Kate Hansen posted this tweet:

    Holy…shit. Right? We know that there have been a plethora of issues with the Sochi Olympics–one of them being stray dogs everywhere–but a wolf? In the dormitories?

    As you would expect, the video quickly went viral and news outlets began to pick up on the story. When I say news outlets, I mean every single TV news station–probably in the whole country. It spread like wildfire across social media and blogs. It engendered countless “Wolf of Wall Street” jokes. Really, really, terrible “Wolf of Wall Street” jokes.

    And it was a hoax.

    Apparently, the whole thing was just Jimmy Kimmel and Kate Hansen Putin us on.

    “US Olympic luger Kate Hansen tweeted a video that showed a wolf wandering the hallways of her dorm in Sochi. Within minutes almost every news and sports website ran a story on it. The thing is, it was all a prank we orchestrated with Kate as Jimmy’s co-conspirator,” says the Jimmy Kimmel Live team.

    The full video reveals the whole story:

    What does this teach us? Is this a moment to sit back and reflect?

    Nah. Full speed ahead, internets. I’ve been fooled by plenty an internet hoax, but fortunately I can brag that this one tipped my bullshit-o-meter early and often. I’ll be expecting my internet points in the mail any day now. This isn ‘t the first time something like this will happen and it’s not the last. If a viral video seems too amazing to be true–well, it probably is–but just go with it. The worst that can happen is that you’ll get to run a follow-up piece on the hoax–with back links.

    You see? This is the kind of stuff you get into when you can’t just have a beer.

    Image via Jimmy Kimmel Live, YouTube