🏓Paris Olympics: Day 10 - Recap

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Overwhelmed in watching or keeping up? Well, keep going! 

Kayak Cross - Yes, yes, and more yes! I like how Kayak has included the same adrenaline rush in these cross events like BMX and Snowboard Cross (winter). The crowd is in to the entire race, and the athletes work very hard to jockey for position.

Skeet Shooting - Pull. Pap-pap! Try it out. You may find yourself at pigeon clay range for hours.

Track Cycling (Team Pursuit) - The fast sport that you are missing. If you cycle, as I do, you like it. If you understand strategy in sports, you will like it. Watch it on PeacockTV replay.

3v3 Basketball - Whoo!! USA 🇺🇸 won bronze for the women. They bounced back from starting the tournament down 0-3. Was cheering for Hailey Van Lith from the beginning. Take this bronze into your college season, Hailey! Tune in to 3v3 Basketball next time. It's fast, demanding, and difficult.

Wrestling - Freestyle and Greco-Roman are both good. Start crouched or start in close combat. Wrestling, an old sport, was on the chopping blocks in 2013. Let's not go down that path again. It's popular.

Team Volleyball - Volleyball already had me cemented. The points arrive fast. The sport has plenty of athleticism and precision. Watchout Poland, the USA fellas are coming for ya!

Platform Diving - Dropping. No. Slicing through the water from 10m above has its merits. It's remarkable to look at the skill needed to create a bare minimum splash!

Shooting (Rapid Fire) - Pap-pap-pap-pap-pap! Five shots in four seconds. Get it in and with accuracy. Italy 🇮🇹 and China 🇨🇳 were up here again!

Track & Field - T&F is an entire mini Olympics of its own. I need to catch up on events on replay. But, what has been fun today? Women's 800m...missing Athing Mu 🇺🇸. But, the Great Britain 🇬🇧 runner did her thing. Men's Pole Vault...Mondo Duplantis of Sweden 🇸🇪 with the world record to end the night was fantastic! See, field events have many merits. Swedish meatballs for everyone! Women's Discus... I had to watch the replay. Valarie Allman 🇺🇸 used her athletic build to the fullest in capturing gold. It was interesting seeing a few athletes fall short of the 60m minimum line or hit the net. Men's Steeplechase...hurdle and splash, that's all I got. Because who wants to jump over a hurdle and into water after running for a while lol? But, it keeps you engaged as a spectator.

Five Rings,

Derek

#Paris2024 | #Olympics |

🏋 Paris Olympics: Day 9 - Recap

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Certainly could not watch a lot but had to watch the essential, Men's 100m, which did not disappoint from its heats to the final!

Track & Field - My goodness! My goodness! What a day. I have to go back and watchbfrack replays because the entertainment has been on full display. Hammer throw, women's high jump, every other event in between, and the men's 100m sprint delivered! Noah Lyles 🇺🇸, Kishane  Thompson 🇯🇲, and Oblique Seville 🇯🇲 looked like they would form the top 3 in the final. But, others lurked (Kerley 🇺🇸,  especially). We deserved a photo finish because all of the competitors wanted the gold!

With Lyles finishing with his chest, gold landed in his hands...er feet. He and Thompson ran very well. Heck, the entire eight-man field in the final sprinted well. 12/100th of a second separated 1st from 8th. Very good job! The 4x100m relay will be fantastic. For the first time in 20 years (Justin Gatlin, Athens, 2004), the USA 🇺🇸 has the fastest man title).

Five Rings,

Derek

#Paris2024 | #Olympics |

🏇Paris Olympics: Day 8 - Recap

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Trampoline - When you have a daughter who loves to flip and move like gymnasts, trampoline is watched. Sky Zone and others have nothing on this sport, or is it the other way around?

Road Cycling - Does anyone else imagine him or herself in a road race while riding? I do too. As a matter of fact, it would be nice to afford the bikes each athlete rides lol. 

Track & Field - Oooh-wee! Julien Alfred winning the women's 100m was electric.. Proud of her for winning the first medal ever for St. Lucia 🇱🇨.  Proud of Sha'Carri Richardson 🇺🇸 for putting in her all in the 100. Proud of Melissa Jefferson 🇺🇸 for her bronze medal finish. I feel like Alfred knew she would win gold after her semi-final sprint. My wife even said, "Wow, she looks serious." She did. No one hugged her. Stoic look. Was about business. Alfred got out of the blocks well. The men's shotput...shotput has plenty of action. I remember Crouser 🇺🇸 from Tokyo 2020. In winning a third consecutive gold medal, he has plenty to celebrate. The yelling and skill to execute the throw are perfect for the sport.

Appreciated: javelin, a little triple jump, and every other event shown between events.

Pretty much summed up this day. Couldn't watch a lot. But, that's what PeacockTV replay is for.

Five Rings,

Derek

#Paris2024 | #Olympics |

🏃‍♂️Paris Olympics: Day 7 - Recap

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In my pursuit to watch at least every Olymlic sport one time in these Paris Games, I am reminded of 1992 Barcelona. In those Games, I truly became a huge fan of the Olympics. In that year, I watched everything on the Red, White, and Blue TV package for anyone who remembers that TV deal. With more teams, more knowledge of the body and movement, as a coach, as a former youth, high school, and college athlete (it was non-NCAA ice hockey, which is still competitive), as performance professional, and as a dad, the Olympics hit in a different manner. Sports watched:

Team Handball - Sweden 🇸🇪 kicked butt over Croatia 🇭🇷 . Germany 🇩🇪 vs Spain 🇪🇸, with its high-scoring marks was entertaining. Remember: please do not leave these Olympics without knowing or without watching Team Handball.

Boxing - Packs a great punch. I agree with short bouts in the Olympics. Boxing can tend to have the best sportsmanship - Let's bash each others' heads in. Then, let us congratulate and lift our arms in the air as a unit!

Fencing - Did anyone see the Egyptian 🇪🇬 fencer who won while seven months pregnant? Not yet. Also: please do not leave these Paris Olympics without knowing or watching fencing.

Badminton - Denmark 🇩🇰  vs Chinese Taipei (no flag emoji)...exhilarating, fun, competitive. Badminton is the new backyard sport you have not played. But, like my client from yesterday, we both had sets as children. If you grew up in the 1980s, you had a set.

Track & Field - I missed the 4x400m Mixed Relay, the one everyone is upset about because Quincy Wilson did not run in it. Stay calm. They set a world record. You have   appreciate the skills of deathless, having the ability to do everything track & field. Athing Mu did not make the Paris Olympics, but the women's 800m race competition still has its merits. Women's disc

BMX Racing - Talk about an event I'd see if I attended the Olympics as a spectator. I have always liked BMX racing. One of the, if not, the most exciting and adrenaline pumping sport/event in the Olympics. Constant cheering. France 🇫🇷 locked in. 

Trampoline - Ever been to Sky Zone or any other indoor trampoline park? Yea, Trampoline in the Olympics is different. Talk about springy plyometrics.

Five Rings,

Derek

#Paris2024 | #Olympics |

🤸🏿‍♀️ Paris Olympics: Day 6 - Recap

Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 |Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day

Racewalking - Turn your treadmill to 9mph and walk. That's what the commentator said. These athletes push it out to racewalk 6:27 mile paces. My goodness! Not a boring sport to watch. Just learn from it, and the next time you walk on a pool deck (no running)...you should be OK.

3v3 Basketball - We've been exposed. The rest of the world is here. The USA 🇺🇸 is 0-4. They can make a comeback, but we have to adjust. 3v3 basketball does not wholly play out like regular playground 3v3 basketball (slower pace) that these players are probably used to. The Olympic version has more movement, is paced faster...it only stops for free throws.

Golf - Watch the green acres and sleep if you can. Skilled club stingers. It's. Just. The. Greenery.

Sailing - Wind is important. So, play or sail was suspended for a bit. I wish I had participated in sailing camp when I was younger. Had the chance - it did not interest me. Now, it does. Bet the day out on the water would be nice.

Gymnastics - Simone Biles is fantastic! Simone Gold, Simozoned, Simone Zone. No matter the name you have for Simone Biles, she delivered for the U.S. Shout-out to Sunisa ("Sunni") Lee for her bronze medal - la médaille de bronze - after face planting on the uneven bars. 

Gold - Biles, after overcoming criticism for dropping out in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Silver - Rebecca Andrade of Brazil 🇧🇷, after overcoming three ACL tears. Bronze - Lee, after overcoming two bouts of kidney disease. Fantastic perseverance, ladies!

Field Hockey - My daughter plays field hockey, so I am a field hockey dad as well. The Olympic level provides a lot of entertainment. Great Britain 🇬🇧 kicked our 🇺🇸 butts today, 5-2. But, the action and movements are worth seeing. Have you ever seen a game in-person?

Surfing - My goodness! So much waiting for the next wave. Watched Silva vs Hinckel both from Brazil 🇧🇷. Thirteen minutes passed by with a total of three waves surfed. You must have patience; otherwise, you will tire out. Surfers are different athletes. 

Five Rings,

Derek

#Paris2024 | #Olympics |

🚴‍♂️Paris Olympics: Day 5 - Recap

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The work environment, at times, provides difficulty in watching every Olympic sport in its entirety. But, the effort can be applauded:

Swimming - Katie Ledecky is simply the best at what she does in the pool. Twenty of the top times in the women's 1500m freestyle. Fantastic for the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (Bethesda, MD) alum.

Soccer - it was on but did not see much.

Water Polo - I actually love how Flavor Flav has sponsored this team. They bounced back from a tough loss to Spain 🇪🇸 to destroy their competition today.

Gymnastics - Didn't see much, but it was on. Hopefully, my list of daily viewed sports can inspire you to watch and learn.

Judo - Is very cool. But, I don't get it. See, in the men's bronze medal match, 90kg, I believe, the athlete from France 🇫🇷 was flipped by the athlete from Brazil 🇧🇷.  However, the Brazilian did not receive any points. Can anyone explain why? The Frenchman went on to win la médaille de bronze.

Shooting - Familiarize yourself with the rules of shooting events at the Olympics: Rules and Regs. It's been around since the modern Olympic Games began in 1896. So, like handball, do not leave these Olympics asking yourself, "What is shooting?" After watching men's pistol finals and shotgun trap finals on replay, each competitor respects one another. Something the world needs in shooting: respect. Check it out because rifle and clay - shot that earlier this summer, and it was fun - will arrive today and through the weekend.

Five Rings,

Derek

#Paris2024 | #Olympics |

⛹🏿 Paris Olympics: Day #4 - Recap

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Gymnastics is in its swing! 

3v3 basketball started! 

I need to pay attention to 3v3 more closely in these Olympics. I know, it's playground basketball when you think about it. But, players get exposed because only six of them play at one time. The USA 🇺🇸 women got exposed in game 1 versus Germany 🇩🇪. The squad was up 5-0 and lost 17-13. Once the game ended, the ladies did not look happy at all. Hey, it's gonna take some grit to get the gold in these Paris Olympics for the reigning Olympic champions. 

Get them back in game 2, ladies!

Archery - A small sport that is worth the watch. Watch out for South Korea 🇰🇷 , Japan 🇯🇵 and China 🇨🇳.  Or, was that in pistol?

Gymnastics -  through it all Simone Biles and the rest of the U.S. crew won gold in the Team finals. Fantastic delivery! Biles is a cheat code - she's bad out there on the floor 🔥🔥🔥. Love seeing her compete.

Rugby - So...with the USA 🇺🇸 women winning the bronze medal in Rugby Sevens, the U.S. now has never medaled in five sports (Team Handball, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Table Tennis, and Badminton). Everyone forgot about rugby. So, there were actually six sports, prior to the Paris Olympics in which we had never medaled. Not anymore! The women's team won in dramatic fashion versus Australia 🇦🇺.  Fantastic and historic victory!

Team Handball - Please do not leave these Paris Olympics without knowing what Handball is as a sport. It has been around since 1936. No more questions of, "What is this?" Go watch it. You will like it. Rough, athletic, strategic. Watch it!

Beach Volleyball - The rallies are the best. It's not as fast as team volleyball. But, it works. 

Keep watching!

Five Rings,

Derek

#Paris2024 | #Olympics |