#2022 beijing winter games

[westcoastmidnightrun]

THE SIMONE BILES CIRQUE DE SOLEIL SIMONE SHOW?

NBC News presently reporting the GOLD OVER AMERICA TOUR is On the Road

Now that Simone Biles is back in the USA and eager to launch the Simone Biles' Cirque de Simone show, it should be noted that Gold could be tarnished by lingering questions about Tokyo 2020 and the hallway pass for "The Twisties" from the Ferris Bueller's Day Off camp.

For a broader yet more detailed point of view on the events leading up to the Paris 2024 Muscular Performance look for The Paris Olympics 2024 Part II Revue (and Part One) from WEST COAST MIDNIGHT RUN publication. (click photo or link for full article)

If you disagree with the report and revue it is free to post a comment, and there are no digital cookies and no censors, so please let the editors know your sentiments and any information to the contrary of what is included in the revue.

PS: These exclusive Olympics-themed posters are part of 50 posters for the Paris 2024 and Milan 2026 Olympics Games and West Coast Midnight Run members can download bundles of them in very large HD HQ size and format.

WEST COAST MIDNIGHT RUN™ #WHYMIDNIGHT BECAUSE YOU CAN HEAR YOURSELF THINK ABOVE THE ENGINE NOISE

All contents copyrighted including the #WHYMIDNIGHT TAGLINE

[guoman]

Kaleidoscope (万华镜 ) | Zhou Fanyuan

The graduation film of 2021 Tsinghua University Academy of Arts & Design student Zhou Fangyuan, Kaleidoscope is a short film celebrating the 56 officially recognized ethnic minority groups in China (I've added the respective groups in the alt text description of all relevant gifs). Since posting, it has gone viral on Bilibili, Weibo, and even Twitter. Zhou has a lovely interview with Animation Obsessive here about the creation process of the short. Since then, she was also hired to create an animated ad for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which you may view here.

[cheriladycl01]

Surrounded by Ice - Kimi Raikkonen x FigureSkater! Reader

Plot: The Iceman just surrounds himself with Ice in every aspect of his life

A/N: Just a short little Kimi drabble, more exciting stuff coming soon, just been swamped with Uni!

Credit to summerblueringo for the GIF

"How does it feel to bring home a gold medal for your country, again?" the interviewer asks and a big grin appears on your face.

"I mean, i love the sport and I've worked hard to get where I am. I think this year there were many other contestants who also deserved gold and everyone who took part today were amazing!" you keep smiling, it had been a really amazing set for you today. You'd even broke some records while here.

"And now what is your plan?" they ask holding the mic closer to you.

"Well my husband is waiting for me, just over there. So i think he wants to give me his congratulations" you say pointing out our stoic looking husband who was waiting in the background, keeping to himself watching the world go past.

"Ah yes, Kimi Raikkonen! The Ice Man, who arguably married Queen of the Ice" he jokes making you laugh a little. You had heard similar jokes many times since you'd married Kimi.

"Yes, obviously being here in South Korea for the Winter Olympics has been amazing, and I'll be sure to train hard for 2022 but now I'm needed to go support my lovely lovely husband in his fast cars" you exclaim, knowing that the Australian Grand Prix was round the corner.

"Ah yes, it's looking like a good season for Ferrari! And we can tell from your outfit today they already have your support"

"My support is for whatever team my husband is in, so Ferrari have had my support since Kimi has raced with them!"

You left the interview thanking your team before finding Kimi waiting for you quietly.

"Home?" you ask and he nods silently grabbing your hand and pulling you out of the arena.

"You were fantastic today!" he smiles, holding you and pulling you into a kiss.

"Yeah? You liked the new twist i did?" you ask, your routine today being one of the hardest you'd ever done. You mascara had infact started to run, from the sweat building on your forehead throughout the day.

"I like everything you do"

You guys both went back to the hotel, packing up all of your gear that had been here for the past month you'd stayed in Korea for. Once you were sure you hadn't left anything behind you made your way to the airport.

Kimi now only had a month until Australia, his personal trainer had come with you to Korea to help him train while he was out there supporting you.

Now, you'd train while you were travelling with Kimi. Finding ice while on the road with him was always difficult, but finding places to just work out and keep your fitness up was never hard as you'd train alongside Kimi. It was one of the ways to spend extra time with him during the season when he was most busy.

In the free month before Australia you started your research on where you could go in Melbourne to skate, you found somewhere that Kimi was happy with you going too as it wasn't too far from the hotel you'd be staying in or the race track for if anything went wrong.

"Will you watch me on the Sunday though?" he'd asked you as you were both lying in bed the night before you were due to fly to Australia.

"When have I ever not?" you ask, turning over in bed to look at him.

"Hmmm, I can for sure think of one time..." he smirks looking over you.

"If your talking about China, almost 10 years ago that doesn't even count!" you laugh, poking his cheek a little.

Your husband never failed to amaze you, his striking blue eyes and his soft blonde hair was what initially drew you in. But it was your first interaction with him that made you fall for him fully.

It was the Autumn of 2008 and you were 22 and you had just won your second Gold Medal in China, you'd stayed there for the months after the games as they left the Beijing Olympic Park open and it seemed like a good place to stay and to train.

You managed to get tickets to other sporting events in the months you stayed there such as Snow Boarding, Golf but the best one was when the Chinese Grand Prix came about.

You were active on the socials you had back then, and so it wasn't hard for Sauber BMW to reach out to you and give you a guest pass.

You'd been walking round the paddock, just investigating when you'd bumped right into the Finnish Ferrari driver. He had just stared at you while holding a tight grip on your wrist so you didn't fall over.

You remember him asking if you were okay, and some other questions that you hadn't heard fully as your brain had gone foggy at the sound of his soft, yet deep voice.

It was a little embarrassing, when he'd tried to speak Finnish to you, and then decided on English, but with no reply he was left stumped and awkwardly standing there.

He'd soon left after that but you were on each other's minds for the whole day. You tried to keep up conversations with the BMW drivers Robert and Nick but your mind kept drifting the the Finnish Driver for Ferrari.

He found you after the race, and just stared at you for a while before you made the first move speaking to him. And the rest was history.

You spent the next 5 years together as partners, it was convenient for someone like Kimi who raced all through the year apart from summer and winter to end up with someone in a sport who only competed for a month in the summer and winter. It meant that they also still got a break with each other.

After 5 years, Kimi let the big question unload and now you'd been married for 5 years.

"Of course, my love! You know that!" you smile, pulling him closer to you. You tuck yourself into his surprisingly warm embrace, considering his nickname was 'Iceman' he was the warmest person you'd ever had the privilege of meeting.

"I was thinking ..." he breathes, his voice a little higher and whiny than normal.

"Mmmmm, you don't do that often?" you tease, a hand running up and down his back.

"Well, I'm the ice man, your the Ice Queen... i was thinking maybe it's time we have an Ice Baby?" he whispers in the softest most unsure tone you'd ever heard.

"You think now's a good time?" you ask, and thinking about it... it was. You yourself had two years before the next Olympics in 2020, and Kimi was at a point in his career where he could leave and live comfortably if he needed and wanted to.

"I haven't told you this, but they want the Sauber kid in my spot. I'll be going to Alpha Romeo next year. I feel like I've done what i can and I've had my time in the sport... and we aren't getting any younger. Especially me..." he jokes, being 44 now.

"Mmmmmm I think now is the perfect time" you smile.

Flash forward to the Austin Grand Prix and you were 6 months pregnant. You'd already announced it and so many people were excited for you and Kimi, through the season he had loads of interviews. All against his will of course but people saw a different side to him when he talked about you and the soon to be baby.

It was a great race for Kimi in Austin, he pulled through with his first win of the season, valuable points that helped contribute towards his position in the drivers standings.

"So Kimi, first win of the season today! How are you feeling?" an interviewer asks, he was sat in a panel with some of the other drivers in a debrief.

"It was good to get a win, this season has been tough. We've had an interesting year with veteran drivers like myself, Seb, Fernando and Lewis being pushed by newer or younger drivers who are proving to be good competition like Charles, Max and Pierre" he answers.

"There have been rumors that you wont be here with us next season?" he pushes and Kimi roles his eyes.

"If I'm not it's not an issue... racing is my hobby that i get paid to do. I'll leave when i want to" he admits without letting anything slip that Ferrari wouldn't want to come public knowledge.

"Lets move on to you Lewis..."

And for the rest of the interview all he could think of was coming back to you.

Once your daughter was born in January before the start of the 2019 season and Kimi moving to Alfa Romeo everyone on the grid wanted to meet her. So of course, you were obligated to come to Australia for pre-season testing. Your 3 month old being so intrigued at the busy rush of everything around her.

She was a fan and driver fav around. Everyone had a picture with her and introduced themselves as her uncle and that they would look after her. People like Lewis, Seb and Charles all came with little gifts for her, Seb even had someone make her a custom team Ferrari top so she could fit in with her father and her Uncle Sebastian.

"Today was amazing!" you sighed as you leaned into your husband who currently held your daughter against his bare chest.

"Mmmm, I think you should both take a break though, at least until Summer break and join me afterwards" he smiles, knowing that the heavy time change from Monaco to Australia wasn't good for your or the baby.

"Well, I may as well come to Bahrain with you... its on the way back. But I will leave after that" you smile, pulling him in for a kiss.

"I love you, thank you for giving me this life" he smiles looking between you and his daughter.

"I wouldn't have it any of way" you grin.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @kapsylia @laneyspaulding19 @lazybot @malynn @cassielikereading @viennakarma @teamnovalak @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @jlb20416

[hab-a-nice-day]

—17-Year-Old Juraj Slafkovský wins bronze with Team Slovakia, Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, scoring 7 goals in 7 games and earning the title of MVP

[sywtwfs]

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has issued its decision in the Kamila Valieva case

• Ms Valieva is found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Clause 4.1 of the All-Russian Anti-Doping Rules of 24 June 2021 (the Russian ADR).

• A period of four (4) years ineligibility is imposed on Ms Valieva, starting on 25 December 2021.

• All competitive results of Ms Valieva from 25 December 2021 are disqualified, with all the resulting consequences (including forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, profits, prizes, and appearance money).

[…]

The consequences linked to the retroactive disqualification of Ms Valieva from past events, including from the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, were not within the scope of this arbitration procedure and will have to be examined by the sports organisations concerned.

Full CAS release

ETA: Full report of the case proceedings

[triptychgrip]

Yuri!!! on Ice post-canon headcanons - Part 1

-Yuuri becomes the first skater to ratify the quad flip in-combination, with a triple toe-loop. When he lands the combo at the 2018 Winter Olympics, it predictably breaks the internet and becomes known as the Katsuki Combo. Phichit becomes the second person to cleanly land it

-Minako bartends at the Viktuuri wedding reception in Hasetsu, and is single-handedly responsible for getting everyone trashed on their 'Stammi Vicino' signature cocktail. Things get pretty risque towards the end of the night when the new grooms begin to make exceedingly over-the-top declarations of love for one another. Neither Hiroko nor Toshiya bat an eye at any of this

-The first 'Viktor and Friends' ice show -- even with the Chihoko drama -- was such an incredible success that the Katsuki-Nikiforovs make it an annual excuse for all of their friends to get together in the off-season. The Hasetsu City Council becomes so fearful over liability issues when they notice how many tourists try to scale Hasetsu Castle to get pics in 'Shining Chihoko' pose, that they permanently install guardrails on the top of the Castle

-Viktor begins learning how to pole-dance under Yuuri's instruction. It's a 50-50 in terms of whether their lessons are actually productive versus them just ending up having sex, lol. B/c they are the most extra ppl imaginable, they work with Christophe to come up with a routine to perform at the 2022 Beijing Games banquet. This is their "last hurrah" in terms of banquet shenanigans, as the 2022 Olympics marks Yuuri's last competition before retiring

-Mila and Sara begin dating during the 2019 off-season, and Sara eventually moves to St. Petersburg so they can live together. Mila has Viktor choreograph a gala skate proposal routine, and when she performs it for Sara, everyone thinks it's amazing/adorable that she caps it off with her new fiance's damnably difficult signature jump combo (the triple lutz-triple loop)

-After a few years in St. Petersburg, Viktor and Yuuri move permanently to Fukuoka, Japan, where they coach/train at the same rink as Kenjirou (who never quite gets over his Yuuri hero worship, but does learn to tone it down...somehow). The move to Japan allows the Katsuki-Nikiforovs to begin working with the Nishigoris on long-term plans to expand Ice Castle Hasetsu into a top-tier training center

-Once Yakov retires, Yurio "follows" Viktor/Yuuri to Fukuoka and becomes Viktor's second student. This "works" in some respects, and is a disaster in others. With his ample free time upon retirement, Yakov attempts to repair things with Lilia

If any of the above headcanons sound interesting to you, you might be interested in my 2018/2022 Olympic Games fic series, which is currently comprised of 7 different parts! When I first began posting part 1 (currently at 212K words and counting) last November, I didn't do a great job of promoting it. So, as it (and the overall series) gets closer to completion, I'm striving to do better around that!

I originally set out to write an in-depth, post-canon series for two main reasons:

1) I find the politics of competitive sport really interesting and, obviously, canon Yuri!!! on Ice doesn't really touch on this in just 12 episodes. But politics/bureaucracy truly do weave into just about every aspect of an athlete's career, and particularly with such a talented/prominent Japanese skater moving to St. Petersburg to live and train alongside the sport's "Living Legend", I found myself ideating around what the implications of that would mean in-universe, particularly for the Winter Olympics

and 2) I wanted to see more of the "give and take" that we know to be true of Viktor and Yuuri's relationship. Naturally, as Viktor grows into his role as Yuuri's coach in canon, the narrative is largely about how he supports Yuuri, and I wanted to be able to explore more of the opposite (Yuuri learning to support Viktor in a more overt way than is implied).

Part 1 of the series is centered around the 2022 Olympic Games, but jumps back and forth in time so that you are able to get glimpses of how their relationship has evolved from their earlier days, as well as to see the ripple effect of a big event that took place at the PyeongChang Games.

Last but not least, if you like reading post-canon Yuri!!! on Ice but don't have energy/interest in reading a very long WIP, I have lot of other stories up on ao3, which you can find here

[harocat]

Title: Don't Stop Me Now ('cause I'm having a good time) Rating: T, no archive warnings apply Additional Tags: Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Katsuki Yuuri wins gold, romance, fluff, post-canon, married Victuuri Relationships/Characters: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Phichit Chulanont Summary: Yuuri Katsuki had been to three Olympic games now. In Sochi, he’d watched Victor Nikiforov take gold, while he finished an (in his opinion) underwhelming eighth. In Pyeongchang, Victor Nikiforov had watched him take gold; as his coach, as his husband. Now, in Beijing, he was surely at his last Olympics. He was twenty-nine, older than all but a couple of his competitors, and if it weren’t for sheer will, he’d probably have retired by now. Most expected he would.

But he was Yuuri Katsuki, and he’d made a career, since that fateful spring day Victor Nikiforov had come to coach him, of surpassing expectations; of being full of surprises. He came in as the reigning world champion; he’d been the reigning world champion since 2017. As had been the case for years, all eyes were on him.

Written for @opalescentlesbiian for the @yuri-on-ice-action event!!! You really gave me a prompt that was right up my alley. 😆

[the-olympics-olympics]

Beijing 2022

Obverse: The Olympic Rings and "XXIV Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022" surrounded by traditional Chinese art of stars and clouds inside concentric circles. Reverse: A stylized depiction of the Solar System around the logo, marking the Games coinciding with Chinese New Year festivities

Grenoble 1968

Obverse: Three snowflakes and the red rose emblem of Grenoble surrounded by host details. Reverse: A stylised image of each sport

[covid-safer-hotties]

Paris 2024 Was Supposed to Be ‘Normal’—But You Can’t Compete With COVID - Published Aug 2, 2024

Some athletes are taking their own precautions, but the responsibility shouldn’t be solely on them

In the lead-up to the Paris Games, we couldn’t escape how “normal” it was all supposed to be: Media outlets touted the return of cheering spectators in place of empty stadiums, a hyped opening ceremony packed with hundreds of thousands of fans, arrivals of friends and families to help athletes celebrate huge wins (and process tough losses)—and no masks in sight.

All in all, as the Associated Press wrote at the beginning of July, the Paris Games would mark the return to “post-pandemic” “normal,” following “a stretch when host cities turned into closed-off shells of themselves, depriving those who had earned their way inside the so-called Olympic ‘bubble’ of a true Olympic experience.”

But as we’re learning as the 2024 Summer Games go on, popping that bubble might have been more than a little premature—and the athletes could be the ones paying the price.

To be clear, the lack of spectators, family support, and ability to connect with others wasn’t easy for the athletes. As fencer Kat Holmes told SELF, the atmosphere was “very restrictive.” “In Rio, it was like, ‘We’re here together, we’re gonna get to know each other,’” she said. “In Tokyo, it was like, ‘Oh my God, don’t breathe on me.’” So we totally get the desire to avoid that—it’s just that, unfortunately, COVID hasn’t gotten the memo.

The strict rules of Tokyo and Beijing didn’t exactly make it to Paris. In Tokyo, the rules for the athletes were strict, so much so that the term “intimacy ban” kept getting thrown around. The reason for the “safety first” policies, according to a 70-page playbook released one month before the 2020 Games (which actually happened in 2021), was to protect all athletes, participants, and the people of Japan from the spread of COVID-19. As such, it detailed policies including mask wearing “at all times” (except for sleeping, eating or drinking, training, or competing); avoiding the “3 C’s” (spaces that are confined, crowded, or involve close contact); testing regularly for COVID-19, whether you were symptomatic or not; and isolating yourself if you do test positive, among others.

Strict, yes, but also effective. According to the annual report released by the IOC in 2021, there were only 33 cases of COVID-19 out of 11,300 athletes—and no confirmed spread of the virus between Games participants and the local population. As a result, those learnings went on to influence the policies for the Winter Games in Beijing in 2022, which maintained many of those strict rules too.

Fast forward two years later. We’re now several variants away from the virus that was circulating during the Tokyo and Beijing Games, and while fewer people are dying from the current strain, it’s definitely not “just a cold.” It’s still dangerous, linked to heart problems and lung damage, and the threat of long COVID is real too. Folks with underlying conditions are particularly at risk, and while you may not realize it, that includes a lot of athletes—yep, even those at the top of their game. According to a 2023 review in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, about 15 to 30% of Olympians have asthma, and, recently, athletes like Suni Lee and Katie Ledecky have shared their own experiences living with chronic illnesses. And anyone, even seemingly healthy adults, can get seriously ill from it, whether that’s from the infection itself or the long COVID that can come after it.

Problem is, pandemic fatigue is real, and folks are understandably ready to get back to that elusive “normal.” But you can’t just wish away COVID—something other sporting events have been forced to acknowledge. In July, the Tour de France got rocked by COVID, with several top cyclists getting sick and withdrawing from competition. The Tour even reinstated mask mandates, requiring race organizers, media, and guests to wear them around contact with riders and team staff, Bicycling reported.

While the Games started just a couple weeks later (and in the same country!), the guidelines didn’t follow suit: According to Reuters, there’s no strict policy for COVID-19 at the Paris Games. “We have a protocol (that) any athlete that has tested positive has to wear a mask and we remind everyone to follow best practices, but in terms of monitoring COVID, cases are quite low in France,” Anne Descamps, Paris 2024 chief communications director, told Reuters.

When SELF asked Paris Games organizers on July 15 whether the Tour’s reinstatement of COVID prevention measures and mask mandates would influence theirs, a spokesperson simply said: “Paris 2024 is following the evolution of public health issues closely, together with the French Ministry of Health and Santé Publique France (Public Health France).” On July 19, Julie Dussliere, chief of Paralympics for the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) told SELF that while Team USA was encouraging a lot of “proactive behaviors for people to stay healthy,” like wearing masks on the plane “if they’re comfortable doing so” and “consistently using hand sanitizer,” there are “no specific COVID protocols in place from Paris 2024 for either the Olympics or the Paralympics.”

“Our team USA campaign for the games actually is called Don’t Let A Cold Keep You from the Gold,” Dussliere said. “And so we’ve provided a little travel packet to all members of our delegation athletes and coaches with things like hand sanitizer and masks, eye masks, earplugs for sleeping on the plane, things of that nature, to help with their travel and to try to keep them healthy while they’re traveling.”

So unlike the Tokyo Games, where visual reminders of COVID-19 were everywhere—from the empty stands to the masks athletes wore on podiums—Paris kicked off looking a lot more like a pre-2020 Games. Dig a little deeper, though, and it’s a different story.

To read the rest of the article, follow either link!

[everwitch-magiks]

Faster, Higher, Stronger

When Alex fails to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics, it’s all too easy to blame Henry Fox, the dual citizen who’d switched from Team GB to Team USA and snagged the last spot for men’s figure skating. After Alex is abruptly thrown back into the games, he forms an unexpectedly deep connection with Henry. But no athlete who aims for the top of the podium can afford any serious distractions. Will Alex be able to keep his flaring emotions in check and take home the Olympic gold medal he’s always aimed for?

This fic was such a fun story to work on! I love figure skating, to the point that I've actually written another (albeit much shorter) figure skating AU for First Prince previously.

'Faster, Higher, Stronger' was an idea I had in the lead-up to the 2022 Winter Olympics. I wanted to explore Alex and Henry as figure skating rivals unexpectedly competing for the same country, which meant the two of them could compete not only as rivals, but also together in the figure skating team event. It seemed like the perfect high-stakes sports competition type setting: plenty of room for a steamy rivalry, but at the same time with a part of the competition where they'd need to truly rely on each other. I think that's the part of a good rivalry that really does it for me - when it's revealed just how much they respect each other, despite how badly they want the other to lose.

I was originally not entirely sure how far into the games the narrative would stretch, which led to the expected chapter count going up a lot as I kept writing it. The further I got, the more I realised that I couldn't cut the plot off until all the medals had been awarded - and ultimately until I had explored Alex’s entire career in competitive figure skating.

Again, a lot of chapters.

Below the cut is an excerpt from the fic that illustrates how thrown Alex is by his feelings for Henry, and how desperate he is to not let that stop him from taking home the gold. I'll say nothing about how that works out for Alex, but I will say this: falling in love with your biggest rival makes for an interesting Olympic experience.

Also, fun fact: the figure skating costume I used as inspiration in the collage above was worn by Donovan Carrillo at the games in Beijing. Check out this feature on him and on this specific costume at Vogue Mexico!

Alex half-jogs back to his own room, thankfully without running into anyone he knows. He gets in the shower and stands under the warm spray for a long, long time.

This is fine. He’s fine. He just can’t let himself think too hard about it. He needs to focus one hundred percent on his training, which is why he’s going to do exactly that, and it’s all gonna be completely fucking fine. There’s no way in hell Alex is gonna let Henry beat him out for the individual gold just because he got caught up in a Henry-induced sexuality crisis. He can’t let that happen.

Alex gets out of the shower and puts on his pajamas, quickly falling into his nighttime routine of stretches and breathing exercises. Somehow, he almost manages not to think of Henry the whole time.

Almost.

Read 'Faster, Higher, Stronger' on AO3

[nevermindirah]

a gold-medal proposal in Paris

Transcript of NBC coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics set two years after this Olympic meet-cute.

Kelly Clarkson While we're waiting for the next event to get started in the pool here at La Défense Arena let me take you to a mini ice rink in the stands where I've found two Olympians from the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. Gold medalist Nile Freeman represented Team USA in speed skating, and Team France hockey player Sébastien le Livre who viewers may also recognize from the NHL, Stanley Cup winner with the Capitals and now playing for the Chicago Hockey Team. I hear congratulations are in order, you two!

Nile Freeman Hi, thank you!

Sébastien le Livre Yes, my fiancée does deserve another round of congratulations for her Olympic gold!

[Freeman beams.]

Clarkson Absolutely, and congratulations as well on your engagement! What a setting for it, what many consider the most romantic city in the world, and your home turf Sébastien.

le Livre Well, not quite — I'm proud to be from Marseille. But Paris is doing a wonderful job representing France to the world and I couldn't resist the magic of the opening ceremonies as a backdrop to ask this incredible woman to marry me.

Freeman After the Games we're spending a week in Marseille with Seb's family. This is my first time in France and it's been even more special than I imagined.

Clarkson You met two years ago at a very different Olympic Games. What was that like, connecting at such an unusual Olympics with strict covid protocols, and now experiencing all the crowds and the atmosphere here in Paris?

Freeman It's a little bittersweet sitting in a roaring crowd after our families couldn't be there with us in Beijing and there was so much stress with the pandemic, but the restrictions were necessary. They came with a silver lining, since it was easier to focus on competition, for me at least. We probably had more time to get to know each other than we might have if all of our loved ones had been there with us and if tourist destinations and that sort of thing had been open.

le Livre I wouldn't trade it for anything. [le Livre looks besottedly at his wife-to-be.] It's great fun to be at the Olympics on vacation, just a part of the crowds, not having to worry about preparing for the next event. The opening ceremonies were spectacular.

Freeman They were! That was all so cool, how they made the whole city feel like a stadium. The fashion show was my favorite, and the Assassin's Creed parkourist. [to le Livre] You weren't a little nervous though, with that ring burning a hole in your pocket?

le Livre No. You only make me nervous when you challenge me to a race, because you always win.

Clarkson Y'all are too cute! Maybe for your next race you could try swimming, see if that changes the rankings?

[Freeman playfully squints at le Livre, who shrugs with a smile.]

Clarkson Will we see you back on the ice in two years in Milan?

Freeman That's the plan!

Clarkson What are you most looking forward to here at the Summer Games?

le Livre The football, ah, soccer is high on my list, and just taking it all in with Nile.

Freeman Me too, babe. And I'm pumped to see my girl Simone Biles! This'll be my first time seeing her compete in person. She's such a badass and an inspiration.

Clarkson You and me both, girl! Simone Biles is married to NFL player Jonathan Owens of the Bears — sounds like a double date is in order once you get back home to Chicago.

Freeman Ha, sure, we're in!

Clarkson Thanks so much for talking to me! Enjoy your time here in Paris and congratulations again on your engagement and your accomplishments in both of your sports. Now back to you in the studio, Mike.

[Freeman and le Livre, holding hands, smile and wave to the camera.]

[virtchandmoir]

Canadian Olympians push for opposition to Russians in Paris

March 8, 2023 

A group of 42 retired Canadian Olympians urged the Canadian Olympic Committee to reject the idea of allowing Russians to participate in next year’s Paris Games unless Russia withdraws from Ukraine.

“We condemn recent public statements issued by the COC supporting the ‘exploration of a pathway’ for Russians and Belarusians to compete as ‘neutrals’ in the 2024 Paris Olympics,” the Canadians wrote in a statement released Wednesday.

Opening that door, the athletes said, “sends a message that the COC is no longer concerned with Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.”

Signing the statement was a who’s-who of Canadian Olympic greats and gold medalists, including Hayley Wickenheiser (hockey), Jenn Heil and Alex Bilodeau (freestyle skiing), Tessa Virtue (skating) and Beckie Scott (cross-country skiing).

Russian and Belarusian athletes have been largely excluded from international competition since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February. The International Olympic Committee seeks a pathway back for those athletes to compete without officially representing their countries, citing human-rights experts who argue the athletes should not be discriminated against solely because of their passports.

“Refusing their participation in international sport is not simply a matter of denying athletes a choice to compete because of their passport, it is a rejection of an unlawful and inhumane war and a recognition of the role international sports plays in geopolitics,” the Canadians wrote.

The COC has walked a fine line in staking out a position. Last month, secretary general David Shoemaker suggested athletes from the banned countries should be made to publicly speak out against the war to gain the neutral status they would need to participate.

Canada’s was also among a group of 35 governments that released a statement last month saying that, without clarity on a workable neutrality model, “we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back into competition.”

Both the COC and the governments have stopped short of stating that Russians should not be allowed.

In their statement, the Canadian Olympians said a requirement for Russians to declare opposition to the war is “unfounded and out of touch.”

“For example, it is illegal in Russia to publicly denounce military actions abroad, and virtually impossible for high-profile athletes to oppose the war,” the statement said.

It also used instances in 2018 and 2021 when Russians could compete not under their country’s flag — but instead under the titles of “Olympic Athletes from Russia” and “Russian Olympic Committee” due to doping sanctions — as examples of how “separation of athlete from state is an impossible task.”

The letter also points out that the war began shortly after last year’s Winter Games in Beijing, which was highlighted by a high-profile meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping before the opening ceremony.

“The Beijing 2022 Games helped set the stage for and dictated the timing of the initial invasion, sports facilities in Ukraine have been targeted by the Russian attacks, and Russian athletes have been elevated to high-ranking military positions and used in war propaganda,” the letter said.

It concluded that “no pathway should be considered” for Russians or Belarusians to compete in Paris until Russia “fully withdraws from Ukraine.”

—AP News

[originallandlockedmariner]

For three years running…

2020

Kobe. Pandemic. Lockdown. Koalas on fire. Harry and Meg retire. Toilet paper hoarding. Alcoholism. Impeach the f*cker. Parasite. Bonnie Henry. Tiger King. Working from home. Sourdough bread. Harvey Weinstein guilty. Zoom overdose. Dip your body in sanitizer. 6 feet. Quarantine. OK Boomer. Home schooling (everyone passes). Murder hornets. Dolly Parton. Don’t hug, kiss or see anybody, especially your family. Chris Evans’ junk. TikTok. Glory holes. Face masks. CERB. West Coast wildfires. Stay home. Small Businesses lose, big box stores win. F*ck Bozos. ‘Dreams’ and cranberry juice. Close yoga studios, but thumbs up to your local gym. Speak moistly to me. George Floyd. BLM. F*ck Trump. Phase 2, 3 and Summer. RBG. Baby Yoda. Biden wins. Bond and Black Panther die. No more lockdown. Back to school and work. Just kidding... giddy up round 2. Giuliani leaks shit from his head. Resurgence of chess. UFOs are real. Restrictions. Dave Grohl admits defeat. Monolith. “F*ck... forgot my mask in the car”. No Christmas shenanigans allowed. Bubbles. Alex Trebek. Use the term ‘dumpster fire’ one too many times. Jupiter and Saturn form 'Christmas Star'. Happy New Year Bitches!!!! 2021... you better not sh*t the bed!!

2021

“We love you, you’re very special”. Failed coup attempt at the Capital. Twitter, FB and IG ban Donny. Hammerin’ Hank goes to the Field of Dreams. Bozo no longer richest man but still a twat. Leachman, Tyson, and Holbrook pass. The economy is worse than expected. Kim and Kanye split. Brood X cicadas. Dre has an aneurysm and nearly has his home broken into. Bridgerton. MyPillow CEO is a douche. Covid restrictions extended indefinitely. Captain Von Trapp dies. Proud Boys officially a Terrorist Organization. Richard Ramirez. Cancer takes Screech. Travel bans. Impeachment trial (again?… oh and this was barely February? WTF??!!) Suez Canal blockage. Myanmar protest. Kong dukes it out with Godzilla, while Raya watches. Olympics. Friends compare elective surgeries. F9. Canada Women’s Soccer Gold. Free Britney. Multiverses. Residential Schools in Canada unearth children’s bodies. Kate is Mare of Easttown. Cuomo resigns. Disney and Dwayne cruise together. Wildfires. Delta variants. Musk passes Bezos. Candyman x 5. Capt. Kirk goes to space. F*ck Kyle Rittenhouse. Astros didn’t win. Squid Game. Goodbye Bond. Dune is redone. Angelina is Eternal. Astroworld deaths. Meta. Omicron. Three Spidermen. Tornados in December? World Juniors cancelled. Pills against Covid. School opening delayed. And Betty White dies. 2022… my expectations are ridiculously low…

2022

Wow… eight billion people. Queen Elizabeth II passes away after ruling the Commonwealth before dirt was invented. The monkeypox. Russia plays the role of global asshole. Wordle. Mother Nature rocks Afghanistan. Hover bike. Styles spits on Pine. Olivia Newton John, Kristie Alley, and Coolio leave us. Pele was traded to team Heaven. FTX implodes. Madonna and the 3-D model of her vagina. Pig gives his heart to a human. Beijing can brag that it is the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. Uvalde. $3 trillion Apple. Keith Raniere gets 120 years. The Whisky War ends with Canada and Denmark going halfsies. Mar-a-Lago. Nick Cannon brood hits a dozen. Shinzo Abe is assassinated. Inflation goes through the roof (if you can actually afford to put a roof over your head). Volodymyr Zelensky. European heat wave. Bennifer. Salman Rushdie is stabbed on stage, Dave Chappelle tackled, and Chris Rock is only slapped. Thích Nhất Hạnh. Heidi Klum goes full slug. Cuba knocked out by Ian. Liz Truss and 4.1 Scaramuccis. Taylor Swift breaks Ticketmaster. Human shitstain Elon Musk ignores helping mankind and buys Twitter instead. Riri becomes a mommy. NASA launches Artemis 1. Trump still a whiny little bitch. Music lost Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie, and Meat Loaf. Democracy died at least three times. Pete Davidson continues to date hottest women on the planet. Microplastics in our blood. Alex Jones is a cunt. So is DeSantis. Argentina wins the World Cup. Meghan and Harry. Eddie Munson rips Metallica in the Upside Down. tWitch. Roe vs Wade is overturned by the micro dick energy of the Supreme Court. CODA. James Corden shows he is a "tiny Cretin of a man". Amber (and the shit on the bed) Heard (round the world). Sebastian Bear-McClard proves he’s one of the fucking dumbest men alive. Latin America's ‘pink tide’. Anti-Semitic rants by Ye. Bob Saget. A verified blue checkmark. Godmother of punk Vivienne dies. And, Tom Cruise feels the need for speed yet again. 2023… whatcha got for us?!? Nothing shocks me anymore.

[comeonamericawakeup]

The Olympics are guilty of a "double standard," said Jules Boykoff. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the International Olympic Committee was quick to condemn Moscow and bar Russia from sending a team to the Summer Games in Paris. IOC officials said Russia had lost its "right to membership of the international Olympic community." That's why just 15 Russians are competing in Paris, and not under the Russian flag but as "individual neutral athletes." So why didn't the IOC uphold the same standard when Israel began pounding Gaza with bombs? Israel has killed tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including Palestinian Olympic soccer coach Hani al-Masdar, who was brought down "by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza." Why are 88 Israelis in Paris allowed to compete under the Israeli flag, rather than as neutrals? The IOC says that Russia violated the "Olympic truce" by invading Ukraine during a narrow window around the Beijing Winter Games, and seized territory that contained "regional sports organizations." That's a "flimsy scrim" of excuses. There's no question Israel has "violated the territorial integrity of Palestine" and demolished "every football pitch in Gaza." The IOC's differing treatment of Israel and Russia "ripples with hypocrisy."

THE WEEK August 9, 2024

Not exactly apples to apples. But an interesting question.

This brings to mind the pervasive corruption at the Olympics: doping, fake investigations of doping, scandals, bribery of Olympic board members and judges, cheating, manipulation of scoring, double standards, fake “sports,” commercialization, and hypocrisy. The IOC is a cesspool. 😕😕😕

[branloaf]

Some of the tags in my Summer Olympics poll mention the winter games so I thought I'd make a second one.

[sywtwfs]

CAS Dismisses ROC Appeal in 2022 Olympic Team Event Case; Canadian Appeal Pending

CAS Media Release

Lausanne, 25 July 2024 – The CAS Panel in charge of the appeals filed by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) (CAS 2024/A/10355), the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (CAS 2024/A/10360), and Russian skaters Aleksandr Galliamov, Nikita Katsalapov, Mark Kondratiuk, Anastasia Mishina, Victoria Sinitsina and Kamila Valieva (CAS 2024/A/10356) (collectively, the Appellants) against the re-ranking decision announced by the International Skating Union (ISU) on 30 January 2024 (the Challenged Decision) in relation to the final standings for the Team Event in figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 has issued its decision: the appeals are dismissed. The Appellants had sought a ruling from CAS re-ranking the figure skating Team Event and awarding the gold medal to the ROC. Following the hearing that took place on 12 June 2024, the Panel deliberated and concluded that the results of Ms Valieva in the Olympic Figure Skating Team Event were correctly disqualified in the Challenged Decision, and that the ROC Skating Team could not be awarded the gold medal. Consequently, the above-mentioned appeals are dismissed. The Panel issued the Operative Part of the Arbitral Award. The full award, with the grounds for the Panel’s decision, will be issued as soon as possible. The second CAS Panel, different from the first, constituted to resolve the related, but separate, appeal (CAS 2024/A/10354) filed by Canadian skaters Madeline Schizas, Piper Gilles, Paul Poirier, Kirsten Moore-Towers, Michael Marinaro, Eric Radford, Vanessa James and Roman Sadovsky, together with, Skate Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) (collectively, the Canadian Appellants), held a hearing at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on 22 July 2024. The Canadian Appellants also seek a ruling from CAS re-ranking the figure skating Team Event, as follows: United States of America (Gold); Japan (Silver); Canada (Bronze). The second CAS Panel is now deliberating. It is not possible to indicate at this time when the second Panel’s decision will be issued.

Following the CAS decision on ROC’s appeal, the IOC stated that they would work with the ISU and US/Japanese Olympic Committees to hold a medal ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

IOC STATEMENT ON CAS DECISION: This decision comes just in time to still be able to make the medal allocation for gold and silver possible during the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The IOC will now work with the @ISU_Figure, USOPC and the JOC to bring the athletes to Paris in order to hold the ceremony here in the Champions Park based on the amended results from the ISU. We are glad that this opportunity can be offered to the athletes and teams who, unfortunately, had to wait for a very long time for their medals due to the ongoing legal case.

Christine Brennan of USA Today Sports reports that the medal ceremony is planned for August 7, although this is yet to be confirmed with the IOC.