#Olympic Swimming Marathon Tickets

[thepastisalreadywritten]

25 July 2024

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will see competitors parade on boats along the River Seine through central Paris on Friday.

An unprecedented security operation is in place, with organisers also facing challenges over the cleanliness of the Seine, costs and the environmental impact of the Games.

When are the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games?

The summer Olympics run from 26 July to 11 August, with 10,500 athletes competing in 329 events.

The Paralympics take place from 28 August to 8 September, featuring 4,400 athletes in 549 events.

There will be 206 countries represented at the Olympics, and 184 at the Paralympics.

Where will Olympic and Paralympic events take place?

The main athletics events will be at the Stade de France, on the northern outskirts of Paris.

There are also Olympic and Paralympic venues in the city centre.

The Pont d'Iena, for example, is hosting cycling events, while beach volleyball is at the Eiffel Tower and the marathon starts at the Hotel de Ville and ends at Les Invalides.

Is the Seine clean enough for swimming?

Open water swimming and triathlon events are due to take place in the Seine, more than 100 years after swimming in the river was banned.

Tests done in mid-June showed that levels of E. coli in the water were 10 times the acceptable level.

However, Games organisers hope July sunshine and measures like a rainwater storage basin will make it clean enough.

Ahead of the Games, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip to try to prove the river was safe.

How are France's security forces preparing for the Games?

The Games will be protected by the largest peacetime deployment of security forces in French history

Up to 75,000 police, soldiers and hired guards will be on patrol in Paris at any one time to guard venues and events.

The use of the Seine for the opening ceremony, with crowds watching the parade from the banks, is a first for the modern Olympics.

The original plan was to give free tickets to 600,000 members of the public to watch from the river's banks.

However, the government was worried about potential threats such as a drone attack, and spectator numbers were scaled back to 326,000.

More than 220,000 of those will be invited guests and 104,000 will be members of the public who have bought tickets.

Some 44,000 barriers have been erected, with QR codes for residents and others seeking access to the river Seine and its islands.

Many of the barriers will be removed after the opening ceremony.

Intelligence services uncovered two plots against the country by suspected Islamic militants in early 2024.

In May, a man was detained on suspicion of planning an attack on the torch relay in Bordeaux, and another man was arrested in southern France over a plan to attack an Olympic football venue.

How much are the Games costing?

The cost of this year's Games is estimated to be about 9bn euros (£7.6bn), less than any of the previous four Games — in Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, London, and Beijing.

Much of the funding is coming from private companies, as well as sales of tickets and broadcasting rights.

The government's official auditors have said it may have to pay between 3bn and 5bn euros (£2.5bn and £4.2bn) for costs such as policing.

Are the Games environmentally friendly?

The organising committee of Paris 2024 has promised to make it the greenest Games in Olympic history, with half the carbon footprint of London 2012 and Rio 2016.

The Games will be held in the same city where, in 2015, world leaders agreed to try to prevent global temperatures rising by more than 1.5C.

About 95% of the Olympic and Paralympic sites are either existing structures or temporary ones.

The organisers say they are using as much recycled material as they can — including recycled cardboard beds for athletes — and trying to minimise carbon emissions.

However, it has been reported that thousands of air-conditioning units have been ordered for Olympic Village rooms by some national teams.

Are the Games pushing up prices in Paris?

Millions of visitors are expected in Paris during the Games, with ticket holders expected to spend an estimated 2.6bn euros (£2.2bn).

Hoteliers in Paris pushed up their rates, in many cases doubling them or more, in anticipation of a big rise in demand.

But there have been reports that many hotels have had unexpectedly low sales.

Bus and metro fares are also doubling in the capital during the Games.

In January, the Louvre art gallery put up its entrance fees by almost 30%.

[douxlen]

How the International Olympic Committee Fails Athletes

New Post has been published on https://douxle.com/2024/08/10/how-the-international-olympic-committee-fails-athletes/

How the International Olympic Committee Fails Athletes

Athletes here at the Paris Olympics have brought us magical performances, from U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, to French phenom swimmer Léon Marchand, to Ankita Dhyani, a 5,000-meter runner from India we watched circle the purple oval at the Stade de France, finishing last yet receiving a rousing applause when she crossed the line, as if she had won the race. Olympians make the Olympics special, plain and simple.

But behind the shimmering sheen of athletic brilliance and perseverance, stark inequalities exist all around. The gap between millionaire Olympians like Novak Djokovic and LeBron James and athletes from lesser-known sports like canoe slalom and badminton is the equivalent of a sporting Grand Canyon. The benefits that powerful countries like the U.S., China, and France hold over nations with GDPs smaller than some American cities show up with crisp visibility on the Olympic medal table. But perhaps the most seismic inequality, and one that all too often evades public notice, let alone scrutiny, is the yawning gap between the luxury-box existence of the International Olympic Committee and most Olympians themselves.

The IOC’s slogan is “Putting Athletes First.” But all too often, athletes come in closer to last.

The Olympic money shuffle is a great place to start. The IOC is officially a nonprofit, but it sure is profitable. According to its most recent annual report, the organization raked in $7.6 billion in the Olympic cycle spanning 2017 to 2020-21. A 2019 study from Toronto Metropolitan University and Global Athlete found that only 4.1% of Olympic revenues make it into athlete pockets (whereas with the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB it’s more like 45-50%). The IOC often reminds us that it redistributes 90% of its funds, but only a paltry 0.5% is direct compensation to athletes.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Global Athlete, the athlete-led group fighting for enhanced rights and increased pay, released a statement asserting that the Olympics “serve the interests of the few powerbrokers behind the International Olympic Committee” and that “the Olympics are failing to serve the interests of athletes … because the IOC, which wields complete control over all things Games related, operates without accountability.”

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics—postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic—the IOC chose to stage the Games even though transmission rates were high and a national poll revealed that 83% in Tokyo did not want it to proceed. The pandemic was a challenging time for anyone putting on a big-ticket event, not least the IOC. But the organization took steps that seemed to prioritize their own finances over athletes.

Certainly, the IOC and local organizers in Paris were not “putting athletes first” when they chose to stage the triathlon and marathon swim in the Seine River. The sights of athletes vomiting when leaving the Seine or reports of sickness due to E.coli was hardly unpredictable. We spoke to people in the Paris office of the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental group, which was logging high and unsafe levels of E. Coli and enterococci for months. And Surfrider noted that they were only testing for bacteria, in alignment with the European Bathing Water Directive, not pesticide runoff, pharmaceutical refuse, or toxic metals. But the French government has put $1.5 billion into cleaning it—the images of people swimming in the Seine for the first time in a century were irresistible, and athletes were put last.

Read More: Inside the Billion-Dollar Effort to Clean Up the Seine

While many athletes live hand-to-mouth, the IOC enjoys an opulent existence. Here in Paris, its members are staying in the ritzy Hôtel du Collectionneur, which the IOC is renting out for a cool €22 million ($24 million). IOC members also enjoy extravagant perks, like first-class airfare and five-star accommodations. And they receive per diem payments of up to $900 on days they attend the Olympics and other official IOC events. This means an IOC member could make more money in per diem alone, than a U.S. Olympian who earns a bronze medal and the $15,000 that comes with it from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Back at the Hôtel du Collectionneur in Paris, the IOC have banned reporters from entering the building where they are residing for the first time in decades. Decision making has also become increasingly centralized under a small team of senior executives, including its current president, Thomas Bach of Germany. Small groups of loyal IOC members—called Future Host Commissions—now essentially choose which cities will host the Olympics, with the rest of the organization relegated to being a gold-plated rubber stamp.

For all of these reasons, it’s time for the current iteration of the IOC to go. This might sound radical, but the IOC has yet to find an answer to the role the Games play in overspending public money, stoking displacement, and intensifying policing in Olympic host cities. It’s also time to end the fiction that the current iteration of the Games are environmentally sustainable, given the air miles and mega construction projects. Just ask the people of Teahupo’o, Tahiti, host of the Paris 2024 surfing competition, who protested the construction of an Olympic-standard viewing tower that damaged the community’s delicate coral reef, possibly affecting its ecosystem for decades.

The current iteration of the IOC should be replaced with athletes and independent thinkers who are not afraid to make drastic changes. That includes embedding democratic decision-making processes at every level, refusing to hand hosting rights for the Games to egregious human-rights violators, and making sure athletes receive a bigger slice of the Olympic money pie.

In the era of climate disruption, such measures are especially necessary, if not inevitable. Here in Paris, Madeleine Orr, assistant professor of sports ecology at the University of Toronto, told us this in no uncertain terms. “A sustainable Olympics is an oxymoron,” she said. “And the [Olympic] model is completely untenable. They’re not going to be able to continue to do it much longer.”

At the opening ceremony of the Paris Games, IOC President Bach delivered a speech. As he delivered his remarks in the rain, an assistant held an umbrella over Bach’s head so he wouldn’t get wet (unlike the flag bearers, volunteers, and fans in attendance). The image dripped with symbolism. One reality for the IOC and another for everyone else.

[sa7abnews]

How the International Olympic Committee Fails Athletes

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/09/how-the-international-olympic-committee-fails-athletes/

How the International Olympic Committee Fails Athletes

Athletes here at the Paris Olympics have brought us magical performances, from U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, to French phenom swimmer Léon Marchand, to Ankita Dhyani, a 5,000-meter runner from India we watched circle the purple oval at the Stade de France, finishing last yet receiving a rousing applause when she crossed the line, as if she had won the race. Olympians make the Olympics special, plain and simple.

But behind the shimmering sheen of athletic brilliance and perseverance, stark inequalities exist all around. The gap between millionaire Olympians like Novak Djokovic and LeBron James and athletes from lesser-known sports like canoe slalom and badminton is the equivalent of a sporting Grand Canyon. The benefits that powerful countries like the U.S., China, and France hold over nations with GDPs smaller than some American cities show up with crisp visibility on the Olympic medal table. But perhaps the most seismic inequality, and one that all too often evades public notice, let alone scrutiny, is the yawning gap between the luxury-box existence of the International Olympic Committee and most Olympians themselves.

The IOC’s slogan is “Putting Athletes First.” But all too often, athletes come in closer to last.

The Olympic money shuffle is a great place to start. The IOC is officially a nonprofit, but it sure is profitable. According to its most recent annual report, the organization raked in $7.6 billion in the Olympic cycle spanning 2017 to 2020-21. A 2019 study from Toronto Metropolitan University and Global Athlete found that only 4.1% of Olympic revenues make it into athlete pockets (whereas with the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB it’s more like 45-50%). The IOC often reminds us that it redistributes 90% of its funds, but only a paltry 0.5% is direct compensation to athletes.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Global Athlete, the athlete-led group fighting for enhanced rights and increased pay, released a statement asserting that the Olympics “serve the interests of the few powerbrokers behind the International Olympic Committee” and that “the Olympics are failing to serve the interests of athletes … because the IOC, which wields complete control over all things Games related, operates without accountability.”

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics—postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic—the IOC chose to stage the Games even though transmission rates were high and a national poll revealed that 83% in Tokyo did not want it to proceed. The pandemic was a challenging time for anyone putting on a big-ticket event, not least the IOC. But the organization took steps that seemed to prioritize their own finances over athletes.

Certainly, the IOC and local organizers in Paris were not “putting athletes first” when they chose to stage the triathlon and marathon swim in the Seine River. The sights of athletes vomiting when leaving the Seine or reports of sickness due to E.coli was hardly unpredictable. We spoke to people in the Paris office of the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental group, which was logging high and unsafe levels of E. Coli and enterococci for months. And Surfrider noted that they were only testing for bacteria, in alignment with the European Bathing Water Directive, not pesticide runoff, pharmaceutical refuse, or toxic metals. But the French government has put $1.5 billion into cleaning it—the images of people swimming in the Seine for the first time in a century were irresistible, and athletes were put last.

Read More: Inside the Billion-Dollar Effort to Clean Up the Seine

While many athletes live hand-to-mouth, the IOC enjoys an opulent existence. Here in Paris, its members are staying in the ritzy Hôtel du Collectionneur, which the IOC is renting out for a cool €22 million ($24 million). IOC members also enjoy extravagant perks, like first-class airfare and five-star accommodations. And they receive per diem payments of up to $900 on days they attend the Olympics and other official IOC events. This means an IOC member could make more money in per diem alone, than a U.S. Olympian who earns a bronze medal and the $15,000 that comes with it from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Back at the Hôtel du Collectionneur in Paris, the IOC have banned reporters from entering the building where they are residing for the first time in decades. Decision making has also become increasingly centralized under a small team of senior executives, including its current president, Thomas Bach of Germany. Small groups of loyal IOC members—called Future Host Commissions—now essentially choose which cities will host the Olympics, with the rest of the organization relegated to being a gold-plated rubber stamp.

For all of these reasons, it’s time for the current iteration of the IOC to go. This might sound radical, but the IOC has yet to find an answer to the role the Games play in overspending public money, stoking displacement, and intensifying policing in Olympic host cities. It’s also time to end the fiction that the current iteration of the Games are environmentally sustainable, given the air miles and mega construction projects. Just ask the people of Teahupo’o, Tahiti, host of the Paris 2024 surfing competition, who protested the construction of an Olympic-standard viewing tower that damaged the community’s delicate coral reef, possibly affecting its ecosystem for decades.

The current iteration of the IOC should be replaced with athletes and independent thinkers who are not afraid to make drastic changes. That includes embedding democratic decision-making processes at every level, refusing to hand hosting rights for the Games to egregious human-rights violators, and making sure athletes receive a bigger slice of the Olympic money pie.

In the era of climate disruption, such measures are especially necessary, if not inevitable. Here in Paris, Madeleine Orr, assistant professor of sports ecology at the University of Toronto, told us this in no uncertain terms. “A sustainable Olympics is an oxymoron,” she said. “And the [Olympic] model is completely untenable. They’re not going to be able to continue to do it much longer.”

At the opening ceremony of the Paris Games, IOC President Bach delivered a speech. As he delivered his remarks in the rain, an assistant held an umbrella over Bach’s head so he wouldn’t get wet (unlike the flag bearers, volunteers, and fans in attendance). The image dripped with symbolism. One reality for the IOC and another for everyone else.

[stephsophiebucketlist]

This is my bucket list in no particular order. From being locked down during the Covid-19 pandemic, I realised I really want to get out and explore. I want to be more adventurous, do things I've never done before and most importantly, have fun.

More will be added along the way!

Visit America

NASA Space Station

Grand Canyon

Golden Gate Bridge

Visit the National Parks

Statue of Liberty

Times Square

Hollywood Sign

Try New York style Pizza

Try Chicago style Pizza

Do the Camino de Santiago

Visit Italy

Visit Switzerland

Visit Poland (Again)

Visit France (Again)

Visit South Korea

Visit Hawaii

Visit the Cadbury Chocolate Factory in Birmingham, UK

Swim with dolphins

Ride a Jet-Ski

Dog Sled with Huskies

Get tickets to see the Olympics

Go Surfing (Again)

Go to a theatre show

Get a Tattoo

Learn how to Snowboard

Snowboard on the Alps

Go whale/dolphin watching

Do a marathon

Do a triathlon

Get fitter in order for asthma to either be gone completely or to be better than it currently is

Get a promotion

Go to see a live Wimbledon tennis match

Buy myself my own car

Take a cooking class

Rope swing into water

Go to a yoga retreat

Learn to Ice Skate

Experience the Northern Lights

Dive the Great Barrier Reef

Go on a Wildlife Safari

Skydive

Reach my Weight Goal (11st but preferably 10st 5lbs)

Swim under a waterfall

Adopt a rescue animal

Make soap

Sit front row at a basketball game

Get a professional photoshoot done

Bungee Jump

Learn to Rollerblade

Make a photo book album for all the memories you've made every month for a whole year.

Camp under the stars

[alianoralacanta]

You were a competitive swimmer too? I competed in disability swimming galas for two decades, including two international competitions and two appearances in the Special Olympics. Also one of the few people on Tumblr to have been given a speeding ticket for travelling at 2 mph. After my club shut down, I turned to running and competed in the town half-marathon 4 times as well as some other races. Also represented my company at a few sports, most successfully in karting. The disability swimming largely followed economic demographics for white people. Including lots of people who struggled to pay to get to events. Often, I have to remind myself that the Special Olympics competitive ethos is very different to that of most able-bodied professional sports. (Random fact: the organisers of my first Special Olympics, Portsmouth 1997, partly paid for it through a donation by Damon Hill). Running is much more like motorsport (although even there, different competitions have quite different approaches to this) and does seem to attract a lot of richer people, or at least people with enough disposable income to kit themselves in Lycra and smartphones. As for the corporate karting... ...let’s say I got used to my team having less money than everyone else pretty quick :D (Amusingly, it was probably less competitive than running, in that everyone accepted that it was possible to come last and still have done something worthwhile. Possibly due to the £10 “fine” for quitting an event prematurely). I see similarities and differences between all of these sports and F1.

I have a question for everyone here on f1blr.

Did you do competitive sport as a child? I don’t mean playing football or netball once a week, I mean training several times a week and having multiple competitions a year.

I have a theory that a lot of misunderstandings about some of the things the drivers have said (about fellow drivers) come from the fact that some people on here have never been in a similar situation and therefore may not necessarily understand how normal it can be within sport.

So im just curious, I was a competitive swimmer for almost 10 years and I see a lot of similarities between it and f1 (one of which is an overwhelming majority of rich kids in the sport but that is a story for another day). I want to see if anyone feels the same way?

[heroesclimbfind]

Your ranking & my ranking of the best rock climbers won’t match. Here’s why.

TLDR: Rock climbing operates like every other sport: Sponsorship is about a lot more than performance; and gender bias prevails. Please stop acting surprised.

Non-rock climbers won’t stop talking to me about Alex Honnold. Not necessarily about his free solo ascents of big walls, but just about his segment, more generally, on 60 Minutes.

“So how do you measure success in rock climbing? Is it speed—how fast somebody gets up a wall?” they ask.

For America, fittingly, TV finally made rock climbing a recognizable sport. If it weren’t for Alex Honnold in 2015, rock climbing would continue to be discussed exclusively by rock climbers.

Relative to other competition sports, rock climbing remains obscure. In fact, I still meet many people who don’t realize it will be part of the 2020 Olympics. And, non-climbers certainly do not understand how it will be scored (to be fair, neither do climbers, but that’s another issue).

Still, any sport—well known or otherwise—participates in a massive multi-billion-dollar industry. In 2010, the New York City Marathon increased the city’s economy by $340 million. The Chicago Cubs generate an alleged $600 million each year for the state of Illinois. The sports industry produced almost 500,000 jobs in America in 2013, from coaches, to referees, to agents (Bleacher Report). This estimate does not, for example, include the stadium vendors, ticket sales specialists, or related third-party jobs (Economic Modeling Specialists Int’l).

Basically, sports are a mega moneymaker.

Rock climbing gyms, youth teams, and training camps are cropping up everywhere. Whether you like it or not, rock climbing is becoming a more popular sport.

Why is this important? Well, if you pay attention to the goings-on of the climbing community, there is a subtle but salient debate occurring. It’s about who contributes the most to our community.

Is it the first ascentionist? Is the person who bolts the lines? Is it the most well-rounded, best-performing, highest-ranked athlete? Is it the World Cup winner?

When you pay attention to the climbing community’s debate, it’s clear how young and immature this sport—and its stakeholders—truly are. I don’t mean this as an insult. Rather, I’m saying it as a reminder, a gut check.

Rock climbers have the acute advantage of learning from other competitive sports: how to handle sponsorship, how to handle diversity, how to protect the environment, how to reward good citizens…

Let’s start with sponsorship.

In 2011, Adidas purchased family favorite Five Ten for $25 million in cash (Gear Junkie). In 2014, Columbia Sportswear bought Prana Living for $190 million  (Dealbook, New York Times). In 2016, Petzl reported 700 employees and consolidated revenue of €154 million. There are myriad climbing gear and clothing companies from Sterling Ropes to Mammut to Evolv to Metolius to Mad Rock to The North Face.

Sponsored athletes from each of these multimillion-dollar companies are hired to showcase new gear and model clothing. Athletes inspire young people to participate in the same sport and endorse the quality of a particular product. When sponsored athletes mess up, they’re dropped. It’s pretty simple.

Ryan Lochte, 12-time Olympic medalist in swimming, lost his endorsement from Speedo after he lied about a non-sports related incident in Rio. Doping cost pro-cyclist Lance Armstrong sponsorship from Nike, Oakley, and 24-Hour Fitness, as well as earned him a lifetime ban from competing in any sporting event governed by the U.S. anti-doping agency. Golfer Tiger Woods lost sponsorship from Accenture, AT&T, Buick, Gatorade, and Tag Heuer after his extra-marital affairs became public. The list goes on.

Because rock climbing is growing in popularity, companies have the luxury of choice. There are so many talented climbers today; it’s nearly impossible to say one person is holding the torch for us all (except maybe Adam Ondra). So, sponsorship is a fickle thing.

Bad behavior begets repercussions. Even minor incidents can cost you major endorsements.

Now let’s talk about gender.

There is a huge disparity in funding and sponsorship opportunities between male and female rock climbers. Just 29 percent of sponsored rock climbers are women. Ergo, there are 2.5 men with climbing sponsorships for each sponsored woman (Alan Kimbrough Moore’s Blog).

When such a huge disparity in funding and sponsorship exists between genders, this means that women have fewer opportunities to obtain coaching, gain competition experience, travel for climbing, or, generally, spend time on training. In turn, this will affect performance. The cycle continues as women trail in performance, and cease to gain sponsorship. Experienced female climbers lack the same financial rewards as their male counterparts, and they stop climbing earlier. And so on.

“The self-perpetuating cycle of women’s sport being given less attention than men’s, and seen as less ‘deserving’, continues,” writes Tamsin Kelly in, “Are Men And Woman Treated Equally In Sport? Sadly, not yet,” for the Huffington Post.

Outside climbing, only 7 percent of sports media coverage is devoted to women’s sports and just 0.4 percent of commercial investment goes to women-only sports, according to The Women’s Sports and Fitness Foundation.

Nevertheless, over 60 percent of sports fans polled said they would like to see more women’s sport on TV (WSFF).

As you can see, it’s not an issue of demand. It’s an issue of the economics of opportunity.

Lack of sponsorship may also affect, for example, the amount of time female climbers spend developing new areas or establishing first ascents. Instead, pressured to “prove themselves” in a male-oriented industry, female climbers seek to repeat hard sport routes, boulders, or big wall climbs.

And “prove themselves,” they do. In 1990, Lynn Hill was the first woman to redpoint 5.14, Masse Critique in Cimaï, France. This was after the first ascentionist, a Mr. Tribout, claimed no woman would ever be able to climb it (Wikipedia).

Although there were a lot of there “firsts” in-between, in 2012, Sasha DiGiulian became the first American woman to climb 9a (5.14d), making her the best female sport climber in America by difficulty. She was also the first North American Woman to onsight 8b+ (5.14a) (not to mention, she would go on to be 3-time US National Champion).

Meanwhile, during those same years, Joe Kinder was working on high-quality first ascents, including Bone Tomahaw, 9a (5.14d), Weekend At Bernie's 8c (5.14b), Southern Smoke 8c+ (5.14c), and Maquina Muerte 8c+ or 9a (5.14d) (The Project Magazine). This made him at least one of the strongest American developers, if not the best developer, of new hard lines.

Who is the better climber? Better community member? Better role model? Who deserves sponsorship the most?

Personally, I believe sports have four major areas of contribution to society, and I will order them by what will likely be the least to the most controversial for rock climbers:

Health – Sports promote active, healthy lifestyles.

Community – Sports provide a sense of community to rally around causes, such as the environment, a sense of identity, and diversity.

Economy – Sports provide jobs and contribute to local economies, often through entertainment.

Celebrity – Sports celebrities increase cause-related marketing and become role models for future generations.

I bet you can see where I’m going with this logic.

There are many ways sports contribute to society, and many ways an athlete can contribute to the sport.

Frankly, I’m pretty frustrated with current dialogue surrounding climbers’ contributions.

When you limit contributions to a singular measure (or grade), it becomes quite exclusive, alienating. 

The narrative also tends to be biased by a white, male-centric history.

What if we lived in a world where the most talented climber was that person who could hang from the smallest hold? In this world, women—generally perceived to be stronger than men at crimping small holds—would be on top. How would you feel about this measure of performance, of being “the best”? How would this change the dynamics of sponsorship or gender diversity?

When you think back on Alex Honnold and his 60 Minutes of global attention, it would be quite plausible for him to have said, “In climbing, the smaller the hold, the harder the climb.” My family would have believed that. My non-climbing friends would have bought it.

Grades are just one measure of difficulty. So is climbing without a rope, so is trying new beta or movement, so is putting up a first ascent or being ”first” to any degree.

It seems clear to me that rock climbing is just like other sports. Yes, I know. You want to it be different because rock climbing—to any rock climber—seems like a lifestyle more than mere entertainment or an extracurricular activity.

However, sponsored rock climbers are simply professional athletes. They advertise for brands in order to sell more products and boost local economies. They become role models for future generations of the sport, and these generations look for diversity of gender, race, identity, geography, disability, and age.

Future generations say, “I admire this athlete because she’s from my hometown… she has a particular skill… she looks like me… she’s my same age… she has passion… she shares my values...”

Famous athletes have the privilege to promote causes, from environmental protection to the eradication of childhood poverty. Rock climbing, like swimming, golf, and basketball, provides athletes with a platform to promote equality and human rights.

NFL players who kneel during the national anthem use their limelight and notoriety to advance the cause of Black Lives Matter. The U.S. Gymnastics team leverages their popularity and podium to advance the #MeToo movement. Alex Honnold operates the Honnold Foundation to provide solar energy for a more equitable world.

If a rock climber uses her prominence in the community to speak out against bullying, we should champion that cause, not criticize it. When climbing companies behave like sponsors of any other sport, we should accept that rock climbing is maturing as a business, keeping in mind that we, as consumers, still have power. Eventually, when lessons are learned and the time (and rehabilitation) is right, we should forgive inhumanly strong athletes for their humanity (yup, looking at you, Michael Phelps).

I like to imagine Joe Kinder’s enthusiasm, his genuine zest for the sport when he said, “I am really pleased with my generation of climbers. We are at a really vital point where climbing is growing like crazy, it’s getting more respect as a real sport, and it can only get bigger and better,” (Climbing Magazine).

Rock climbing will only get bigger. That’s true. But, better is up to us.

[olympic2020tickets]

Olympic Gymnastics: Tokyo Olympic confirms test event scheduled for 2021

Tests events for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are scheduled to resume in March – a year after they were brought to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tokyo Olympic has published its updated calendar for 18 competitions where organizers plan to implement COVID-19 countermeasures and conduct tests, including on the handling of spectators.

Fans from all over the world are invited to book Olympic 2020 Tickets from our online platform for Olympic Tickets. Olympic Gymnastics fans can book Olympic Gymnastics Tickets from our ticketing marketplace exclusively at discounted prices.

The Aquatics Centre in Tokyo is due to stage the first test event in 2021 when it hosts the International Swimming Federation artistic swimming Olympic qualification tournament from March 4 to 7. Nine events are then sent to be held during a busy April. With various Tokyo Olympic venues tested including the Izu Velodrome, Asaka Shooting Range, Ariake Urban Sports Park, Tatsumi Water Polo Centre and Tokyo Stadium.

The Ariake Gymnastics Centre is expected to host two tests events in May with the Artistic Gymnastics All-Around World Cup Tokyo tracked by a rhythmic gymnastics competition. A volleyball event at Ariake Arena as well as athletics and 3x3 basketball tournaments are also set to take place in May.

“Tokyo Olympic said test events would be held at Yoyogi National Stadium for wheelchair rugby, the Olympic Stadium for Para-athletics and the Sapporo Odori Park for the marathon, but the dates have not yet been confirmed.”

The meadow of play, the use of technology and the workforce with an effort on technical aspects, including events to combat COVID-19, will be among the elements tested. Sport climbing's test event at the Aomi Urban Sports Park was the last to be held from March 6 to 8 this year.

Olympic 2020 fans can get Olympic Tickets through our reliable online ticketing marketplace. www.sportticketexchange.com is the trustiest way to book Olympic Packages.

[olympictickets]

Olympic Athletics: US Army get ready for the Olympic 2020

Soldier Olympic athletes in the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program is gearing up for the Olympic 2020 Games in Tokyo as the approach of a trial. The program already has two Soldiers qualified in Olympic modern pentathlon, Spc. Samantha Schultz and Sgt. Amro Elgeziry. Schultz qualified for the women's squad after earning second place in the individual event at the 2019 Pan American Sports in Lima, Peru.

Olympic fans from all over the world are invited to book Olympic 2020 tickets from our online platforms for Olympic Tickets. Olympic Athletics fans can book Olympic Athletics Tickets from our ticketing marketplace exclusively on discounted prices.

"I remember I was about to cross the finish line, and I got chills and grinned," supposed Shultz, a five-time national champion. In my mind I was thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I didn't just win a medal but I qualified for the Olympic 2020, wow I can't believe I just did that.' It was so surreal."

Elgeziry also qualified at the Pan American Sports by earning a fifth place in the men's individual event.

Going to the Olympic 2020 never gets old, it's always exciting, supposed Elgeziry, who has contested at three Olympic Games. It was an amazing instant for me. It is always an honor just being in the Army but it is super special to know you signify Side USA and the U.S. Army.

Naomi Graham is working her way to the Olympic 2020 team for boxing. She won the U.S. Boxing Olympic 2020 Trials for the women's 75kg weight class in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Dec. 17. I feel astonishing, Graham supposed after winning. I just talented something I had only dreamt about. I feel a rush of irresistible happiness.

Graham is controlled to Bulgaria. Where she will be assessed before they announce the official Olympic 2020 team. Other sports that are training to make the team include track and field, marathon runners, wrestling, taekwondo, Paralympic swimming and shooting. The marathon Olympic 2020 trials in Atlanta, Georgia, Feb. 29, await qualifying Soldier-athletes. The Soldier-athlete wrestlers that qualify will compete at the wrestling Olympic 2020 trials at Penn State University, Pennsylvania, April 4-5. Sgt. Ellis Coleman, a wrestling Soldier athlete, said it means a lot to represent the U.S Army at the Olympic 2020 trials and potentially the Games.

"I am representative all these people who put their lives on the line every day for our country, the least I can do is signify us on the mat and do what I can to represent our Army in the best way possible," said Coleman.

Paralympic archery Soldier-athletes Staff Sgt. Michael Lukow and Staff Sgt. Ryan McIntosh is in pursuit of the Paralympic archery trials in Chula Vista, California, June 10-14. Soldier-athletes who qualify for the track and field Olympic 2020 trials will be competing at the University of Oregon's Hayward A field in Eugene, Oregon, June 18-19. Staff Sgt. Hillary Bor. Who will be competing at his second Olympic 2020 trials, said his goal is to train smart and relaxed.

"The expectations are high," said Bor. "The training and intensity has to be higher and consistent."

Soldier-athletes opposing in the sport of taekwondo do not have trails to attend but are competing at tournaments leading up to the Olympic 2020 Games to earn points that determine selections in each weight class. Paralympic and Olympic Shooting Soldier-athletes also qualify for the Games based on points earned at competitions.

Paralympic swimmer Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Marks will be rival in the Olympic swimming trials in Minneapolis, Minnesota, As the WCAP Soldier-athletes gear up for the Olympic year, their duties and promises as 'Soldiers first' remain the same according to Cpt. Bryce Livingston, WCAP commander.

"'Soldiers first' is something that I have emphasized ever since I took command and it has always been a part of WCAP," supposed Livingston.

Their title as an elite soldier comes before all else and being a soldier first stresses the skill they take with them. Olympic 2020 fans can get Olympic Tickets through our confidential online ticketing market place. Sportticketexchange.com is the most reliable source to book Olympic Packages.

[local-events]

6 Year-Round Festivals That Give You a Reason to Celebrate in Barbados

After winning the NBA championship, legend Kawhi Leonard toasted his huge win with a trip to Barbados. But you don't have to be a basketball hero to celebrate in Barbados.

 Beyond the beaches, this eastern Caribbean island, outside the principal hurricane belt, has a year round calendar of festivities that gives nearly every traveler a reason to pack a bag for Barbados.

 Crop Over Festival

 When: May to August

This months-long festival is a 200 year-old tradition of marking the end of the sugar cane harvest. It's the most popular celebration on the island, an extravaganza of live music and traditional dancing. This is the ultimate Bajan festival with all-night parties, arts and crafts markets, street fairs with local cuisine, and the culmination of the Crop Over Festival in the final week in August, with a masquerade band parade complete with costumed partiers, music trucks and moving bars.

 Crop Over Festival Tip: Barbados' most famous native daughter, Rihanna herself is known to show up for the final day of the festival in support of her brother Rorrey Fenty's band Aura Experience! Sign up to 'jump' with the band and you could be partying with Rihanna's costumed crew.

  Dive Fest

 When: Early July 2 – 7 | Website:

 Get a little underwater in Barbados. Or simply swim, float, or soak up some sun on the beach. Dive Fest features water awareness programs, scuba and freediving demonstrations and trials, beach clean ups, conservation tips, lionfish hunting and tasting, as well as scuba dives all over the island - including the island's acclaimed east coast!

 Dive Fest Tip: Don't miss Carlisle Bay Marine Park, a wreck diver's dream, with over half a dozen ship wrecks, including a Canadian freighter sunk by a Germany U-boat in WWII, and other ships sunk as dive sites. Some wrecks are as shallow as 12 feet under, all the way to over 55 feet under the surface. In addition to underwater history, you can check out the marine inhabitants: eels, frog fish, seahorses, rays, porcupine fish and squid that make the shipwrecks home.

 Barbados Jazz Excursion & Golf Tournament Weekend

 When: mid-October long weekend (Columbus Day / Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend) |

 Jazz Sax-Man and Barbados-born recording artist Elan Trotman hosts a weekend of concerts, island excursions and charity golf for this annual event. Festivalgoers are treated to an ever-growing lineup of contemporary jazz and R&B artists at the fest along with a schedule that allows time to discover the alluring tropical beauty of Barbados. The weekend benefits the Headstart Music program in the island that provides free music lessons to children on saxophone, flute, clarinet, trumpet and percussion instruments.

 Barbados Jazz Excursion & Golf Weekend Tip: This is shoulder season, so you’ll be sure to get great flight deals.

  Food & Rum Festival

 When: Late October weekend

 For over 10 years, Barbados has been celebrating some of the best local Bajan, regional and international chef and mixology talent. for a unique festival of flavour. Local gastronomy and the island’s signature spirit – rum, are the highlight of this festival of flavor. Add in beach parties and other exciting cultural experiences and foodies and their friends have an island escape to remember!

 Food & Rum Festival Tip: You'll want to check out local restaurants in addition to ticketed food and rum events. Don't miss Chef Damian Leach's restaurant Cocktail Kitchen. The award-winning Bajan chef, who studied in Canada, is bringing innovation and sustainability to the island dining scene; including the use of the invasive species lionfish in his cuisine.

 Open Water Festival

When: Early November weekend

 Join hundreds of swimmers and open water enthusiasts in Barbados’ turquoise waters for races of 3.3, 5 and 10 k. Swimmers also have a chance to rub shoulders (or fins) with aquatic celebrities like Oceans Seven swimmer, Cameron Bellamy!

 Open Water Festival Tip: Don’t miss the Practice Swim #3 on the Friday in 'Miami Beach'. This beach (also known as Enterprise Beach) is a hidden gem and known to locals as the most beautiful beach in the Caribbean, boasting white sand and pristine blue-green seas. 

 Run Barbados Marathon

 When: Early December weekend

 Barbados' largest running event is your opportunity to test your running endurance in an idyllic tropical landscape. Sign up for the 10k, or half marathon too, and you'll run through Barbados' beautiful capital city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bridgetown, as well as its spellbinding natural harbor at Carlisle Bay.

 Run Barbados Marathon Tip: North Americans dominate Barbados during this marathon, with US /Canadian running program partners bringing hundreds of participants and even Olympic Athletes to the marathon you may encounter during your run or at arm's length cheering on from the sidelines.

 Start your Trip!

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[valkyrr]

1-96, just because :P

-cracks knuckles- OH BOY alright, let’s do this

full meme under the cut 

(1) Do You Sleep With Your Closet Doors Open Or Closed?

my closet doesn’t have a door!

(2) Do You Have Freckles?

YEA but they’re really faint unless i’ve been hanging out in the sun for a while

(3) Can You Whistle?

NO and I’m bitter

(4) Last Song You Listened To.

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys

(5) What Is Your Favourite Colour?

atm it’s blue, but it changes often

(6) Relationship Status.

single and kind of ready to mingle i’m not really sure just gonna see how things go

(7) What Is The Temperature Right Now?

66 degrees F

(8) Did You Wake Up Cranky?

nope

(9) How Many Followers?

208

(10) Zodiac Sign.

Libra!!

(11) What Is Your Eye Colour?

Hazel I think,,

(12) Take A Vitamin Daily?

if you’re talking abt a daily multivitamin and not medication then NO that’s a level of health I am Not At

(13) Do You Sing In The Shower?

ofc, i’ve figured out how to balance my phone on the shower ledge w/o it getting wet so i can sing to songs lmao

(14) What Books Are You Reading?

none atm

(15) Grab The Book Nearest To You, Turn To Page 64, Give Me Line 14.

Ferahgo watched him intently and commented, “What’s that noise? Has one of your teeth broken? Oh look, it’s fallen out. (...)”

(16) Favourite Anime?

Lupin III 

(17) Last Person You Cried In Front Of?

my mom

(18) Do You Collect Anything?

Vinyls!

(19) What Did You Have For Lunch?

Crackers that may have been sitting in our pantry for ~4 months now

(20) Do You Dance In The Car?

nah, but i’ll sing

(21) Favourite Animal?

Lynx

(22) Do You Watch The Olympics?

YEA I love the Olympics!

(23) What Time Do You Usually Go To Bed?

1 AM - 3 AM

(24) Are You Wearing Makeup Right Now?

ye

(25) Do You Prefer To Swim In A Pool Or The Ocean?

Ocean

(26) Favourite Tumblr Blog?

all of my mutuals tbh.....

(27) Bottled Water Or Tap Water?

Bottled

(28) What Makes You Happy?

Music

(30) Do You Study Better With Or Without Music?

with, but it’s gotta be classical or smooth jazz or Chill Anime Beats 24/7 or something

(31) Dogs Or Cats?

b o t h

(32) If You Were A Crayon What Colour Would You Be?

Orange

(33) PlayStation Or Xbox.

used to be team Xbox, i’m PS now bc i’m a traitor

(34) Would You Swim In The Lake Or Ocean?

Lake

(35) Do You Believe In Magic?

depends what kind!

(36) What Colour Shirt Are You Wearing?

gray

(37) Can You Curl Your Tongue?

ye

(38) Do You Save Money Or Spend It?

try to save it as best i can!

(39) Is There Anything Pink Within 10 Feet Of You?

no

(40) Do You Have Any Obsessions Right Now?

I’m back on my Bloodborne bullshit rn but besides that I’m really getting into Kings of Convenience as a band and i’m digging their music??

(41) Have You Ever Caught A Butterfly?

YEA kid me used to chase them around, keep them for a little bit, then release them

(42) Are You Easily Influenced By Other People?

ye, please be aware i’m gonna copy personality traits if i’m around the same person for a while

(43) Do You Have Strange Dreams?

lately yeah?? but i can’t ever remember them tbh

(44) Do You Like Going On Airplanes?

ye

(45) Name One Movie That Made You Cry.

Good Will Hunting

(46) Peanuts Or Sunflower Seeds?

Peanuts

(47) If I Handed You A Concert Ticket Right Now, Who Would You Want The Performer To Be?

honestly I still wanna see Fleet Foxes live but i’m ~salty~ because they just came to detroit @ a venue i’ve been at before and really liked and i was busy the day of their concert

(48) Are You A Picky Eater?

not rly unless it comes to texture

(49) Are You A Heavy Sleeper?

tbh an atomic war could happen and if I was sleeping i’d be none the wiser

(50) Do You Fear Thunder / Lightning?

every time a thunderstorm happens i get 100% stronger

(51) Do You Like To Read / Write?

yea if i’m in the mood for it!

(52) Do You Like Your Music Loud?

also depends on my mood

(53) Would You Rather Carve Pumpkins Or Wrap Presents?

Carve pumpkins

(54) Put Your Music On Shuffle, What Is The First Song That Came Up?

The Growlers - Love Test

(55) What Season Are You In Right Now? (Weather)

Summer still, but it’s starting to feel like Fall in the evenings

(56)What Are You Craving Right Now?

Pizza

(58) What Is Your Gender?

Cis girl

(59) Coffee Or Tea?

Tea all the way

(60) Do You Have Any Homework Right Now? If So, What Is It About?

No thank goodness

(61) What Is Your Sexuality?

Super Ace

(62) Do You Make Your Bed In The Morning?

I wish;;

(63) Favourite Pokemon?

Entei/ Aggron

(64) Favourite Social Media?

This hellsite

(65) What’s Your Opinion On Instagram Stories?

They’re cool, never use them though

(66) Do You Get Homesick?

All the time

(67) Are You A Virgin?

Ye

(68) What Shampoo And Conditioner Are You Using Right Now?

Idk i think it’s like “Maui moisture” or somethin, i just picked it bc it smelled pretty good

(69) If You Were Far From Home And Needed To Sleep For The Night, Would You Choose To Rent A Crappy Motel Room For $60 Or Sleep In Your Car For Free?

Sleep in my car, i’m a huge germaphobe abt motels/hotels in general

(70) Are Both Of Your Blood Parents Still In Your Life?

yes, thankfully

(71)  Whats The Next Movie You Want To See In Theaters?

idk, the last one I wanted to see was Baby Driver but i don’t think it’s in theaters anymore?

(72) Do You Miss Your Ex?

i only have one(1) ex from like...... grade school. lmao. i completely forgot about him ‘till this question

(73) What Is Your Favourite Quote Right Now?

this

(74) What Eye Colour Do You Find Sexiest?

Brown eyes are VERY underrated

(75) Did You Like Swinging As A Child? Do You Still Get Excited When You See A Swing Set?

YEAH

(76) What Was The Last Thing You Ate?

Tuna + Peaches

(77) What Games Do You Have On Your Phone?

i have Fallout Shelter but i’m thiiiiiis close to deleting it because it’s stressful af and i get way too attached to my dwellers

(78) Would You Give A Homeless Person CPR If They Were Dying? Why Or Why Not?

yea of course lmao I can’t see a reason why anyone wouldn’t???????

(79) Been On The Computer For 5 Hours Straight?

I used to pull internet marathons like that when I was in high school but I’m kinda over it

(80) Stalked Someone On A Social Network?

never in a creepy way, but i follow a ton of bands i like on instagram and i get unreasonably exited when one of them posts something to their story

(81) Do You Like Meeting New People?

Yea!

(82) Do You Wear Rings? If You Do, Take A Picture Of Them.

Not often

(83) Do You Sleep With Your Bedroom Door Open Or Closed?

Closed

(84) What Are Three Things You Did Today?

got in touch w a friend i hadn’t talked to in a while, did some laundry, drew a bit!

(85) What Do You Wear To Bed?

usually pj shorts and a t shirt

(86) List All Of Your Different Beauty Products You Have Right Now.

 I have a ton of lipstick from Colourpop, a bunch o’ e.l.f. stuff, and some other misc things

(87) Are You A Day Or Night Person?

Night

(88) List All Of Your Video Games On Your Phone, Console Etc.

there’s......... so many tbh

(90) Favourite Soda Drink?

Cream Soda 

(91) What Sounds Are Your Favourite?

Rain on the window, cars passing on the road outside, running water

(92) Do You Wear Jeans Or Sweats More?

Jeans

(93) How Do You Look Right Now?

probably Bad, just chillin in my pjs 

(94) Name Something That Relaxes You.

Reading

(95) What Tattoo Do You Want?

Okay I’d love to get something in the traditional style but I’m also one of those people who would prefer a tattoo w meaning and I don’t really know of anything I’d put on my body permanently yet?? Might change down the road idk

(96) Favourite YouTuber?

I’m only rly on YouTube for the music 

thanks for the asks :)

[xoj-us]

Florida Keys & Key West events from the Official Florida Keys Tourism Council

Calendar of Events Event date Event location Event category   Current Florida Keys Events Dec. 14, 2017 - Jan. 6, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Waterfront Playhouse presents: Inspecting Carol 305-294-5015 Website Grab a large helping of holiday cheer with this hilarious, madcap comedy! It's a cross between A Christmas Carol and Noises Off. Behind the scenes of a struggling theatre's annual slapdash production of A Christmas Carol, rehearsals are at a standstill. Tim is no longer Tiny, Scrooge wants to do the play in Spanish (Feliz Navidad), and their funding is on hold pending an inspection. This laugh out loud spoof makes for a night at the theatre that is anything but show business as usual. "Inspecting Carol" is a delightful mix of "A Christmas Carol," "Noises Off," "Waiting for Guffman." Dec. 19, 2017 - Jan. 13, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Red Barn Theater presents: Dancing Lessons Box Office 305-296-9911 Website Evers, a man with Asperger's Syndrome, seeks the instruction of a Broadway dancer to learn enough dancing to survive an awards dinner. The dancer, Senga, is, however, recovering from an injury that may stop her career permanently. As their relationship unfolds, they're both caught off guard by the discoveries...both hilarious and heartwarming...that they make about each other and about themselves. Featuring Carolyn Cooper and Dave Bootle. Show times and tickets online. Red Barn Theater is located at 319 Duval St. Dec. 26, 2017 - Jan. 13, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Key West Theater presents: Hedwig and the Angry Inch 305-985-0433 Website Brilliantly innovative, heartbreaking, and wickedly funny. Hedwig & The Angry Inch is a genre-bending, fourth-wall-smashing musical sensation, with a pulsing score and electrifying performances, telling the story of rock-n-roll lead singer Hedwig, one of the most unique characters to ever hit the stage. Broadway choreographer Andrew Palermo is deep in rehearsal directing and choreographing Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Key West Theater, which stars Phillip Cole White as Hedwig, Alexandra Zeto as Yitzhak, and members of Patrick and the Swayzees as the band "The Angry Inch." Showtimes and tickets online. Jan. 1, 2018 - Aug. 31, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Fishing Key West Fishing Tournament Doris Harris 305-923-5934 Email Website More than 40 species of fish are targeted during these months, with divisions for men, women, junior anglers (ages 10 to 14) and Pee Wees (under 10 years old). The Key West Fishing Tournament strongly encourages the release of game fish. All participating anglers receive certificates noting their catches and qualify for a variety of prizes. Jan. 2, 2018 - Jan. 29, 2018 Location: Key West Christopher Peterson's EYECONS Tickets 305-296-6706 ext 4 Website A master of impersonations, both visually and vocally, with impeccable comic timing. The show is all LIVE, no lip-sync. Thrill to his parodies of Marilyn Monroe, Carol Channing, Madonna, Joan Rivers, Reba McEntire, Bette Midler, Tina Turner, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, Eartha Kitt, Cher, Bette Davis, Lucille Ball, even Lady GaGa. Show dates are online. Show times 9 p.m., at La te da 1125 Duval St. Jan. 3, 2018 Location: Key Largo Orange Bowl Swimming Classic 305- 453-7946 Email Website Some of the best college swimmers - and perhaps future Olympians - in the country compete at Jacobs Aquatic Center, mile marker (MM) 99.6 oceanside, in a competition that is part of the celebration surrounding the annual Orange Bowl college football game in Miami. Spectators are invited to attend this free event and meet the swimmers and coaches. Warm-up is set for 10 a.m., meets are scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 4, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture The Studios of Key West presents: First Thursday Gallery Walk 305-296-0458 Website From 6-8 p.m., The Studios' historic building at 533 Eaton Street will be filled with work by Cuban sculptor and printmaker Abel Barroso, assemblages by local artist Marta White, and photographs by Maggie Evans Silverstein, a former editor of the Miami Herald's Sunday magazine. Featured in the XOJ Gallery during the January 4 opening will be Key West/New York artist Marta White's assemblage sculptures and shadow boxes. Her creations are elegant studies in composition, and ache with memory and loss. Jan. 4, 2018 - Jan. 14, 2018 Location: Key Largo Category: Arts & Culture Uncorked ... the Key Largo and Islamorada Food & Wine Festival 305-522-1300 Email Website The 10-day food, wine and spirits showcase features 30-plus savory events to please virtually every palate and budget, spread among numerous Upper Keys venues with fresh, locally sourced seafood and international-style dishes. The festival's outdoor 'A Grand Tasting,' is set for Jan. 14. What better reason to 'Uncork' and unwind in the Florida Keys. For a complete events schedule, visit website. Jan. 6, 2018 - Jan. 7, 2018 Location: Marathon Category: Arts & Culture The Florida Keys Celtic Festival Website Some of America's most celebrated Celtic musical masters are to be featured at the Marathon Community Park, MM 49. The festival will also feature Irish and Scottish dancing, Highland athletics, Celtic merchandise, food and beverage booths and children's activities. Jan. 7, 2018 Location: Key West Key West Artisan Market, Art of the Art Edition Website Art of the Art is a unique opportunity to meet our local artists and learn how they make and design their craft. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests are encouraged to ride bikes or the bus which conveniently stops in front of the Restaurant Store. Parking is available in the Old Town Parking Garage at 300 Grinnell Street. Please bring your own bags. Jan. 8, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Key West Theater presents: The Zombies 305-985-0433 Website Now in their 54th year and cited as being one of the most influential UK pop/rock bands of all time, a mid-'60s rock group who wrote gorgeous melodies. Dominated by Colin Blunstone's breathy vocals, choral backup harmonies, and Rod Argent's shining jazz- and classical-influenced organ and piano, the band sounded utterly unique for their era. To this day, they're known primarily for their three big hit singles, "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", and "Time of the Season", however they have released multiple albums in recent years, both in the studio and live. Show starts 8 p.m. Jan. 11, 2018 - Jan. 14, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture 36th Annual Key West Literary Seminar 888-293-9291 Website The 2018 topic is "Writers of the Caribbean." Literary aficionados from around the world are to gather for readings, discussions and lectures led by some of contemporary literature's most acclaimed writers. The island nations of the Caribbean have produced some of the most powerful and exciting writers of our time. For the 36th annual Key West Literary Seminar, we look across the waves to the vital literature that has emerged from this region. Jan. 11, 2018 - Jan. 14, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Fishing Key West Kingfish Mayhem Jimmy Wickett 954-605-8284 Email Website Big fish, big money! Come fish for some of the largest kingfish in Florida Keys waters in this new tournament. Fishing headquartered at Stock Island Marina. First prize could earn $15,000 cash, based on a 50-boat field. Jan. 12, 2018 - Jan. 13, 2018 Location: Key West 58th Annual Key West House & Garden Tours 305-294-9501 Email Website Tour elegant and unique private homes of Key West, ranging from exquisite restorations to creative renovations, and the interior design that complements each. January tours are offered 3 to 7 pm each day. Transportation between homes is available via Conch Train for $40 each, seating is limited. Tickets without transportation are $30 in advance and $35 on tour days. Proceeds benefit the foundation's Oldest House Museum, grant and scholarship programs. Jan. 12, 2018 - Jan. 14, 2018 Location: Islamorada Category: Arts & Culture Sixth Annual Baygrass Bluegrass Festival Website Featuring several great Oldgrass, Newgrass and a blend of next generation Bluegrass as well as some tasteful variations of the genre. Tickets to be available in advance online and at the gate. Monies raised help fund music, dance and art scholarships for local students; main event is located at the ICE Amphitheater, MM 87 bayside at Founders Park. Other weekend musical activities are to be planned. Attendees can bring blankets and lawn chairs, but coolers are not permitted. Food and beverages available for purchase. Jan. 13, 2018 - Jan. 15, 2018 Location: Islamorada Category: Arts & Culture Island Boat Show & Festival Bob Phelps 239-691-3290 Website All the top boat brands will be featured at the Island Boat Show, being held at the Island Christian School campus at MM 83. Come enjoy a great show with loads of boats, auction items, food, vendors featuring a variety of merchandise, great fishing seminars presented by local captains... all at a very reasonable $10 admission. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat & Sun., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. A silent auction and fishing seminars hosted by Captain Rich Tudor, co-host of Saltwater Experience, and other Keys captains, round out the weekend. Jan. 13, 2018 Location: Marathon 2018 Bar Olympics to Benefit the Florida Keys SPCA 305-743-4800 Register Email Website Do you have the best bar tending or service team at your bar or restaurant? Can you make the best original cocktail? This Olympic season, in addition to having fun while helping support a Keys local animal shelter, the winning bar or restaurant team of the Winter Bar Olympics at the Lighthouse Grill at Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club will take home gold metals and bragging rights for all of 2018. In addition to the main event, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be games and challenges for pets and owners to participate in including a tennis ball lottery, red light green light and kissing contest!. With celebrity judges, shelter dog kissing booth, 50/50 raffle, silent auction and more! Jan. 13, 2018 Location: Islamorada Category: Arts & Culture 35th Annual Art Under The Oaks 305-360-8556 Email Website Fine art & original crafts, a variety of entertainment, specialty food booths, children's arts & crafts, as well as a raffle of items donated by the artists are part of the annual highlights. San Pedro Church Gardens, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Mile Marker 89.5 on Plantation Key in Islamorada. Onsite parking is available for a $5 donation. Free parking is available at Coral Shores High School, with shuttle service to the event. Jan. 13, 2018 - Jan. 14, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture 13th Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival Caitlin 813-362-9555 Email Website A family-friendly event with local fresh Keys seafood, drinks, marine-related crafts, youth activities, and live music. $5 admission per person; hours open from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, at Bayview Park, Truman Avenue and Jose Marti Drive. Jan. 13, 2018 - Jan. 14, 2018 Location: The Lower Keys Category: Arts & Culture 14th Annual Nautical Expo 305-872-2411 Email Website Admission and parking at this event are free, held at the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce grounds, MM31, from 8AM to 2PM. Find steals and deals on everything imaginable for boating, fishing, diving and more, from nearly 200 vendors. Crafts, food and beverage, live music and entertainment round out the two-day event. Jan. 14, 2018 Location: Key West Key West Half Marathon & 5k Run Barbara Wright 305-240-0727 Email Website Recognized by Runners World magazine as one of the 10 great half-marathons of the winter season, the race follows a 13.1-mile course that includes Old Town Key West and the scenic waterfront. Now in its 20th year, the race typically attracts American and international runners to compete in Key West's balmy January climate. Named as one of the United States' leading winter half marathons in Runner's World, February, 2014; the same magazine included in its list of Best Destination Half Marathons; in April, 2015; Bucket List Best Half Marathons, and most recently in December, 2015 was ranked among 13 must-do U.S. half-marathons by Competitor.com. Jan. 15, 2018 Location: Marathon Category: Arts & Culture Florida Keys Concert Association presents: Throwback Website This prize-winning Barbershop Quartet, led by Sean Devine, brings together an infectious energy with a love of yesterday's music. Based in Florida, they have performed to great acclaim from Alaska to New York. show starts @ 7:30PM at the Marathon High School, 350 Sombrero Road, Marathon, FL 33050 (MM50). Tickets available online. Jan. 16, 2018 Location: Islamorada Category: Arts & Culture Florida Keys Concert Association presents: Throwback Website This prize-winning Barbershop Quartet, led by Sean Devine, brings together an infectious energy with a love of yesterday's music. Based in Florida, they have performed to great acclaim from Alaska to New York. All Islamorada Concerts are at Island Community Church @ 7:30 PM, 83250 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036 (MM83). Tickets available online. Jan. 18, 2018 - Jan. 21, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Fringe Theater presents: The Regina Monologues – A Staged Reading 305-731-0581 Website Admired, vilified, de-humanized. Six women with one thing in common. Marriage to a man called Henry. This re-telling of the lives of the wives of King Henry VIII views history through a modern lense. Cleverly constructed. Skillfully arranged. Based on the lives of the wives of King Henry VIII.! Limited Seating. Shows at 7 p.m., Parish Hall at St Paul's Church. 401 Duval Street. Jan. 19, 2018 - Jan. 20, 2018 Location: Islamorada RESCHEDULED: Conch Scramble Charity Golf Tournament Michelle Abramoff 305-509-0315 Email Website Floating greens, golf boats and biodegradable fish food balls highlight the annual "par-tee" on the water during the popular Conch Scramble charity golf tournament. Fans of golf and boating can expect to have a "hole" lot of fun honing their swings and raising money for charity one shot at a time. Up to 50 teams can enter this one-of-a-kind golf experience. Jan. 20, 2018 Location: Islamorada Category: Arts & Culture Free Outdoor Pops-in-the-Park: Back to the Future 305-853-7294 Email Website A free concert held at Founders Park, featuring a musical trip through time. Special theater troupe appearance is planned. Performance is outdoors; no chairs provided, bring blankets. Starts at 4 p.m. Admission free for all concerts. Presented by Keys Community Concert Band. Jan. 22, 2018 - Jan. 29, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Kelly McGillis Classic International Flag Football Championship 305-896-8678 Email Website Women and girls from around the world are to meet on the playing field for hard-fought sporting action. Each year, nearly 30 teams from across the United States, Mexico, Central America, Sweden and India participate. Jan. 22, 2018 Location: Marathon Category: Arts & Culture Florida Keys Concert Association presents: Rising Star Website Each year we try to bring you a future star of the classical music world. We also encourage young people to attend (at no charge) and hear a young musical prodigy right here in the Keys. Stay tuned for further information. Show starts @ 7:30 PM at San Pablo Catholic Church, 550 122nd St., (MM53). Tickets to be available online. Jan. 23, 2018 Location: Islamorada Category: Arts & Culture Florida Keys Concert Association presents: Rising Star Website Each year we try to bring you a future star of the classical music world. We also encourage young people to attend (at no charge) and hear a young musical prodigy right here in the Keys. Stay tuned for further information. All Islamorada Concerts are at Island Community Church @ 7:30 PM, 83250 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036 (MM83). Tickets to be available online. Jan. 23, 2018 - Feb. 4, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Waterfront Playhouse presents: 1776, In Concert 305-294-5015 Website "1776" is the Tony Award winning musical which brings history to life as it dramatizes America's contentious Founding Fathers and their determination to do the right thing for a fledgling nation. Engaging, witty and passionate, this Broadway musical takes audiences back to the long, hot Philadelphia summer of 1776 when John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia bid members of the Second Continental Congress to proclaim independence from the tyranny of British monarchy and adopt the United States Declaration of Independence. Jan. 23, 2018 - Feb. 17, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Red Barn Theater presents: 20th Century Blues 305-296-9911 Website This sharply funny and evocative exploration of time was the flat our hit of the 2016 Contemporary American Theatre Festival in the 25th season. The play centers on four women who bonded as protesters one night in jail in their youth. Through the vagaries of love, careers, children, and lost causes, the women reunite once a year for a photo shoot, chronicling their changing selves. But when these private photos have the potential to become part of a public exhibit, mutiny erupts and relationships are tested. Featuring Marjorie Paul-Shook, Annie Miners, Peggy Montgomery, Deborah Jacobson, Kathy Russ, and Justin Ahearn.show times and tickets online. Red Barn Theater is located at 319 Duval St. Jan. 23, 2018 Location: The Lower Keys Table-to-Sea Feast on Stock Island Website Outstanding in the Field Travels to the Florida Keys! Stock Island -- the farthest isle of Florida's Lower Keys across the strait from Key West just five miles from the end of the road at the archipelago's southernmost tip -- will be the site for an open-air Outstanding in the Field dinner on Tuesday, January 23. Hosted in collaboration with Lost Kitchen Supper Club, Roostica and Hogfish, the table-to-sea dining event is the traveling restaurant without walls' first visit to the Florida Keys. Per person cost is $225, all inclusive. Tickets available online. Proceeds benefit Hurricane Irma relief efforts. Outstanding in the Field has staged table-to-farm events in all 50 states across the US and 15 countries around the world, welcoming more than 120,000 people to its long table set in vegetable fields and orchard groves, at creameries and cheeseworks, in urban gardens and big-sky ranches. Jan. 24, 2018 - Jan. 28, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Key West Food & Wine Festival 800-474-4319 Email Website Top chefs and restaurateurs display culinary creativity and the Keys' indigenous cuisine in a flavorful schedule of events for food lovers. Highlights include the lively "Old Town Uncorked," neighborhood wine strolls, food and wine pairings, intriguing seminars, winemaker dinner series and a grand tasting. Jan. 24, 2018 - Jan. 25, 2018 Location: Islamorada Category: Fishing IFC Sailfish Tournament Website Presented by the Islamorada Fishing Club, the event is the second leg this year of the three-pronged Florida Keys Gold Cup Championship series and typically draws a field of up to 30 boat teams of elite sport fishermen. Kickoff is 1/24 and fishing day is 1/25. A total cash payout for a full field at the IFC Sailfish Tournament could reach $30,000. Jan. 24, 2018 Location: Key West Key West Art & Historical Society presents: Conch Revival Picnic 305.295.6616 x111 Email The Key West Art & Historical Society and Isle Cook Key West have teamed up to present a picnic-style Conch heritage dinner and co-benefit for Grimal Grove prepared by acclaimed chefs Martha Hubbard and Dave Furman. Staged on the grounds of the Key West Lighthouse & Keeper's Quarters, the picnic features a wine and appetizer pairing, a variety of classic Key West/Conch recipes using produce from Grimal Grove, and a Molletes cook-off competition coordinated by Key West Food Tours creator Analise Smith and her Cuban-Conch recipe aficionada mother Teresa Menendez. Tickets $35 for Members and $45 for Non-members. Jan. 26, 2018 - Jan. 27, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture Key West Theater presents: Arlo Guthrie 305-985-0433 Website Arlo Guthrie has been known to generations as a prolific songwriter, social commentator, master storyteller, actor and activist. Born in Coney Island, New York in 1947, Arlo is the eldest son of Marjorie Mazia Guthrie, a professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of The Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease, and America's most beloved singer/writer/philosopher/artist Woody Guthrie. Arlo has become an iconic figure in folk music in his own right with a distinguished and varied career spanning over fifty years. Show starts 8 p.m. each night. Jan. 26, 2018 - Jan. 28, 2018 Location: Islamorada Category: Fishing Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Tournament Email Website Anglers compete for beautiful trophies and prizes in one of the most prestigious offshore tournaments in the Florida Keys, and this year is the third and final leg of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Championship. Jan. 27, 2018 - Jan. 28, 2018 Location: Key West Category: Arts & Culture 33rd Annual Key West Craft Show 305-294-1243 Email Website Tens of thousands of attendees browse and buy among juried artisans and crafters who gather to display their talents at this popular outdoor festival on lower Whitehead Street in historic Old Town Key West. Jan. 28, 2018 Location: Key West 24th Annual Key West Master Chefs Classic 305-294-9526, ext 25 Website Local restaurants vie for top honors in appetizer, entrée and dessert categories. Attendees sample the culinary treats while judges pick the winners. The show is held from 4-7 p.m. at the Margaritaville Resort & Marina pier, 245 Front St. Event proceeds benefit the nonprofit Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens. Jan. 28, 2018 Location: Key West Key West Artisan Market presents: Culinary & Wine Show Website Culinary & Wine Show features local chef specialties, exotic cheeses, wine tasting and dozens of great vino by the bottle and case. Guests are encouraged to ride bikes or the bus which conveniently stops in front of the Restaurant Store. Parking is available in the Old Town Parking Garage at 300 Grinnell Street. Please bring your own bags. Jan. 29, 2018 Location: Marathon Category: Arts & Culture Florida Keys Concert Association presents: Trio Solisti Website Hailed as "the most exciting piano trio in America" by The New Yorker Magazine, Trio Solisti is comprised of three brilliant instrumentalists - violinist Maria Bachmann, cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach and pianist Fabio Bidini. They have earned a reputation for soulful and passionate performances marked by soloist virtuosity, electric energy, seamless ensemble playing, and thrilling abandon. Performance at 7:30 PM, at San Pablo Catholic Church, 550 122nd St., (MM53). Tickets to be available online. Jan. 30, 2018 Location: Islamorada Category: Arts & Culture Florida Keys Concert Association presents: Trio Solisti Website Hailed as "the most exciting piano trio in America" by The New Yorker Magazine, Trio Solisti is comprised of three brilliant instrumentalists - violinist Maria Bachmann, cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach and pianist Fabio Bidini. They have earned a reputation for soulful and passionate performances marked by soloist virtuosity, electric energy, seamless ensemble playing, and thrilling abandon. Performance at Island Community Church @ 7:30 PM, 83250 Overseas Highway, (MM83). Tickets to be available online.

[theperksofshippingromione]

lists!!!

thanks for tagging me @idearlylovealaugh because I’m way better at making lists than answering questions. also I want to do something non-work related for a couple minutes.

Five things you’ll find in my bag:

two wallets, because one has my money/rewards cards/ID and the other has old stuff and my various insurance cards.

usually some pads and tampons because I’m not good at keeping track of when I’ll actually need them

headphones

gift cards (usually still in the envelope they came in, usually with just a few cents left on them)

wild card - deodorant or sunglasses are usually a good bet. or phone charger, but I usually keep that in the car now.

Five things you’ll find in my bedroom:

a pile of books I’m meaning to read

a pile of clothes I’m meaning to put away

a poster my swim team made me my senior year that everyone signs and talks about how much they love/will miss you when you graduate

various trinkets/keepsakes from family, trips, concerts, etc. Ranging from tickets to signed posters to photos to decorative bunny figurines.

a desk chair that I’ve had for 2+ years and never have used as a chair

Five things I’ve always wanted to do:

visit the UK

publish a novel (or novels)

be more confident

get married/have kids

compete in the Olympics? (Ha! Firm believer that you have to create your own Olympics. So for me that was my d3 conference swim meets!)

Five things that make me happy:

Family

Warm days that aren’t too hot when you don’t have anything to do but sit outside and read or nap

Chasing goals - then: swimming, now: running

Finding new songs that are just the right thing

Excellent stories

Five things I’m currently into:

*Hedwig’s theme intensifies*

Avocado toast

Brooklyn 99

"Waving through the Window” from Dear Evan Hansen

This red pepper feta dip stuff they sell at Target

Five things on my to do list:

Find a new freaking job

Write my last plot bunny for the Sinfully fest

Run a marathon

Call the mechanic to get my brakes taken care of, sigh

Get a haircut

I feel like everyone did this one already. Is it bad if I don’t tag anyone? :( Tell me if you didn’t do it yet and I’ll retroactively tag you haha

[douxlen]

How the International Olympic Committee Fails Athletes

New Post has been published on https://douxle.com/2024/08/10/how-the-international-olympic-committee-fails-athletes-3/

How the International Olympic Committee Fails Athletes

Athletes here at the Paris Olympics have brought us magical performances, from U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, to French phenom swimmer Léon Marchand, to Ankita Dhyani, a 5,000-meter runner from India we watched circle the purple oval at the Stade de France, finishing last yet receiving a rousing applause when she crossed the line, as if she had won the race. Olympians make the Olympics special, plain and simple.

But behind the shimmering sheen of athletic brilliance and perseverance, stark inequalities exist all around. The gap between millionaire Olympians like Novak Djokovic and LeBron James and athletes from lesser-known sports like canoe slalom and badminton is the equivalent of a sporting Grand Canyon. The benefits that powerful countries like the U.S., China, and France hold over nations with GDPs smaller than some American cities show up with crisp visibility on the Olympic medal table. But perhaps the most seismic inequality, and one that all too often evades public notice, let alone scrutiny, is the yawning gap between the luxury-box existence of the International Olympic Committee and most Olympians themselves.

The IOC’s slogan is “Putting Athletes First.” But all too often, athletes come in closer to last.

The Olympic money shuffle is a great place to start. The IOC is officially a nonprofit, but it sure is profitable. According to its most recent annual report, the organization raked in $7.6 billion in the Olympic cycle spanning 2017 to 2020-21. A 2019 study from Toronto Metropolitan University and Global Athlete found that only 4.1% of Olympic revenues make it into athlete pockets (whereas with the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB it’s more like 45-50%). The IOC often reminds us that it redistributes 90% of its funds, but only a paltry 0.5% is direct compensation to athletes.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Global Athlete, the athlete-led group fighting for enhanced rights and increased pay, released a statement asserting that the Olympics “serve the interests of the few powerbrokers behind the International Olympic Committee” and that “the Olympics are failing to serve the interests of athletes … because the IOC, which wields complete control over all things Games related, operates without accountability.”

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics—postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic—the IOC chose to stage the Games even though transmission rates were high and a national poll revealed that 83% in Tokyo did not want it to proceed. The pandemic was a challenging time for anyone putting on a big-ticket event, not least the IOC. But the organization took steps that seemed to prioritize their own finances over athletes.

Certainly, the IOC and local organizers in Paris were not “putting athletes first” when they chose to stage the triathlon and marathon swim in the Seine River. The sights of athletes vomiting when leaving the Seine or reports of sickness due to E.coli was hardly unpredictable. We spoke to people in the Paris office of the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental group, which was logging high and unsafe levels of E. Coli and enterococci for months. And Surfrider noted that they were only testing for bacteria, in alignment with the European Bathing Water Directive, not pesticide runoff, pharmaceutical refuse, or toxic metals. But the French government has put $1.5 billion into cleaning it—the images of people swimming in the Seine for the first time in a century were irresistible, and athletes were put last.

Read More: Inside the Billion-Dollar Effort to Clean Up the Seine

While many athletes live hand-to-mouth, the IOC enjoys an opulent existence. Here in Paris, its members are staying in the ritzy Hôtel du Collectionneur, which the IOC is renting out for a cool €22 million ($24 million). IOC members also enjoy extravagant perks, like first-class airfare and five-star accommodations. And they receive per diem payments of up to $900 on days they attend the Olympics and other official IOC events. This means an IOC member could make more money in per diem alone, than a U.S. Olympian who earns a bronze medal and the $15,000 that comes with it from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Back at the Hôtel du Collectionneur in Paris, the IOC have banned reporters from entering the building where they are residing for the first time in decades. Decision making has also become increasingly centralized under a small team of senior executives, including its current president, Thomas Bach of Germany. Small groups of loyal IOC members—called Future Host Commissions—now essentially choose which cities will host the Olympics, with the rest of the organization relegated to being a gold-plated rubber stamp.

For all of these reasons, it’s time for the current iteration of the IOC to go. This might sound radical, but the IOC has yet to find an answer to the role the Games play in overspending public money, stoking displacement, and intensifying policing in Olympic host cities. It’s also time to end the fiction that the current iteration of the Games are environmentally sustainable, given the air miles and mega construction projects. Just ask the people of Teahupo’o, Tahiti, host of the Paris 2024 surfing competition, who protested the construction of an Olympic-standard viewing tower that damaged the community’s delicate coral reef, possibly affecting its ecosystem for decades.

The current iteration of the IOC should be replaced with athletes and independent thinkers who are not afraid to make drastic changes. That includes embedding democratic decision-making processes at every level, refusing to hand hosting rights for the Games to egregious human-rights violators, and making sure athletes receive a bigger slice of the Olympic money pie.

In the era of climate disruption, such measures are especially necessary, if not inevitable. Here in Paris, Madeleine Orr, assistant professor of sports ecology at the University of Toronto, told us this in no uncertain terms. “A sustainable Olympics is an oxymoron,” she said. “And the [Olympic] model is completely untenable. They’re not going to be able to continue to do it much longer.”

At the opening ceremony of the Paris Games, IOC President Bach delivered a speech. As he delivered his remarks in the rain, an assistant held an umbrella over Bach’s head so he wouldn’t get wet (unlike the flag bearers, volunteers, and fans in attendance). The image dripped with symbolism. One reality for the IOC and another for everyone else.

[1dimagineclub]

Harry Imagine

“He Takes You To An Olympic Event”

Watching gymnastics is the last place he wanted to take you when you asked to attend an Olympic event. But he still pulls some strings until he has them in his hand and a smile on your face. You’re decked out in Team USA gear, an American flag bandanna tied around you head and he’s decked out in Team GB gear. You cheer for the Fab Five, chanting and clapping when the girls start their routines and sore through the air. This isn’t exactly how Harry wanted to spend a Monday night but watching as you get emotional when the girls take home the team gold, he decides it wasn’t that bad.

[goodvicetech-blog]

MARATHON RUNNERS IN INDIA

Marathon is a long-distance race, completed by running, walking , or a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair divisions. The marathon has an official distance of 42.195 kilometers (26.219 miles; 26 miles 385 yards 0 feet 0 inches), usually run as a road race.

As marathon running has become more popular, some athletes have undertaken challenges involving running a series of marathons. Also, we have all watched and marveled at “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”, applauding the determination of the great athlete Milkha Singh. But our nation has produced several gems in the running discipline over the years. Let’s see some Marathon runners of India and their achievements

BUDHIA SINGH (PRODIGY)

Though he shares his last name with the flying Sikh, Budhia Singh is far from his contemporary. He was born in the year 2002 and is the world’s youngest marathon runner. Yes, you read that right; he is currently just 12 and has already participated in several marathons.  Budhia Singh, completed his first marathon at age three. He trained under the coach Biranchi Das, who saw potential in him. In May 2006, unfortunately, Budhia was temporarily banned from running by the ministers of child welfare, as his life could be at risk.

His coach Biranchi Das, discovered the boy’s peculiar talent when one day, he punished him for being mischievous by telling him to run. However, he forgot about Budhia running and later, upon remembering came back to find him still running after five and a half hours.

Budhia was interviewed by several national and International media organizations, with an Emmy nominated documentary funded by HBO and BBC on him, titled Marathon Boy being made on his life. He entered the Limca Book of World Records in 2006 for running 65 km from Puri to Bhubneshwar.

MAJOR D P SINGH (DISABLED)

Life seemed to have come to a standstill for Major D P Singh when a shell exploded near him during the Kargil conflict, resulting in him losing his right leg. He, however, refused to let life hand him a hard hand, rising from the ashes like a phoenix to become the blade marathon runner of India. Singh required 10 long and painful years to recover from his crippling injury. But he didn’t give up hope. After fitting a blade to his amputated leg, he began practicing and training for running marathons. Since then, there was no looking back for this fiery man, who has participated in every edition of the Delhi Half marathon, even clocking a commendable 2 hours 40 minutes at the event.

Singh continues to be an inspiration to athletes across the country and the world with his cheerful demeanour and steel-determination.

FAUJA SINGH (AGE OVER 100)

With this name, a hat-trick of Singh’s has officially been completed in this list so far. Fauja Singh is widely popular in the global running community as the centenarian marathon runner. He is a British-Indian and was born in the year 1911. At the age of 100, he managed to accomplish 8 records in day for his age group. They were in the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500, the mile, 3000 and 5000 meter events. In 2011, he also became the world’s first 100 year old person to successfully finish a marathon, completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a little over 8 hours. In 2013, he competed at the Hong Kong marathon at the age of 101.

He was one of the torch bearers for the 2012 London Olympics and he received an award of British Empire Medal (BEM) for service to sports and charity. Fauja SIngh is a living testimony to the fact that age is no bar for fitness and sports.

ASHIS ROY (AGE OVER 80)

Close on the heels of Fauja SIngh is another man whose age is no hurdle for him when it comes to running marathons. Ashis Roy recently completed the 13.1 mile run in the Navy Air Force Half Marathon in Washington, his 23rd half marathon and his 138th marathon so far. At the ripe age of 82, Roy was easily the oldest participant in the event, but that did not deter him from finishing the full length of the race successfully, clocking a time close to 3 hours, 28 minutes and 40 seconds.

Proving to the world that no age is too late to begin exploring ones passion for running, Roy started participating in marathons at the age of 52. By the time he attained 75 years of age, he had managed to compete in a staggering 82 races and completed his 100th marathon in January 2010. Roy is a retired Wing Commander of the Indian Air Force and by 2013, he had finished his 115th marathon in Mumbai. He has also authored a book titled The Joy of Running.

LALITA BABAR

Currently the national record holder in the 3000 m Steeplechase event, after clocking a time of 9.35.37 at the 2014 Asia Games in Inchon, South Korea and breaking Sudha Singh’s record, Lalita Babar is one of the top long distance female runners in the country today.

Babar, who earlier focused on marathons and managed to complete a hat-trick of winning the Mumbai Marathon in 2014, decided to switch to the 3000 m steeplechase event in order to boost her chances of winning a medal. Her decision turned out to be handsomely rewarding one as she clinched the bronze medal in Inchon, apart from setting a new national record. Babar, who hails from a humble family in Satara, Maharashtra is employed as a ticket checker in the Central Railways and is currently the next big thing in women’s long distance running in India.

MILIND SOMAN

Milind is an avid and a very strong sportsman. He has been an international level swimmer. He started representing Maharashtra from the age of 10 at various age groups before going on to represent his state at senior level where he went on to hold the national swimming championship (senior men’s) title for four consecutive years (1984-87) before giving up competitive swimming in 1988. Soman represented India in swimming in the inaugural South Asian Games (then known as South Asian Federation Games) in 1984 held at Kathmandu where he won a Silver medal.

In India, he has been a Limca record holder for running 1,500 km in 30 days time, for Greenathon and also the ambassador of Pinkathon, India’s biggest ‘women only’ marathon. In 2015, Milind completed the Ironman challenge in 15 hours and 19 minutes, in his first try. The triathlon includes a 3.8-km swim, a 180.2-km cycle ride and 42.2-km run raced in that order without a break which the participants are required to complete within 17 hours to win the title of ‘Ironman’. The title ‘Ironman’ is given to every person who achieves the feat within the given time.

In 2017 he successfully completed the Ultrathon in Florida that required covering a distance of 520 km in 3 days. A 10-kilometer swim and a 148-kilometer bike ride comprised the first day, while the second day involved a 276-kilometer bike ride. On the third and final day of the race, Soman completed an 84-kilometer run. He was the only participant to have completed barefoot.

Download the GOODVICE App (Android and iOS) today and start your fitness journey for an unbelievable transformation.

[olympic2020tickets]

Olympic Swimming Marathon: British Swim Coach Sean Kelly Named Spain’s New National Performance Director

Expert British swim coach Sean Kelly will join the Royal Spanish Swimming Alliance (RFEN) as their new National Performance Director for swimming, RFEN proclaimed last week. The credited Irish coach will take on his novel role initial Sept. 1, 2020. Kelly’s role is new to the group and is a part of a newly “restructured” RFEN, per Spanish sporting outlet Marca.

Olympic admirers from all over the world are called to book Olympic 2020 tickets from our online platforms for Olympic Tickets. Olympic Swimming admirers can book Olympic Swimming Marathon Tickets from our ticketing marketplace exclusively on reduced prices.

Kelly has a long-standing international recommence in terms of swimming and open water. In detail, between 2009 and 2013 he was Head Coach for one of Great Britain’s High-Performance Middles. Kelly has taught three Olympic medalists, five world champions and nine European champions, in adding to thirteen Olympic qualifiers.

Amongst Kelly’s alumni are two-time marathon swimming world champion and Beijing 2008 Olympic silver medalist Keri-Anne Payne and Athens 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the men’s 200-meter butterfly, Steve Parry.

Kelly has also made several prizes for his coaching, amongst which are the 2004, 2007, and 2011 British Swimming Coach Connotation (BSCA) Coach of the Year awards.

“Working in Spain is a vision come true and a chance that comes at a faultless time for me,” Kelly supposed.

I led a very fruitful side in the UK and I would like to do the same here. Luis and Fernando have come up with a new and thrilling structure, which is why I am happy about the future. I hope to bring a vision and a culture of achievement where everyone’s prospects are raised.

Olympic 2020 admirers can get Olympic Tickets through our trusted online ticketing market place. Sportticketexchange.com is the most dependable way to book Olympic Packages.