#On a Medal Having Venus

[nivea-ah]

I am so horribly disappointed by the Paris Olympics, I can't even frame a sentence without having to take a pause to just scream in fury.

Vinesh Phogat from India was the first wrestler ever, man or woman, to reach the finals and have the opportunity to play the Indian National Anthem at the Olympics. She usually always played in the under 53kg category but due to some issues, she went with under 50kg.

She then went on to ANNIHILATE all competition by winning so wonderfully, it made all Indians proud. She won the semifinals, progressed to finals and even had an opportunity to win it. However, at night, she realised she'd gained roughly 3kg and wouldn't be able to participate with that weight. She ran on a treadmill with thick jackets on, sat in a hot sauna, didn't eat or drink anything and, in desperation, cut her hair off. After all this effort, her reading was 50.1kg and she was eliminated from the Olympics.

The weight of 100g pushed her back to the last position, not even letting her get her well-deserved silver medal. Due to severe dehydration, she fainted on the venue and was later admitted in a hospital. Just today, she announced her retirement.

In spite of not winning the gold medal, she is a champion, not only because of her other accomplishments, but because of her relentless support and participation in the wrestlers' protest against the then chief of Wrestling Federation of India for sexual harrasment. She spent months on the streets of New Delhi to get the government to do something and nearly threw all her medals in the River Ganga to get the authorities to act. She was a champion through and through. Gold medallist or not, she truly is gold.

[aerinaga]

Ok, so idk if you've seen it or not, but it was a live that I believe KK did where paige did a cartwheel, and I was thinking of something with a gymnast reader and you teach Paige how to do gymnastic or Paige goes to one of your competitions.

queen of flexibility!

paige bueckers x gymnast!reader

warnings: none

synopsis: paige attends your competition

today was just another day, another competition typa thang for you. you woke up early today to get ready for your competition. leotard, makeup, and hair MUST always be on fleek.

you’ve won multiple gold medals already, but there are times where you still get humbled. gymnastics isn’t just about flexibility, its also about gracefulness of ones figure. sticking with gymnastics since you were 6 helped a lot with how you moved your body.

your body was muscular, so admirable.

paige was still asleep on your bed, hearing her soft breathes made you giggle. how cute.

you didn’t bother waking her up, you knew she always has her alarms set. you were too busy fixing yourself up to even care.

you were zoning out at your bathroom mirror, but your mind was cut off by a wrap of toned veiny arms around your waist. her hot breaths on your neck made you feel heat around your body.

“good morning, baby. looking beautiful always.”

“good morning, paigeyboo. you should start getting ready ok? we leave in an hour.”

“yes, princess.” gosh that nickname made you weak.

the both of you arrived at the venue, paige went off to find a seat. you were with your coach, warming up and briefing of what the flow of events will be. your schedule for today was: floor, bars, and vault.

you were nervous about the vault, since its your weakest competition. bars were your favorite, rolling around the bars were your favorite thing to do. floor was okay to you, no cons.

you’ve finished with vault and bars. you knew you were gonna hit it good with your floor routine. floor routines made you feel free, open, and happy. its just like being in a playground.

as you finished, you hear paige and other audience clap at you. the “audience” was the uconn wbb team. you wouldn’t know if you should feel embarrassed. regardless, you were so grateful for them.

as they announced your scores, you were shaking.

“l/n y/n, 9.3 in floor, 9.5 in bars, and 9.0 in vault. you are rewarded with a gold medal once again! congratulations.”

you jumped from your spot, rushing to receive your medal.

you can hear kk screaming, you turn to look at them and give a big smile. they were all cheering and clapping. they were proud proud proud.

after you took pictures with the other medalists, you rush to paige and jump on her. she makes sure to catch you.

“you did it baby, thats my girl.” paige gives you a kiss on your cheek, her smile is so bright. it makes your heart melt.

you got off of paige, you greeted the team. they all took pics with you, congratulating you. this is the best part of competitions. you always have a support team.

“GIRL YOU DID SO GOOD OUT THERE”

“i could never, i think i’d end up breaking a bone.”

“THATS OUR GIRL Y’ALL! BEAT THAT!”

you feel embarrassed by how loud you guys were, you kept receiving looks. they’re probably just jealous because the team of hotties were supporting you.

“EVERYONE, THATS THE QUEEN OF FLEXIBILITY!” KK shouts out loud, earning laughs and giggles from strangers. they all clap for you, and once again, you bow gracefully.

you hear paige whisper to your ear.

“i’m so proud of you, my love. you always do so great. i’m forever your fangirl. i love you so much.”

you blush at her comment, giving her a big and warm hug.

a celebration calls for something spicy right? thats what you’re looking forward to when you get home.

[cordycepsbian]

bugblr

🐜 antism

me and the mutuals

4 notes

🦋 testmothsterone

im literally obsessed with those videos of the bee sculpting stuff out of spicy candy

#how does she resist the urge to bite it #i definitely would if i were her

0 notes

🪲 beetlegirlhorn

hey spyblr does anyone know where to get a genuine peacock spider card? im trying to build a spider deck and cant find a boss

#spy cards #spyblr

12 notes

🏳️‍🌈 bluegreens 🔄 buzzin

🏳️‍🌈 bluegreens

why do the new bug rangers issues suck so bad i havent seen this poor quality writing since issue 12

🐝 buzzin Follow

dont quote me on this but i heard they fired the last writer so they went back to the bug who wrote issue 12

🏳️‍🌈 bluegreens

oh that explains a lot

#when will they go back to whoever wrote issue 35 that was peak

3 notes

🪲 beetlegirlhorn 🔄 spyersupreme

🌸 mothivasneckfluff Follow

i love the princesschomper blog as much as the next bug but i think it's hilarious how y'all just ignore that the "bug" who runs it is a zombie...

🕷 spiderenjoyer Follow

op do you seriously genuinely believe the leif cordyceps theory. thats the dumbest thing since bugs were saying elizant the first is still alive

#op is a mothiva fan of course theyd say this

229 notes

🐜 antism 🔄 istheseedlingvideocute

🌱 istheseedlingvideocute Follow

Hey guys, not a Seedling post but a PSA here. Recently, a batch of counterfeit medals have started circulating on the market, and wearing them causes terrible health complications. Four bugs have already been hospitalized from this. So just a reminder: ONLY buy medals from verifiable, reputable sources, for your own sake. Stay safe out there everyone.

#signal boost

1,798 notes

😎 Anonymous asked:

i saw you reblogged some art from transyellowranger so jsyk they support the ladybug ban

🏳️‍🌈 bluegreens replied:

oh yikes ill go delete my rb right away

#how are you gonna be a bug rangers fan AND support the ladybug ban #make it make sense

7 notes

🦋 testmothsterone 🔄 mantisbite

🌷 princesschomper Follow

Too bright outside... Chompy will just stay in bed... Zzz...

#venus what a mood

8,540 notes

[grantmentis]

2024 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship: A Primer

When: April 3rd to April 14th. The schedule here will tell you when games are taking place both in your local time and venue time.

Where is it taking place?: Utica, New York

Where to watch:

For the first time, we will have ALL games broadcasted in USA and Canada. I am not sure how many games are going to be broadcasted outside North America, but we can reasonably assume they will at least carry their home country games

TSN will carry all games in canada

NHL Network and ESPN+ will carry a mix of the games together. See The Ice Garden's Michelle Jay's tweet for the schedule of which games are where.

SVT (Sweden)

Discovery (Finland)

Czech TV (Czechia)

Magenta (Germany)

TBS (Japan)

Swiss TV (Switzerland)

If you are not in any of these countries, or you are but are struggling to find a way to watch, please feel free to DM me and I will do my best to find you something

What is the tournament format?:

There are two divisions, Division A with the five ranked teams going into the tournament and Division B with the next five. Each division plays a round robin style ranking round, and at the conclusion the bottom two teams in Division B will be relegated, while the rest automatically make the quarterfinals. Quarterfinals will go A1-B3, A2-B2, A3-B1, A4-A5. In addition to the finals for gold that will take place, there will be a bronze medal game and a fifth place game for ranking. Standings will use a three point systems.

Who is in each division?:

Division A: USA, Canada, Czechia, Switzerland, Finland

Division B: Sweden, Japan, Germany, China, Denmark

Who are each teams?

Here is where it gets long. Below the cut I will tell you each teams roster, how they did last year, their reasonable goals, notable roster changes, and three players to watch. I will do my best to keep this informative, but brief.

USA

Roster:

(Text version available here)

2023 Result: Won Gold

2024 goals: Win gold again

Notable roster changes: This team continues to go very very young. Abby Roque is the most notable roster omission here. Top defender Lee Stecklein is also not on this roster, due to her taking a break from the National Team. Amanda Kessel was also left off, but she has not been active within the last year as a player, so not entirely surprising.

Three players to watch: Grace Zumwinkle has been one of the stars of the PWHL so far, and is likely to get more responsibility on the national team than ever before, so keep an eye on her and how she may translate her successful season to the tournament. Rory Guilday may only be 21, but she is heading to her third senior world championships, a long time favorite of the team USA coaching staff with her shutdown defensive skills who they'll hope can take another step this tournament with Lee Stecklein absent. Joy Dunne is the youngest player on this roster, just 18 years old coming off a 24-18-42 season in Ohio and a national championship. This will be her first senior level tournament, and I'd expect her to get ample offensive opportunities.

Canada

Roster

(text version available here)

2023 result: Silver

2024 goals: Gold

Notable roster changes: Micah Zandee-Hart is the most surprising one after being on the roster for a few years. Claire Thompson is absent as is Rebecca Johnston, but that is more expected while Thompson is finishing medical school and Johnston has not played in the past calendar year. Cousins Nicole and Julia Gosling join the team after strong rivalry series showings.

Three players to watch: Natalie Spooner is the front runner for PWHL MVP, so everyone will be watching to see if she continues to score at the rate she has been. Expected number one overall pick in the upcoming PWHL draft, Sarah Fillier, will be playing in her last showing before the draft happens as she finished out her college season. Nicole Gosling was the highest scoring defender in the NCAA this year at Clarkson, going 14-25-39 in 40 regular season games, so seeing how she impacts this blue line is a must watch.

Czechia

Roster

(Text version available here)

2023 result: Bronze

2024 goal: upset their opponent in the semifinals and make the finals

Roster changes: The bad news is top defender Dominika Lásková is out with injury. The good news is star goaltender Klára Peslarová is healthy unlike last year, as is blueline mainstay Tereza Radová. Alena Mills retired from the national team. Kristýna Pátková did not make the team this year, in her place comes Boston University commit Anežka Čabelová who had a stellar U18 worlds. Karolína Kosinová did not make the team, in her place is HV71 assistant captain Klara Seroiszková.

Three players to watch: 17 year old Adéla Šapovalivová was the highest scoring u18 player in the SDHL (Sweden's highest level league) this year and one of their top scorers in general going 11-18-29 in 32 regular season games. She was also a key part of the U18 team that upset Canada in the semifinals to advance to Czechia's first ever u18 final. With Mills retired, she will get more minutes at her third (!!!!) senior worlds. Next up is Klára Peslarová, and if you're not familiar with her game, she is straight up a top five goaltender in the world. She just came off a stellar season with Brynäs IF in Sweden where she had a .935 save percentage in 20 games, and has been consistently stellar on the international stage as well like when she had 55 saves against the united states at the olympics. Kateřina Mrázová is a fantastic playmaker has been a bright spot on a Ottawa tam that has struggled to find itself, and is also one of the most veteran members of this squad. If they win, she'll have to lead the way.

Finland

Roster

Text version available here

2023 finish: Fifth Place

2024 goals: Bronze

Roster changes: Two of their key offensive pieces Elisa Holopainen and Michelle Karvinen, are back and healthy this year! Susanna Tapani is also back on this team. Those are three absolute big pieces that completely change this roster for the better. A few depth roster forwards were left off in their place, most notably Kiira Yrjänen. Defense has more shakeups. Sini Karjalainen is a notable omission and long time defender Rosa Lindstedt retired. Eve Savander, Oona Koukkula, and Siiri Yrjölä slot in.

Three players to watch: I've consistently been a very big Elisa Holopainen fan and I think she's one of the best players in the world and not talked about nearly enough. Just as she began to really shine in the international stage, she got hit with injury, but as she's come back with year she dominated Finland's league going 32-25-57 in 19 games. I think I've put her as a player to watch like every year I've done a preview and I'm going to keep going it. Finland has faced a lot of questions about their goaltending following Räty and the team going their separate ways, but right now, it is Sanni Ahola's crease to lose. She was stellar in the three games she started last year for Finland in the world championship and was solid for st cloud state with a .935 save percentage in 17 starts this year. With Lindstedt's retirement, Krista Parkkonen will see more minutes, coming off a breakout sophomore year in a university of vermont program that's developed a decent amount of international blueliners.

Switzerland

Roster

(Text version here)

2023 result; 4th place

2024 goals: bronze

Roster changes: quite a lot of shake up. no Caroline spies as their mainstay backup, Alexandra Lehmann takes her place. No Sarah Forster, who wore an A and led their defense last time around. She only played 7 games in SWHL this year, so likely injury is at play.

Players to watch: it is, of course, the Alina Müller and Lara Stalder show until it isn’t. So, besides them, the players to watch are Andrea Brändli is another “top five goaltender in the world” to know, sporting a .937 in her first year playing in Sweden post a stellar college career. 18 year old Ivana Marie Wey just had a great year playing pro as Stalder’s teammate and will be important for the next Swiss wave. With no Forster, Lara Christen will take on a lot of the top defensive minutes most likely.

Sweden

Roster

(Text version available here)

2023 results: sixth

2024 hopes: return to group A

Roster changes: no Sarah Grahn which isn’t entirely expected but still a big change, in response Ida Boman gets the call. No Fanny Rask or Olivia Carlsson, who retired.

Three players to know: Ebba Hedqvist is a 17 year old elite center coming off a great performance at worlds and has an eye for playmaking that will be critical for Sweden. Maja Nylén Persson is the #1 defender of team Sweden that has consistently been the top defender by points in the SDHL and won defender of the year in 2022-2023, and she is only 23 years old. Another part of Sweden’s insane center depth is Lina Ljungblom, who will likely play in Montreal next year and had 46 points in 36 regular season games. In the various tournaments/friendlies that Sweden has played leading up to this (ie five nations cup), she has 10 goals in 15 games. These three players are truly some of my favorite in hockey right now

Japan

Roster

(Text version available here)

2023 result: 7th

2024 hopes: return to group A

Roster changes: honestly we mostly running this back. One or two u18 add ins but overall the same as 2023

Players to watch: stop me if you heard this before but Akane Shiga is very good. The PWHL Ottawa player is the only player from Japan to score against the USA, and will continue to be japans biggest threat. Another big player is Haruka Toko, one of the SDHL’s top scorers this year who had established herself as a top talent in the last two years. This year, the 27 year old had 13 goals and 30 assists in 36 games in Sweden this year. She was one of seven players in Japan to play in Sweden this year, a year that saw a new high in Japanese players going overseas to play. That also includes my last player to watch, Yoshino Enomoto, who played in switzerland and still put up around a point per game on a team that struggled (they folded in the offseason then came back and built their roster late and were ultimately relegated, but she was a bright spot in her first season there)

Fun fact: did you know three pairs of sisters play on this team? Akane and Aoi Shiga, Haruka toko and Ayaka Hitosato, and Rio and Riri Noro

Germany

Roster

(text version available here)

2023 Results: Eighth

2024 Goal: Make quarterfinals and avoid relegation

Roster changes: Both goalies behind Abstreiter last year, Chiara Schultes and Johanna May, did not make this roster with Hemmerle and Loist taking their place. The d core remains the same besides Daria Gleissner taking Heidi Strompf's place. National team vet Marie Delarbre is absent with injury, Sonja Weidenfelder did not play hockey this year and her status is uncertain, and Anne Bartsch did not make the roster. In their place we have Emily Nix, Lilli Welcke, and Lucia Schmitz.

Three players to watch: Luisa Welcke was with Germany last year, but has a second season in the NCAA under her belt and a nice depth player performance at Boston University. She will have more chances to show off her offense this tournament than in the NCAA, and I'm excited to see what she can show. Jule Schiefer had a revelation this year in the German league. From last year where she only scored 4 goals in 20 games, this year she scored 22 in 24. Let's see if she can continue this at worlds. Nina Jobst-Smith will play big defensive minutes for Germany after finishing her fourth season at Minnesota Duluth, this time serving as an assistant captain, and was nominated for 2023-24 All-WCHA Third Team. She's a two way defender who will be taking on big responsibility for Germany as she has in the past.

China

Roster

(Text Version available here)

2023 result: Promotion from Division I

2024 goal: Make quarterfinals and avoid relegation

Roster changes: Oh boy. So, like, a lot of people, and here is why: up until this tournament, China allowed dual citizens not born in China to play for them. This includes some players you may know from PWHL/NCAA like Leah Lum, Hannah Miller, Rachel Llanes, and Tia Chan. Going into this tournament, they changed the rules and those players will not be eligible, so it is a significant roster shakeup.

Three player to watch; This team is very young. Yifan Wang is 16 years old, and in her international debut scored 10 goals in 5 games in the WJC-D2A U18. This is obviously a gigantic step up in competition and very hard for a 16 year old to be playing against adults on the highest level stage of women's hockey, so I don't imagine she'll get a TON of ice time, but she is worth looking out for. Xin Fang is the veteran and star of this roster, who had 2 goal and 2 assists in the teams D1A tournament that earned them their promotion. 17 year old Dartmouth commit Grace Zhan is who I expect to be their starting goaltender. Born in Beijing, she spent the past year playing Minnesota High School Hockey and put up top numbers in a league that sees a lot of NCAA recruits.

Denmark

Roster

(Text version here)

2023 Results: Promotion from Division I

2024 hope: Make Quarterfinals and avoid relegation

Roster changes: Long time national team star and centerpiece of the team Josefine Jakobsen will no longer play for Denmark, though she will continue her club career.) Otherwise, despite some depth changes, it is mostly the same lineup.

Three players to watch: Frederikke Foss had a great year at Shattuck St Mary's u19 program and has committed to UMaine, and may be able to spark some offense Denmark will desperately need without Jakobsen. Silke Lave Glud will also be expected to carry the offense after her stellar year in the Tier 2 league in Sweden, and lead the way for younger players as one of the most experienced members of the team. Goaltender Emma-Sofie Nordström's performance at the D1A worlds was a big reason for their promotion, and she is coming off a great sophmore year at st. lawrence university where she had a .931 save percentage in 36 games and 7 shutouts. If Denmark wants to stay in the top division, she will need to steal a game for them.

[mariacallous]

Usually held in the two weeks after the Olympic Games in the same host city, the Paralympics showcase the best athletes with physical disabilities from around the world competing for their home countries. (The Paralympics are not to be confused with the Special Olympics, which feature athletes with intellectual disabilities.) This year, the Summer Paralympics will take place from August 28 to September 8 in Paris, France.

Quick history lesson: The origins of the Paralympics began shortly after World War II, during the 1948 London Olympics, where 16 wheelchair-using veterans participated. The first official Paralympic Games took place in Rome in 1960 and featured 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since then, the Games have taken place every four years and now feature 4,400 athletes in 22 sports (the Olympics have 32), with 549 gold medals up for grabs.

There are athletes competing from 177 countries (this year’s Olympics had athletes from 184 countries), including 10 countries that have never been represented in the Paralympic Games before, along with representation from the Neutral and Refugee teams. In case you missed it, at the last Paralympics in Tokyo, China earned the most medals, with Great Britain behind it and the US in third.

Since the 1988 Summer Games and the 1992 Winter Games, the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been held in the same cities and venues. Although Paralympians still strive for equal treatment as Olympic athletes without disabilities, there is a large gap in funding between the Olympics and Paralympics.

Where to Watch

This year’s Games will make history as the first Paralympic Games to offer live coverage of every one of the 22 sports played. Like the Olympics, every event at the Paralympics will be available to stream on Peacock if you’re in the US.

If you prefer going old school and watching on basic cable, a select number of events will be airing on the NBC channels NBC, CNBC, and USA Network, along with E!, Golf Channel, and Telemundo, which offers coverage in Spanish. In an effort to make the Games more accessible, closed captioning will be available for every Paralympic event (regardless of the platform). You can also watch highlights and athlete interviews on Paralympic.org.

In the UK, Channel 4 has more than 1,300 hours of live coverage scheduled. Folks can also watch through their streaming service or Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube channel, which will show the entirety of the Games for the first time. BBC, BBC Radio 5 Live, and the BBC Sport website will also air highlights and select coverage. The Paralympics website also has a complete list of where to watch by country.

Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony will begin August 28 at 8 pm Paris time, 7 pm BST, 2 pm EDT, and 11 am PDT. Similar to the Olympics opening ceremony, the Paralympics opening ceremony will be held outside of a stadium at one of the major squares in Paris, Place de la Concorde, and the iconic avenue Champs-Élysées will be transformed into the opening ceremony stage.

The competition starts the following day, on August 29, at 11 am EDT (8 am PDT). Like with the Paris Olympics, the start times will be similarly early and continue throughout the day. The specific timing of some of the events might change, so check the schedule of events on the Olympics' Paralympics schedule webpage.

Blind Football (Soccer)

Blind football is an adaptation of football (or soccer, if you’re American) for athletes with vision impairment played with an audible ball. This men’s competition starts early on September 1 and continues on September 2, 3 and 5, with the gold medal match on Saturday, September 7.

Boccia

Boccia is one of only two sports with no Olympic equivalent. It was originally created for athletes in wheelchairs who have impaired motor function or coordination. To win, each team must get the most balls closest to the white ball called the jack, with athletes allowed to make modifications according to their needs. Men’s and women’s individual games start August 29 and go through September 1, with the gold medal individual matches on September 1 and 2. Mixed pairs and teams start September 3, with gold mixed pairs and teams matches on September 5.

Goalball

The other sport of the Paralympic Games without an Olympic equivalent, goalball is a team sport for the visually impaired and blind, in which players wear special black eye-covering-type glasses so they fully can’t see and are thus more equitable (and honestly, look cool as hell). If there’s anything that the Olympic Games have taught us, it’s that the people go crazy for some out-of-the-norm eyewear. The audience needs to stay as quiet as possible because the ball has bells inside. Thus, the athletes have to rely solely on sound, while they use their whole body to try to block the ball from making it inside the goal. (Lets see Neymar try to do that.) Men’s and women’s games start August 29 with the gold medal games for both on September 5.

Para Archery

The first game played at the early iteration of the Paralympics in 1948, para archery now has men and women’s individual and mixed teams, with wheelchair or standing, and with recurve and compound bows used. Men’s and women’s individual events begin August 29 and continue through September 5, with gold medal matches in individual, teams and with different bows across multiple days.

Para Athletics

One of the most beloved sports in the Paralympics is para athletics, which has been a popular fixture in the games since the inaugural Rome Games in 1960. Today, it spans a wide range of track, jumping, and throwing events, as well as marathons. Because of the wide range of men’s and women’s events, competition begins on August 30 and happens daily with gold medal matches until the Games end on September 8. Check the full para athletics schedule for more specific events’ times.

Para Badminton

Para badminton debuted at Tokyo 2020, although it has been hugely popular for decades. Like badminton, players compete as singles and pairs, as well as standing and in wheelchairs. Group play begins on August 29, with men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles beginning August 31. Gold medal matches take place September 1 and 2.

Para Canoe

The Paralympic Canoe competition features two types of boats: the kayak and va’a (traditionally used in Oceania for travel between islands). Para canoes are basically the same as those used in the Olympic Games, but just have a wider bottom for greater stability. The races begin September 6 with gold medal games on September 7 and 8.

Para Road Cycling

Throughout the years, like many other events, Paralympic cycling has grown to adapt to many disabilities, and uses standard bicycles, handcycles, tricycles, and tandems. In road cycling, there are road races, time trials, and relay events. Both the men and women’s individual and relay events and gold medal races take place daily September 4 through 7.

Para Track Cycling

Para  track cycling is similar to road cycling but takes place on a velodrome track (as the name suggests). Competition is divided into time trials, individual, and tandem or team sprints, using standard bicycles and tandems (all of which can be adapted for the specific athlete). The various track cycling events and gold medal races take place simultaneously August 29 to September 1.

Para Equestrian

Unlike the three equestrian events at the Olympic Games, the Paralympic equestrian program only includes the dressage competition. Para dressage essentially focuses on how well the rider and horse gel, with riders judged on their riding and performance with the horse. All the events are individual mixed, and each competition has gold medal rounds, taking place August 3, 4, 6 and 7.

Para Judo

Para judo is one of two martial arts competitions at the Games. The Paralympics judo follows the same rules as its Olympic equivalent, except it’s practiced exclusively by athletes with vision impairments—and is way more badass, in my humble opinion. (I think I’m allowed to make that assertion since I’m also disabled, don’t come for me.) With the athletes unable to see their opponent, they must use their sense of touch and careful listening—including slight differences in breathing and movement—to sense what their rival may do next. Men’s and women’s matches take place September 5, 6, and 7 and have gold medal matches at the end of each day.

Para Powerlifting

Para powerlifting is a men’s and women’s bench press competition that tests upper body strength where the athletes compete in different weight categories. All of the events are individual and there are gold medal rounds for each competition (which varies by gender and weight class) taking place September 4 to 8.

Para Rowing

A relatively new sport, rowing debuted at the Paralympic Games in 2008. Now, there are five rowing events, including three mixed events. Para rowing rules are nearly identical to those at the Olympics and rowers are eligible for different events according to their gender and impairment categories. The races begin across all categories on August 30, continue to August 31, with final gold medal rounds on September 1.

Para Swimming

Para swimming has remained one of the most enduring sports in the Paralympics since its debut at the Rome Games in 1960. Its popularity is due in part because athletes with all kinds of physical and mental disabilities can participate and doesn’t require any specific equipment. (Prosthetics aren’t allowed either.) Featuring different swims at different distances, athletes compete in breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly, freestyle, and medley. As one of the most popular sports, there are men’s, women’s, and mixed events virtually nonstop with gold medal races near the end of every day, August 29 until September 7.

Para Table Tennis

One of the OG Paralympian games, table tennis actually has a longer history in the Paralympic Games than its Olympic counterpart. When it began, it was only open to wheelchair users, although today athletes are placed into 11 different classes based on their physical and intellectual impairments. Men’s and women’s doubles, singles and mixed games take place August 29 to September 7, with gold medal games every day except September 2.

Para Taekwondo

Para taekwondo is a new competition that made its Paralympic debut at the Tokyo Games. Focused on athletes with upper limb impairments, they are split into two sports classes and divided into weight categories. Men and women compete August 29 to 31, with gold medal matches at the end of each day.

Para Triathlon

A relatively new sport introduced at the 2016 Rio Games, the para triathlon is held over the “sprint” distance, which is half the Olympic distance for individual competitions, where athletes swim 750 meters, cycle 20 kilometers, and run 5 kilometers. The competition is divided by men’s and women’s, with medals being awarded for each race September 1 and 2.

Shooting Para Sport

Shooters compete in rifle and pistol events from distances of 10-meter, 25-meter, and 50-meter in men’s, women’s, and mixed fields. Depending on needs, athletes compete in a kneeling position, prone, or standing (or in a wheelchair or shooting seat). The games take place August 30 to September 5, with medals awarded each day.

Sitting Volleyball

Sitting volleyball is pretty much the exact same as the volleyball we know and love, except as the name suggests, is a sitting variation of the sport. It’s played by two teams of six players who move around the court using the power of their arms, along with a lowered net that’s 3 feet high. The games start on August 29 and continue until the men’s gold medal game on September 6 and the women’s on September 7.

Wheelchair Basketball

Originally used for rehabilitation and exercise for World War II veterans—wheelchair basketball is quintessential Paralympics. Now, it’s one of the most popular and beloved sports for wheelchair users around the world. Games start August 29 and go until the men’s gold medal match September 7, with the women’s September 8.

Wheelchair Fencing

What’s more badass than fencing? Wheelchair fencing. In this sport that requires discipline (and ability to not flinch when a sword is coming at you), athletes compete in a special wheelchair frame designed for the sport which is fastened to the floor—meaning the fencers cannot move and are always close to their opponent. Just like the Olympic equivalent, wheelchair fencing consists of three disciplines: foil, épée, and saber. The men’s and women’s matches take place September 3 to 7, with gold medal rounds at the end of every day.

Wheelchair Rugby

Wheelchair rugby is a four-person team sport played in specially designed wheelchairs. It combines elements of rugby, basketball, and handball, with players using a round ball. Because it’s such an aggressive sport, it’s often referred to as “murderball.” Need I say more? You’re gonna wanna watch this one. Mixed games start August 29, with the gold medal games September 2.

Wheelchair Tennis

Wheelchair tennis pretty much follows the same rules of able-bodied tennis, except here the ball can bounce twice before the player hits it back. Athletes are divided into open and quad classes, along with men’s, women’s, singles, and doubles. Games start August 30, with gold medal matches September 4 to 7.

[tip-top-cloud-surfer]

Wedding Day - Rooster

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw / Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: Mentions of Pregnancy, Third Person POV Focused on Rooster, Reader - only description is that reader is a woman, No Use of Y/N

This work, all of my other works, and my entire blog are 18+ Only.

Summary: It's Bradley's wedding day and he can't wait to see his wife.

Master List

The Bradshaw wedding was a very long-awaited event for everyone involved. They had been engaged for about three years now, but there was a very good reason for delaying the actual wedding itself for so long.

And that was the arrival of one Caroline Bradshaw, who just happened to be born roughly nine months after her parents actually got engaged. So, you can do the math. They certainly did when they found out about their little surprise.

But the wedding was finally here and they were finally going to get married.

Rooster, dressed in his dress whites, followed the photographer’s instructions and stood on the end of the porch, facing the ocean. They were already at the ceremony venue, but Rooster had not seen a single second of his fiancée during the entire morning.

But now it was time for the first look and he couldn’t wait to see his fiancée in her white dress.

He didn’t want to spoil anything for himself. He always walked away or made some noise to try and change the subject when anything about the wedding dress was talked about in his presence. But ever since he found out that Hangman somehow already saw the dress, Rooster was antsy.

After all, she was going to be his wife. Not Hangman’s. And not anyone else’s either.

“Alright, you can turn around,” the photographer called out.

Rooster turned around, expecting to see his soon-to-be wife standing there in all her glory, but instead his eyes dropped down to the little girl in a blush pink dress trotting towards him. He let out a stunned gasp and bent down to greet his daughter.

“Hey, Baby,” he cooed, pulling his daughter in for a hug. “Oh, you look so pretty in your dress. Can you do a twirl for Daddy?”

“Yeah!” Caroline called, jumping around to show off her dress.

“Aw, you’re so beautiful in your dress, Care,” Rooster praised, picking her up and setting her on his hip. “Did you get ready with Mommy?”

Caroline nodded, playing with the medals pinned to Rooster’s dress whites. Rooster, even though he assumed that one of the bridesmaids was going to have a problem with it, pulled his hat off his head and placed it on top of Caroline’s before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“How’s Mommy doing, huh?”

“Good,” Caroline held out, grabbing Rooster’s collar to steady herself. “But it’s a secret!”

“A secret?” Rooster repeated, causing Caroline to nod furiously. “Oh, well, I don’t want you to get in trouble with Mommy.”

“Nope!” Caroline agreed, to which Rooster laughed and pressed another kiss to her cheek.

“You’re so pretty, Baby,” Rooster praised his daughter again. “You ready to walk down the aisle with all the petals like your Aunt Penny showed you?”

“Yeah,” Caroline giggled as Rooster nuzzled his nose into her cheek.

“God, I can’t wait to see your reaction on her wedding day,” Hangman commented, walking up to the father and daughter.

“You say that again and I’ll throw you in with the sharks, Bagman,” Rooster replied, dead serious as he hugged his daughter protectively to his chest.

“Noted. So, there’s a small change in plans. There was some issue with the dress and the future Mrs. Bradshaw needs some more time to get ready, so you’ll just have to wait until the actual ceremony to see her.”

“Is everything okay?” Rooster asked worriedly.

“Penny told me that everything is under control and I trust Penny, so I’m sure it’s handled.”

“Alright,” Rooster agreed, nodding along. “Well, then we better get to the ceremony.”

Thirty minutes later, Rooster stood at the front of the chapel, waiting patiently for his fiancée to arrive and walk down the aisle. Caroline already did her part and was happily sitting on Maverick’s lap, playing with her small bouquet.

But then the bridal suite started up and everyone rose to their feet. The doors opened and Rooster took one look at his soon-to-be wife and immediately started bawling. Holding a hand over his mouth to try and stop his lips from wobbling, Rooster couldn’t help how his body shook with absolute joy as the love of his life walked down the aisle to him.

The dress was everything that he pictured and more and frankly she could have been wearing a table cloth or a potato sack and he still would have married her right then and there with no questions asked. And when they locked eyes and he saw that she was smiling at him, hell, he nearly melted into the floor right then and there.

“Hey,” she greeted him softly, taking his hand and stepping up.

“You’re so beautiful,” Rooster choked out, absolutely radiating love and joy.

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she joked, trying to not burst out into tears herself.

They managed to get through the ceremony without too many more tears, even after Caroline trotted up with the rings. They held hands and faced each other with glowing smiles as the officiant finally declared them as a married couple.

“I know declare you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

And Rooster didn’t waste any time in gathering his wife—that’s right, his wife—into his arms and planting an emotional kiss on her lips. If he didn't pull back with a matching shade of her lipstick, he was going to be disappointed in himself. Cheers echoed around the chapel as the newlyweds pulled away from each other.

Waving at the crowd of their friends and family, the newlyweds made their way back down the aisle, holding hands and absolutely radiating joy. While their guests headed to the reception hall, the two of them posed for some more wedding photos.

“So, there was a problem with your dress this morning?” Rooster asked his wife, who smiled softly.

“Oh, yeah. I had to wait to get into it.”

“Why?”

“Well, I had to wait for my maid of honor to return with some pregnancy tests and—”

Rooster whipped around to face his wife with wide eyes. He nearly tripped over the grass and went tumbling, but she held him up, just like she did when she told him the first time.

“You’re serious?” Rooster asked her, holding her hips and sliding his hand around to her belly that wasn’t even there yet. “You’re pregnant?”

“That’s what the tests say,” she told her husband—that’s right, her husband.

And the wedding photographer made sure to get plenty of shots of that series of happy, tear-filled kisses for their wedding album. 

[servantofthefates]

The Zodiac Signs’ Lucky Colors

Our lucky colors are those that remind us of our greatest strengths. They help attract synchronicities, while subconsciously awakening our best selves.

ARIES

Dark Shades of Red, Light Shades of Orange

Red for anger. Orange for adventure. The mature Aries uses anger as fuel instead of carrying it as a burden. And when their heart is unburdened, they have the penchant for uplifting adventures.

TAURUS

Dark Shades of Brown, All Shades of Pink

Brown for the earth. Pink for the color of the labia. Ironically, the color of dirt represents prosperity and abundance — things Taurus craves. And as the most sensual sign, Taurus basks in feminine power.

GEMINI

Gradients of Dirty White, All Shades of Blue

Dirty white for concealment. Blue for clarity of mind. One of the smartest and cleverest of the signs, Gemini is very open on the outside, while fully concealing a part of themselves from everyone else. 

CANCER

Silver, Dark Shades of Green

Silver for the Moon. Green for fertility. Ruled by the Moon, a mature Cancer is in touch with their femininity and at one with their higher self. A deeply motherly sign, Cancer embodies life and its growth.

LEO

Gold, All Shades of Yellow

Gold for victory. Yellow for the Sun. Always aiming for the medal and the trophy in various areas of life, Fixed Fire Leo is a competitive sign. Their childlike thirst for happiness is what propels them to shine.

VIRGO

Light Shades of Green, Light Shades of Brown

Green for innocence. Brown for groundedness. One of the easiest signs to get along with, Virgo — no matter how worldly — showcases a touch of pure innocence. An Earth sign, they are a well of groundedness.

LIBRA

Light Shades of Blue, Light Shades of Red

Blue for lightness. Red for feminine beauty. Ruled by Venus, Goddess of Harmony, Libra is balanced. The logical mind embodied by blue. The passionate heart represented by red. Mixed together perfectly.

SCORPIO

Maroon, All Shades of Black

Maroon is red and brown mixed together. Blood and dirt. The color of the Underworld, dominion of Pluto, Scorpio’s ruler. Black is the color of darkness, shadow and the occult — realms Scorpio can master.

SAGITTARIUS

Copper, Dark Shades of Purple

Copper for earth (worldliness) mixed with a touch of gold. Purple for royalty and abundance. Being ruled by Jupiter, the most generous god, Sagittarius has the potential for magnanimity and great material luck.

CAPRICORN

Brass, All Shades of Gray

Brass is gold without being ostentatious. Gray is masculine, strong and unbreakable. As Cardinal Earth, Capricorn is daring without being loud. In their seemingly dull decisions hide stability and endurance.

AQUARIUS

Neons, Metallic Colors

Neons for standing out. Metallics for embellishment. At their best, Aquarius is bold and unique. Like neons and metallic colors, Aquarius can be too much for most people. But the right ones will adore them.

PISCES

Pastels, Glitters

Pastels for Pisces’ lightheartedness. Glitters for their extravagant imagination. As Mutable Water, Pisces straddles deep and shallow; profound and childish. The best Pisceans are creative, romantic, dynamic.

[mantisgodsart]

[...isolation of the transformation appears to worsen the standard disorientation of a new body. I believe that the familiarity of the upper body may be offsetting the psychological impact of the lower body - as not everything has changed, the subject still "expects", on some level, that their body will work similarly, despite radical changes to organ systems and locomotion and the near-total overhaul of the centre of gravity.]

[The subject appears to be leaning on hexapodal motion as a type of "crutch", despite the size of the lower body making most of these sorts of motions awkward at best - the tournament venue doesn't currently have many internal spaces sufficient to test this one's mobility, but outdoors venues seem more promising for testing, anyways. This confirms something that I've previously suspected, as well - subjects find it more difficult to adjust to addition of new limbs than they do subtraction of limbs.]

[Subject appears to exhibit difficulty with coordination in the lower limbs, and has adopted an extremely "cautious" form of motion, taking steps with one limb at a time. The difference between upper and lower limbs means that this mode of movement is extremely... clumsy, to say the least. I intend to keep them under observation for a few more days before release and see if this resolves within the initial settling period or not. After that, just some periodic check-ins should be...]

Hello, and welcome to: watercolor paintings for Round 2 of @bug-oc transmutations! Mirach by @ghost-of-hallownest. Some extra details under cut because this is a long post and we don't want to make it longer.

This one is based pretty heavily on Dragon!Falin from Dungeon Meshi, but we're bringing through some lizard-y aspects from last year, and very much having fun with the tabby-cat patterns on the back - though technically speaking, Mirach's blue is limited to her wings, adding some markings to the body helps us break up that big plane of sandy yellows and add some interest to the design. We think it turned out well!

If we could fit it in, we'd add a third bit of Marigold notes related to the actual transmutation method, since it's been living in our brain for a while, and we think our Potion Drawing might be a bit... abstract, otherwise?

More or less, the weave - the active transmutation medium - is woven to the inside of the lasso's... lasso, and upon encircling something with it, the weave is transferred to the target, thus making the lasso fall apart entirely as a major component of its structure abruptly ceases to be part of the object.

This transfer-and-break is the same general method through which most of Marigold's "one-use" charms work - as the effect is now tied to the target's body, rather than an object, it simply remains in effect until the weave "wears in" to the body entirely, shifting it from an effect active on the subject to a part of the subject's body.

This means that, before the effect is fully integrated into the body, it can be broken, though as with all charmcraft some effects may still linger. This also makes it so, technically, the charmcraft only casts an effect on the caster - the same effect through which pretty much all Medals work - rather than being a direct interface a la wiring it directly into the bug's body, which is illegal and what Marigold spends a lot of time tiptoing around to produce major effects on a bug's body without the single most useful method for bodily alteration Charmcraft has to offer.

...that was longer than we really expected it to be. We are working on the other contestants, both of this round and the last, though it's going very slowly seeing as the afternoon sun is currently hot enough to melt our brain into a fine sludge. We've got a solid idea of all three other Round 2 designs, and we've finally got a sketch for Mal - though Pola is being delayed, still, due to our poor comics-making decisions. We're working on it! Slowly!

If we could figure out how in the hell to represent it visually, we'd be working on making a loser's bracket, too, but as is... listen, we're not a graphics designer for a reason. If you are a graphics designer and we can outsource designing a loser's bracket to you then please contact us. We have a budget of approximately ten dollars. We can do PayPal but if your payment processor of choice is US-exclusive we cannot help you.

[byhees]

student council ━━ ( 엔하이픈 희승 ) ♡ genre fluff high school au warnings not proof-read flirting kissing skinship light profanity use (hell)

thinking about student council president, lee heeseung, who just thrives off teasing his fellow exco member— you. given that you’re the vice president of the committee, it’s unavoidable that you two would meet the other, whether by coincidence or through planned meetings. the patrols down the halls after every lunch break, waiting by the school gate to escort late students to the relevant venues, organising school-wide events… the list could go on. it would have been a whole lot easier if he hadn’t stuck his nose into your personal bubble, now trailing behind your every move with a cheekily executed pickup line.

it’s insane how much he relishes in seeing even the smallest of pouts, the slight furrow of your brows, or even the roll of your eyes; maybe he doesn’t have anything better to do, because he just enjoys clinging onto your side, every day, without fail.

like seriously, the way he’s quick to pull you into a hug almost every morning, with a, “hello, love”, the way he comes up with the stupidest, most unbelievable excuses to squeeze more time with you, like what do you mean your dog drank your pasta?? you don’t even have a dog.

and why does he keep waiting for you after nearly every class? how does he even sprint over so quickly? also, why does he keep planting kisses on your cheek whenever you two part ways? like please stop, and don’t flash that stupidly wide smile.

another question, why does he keep calling you pet-names, like you two aren’t even involved in anything; so please, stop dropping the word ‘baby’ every so often, it attracts a lot of stares.

lastly, why is it that every time you’re on the verge of shoo-ing him away, he always boops you on the nose. that look imbued in his eyes only tell you about how much he loves this whole thing; how much he loves seeing you clear your throat in awkwardness, a faint rosy hue painting across your cheeks; how much he loves being victim to your light, embarrassment-laced pushes— maybe calling you ‘love’ feels too real at times; how much he loves hearing what new snide remarks you have in store whenever he manages to fluster you. hell, the feeling’s even better than winning some pretty gold medal, or scoring top in the finals exams. it’s indescribably amazing.

taglist open! @halcyoni-ki @wondipity @yjjungwon @shysakuno @niktwazny303 @vnsux @minhosify @haechansbbg @yeomha @stepout-09-15 @chansburgah @sona-verse01 @lilly-bubblelops @smouches @mrchweeee @luvistqrzzz @j1nniee networks! @kflixnet @enhanet @k-labels

[girlcrushart]

A definite highlight of these games for me has been watching the amazing team of Brandie and Melissa constantly beat the odds and end up in the gold medal match. What an amazing match it was! Complete with across the net drama that saw the teams engage in a heated debate that prompted the venue DJ to play John Lennon’s imagine. Both Brandie and Melissa thought that was hysterical and laughed it off. So did Brazilian Duda. Her teammate didn’t seem to appreciate the joke. I think she may have been the impetus of the conflict. Anyways, it was dramatic and fun and awesome volleyball and the Canadians totally held their own, totally dominating and winning the second set. In the end, the Canadians won Silver. Still historic. First Canadians to ever medal in the sport! I’ve been focused on Brandie the last few posts and honestly Brandie really does it for me, but I felt it was important to get Melissa in there too because they’re an amazing team and Canadians have shown what teamwork will get you in these games (slight dig at the American men’s 400m relay). And ya, Melissa is def a hottie too. Today’s girlcrushart guardians are Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes, or as they’re known in volleyball, Brandie and Melissa.

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.05.01] GQ Japan x Yuzuru Hanyu - JUNE ISSUE

Yuzuru Hanyu’s Challenge

After winning two consecutive Olympic gold medals, Yuzuru Hanyu, who turned professional in 2022, is taking on a new form of expression: an ice show that the produced entirely on his own. The extraordinary figure skater danced in front of the cameras, dressed in items designed by Gucci’s new creative director, Sabato de Sarno.

Photographs by Taro Mizutani Styled by Tetsuro Nagase Hair styled by TAKU VOW-VOW FOR CUTTERS Makeup by COCO SEKIKAWA OFFICE Words by Kosuke Kawakami

The unique path that Yuzuru Hanyu walks After entering the studio and exchanging a few words with photographer Taro Mizutani, Yuzuru Hanyu operated his smartphone as if convinced of something. A gentle piano piece played from the speakers. It was ‘aqua’, a piece composed for his daughter by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed away last year. Moving his body flexibly, as if surrendering to the music, the studio had transformed into a beautiful, dignified and tense space that no one could step into.

“When I saw the lighting directly above me, I thought it looked like the sun, like light from heaven. Mr. Mizutani also said, ‘I want you to look up. I want you to look up and think about something’. I thought it feels like a prayer, so I chose ‘aqua’ because it fits the image".

As a figure skater, he was won all sorts of accolades, including two consecutive Olympic titles, two World Championships, and four consecutive Grand Prix Final titles. He has also received the People’s Honor Award. In 2022, he became a professional skater in order to ‘pursue the ideal of Yuzuru Hanyu’. Since then, he has held numerous self-produced ice shows and solo performances at Tokyo Dome, Saitama Super Arena, and other venues.

“Even though I turned professional, I don’t think my fundamentals have changed. The world I’ve always wanted to express, the artistic nature of figure skating and the athletic aspect of it has not changed. During competitions, there are always rules and there are times when I had to perform in a certain way. But in the world of shows, I have to satisfy the audience in 360-degree, I have to use my brain to create the videos that will be played at the venue and I have to think about the words that I want to convey. I am expanding and deepening my thoughts to areas that I have not considered before.”

Just as a musician plays music and an artist uses a paintbrush, Hanyu uses his body to express himself.

“What’s fun about it is that when everyone watches it, I get to see a lot of different opinions, people think about it in different ways and each person interprets it in their own way. What I'm doing, I believe that what I am creating is a ‘path’. The values, background, past, future, and so on become the path, and along the way, one may notice something or feel something. I want the audience to see it and share it. I’m really happy when people say that they enjoyed the journey and are glad that they walked the path. That makes me happy and that’s why I feel like I can continue on this path”.

When asked if he thinks it’s more fun now that he can express and create freely than in the competitive days when he was bound by rules and forced to compete, Hanyu thought for a while and then denied it.

“I don’t think it’s good enough just to feel fun. Ever since my competitive days, I’ve always believed that competitions aren’t about having fun, and I’ve never wavered from that philosophy of mine. There are some people who say you can only perform well if you enjoy it, and I understand why people think that’s the right answer. But for me, if I have fun, I feel like I’m not being serious enough. There is a certain kind of performance that comes out because of the tension, and that is what allows me to train hard every day. Even in the creative field, when it comes to creating something, it is not good just to have fun. Of course, it’s possible because there’s also fun in it, and I’m able to create because someone sees it and enjoys it, which brings me joy and happiness. But if I continue to only feel fun, I may end up with just empty words and a false worldview with no depth.

Hanyu says that he feels he lacks ‘vocabulary’ as an artist.

“Vocabulary is also necessary for physical expression. If I want to show a scene just by moving my hands a little, I need to know the techniques to do so. I have to learn how to move my hands in such a way that it looks beautiful, and engrave it in my body. Let my nerves learn it, let my brain study it, and eventually I will be able to do it. It’s not like I can dance like a professional dancer or ballerina, but I’ve been figure skating for more than 20 years. Because of this, I have the potential to create new expressions by learning their techniques. I believe that if I study hard and able to do it on the ice, I will become a unique presence”.

There is no goal, no rivals to compete with. Yet, without hesitation, he continues on his own path.

“Being on the ice is like my ‘native language’ (laughs), so if I move away from it, I am no longer Yuzuru Hanyu. The knowledge, experience and soul I’ve cultivated since I was four years old are there, a place where I can express myself from the bottom of my heart. Of course, I’ll probably start to decline as I age, but if I continue to use the language of figure skating for another 30 years, there may be a form of expression that can only be created at that particular time and age. I believe there is such a possibility, and I think I must continue to strive for that possibility”.

Yuzuru Hanyu, as the one and only Yuzuru Hanyu, continues to move forward focusing on expression on the ice.

GQ Japan - June 2024 issue, released on 2024.05.01

More: 1 https://twitter.com/GQJAPAN/status/1782938296944857402 2 https://twitter.com/GQJAPAN/status/1785448080340337135 3 https://twitter.com/GQJAPAN/status/1783692480782704746

Full article published online on 8th May 2024: https://www.gqjapan.jp/article/20240508-yuzuru-hanyu-cover-story

[the-olympics-olympics]

Weird Olympic Moments Tournament

To celebrate (?) the Paris 2024 Olympic Games starting in a few weeks, I thought I'd run another Olympic-themed poll tournament. This time, we're diving into history and getting to know some of the stranger, lesser-known stories of the Games.

Polls will run for a week, and the tournament should last until around early September if I'm doing my math right. The first polls will begin Monday, July 15th.

At the end, we'll award a gold, silver, and bronze to the top three.

After many hours on Wikipedia and the IOC website, here's the list of moments I came up with:

Horse vaulting

Pigeon racing

Sarajevo venues damaged in war

Mayor of Montreal says "The Olympics can no more lose money than a man can have a baby," then proceeds to host one of the most financially disastrous Games in history

George Eyser wins six medals after being run over by a train

Solo synchronized swimming

Crowd gets pooped on by 25,000 pigeons

Flame is taken to top of Mount Everest

Margaret Abbot dies without knowing she made history as the first US woman to win gold

Brazilian team has to sell coffee to afford the trip to Los Angeles

A teenager's "dumb idea" becomes Olympic tradition (athletes marching together in closing ceremony)

St. Louis experiments with "purposeful dehydration", denies water to marathon runners

Kanakuri Shizō takes 54 years to finish his race

Mt. Vesuvius moves the Olympics to London

They stop doing the Olympic salute for some reason

IOC President compares a terrorist attack to a vote to ban a racist country

The Olympics goes 88 years without letting women run marathons

Olympic flame transmitted via satellite

Northern Rhodesia declares independence during Olympics, changes name to Zambia

Vancouver 2010 cauldron malfunction

Montreal 1976 stadium is finally paid off in 2006

The curse of the Beijing 2008 mascots

Everest climbers get gold medals

Sochi snowflake malfunction

They hold the Olympics in 1906, then later say it doesn't count

Colorado kicks the Olympics out

Flame hidden from view after anti-gay law

Summer Olympics held during Winter

Haiti and Liechtenstein discover they had the same flag

Riot at the 1924 rugby match

McDonald's gives out more Big Macs than they expected

Chamonix 1924 retroactively named the Winter Olympics

Doves burned during cauldron lighting

Torchbearer takes olympic flame down a ski jump

Medals made of e-waste

Shooter aims for wrong target, loses gold

Olympic torch passed on International Space Station

Alien addresses crowd

Figure skating debuts at Summer Olympics

Olympics held on two different continents

Rio organizers lose key to stadium gate

Baron de Coubertin wins a gold medal under false identity

1960 winter games held in city named for an ethnic slur

Obstacle Swimming

North Korea considered to co-host 1988

Housing complex for American soldiers during the occupation of Japan becomes the Olympic village

Torch design changed mid-relay

Cauldron lit by flaming arrow

Last three seconds of basketball final replayed three times until results changed

St. Louis threatens to hold their own Olympics if they don't get named host city

Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat

Balloon racing

Delirious man carried over finish line by coaches, wins marathon

Summer Olympics held in November and December

Olympics postponed for COVID

Blue screen of death appears during opening ceremony

Marathon runner attacked by priest

Guy kicks referee in the face and (maybe) ends up on a stamp

Jet pack flies over stadium

Centennial games not awarded to a very confident Athens

LA 84 gets in trouble for commercializing the torch relay

Olympic flame relit with cigarette lighter

Rower stops for ducks

Nazi propaganda becomes Olympic tradition (torch relay)

Did I miss a great weird moment? Send it to me in an ask and I might do a round 2 or something!

I chose the moments based on my own personal bias (lol)

Heads up that there is one that involves the death of animals, but I will tag any polls with that #tw animal death

Please don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything else tagged, and how to tag it!

Also, a disclaimer that I'm tired and scatterbrained and I work full time, so if this gets a little disorganized I apologize. Shouldn't be too bad though.

Let the games begin, and whatnot

@tournament-announcer :)

[lovingeddiediaz]

9-1-1 rant. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this season and a lot of them aren’t good. Love this show, I’ve been watching live since season 3 but yikes that finale was a mess imo definitely one of my least favorites for sure. Very underwhelming. The whole season in general was wacky.

I’ve been feeling this way for at least 2 seasons now. I feel like 911 has been trying to fit these LARGE stories that they don’t have time for or are failing to make time for in these episodes. I get that this season was shortened, but if they can’t properly flush out a story in time, they should figure something else out instead of simplifying it and cutting out so many parts that it loses the build up and the emotion and captivation.

So much happens off screen that I feel like should be SHOWN. like we didn’t get to see Chris upset in the moment when he saw the Shannon lookalike, the scene cut out after he said mom. All we see is just him in his bed telling Eddie to go away later. We didn’t see the confrontation with Marisol and Eddie and her leaving, just an offhand comment of her not coming back later. We didn’t see the phone call that had Buck rushing over. We didnt get to see Eddie at his house alone after Chris leaves, just him leaving with his grandparents and boom, cut scene. We didn’t get to see hen or Chim at Bobby’s bedside.

We don’t get to see the aftermath of ANYTHING. The show keeps cutting the scenes just short and it has been pissing me off so much. They’re missing out on so much depth bc they’re doing too goddamn much at once and too quick.

All action, no build up or payoff. Just one thing after another. You don’t even have time to let your emotions settle and follow the characters bc it’s over so soon. You don’t get to worry and grieve alongside the characters. Bobby almost died and then boom he’s fine again like nothing happened. Like what am I supposed to be emotional over? He almost died in the desert just a couple episodes before that and then he was fine, no mention of it again.

Idk it seems like this show has been doing a lot of telling instead of showing when it comes to what are supposed to be emotionally charged scenes, like Buck saying how he was worried he was gonna lose Bobby but we didn’t really see that. All we got was a teary eye when Buck told Eddie he was in the hospital. Didn’t get to see the team actually save bathena in the beginning, so seeing them get the medals held no weight, like cool we’re told they saved them but we didn’t see shit. We didn’t get to see any of the madney wedding buildup like picking flower arrangements and a venue and dress/tuxedo shopping or anything like that, just assume off screen obviously XD

Buck’s sexuality arc being reduced to background noise also sucks. He kissed a man and then they said ok cool good enough moving on now. Not even bothering to deepen/develop his relationship with Tommy (are they even together or are they still going on dates?? No fuckin clue lmao), instead of a meaningful conversation between them in the finale it’s turned into a sexual joke like come ON, besides the first kiss and the second kiss that Buck initiates, their scenes are meaningless imo and that’s sad bc I was so excited for this storyline in the beginning but again, there’s nothing there. No substance.

And don’t even get me started on henren’s storyline. How many times are they gonna recycle the ‘person gets in the way of henren expanding their family’ bullshit before they finally get creative and think of something new? What is that, 3 times now? It’s just annoying at this point lmao I’m over it.

Why is Tim so against happy storylines? I know he said something along the lines of people wouldn’t watch if the characters were happy, but I think that’s bullshit. If you can’t captivate an audience with positive stories then I think you have a skill issue. Big drama and angst doesn’t equal good story telling and writing. Couldn’t even give madney a nice wedding like wtf.

Idk. I hope next season is thought out better.

[singstaircase]

Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?

Summary: Kylian's day (and life) takes a sudden turn when he accidentally boards the wrong bus on the morning of his Olympic gold medal match

This isn't how today was supposed to go.

Kylian's plan was simple– wake up, eat breakfast, catch a bus and reach the stadium a good two hours before the match starts.

Everything was laid out perfectly but one fleeting moment of inattention and everything went wrong.

He was supposed to get on the bus with the athletics team but instead, he somehow ended up in the aquatics bus.

Kylian's first reaction after getting off from the bus is confusion.

The first thing he notices is the crowd– almost everyone is in some sort of swimwear– and the smell of chlorine in the air. It doesn't make sense.

His next reaction, after turning around, is blinking rapidly at the entrance. He rubs his eyes, as if to bring back senses to his eyes but no.

The sign still says ‘Aquatics Arena' in big, bold letters in English.

“This isn't happening,” Kylian mutters to himself, running a hand through his hair.

His mind races, but every thought seems to run into a dead end. He doesn't even have his wallet—just his phone, which is now showing a rapidly draining battery.

Desperation sets in as he tries to calm himself but nothing looks familiar. Panic starts to claw at his chest. The match starts in less than two hours and he is miles away.

He spots a volunteer in blue and white uniform, standing near one of the entrances. Maybe she can help.

He approaches her, trying to string together a coherent sentence but the words come out as tangled mess. “I—I need to...the stadium...football...I’m lost,” he stammers, his voice barely above a whisper.

The volunteer looks at him with concern. “Hey, it's okay,” she says softly and places a hand on his arm to reassure. “Take a deep breath.”

Kylian does as she said, inhaling deeply to try and steady his racing heart. Her calm presence is strangely soothing and after a moment, he is able to find his voice again.

“I’m supposed to be at the stadium,” he explains, his words coming out in a rush.

“For the football final. But I got on the wrong bus and now I’m here and I don’t know how to get back.”

The volunteer’s eyes widen slightly as realization hits her. “For the gold medal match?”

He nods, not trusting himself to speak.

There is a spark of recognition in her eyes but she doesn't let it distract her from the task at hand.

“Okay,” she says with a determined nod. “You need to get to the stadium as quickly as possible. Do you have any money with you?”

Kylian shakes his head. “No, I left my wallet at the hotel. I didn’t think I’d need it.”

The volunteer nods again. “No worries. Here, take this,” she pulls out a few note and hands them to him. “It should be enough for a taxi ride. The stadium isn't that far.”

Kylian hesitates, staring at the money in her hand. “I can’t take this. You don’t even know me.”

She smiles warmly. “I know enough. You’ve got a match to win, right? Consider it a loan. You can pay me back later.”

At that moment, Kylian felt gratitude overwhelming him. “Thank you...thank you so much.”

He takes the money, tucking it into his pocket. “What’s your name?”

“(Name),” she says with another warm smile. “I will be rooting for you. Now go!”

With one last grateful look, Kylian turns and sprints towards the nearest exit, his heart pounding for a different reason now.

The minutes tick by agonizingly slow but finally, he arrives at the stadium with just enough time to join his team for a quick warm-up.

The match itself is a blur.

Kylian plays with a fire he hasn't felt in a long time, driven a lot by desire to repay (Name)'s kindness with a win. And after the final whistle, he feels a surge of triumph unlike anything he’s ever experienced.

But even as he celebrates with his teammates, his thoughts keep drifting back to the volunteer who made it all possible.

The next day, Kylian finds himself back at the aquatics venue. He isn't entirely sure why he came here, but he knew he had to see (Name) again.

He spots her near the same entrance where they first met and a smile spreads across his face as he approaches her.

“Hey,” he calls out and she turns around, her eyes widening in surprise and delight.

“Kylian! You won!” she exclaims, rushing over to him. “I heard about it on TV. You were incredible!”

“Thanks,” he says, feeling a little shy under her praise. “I wanted to thank you properly. I wouldn’t have made it to the stadium without your help.”

(Name) waves off his thanks with a smile. “I’m just glad you made it in time. That’s what matters.”

“No, really,” Kylian insists. “I mean it. And I have something for you.”

He reaches into his bag and pulls out an extra trophies. “I got this for you. It’s not much but I want you to have something to remember that day by.”

(Name)’s eyes widen in disbelief as she takes the trophy from him with slightly trembling hands.

“Kylian, this is too much. I can’t accept this.”

“Yes, you can,” he says firmly, his smile softening. “You saved me from missing one of the most important matches of my life. This is the least I can do.”

She looks back at with something he can't quite decipher. “Thank you. This means the world to me.”

They stand there for a moment, just the two of them and the unspoken words in the air.

Finally, Kylian clears his throat, feeling a sudden surge of nerves. “Um, listen...I was wondering...are you free in a few days?”

(Name) blinks, caught off guard by the question. “I think so. Why?”

“There’s a tennis final coming up soon. I managed to get an extra ticket and I’d love for you to join me.”

A bright smile breaks out on (Name)’s face. “I’d love to! I’ve always wanted to see a tennis final.”

Kylian grins, relieved by her enthusiasm. “Great. It’s a date, then.”

They exchange numbers before parting ways and Kylian can't help but feel a warm flutter in his chest as he walks away.

He can't wait to see (Name) again.

A few days later, Kylian is standing in front of the Aquatic centre again, somehow more nervous than last time.

When (Name) finally appears, his breath catches in his throat. She looks different, more relaxed, and there is a sparkle in her eyes that makes his heart skip a beat.

“Ready?” he asks, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Ready,” she replies with a grin, taking the ticket from him.

When they finally reach the stadium and find their seats, Kylian can't help but steal glances at (Name) throughout the match.

She is so engrossed in the game, her eyes shining with every point scored, that he can't help but smile. He hasn't felt this way in a long time—this light, this happy.

After the match, Kylian offers to show (Name) around and she eagerly agrees.

They wandered through the village, taking in the sights and sounds, laughing at the antics of the other athletes and volunteers.

At one point, they pass by a group of Kylian’s international teammates, who immediately start teasing him about being on a “date.”

Kylian tries to stop them but (Name) just laughs it off, seemingly unfazed by their teasing.

As more time passes, Kylian realizes he doesn't want the night to end.

He has never felt so comfortable with someone so quickly and the thought of not seeing (Name) again after the Olympics fills him with a sense of dread.

When they finally reach the edge of the village Kylian hesitates, not wanting to let her go.

“(Name), I...I’ve had a great time with you today,” he says awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Me too,” she replies with a smile. “It’s been amazing.”

Kylian takes a deep breath, gathering his courage. “I was wondering if maybe...we can keep in touch after the Olympics? I’d really like to talk to you again.”

Her smile widens and reaches out to take his hand. “I'd love it too, Kylian.”

Relief washes over him. Before he can say anything else, (Name) leans in and kisses him on the cheek.

“Goodnight, Kylian,” she whispers before turning and walking away, leaving him standing there, stunned but grinning from ear to ear.

He watches her disappear with the sun as he voices of his teammates reaches his ears.

Being late and almost missing a gold medal match isn't too bad after all.

[dweemeister]

"Parade" and "Higher", composed by Victor Le Masne, performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

This is for those going through Olympic withdrawal. French composer Victor Le Masne was tasked with composing music for both the Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies this year as the Paris 2024's musical director. The Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra was also used to play the original music composed for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Here are two pieces you may have heard most over the last two weeks – and will continue to hear during the upcoming Paralympics. The first, "Parade", played over the medal ceremonies across the Olympics. The second piece here, "Higher" (here is a shorter "club mix" that was played at venues across the Games), was played during the extended journey of a masked rider galloping across the Seine on a metallic horse during the Opening Ceremony.

Le Masne wanted to build a musical bridge between contemporary and older pop/electronica/disco (the rhythmic complexities found in the final minutes of this piece) and classical music (the acoustic elements) across his soundtrack to the Olympics and Paralympics.