#defending an olympic title!

[double-oy-7]

sorry to be fencing on main again for the first time in years but damn. scruggs v kiefer. a great bout, even it was short (kiefer's backline mistake at the start was. yikes). scruggs is going places, though, and I think we'll see her do amazing things in the future.

[partybarty]

ARIARNE TITMUS 🐐🥇

[ellsieee]

Gold medalist Kong Manwai (Vivian) in women's epee.

Two time gold medalist Cheung Kalong (Edgar) in men's foil.

These two finals were thrilling to watch even though I know next to nothing about fencing. Both matches went to the very end, with both Vivian and Edgar having to hold their nerve and save match points to take the win. Edgar's match was especially nail biting. I may be biased, but the men's foil final has been the most heart stopping match of the Olympics so far.

[tangerinefluff]

men’s volleyball in the olympics just wrapped up and france defended their title. insane!!

[muirneach]

why is rogers cup posting that hubi is a seed there. and alex? i highly doubt it

[canadachronicles]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Canada Soccer (@canadasoccer)

JUST WONDERFUL!!!

Source: Canada Soccer's Instagram Page

[luimnigh]

Here's a fantastic example of misogyny in sport:

Katie Taylor, the undisputed Lightweight and Superlightweight champion of women's boxing, is fighting defend her titles in a rematch against Amanda Serrano on November 15th. Taylor is one the best women's boxers of all time, with an Olympic gold under her belt and a 23-1 professional record.

Her fight is the undercard, the warmup act, for a fight between a Youtuber and a man who's been retired for two decades.

[raven2012]

-10 Years-

You were standing on the pitch looking at the people, standing in the stands.

It was the Champions League final of 2014. 

Wolfsburg vs Barcelona.

This was your dream coming true, at seventeen you were playing for one of europe's biggest Womens football teams and you were on your way up. 

You started warming up when you saw her, you were instantly mesmerized by the brunette beauty.

She was warming up and talking to a teammate when she laughed and you could see her beautiful smile.

You couldn't take your eyes off her until a teammate of yours told you to come to the tunnel and get ready to walk out. 

Once you got into position in the tunnel, you saw her again.

But this time she caught you looking and shyly smiled at you.

Your heart fluttered, you desperately wanted to talk to her but now you had to focus on the upcoming final.

53rd Minute, the first half was boring other than a yellow card for your teammate Alex Popp, but now you were sprinting down the right wing. You dribbled past the defenders and shot, the ball was supposed to meet one of your teammates heads, but instead it flew further and curved over the keepers fingers into the goal.

You sprinted into the arms of your teammates, you couldn’t believe it you just shot your first Champions League goal, and that in a final. 

After the game was over and you got your medals, you were standing on the field, looking around yourself and taking it all in.

You turned around and saw that beautiful smile that made your heart flutter. You quickly turned back around, hoping that she didn’t catch you staring at her.

Suddenly you felt a tap on your shoulder, you turned around:,, Hola Hermosa’’ You were met with those beautiful eyes:,,H..hi’’ You stuttered and readiness shot up your face. ,, Would you maybe swap shirts with me?”, she spoke in with that beautiful accent of hers and your face only grew more red.

You quickly nodded and took off your shirt she followed and suddenly you were met with the body of a goddess and you couldn't tear your eyes away from her torso. You felt her looking up and down your body until she put your shirt on:,,Adios, hermosa, I'll see you again.” She leaned in and gave you a light kiss on the cheek.

You put her shirt on and tried to stop the blush that crept up your cheeks:,, Scheisse” you cursed at the realization that you had a crush, a crush on a hot spanish lady who is on the way to being on of the best footballers ever known in history. You really were in deep shit.

You were playing at Olympic Lyon now.

And as history likes it, it was the Champions league final of 2018 and you met Alexia , now your Girlfriend, at the stadium. 

It was actually quite funny to you that you kept your relationship a secret for almost 3 years now. No one knew, only a few close family members. You both were in your own bubble, you flew over to Barcelona as often as you could and Ale came over as often as she could.

Your love life were lazy mornings, secret messages and meetings.

That’s how you found yourself in this situation. In a storage closet of the stadium you were playing in.

Ales lips were on yours and your hands on her waist:,, I missed you so much Amor’’

She kissed along your ear while whispering.  ,,Me too Schatz. I love you so much Schatz’’, Your head snuggled into the crook of her neck and you just enjoyed the warmth that radiated off her, she loved when you  used her as a human pillow. You would randomly lay your head on her lap or her shoulder or bury it in the crook of her neck.

,,,How long do you think we can keep this up? I mean like staying a secret?’’, you ask the love of your life because that's what she was, the love of your life and you were so freaking sure of that.

She kisses your head:,, As long as we want to mi amor’’ We stayed like this for a few more minutes before we went our separate ways to our changing rooms. 

It was all over now. Lyon won the champions league. you did it again, your second champions league title. 

After you let that sink in you realized the love of your life just lost the champions league final.  The next thing you did was walk over to your love and close your arms around her:,,You played so well my love. You were amazing. I love you so much.’’

She looked up and you saw the tears in her eyes. You quickly looked around if anyone could hear you: ,, I love you mi amor. And you're not sleeping at your hotel tonight. You will come home with me and then i’ll let you do whatever you want to me.’’ I whispered the last bit into her ear and could immediately see her smirk and the lust in her eyes.

,, Sí, mi amor. Te amo.’’,with that Ale went back to her teammates. 

The next morning you were really  happy to have the day off because you literally couldn’t walk after Alexia had her fun with you… 

After months of hard work it was finally the off season and you had booked a romantic getaway for you and your girlfriend. You planned everything months in advance.

You wanted it to be perfect because in a few hours you would propose to the love of your life.

The hotel room had been decorated by the staff in a very romantic manner. Rose petals were laid down in a heart shape on the balcony.

From the balcony you could directly see the Eiffel Tower. 

After your flight and a short taxi ride you and Alexia stood in front of the hotel room door. Before you opened the door you made Alexia put down her luggage and turned her around, back facing the wall.

You then unlocked the door. You made sure she had her eyes closed and led her into the room.

You leaned up and kissed her neck lightly. ,,Open your eyes’’,you whispered into her ear.

,,Oh Amor, it’s beautiful’’, she turned around and kissed you with immense passion.

You pulled away:,,Baby we can do that later, first we have a wonderful dinner to enjoy’’, she pouted until she heard that there was dinner for you both.

You lightly chuckled at that and led her to sit down on the sofa and brought both your suitcases into the bedroom.

You both sat on the sofa for a while embraced in each others arms. When dinner came you sat down at the table and enjoyed it. 

After dinner you put on perfect by ed sheeran over your music box:,,Dance with me mi amor’’ You took her hands and put them around your waist, your hands found her neck and rested there.

When the song stopped you kissed her deeply. You suddenly became very nervous as you remembered the ring in your back pocket.

You took a deep breath and led Alexia outside.

You stood on the balcony opposite of Alexia. 

You took her hands in yours: 

,,Mi amor, you are the love of my life. I have known that since the moment I first saw your beautiful face in that stadium. Whenever I see you everything lights up. You make my world brighter mi amor, without you the light would be missing. We helped each other through wins and losses and I couldn’t imagine my life without you and I don’t want to imagine my life ever without you.’’

I got down on one knee and pulled the ring out.

,,Alexia Putellas Segura, mi amor, love of my life, mein Schatz: Quieres casarte conmigo?’’

She had tears running down her face before pulling you into a kiss: ,,Si mi amor, I will, i love you so much!’’ 

Now years later, you just transferred to Barcelona to be with your wife.

None of your teammates knew, but that would change today.

You were with the higher ups signing your contract while Alexia was just arriving at the changing room. She was wearing her wedding ring for the first time around the team.

She was putting her things down in her cubby when she heard Frido: ,,Alexia! Is that a wedding ring?’’

She took her hand in her own and inspected the ring. That’s when the rest of the team realized what was just said.

But before Alexia could say anything you walked through the door. Alexias face lit up once she saw you and she quickly made her way over to you:,,Hola mi amor.’’

She lightly pecked you on the lips.

Alexia put her arm around your waist as Aitana asked: ,,How long have you been together?’’

,,10 Years’’

[waffles-my-beloved]

the crows as olympic athletes

kaz

hear me out — table tennis

he'd definitely be one of the more precise players

nicknamed "dirtyhands" for his use of unconventional techniques and trolling his opponents with snake shots and hidden spin

his role models include natalia partyka and ma long

like partyka, he competes in both the olympics and paralympics (classification 9)

inej

i think the obvious choice is artistic gymnastics; she'd be absolutely unbeatable in beam with her amazing balance

her fans have started calling her "the wraith", alluding to the way she twists through the air with unbelievable grace and strength

her biggest rival, dunyasha lazareva, is one of the only gymnasts who can match her in skill

jesper

skeet shooting

ithink the variability of the sport would definitely be something jesper prefers over something like air rifle/pistol

he's a star in the sport shooting world and made his olympic debut at 17 after switching sport from equestrian

(he met wylan at the riding club and the rest is history)

wylan

modern pentathlon

there was a brief scandal with his father and former pentathlete which put him in the public eye, but now he's famous only for his performance in the modern pentathlon

he first appeared at the youth olympic games where he claimed gold by a large margin

now at his first olympic games all eyes are on him as the favourite to win

nina

at tokyo 2020 she's just a random competitor in judo, unknown to most of the world — and then suddenly she shocks the entire world with a gold medal that almost looked easy

now everyone knows not to underestimate her, as she looks to defend her olympic title

matthias

i mean, he's made out of pure muscle, so is it really a surprise to see matthias in olympic wrestling?

he has made a name for himself as six feet and four inches of pure strength and power

he makes the team for the second time, up against competitors like jarl brum, three time olympic gold medallist

[marinettesaltprompts]

I care very deeply about Juleka and her brother(s). I just think they're neat (:

And I'm turning my Protective Sister Juleka (yeah that can be the official title, why not?) prompt into a series. Have fun y'all, here are some more prompts:

• It's hard for Juleka to see her ex-friend the same way. Not just because they're stuck in the same class and hungout with the other girls, but because she feels her relationship with Rose is being strained. Juleka has been going to less and less hangouts with the rest of the girl's and had been asked about it the next time she did join. She said her part, how Marinette swooning over Adrien was hurting Luka, how she couldn't be friends with someone like that, and Marinette defends herself by saying she wasn't in love with Adrien anymore. She was just busy. She had things to do. Luka would tell her if he had a problem. Juleka snaps back that even if he did all she thinks about is Adrien. Adrien this. Adrien that. "Just accept that he doesn't like you, Marinette!! He's never been interested in you and never will be!! Adrien is happy with Kagami!! You want to know who'd behappy with you?! Who IS happy with you despite the way you treat him?! MY BROTHER!!!" This ultimately leads to a divide between the girls. Those siding with Marinette and those siding with Juleka. The only one who hasn't chosen a side, is Rose.

• Purple Tigress does her best to look out for Chat Noir whenever she patrols. Now that her rose tinted glasses have fallen, she's able to see the broken dynamic of the original miraculous duo. It's unpleasant. Where the two used to be so in touch with one another, it felt like every time Chat tried Ladybug would lose her patience. At one point before they split up to patrol a few days ago, she heard Ladybug tell Chat she wasn't interested in him. He...he never said anything about their relationship, about asking her out on a date. He just wanted to know when they would patrol together again...

• Luka knows he's in denial. He knows he's making up excuses for his... girlfriend?? Can he even consider Marinette as his girlfriend? They, they were happy at first. She chose him in the end, not Adrien. But...she still loved him. He'd always be second to him. He's not sure if it's worse that his...that Marinette is still so obviously in love with Adrien while his heart was taken by Kagami. Maybe, maybe Juleka had a point. Marinette didn't want him. Maybe she did love him, but not how he loved her. Maybe, maybe it was time to just, end their relationship.

• If there was one person Juleka had to tell everything to, it was Adrien. He had to know that Marinette liked him. He had to know she had planned to find a way to get him and Kagami separated. He had to know about the schedule and the multiple gifts and the numerous plans she created so they could be together. Marinette still can't see what she's doing wrong? Fine. She'll just have to go to the one person she wouldn't want all that information to go to. And if his girlfriend (his sword weilding, should be in the Olympics, girlfriend) is around when she tells him the truth, all the better.

• Kagami had wanted to be friends with Marinette. Had tried to be friends with her. She thought that whatever differences they had were in the past. That Marinette was happy for her and Adrien. But here was Marinette's boyfriend's sister. Telling her and Adrien about the things she's done not only in attempts to date Adrien, but to ruin their relationship, before they were even dating. How she has a schedule tracking everywhere he goes and when. How she's made gift after gift after gift for decades of Adrien's birthdays. How she's planned on how many kids they would have when they got married, when they'd get married (currently it was a spring wedding, apparently it changes, last time was an autumnal wedding), what they'd do for work, literally an entire life between her and Adrien.

She thought Marinette would move on. That she found someone who loved her and she loved back. She thought...she thought Marinette was her friend... She shouldn't be surprised the girl wasn't her friend in the end, so...why did it...hurt??

• Rose wants to say she and Juleka were a perfect couple. That they've never had problems. But this? This was a problem. Because she knows Juleka is protective of her family. She knows how much Luka means to her. How she can tell when he's happy or not, even when others can't. She, she knows what Marinette is wrong. She knows. But she believed that she and Adrien would find happily ever after just like she and Juleka did. That they'd get together, get married, and have a happy life together. But then Adrien got with Kagami and Marinette got with Luka.

And she'll admit it, it was a surprise but she'd been happy for both couples. She can see she was wrong about Adrien falling for Marinette and finding happily ever after with her, because he found it with Kagami and Kagami with him. And she could see Luka found happily ever after with Marinette, and she assumed Marinette did as well. But Marinette still kept looking at Adrien with a longing look. She still kept his schedule. She still kept making gifts. She stalked his socials to see how his relationship was doing...almost as if to see if he had ended his relationship...

She didn't want to make a choice, to lose a friend, but when that fog clears and you can see things clearly?? She knows that Juleka is the one who's right. Luka deserves better than to be put on the side by a girl who can't love him properly.

• The next time Purple Tigress patrols with Chat she can't help but notice he's being extra quiet. She hadn't see or heard Ladybug do anything recently... So, she asked him about it, expecting him to wave it off as he'd always did (why did her brothers insist on being okay when they clearly weren't???), but was surprised when he began to open up about how he basically lost a friend. How he learned things about her he never thought possible. He thought highly of her once. Said that she was the one person he was unsure whether or not was his friend or not. He felt like she was sending him mixed signals. And now that he knows she liked him? As in, apparently she was in love with him liked him? He couldn't see her the same anymore. And knowing that Adrien is Chat Noir made Purple Tigress all the more upset (and the day she learns Viperion is Luka, and that Marinette is Ladybug, her heart will break) at the two girls she had once respected.

• Marinette can't see why Juleka is so upset with her. So what if she's had to bail on Luka a few times. She apologizes and he forgives her. She's only missed a few dates. And Luka would tell her if he had a problem. She doesn't need Juleka to go all protective over him. And now she got the girls choosing between them. It wasn't fair. She was busy. She's doing her best to be a good girlfriend and a hero at the same time. Juleka only went out as Purple Tigress once in a while, usually just to patrol. Marinette's job as Ladybug is full-time.

She fully believes that things will continue as they had. But then it seems as if she'd been cursed.

First, she learns about Adrien moving classes and how she's meant to stay away from him.

Then she finds out that he and Kagami had blocked her everywhere.

Then she finds out Juleka had told them everything. Which the two insisted she tell Gabriel. Which is why Adrien is in a different class and why she has to keep her distance. Why she was blocked by them.

She's kept behind when everyone leaves to ensure she wouldn't go find Adrien to try and "fix things."

And just as she thinks her day can't get any worse... Luka breaks up with her.

Well that last bit is an akuma waiting to happen : ' ) (Though I am unsure how Juleka would be purple tigress considering that this prompt is apparently pre-Crocoduel/Purple-Tigress episode)

On a personal note, I believe that this subplot would have been an excellent addition to canon season 4. Between the "Truth" episode and Marinette asking Juleka to keep Luka away from the Crocoduel party—rather than simply saying she can’t come—it would have made sense for Marinette and Juleka to have a falling out. This conflict would align with the season’s theme of Marinette’s lack of trust and secret-keeping while also adding some romantic drama that doesn't go back to lovesquare shenanigans, especially since Luka and Kagami both break up with their partners at the start of the season and is never really brought up again.

This subplot could also tie into other episodes like "Gang of Secrets." With Juleka no longer friends with Marinette, the group wouldn’t quickly reconcile after their akumatisation, fostering distrust toward Marinette amid the Guardian issues and Juleka’s feelings about how she treats Luka. This dynamic would create a self-fulfilling prophecy, as Marinette inadvertently pushes others away in school while hypocritically relying on them as auxiliary heroes as Ladybug (while at the same time pushing Chat Noir away in the process).

It would all fit into the season 4 finale as well: Ladybug ultimately refuses to trust anyone with a miraculous following the fight against Strikeback, which in turns leads to Felix taking them all from the Miracle Box once the latter takes her yoyo.

Sorry if this was a bit of a tangent, but outside of making Marinette salt prompts, I do kind of like the idea of taking excellent ideas and trying to incorporate them into canon :) .

Love these prompts you shared! Keep it up!

[newtonsheffield]

Recently learned the term "Golden Slam" in reference to a player who has won all four major titles, as well as an Olympic gold in the same year. I'm guessing Kate is teed up for such a victory? She would be in a rare group of three other women... including Graf in 1988 (and no one since). 👀

Oh for sure.

That’s the question everyone’s asking in the lead up to the US Open. Kate Sharma’s in the best form of her already impressive career. She’s won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and not one but two gold medals. All she needs is to win the US Open and it’s done. She’s the defending Champion there and everyone’s talking about it. She’s asked again and Again about it in the lead up, and her answer’s always the same.

“Of course, that would be an incredible end to our season. My team and I have really worked hard this year, we’ve made a lot of changes to the way we do things and we’ve been seeing good results, obviously. But… that’s not really what we’re focused on coming into the tournament. I’m just focused on playing the best tennis I can.”

“Any winter plans after the WTA finals?”

“Yeah,” Kate laughed, “I’m going to sleep in and block my Mum’s calls for a few days. Bless her.”

Outwardly she’s pretending she doesn’t care. Of course she is, that’s who she is. But when she’s alone with Anthony in their hotel room of course it matters. Her head cushioned against his chest.

“I really want to do it.”

Anthony nodded, his fingers making soothing circles against the skin of her back. “You know you can still be the best without it right? You don’t have anything to prove to anyone.”

That was one of the things she loved about Anthony. His firm belief that everything she did should be for her. What other people said didn’t matter. It wasn’t wasting a gift if she didn’t win everything. Mary had tried to tell her the same so many times but it had been a lesson she had to learn for herself.

“I know. But I still want to win.”

Anthony’s chuckle vibrated through her. “Of course you do. We’re competitive monsters.”

“Our children are going to be wild.”

“Thinking about my babies? Calm down Sharma.”

Kate can hardly believe it when her opponent hits the ball and it lands in the net and the tension breaks and the crowd roars. Her racquet fell to the ground in surprise and tears stung at her eyes as she stepped forward to shake hands with the other woman and then the umpire.

Then she takes off running, climbing into the stands to the box where her family’s waiting for her. Tears are running down her face by the time she wraps her arms around Mary, then Edwina and finally Anthony who spins her around while the crowd roars.

“Go take a bow.”

It’s the first question she gets asked when she returns to centre court, a golden slam, how does that feel?

“Honestly, yeah it feels incredible. But, I didn’t do this by myself. Obviously my Mum, she nearly did this in the final year she was on the tour and I wanted to do this for the two of us. My sister who grumbles about filling in as my hitter but I don’t think a lot of people realise that at Wimbledon last year I was probably in the worst headspace of my life. I… genuinely don’t know if I’d still be playing tennis if I hadn’t met Anthony. He’s been a huge part of my success this year and I know he’d disagree with me but this success is his as well. I love you, let’s blow off work and go on holiday.”

The crowd roared with laughter and the season’s not done yet, but it feels done. For her it feels done. One of the greatest there ever was at 23, with years still to come in her career.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

NEW ZEALAND RETAIN OLYMPIC WOMEN’S RUGBY SEVEN TITLE IN PARIS 🇫🇷🏉

Aotearoa 🇳🇿 that’s Gold 🥇

Black Ferns Sevens are Olympic Champions !

Les Black Ferns Sevens sont Championnes Olympiques !

It is the Black Ferns' third rugby sevens Olympic medal after also securing silver at Rio 2016.

The Black Ferns Sevens are the first women's rugby team to secure back to back Olympic golds. Fiji's men's team is the only nation to achieve that feat before today.

The Black Ferns (Māori: Rarauhe Pango) treated the Stade de France crowd in Paris to a powerful haka after winning back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the rugby sevens. Pushed in the final by a resilient Canadian side. The Black Ferns won 19-12.

Following the medal ceremony the players went to the side of the field with their gold medals on and performed the haka.

Take a bow ladies and keep doing what you do best. Congrats and cheers for the gold medal! 🤩

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe fends off a Canada defender on her way to a try for the Black Ferns sevens in Paris. (Source: Getty)

New Zealand held off a spirited Canada to defend their Olympic gold in Paris CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images

New Zealand players celebrate following victory in the women's rugby sevens gold medal match. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand Sevens were officially launched in 2000. They have played in 80 tournaments, winning 50 and finishing runners-up 14 times.

Attendance records for women’s rugby are being smashed quicker than a Blyde runaway these days. At these Olympics, more than 60,000 fans packed into Stade de France for all three days. In September the Black Ferns and England play a WXV 1 Test at Twickenham. With a capacity of 75,000, there is a high chance the game will sell out and break the record once again.

#Paris2024 #olympics #TheFernIsAllOfUs🥇 #RugbySevensWomen #Aotearoa #goldmedal #rugby #theHaka #NZTeam

Posted 31st July 2024

[sunnyseungup]

Hyunjin fic recs 2

stray kids | Hwang Hyunjin

masterlist | part 1

[ updated 240726 ]

5:15 am { f } @dreamyyeosang

cliche meetcutes { f } 0,9k @chvrrycola

04 sharing haring a bed series { f2l, s } @skzdarlings

Ice { mafia au, strangers2l; a, s, f } 4,5k @healinghyunjin

Sheer good looks aside though…you’d seen his face on the news. What was his name? You remembered that it was something elegant, soft on the lips - a name that didn’t seem to fit the cruel, hardened mafioso it belonged to. 

It was only when those cold icy eyes locked with yours, gaze chilling even from all the way across the bar, that it finally came to mind. 

Hwang Hyunjin. 

kinktober day five { f2l; s } 2,5k @gimmeurtmi

uni student hyunjin but make it art

9:02 A.M { f } @forlix

Read between the lines { f } 0,5k @inkelea

Making out in a car { s } @astraystayyh

are you bored yet? { insecure y/n; a, f } @ebbaskz

“but i can’t help from asking ‘are you bored yet?’ ”

I’ll make those insecurities disappear { a, f, s } @lotus-dly

Taste { s } @moonjxsung

Sunday’s Paradigm { f2l, college; f } 2,6k @sunboki

He was a cold person. Spiteful and brash to all people too close, scared to let his walls down. Except, to him, you’re a spectacle. A classmate he realizes he can’t exactly find reason to dislike while he sketched you from his stool in the art room.

The deal. @hyunedew

the one where you accidentally summon the king of hell in your pursuit to pass your class.

Pendulum { f, a, s } 1,2k @1-800-shedevil

You visit Hyunjin on the night of his big art exhibit intent on closing this chapter of your life but he's not willing to let go that easily.

Say yes to me { f } @astraystayyh

after your seven minutes in heaven, hyunjin wants to plan out how he'll finally confess to you. except you come knocking on the door of his rented cabin unannounced. at 10:53 pm. the perfect time for love, he comes to learn.

Bound to You { Cerberus, Goddess, Greek Mythology; f, s } 4,3k @winter-dayz

“What are we?” { f } @jinhyun

Drunken with a sense of love { drunken confessions, fake dating } 7,1k @hanibalistic

you and hyunjin got drunk at different times, and you two took care of each other similarly. 

Thinking about how attentive hyunjin would be when you’re sick { f } @seungminhour

Christmas Eve with Hwang Hyunjin { f } @agi-ppangx

Eight days of Christmas carols - day 4 { f } @rachalixie

Pussy agenda with Hyunjin { s } @fluffylino

Sigma kappa zeta’s olympic level beer pong team { + Innie x reader; s } 7,2k @/skzms

it's the last frat party before winter break and you, hyunjin and jeongin have a title to defend. who knows where it might lead (we do, it leads to the three of you smoking weed and fucking in jeongin's room)

9mitm { s } @straykeedz

Babysitter.com { single dad Hyune; s, f } @mnwrld

hyunjin's whole life changed when his daughter was born--it was the single best day of his life. but parenting was harder than he thought it would be, especially when he also needed to work to be able to provide for the light of his life. maybe a little help wouldn't hurt? where else could he look but the notorious 'babysitter.com' ?

my love, mine all mine [ f ] 2,3k @/rachalixie

hyunjin setting up the perfect valentine's day for you

verisimilitude [bsf2l; s ] @/skzdarlings

You are a self-identified no-nonsense curmudgeon. Your best friend is an eccentric pretty boy. You accidentally send him an explicit video of yourself. What's the worst that can happen?

The snow falls, we fall apart. [ roommates, f2l; hurt/comfort ] 13k @/astraystayyh

when heartbreak looms on your life, and winter becomes a time you loathe, hyunjin helps you rewrite your memories with the season, and with it, everything you once believed about love.

Something I Needed More [ f2l; f ] 3,2k @skzonthebrain

wherever you are [ f2l; f, a, s ] 12,9k @hyunverse

Hyunjin promised you that he'll be wherever you are. What do you do when your best friend of years — the only person you've ever loved disappears without saying goodbye? Especially when you've spent your entire life with Hyunjin, you didn't know of life without him.

ace [ volleyball player hyune, fake e2l; f ] 15,2k @/forlix

volleyball superstar and your personal hell hwang hyunjin proposes a trade-off you can't refuse: his matchmaking services for a passing anthropology grade. the plan is foolproof in theory; in practice, it is something else entirely.

the storm. [ s ] 2,7k @/tasteracha

Series

devil by the window { DemonxAngel; s } 3k @berryjoong

you’re an angel, hyunjin’s a demon, and you’re both after the same soul. you hate each other, but you just can’t stay away from him.

part two { f, a ,s } 6,4k

the strange man of monterrey manor ( series ) { vampire au; f, s, a }  @quokkacore

chapter one: a marriage most foul

chapter two: voices that wail in the night

chapter three: a solution to the issue at hand (m) [final]

Make Love, Not Porn { s } @charmercharm3r

You crave a life of normalcy, he craves you. And he'd do anything to keep you, even if you're for the world to see.

Play Time 3,8k

Heat Signature 5,9k

Puppeteer 4,3k

Hi, My Name Is 7,7k

Sunday 6,7k

Texts

Boyfriend texts @like-a-diamondinthesky

Boyfriend texts @gyuworm

Note: please let me know if the links are not working ! I’ll try to fix them as soon as possible ^^

[leveloneandup]

Christen Press Is Determined to Reimagine the Way Female Athletes Are Seen

For two-time World Cup winner Christen Press, who made her debut in the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2013, it’s no surprise that women’s sports have been having their moment—both before and throughout these Paris Summer Olympics.

Press, along with her teammate and partner Tobin Heath, have bet big on the public’s love of women’s sports. The duo launched their podcast, The Re-Cap Show, during the 2023 Women’s World Cup—the highest attended in history. It wasn’t their first foray into entrepreneurship in the women’s sports space; they are co-CEOs of Re-Inc, a global community for sports fans and changemakers, which launched ahead of the 2019 World Cup. The Re-Cap Show has amassed a dedicated online fan base, with video clips circulated among Re-Inc's 49,000 YouTube subscribers and 123,000-strong Instagram following.

On The Re-Cap Show, the duo bring fans behind the scenes of professional women’s soccer, both at the international level and in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). They debrief games with high-profile guests such as defender Ali Krieger, previous national team head coach Jill Ellis, current national team captain at the Olympics Lindsey Horan, and Angel City FC co-founder Kara Nortman. Press and Heath also break down and share their own perspectives on buzzy topics like scandals in the NWSL, what it’s like to date your teammate, and the recent cheating saga with the Canadian team.

Press and Heath launched Season 3 of the podcast in June, just in time to document the national soccer team’s journey at the Paris Summer Olympics. For Press—who returned to the pitch for Angel City FC on Thursday for the first time in over two years, after four surgeries to repair her torn ACL—it's up to women’s media to meet this moment and capitalize on it.

TIME delved into the Olympics, The Re-Cap Show, and why this moment in women’s sports is so important during a video interview with Press.

TIME: The momentum for women’s sports right now is immense. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese enjoyed record-breaking performances in the NCAA last year, and the WNBA opened their 2024 season with their highest attendance in 26 years. This is also the first Olympics with gender parity. How is all of this impacting the way you cover the Paris Olympics with The Re-Cap Show?

Press: You're spot-on that women's sports are having insane momentum right now. For us, all the attention has really increased our mission to reimagine the way women are seen and experienced in sports. We started our show during the World Cup because we’re women soccer players, and that's when we committed to turning on a spotlight [and] never turning it off.

But the Olympics is this huge opportunity to inspire and reveal what's already there: lots of leagues, athletes, and players that are doing their job all-year round, but they get to be at the highest stage this summer. From a business perspective, [it’s about] bringing those supporters, fans, and community members into the women's sports world, which is the most inclusive, diverse, and interesting community that uses sport as a vehicle for change.

Take us back to creating Re-Inc with your teammates Tobin Heath, Megan Rapinoe, and Meghan Klingenberg. How far have you all come since then?

We started Re-Inc in 2019 with a single T-shirt before we went to the World Cup and it said “Liberté, Égalité, Défendez.” It was a play on the French motto [“Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité”] as we had headed to France, so we switched the word “fraternity” to “defend” because as the U.S. Women's National Team, we were defending our title, but we were also defending the principles of liberty and equality.

But since then, it’s grown into a community. Watching women play sports is an act of revolution. Not so long ago, women were not allowed to play sports, and until recently, we were not paid to play sports or paid very well. And so I think as women's sports get heightened, it is just the living and breathing symbol of progress in society that women can rise and be stars on the court and on the field. With launching our media division, we saw how the coverage was failing to represent the lifestyle and culture of us, and it was just a copy and paste from the men's side. The broadcast and the commentary was so off-putting that it was spoiling the sport for us. No one knew how to talk about gal culture.

What kinds of commentary were you used to hearing while you were playing with the U.S. Women’s National Team?

Sometimes, when I'm watching people commentate, I feel like they’re a kindergarten teacher explaining the basics of soccer with the assumption that the person who's watching has no idea what they’re watching.

I think there's a lot that needs to be improved. Also, when it comes to addressing social issues and the institutional prejudice that happens within sports, especially how we talk about Black athletes… The media should make sure you're seeing this vision of a woman athlete in a way that can be a badass—not self-conscious, but laughing loud and really proud of her success. So I think all of those lifestyle and social issues are baked into the game.

And then obviously, as the game grows, we're going to have more expertise and fundamental knowledge and that will just make the broadcast so much better. Part of why the Olympics is so great is because you get the best—the best commentators, the best camera angles—and that's another reason why people will fall in love with all the sports, since it's not, you know, just an iPhone shot of the last 50 meters of a race.

Your former teammate Kelley O’Hara is working with Just Women's Sports. Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are bringing back their podcast, A Touch More, and your former teammate Sam Mewis is also hosting her own show, The Women’s Game. Why do you think this is the moment where so many female athletes are working in media?

I haven't heard of another market that people are talking about that is successful right now, other than AI and women's sports. I feel very proud to have started this business five years ago and kind of be positioned as ready for the moment as opposed to reacting to the moment. As athletes, we're all inspiring each other and the businesses that are cropping up are inspired by a desire for all of us to raise the game and continue to have an impact. I'm very proud to be about it, to be a part of it, and to be alongside pioneering women. I think the competition is healthy, and it's necessary. It pushes us and I love that.

Many people view women’s sports as a sacred, safe space—something you talk a lot about on your podcast. Is there any fear that as the women’s game becomes more popular and more fans join, that other energies will enter into the space?

I always say the air gets thinner at the top. I think women's sports is a very diverse, inclusive space. And I actually know that members of the community feel very protective of the space. We have our membership community and our members often speak about protecting the space. There will always be challenges as it gets more mainstream.

That’s why I love doing our show: every week, we're talking about the challenges. We’re talking about how the women's sports community feels about someone's bigoted comment or someone who misrepresented them. And it's a two-way dialogue. I think that's really essential to maintain the integrity.

I remember when the social media scandal with midfielder Korbin Albert—who’s currently on the Olympic roster—came out earlier this year. You and Tobin went straight into talking about it. I think a lot of fans were curious to hear from you about it.

It was hard to talk about that, because we were afraid of someone just clipping a tiny piece of the conversation and, like, missing all the nuance and kind of misconstruing our language, but we thought it was important enough to do it anyway. Nuance is something that's consistently missing from the echo chambers.

What are you hoping the Olympics brings to the world of women’s sports?

Kara Nortman, who is the co-founder of Angel City, always tells a story that she was at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, and was completely moved and inspired by us winning. Then, she came home to try to watch us play, and couldn’t find any games, and she couldn't find jerseys. That’s why she started a women's soccer team. I think that story is so beautiful, because it really emulates what's so special at the Olympics.

I think there's a huge opportunity to uplift sports—even the sports that aren't as popular as women's soccer—and for people to go home and become lifelong fans.

[noneedtoamputate]

Band of Brothers Olympics AU - Chapter One

I don't have a great title for this yet. I was thinking about The Vault in Our Stars, a pun on another Shakespeare quote to go along with Band of Brothers. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

This came out of my Olympic obesession, and I've tried to include a lot of details that came out of the Paris games in the fic.

I can't thank @mercurygray enough for helping me flesh out this story and providing some much-needed details. She deserves co-author credit on this chapter, but any mistakes or sections that don't work are on me. And thanks to @shoshiwrites for beta-reading and telling me it was a fun read. That's exactly what I am going for with this fic.

Hope you all enjoy!

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Five days before Opening Ceremony

Four of the five members of the United States men’s gymnastics team lounged in the larger of the two bedrooms in their Olympic Village suite after their designated practice time. Harry Welsh texted his girlfriend, Kitty Grogan, a member of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team and America’s current sweetheart. High bar specialist George Luz balanced a plate of French baked goods on his lap. Team himbo Floyd Talbert read the newest issue of Field and Stream. Carwood Lipton, the youngest member of the squad, sat on the floor doing a v-stretch. 

“My mattress here is worse than the one in my dorm room,” Carwood lamented, grabbing his foot and reaching his head to his knee.

“Yes, but it’s environmentally friendly,” Harry pointed out without looking up from typing. “You can save the world or save your back, but not both.”

“Fuck, this pain au chocolat is good,” George said, his mouth full and his pronunciation terrible.

“You don’t say the last letter of the word,” Tab explained, hardly looking up from his magazine. 

“Whatever.” George considered the pastry again. “I think I’m going to record a review and put it on TikTok.”

“You know French?” Carwood asked Tab. It wasn’t impossible, but Carwood didn’t take Tab as the … cultured type. He knew Dick and Harry pretty well - he was a few years behing them at Penn State, after all - but he was still getting to know George and Tab. Both men liked to joke, although their senses of humor worked in different ways - in strong contrast to Dick, who didn’t really go for jokes when it came to his team and his sport. 

“Kinda. I’ve been doing twenty minutes of Duolingo a day for the past two months. I’m up to Level Six,” Tab explained proudly.

Harry laughed and shook his head. “And here I was thinking the only French Tab knew was mènage à trois.”

“I resent that you think that low of me, Harry - and that’s an important phrase,” Talbert defended, finally looking up from his reading. “Speaking of, any chance Kitty introduces us to her teammates?”

Harry put his phone down. “Kitty’s already told them all about you. And if that didn’t scare them off, she threatened  that if they so much as shook your hand, she’d send their names to the doping agency and they’d have to take extra urine tests.” 

“Shit, I wouldn’t cross Kitty. She scares the hell out of me.” George admitted, brushing crumbs off his chin. 

“If only the American public knew about the real Kitty Grogan,” Carwood agreed. Harry’s girlfriend had worked hard for the America’s Sweetheart nickname, but George was right. Her tiny frame and blond curls hid a ruthless sense of humor, a deceptively strong arm, and a very, very strong protective urge for the other women on her team. (Necessary equipment, she would have said.)

“Well, there’s lots of other women in the Olympic Village,” Tab said, unbothered and unashamed. “And I’ll need some more condoms, too, since someone -” he glared at George - “wouldn’t share.”

“Christ, will you let it go? Harry asked for mine first. And everyone got five to start with. If you need more than that, walk your lazy ass downstairs to the clinic. They have more there for the taking.”

The suite door opened, and team captain Dick Winters walked into the room.

“Hey, have you had any of these, Dick?” George asked, gesturing to the remnant of croissant on the table. “They’re really good.”

Dick looked at the pastry like George had just suggested he eat something toxic, and gave a brief shake of his head.“I just got through talking with Coach Taylor, and he was really happy with the way practice went this morning.”

“Well, that’s why I came to France. To make Coach Taylor happy.” Harry rolled his eyes. He wasn’t on the best of terms with the national team coach, and he wasn’t afraid of letting everyone know it. 

“Hey, Tab, you should ask Dick!” George suggested. 

“Ask me what?” Dick looked over Tab’s way.

“Can I have the condoms that came in your welcome pack? George already gave his to Harry.” Tab still sounded put out.

Dick looked even more offended about this than he had about the chocolate croissant. “No!” 

“Why? Did you use them already?” Tab sat up and looked at Dick, interested in his answer.

“No!” Dick shouted again, even louder this time. “And nobody is no going to need the condoms, because nobody on this team is going to have sex until we’re done with the competition.”

“What?” Tab asked incredulously. “There are 5,000 women here. And 5,000 men, if that’s your thing. Ten thousand people, all of us at the peak of our physical well being. And you want us to refrain from doing anything that requires a condom for a week?”

Dick sighed, more than a little agitated he had to explain this to his teammates. “We have a chance to do something really special here. I know it's a long shot, but we could medal. It would be huge for men’s gymnastics back home. We owe it to ourselves and our sport to do our best, and that means focusing. Abstaining for a week isn’t going to kill anybody.”

Harry shook his head. “Look Dick, I understand what you’re saying, but you know how superstitious I am, and I always sleep with Kitty before a big meet. She does this thing where … ”

“STOP!” interrupted Dick, eyes closed in pain. “Nobody is interested in what you were about to say.”

“I am,” Tab answered honestly, and George laughed.

“Look, I didn’t come up here to talk about condoms,” Dick said, desperately wanting to change the subject. “I’ve been thinking we should skip the opening ceremonies.”

The rest of the team stared at him.

Dick sighed before starting again. “I know we’ve all been looking forward to it, but it’s only two days before our qualification round, and we’ll be on our feet and it will throw off our sleep schedule.”

“C’mon, Dick. It’s one night,” George said.

“I know it’s not a big deal for you, being in just one event,” Dick said, sounding judgmental. 

George sat up straighter. “Yeah, I only won the silver medal at last year’s world championships for the high bar. I have no idea how I even got picked for the Olympic team, because that’s not a big deal.”

The three other teammates turned their heads back and forth, following the heated exchange.

Dick grimaced. “That didn’t come out the right way, George. I’m sorry. But you have to see my point. You get it, don’t you, Carwood?”

Everyone looked at Carwood. 

Carwood looked up to Dick, both as a gymnast and a person, so he was slow to voice his dissent. Truthfully, he’d been looking forward to the ceremony quite a bit, and the idea of not going for something like a sleep schedule sounded … well, lame.  “I want to do well, too, Dick, but there are so many things about the games that we don’t want to miss out on. The opening ceremonies, meeting new people …”

“Mènage à trois,” Harry added with a huge grin, and Tab threw the magazine his way. 

“You know what, forget it,” Dick said, clearly agitated. “Let’s just treat this like one big frat party and forget about representing our country and bringing home a medal.” He walked out of the room.

“Aw, Dick, come on!” he heard Harry call out to him, but he didn’t respond. He’d shared his feelings with his team, and they’d shared theirs. 

How was a captain supposed to lead when his team didn’t want to be led?

-

Dick decided to take his frustration out in the weight room, and then he got a massage. Back in the locker room, he checked his phone and saw Harry had messaged him.

Harry: Hey, you okay? We’re going to grab dinner, but I understand if you need to cool off.

Harry: I don’t think that conversation went the way anyone wanted it to.

Harry: They’re all good guys and they care a lot, but we all need a little fun, too.

Harry: You don’t have to be perfect, Dick. You’re already a good leader.

Harry: You know I love you, man. Kitty says she loves you, too (but not like she loves me).

Dick smiled briefly at the words on the screen. Harry was more than just a long time teammate. He’d been his freshman year roommate, one of the first friends he’d made at Penn State, and the guy on the team who understood him the best. They had shared wins and losses and ups and downs. Dick was even there the first time Harry laid eyes on Kitty, and she quickly became one of Dick’s people, too.

Thanks. Dick texted back. Grabbing dinner with Lew. Appreciate the invite, though. I’ll catch you before lights out.

He would need to apologize to them all later - he could see that now. Sometimes he forgot that other people saw the world a little differently than he did. But that was part of being a leader, too. 

It’s good to have people who care about you, he thought.

-

An hour later, Dick took the Metro and walked a few blocks to meet team sponsor Lew Nixon at a bistro. A second-generation tech titan, Lew and his sister, Blanche, needed a way for their father’s software company to save face after Stan’s headline-making fourth divorce. Blanche suggested adopting two Olympic teams that needed financial support and didn’t mind the backing of NixWorks, despite the reputation of its founder. 

So Lew met with men’s gymnastics, promising free housing for its national team members, as well as covering travel expenses and extensive social media coverage. Blanche did the same with the women’s rugby team, and both teams were happy to accept. 

Nix hated athletics - his idea of weight training was 12 ounce curls - and Dick had nothing in common with the San Francisco tech bro. But in spite of their differences - or maybe because of them - the two had become close friends during the past year. Dick appreciated having someone he could talk to outside of the gymnastics bubble he placed himself in leading up to the games. 

Dick spotted Lew sitting at a table for two on the outdoor patio, looking at his phone, a glass of red wine already in front him. 

“Dick!” Lew said, greeting him a little too loudly. Dick thought the glass of wine may not have been Lew’s first of the evening. 

“Have you seen the new dating app we created for the Olympians?” Lew turned his phone around so Dick could see it.

“Yeah. Light My Fire. Great name,” Dick said.

“I know, right?” Lew missed the sarcasm from Dick. “You know, because the torch and everything.”

“I get it,” said Dick.

“And my dad is a huge Jim Morrison fan. Once I told him the idea and the name, he had the programmers start working on it right away.” The waiter came over to go over the specials and take Dick’s drink order. Lew translated and answered back in perfect French.

“Dick, it wouldn’t kill you to try some new things while you’re here,” Lew said, considering his friend over the candle in the middle of the table.

“I don’t like sparkling water. I just want tap. And what’s wrong with ranch dressing?”

Lew tried to hold in his smile.“They call it still water here, Dick. And nothing is wrong with ranch dressing ... if you’re in State College, Pennsylvania. But you happen to be in the culinary capital of the world, and I’m going to let you in on a little secret,” Lew said conspiratorially, leaning a bit closer to Dick across the table. “Champagne vinaigrette won’t get you drunk.”

Dick rolled his eyes. 

Over the meal - Lew had steak frites, rare, and another glass of what Dick learned was Bordeaux, while Dick stuck to water, still, and a grilled chicken salad - Dick shared what had conspired earlier in the day. Dick would have never guessed it when they first met, but Lew was a good listener, always taking in facts and asking pertinent questions. 

Lew took a long sip of wine before sharing his conclusion.

“Listen, I know you don’t have beaches in Pennsylvania, but I’m sure you’ve held sand too tightly before,” Lew said. “I don’t think I need to tell you it usually doesn’t work.”

Dick couldn’t help but laugh. Lew was right.

“I’ve seen all five of you work hard, make sacrifices. You’re all ready for this. Give them a little space, a little freedom. This thing only happens every four years - enjoy it a little!” 

Dick nodded.

When he got back to the room, the team was half-watching an action movie dubbed in English on the television while Kitty was recording George eating another one of those chocolate pastries. Several sets of eyes swung to him and the door as he came in, just as quickly going back to the movie.

He looked down at his feet for a moment. “I owe you all an apology. I came on a little strong earlier, and I’m sorry. I’ve … got a lot on my mind at the moment.” The group continued to watch the movie, but George’s frown had softened a little.

“Here’s the deal,” Dick said in such a way that everyone turned around and stared at him intently. “We’re going to work like hell for the next two days. Then we’ll go to the opening ceremonies. And then we’ll kick some ass.”

His teammates look stunned. They never heard him swear once before, let alone twice in one speech. 

“Fuck yeah,” George answered back, smiling.

“Fuck yeah,” Harry and Tab said at the same time.

Carwood took his time. He didn’t swear much, either. “Fuck yeah,” he finally said, and Harry patted him on the back.

As Kitty recorded the moment on George’s phone for posterity, she knew this group was something special. 

[boxboxblog]

Ex Driver Profiles: Franco Colapinto

Updated December 2024

Name: Franco Alejandro Colapinto

Age: 21

Nationality: Argentine

Years in F1: Less than 1 (Williams Sept 2024)

Number: 43

WDCs: N/A

Driving Style: While not much has been seen from Colapinto in F1 yet, what we can gather is that he is an aggressive driver with strong defense, and solid overtaking skills. He has taken to the stress and pressure of F1 well, showing a cool head during races and defending well against F1 veterans like Sergio Perez. This shows a degree of adaptability, one that has been seen in his F2 career as well. A negative of his style is that his eagerness and aggression can lead to unnecessarily bold moves. In F2, for example, he is prone to receiving penalties. This eagerness can also cause inconsistency while racing.

History:

Colapinto came from a much more middle-class family than the average F1 driver. His carting career started at age 9, and he showed strong promise, winning the Argentine Championship in 2016 (Pre-Junior class) and 2018 (Sudam class), as well as the Buenos Aires Regional Championship in 2016 (Pre-Junior class) and 2017 (Junior class). Colapinto also won the gold medal at the 2018 Youth Summer Olympics. Due to this obvious talent his family sold their home in order to pay for Colapinto's debut in single-seaters.

(Colapinto during his karting days)

He debuted in car racing in 2018, participating in the final race of the F4 Spanish Championship. He had a stellar performance, and was able to sign a full-year contract for the 2019 season. That season he scored 11 victories, 13 podiums, and 14 pole positions. He took the title that year by winning the last three races of the season.

(Colapinto after winning Spanish F4_

Early 2020 he raced for the Toyota Racing Series, and finished 3rd in the standings, winning the rookie championship in the process. He also joined the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2020, and had a very positive year. He took two race wins that year and seven podiums, finish 3rd in the championship. This made him the highest placed rookie in the 2020 season, winning another rookie championship. 2021 saw him take part in the European and Asian Le Mans series, where he took 4th and 3rd respectively.

(Colapinto shortly before signing for Formula Renault)

His debut into F3 came in 2022, signing with Van Amersfoort Racing (a team that had once raced Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen) and came 7th in the standings, one of his worst championship results ever. He did have some positive results, with one sprint win and three podiums. He took part in F3 again for 2023, this time with a different team, and had a much more positive year, getting 4th in the standings by the end of the season.

(Colapinto after taking pole for Van Amersfoort)

Late 2023 it was announced that Colapinto would be graduated up to F2 for the 2024 season. He only completed the first half of the season, and gained one victory, before being promoted to the F1 Williams seat to replace Logan Sargent. Colapinto had a relatively strong first season (or half a season really), finishing in the points on a handful of occasions. he did have several crashes and DNFs toward the end, and finished in 19th. He does not have a seat for the 2025 season.

Major Races (some F3 and F2 ones too):

F3: 2022 Imola Sprint: His maiden victory in F3, Colapinto capitalized on the tricky wet conditions and displayed strong composure and race craft.

F2: 2023 Silverstone Feature: He fought tough battles in the midfield to come. Although he did not place particularly high, he showed he could fight against competitive junior drivers and hold his own to stay in the points.

2024 Azerbaijan GP: Only his second race in F1, Colapinto delivered a stellar performance on a tricky track. He finished 8th (ahead of his veteran teammate) and showed that he could handle the pressure of a F1 race.

2024 Singapore GP: Although Colapinto finished outside the points, he had a standout performance. He fought hard in the midfield (memorably being complimented by Perez for his defense skills) and handled the physically toughest race on the calendar with grace.

Cheers,

-B