Olympics

Santiago 2023: Azurá Stevens brings 3×3 glory to Team USA

October 25, 2023 by Tara S

By Maggie Hendricks| Olympics

Standing with her 3×3 teammates, Azurá Stevens has an ear-to-ear grin on her face. They had just won the Pan American Games 3×3 women’s tournament for Team USA, and Stevens had excelled in her first try at a different kind of basketball. Stevens’ smile is something fans have grown used to, as it shows even when her team is not winning gold medals.

Stevens’ positivity shows when she is on social media. Her X (formerly known as Twitter) feed is filled with kind and encouraging words. Her Instagram and TikTok often show Stevens doing the latest dance trend, along with her teammates. Even after a WNBA season where her Los Angeles Sparks finished just outside the playoffs, Stevens keeps up the good vibes.

“It’s difficult. Life and the game bring a lot of different challenges. I think just trying to stay grateful for everything, even when things don’t feel like they’re going my way, just staying really positive and being as grateful as I can for every experience, because it brings a learning opportunity and so that’s something that kind of helps me to keep it even. Even when things aren’t,” Stevens said to Olympics.com.

How her parents fuel Stevens

Part of where Stevens learns her lessons about gratitude is from her parents. In 2020, she started a food truck with her parents that serves southern food staples: shrimp, grits and fish. Though her father runs the business, she works on the truck whenever she is home in North Carolina. Stevens said her parents are her biggest inspiration.

“From a young age, they’ve sacrificed so much for me to be able to chase my dreams. They still support me so much,” Stevens said. “They’re a huge inspiration, an example that they set for me growing up and then all the sacrifices they made for me to be able to follow my dreams.”

A new kind of challenge

Her attitude has been helpful as she tried 3×3. Stevens has excelled at five on five basketball. She won a WNBA championship with the Chicago Sky and an NCAA title at UConn, and was a sought-after free agent before she signed with the Sparks in the 2023 offseason. But 3×3? It’s a completely different kind of challenge for the 6-foot-6 (198 cm) player.

“Obviously, you’re not doing full court, which has a lot quicker pace. And there’s a lot of reading and reacting and just sort of slowing down,” Stevens said. “I think that’s something that’s been a little bit of a challenge for me so far as it’s a little bit of a slower pace because it’s half court, you know, but then when you score, you’re right on defense. that point in that regard and continuing to get comfortable with it.”

Now with a 3×3 gold medal in hand, Stevens is considering whether she will play basketball in the offseason. She will return to the Sparks in 2024 for her seventh season in the WNBA, and perhaps, Paris 2024.

“I’d love that opportunity. I’m excited to be part of that pool, and see how it goes from there,” Stevens said.

Pan American Games 2023: Team USA’s Natalia Grossman clinches final gold medal on sport climbing’s continental games debut

October 25, 2023 by Tara S

By Sam Peene | Olympics

Natalia Grossman won gold at the 2023 Pan American Games on Tuesday (24 October) to secure a quota at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

It was an emotional win for the American, who overcame long-time friend and compatriot Brooke Raboutou on the final day of sport climbing’s continental debut**.**

A lot was on the line as the rivals battled towards the Olympic quota and tears flowed for both when the final results were posted.

‘Bittersweet’ is how Grossman described the win.

“Obviously if it were any other competition we’d be so psyched to be one and two, but having only one spot, it’s a bittersweet feeling,” she told Olympics.com after stepping down from the podium with close friend Raboutou who took silver.

The gold was the fourth of four climbing titles awarded at the games, and for the United States, it was a clean sweep.

Brooke Raboutou of USA (c), Natalia Grossman of USA (L) and Alannah Yip of Canada (R) they celebrate with their medals in the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games on October 24 in Santiago, Chile.(SEBASTIAN NANCO/SANTIAGO 2023 via PHOTOSPORT)

After blue skies all afternoon with the snow-capped Andes mountains as the venue’s backdrop, the stadium lights began to malfunction and competition was delayed.

Canada’s Rebecca Frangos completed her run as the malfunctions began, scaling the lead wall as the lights flickered and the audience showed audible concern.

Talking about the delay, Grossman said “I think it actually helped me ’cause I was able to just fuel up and then rest. And so by the time I was on the wall, all the carbs had kicked in and I was like, let’s go.”

She climbed the wall with precision and control and came within inches of completion before falling and taking a final score of 88.1.

Raboutou did all she could to make up for her 14.9 point deficit from her rival after the boulder portion, but even with a lead score of 96, she was unable to come back.

The boulder section kicked off the day and Grossman dominated. The 22-year-old looked like a seasoned pro as she flowed through both boulders two and three smoothly, completing both on her first attempt in under a minute and a half to look back at the crowd and flash a smile.

She was the only athlete to complete the first three successfully, but fell just short of completion on the fourth to end her perfect streak.

Santiago native Alejandra Contreras finished sixth in the boulder and lead portions and was a crowd favorite. The audience cheered, waved the Chilean flag and held posters with her name drawn in large red, white and blue letters.

National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective NOC teams at the Olympic Games. Athletes’ participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.

SANTIAGO, CHILE Ð OCT 24: Natalia Grossman de Estados Unidos en accion en Escalada durante los Juegos Panamericanos Santiago 2023 el 24 de octubre en Santiago, Chile./ Natalia Grossman of USA in action during the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games on October 24 in Santiago, Chile. (Foto de Dante Fernandez/ Santiago 2023 v’a Photosport).(DANTE FERNANDEZ/SANTIAGO 2023 via PHOTOSPORT)

Results from men’s boulder and lead at Pan American Games 2023:

Boulder Stage

Natalia Grossman, 84.3
Brooke Raboutou, 69.4
Alannah Yip, 64.7
Anastasia Sanders, 39.0
Valentina Aguado, 34.8
Indiana Champman, 34.7
Alejandra Contreras, 34.5
Rebecca Frangos, 29.3

Lead Stage

Brooke Raboutou, 96.0
Natalia Grossman, 88.1
Anastasia Sanders, 76.1
Alannah Yip, 64
Rebecca Frangos, 57.1
Alejandra Contreras, 57.0
Valentina Aguado, 54.0
Indiana Champman, 51.1

IOC Session approves LA28’s proposal for five additional sports

October 18, 2023 by Tara S

By: International Olympic Committee

Baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash have been officially included as additional sports on the programme for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28). The decision has been taken by the 141st Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The five sports were proposed by the LA28 Organising Committee as a package for their edition of the Games only, and were reviewed and supported by the IOC’s Olympic Programme Commission (OPC) and Executive Board (EB).

For baseball and softball, cricket and lacrosse it will be a return to the Olympic Games, while flag football and squash will be making their Olympic debut in LA.

Baseball and softball have been part of the programme at several editions of the Olympic Games, most recently at Tokyo 2020.
Cricket was on the programme for the Olympic Games Paris 1900.
Lacrosse was included on the programme at St Louis 1904 and London 1908.
Flag football and squash will make their Olympic debut at LA28.

“The choice of these five new sports is in line with the American sports culture and will showcase iconic American sports to the world, while bringing international sports to the United States. These sports will make the Olympic Games LA28 unique,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “Their inclusion will allow the Olympic Movement to engage with new athlete and fan communities in the US and globally.”

“I have long believed that we have an incredible opportunity in Los Angeles to create the most compelling Games, not just for us, but for the world. Our Olympic sport programme, in its entirety, reflects this belief,” said LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman. “We are excited to embark on game-changing collaborations with major professional leagues that will unlock massive opportunities to amplify the Olympic and Paralympic story and captivate new audiences.”

This selection of sports is the result of a thorough process and analysis based on evaluation criteria set out before the process began, including gender equality. It considered the utilisation of existing facilities, involving a wide range of sports communities both in the United States and globally, and incorporating some of the most popular sports in the United States and across the globe.

Modern pentathlon and weightlifting

The IOC Session also supported the recommendations made by the IOC EB concerning the status of modern pentathlon and weightlifting, which were not part of the initial sports programme for LA28.

Modern pentathlon: The IOC Session endorsed the recommendation from the IOC EB to include modern pentathlon on the LA28 sports programme, acknowledging the replacement of horse riding with obstacle racing and the optimisation work conducted by the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) to reduce costs and complexity. As noted by the IOC EB, it is essential for the UIPM to continue to implement the necessary changes in governance and modernise as an organisation. Without the replacement of horse riding with obstacle racing, the sport would not have been included in the programme.
Weightlifting: The IOC Session accepted the IOC EB’s recommendation to include weightlifting on the LA28 sports programme following the decision of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to delegate its anti-doping management to the International Testing Agency (ITA), and its sanctioning to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) at least until the end of 2028. The effectiveness of the anti-doping programmes for the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification and Olympic competition will continue to be closely monitored by the IOC, as will the implementation of the governance and cultural changes adopted by the IWF.

Following the IOC Session decision to withdraw recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA), the IOC has not recognised another governing body for Olympic boxing. Therefore, the IOC EB decided that any decision regarding the inclusion of boxing on the LA28 sports programme is put on hold, so there was no discussion of this by the IOC Session.

The other 28 sports that are part of the LA28 Olympic programme were approved by the IOC Session in February 2022.

The discipline programme was approved by the IOC EB on 13 October 2023, while the programme of events and athlete quotas will be finalised after Paris 2024. The OPC will now work on ensuring that the final athlete quota numbers for the Olympic Games LA28 remain reasonable and below the overall quota for Tokyo 2020.

2028 Olympics Expected to Include Softball

October 10, 2023 by Tara S

D1Softball Staff

Softball was shut out the first two times the Summer Olympics came to Los Angeles. It appears the sport won’t miss out when the Games return to the city in 2028.

Softball is among five sports that local organizers have proposed for inclusion in 2028 program, along with the event’s regular program. LA28, the local organizing body, proposed softball, baseball, cricket, flag football and squash for inclusion. Although expected to be a formality, the additions aren’t official until approved by the International Olympic Committee in a vote on Oct. 16 in Mumbai.

No details were included on the intended format or facilities. In Tokyo, the tournament consisted of six teams, down from eight teams in each of the sport’s previous four Olympics tournaments. As in previous editions, rosters were limited to 15 athletes.

As part of Olympic reforms and retooling over the past decade, organizing committees have the ability to propose sports for inclusion on a one-time basis, often to appeal to local audiences or specific demographics. Inclusion in 2028 would not guarantee that softball will be part of the 2032 program in Brisbane, Australia.

First included in the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, softball was part of the program through the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Dropped, along with baseball, following Beijing, the sport returned in 2021 as part of the delayed Tokyo Olympics—again as a sport included by local organizers, rather than the IOC’s regular slate of sports.

In Los Angeles, the United States will hope to snap a 24-year gold medal drought. Japan defeated the U.S. for gold in both 2008 and 2021.

Olympics aside, the United States is the three-time reigning world champion, having won the WBSC World Cup (formerly World Championship) in 2016, 2018 and 2022. Among members of the U.S. team coached by Heather Tarr that won the 2022 world title in Birmingham, Ala., Ally Carda would be 35 in 2028—the oldest among players who took the field in the gold medal game and have not retired.

The 28 sports already part of the 2028 program are: Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoe, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Field hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Judo, Rowing, Rugby, Sailing, Shooting, Skateboarding, Soccer, Sport Climbing, Surfing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball (beach and indoor) and Wrestling.

Sha’Carri Richardson stamps a comeback with a 100-meter world title

August 22, 2023 by Tara S

Peter Granitz | NPR

Sha’Carri Richardson ran past a heat of the fastest sprinters in the world Monday to win the women’s 100 meter at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest.

She ran from behind and past Jamaicans Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the defending world champion, to win with a time of 10.65 seconds.

Richardson’s run – from the disadvantageous outside lane – catapults her back into the elite ranks of women’s track and marks a major comeback after two years of disappointment.

“I would say never give up,” Richardson said after Monday’s race. “Never allow media, never allow outsiders, never allow anything but yourself and your fate to define who you are. I would say always fight. No matter what. Fight.”

Richardson was poised to contend in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, but after testing positive for marijuana, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency suspended her from competition for a month, which prevented her from competing in the games.

Her suspension set off a debate over the fairness and equal application of anti-doping tests, a debate Richardson herself joined, after initially and immediately accepting her suspension. At the time, President Joe Biden said of her suspension, “The rules are the rules, and everybody knows what the rules were going in, whether they should remain the rule is a different issue.”

Richardson said she took marijuana in Oregon, where it is legal, after learning of the death of her mother. The ban marked the start of two years in the track and field wilderness.

She finished last in the 100 meters in her return after the suspension at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic. Then she failed to make last year’s worlds team.

But 2023 marked a new lap. In May, at the LA Grand Prix she said she “went through a tough time,” in track and field, and that in the previous years “It just was me that was standing in my way.”

There was little standing in her way in Monday’s finals.

The two Jamaicans were running from the middle and ran out of the blocks to an early lead. Richardson trailed until the final meters of the race and pulled far enough ahead to cross the line with outstretched arms.

Sponsor Message

On Monday, she repeated a message she said she’s been saying all year.

“I’m not back. I’m better.”

Erin Jackson Talks Olympic Gold, Inspiring Others as a ‘Black Person in Predominantly White Sport’

February 25, 2022 by Tara S

“Whatever someone sees in me, or whatever they can relate to, I just hope that they can use that to get out and reach for their dreams,” Erin Jackson tells PEOPLE

By Nicholas Rice

Erin Jackson is reveling in her Olympic glory.

Shortly after the speed skater took the gold at the Beijing Winter Games in the women’s 500m, becoming the first Black woman to win an individual medal in the event, the athlete, 29, tells PEOPLE she still cannot believe her feat.

Calling her feelings “just kind of like a big rush of a whole bunch of different” things, Jackson says of winning: “At first it was shock and happiness, relief of course, just because it’s always stressful. There’s a bit of stress mixed in with just daily life as an athlete, and of course, being on a stage like that.”

“[There’s] just a big relief from all the training that I put in from the season and just having it pay off. Yeah, the main thing for sure, happiness,” she continues. “It was pretty cool.”

Erin Jackson | CREDIT: COURTESY US SPEEDSKATING

During her event, Jackson won gold with a time of 37.04. She crossed the finish line just 0.08 seconds before Japan’s Miho Takagi, while Angelina Golikova of the Russian Olympic Committee came in third with a time of 37.21.

Jackson is also the first U.S. woman to win gold in speed skating at the Olympics in nearly 30 years after Bonnie Blair placed first in 1994.

The Florida native’s victory came after her teammate Brittany Bowe gave up her spot in last month’s qualifying event so Jackson could go to Beijing in her place. (After spots in the 500m were reallocated, Bowe, 33, was also able to compete in the event).

The noble move came after Jackson placed third, due to an unfortunate slip on the ice. “No one is more deserving than her to get an opportunity to bring Team USA home a medal,” Bowe said of her decision at the time.

CREDIT: ROBERT CIANFLONE/GETTY

Jackson says she hopes her achievement as a Black woman will inspire other young girls to compete, themselves. “I just hope that it can kind of help other people think maybe I can try something new, get out and try some of the winter sports, or even just speed skating specifically,” she says.

“I’m always trying to be a good example to anyone who wants to look, [especially as] a Black person in a predominantly white sport, to put it simply,” she continues. “Or even just someone who wants to show [parents] that their kids can have multiple priorities in life, not just sports and not just school, but how it’s possible to do both.”

“But yeah, whatever someone sees in me, or whatever they can relate to, I just hope that they can use that to get out and reach for their dreams,” Jackson adds.

RELATED VIDEO: Skier Mikaela Shiffrin Sometimes Sings a Classic Children’s Song in Her Head While Competing

Looking ahead, Jackson says she is “definitely” aiming to compete in the next Winter Olympics when they take place in Italy in 2026.

“I feel like I can’t be done yet,” she tells PEOPLE. “I feel like I’m just starting to figure it out, so I don’t want to stop now.”

However, Jackson says she plans to take a pause now that her run at the 2022 Games is over.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to it, [but] not too quickly,” she explains. “I want to take some time to myself, but [I’m] definitely excited about the next Games.”

Erin Jackson Makes History As First Black Woman To Win Speed Skating Olympic Medal

February 17, 2022 by Tara S

BLACK GIRLS ON ICE? WE’RE INTO IT.

BY KEYAIRA BOONE · UPDATED FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Erin Jackson, 29, became the first Black woman to earn a gold medal in speed skating for the United States on Sunday.

Jackson claims the prestigious honor for her performance in the women’s 500-meter speed skating race in Beijing.

According to NBC News, she slickly sprinted through the ice to complete the event in 37.04 seconds. She is the first person to win that event on behalf of Team USA since 1994. (PHOTO BY CATHERINE IVILL/GETTY IMAGES)

The Ocala, Florida native’s success as a long track speed skater and inline speed skater is even more remarkable as she has only spent a few years as an ice bound athlete. Jackson previously skated on rollerblades and participated in roller derbies. When she made her first appearance in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, she reportedly had only pivoted towards the ice one year prior. This year Jackson experienced unexpected difficulties during the official qualifying period for the Beijing games.

She arrived in this year’s winner’s circle thanks to her friend and colleague Brittany Bowe opting to give up her qualifying spot to make sure Jackson was afforded the opportunity to compete.

The skating star proved worthy of the sacrifice by making history. She expressed her awe at her accomplishments in a tweet. “Olympic Champion,” she wrote before an emoji of a gold medal. “It’s going to take me a while to process those words.”

Congratulations Erin!

Abby Roque Makes History as First Indigenous Player on US Women’s Olympic Hockey Team

February 4, 2022 by Tara S

BY SAMANTHA BRODSKY | popsugar fitness

Abby Roque is an athlete to watch at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. At 24, she’s a forward for the US’s women’s hockey team, and her debut Olympic appearance makes history: she is the first Indigenous woman to play for USA Hockey at the Olympics. According to Indian Country Today, Roque, two Canadian women’s hockey players, and a Canadian men’s snowboarder are believed to be the only Indigenous Olympians competing in Beijing.

Roque, who USA Hockey named the 2020 Bob Allen women’s hockey player of the year and who graduated ninth on the University of Wisconsin’s career-scoring list, graced the covers of “Sports Illustrated” and Self this month. She told the latter, “Minority players need representation. If you look at a team and just see more of the same white men playing the game, you’re not going to get girls involved, you’re not going to get young minority players involved. I’m hoping in 10 to 15 years, we’ll see a big shift because of the visibility we’re trying to create right now. I want to be a piece of that and say, ‘I’m here.'”

Roque is a member of Ontario-based Wahnapitae First Nation, of which her uncle is chief. She told Self that she’s proud to be breaking barriers in a sport she describes as a “white male club.” While she grew up in a community of Indigenous players in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, she says there’s still a lack of representation lacks at this level.

“If one little girl says, ‘I want to play hockey because she’s playing hockey,’ I think that would mean the world to me.”

“It’s a challenge, I know, for a lot of Indigenous kids to get off the reserve or get off the band and move away and fit in,” Roque’s father, a former hockey coach now working as a scout for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, told CNN. “But Abby was obviously real lucky that she grew up with a lot of kids like that in her town.”

Roque is also the only BIPOC player on the US women’s hockey roster — a fact that doesn’t surprise her. “[N]ot many minority players have had the privilege to play or have felt included. That’s something that needs to change in hockey as a whole,” she told Self. “And that’s why we want to make it more inclusive and make it available to everybody who wants to play.”

Roque told CNN, “If one little girl says, ‘I want to play hockey because she’s playing hockey,’ I think that would mean the world to me — just changing one person’s trajectory and letting them know that there is a place for them in hockey.”

Team USA beat Finland on Feb. 3 in the first round of group play. ESPN reports that Roque replaced assistant captain Brianna Decker after an on-ice injury took Decker out of the Olympic tournament. Next up: a match against the Russian Olympic Committee. The single-elimination rounds kick off on Feb. 10, where podium finishes are at stake — and where Team USA hopes to defend its gold from the Pyeongchang Games.

CATARINA MACARIO, CHLOE KIM AND MORE: 20 FEMALE ATHLETES TO KNOW IN 2022

December 21, 2021 by Tara S

As 2021 comes to an end, it’s time to look forward to the year ahead in sports.

With the Winter Olympics in February, March Madness on the calendar and a landmark NWSL season to come, women’s sports fans are in store for an exciting year.

Here are the 20 athletes to know or get reacquainted with in 2022:

[Read more…]

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