USA men's Olympic water polo athlete Tony Azevedo will retire at age 35. Azevedo participated in five Olympic games. Azevedo will spend more time with his family.
USA men's Olympic diver David Boudia will skip the 2017 diving season as he ponders retirement. Boudia won gold in 10M platform and bronze in 10M synchro at the 2012 London games. Boudia also won bronze in 10M platform and silver in 10M synchro at the 2016 Rio games.
USA Ice Dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White will not compete at the 2018 Pyeongchang games. The pair have not competed in three seasons. They have ruled out competing next season as well.
USA women's Track and Field athlete Dawn Harper Nelson was banned for three months for taking banned blood pressure medication. She took the medication on December 1. It contained a banned substance. The medication was prescribed by her doctor after she was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Harper-Nelson's suspension ended March 1, 2017.
The 2017 World Figure Skating Championships were held in Helsinki, Finland from March 29-April 2. Americans Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani were the only ones to medal, winning bronze in Ice Dance. Americans Madison Chock/Evan Bates finished 7th while Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue finished 9th. Nathan Chen of the USA finished 6th in the men's short program and free skate combined, American Jason Brown finished 7th. Karen Chen, of the USA finished 4th, Ashley Wagner, of the USA finished 7th and American Mariah Bell finished 12th in the women's short program and free skate combined. In the pairs competition, Americans Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim finished 10th.
NBC will show the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic games live across all time zones. Primetime will start at 8pm eastern time, 7pm central time, 6pm mountain time and 5pm pacific time. Local news will follow primetime coverage. Primetime Plus will follow local news and will be live as well. After Primetime Plus airs, it would be followed by a replay of primetime coverage. This change is from NBC's usual policy of "tape delay" coverage.
NBC Sports is now offering a 2017 Track and Field Pass for $69.99. This live and on demand streaming and TV service will cover all of the Diamond League events, the 2017 World Championships in London and USATF events as well. The service can be accessed at nbcsportsgold.com.
Bershawn "Batman" Jackson, an American men's 400 hurdles track athlete, has announced his retirement from the sport. Jackson will retire at the conclusion of the 2017 outdoor track season. Jackson won bronze in the men's 400 hurdles at the 2008 Beijing games.
Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park will be renovated over the next two years. The upgrades, which include, a pedestrian plaza, interactive games, and a renovated Southern Amphitheater will be completed by January 2019.
The 2021 outdoor Track and Field World Championships will be held in Eugene, Oregon from August 6-15.
USA women's 100 hurdler Brianna Rollins was suspended for the entire 2017 Track and Field outdoor season for missing three drug tests during 2016. Rollins missed the tests because of previous engagements and travels that left USADA unaware of her whereabouts. Athletes are supposed to notify USADA of their travel plans and Rollins did not do so. Rollins has never tested positive and is a clean athlete. The suspension will end on December 19, 2017.
USA women's beach volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings ended her partnership with April Ross. Walsh Jennings did not renew her contract with the AVP. Walsh Jennings is the only athlete not to renew with the AVP until after the 2020 Tokyo games. She claims that the AVP is holding her and other beach volleyball athletes back. April Ross will partner with Lauren Fendrick for the 2017 AVP season. Walsh Jennings is not retiring so look for her on a beach volleyball court somewhere soon!
The AVP TV Schedule was released in early May. All times eastern.
Sunday May 7 - Huntington Beach, CA - NBCSN - 5pm
Sunday May 21 - Austin, TX - NBCSN - 5pm
Sunday June 11 - New York, NY - NBC - 4:30pm
Sunday June 25 - Seattle, WA - NBCSN - 6pm
Sunday July 9 - San Francisco, CA - NBCSN - 12:30am
Sunday July 23 - Hermosa Beach, CA - NBCSN - 4pm
Sunday August 20 - Manhattan Beach, CA - NBC - 2:30pm
Sunday Sept. 3 - Chicago, IL - NBCSN - 12am
Steven Holcomb, an Olympic gold medalist bobsledder, was found dead on May 6, 2017. He was 37. Holcomb died in his sleep. He had fluid in his lungs. Holcomb won gold at the 2010 Vancouver games in the 4 man bobsled. In the 2014 Sochi games, Holcomb won bronze medals in the 2 man and 4 man bobsled. He was one of 3 Olympic athletes following me on Twitter. He will be missed.
USA Gymnastics will not buy the famed Karolyi ranch in Texas. In July 2016, USA Gymnastics was supposed to buy the ranch, which includes three gyms, housing for athletes, a dance studio and a dining hall from Bela and Marta Karolyi. Larry Nassar, a physician, is accused of sexually abusing three gymnasts at the ranch in the late 1990's. USA Gymnastics is distancing themselves from the Karolyi's and their ranch. A lawsuit was filed against the Karolyi's and USA Gymnastics for failure to monitor and report abuse.
USA men's short track speed skater Chris Creveling received a 4 year doping ban and will not compete at the 2018 Pyeongchang winter games. He tested positive for clomiphene, which is not allowed by the USADA. This drug can affect testosterone levels. Creveling's ban has been in effect since Nov. 18, 2016. Creveling won the silver medal in the 5000m relay in Sochi.
Three time USA women's beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings has found a new partner. The partner is Nicole Branagh. Branagh, like Walsh-Jennings, is 38 years old. They briefly partnered in 2010 when then partner to Walsh Jennings, Misty May Treanor took a break before the 2012 London games. Once May-Treanor returned, Branagh and Walsh Jennings went their separate ways. The pair will compete in international tournaments only because Walsh-Jennings is still not signed by the AVP.
USA men's gymnast Jonathan Horton has announced his retirement. Horton is a two-time Olympic medalist. Horton plans to stay involved with USA Gymnastics and has plans to create a new training center for USA male gymnasts.
USA 800 meter track star Nick Symmonds has announced his retirement effective immediately after he was eliminated in the first round of the men's 800 at the USA National Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, CA. Symmonds won a total of six USA men's 800 titles, five consecutively. He finished fifth in the 800 finals at the London 2012 games. Symmonds also won a silver medal in the 800 at the 2013 Track and Field World Championships. Symmonds last professional race will be in December 2017 at the Honolulu Marathon.
USA men's 400 track star Jeremy Wariner has announced his retirement. Wariner won silver in the men's 400 at the 2008 Beijing games and again at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships in Berlin. In 2016, Wariner missed making the 2016 Rio games. Wariner will now focus on his Jimmy John's franchise business.
USA male gymnast Jake Dalton is retiring from gymnastics. Dalton competed at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games and won four medals at the gymnastics world championships(2011, 2014 - team, silver on floor exercise in 2013 and vault bronze in 2014). Dalton will focus on running his gymnastics gyms located in Nevada.
USA men's decathlete Trey Hardee has announced his retirement. Hardee pulled out of the decathlon after hitting the hurdles in the decathlon 110 hurdles at the 2017 IAAF World Track and Field Championships.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Los Angeles 2024 vs. Paris 2024
In late February 2017, Budapest, Hungary dropped out of the running to host the 2024 Olympics. This leaves only Los Angeles and Paris as the only two cities left.
Los Angeles 2024 is the better bid based on the fact that no new permanent structures have to be built, whereas Paris 2024 has to build an Olympic village from scratch. The cost to Paris 2024 will be one to two billion dollars. Los Angeles 2024 has a budget of 5.3 billion dollars while Paris 2024 has a bid of 4.8 billion dollars but also up to 5 billion in infrastructure projects. The reason I bring this up is Los Angeles 2024's bid is privately financed while Paris 2024 will have their bid funded by the French government. Los Angeles bid theme is "Follow the Sun" while Paris 2024 theme is "Made for Sharing".
Ever since the IOC has passed 2020 reforms, cities have dropped out of bidding on games because of high bid cost and high cost of putting on the games themselves. Boston, Rome, Budapest, and Hamburg all pulled their 2024 Olympic bids due to unpopularity and cost. The Sochi winter games in 2014 cost over 50 billion dollars. The Tokyo 2020 summer games have big cost overruns, and their Olympic stadium had to be redesigned because of the original cost of a billion dollars. The 2008 Beijing summer games also had cost overruns but were awarded the 2022 winter games over Almaty, Kazakhstan based on the more stable, cost efficient bid. Very few permanent structures have to be built for the Beijing 2022 bid. Almost all Rio 2016 Olympic venues are now white elephants and lay in ruins less than a year after the games. These mistakes don't need to be repeated by the IOC. Awarding the 2024 Olympic games to Los Angeles makes sense based on the IOC reforms passed but there are a few hurdles for Los Angeles to clear.
The USA election of Donald Trump in the fall of 2016 could complicate the Los Angeles 2024 bid. President Trump's populist agenda might be popular in the USA but not with the IOC. The IOC could vote to defeat the Los Angeles 2024 bid based on Donald Trump's election as USA President. President Trump has proposed two Muslim travel bans from seven mid-eastern countries over the first 90 days of his administration. These bans would restrict Muslims visa holders from entering the USA from seven countries(Iraq, Syria, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen) for 90 days(Syrian refugees 120 Days) so that the Trump administration could find a way to vet them. When the first ban was struck down by the USA courts. President Trump devised another ban to replace the first ban. Luckily, both bans were overturned by the USA courts but are being appealed by the Trump administration. President Trump fully supports the Los Angeles 2024 bid.
On May 7, 2017 France had a Presidential election. The centrist Emmanuel Macron defeated far right candidate Marine Le Pen. Had Le Pen won the Paris 2024 bid would, in my opinion, taken a back seat to Los Angeles 2024 bid. Le Pen proposed the same anti-immigration policies that USA President Trump has proposed. Since Macron won, the IOC might favor Paris 2024 bid over Los Angeles 2024 despite the fact that it's is a better bid based on the IOC's 2020 reforms. Why? because the USA is anti-immigration and France is not. However, there is a silver lining for both bids.
Within the last year the IOC has discussed awarding both the 2024 and 2028 summer Olympics bid cities together. The stakes are high. The USA has had two failed bids in 2005 New York City and 2009 Chicago (2012 and 2016 games). The USA last held summer games in 1996. Paris has had three failed attempts (1992, 2008 and 2012.) Paris last held games in 1924 and it would be the 100th anniversary of the last Paris summer games. Several IOC members are opposed to the idea of awarding two Olympic games at once. They are afraid of other host cities that now cannot bid on the games for 2028. IOC President Thomas Bach thinks its a good idea because he feels there are too many losers in the bidding process. Both candidate cities vow they are only bidding on 2024. Paris had issued an ultimatum to the IOC saying they could only accept a 2024 bid because the land available to build the Olympic Village will not be available in 2028. Paris 2024 has since walked back that statement. Los Angeles 2024 has kept open a possible 2028 bid by not issuing an ultimatum to the IOC. Both cities would have to agree on it and the order of the cities bids in order for this idea to work. I am for this idea provided Los Angeles be awarded the 2024 games and Paris awarded the 2028 games.
This past week(May 10-12) the IOC visited Los Angeles and toured the venues and met with Los Angeles 2024 bid leaders, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and bid Chairman Casey Wasserman. Next week, May 14-16, the IOC will tour Paris 2024 venues and meet with bid officials.
In June 2017, the IOC will publish the Evaluation Commission report on the visits to the candidate cities and both cities will have a chance to respond to the report. On July 11-12, 2017 there will be a candidate city briefing for members of the IOC and Olympic Federations.
In early September 2017 Los Angeles and Paris will be submitted to the IOC session for election.
On September 13, 2017 in Lima, Peru The IOC will vote on the bid city as part of its session.
My vote is for two bid cities to be awarded at once! Los Angeles would be awarded the 2024 summer Olympic games and Paris would be awarded the 2028 summer Olympic games!
Only time will tell!
Los Angeles 2024 is the better bid based on the fact that no new permanent structures have to be built, whereas Paris 2024 has to build an Olympic village from scratch. The cost to Paris 2024 will be one to two billion dollars. Los Angeles 2024 has a budget of 5.3 billion dollars while Paris 2024 has a bid of 4.8 billion dollars but also up to 5 billion in infrastructure projects. The reason I bring this up is Los Angeles 2024's bid is privately financed while Paris 2024 will have their bid funded by the French government. Los Angeles bid theme is "Follow the Sun" while Paris 2024 theme is "Made for Sharing".
Ever since the IOC has passed 2020 reforms, cities have dropped out of bidding on games because of high bid cost and high cost of putting on the games themselves. Boston, Rome, Budapest, and Hamburg all pulled their 2024 Olympic bids due to unpopularity and cost. The Sochi winter games in 2014 cost over 50 billion dollars. The Tokyo 2020 summer games have big cost overruns, and their Olympic stadium had to be redesigned because of the original cost of a billion dollars. The 2008 Beijing summer games also had cost overruns but were awarded the 2022 winter games over Almaty, Kazakhstan based on the more stable, cost efficient bid. Very few permanent structures have to be built for the Beijing 2022 bid. Almost all Rio 2016 Olympic venues are now white elephants and lay in ruins less than a year after the games. These mistakes don't need to be repeated by the IOC. Awarding the 2024 Olympic games to Los Angeles makes sense based on the IOC reforms passed but there are a few hurdles for Los Angeles to clear.
The USA election of Donald Trump in the fall of 2016 could complicate the Los Angeles 2024 bid. President Trump's populist agenda might be popular in the USA but not with the IOC. The IOC could vote to defeat the Los Angeles 2024 bid based on Donald Trump's election as USA President. President Trump has proposed two Muslim travel bans from seven mid-eastern countries over the first 90 days of his administration. These bans would restrict Muslims visa holders from entering the USA from seven countries(Iraq, Syria, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen) for 90 days(Syrian refugees 120 Days) so that the Trump administration could find a way to vet them. When the first ban was struck down by the USA courts. President Trump devised another ban to replace the first ban. Luckily, both bans were overturned by the USA courts but are being appealed by the Trump administration. President Trump fully supports the Los Angeles 2024 bid.
On May 7, 2017 France had a Presidential election. The centrist Emmanuel Macron defeated far right candidate Marine Le Pen. Had Le Pen won the Paris 2024 bid would, in my opinion, taken a back seat to Los Angeles 2024 bid. Le Pen proposed the same anti-immigration policies that USA President Trump has proposed. Since Macron won, the IOC might favor Paris 2024 bid over Los Angeles 2024 despite the fact that it's is a better bid based on the IOC's 2020 reforms. Why? because the USA is anti-immigration and France is not. However, there is a silver lining for both bids.
Within the last year the IOC has discussed awarding both the 2024 and 2028 summer Olympics bid cities together. The stakes are high. The USA has had two failed bids in 2005 New York City and 2009 Chicago (2012 and 2016 games). The USA last held summer games in 1996. Paris has had three failed attempts (1992, 2008 and 2012.) Paris last held games in 1924 and it would be the 100th anniversary of the last Paris summer games. Several IOC members are opposed to the idea of awarding two Olympic games at once. They are afraid of other host cities that now cannot bid on the games for 2028. IOC President Thomas Bach thinks its a good idea because he feels there are too many losers in the bidding process. Both candidate cities vow they are only bidding on 2024. Paris had issued an ultimatum to the IOC saying they could only accept a 2024 bid because the land available to build the Olympic Village will not be available in 2028. Paris 2024 has since walked back that statement. Los Angeles 2024 has kept open a possible 2028 bid by not issuing an ultimatum to the IOC. Both cities would have to agree on it and the order of the cities bids in order for this idea to work. I am for this idea provided Los Angeles be awarded the 2024 games and Paris awarded the 2028 games.
This past week(May 10-12) the IOC visited Los Angeles and toured the venues and met with Los Angeles 2024 bid leaders, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and bid Chairman Casey Wasserman. Next week, May 14-16, the IOC will tour Paris 2024 venues and meet with bid officials.
In June 2017, the IOC will publish the Evaluation Commission report on the visits to the candidate cities and both cities will have a chance to respond to the report. On July 11-12, 2017 there will be a candidate city briefing for members of the IOC and Olympic Federations.
In early September 2017 Los Angeles and Paris will be submitted to the IOC session for election.
On September 13, 2017 in Lima, Peru The IOC will vote on the bid city as part of its session.
My vote is for two bid cities to be awarded at once! Los Angeles would be awarded the 2024 summer Olympic games and Paris would be awarded the 2028 summer Olympic games!
Only time will tell!
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