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Tag: 2024 Olympics

  • Mo’ Money: Snoop Dogg Hints He Made An Astonishing $9 Million For His Olympics Quests & Coverage

    Mo’ Money: Snoop Dogg Hints He Made An Astonishing $9 Million For His Olympics Quests & Coverage

    Snoop Dogg – Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty

    Snoop Dogg was the most visible American public figure during the 2024 Olympics and he may have earned a whopping $9M for the fun he had in Paris.

    Now that the 2024 Olympics are over, the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has begun where Snoop Dogg will likely return to be the unofficial Team USA mascot.

     

    During this year’s events, Snoop Dogg was visibly present and even carried the Olympic torch into Paris ahead of the Opening Ceremony. From what we saw, Snoop deserved a gold medal for his time in the City of Light where he closed things out with Dr. Dre for the handover to LA ’28 as part of the Closing Ceremony.

    During the Olympics, a rumor surfaced Snoop was banking $500K a day to participate, and on Friday, Snoop seemingly hinted that he made a whopping $9 million overall for his Olympic side quests.

    On Instagram, Snoop reposted a creator who broke down his possible earnings.

    “This is the main star of the Paris Olympics. Snoop Dogg, a top rapper, gets over $40M rubles daily for his presence at the Paris Olympic Games,” the video says. “Snoop also lives and parties in Paris for free, all to bring more attention to the Olympics. Almost every top broadcast features Snoop, he attends all major Olympic events. For 17 Olympic days, he’ll earn nearly $9 million.”

    Snoop didn’t comment on the video but his reposting of it has fans convinced that it’s true.

    While $9M is a hefty price tag, it was well worth it and hopefully NBC execs will pay him that much again for the 2028 games.

    You can watch the breakdown Snoop Dogg shared on Instagram below.

    Noah Williams

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  • You Need Simone Biles’ Go-To Makeup Products

    You Need Simone Biles’ Go-To Makeup Products

    With the wrap up of the 2024 Paris Olympics, no more
    Love Island USA, and last year’s Writers’ Strike finally catching up to us, there’s quite literally nothing left to watch on television these days. I’ve rewatched all the reality TV shows we know and love, I’m caught up on everything, and I’m fresh out of fresh content.


    Which means I still have my eye on
    the Olympics…because it hasn’t been that long, right? With the closing ceremonies on Sunday, August 11, it’s only been a few, endless days without a meme-able moment from our favorite world-class athletes.

    And at the forefront of Olympic stardom is Team USA Gymnastics. Headed by one-of-one Simone Biles, the gymnastics team is generationally talented. They’re always a favorite to watch, especially when GOAT Biles is performing.

    But it’s not just Biles who has stolen the world’s hearts…Olympic athletes like Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey are all beloved names. Let’s not forget Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade who rose into view as she killed her routines.

    The women gymnasts are a marvel who have overcome countless hurdles (literally) to get here…so it’s no wonder why we’re thrilled by them. But there’s something else I noticed: their makeup is always flawless.

    Being an athletic performer, you need a makeup routine that will keep your face in place regardless of what you’re doing…even if it’s excelling on the balance beam or during a vault routine.

    And forget about Simone Biles’ iconic floor routine…I want to talk about her makeup routine. It looks like something that Patrick Ta crafted. And, thanks to the live coverage of the Olympics, we now have an idea of what magical potions Simone Biles uses to keep her makeup firmly in place…no matter what.

    Fenty Invisi-Matte Instant Setting + Blotting Powder

    @mangomoniica Simone Biles touching up her olympic makeup ✨❤️ @Fenty Beauty @Rihanna #fentybeauty #fentybeautyinvisimatte #transluscentpowder ♬ original sound – Monica

    What tipped me off immediately was a photo of Simone standing on the sideline before her routine using the Fenty Invisi-Matte powder. And while it most likely wasn’t a sponsored ad, the product placement couldn’t have been more efficacious.

    Fenty Invisi-Matte powder went viral during
    Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance, where she quickly flashed the product and went right on singing. It was an effortless ad, but effective nonetheless.

    But beyond the celeb endorsements, the Invisi-Matte powder is terrific for on-the-go sweat control and keeping your makeup in place. One of my favorites for summer and vacation, the Fenty powder is compact and packs a punch.

    Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Sticks

    @westmanatelier Hello cheekbones! Undetectable contour 101 starring Face Trace with @maryphillips 💖 #westmanatelier #contour #maryphillips ♬ original sound – Westman-Atelier

    Westman Atelier is worth the price, even if it is a titch pricier. It’s a beloved brand by makeup artists and professionals everywhere. With celeb MUA’s like Mary Phillips often using their stunning sticks.

    Simone Biles is no different. Although she uses a lot of
    Fenty products — including their foundation and mascara — she leans towards Westman when it comes to blush.

    While Simone combines two of the shades for a customizable shade, every hue is packed with pigment and a light shimmer.

    Pat McGrath Labs Mothership V: Bronze Seduction Eyeshadow Palette

    In her video with
    Vogue, Biles gravitates towards this Pat McGrath palette riddled with bronzy shades that complement any eye color. I’ve tried hundreds of eyeshadow palettes over the span of my lifetime and I have to give Pat McGrath her flowers.

    The formula is luxurious, the palette is pigmented, and there’s a good mix of matte and shimmer shades for customizable eyes. It’s everything you need in one palette, with shades that make for both daytime and nighttime looks.

    I prefer Pat McGrath over most makeup brands despite the extra cost…we all know how frustrating it can be to spend money on an eyeshadow palette and then it barely shows — or stays — on your lid. Investing in a rich palette that’s backed by rave reviews is worth it.

    Not One…Not Two..But Three Setting Sprays

    You
    had to know that Simone Biles-Owens makeup was set in stone. After intense demand celebrity makeup artist Alayza Casey revealed Biles’ makeup routine…and to no one’s surprise, there’s a lot of setting spray involved.

    Casey used three sprays on Biles’ face: the emblematic
    Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Spray, Skindinavia The Makeup Finishing Spray, and Kryolan Fixing Spray.

    Biles is doing a lot of movement and definitely breaking a sweat, so the makeup simply must stay in place…and instead of championing the setting powder, Casey opts for multiple long-lasting setting sprays that hold your makeup in place all day (no matter what.)

    Hourglass Airbrush Concealer

    @cleangirlhacks Flawless skin 101. #skincare101 #skintok#beautysecrets #selfcareroutine #cleangirl #cleangirlmakeup #haileybieber #clearskin #clearskincheck #clearskinroutine #clearskinhacks #antiaging #antiagingskincare ♬ original sound – Clean Girl Hacks

    This is a fan favorite. Everyone who has used this concealer —
    moi aussi — has fallen in love with it. I adore how creamy the formula is while still remaining dewy and hydrating.

    It gives your under eyes the recharge and lift you need without catching up on all that sleep you’re missing out on. It’s high coverage and easily blendable, with minimal creasing throughout the application.

    Seriously, one of the best concealers on the market. Hourglass gets it right every time.

    Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0 Automatic Lip Pencil

    Huda Beauty is known for their lip products, and Casey loves to use the “Rich Brown” shade on Biles. These lip liners are no joke — locking in your lips all day long and never budging.

    Yes, these liners withstand sit-down dinners, nights out grabbing drinks with your friends — even dabbing your lips with a napkin won’t budge your liner. It may sound too good to be true, but I’m not being paid to say this — promise.

    The Huda Beauty lip products have been tested by millions of people who absolutely love it just the same…But if it’s good enough for Simone, it’s good enough for us.

    Jai Phillips

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  • Los Angeles Closely Watching Paris Olympics, Has Plans To Improve

    Los Angeles Closely Watching Paris Olympics, Has Plans To Improve

    The Olympics torch will be passed on Sunday to Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 summer games. But city officials are already deep into planning, and have learned a few things from the Paris events.

    Complaints about cramped quarters, bad food, limited air conditioning, uncomfortable beds, a lack of protein, and a dirty Seine have plagued the Paris games. Los Angeles officials have taken notes, and think the city’s first Olympics in 40 years and first Paralympics can do better.

    Janet Evans is chief athlete officer for LA2028, the organizing committee bringing the games to L.A. She is a four-time gold medal winner and set several world records as a U.S. Olympic swimmer. 

    “Having lived in three Olympic Villages and having competed in three Olympic Games, … it’s really important to understand what the athletes are experiencing,” Evans said to Associated Press.

    The Olympic Village in Los Angeles will be housing athletes at UCLA.

    “We feed thousands of students a day. UCLA houses thousands of students a day and so we’re tried and tested and true,” Evans said. “I eat the food once a week, at least, at UCLA, which is delicious. So I can vouch for that.”

    The city’s notorious traffic issues are front and center in planning.

    Evans said deliveries for athletes would be made late at night, and companies will be urged to implement a more robust work-from-home plan for employees in the Southern California region for the duration of the Games.

    The city will also institute “Olympic lanes” to ensure athletes can “get from point A to point B quicker,” Evans said.

    Bruce Haring

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  • When to watch the DC-area athletes competing in the Paris Olympics – WTOP News

    When to watch the DC-area athletes competing in the Paris Olympics – WTOP News

    Phoebe Bacon — Swimming

    Phoebe Bacon is a 21-year-old swimmer from Chevy Chase, Maryland, who will be competing in the women’s 200 backstroke during the Paris Games.

    Bacon graduated from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda and went on to swim collegiately for the University of Wisconsin, where she won national championships in the 200 backstroke in 2021 and 2024.

    Even at the young age of 21, this isn’t Bacon’s first rodeo at the Olympics. She competed in the Tokyo Games, coming in fifth place in the 200 backstroke. In 2022, she won a silver medal in the same event during the World Championships. She’s looking to add her first Olympic medal to her trophy case this summer.

    Competition: Women’s 200-meter backstroke

    • Prelims: Aug. 1 — finished second, 2:09
    • Semifinals: Aug. 1 — finished first, 2:07.32
    • Finals: Aug. 2 — finished fourth, 2:05.61

    Aaron Brooks — Wrestling

    Aaron Brooks is a 23-year-old rising wrestling star from Hagerstown, Maryland, who made a statement this spring when he took down the reigning Olympic gold medalist to qualify for his first Summer Games.

    A four-time collegiate national champion at Penn State, Brooks defeated 2020 Tokyo gold medalist David Taylor not once, but twice in the U.S. Olympics Trials 190 lb. category to secure his spot on the Paris roster.

    Brooks did his high school wrestling at North Hagerstown High School, winning four national titles, four Maryland state titles and compiling a 163-2 record over four years.

    Brooks looks to continue his dominance during his debut at the Olympics in Paris.

    Competition: Freestyle 86-kilogram

    • Semifinals, Aug. 8, 12:30 p.m.
    • Finals, Aug. 8, 2:30 p.m.

    Claire Collins — Rowing

    Claire Collins is a 27-year-old rower from McLean, Virginia. She attended Washington Episcopal School in Bethesda, Maryland, before moving to the Deerfield, Massachusetts, area and attending Deerfield High School. Taking her rowing talents to Princeton University, Collins became a decorated collegiate athlete. In 2019, her senior year, she was a First Team All-American, First-Team All-Ivy League and received the C. Otto von Kienbusch Award, which is awarded annually to a Princeton senior woman, “of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportswoman.”

    On the international stage, Collins finished fourth in the four (a boat with four athletes each rowing with one oar) at the 2023 World Rowing Championships and won gold in the four at the 2023 World Rowing Cup II.

    She’s also no stranger to the Olympics. Collins competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games, coming in seventh in the four. This summer, she’ll compete in the women’s four or eight.

    Competition: Women’s Eight

    • Preliminary Heats — July 29, 6 a.m. (2nd in their heat. Heads to repechage)
    • Repêchages — Aug. 1., 4 a.m. (1st in Repechage 1. Heads to the finals)
    • Finals — Aug. 3, 4:50 a.m.

    Greg Duncan — Diving

    Diver Greg Duncan, 25, hails from Oakton, Virginia, and is representing Team USA in the Men’s Synchronized 3-meter Springboard diving competition.

    Duncan is making his Olympic debut in Paris after a fourth-place finish in the 2023 World Championships in the same event.

    A James Madison High School graduate, Duncan went on to compete for and graduate from Purdue University. Duncan is competing in the synchronized diving competition with his former college teammate Tyler Downs.

    Competition: Men’s Synchronized 3-meter Springboard

    • Final — Aug. 2 (Finished 8th)

    Kevin Durant — Basketball

    For D.C.-area sports fans, Kevin Durant needs no introduction.

    The 35-year-old basketball superstar played high school ball at National Christian Academy, Oak Hill Academy and Montrose Christian School. Durant is a two-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and has racked up a lengthy list of accolades throughout his collegiate and NBA career.

    Durant has also enjoyed tremendous success at the international level as the highest-scoring player in men’s Olympic basketball history.

    In Paris, Durant will be looking to become the only men’s basketball player with four gold medals.

    Competition: Men’s Basketball

    • 110-84 win vs. Serbia (group play) — July 28
    • 103-86 win vs. South Sudan (group play) — July 31
    • 104-83 win vs. Puerto Rico (group play) — Aug. 3
    • vs. Brazil (Quarterfinals) — Aug. 6, 3:30 p.m.

    Emily Fox — Soccer

    Emily Fox is a 25-year-old defender for the U.S. women’s national soccer team from Ashburn, Virginia.

    Fox attended Stone Bridge High School and ended up taking her talents to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where she was a first-team All-ACC selection her junior year. After recovering from an ACL tear during her college career, she was taken No. 1 overall in the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League Draft.

    The outside back is making her first Olympic appearance in Paris, and made her World Cup debut in 2023. According to U.S. Soccer, she has elite speed and one-on-one abilities.

    Competition: Women’s Soccer

    • 3-0 win vs. Zambia (group play) — July 25
    • 4-1 win vs. Germany (group play) — July 28
    • 2-1 win vs. Australia (group play) — July 31
    • 1-0 win vs. Japan (Quarterfinals) —  Aug. 3
    • vs. Germany (Semifinals) — Aug. 6, 12 p.m.

    Erin Gemmell — Swimming

    Erin Gemmell is a 19-year-old swimmer from Potomac, Maryland, and will be competing in her first Olympic Games in Paris in the women’s 200-meter freestyle as well as part of the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay team.

    Gemmell attended Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart and swam for the Nation’s Capital Swim Club. Now a rising sophomore at the University of Texas, she’s already a two-time individual Big 12 champion and an All-American.

    While she’ll be looking to add an Olympic medal to her list of accolades, Gemmell’s trophy case already includes two gold medals from the 2019 World Junior Championships and a silver medal from the 2023 World Championships in the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay, the same event she’ll be competing in at the Summer Games.

    Competition:

    • 200-meter freestyle prelims: July 28 — finished sixth
    • 4×200 freestyle prelims: Aug. 1 — Finished first, 7:52.720
    • 4×200 freestyle finals: Aug. 1 — Finished second, 7:40.86 (Silver Medal)

    Jahmal Harvey — Boxing

    Jahmal Harvey is a 21-year-old boxer from Oxon Hill, Maryland. Harvey grew up playing football and was introduced to boxing by his youth football coach, who also coached boxing. At the age of just 18, Harvey became the first American man to win an elite world title since 2007, according to USA Boxing. Harvey has also racked up multiple gold medals at USA Boxing National Championships at the junior, youth and elite levels.

    Harvey qualified for the 2024 Games by winning gold at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023. This summer, he will represent his country and Prince George’s County in the Olympics for the first time.

    Competition: Men’s Boxing (57-kilogram)

    • Round of 16 vs. Luiz Gabriel Oliveira (Brazil) — July 31 (Harvey wins by split decision)
    • Quarterfinals vs. Munarbek Seitbek uulu (Kyrgyzstan) — Aug. 3 (Seitbek uulu wins by split decision)

    Kat Holmes — Fencing

    Kat Holmes is a 30-year-old fencer from D.C. and a graduate of, you guessed it, Princeton University.

    Holmes graduated from National Cathedral School in D.C. and is considered the veteran of the D.C.-area’s trio of Olympic fencers, as this summer will mark her third Olympic Games.

    At Princeton, Holmes was a four-time All-American and finished second at the NCAA Championships her senior year in épée fencing. In 2018, Holmes was part of the history-making U.S. women’s épée team that won both the Senior World Championship and Senior World Cup gold medal.

    Holmes will serve as a reserve on this summer’s women’s épée team.

    Competition: Women’s Épée Team (U.S. finished 7th)

    • Table of 8 vs. Poland — July 30
    • Classification rounds —  July 30 (Placement 5-8)
    • Semifinals — July 30 (Placement 7-8, eliminated)

    Hadley Husisian — Fencing

    Hadley Husisian is a fencer from Oakton, Virginia, and attends Princeton University.

    Husisian was inspired to start fencing by the Nickelodeon show iCarly and eventually began training at the Elite Fencing Academy in Springfield.

    An épée fencer, Husisian obtained the world No. 1 ranking as a junior women’s fencer in 2022 and won the Junior Women’s Épée World Championship that year.

    During her first year at Princeton, Husisian earned All-American recognition, winning a 2023 NCAA Regional Champion and placing third at the NCAA Championships.

    Husisian will make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games.

    Competition:

    • Women’s Épée Individual — July 27, 5:15 a.m.
      • Table of 32 vs. Paulia Brunner (Switzerland) — 12-11, 19:33
      • Table of 16 vs. Kong Man Wai Vivian (Hong Kong) — 12-15, 14:17 (eliminated)
    • Women’s Épée Team (U.S. finished 7th)
      • Table of 8 vs. Poland — July 30, 7:30 a.m.
      • Classification rounds —  July 30, 9 a.m. (Placement 5-8)
      • Semifinals — July 30, 9:50 a.m. (Placement 7-8)

    Torri Huske — Swimming

    Torri Huske is a 21-year-old swimmer from Arlington, Virginia, who punched her ticket to Paris during swimming trials in the women’s 100 butterfly, an event in which she’s the former American record holder.

    Huske began swimming around age 5 and swam for the Arlington Aquatic Club and Yorktown High School.

    Even though she’s just 21, Huske will be competing in her second Olympics this summer, having taken home a silver medal during the Tokyo Games in the women’s 4×100 medley relay.

    She’s also a six-time World Junior Championships medalist and swims for Stanford University.

    Having qualified second in the final of women’s 100 fly trials, Huske will be a favorite to take home her first Olympic gold.

    Competition:

    • Women’s 100m butterfly: July 27 — finished first, 55.59 (Gold Medal)
    • Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay final: July 27 — finished second, 3:30.20 (Silver Medal)
    • Women’s 100m freestyle prelims: July 30 — finished third, 53.53
    • Women’s 100m freestyle finals: July 31 — finished second, 52.29 (Silver Medal)

    Weini Kelati — Track

    Weini Kelati won a national title in the 10,000 meter dash, and will represent the United States at the Summer Olympics in Paris.

    Kelati, an Eritrean-born runner, achieved multiple victories in state and national-level competitions while attending Heritage High School in Leesburg, Virginia.

    The 27-year-old ran for the University of New Mexico’s Lobos, where she became an NCAA champion for the outdoor track and field contests finishing the 10,000 meter in 33 minutes 10 seconds.

    Competition:

    • Women’s 10,000 meter dash finals: Aug. 9, 2:57 p.m.

    Taylor Knibb — Triathlon, Road Cycling

    Qualifying in the triathlon for the 2024 Olympics apparently wasn’t enough for 26-year-old Taylor Knibb.

    The D.C. native pulled off a stunning result on May 15 at the USA Cycling Pro Road Championships, winning the women’s time trial and securing a spot in a second sport in the Paris Olympics.

    According to Team USA, Knibb was inspired to become a triathlete as a child after she watched her mom, Leslie Knibb, compete in an IRONMAN race. Taylor Knibb attended Sidwell Friends School in D.C., where she competed on the cross-country team. She also swam for Nation’s Capital Swim Club, while continuing to compete in triathlons. Knibb was named D.C. Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year and the D.C. State Athletic Association Runner of the Year in both 2014 and 2015.

    At 23, Knibb was the youngest woman ever to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team, according to Team USA. During the 2020 Olympics, she placed 16th overall in the individual event and earned the silver medal at the debut Mixed Relay event.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Competition:

    • Cycling, road : July 27 — 19, 43:03.46.
    • Triathlon: July 31 — Finished 19th, 1:58:37

    Katie Ledecky — Swimming

    Katie Ledecky, is a 27-year-old swimmer from Bethesda, Maryland.

    Already one of the greatest swimmers ever, Ledecky is heading to her fourth Olympics where she’s looking to add to her six individual gold medals.

    Ledecky, who cruised to victory in the 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. swimming trials on June 15, is off to Paris where the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle swimming events are considered her best shots at victory.

    Competition:

    • 400 freestyle prelims:  July 27 — finished first, 4:02.19
    • 400 freestyle finals: July 27 — finished third, 4:00.86 (Bronze Medal)
    • 800 freestyle prelims: Aug. 2 — finished second, 8:16.62
    • 800 freestyle finals — Aug. 3 —
    • 1,500 freestyle prelims: July 30. — finished first, 15:47.43
    • 1,500 freestyle finals: July 31 — finished first, 15:30.02 (Gold Medal)
    • 4×200 freestyle relay finals: Aug. 1 — finished second, 7:40.86 (Silver Medal)

    Noah Lyles — Track

    The blazing fast Noah Lyles is looking to make a statement performance in Paris.

    Lyles is a 26-year-old sprinter from Alexandria, Virginia, and a graduate of then-T. C. Williams High School, which has since been renamed to Alexandria City High School. He was ranked No. 1 in both the men’s 100-meter and 200-meter in 2023, and is currently still tops in the 200-meter and is No. 2 in the 100-meter.

    In Tokyo, Lyles took home a bronze medal in the 200-meter but is considered a favorite in that event, and in the marquee 100-meter event.

    Lyles will be eying history in Paris, with the rare chance to a triple crown of gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4×100-meter races. No American has done that since Carl Lewis.

    Competition:

    • 100-meter Round 1 Heat: Aug. 3 — Finished second, 10.04
    • 100-meter Semifinals: Aug. 4 — Finished second, 9.83
    • 100-meter Finals: Aug. 4 — Finished first, 9.784 (Gold Medal)
    • 200-meter Round 1 Heat 6: Aug. 5, 1:55 p.m.
    • 200-meter Repechage Round: Aug. 6, 6:30 a.m.
    • 200-meter Semifinals: Aug. 7, 2 p.m.
    • 200-meter Finals: Aug. 8, 2:30 p.m.
    • 4×100-meter relay Round 1: Aug. 8, 5:35 a.m.
    • 4×100-meter relay Finals: Aug. 9, 1:47 p.m.

    Helen Maroulis — Wrestling

    Helen Maroulis is a 32-year-old wrestler from Rockville, Maryland, who will be competing in her third consecutive Olympics this summer.

    Maroulis started wrestling at age 7 and went on to compete for Magruder High School in Derwood, finishing with a record of 99-26, often wrestling against boys.

    During her first Olympics in 2016, Maroulis made history, becoming the first U.S. woman to win gold in wrestling. She followed that up with a bronze medal in the 2020 games.

    Maroulis is also a three-time Senior World Championships gold medalist.

    On top of her competitive schedule, Maroulis, who still lives in Rockville, works to train the next generation of young wrestlers by holding clinics for all ages.

    Competition: Women’s freestyle wrestling (57 kg)

    • Quarterfinals and Semifinals: Aug. 8, 5 a.m.-1 p.m.
    • Repechage Round: Aug. 9, 5 p.m.
    • Bronze Medal and Finals: Aug. 9, 2:50-3:15 p.m.

    Tatiana Nazlymov — Fencing

    Tatiana Nazlymov is from Bethesda, Maryland, where her father and grandfather (also fencers) got her involved in the sport at a young age.

    Nazlymov attended Georgetown Day School in D.C. and held the No. 11 world junior ranking before going to Princeton, where she just completed her freshman year.

    This summer will be Nazlymov’s first Olympic Games, but she’s already had success on the international level. She won gold at the 2023 Pan-American Senior Championships, and racked up silver medals at the 2023 World University Games and the Plovdiv Junior Women’s Saber World Cup.

    Competition:

    • Women’s saber individual, Round of 32 vs. South Korea’s Choi Se-bin: July 29 — 14-15 (eliminated)

    Kevin Paredes — Soccer

    Kevin Paredes is a 21-year-old soccer player from South Riding, Virginia, and was just named to the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team.

    The defender played for D.C. United from 2020-2021, making 41 appearances for the club and scoring three goals. He signed with a German club called VfL Wolfburg, appearing in 52 matches and scoring three goals.

    Paredes appeared in three matches for the senior national team.

    Competition: Men’s Soccer

    • 3-0 loss vs. France (group play) — July 24
    • 4-1 win vs. New Zealand (group play) — July 27
    • 3-0 win vs. Guinea (group play) — July 30
    • 4-0 loss vs. Morocco (Quarterfinals) —  Aug. 2 (Eliminated)

    Aaron Russell — Volleyball

    Aaron Russell is a 30-year-old, 6’9″ volleyball player from Ellicott City, Maryland, who plays outside hitter for Team USA.

    Russell attended Centennial High School in Ellicott City, where he trained with the girls volleyball team, since they didn’t have a boys team. He also played for the Maryland Volleyball Program in Rockville and was a member of the 2010 and 2011 Youth National Team.

    Russell’s talents extend beyond the court, having been a two-year team captain in soccer at Centennial. Russell followed his older brother to Penn State to play collegiate volleyball, and was a two-time All American and one of two team captains his senior year.

    In Paris, Russell will be looking to pick up more Olympic hardware. He was a part of USA’s bronze-medal winning team at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and was named to the Olympic Dream Team.

    Competition:

    • Men’s volleyball, prelims vs. Argentina: July 27 — U.S. wins 3-0
    • Men’s volleyball, prelims vs. Germany: July 30 — U.S. wins 3-2
    • Men’s volleyball, prelims vs. Japan: Aug. 2 — U.S. wins 3-1
    • Men’s volleyball, Quarterfinals vs. Brazil — Aug. 5, 2 p.m.
    • Men’s volleyball, Semifinals – Aug. 7
    • Men’s volleyball, Finals – Aug. 10

    Kyle Snyder — Wrestling

    Kyle Snyder is a 28-year-old wrestler from Woodbine, Maryland, who looks to add to his vast collection of hardware during the 2024 Summer Games.

    Snyder took home the freestyle wrestling gold medal at 97 kg in 2016 and came away with silver in the 2020 games. He also won the world championship in 2015, 2017 and 2022.

    Those who watched Snyder wrestle in high school for Our Lady of Good Counsel won’t be surprised by his success. During his three years there, Snyder amassed a perfect, 179-0 record on his way to three prep national titles while only giving up a single takedown in his entire high school career.

    His dominance continued at the collegiate level wrestling for Ohio State, where he won three consecutive national titles.

    Competition: Men’s freestyle wrestling (97 kg)

    • Quarterfinals and Semifinals: Aug. 6, 5:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
    • Repechage Round: Aug. 7, 5 p.m.
    • Bronze Medal and Finals: Aug. 9, 2:05 p.m.

    Jessica Stevens — Trampoline gymnastics

    Jessica Stevens is a 24-year-old from Ellicott City, Maryland, representing Team USA gymnastics on the trampoline team.

    Stevens trains at Fairland Gymnastics in Laurel and is a graduate of the University of Maryland and Howard Community College.

    While she’s making her Olympic debut in Paris, Stevens has amassed plenty of hardware in international competition, including a 2023 World Championships gold medal in mixed team competition and a bronze in women’s individual trampoline at the same event.

    Competition: Women’s trampoline gymnastics

    • Qualification: Aug. 2 — Finished 13th (Eliminated)

    Juliette Whittaker — Track

    Juliette Whittaker is a 20-year-old middle-distance runner from Laurel, Maryland, and attended Mount de Sales Academy in Catonsville, where she won numerous state and national titles.

    Whittaker qualified for the U.S. team in the women’s 800-meter, placing third at the Olympic Trials with a time of 1:58.45. She’ll be making her Olympic debut in Paris.

    Now attending Stanford University, Whittaker is a Pac-12 champion in the 800-meter and a four-time All-American.

    Competition: Women’s 800-meter

    • Round 1: Aug. 2 — Finished third, 2:00.45
    • Semifinals: Aug. 4 — Finished third, 1:57.76
    • Finals: Aug. 5, 3:45 p.m.

    Quincy Wilson — Track

    Quincy Wilson is a 16-year-old track superstar and the youngest male U.S. track and field Olympian in history.

    He set the under-18 world record for the outdoor version of the 400-meter dash. Wilson broke his own record in the 400 m at 44.66 seconds by running it in 44.59 seconds.

    Born in 2008, Wilson has quickly established himself as one of the most promising rising stars in track and field.

    Off the track, he’s a student at the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland.

    Competition: 4x400m mixed relay

    • Round 1: Aug. 2 — Finished 1st, 3:07.41 (Did not participate)
    • Final: Aug. 3 — Finished 2nd (Did not participate)

    Khoi Young — Gymnastics

    Bowie, Maryland-raised Khoi Young placed 15th in the all-around at the Olympic trials and went on to be named as an alternate to the U.S. Olympic Team.

    Young posted the top score on the vault of 30.05.

    The 21-year-old NCAA champion exploded onto the international scene, winning multiple medals at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics Championships and for Team USA.

    He’s a rising senior at Stanford University where he studies product design and is on track to graduate in 2025.

    Competition:

    • Men’s gymnastics, team (Bronze Medal)

    Griffin Yow — Soccer

    Griffin Yow is a 21-year-old soccer player from Clifton, Virginia, and was named to the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team.

    He attended Centreville High School before withdrawing from high school and to play for D.C. United and before that, its reserve team called Loudoun United FC. After spending four years for the Black and Red, Yow was transferred Belgium’s K.V.C. Westerlo in 2022.

    The forward has never played for the senior national team.

    Competition: Men’s Soccer

    • 3-0 loss vs. France (group play) — July 24
    • 4-1 win vs. New Zealand (group play) — July 27
    • 3-0 win vs. Guinea (group play) — July 30
    • 4-0 loss vs. Morocco (Quarterfinals) —  Aug. 2 (Eliminated)

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    Thomas Robertson

    Thomas Robertson is an Associate Producer and Web Writer/Editor at WTOP. After graduating in 2019 from James Madison University, Thomas moved away from Virginia for the first time in his life to cover the local government beat for a small daily newspaper in Zanesville, Ohio.

    Thomas Robertson

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  • Mlle Gaga’s Long Overdue Engagement Announcement

    Mlle Gaga’s Long Overdue Engagement Announcement

    All right, gang, enough about the Paris Games and the 2024 presidential race, this is truly big news: Lady Gaga’s finally confirmed her engagement to longtime beau and tech entrepreneur Michael Polansky.

    As reported bysheknows website, the cagey Lady G. and Polansky “have been engaged since the spring.”

    Speculation about the couple has been running rampant during the 2024 Olympics in Paris where a black-clad Lady G. sang during the opening ceremony amid a sweeping panoply hot pink plumage:

    When French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal thanked the Artist Formerly Known As Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in a video posted on his TikTok. The video featured a snippet of idle conversation between the politician and the Mother Monster in which she seemed to reveal the engagement:

    Lady Gaga – Mon Truc en Plumes (Live from The 2024 Paris Olympics)www.youtube.com

    And yes, it would seem that Lady G did reveal the engagement. Finally. I mean, it has been years since announcing their romance in February 2020.

    Will Lady Gaga, resplendent in a wedding gown made of, say, fake Emu feathers, and trailing old, unspooled 8-track tapes, soon be walking down the aisle? Seems things are headed that way. Though she may have kept the engagement under wraps, Lady G.’s spoken about Polansky over the years. A 2021 Hollywood Reporter story quoted her as saying: My dogs and the man that I love are my whole life.”

    Some of us might wonder about the billing order, but hey – we wish the two lovebirds the very best.

    Popdust Staff

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  • Beyoncé’s Most Political Year Yet

    Beyoncé’s Most Political Year Yet

    Beyoncé has been on her “Yeehaw, America!” tip from the very start of the year. With a country music album (Cowboy Carter) and a cover that features her in full-blown “Americana gear/regalia,” Beyoncé seemed determined to hold fast to her “ideals” of the U.S. even as it became increasingly apparent that Donald “Cheeto” Trump still had a strong chance of winning the election—even after everything that went down (insurrections, indictments, hush money, you name it). Especially because of the doubts cast on Joe Biden’s “mental competency” (even if Trump’s is hardly a “notch above”).

    And then, for a while, people seemed to forget about Beyoncé and her country foray. There were so many albums afterward, from Taylor’s The Tortured Poets Department to Dua’s Radical Optimism to Billie’s Hit Me Hard and Soft to Charli’s Brat. Even Megan Thee Stallion and Ice Spice have released new records in the time since Cowboy Carter vaguely dominated the chart. So maybe something activated within Beyoncé to remind her that she needed to reclaim her place in the spotlight—indeed, use her star power to invoke political change. It started with granting Kamala Harris permission to use Lemonade’s “Freedom” for her ad campaign. And then, as if that weren’t enough, Beyoncé jumped in for a Team USA Olympics ad that was aired the same week.

    As most people are aware by now, the Olympics remains one of the most politically fraught milieus…in spite of its cries of being a “source of unity.” Indeed, it can often become a political hotbed (e.g., Americans boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow and, four years later, Russians boycotting the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles—these two cities also appropriately representing polar opposite ideals). 2024 is no different, especially with the ongoing invasion of Palestine by Israel, as well as the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. But obviously, Beyoncé has much less interest in that than she does in what’s going on “in her own backyard.” And what’s going on, of course, is the 2024 presidential race.

    While some might feel that, with Kamala Harris as the frontrunner for taking on Donald Trump in lieu of Joe Biden, there’s no competition now, such thinking would be a severe overestimation of what America is “really about.” And that, of course, is what makes Trump still have a good chance of winning. With this in mind, the commercial Beyoncé participated in is rife with political undertones. Reworking “Ya Ya” from Cowboy Carter (a song that actually would have worked more effectively in Harris’ campaign ad), Beyoncé appears in yet another “Yeehaw, America!” getup (Western excess at its “finest”)—her very expensive-looking boots bedecked with glittery Olympic rings in addition to red, white and blue flourishes. She’s also wearing a sparkly American flag cowboy hat and a leotard with the word “USA” emblazoned across the chest (and yes, the crotch/waist part of it also has an American flag pattern). Never mind that people who love draping the American flag on themselves usually tend to be conservative rednecks (sort of like Lana Del Rey, who cosplays that persona). Beyoncé wants to prove otherwise. That even “liberals” can be garishly over the top when it comes to their patriotism.

    The singer quickly gets to the point vis-à-vis the subtext of what’s at stake for this election. She wants to remind the viewers at home that America isn’t as white as it would often like to believe. Or rather, as white as conservatives would like to “keep” it. So it is that Beyoncé touts to a montage of multicolored faces, “Get a look at America, y’all. These hopes and dreams, these superstars that represent us. The people of this big, bold, beautiful, complicated nation. All rooting together for them.” Of course, the word “complicated” feels like the biggest euphemism of all time. What she surely meant was “unapologetically racist, sexist, capitalist and jingoist.” Both Beyoncé and Jay-Z are prime examples of the unapologetic capitalist category, proving the theory that everyone becomes white once they get filthy rich. Even so, Beyoncé wants to make this commercial as “aspirational” as possible. Hence, her little characterization of it that totally glosses over why the U.S. will always be what amounts to a “failed British colony.”

    After she calls it “big, bold, beautiful and complicated,” the lyric, “You lookin’ for a new America” strategically plays in the background as the athletes are paraded. She then continues to boast, “We’ve got superstars and we’ve got legends. We’ve got big dreamers who fought their whole lives to get here. Who gave up everything, for one shot [here, she sounds like Eminem on “Lose Yourself”]. And made it. That pride and that joy, that’s what gets me about this team.” Of course, this is the sort of rhetoric that Bible Belt America actually loves to hear, even though it’s filled with white supremacists who probably considered boycotting watching the games because they’re in Gay Paris—and remember, the U.S. is the country that tried to rename French fries “freedom fries” in 2003 because of France’s (rightful) opposition to the invasion of Iraq. So yeah, let’s just say “average Americans” (the ones who are rotund and don’t have a passport) don’t really jive with France. Don’t quite “get” it. In contrast, a country like France gets everything about America. As James Baldwin put it (in relation to Black vs. white), “You never had to look at me. I had to look at you. I know more about you than you know about me.” Because America is overexposed, to say the least, there is little about its “character” that isn’t known to “foreign entities.”

    Meanwhile, Beyoncé keeps prattling on with subtext, wielding her talk of “Team USA” as a timely symbol of what America itself ought to represent in this forthcoming election. Thus, she adds, “That’s what makes me believe in this team… America, give it up for Team USA. The very best of who we are. What a vision to behold. What a team to believe in.” Especially when they’re all getting paid so well while the broke asses at home continue to be fed with the lie that everyone, no matter who they are, can achieve their dreams if they just work hard.

    Genna Rivieccio

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  • Under Paris: The Dystopian Shark Movie That Comes Just in Time for the Olympics (Though Probably Not in Time to Make a Difference for Climate Change)

    Under Paris: The Dystopian Shark Movie That Comes Just in Time for the Olympics (Though Probably Not in Time to Make a Difference for Climate Change)

    On the heels of a heart-wrenching report about how pharmaceutical drugs have infected the waters of our planet so egregiously that they’re causing unexpected and irreversible mutations in animals, a film like Under Paris actually doesn’t seem that far-fetched. The fundamental premise is this: a shark, formerly of the mako species, evolves so rapidly that it can survive in a freshwater climate like the Seine and is capable of parthenogenesis—reproducing sans a male—without even reaching an age of sexual maturity. What could possibly go wrong? Well, the entire design of Xavier Gens’ movie is that whatever can go wrong (ecologically, biologically, evolutionarily, bureaucratically, etc.) will go wrong. And oh how it does. 

    It all starts “innocently” enough (as most operations that go tits-up do) when a team of marine researchers led by Sophia Assalas (Bérénice Bejo, a long way from 2011’s The Artist) goes in search of the erstwhile mako shark named Lilith that they tagged several months before. Trying to find a signal from her near the Great Pacific garbage patch (a title that makes it sound like a “grandiose” site as opposed to a study in what level of atrocity humans are capable of), they catch sight of it when two of Sophia’s team members, including her husband, Chris (Yannick Choirat), dive into the thick of the garbage. Only Lilith doesn’t quite look like the shark they remember. Instead, she’s grown at an alarming rate. And she’s feeling triggered enough to attack when they try to take a skin sample to investigate further into what might have caused her marked alteration. That’s what really sets her off, because, before that, she was doing just fine swimming amongst the humans without attacking them.

    Indeed, one of the many points reiterated throughout Under Paris (apart from the trope that lesbians and “militant” environmentalists always have dyed blue hair) is the oft-forgotten fact that sharks don’t attack humans “unprovoked.” Though it doesn’t really feel that way based on the number of shark-horror movies there are—the modern progenitor being, of course, Jaws. Granted, there were some errant movies (e.g., White Death and The Sharkfighters) about sharks and their horrors before Jaws “attacked” in 1975, but nothing so effective as to rightfully earn the tagline, “You’ll never go in the water again.”

    Under Paris seeks to remind people of that fear-inducing sentiment just in time for the summer—and the Olympics. To be sure, the moment of its release feels like a pointed dig at the self-aggrandizing event, which, yes, included a “billion-dollar cleanup” of the Seine (wherein various Olympic events will take place). This is the kind of money that the fictional mayor (played by Anne Marivin) in Under Paris is also sure to bring up when mentioning that her “hands are tied” vis-à-vis canceling the spectacle (a generic “triathlon,” not the Olympics) for the sake of public safety. Needless to say, it smacks of Jaws’ Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) insisting that the beach stays open because summertime is big business for Amity Island. And if capitalists can’t stand anything, it’s losing out on big business. The same goes for la maire de Paris, telling Angèle (Aurélia Petit), the head of the police fluviale (a.k.a. Brigade Fluviale de Paris), that she needs to simply “figure something out,” “deal with it,” etc. in terms of getting rid of the shark because she ain’t canceling her event for shit. 

    By this time (and a few years after grappling with the calamity that befell her crew), Sophia—locks presently shorn to indicate she’s been through it (another hair cliché)—has been called upon for her expertise on sharks in general and Lilith in particular. Already alerted to Lilith’s presence in the Seine by Mika (Léa Léviant), the aforementioned “militant” environmentalist with blue hair, Sophia has become a reluctant part of the police bid to “stop” Lilith (as if). Along with other activists at S.O.S. (Save Our Seas), Mika has been tracking the “Beacon 7” signal for a while now, seeing fit to remotely turn off certain sea creatures’ signals when they feel the animals’ lives are in danger from hunters or other assorted assholes.

    To be sure, at the heart of Under Paris is the message that animal life is just as valuable as human life, and that the merciless cruelty toward animals is also a direct result of why the planet is in the state it’s in. This, too, ties into the incredibly fucked-up fact that it’s taken so long for anyone to acknowledge the true extent of animal consciousness. What’s more, if people actually did treat other living beings humanely, the environment wouldn’t be in the state of disarray it’s in. Or, more accurately, the state of decline. Of course, the cheeseball manner in which this sentiment is presented (e.g., having Mika make a video for the internet that everyone is supposedly rapt with) is in keeping with many of the quintessentially French cheeseball moments of the movie. Including a requisite romance between Sophia and one of the police officers, Adil (Nassim Lyes). 

    To accentuate a connection that isn’t really there, Gens is sure to “build the rapport” by focusing the camera in on a picture that Adil has on his desk. He stares at it “sadly,” taking in the sight of himself with his fellow infantrymen after Googling Sophia’s name and seeing that she, too, suffered the loss of her own “battalion,” as it were. So obviously, they can easily bond through their vast knowledge of trauma. Even if Sophia initially thinks that Adil is an insensitive pig. But hey, as it is quoted via a title card at the beginning of Under Paris, “The species that survive aren’t the strongest species, nor are they the most intelligent, but rather the ones who best adapt to change.” Darwin didn’t know it at the time, but he was also, evidently, referring to settling on a romance with “whoever” in a crisis situation. 

    In any case, the continual attempts at trying to wield “logic” as a means to discredit the possibility that a shark could really be in the Seine is brought up in the form of “mais, c’est impossible!”-type questions from various characters, usually directed at Sophia (though even she is wont to pose similarly skeptical questions to Mika for a brief period). For example, Adil demanding (as a means to discredit the very idea), “Why would it come to Paris?” First of all, for the same reason as anyone else: to see the sights and enjoy the food. Sophia is quick with her response, “You never asked that about the orca or the beluga.” This line referring to the two types of whales that have found themselves marooned in the Seine within the past two years. In other words, it’s not all that uncommon “these days” for unexpected species to drift into waters where they aren’t ordinarily found.

    What’s different about this, clearly, is that Lilith is not only surviving in the freshwater Seine, but ostensibly thriving. And here, too, it reiterates the notion that, more than Under Paris asking viewers to “suspend disbelief,” it’s asking them to open their eyes to the very patent reality that none of the old “rules” about the environment apply any longer. Humanity has seen fit to fuck that up well and good. 

    So, no, Under Paris is less about the, er, depths that shark movies go in order to invoke the “suspension of belief clause” and more about being yet another ecological warning/harbinger that will go far more unnoticed than Mika’s earnest video to “just” make a change for the sake of animal life everywhere. 

    Then there is the added “new fear unlocked” element when the role of previously unactivated WWII shells potentially going off at the worst possible moment and in the worst possible location comes to fruition (because, again, in Under Paris [and life itself], whatever can go wrong will go wrong). And all because of, ironically/appropriately, rogue military interference. Alas, even though the ceaseless attempts to “control nature” end up backfiring spectacularly, it still can’t stop the mayor from registering reality until it makes direct contact with her entire body. In this regard, too, Under Paris trolls bureaucracy in a manner that only the French can—for who knows better about the rigidity of bureaucratic red tape than they do (apart from Kafka)?

    Even so, the mayor is still earnest in her declaration, “Paris is—and always will be—a celebration!” Triumphantly announcing as much to the crowd just before the triathlon is about to begin. It’s a scene that bears an eerie sort of prescience for things to come at the 2024 Olympics. Not least of which is that, no matter what, people will be obliviously celebrating in the midst of innumerable and unfathomable world catastrophes, both environmental and humanitarian.

    Genna Rivieccio

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  • Paris Olympics Committee Lifts Intimacy Ban For Athletes, Will Stockpile 300k Condoms To Prevent Olympic Level Raw Doggery

    Paris Olympics Committee Lifts Intimacy Ban For Athletes, Will Stockpile 300k Condoms To Prevent Olympic Level Raw Doggery

    Paris Olympics – Source: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty

    The 2024 Paris Olympics has changed course on its intimacy ban for athletes and will provide over 300k condoms to keep their sexual escapades safe during the event.

    During the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, the Coronavirus pandemic was raging through the world prompting the enforcement of an intimacy ban during the games. The Olympic Village which houses athletes is usually the social hub for them as well but thanks to social distancing orders that was quickly changed in 2021.

    According to Sky News, for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the intimacy ban has been lifted by the International Olympic Committee.

    Athletes are once again encouraged to enjoy the Village Club after missing out on the experience in 2021. Furthermore, the Village will be stocked with 300,000 condoms. The stock number provides at least two condoms for each person for every day of the event. Reportedly the village will cater to over 14 thousand residents.

    Passing out condoms isn’t new to the Olympics and has been a tradition since the 1988 Seoul Olympics to spread awareness for HIV and AIDs.

    “The distribution of condoms is not for use at the athletes’ village, but to have athletes take them back to their home countries to raise awareness [of HIV and AIDS],” Olympic organizers told Reuters at the time.

    The upcoming Paris Olympics will take place in the French capital from July 26 until August 11. Another change that was overshadowed by the condom news is the addition of AI surveillance. Laws were changed to allow the use of AI surveillance for identifying potential threats and security concerns. Amid the Russia and Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas war, attendees can expect extra security and technology for safety.

    The goal is to keep everyone safe from their bedrooms to the event itself.

    Noah Williams

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  • Bedbug Panic Sweeps Paris As Infestations Soar Before 2024 Olympics

    Bedbug Panic Sweeps Paris As Infestations Soar Before 2024 Olympics

    A plague of bedbugs has hit Paris and other French cities, provoking a wave of insectophobia and raising questions about health and safety during next year’s Olympic Games. What do you think?

    “The Olympics were never supposed to be easy.”

    Lonna Kedzior • Balcony Designer

    “Ah, bedbugs, the most romantic of all infestations.”

    Kenneth Toumi • Genetic Therapist

    “Insect tourism has completely destroyed Paris’ local charm.”

    Danny Fernandez • Unemployed

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