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Tag: Olympics

  • Trump names himself chair of L.A. Olympics task force, sees role for military during Games

    WASHINGTON — In past Olympic Games held on American soil, sitting presidents have served in passive, ceremonial roles. President Trump may have other plans.

    An executive order signed by Trump on Tuesday names him chair of a White House task force on the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, viewed by the president as “a premier opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism,” according to a White House statement. Trump, the administration said, “is taking every opportunity to showcase American greatness on the world stage.”

    At the White House, speaking in front of banners adding the presidential seal to the logo for LA28, Trump said he would send the military back to Los Angeles if he so chose in order to protect the Games. In June, Trump sent the National Guard and U.S. Marines to the city amid widespread immigration enforcement actions, despite widespread condemnation from Mayor Karen Bass and other local officials.

    “We’ll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe, including using our National Guard or military, OK?” he said. “I will use the National Guard or the military. This is going to be so safe. If we have to.”

    Trump’s executive order establishes a task force led by him and Vice President JD Vance to steer federal coordination for the Games. The task force will work with federal, state and local partners on security and transportation, according to the White House.

    Those roles have been fairly standard for the federal government in past U.S.-hosted Olympic Games. But Trump’s news conference could present questions about whether a president with a penchant for showmanship might assume an unusually active role in planning the Olympics, set to take place in the twilight of his final term.

    There is ample precedent for military and National Guard forces providing security support during U.S.-hosted Olympic Games. But coming on the heels of the recent military deployment to Los Angeles, Trump’s comments may prove contentious.

    French President Emmanuel Macron was a key figure in preparations for last year’s Paris Games, including expressing his vocal support for the ambitious Olympic opening ceremony plan to parade athletes down the Seine River on boats. Many officials were concerned about potential threats along the 3.7-mile stretch, but authorities responded by increasing security measures that included up to 45,000 police officers and 10,000 soldiers.

    The task force, to be housed within the Department of Homeland Security, will “assist in the planning and implementation of visa processing and credentialing programs for foreign athletes, coaches, officials, and media personnel,” the executive order said. City officials have expressed concern that the president’s border policies could deter international visitors and complicate visa processing for Olympic teams.

    Tensions with L.A.

    More concentrated involvement from Trump could spell further strain with Los Angeles city officials, who sought to make nice in the wake of devastating January fires, but have fiercely bucked Trump’s recent immigration offensive. Trump swiped at Bass during his remarks on Tuesday, calling her “not very competent” and criticizing the pace of city permitting for fire rebuilding.

    “We’ve had a productive working relationship with the federal government since Los Angeles was awarded the Games in 2017 and we will continue preparing with all partners to host the best Games in history – Games that will benefit the entire nation for decades to come,” Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl said.

    Known for her coalition-building skills, Bass is not, by nature, a public brawler. In the aftermath of the Palisades fire, she appeared determined to preserve her fragile relationship with the president — and the billions of dollars of federal aid her city was depending on — responding diplomatically even as he publicly attacked her.

    But that determined cordiality crumbled when masked immigration agents and military personnel descended on the city. With troops stationed in the city and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal authorities arresting undocumented immigrants at courthouses, car washes and Home Depot parking lots, Bass took on Trump forcefully.

    At news conferences and in interviews, she accused the president of waging “an all-out assault on Los Angeles,” inciting chaos and fear and using the city as “a test case for an extremist agenda.”

    Casey Wasserman, chairman of LA28, attended the White House event, thanking Trump for “leaning in” to planning for an Olympics that was awarded to Los Angeles during his first term.

    “You’ve been supportive and helpful every step of the way,” Wasserman said, noting that the Games would amount to hosting seven Super Bowls a day for 30 days. “With the creation of this task force, we’ve unlocked the opportunity to level up our planning and deliver the largest, and yes, greatest Games for our nation, ever.”

    Wasserman will also have a delicate political balancing act, managing a Games in a deep-blue city with a famously mercurial Republican president in office.

    President Trump holds a full set of medals from the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles during Tuesday’s event at which he announced an executive order regarding federal involvement in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

    (Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press)

    A Hollywood scion and sports and entertainment mogul, Wasserman has long been a prominent Democratic donor known for his close relationship with the Clintons.

    But in recent months he has diversified his giving, with hefty donations to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and House Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership fund. Wasserman has publicly praised Trump’s commitment to the Games and traveled to Mar-a-Lago in January to meet with the incoming president.

    Presidents have long played a role in the Games. In 1984, Ronald Reagan formally opened the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming the first American president to do so. Reagan attended several Olympic events, but repeatedly emphasized the federal government’s role was focused on security, according to the White House Historical Assn.

    The Olympic Charter requires the host country’s head of state to officially open the Games, but before Reagan, the duty had been fulfilled by local political leaders or vice presidents representing the president.

    Ever-tightening security

    The federal government has historically provided significant funding when the Games are hosted on U.S. soil, with financial support going toward both security and infrastructure.

    Leading up to the 1996 Games in Atlanta, the federal government spent $227 million on security and transportation, playing “very much a junior partner” to the Olympic Committee, then-Vice President Al Gore said at the time. Still, a bombing at the Centennial Olympic Park during the Games that summer shook the security establishment.

    The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were the first Games to be classified as a “National Special Security Event,” the government’s highest security rating for any event that designates the U.S. Secret Service as the lead agency for implementing security. That standard has remained in place for U.S.-held Olympic Games ever since. The Secret Service will also lead security coordination for the 2028 Games.

    The federal government was particularly involved in the Salt Lake City Games, which were held just months after the 9/11 attacks.

    Los Angeles leaders are actively involved in the security planning, and are currently in negotiations with LA28 for the use of the city’s police, traffic officers, and other employees during the Olympics and Paralympics.

    Security, trash removal, traffic control, paramedics and more will be needed during the 17-day Olympics and the two-week Paralympics the following month.

    Under the 2021 Games agreement between LA28 and the city, LA28 must reimburse Los Angeles for any services that go beyond what the city would provide on a normal day. The two parties must agree by Oct. 1, 2025, on “enhanced services” — additional city services needed for the Games, beyond that normal level — and determine rates, repayment timelines, audit rights and other processes.

    Overtime for Los Angeles police officers, and any other major expenses, would be acutely felt by a city government that recently closed a nearly $1-billion budget deficit, in part by slowing police hiring.

    Wilner reported from Washington, Wick and Nguyen from Los Angeles. Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.

    Michael Wilner, Julia Wick, Thuc Nhi Nguyen

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  • What you missed at the CD-14 debate between Ysabel Jurado and Kevin De León

    What you missed at the CD-14 debate between Ysabel Jurado and Kevin De León

    PUBLISHER’S NOTE:
    Yes on Proposition 3 and Los Angeles Blade will present an urgent Town Hall on October 28 from 7:00 PM at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 7501 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046. For more information or to RSVP, click here.

    As California voters prepare for the Election Day ballot, they have a critical opportunity to address a potentially dangerous inconsistency in the state’s constitution regarding the rights of same-sex couples to marry.

    Think of it as a firewall against a potential 2nd Trump administration and Supreme Court effort to overturn same-sex marriage.

    Proposition 3, the Right to Marry and Repeal Proposition 8 Amendment, seeks to remove outdated language from the Prop 8 era, a ballot initiative that successfully defined marriage as solely between a man and a woman. 

    Although federal court rulings have rendered this language unenforceable, it has lingered in California’s constitution since 2008.

    Proposition 3 would not only eliminate this vestigial language but also establish a constitutional right to marriage regardless of gender or race.

    The history of Prop 8 is a complex and contentious chapter in California’s past. Passed in the 2008 state election, Prop 8 effectively banned same-sex marriage, following a California Supreme Court ruling that had declared a previous ban (Proposition 22 from 2000) unconstitutional. Prop 8 added language to the state constitution stating that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

    The passage of Prop 8 shocked many who viewed California as a bastion of progressive values, highlighting a divide within the state and igniting intense debate and legal battles. Religious organizations, particularly the Roman Catholic Church and the now somewhat repentant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, played significant roles in supporting Prop 8, with the LDS Church notably contributing more than $20 million to the campaign and mobilizing volunteers for door-to-door canvassing.

    The legal journey of Prop 8 has been long and complex. Initially upheld by the California Supreme Court in 2009, it was later challenged in federal court. In August 2010, Chief Judge Vaughn Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled Prop 8 unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment. This decision was upheld by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2012, albeit on narrower grounds.

    The case ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court in “Hollingsworth v. Perry” (2013). However, rather than ruling on the merits of same-sex marriage, the Court decided that the proponents of Prop 8 lacked legal standing to defend the law in federal court. This effectively upheld Walker’s 2010 ruling, paving the way for the resumption of same-sex marriages in California.

    The uncertain landscape of LGBTQ+ rights

    The current Proposition 3 arises from recent concerns about the stability of LGBTQ+ rights at the federal level. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested reconsidering other precedents, including the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. This potential threat prompted California legislators to act proactively to safeguard marriage equality at the state level.

    Moreover, 2024 has seen a surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the nation and in Congress. “Extremist lawmakers in Congress failed in their hateful attempts to add anti-LGBTQ+ provisions to must-pass spending bills. These measures would have restricted medically necessary health care for transgender people, allowed taxpayer-funded discrimination against married same-sex couples, and further stigmatized the LGBTQ+ community,” said a spokesperson from Equality California.

    Strong bipartisan negotiations led to the removal of 51 of 52 anti-LGBTQ+ riders, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Congressional Equality Caucus and the relentless advocacy of LGBTQ+ organizations. Speaker Mike Johnson — considered the most anti-LGBTQ+ speaker in history — attempted to slow the appropriations process with these “poison pill” amendments, leading the country to the brink of a government shutdown multiple times. 

    Despite his failures, Johnson is attempting to claim victory by highlighting a limited provision that prohibits the flying of Pride flags on embassy buildings, which imposes no limits on other displays of the flag. “While we are disappointed in the passage of this provision, it is important to consider it in the context of the overwhelming defeat of other measures. The Speaker’s attempt to use this as a symbol of victory is as laughable as his dysfunctional term as Speaker has been,” the spokesperson added.

    The fragility of rights

    The overturning of Roe v. Wade has sent shockwaves through the legal community, particularly among LGBTQ+ advocates. The decision raised alarms about the vulnerability of other civil rights protections, including marriage equality. Legal experts are now grappling with unprecedented questions about how to secure these rights amid a shifting judicial landscape.

    The fragility of unenumerated rights — those not explicitly written in the Constitution but granted through Supreme Court interpretation — has become increasingly apparent. Marriage equality, like abortion rights, falls into this category and has been upheld through the 14th Amendment’s due process clause. However, Thomas’s opinion in the Dobbs case hints at a willingness to reexamine these precedents.

    A significant concern for marriage equality advocates is the idea that rights relying on due process must be “deeply rooted in this nation’s history and tradition.” Since nationwide marriage equality is only seven years old, it lacks the historical foundation that might protect it from future challenges.

    The patchwork possibility

    If Obergefell were overturned, the U.S. could revert to a patchwork of marriage laws reminiscent of the pre-2015 era. According to the Movement Advancement Project, as many as 32 states could potentially revert to banning same-sex marriages. This scenario would create a stark divide across the country, with some states recognizing LGBTQ+ marriages while others outlaw them.

    Such a reversion would have far-reaching implications for hundreds of thousands of couples who have married since Obergefell. While it’s unlikely that existing marriages would be invalidated, the legal status of these unions could become uncertain. This potential outcome underscores the urgency of enshrining marriage equality in state constitutions and laws.

    The challenge of codification

    While some lawmakers have expressed interest in codifying marriage equality at the federal level, legal experts are divided on whether Congress has that authority. Traditionally, marriage laws have fallen under state jurisdiction, complicating efforts to establish federal protections.

    This uncertainty adds pressure to state-level efforts to protect marriage equality. In states with existing bans, securing marriage rights would require constitutional amendments or ballot measures, necessitating extensive public education campaigns and grassroots organizing.

    The importance of proactive constitutional change

    Despite California’s progressive reputation, the state constitution still contains language that could be used to restrict same-sex marriages if federal protections were overturned. This highlights the importance of Prop 3.

    Currently, 35 states maintain constitutional or statutory bans on same-sex marriage. Although these bans are unenforceable due to the Obergefell decision, they could be reactivated if the Supreme Court were to overturn that ruling. California, despite its forward-thinking values, is among these states due to the lingering effects of Prop 8.

    Without the passage of Prop 3, California could face a situation where existing same-sex marriages remain valid, but new marriages could be denied. This potential legal limbo underscores the urgency of updating the state constitution to explicitly protect marriage equality.

    By passing Prop 3, California would not only eliminate discriminatory language from its constitution but also create a robust state-level protection for same-sex marriages. This proactive approach would ensure that, regardless of future federal court decisions, the right to marry would remain secure for all Californians.

    The path forward

    The journey to this point reflects a remarkable shift in public opinion. In 1996, 68 percent of Americans opposed legalizing same-sex marriage. By 2023, that figure had flipped, with 71 percent supporting marriage equality. This change crosses party lines, with a majority of Republicans now in favor. The trend is particularly strong among younger voters, indicating a generational shift toward greater acceptance and equality.

    The importance of Prop 3 extends beyond its practical effects. While same-sex marriages are of course recognized in California, enshrining this right in the state constitution provides an additional layer of protection against potential future challenges. Moreover, it represents a formal acknowledgment of past mistakes and a clear statement of California’s values of equality and inclusion.

    Critics of Prop 3 have raised concerns about its potential to open doors for challenges to laws against polygamy or underage marriages. However, these arguments are misleading. Constitutional rights are not absolute and can be limited by compelling state interests, as seen with other fundamental rights like freedom of speech.

    This situation highlights the ongoing nature of the struggle for equal rights and the importance of vigilance in protecting hard-won freedoms. Prop 3 represents an opportunity for California to lead by example, demonstrating how states can take concrete steps to safeguard the rights of their LGBTQ+ citizens in an uncertain legal landscape.

    As the November election approaches, California voters can align the state’s constitution with the prevailing values of equality and inclusivity. By voting yes on Prop 3, Californians can eliminate the last remnants of discrimination from their constitution and send a clear message that bigotry has no place in California’s fundamental laws.

    In a time when LGBTQ+ rights face renewed challenges across the nation, California has the chance to reaffirm its status as a progressive leader and to correct a long-standing injustice in its constitution. 

    Prop 3 is not just about changing words in a document; it’s about enshrining the principle that love and commitment deserve equal recognition under the law, regardless of who you are or whom you love.

    Gisselle Palomera

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  • Olympic wrestling gold medalist Amit Elor to be honored in Walnut Creek parade

    Olympic wrestling gold medalist Amit Elor to be honored in Walnut Creek parade

    Olympic women’s wrestling gold medalist Amit Elor is set to be honored in a parade in Walnut Creek on Saturday for her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

    The parade was made possible after an online community push urging the city to recognize her accomplishments. The city initially rejected the idea but changed its tune after massive pushback.

    “That didn’t sit well with me,” said Adam Low, who initially reached out to the city. “[I] posted in some groups [and it] gained a little movement.”

    The 20-year-old Walnut Creek native became the youngest American wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal.

    Elor took down Kyrgyzstan’s Meerim Zhumanazarova 3-0 in the women’s freestyle 68kg final at the Paris Olympics.

    Elor’s dominance was very real to her opponents. She had a 31-2 advantage over four matches and was not scored upon in her final three contests.

    She became the third American woman to win gold, following Helen Maroulis in 2016 and Tamyra Mensah-Stock in 2021. Women started wrestling at the Olympics in 2004.

    After the win, she draped the U.S. flag over her back and skipped around the mat.

    “It was one of the best moments in my life,” she said at the time. “I think I’m going to remember it for my entire life. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. And when I experience something like that, it just reminds me that everything is worth it. All the hard days, the grind, it’s all worth it for moments like these.”

    Amit will now be in the city limelight as an official celebration occurs at Civic Park.

    Elor will hold a question-and-answer session and take photos with residents.

    Mayor Pro Tempore Cindy Darling said the celebration will amplify the message Elor made in Paris.

    ‘Amit has a strong message about women in what are often considered non-traditional sports for women,’ Darling said in a statement. “She has been wrestling since the age of 4 and now, at only 20, has brought home the gold. In Walnut Creek, we want everyone to have that same drive.’

    Elor’s brother Orry said he is excited about Saturday’s celebration because it will give his sister the much-deserved recognition she’s earned.

    Orry said he and Elor would play at Civic Park as kids, making the event more memorable.

    “I was”more proud of not just the accomplishment but more for Amit,” Orry said.

    Pete Suratos

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  • Jordan Chiles says Olympic gymnastics controversy took away ‘the recognition of who I was’

    Jordan Chiles says Olympic gymnastics controversy took away ‘the recognition of who I was’

    For 14 seconds, Jordan Chiles paused and looked down to collect her thoughts and emotions.

    The question — about what Chiles felt she lost when the International Olympic Committee stripped her of her bronze medal in the Olympic women’s gymnastics floor exercise — forced her to stop mid-answer. The audience at the Forbes Power Women’s Summit in New York applauded her as she regrouped and held the microphone back up to her mouth.

    Holding back tears, Chiles said she lost more than a bronze medal through the controversy that dominated the end of last month’s Paris Games. The controversy “wasn’t about the medal,” she said, but other realities that made her feel “stripped.”

    “The biggest thing that was taken from me was the recognition of who I was, not just my sport, but the person I am,” Chiles said.

    “It’s about my skin color,” Chiles added. “It’s about the fact there were things that have led up to this position of being an athlete.”

    The on-stage interview Wednesday — which occurred before Chiles appeared at MTV’s Video Music Awards at night — marked the gymnast’s most extensive comments since the IOC said it would reallocate Chiles’ bronze to Romania’s Ana Bărbosu following an appeal by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation.

    At the floor final on Aug. 5, Chiles originally finished fifth but rose to third after her coach, Cecile Landi, submitted a successful inquiry to raise her score by one-tenth of a point. Five days later, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Landi’s inquiry should be invalidated because it came four seconds after the one-minute window for such an appeal. After the ruling, the International Gymnastics Federation dropped Chiles to fifth, and the IOC reallocated the medal. USA Gymnastics has said it is appealing the CAS decision to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

    Chiles said she felt “left in the dark” and unsupported during the controversy. She felt her voice wasn’t heard during the appeal process and compared her emotions to 2018, when she said an emotionally and verbally abusive coach caused her to lose her love for gymnastics.

    “No one was listening to the fact that there are things that we have in place,” Chiles said. “There are things that we have that should’ve been seen but weren’t taken for realization.”

    USA Gymnastics has argued that it has video evidence showing Landi made the appeal 47 seconds after Chiles’ score was posted, 13 seconds before the inquiry window closed, and that it did not have enough time to properly make its case to CAS.

    Chiles previously referred to the decision as “unjust.”

    “(It) comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey,” Chiles said in a post on X on Aug. 15. “To add to the heartbreak, the unprompted racially driven attacks on social media are wrong and extremely hurtful.”

    Almost a month later, Chiles maintains that she and her coach followed the rules and did “everything that was totally and completely right” in the floor exercise competition.

    “I made history and I will always continue to make history,” said Chiles, who won gold in the Olympic women’s team competition.

    Chiles, who will return to UCLA for the upcoming college gymnastics season, received a bronze clock at the VMAs as a gift from Flavor Flav, who promised to make her one after her medal was stripped.


    Chiles receives a bronze clock from Flavor Flav on Wednesday. (Noam Galai / Getty Images for MTV)

    Required reading

    (Photo: Steven Ferdman / Getty Images)

    The New York Times

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  • How Morteza Mehrzad, the world’s second tallest man, spiked Iran to Paralympic gold

    How Morteza Mehrzad, the world’s second tallest man, spiked Iran to Paralympic gold

    “SUPER SPIKE!” the PA announcer bellows inside the electric party atmosphere of the North Arena on the outskirts of Paris.

    Arms outstretched wide, Morteza Mehrzad, sitting on the floor in his red top and black trousers, lets out a roar to celebrate yet another punishing blow which immediately ends the rally.

    It is just one of the 27 points, the most accumulated by any one player, that helped Iran win a record-extending eighth Sitting Volleyball Paralympic title after beating Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final by three sets to one (22-25, 30-28, 25-16, 25-14). When Mehrzad briefly stood to shake hands with his opponent at the end of the game, the net came up to his midriff. His team-mates came up level with his sternum.


    Mehrzad slams home another winner (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

    Standing at 8ft 1in (2m 46cm) — larger than most doors, longer than most beds — the 36-year-old is the second tallest man in the world.

    Born with gigantism, his impairment has posed some problems. Mehrzad had been sleeping on the floor in the Paralympic village. The Iran team requested an extended bed before the Games but the two extensions provided to a standard athlete’s bed were insufficient. A third extension was made and his coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani and Paris 2024 organisers confirmed this week that the issue had been resolved and Mehrzad was sleeping comfortably in the village.

    Indeed it was Rezaeigarkani — who has won eight gold medals from his 10 Paralympic games, first as a coach and then as a player — who spotted Mehrzad on an Iranian television programme featuring people with physical abnormalities. The coach contacted Merhzad — who uses a wheelchair having injured his pelvis in a bike accident at the age of 16, stopping the growth of his right leg — and got him into the sport.

    Mehrzad rarely went out in public, Rezaeigarkani has said in previous interviews, because his height and facial features — the latter caused by acromegaly, a hormonal disorder — attracted strange looks.

    “I was a depressed guy and my life changed completely with volleyball,” Mehrzad told Esportivo. Rezaeigarkani believes the sport gave him hope.


    Mehrzad was a key player in Iran’s gold medal pursuit (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

    Having stood out in public and received unwanted attention, Mehrzad is now head and shoulders above the rest courtesy of his sporting prowess.

    Evidently, there are significant advantages to having such a tall player on your team. When sitting, Mehrzad has a maximum reach of 6ft 4in (1.96m). His hand stretches 81cm above the height of the net, allowing him to generate immense power as he kills off points with winning shots. As an outside hitter, that is his job.

    Mehrzad has to make sure his body is in the right position, however, and such a large frame requires agile movement. Sweat dripping down his face, he pushes his lower body on the floor, legs extended, up and down the court swiftly, reading the quick interchange of play.


    Mehrzad’s reach stretches 81cm above the height of the net (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

    In fact, as well as his menacing spikes, what stood out most on Friday night is that Mehrzad, at the changing of ends or time-outs, always moved by shuffling and rarely got to his feet. “Morteza is the best spiker and one of the most important players in the world,” said his best friend and the final’s fastest server (73km/h), Meisam Ali Pour, speaking via a translator after the game. “He knows what to do, but he can’t do it by himself.”

    Silver medallist Stevan Crnobrnja of Bosnia viewed Mehrzad as just another one of Iran’s great players. They accepted they could not do much about his height advantage, but focused on neutralising others who were crucial in setting him up. If one of his team-mates does not set or pass the ball, Mehrzad is helpless.

    Ali Pour, who, going into the final, had contributed more points (39) than Mehrzad (28), emphasised the need for teamwork. “If all the best players in the world play together, they will not be able to beat Iran,” he said.


    Mehrzad towers above his team-mates (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

    Expressive and animated on the court, off the court, Mehrzad, who was not available for interview, is shy, reserved and does not like attention.

    His team-mates and coach see him as just one member of a very united group. “My team has 12 stars, Morteza is one of them,” said coach Rezaeigarkani. “We did not have Morteza before and we will not (always) have him in the future.”

    When asked what the secret to Iran’s success is, Rezaeigarkan replied: “Work, work, work.”

    (Top photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images) 

    The New York Times

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  • Unbelievable facts

    Unbelievable facts

    Jim Thorpe’s shoes were stolen just before he competed in the Olympic decathlon. Wearing mismatched…

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  • Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei dies after allegedly being set on fire by boyfriend

    Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei dies after allegedly being set on fire by boyfriend

    Johannesburg — Ugandan athletics officials said Thursday that the country’s Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei had died in a hospital in neighboring Kenya where she was being treated for burns to 80% of her body after her boyfriend allegedly doused her with gasoline and set her alight. Cheptegei, 33, died Thursday morning of organ failure four days after police said she was attacked by her partner during a dispute over land.

    Cheptegi placed 44th in the marathon at the recent Paris Olympics and was well known in the marathon running world. Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said Monday that Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, had bought a jerrican of gasoline and set her alight after the disagreement on Sunday.

    “The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her,” local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom told Kenyan media.

    Kenya Athlete Burned
    Rebecca Cheptegei competes at the Discovery 10km road race in Kapchorwa, Uganda, Jan. 20, 2023. 

    AP


    Both Cheptegei and Ndiema suffered burns and were brought to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, western Kenya, after neighbors reported hearing shouting and seeing fire.

    “May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women,” President of the Ugandan Olympic Committee Donald Rukare said in a social media post Thursday. “This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure.”  

    The Ugandan Olympic Committee called in a Thursday statement for “law enforcement agencies to take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrator to justice for this cowardly and deplorable action.”

    Two elite Kenyan runners, Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua, were both killed in the same area as Cheptegi within six months of one another by their partners.

    Tirop’s death in October 2021 sparked protests, which were amplified when hundreds of athletes took to the streets of the town of Iten calling for stricter laws and gender-based outreach centers.

    Tirop’s husband is on trial for the 25-year-old runner’s murder.

    Kenya’s Bureau of National Statistics published a report at the beginning of 2023 that found 34% of women in the country had experienced physical violence after reaching the age of 15, with women who were or had been married almost twice as likely to report violence.

    Sarah Carter


    3a8fd9c1-ab43-4f18-a479-a95e50384ab3.jpg

    Sarah Carter is an award-winning CBS News producer based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has been with CBS News since 1997, following freelance work for organizations including The New York Times, National Geographic, PBS Frontline and NPR.

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  • How Blind Soccer Is Played at the 2024 Paris Paralympics

    How Blind Soccer Is Played at the 2024 Paris Paralympics

    This story originally appeared on WIRED Italia and has been translated from Italian.

    The 2024 Paris Paralympics have shown the general public how vast, extraordinary, and too often ignored the world of sports for people with disabilities is. Among the events that has garnered the most interest is blind soccer, or more precisely, B1 5-a-side soccer, which demonstrates how visually impaired athletes are able to use extraordinary spatial awareness, as well as speed, precision, and technique.

    Like all disciplines practiced by people who are blind or visually impaired, it is regulated by the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), founded in Paris in 1981. Here’s how it works.

    B1 5-a-Side Soccer Playing Field

    There is a distinction here between B2/3 5-a-side soccer, which includes visually impaired people, and B1 soccer, in which most of the players are completely blind: The Paralympics includes only the latter. B1 soccer is played on a rectangular field, the same standard as 5-a-side football/futsal (40 meters long by 20 meters wide). Along the length of the field are 1- to 1.3-meter-high boards that prevent the ball from leaving the playing area.

    Players

    Each team consists of four movement players (all of whom are blind and must wear a mask) and a goalkeeper (sighted or visually impaired), who must remain in his own 2-meter-deep area, but can guide his teammates by giving directions when defending. When playing in attack, however, the movement players receive directions from an offensive guide who is himself sighted and is located behind the opponent’s goal. When the ball is in midfield, the coach can give directions to his team. Unlike traditional soccer, there’s no offside penalty, which keeps the game moving briskly.

    The Ball and Silence

    It is essential that, except for the goalkeeper, offensive guide, or coach giving directions, no one speaks during the game. That’s partly because the ball itself is constructed with rattles sewn between the inner tube and the outer shell, which allow blind players to envision its location through sound suggestions. Spectators are asked to remain in strict silence so as not to disturb the players, who must rely on their hearing, such as when one of the players signals to the others that he is making an action toward an opponent. The audience can cheer only after goals.

    Match Length

    Each B1 5-a-side soccer match is divided into two halves of 20 minutes each, with an intermediate break of up to 10 minutes.

    The History of the Sport

    It seems that the first 5-a-side blind soccer competitions took place in South America, with Brazil being the pioneer: In fact, the first championship of this discipline was held in the country in 1980, and Brazil has always won the gold medal since the sport became a Paralympic discipline. The game spread to Europe a few years later, with the first European championship recorded in Spain in 1986. Since 2004—that is, since the Athens Olympic Games—B1 5-a-side soccer has been officially included among the disciplines of the Paralympics. In the 2024 edition in Paris, the men’s tournament is being held in a temporary field built under the Eiffel Tower.

    Paolo Armelli

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  • Uganda Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei set on fire by her boyfriend, Kenya police say

    Uganda Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei set on fire by her boyfriend, Kenya police say

    A Ugandan athlete living in Kenya was attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend and is receiving treatment for burns on 75% of her body, police said.

    Rebecca Cheptegei, a distance runner who finished at the 44th position in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was attacked in her house in the western Trans Nzoia County. She was in critical condition as of Tuesday, the BBC reported.

    Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said Monday that Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, bought a jerrican of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze during an argument Sunday.

    “Her condition looks serious with facial burns and bandages,” a MTRH staff member told AFP, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.

    Kenya Athlete Burned
    Rebecca Cheptegei, competes at the Discovery 10km road race in Kapchorwa, Uganda Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. 

    / AP


    The police report did not mention if Cheptegei’s children were hurt in the attack.

    Ndiema also sustained burn wounds, and the two are receiving specialized treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city.

    Cheptegei’s parents said their daughter bought land in Trans Nzoia to be near the county’s many athletic training centers.

    A report filed by the local chief states that the couple was heard fighting over the land where the house was built before the fire started.

    The Ugandan Athletics Federation expressed its regret over the incident, saying Cheptegei had “suffered severe injuries.”

    “This follows an incident involving her Kenyan boyfriend pouring petrol and setting fire on her,” it said in a statement on social media.

    Disturbing trend of gender-based violence

    The attack marked the latest horrific incident of gender-based violence in the East African country.

    A report by the Kenyan Bureau of National Statistics published in January 2023 found that 34 percent of women in Kenya have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.

    It said women who had “been married are much more likely to have experienced violence”, noting that 41 percent of such women reported incidents compared to 20 percent of unmarried women.

    The assault on Cheptegei comes two years after Kenyan-born athlete Damaris Mutua was found dead in Iten, a world-famous running hub in the Rift Valley in the west of the country.

    Her death followed the murder of record-breaking runner Agnes Tirop, 25, who was found stabbed to death at her home in Iten in 2021.

    Tirop’s estranged husband Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich went on trial over her murder in 2023. He has denied the charges. His trial is ongoing.

    AFP contributed to this report.

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  • Hunter Woodhall gears up for Paralympics after watching wife Tara Davis-Woodhall earn gold at the Paris Games

    Hunter Woodhall gears up for Paralympics after watching wife Tara Davis-Woodhall earn gold at the Paris Games

    Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis-Woodhall have won medals, yes. But they’ve also won the hearts of millions of Americans. 

    The track and field stars, already a budding internet sensation, set off a new wave of admiration after a video of the couple celebrating Davis-Woodhall’s gold win in women’s long jump went viral during the Paris Games.

    The moment captured Davis-Woodhall making another jump after her after winning 23-foot leap, this time into the arms of her husband, Paralympic champion Hunter Woodhall. Videos of the warm embrace have garnered millions of views across social media.

    APTOPIX Paris Olympics Athletics
    Tara Davis-Woodhall, left, of the United States, celebrates with her husband Hunter Woodhall after winning the women’s long jump final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France.

    Bernat Armangue / AP


    “Baby, you’re the Olympic champion!” Woodhall was caught saying on camera.

    “I haven’t been on social media that much, so I don’t know how viral it’s gone!” Davis-Woodhall told People during a recent interview. “Everyone’s been telling me the whole world’s been seeing it, [but] that’s just Hunter and I.”

    Woodhall, a double-amputee sprinter originally from Syracuse, Utah, will have his own chance to vie for gold during the Paralympics, which kicked off in Paris on Aug. 28 and run through Sept. 8. According to a spokesperson, Woodhall will compete in the men’s 100m on Sept. 1 and again on Sept. 2 if he qualifies. He’s also representing Team USA in the men’s 400m and 4x100m Universal Relay on Sept. 6.

    Woodhall departed Paris on Aug. 11 to finish his preparations, and arrived back in City of Light on Aug. 26, according the spokesperson. His wife, who was in Rome for the Rome Diamond League, was set to rejoin Woodhall on Saturday, the spokesperson said.

    After being born with a condition called fibular hemimelia, Woodhall had an amputation to remove his lower legs. Doctors told his parents that he would never be able to walk, a prognosis he was determined to prove wrong.

    “They said I’d never walk, so I learned to run instead,” Woodhall’s Instagram bio says.

    The Paralympic athlete started his track and field career in the fifth grade and became the first double amputee athlete to earn a D-1 scholarship, competing for the University of Arkansas. 

    Rio 2016 Paralympics
    Germany’s Johannes Floores (R) and USA’s Hunter Woodhall (L) react after the final men’s 4x100m relay T42-47 during the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

    Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images


    Davis-Woodhall has been enmeshed in the track and field world since age 4, thanks to her family. The youngest of five, she attended her older siblings’ track meets regularly as a child and got interested in long jump after seeing her sister take part in the event, according to NBC. Davis-Woodhall’s dad, Ty Davis, was her coach all the way through high school, where she set records for long jump and 100m hurdles at both the state and national level. Davis-Woodhall now has a track invitational at her high school named after her, according to the spokesperson.

    The California native attended the University of Georgia before transferring to the University of Texas where she competed in long jump and hurdles. She brings a cowboy hat to her meets to honor her Texas ties.

    Davis-Woodhall made her Olympic debut in 2021 at the Tokyo Games after recovering from a string of injuries including two broken vertebrae, a broken ankle and a broken hip.

    “I sat in COVID, I figured out who I was and just tuned in to my body and what I needed to do for the upcoming season,” she told CBS News in 2021. “And luckily, my season played out really well.” 

    Athletics - Olympics: Day 11
    Tara Davis of Team United States competes in the Women’s Long Jump Final on day eleven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 03, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

    Matthias Hangst / Getty Images


    Outside of long jump, she’s competed in 60m and 100m hurdles, triple jump, and women’s 200m for USA Track & Field.

    The couple’s romance began in 2017, after they met at a high school track meet in Pocatello, Idaho. They recount their first encounter in a YouTube video.

    According to their telling, Woodhall traveled from Utah, and Woodhall-Davis from California for an event called the Simplot Games. It was there where the two, both 18-years-old at the time, serendipitously caught each others’ eyes on the track turf. Woodhall was watching his Davis-Woodhall run the hurdle race when he texted his friend Tucker saying, “This is the girl I’m going to marry.” The next day, after the Woodhall ran and won the 400m race, Woodhall-Davis greeted him afterwards. “I just needed a hug,” Woodhall recalled her saying. “That’s really how we met,” he said.

    The two tied the knot in Texas in 2022 and now reside in Arkansas. They run a popular YouTube channel called “Tara and Hunter” that documents their athletic ventures and day-to-day life as a married couple. It currently has 863,000 subscribers.

    “Being in each other’s sport I think that’s a different way of sharing our love,” said Davis-Woodhall in an interview shared by CBS Mornings. “Not only do we love each other as humans, we love each other as athletes.”

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  • Sophie Morgan On Hosting the Paralympics: “I’m an Advocate First” – POPSUGAR Australia

    Sophie Morgan On Hosting the Paralympics: “I’m an Advocate First” – POPSUGAR Australia

    The Paris 2024 Paralympics are underway, and history is already being made. For one, the Games are providing more coverage than ever, with a record number of broadcasters covering all 22 sporting events live for the first time, per NBC. But additionally, NBCU’s Paralympics coverage is being led by hosts with disabilities for the first time ever. And while this may be a step that should have been taken years ago, it’s a move worth celebrating for all it means for disability representation.

    Sophie Morgan is one of the new faces of NBC’s coverage, but a familiar one to many UK households. Morgan first appeared on screen in 2004 as part of a BBC reality TV series, and has been a TV host and commentator since 2012, when she had a small presenter role for Channel 4’s 2012 Summer Paraympics in London. Her segue into sports broadcasting came into full force at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, and she has been a mainstay on British sports screens since then.

    Morgan’s career as a TV host and sports commentator has been long and accomplished – but prior to booking her first job, she never thought the profession was an option for her, a young wheelchair user, simply because she’d never seen an example of someone else doing it.

    “When I was first injured at 18, I didn’t know any other young disabled women. I hadn’t been exposed to many wheelchair users, so I was really in the dark about what was possible for me, which was harmful,” Morgan tells PS. “I now know how important it is to have representation of disabled people because I’ve lived in a world where for so long I felt like I was so out of place.” When she was starting out in TV, she hoped to be that example of representation she was missing.

    Now Morgan is stepping onto her biggest stage yet, covering the Paralympics for NBCU as part of the historic team with Lacey Henderson and Chris Waddell. Together they bring with them a wealth of lived experience of disability that many hosts who aren’t disabled simply do not have. Morgan believes this will add unique value to their commentating – and many para-athletes, viewers, and fans of parasports agree.

    Related: Paralympians Earn the Same Pay For Medals as Olympians, but Is It Enough?

    Why Representation in Sports Broadcasting Matters

    While people with disabilities aren’t a monolith and have different perspectives and experiences, in general people who understand what it’s like to have a disability are familiar with the common pitfalls those without disabilities run into when reporting on parasports. For instance, nondisabled people often have, “a fear they’re going to say something offensive or wrong,” Morgan says. “That’s a human instinct. No one wants to upset anyone intentionally and when it comes to disability, because there’s not much exposure to it, often someone might be trying to say something nice, but it will come across as offensive, patronizing, pitying, or really, let’s call it ableist.”

    Avid parasports watcher Kathryn (who asked to be identified by first name only) tells PS: “It doesn’t always, but having disabled people commentating can limit how much of the superhuman, inspiration porn narrative [is] shared,” referring to an ableist trope in which people with disabilities are objectified to motivate or inspire people without disabilities.

    This year some of the world’s most talented Paralympic champions, including sprinter Amber Sabatini and wheelchair tennis champion Gustavo Fernandez, have co-signed a social media campaign that challenges another ableist habit that’s affected how people talk about the Paralympic Games: the tendency to refer to the athletes as “participants” and not “competitors.” Morgan refers to this disparity as “offensive” for “implicitly assuming within . . . tone that [para-athletes are] any less than their counterparts.”

    “A Paralympian will most often train the same number of hours as an Olympian – and they most certainly put in the same level of effort, dedication (and pain),” notes Eleanor Robinson, a retired Paralympic swimmer for Team Great Britain. “To suggest that they are putting their bodies through blood sweat and tears for the joy of ‘participation’ and inclusion greatly diminishes their feats of sporting prowess. A Paralympian competes for the same reasons as an Olympian – to win and taste success.”

    Not only are hosts with disabilities less likely to repeat these harmful ideas; they’re also well-positioned to call them out when they hear them from others. As Morgan says, “I’m an advocate first and foremost, so I love to lean into conversations around language and attitudes and societal models and perceptions – the bigger themes.” And she’s not afraid to have those conversations on screen.

    Another reason representation is so important is that, as Robinson tells PS: “The presence of disabled people on screen aids our collective familiarization of impairments and all body types. The more familiar we are with the uniqueness and variation of the human anatomy – and disconnect ourselves from ideas about the ‘typical body’ – the less anatomy and aesthetics matter.”

    Looking Beyond Representation

    Morgan’s desire for better representation of disability in media encouraged her to keep pursuing TV roles, even as she faced numerous barriers, such as being boxed into covering only topics that explicitly related to being disabled.

    But Morgan knows representation alone isn’t enough. So in 2023 she partnered with Disability Rights advocate Keely Cat-Wells to found Making Space Media, a division of the talent acquisition and learning platform Making Space. The platform aims to serve as an antidote to the obvious lack of screen time people with disabilities receive in mainstream media by creating secure and sustainable employment opportunities for disabled talent.

    Morgan is also leading a talent training program developed as part of a partnership between Making Space and NBC. “We trained up the talent with the hope that they would be cast in the Games and a number of them have been,” she says. But the plan is for Paris to just be the beginning. NBC and Making Space are collaborating to produce more disabled hosts, analysts, and play-by-play sportscasters across sports media as a whole.

    Many hope that the Paris Paralympics will prove that attitudes are changing for good. Matt Scott, a retired Paralympian and now a NBC reporter in Paris, sees the improving coverage of parasports as evidence that although society “has had a misinformed and misguided belief that disability equals inability, [it now] has had no choice but to reconsider the preconceived notions and accept more inclusivity in every industry, including mainstream media.”

    Morgan also hopes that this year’s commitment to increased coverage is a trend that continues. “They have put these Games on the sidelines and then get surprised that there aren’t many people watching it,” Morgan says, drawing comparisons to the experience of women’s professional sports in the past. “This frustrates me about television. People fall back on that notion – but why would they watch if it’s buried on a channel that doesn’t get the same marketing budget and promotion? It’s not about the sport, it’s about the way it’s positioned.”

    And although Paris is still in full swing, Morgan already has her eye on the LA Games in 2028, and is excited about what it can do for the disability conversation in the US. “LA is one of the most influential cities globally, and Hollywood is the storyteller of the world,” she says. “The way we can change perceptions around disability is through storytelling. So we have got the perfect ingredients, we just need the recipe for change.”

    Related: What Happens If You’re Not “Disabled Enough” For the Paralympics?

    Hannah Turner is a disabled writer and journalist living with complex chronic illnesses. Her writing focuses on disability, anti-wellness culture, and pop culture. Her words have appeared in many places, including PS, Refinery29, Mashable, and Dazed.

    Hannah turner

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  • John McFall, the Astronaut Flag Bearer at the Paris Paralympics, Is Ready to Fly

    John McFall, the Astronaut Flag Bearer at the Paris Paralympics, Is Ready to Fly

    At first we studied how my disabilities and prosthesis might affect my ability to meet the requirements in-flight. At a later stage we went into detail, to the point of figuring out, for example, whether I should compulsorily use my prosthesis in space, since legs are hardly used there.

    In summary, I can say that although I would need the prosthesis at some stages, disabilities like mine fully meet the needs of space travel. I am very happy to say that we have not identified any hiccups capable of precluding a person with disabilities like mine from a long-duration space mission. This has an incredible positive outcome.

    Why is it important that people with disabilities can also operate in space? And what specific disabilities are we talking about?

    I’ll start with the second question. Fly! looked at a specific group of disabilities, those in the lower limbs. From the results I think we can extrapolate different variables in that group that are compatible with long-duration space missions. We need to progress step by step, starting with the basics, and I am sure that starting to study lower limb disabilities was a good choice. I hope we can soon focus on other disabilities, which allows me to answer the first part of the question: Why is it important?

    The ESA recognizes that talented people can boast different histories and backgrounds—meaning gender, sex, ethnicity, physical abilities. Everywhere in the world there are those who could make valuable contributions to human space exploration. Of course, this involves becoming astronauts.

    And the experience and knowledge of people with physical disabilities can bring new and valuable ideas, different ways of thinking, motivation, inspiration. For this to happen, everyone needs to have fair representation among the staff, with appropriate professional positions and roles. This is a goal, and the ESA is working to achieve it.

    In September, the Polaris Dawn mission is expected to take off from Cape Canaveral, and will feature the first spacewalk by nonprofessional astronauts. What do you think?

    They are inspiring and no less important in the landscape of human exploration of the cosmos, because every time these missions become a reality, they help enrich the knowledge we have as a community. Polaris Dawn is doing new science; it’s testing new technologies. That’s why I have great respect for private astronauts and their missions—they make a major contribution to the advancement of our space activities.

    McFall and other ESA astronauts in a weightlessness simulation.

    ESA/A. Conigli

    When are you going into space?

    I would love to travel beyond the atmosphere. I hope to have the opportunity, but what I hope most is that sooner or later someone with physical disabilities will be able to do it, fully integrated into the activities on the International Space Station.

    About the timing, I hope that at the end of this decade it can happen. As for me, if I ever have the opportunity to fly in space, it will not be before 2027. But nothing is confirmed, and I am keeping my fingers crossed at the moment.

    Emilio Cozzi

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  • ‘Disgrace’ that Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson had to ‘crawl off’ train – ParalympicsGB chief

    ‘Disgrace’ that Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson had to ‘crawl off’ train – ParalympicsGB chief

    ParalympicsGB chef de mission Penny Briscoe said it is an “absolute disgrace” that 11-time Paralympic gold medallist Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson was forced to “crawl off” a train.

    The former wheelchair racer arrived at London’s King’s Cross on Monday evening on a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train but there was no one there to assist her. Baroness Grey-Thompson had booked assistance to help her off the 19.15 train from Leeds but missed it and took the 19.45 train instead.

    She says she “had a contract” and should have been assisted off the train but after 20 minutes, no one came.

    “So I decided that I would crawl off the train,” the 55-year-old told the BBC.

    She continued: “Trains were meant to be step free by January 1 2020. It’s exhausting. I was really angry last night. I can just about do it (get off a train) but there are lots of other disabled people who can’t and would have been stuck until who knows when. In this day and age it’s not right.”

    Briscoe, speaking from ParalympicsGB house in Paris, said: “It’s the lived experience of disabled people on a daily basis. It just doesn’t get reported.

    “You should, as a disabled person, be able to get on and off a train and go about your daily living but the reality is far more difficult than that. We’re trying, as ParalympicsGB, to inspire a better world for disabled people. We want change and our athletes want change. There’s still so much to do, and we can’t let our foot off the pedal in terms of demanding that change and creating a more equitable society.”

    An LNER spokesperson told the BBC it was investigating the incident and was “sorry to understand there was an issue”.


    ParalympicsGB chef de mission Briscoe (Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)

    It is the first time Paris have hosted a Paralympics and Briscoe has said the City is “on an accessibility journey”.

    “We know their bus services are a hundred per cent accessible,” she added. “The fleet of buses they’ve brought in for the athletes have six accessible wheelchair spaces on every bus. We know Paris have become more accessible because of the Games. Their metro system is a work in progress.

    “The number of accessible bathrooms in hotels in Paris is still an issue, especially the older hotels. It’s one or two per hotel and that isn’t enough if you’re welcoming disabled athletes or spectators into the environment. It’s an accessibility challenge that is global. We had it in Tokyo.

    “Paris’ objective in terms of legacy is to use the Games to create a more accessible society for Parisians and we have to support them on that journey, it doesn’t happen overnight.”

    Baroness Grey-Thompson won a total of 16 Paralympic medals across the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 4x100m relay between 1988 and 2004. She is ParalympicsGB’s fourth most decorated athlete of all time.

    go-deeper

    GO DEEPER

    Paris Paralympics 2024: A complete guide to what’s on and the stars to watch out for

    (Boris Streubel/Getty Images for Laureus)

    The New York Times

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  • 7 Things to Know About the 2024 Paris Paralympics

    7 Things to Know About the 2024 Paris Paralympics

    The Paralympics also measures, with numerical values, the diversity of intensity of effort that each athlete can perform. Athletes from different classes can compete against each other so long as they have equal potential to execute any particular sport. For example, in team games the sum of the different scores of the members of a team must not exceed a certain quota in order to ensure equal competitions. You can read more about the scores here.

    A goalball match at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

    Koki Nagahama/Getty Images

    Boccia and Other Events With No Olympic Equivalents

    There are two sports at the Paralympics that have no specific correspondent during the Olympic Games. They are goalball and boccia.

    The former is a team sport designed for visually impaired and blind athletes. It was designed in 1946 for World War II veterans who had lost their sight during the conflict. Men’s goalball made its debut at the 1976 Toronto Paralympic Games, while its women’s version appeared during the 1984 New York Paralympic Games. It is played in two 12-minute halves, with two teams of three players each.

    The court is the same size as that of volleyball: 59 feet long and 30 feet wide. At either end of the court are two goals that cover the full width of the playing field. The attacking team attempts to score by quickly rolling a ball containing inner bells toward the opposing goal defended by the opponents. For the shot to be valid, however, the ball must bounce at least once in the pitcher’s landing area; defenders lie down to cover the goal. As in blind soccer, spectators must remain silent during the game so that the players and players can hear the ball.

    Boccia is played by wheelchair athletes with disabilities that affect motor function. Long practiced in amateur competitions, boccia made its debut at the 1984 Paralympic Games. It is one of the few disciplines to include both men and women in the same competitions

    The Differences Between Paralympic and Olympic Medals

    There has been much talk about the medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which featured a piece of the Eiffel Tower. The fragment of Paris’ iconic monument is also contained in the medals of the Paralympic Games, which will have one difference: On the back will be an Olympic Games stamp in Braille in honor of the French inventor of the writing system for the blind, Louis Braille.

    The Symbols of the Paralympics

    During the Paris Olympics fans became acquainted with the Phryges, the mascots inspired by the Parisian caps worn during the French Revolution. For the first time in history, the 2024 Paralympics will feature a mascot displaying a racing blade.

    The other novelty in the symbolism of the Paralympics lies in the fact that this edition is the first in which the event’s logo coincides with that of the Olympic Games, a sign of greater inclusion between the two tournaments. The emblem features a gold medal, a flame, and the Marianne, a symbol of the revolution and France as a nation. In the Olympic one, the Marianne dominates the five circles, while the Paralympics logo does not consist of the five circles but of the three “agitos” red, blue, and green (mind, body and spirit).

    The Paris Paralympics, by the Numbers

    Along with London, Paris is the only city to have hosted three editions of the Summer Olympics, but the French capital had never hosted the Summer Paralympics. In fact, France had hosted the Paralympic Winter Games in Albertville in 1992.

    Some 4,400 Paralympic athletes from around the world will compete in 549 medal events in the 22 sports featured. Wednesday, the first day of the event, will feature 11 competitions.

    The Venues of the 2024 Paralympics

    As was the case in the Olympic Games, all of Paris’ iconic venues will be featured in the Paralympics, from the Palace of Versailles for Paralympic equestrian events and the Grand Palais for wheelchair fencing and Paralympic taekwondo competitions to Les Invalides for Paralympic archery. Also the Eiffel Tower, where soccer matches for the blind will be held. Roland-Garros will be the home of wheelchair tennis competitions as well as sitting volleyball.

    Daniele Polidoro

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  • 4 DEI Lessons from the Paris Olympics That Can Help Entrepreneurs Succeed | Entrepreneur

    4 DEI Lessons from the Paris Olympics That Can Help Entrepreneurs Succeed | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    For the very first time, the world witnessed the first all-black podium in women’s gymnastics Olympic history. Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade joined Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles from Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they were captured in an iconic photo showing the power of women of color in sports. This Olympics hit a groundbreaking milestone, with 50% of competing athletes being women and more than half of all medal events open to female athletes.

    This year, many moments of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) were demonstrated. So, what DEI lessons can we learn from the 2024 Olympics that entrepreneurs can apply to their businesses today? The short answer is quite a few.

    1. Take care of your mental health

    In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the world was stunned when Biles, the greatest gymnast of all time, dropped out because of the “twisties,” a dangerous break in the brain-body connection causing the gymnast to lose sense of where they are in the air. She took a step back and let her teammate, Suni Lee, perform and subsequently take home the all-around gold in women’s gymnastics — an achievement Biles was perfectly poised and expected to win. Biles taught us that no matter what the stakes are, your mental health should come first. How can you perform at the highest levels of business and entrepreneurship if your mental health isn’t in a good place? The answer is that you can, but it’s not even what the G.O.A.T. would do. If no one’s told you today, here’s your friendly reminder that self-care is not selfish; it’s productive.

    Related: Radical Self-Care Isn’t Nice — It’s Necessary. Redefine Boundaries Between Your Life and Career to Perform Your Best.

    2. Don’t be afraid to be the first

    While some entrepreneurs dream of being the “first” to invent or discover something, others feel intimidated when finding their niche or area of genius in their industry. When faced with the daunting opportunity to be the first person to start or lead in a certain area, the fear of failure or high visibility might make some entrepreneurs squirm. Despite the nerves and fear that come with innovation, it’s okay to be “the first” in something and confidently walk into that arena with a bright idea. That’s what fencer Lauren Scruggs did at the Paris Olympics this year. She became the first Black American woman to win a gold medal in fencing, and I’m sure she was nervous. But she came ready to win and kept her eye on the prize. Entrepreneurs who are nervous about stepping into the space of being the “first” should take a deep breath and know why they’re there, then bravely step into their arena with confidence and focus.

    Related: The Burden of Breaking Barriers is Pushing Black Leaders to Breaking Point. This DEI Expert Reveals Where We Are Going Wrong

    3. Lift others up with you

    As entrepreneurs, we wear numerous hats and fight for our business success. However much success we gained, we didn’t do it alone. We must always remember to give people their flowers and lift them up as we grow. For example, while running the preliminary heat 100-meter race, South Sudanese runner Lucia Moris collapsed to the ground in the heat of the day and was unable to get up and finish the race. As soon as fellow competitor Silina Pha Aphay from Laos finished her race and realized Moris was on the ground in pain, she stopped and ran back to make sure Moris was okay and offered comfort and support while waiting for the medical teams to arrive. The business world can often feel cutthroat and like every person is out for themselves, but the heroic and noble athletes at the Olympics remind us that as we grow, we must lift others up with us. We’re not winning if others suffer as a consequence.

    4. Create value and set yourself apart

    Like most athletes that go to the Olympics, the goal is to win, and they know winning requires them to stand out. Most athletes don’t get an opportunity to stand out when the other competitors are neck and neck with them. But Simone Biles certainly has. After having several gymnastic moves named after her, she reminds us all to be aware of what we contribute to our areas and how we can set ourselves apart by doing what others aren’t doing. Creativity and innovation are the name of the game, and exceptional athletes like Biles show how our creativity can inspire others in business and entrepreneurship to imagine more.

    Final thoughts

    When it comes to business, we all want to be number one and become entrepreneur of the year. But the best of the best in the world of sports can teach us a thing or two about how to get there. Lifting others up when they’re down doesn’t give your competitor the upper hand; it gives your competitor a compassionate hand. Creating value and being the first to do something sets a standard for others in your sphere to strive for more and reach higher, too. Finally, taking care of your mental health isn’t selfish; it’s one of the most productive things you can do for yourself and others. While the Paris Olympics have come and gone, the lessons live on. Let these lessons seep into your mind and business, and see where you go. Who knows, you might just get the gold.

    Nika White

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  • Olympics drove interest in women’s sports cards, Snoop Dogg pins and more

    Olympics drove interest in women’s sports cards, Snoop Dogg pins and more

    The Olympics are an event that can fuel growth in interest and popularity, not just for a given sport or individual athlete, but for an array of collectibles, as well. The global nature of the Olympics, the way they cross-pollinate fans of different sports and draw in very casual or even non-sports fans — it’s something that can supercharge demand.

    Take basketball for example — the men’s gold-medal game between the U.S. and France averaged 19.5 million viewers in the U.S. alone, whereas the most recent NBA Finals averaged 11.3 million viewers. The women’s gold-medal game drew 7.8 million viewers in the U.S. (at 9:30 a.m. ET), and last year’s WNBA Finals averaged 728,000. While that sudden influx of new eyeballs can produce a brief and immediate surge of interest that just as quickly evaporates, it can also be the foundation for longer-term growth in some cases. It can be an introduction that creates new fans and collectors.

    With that in mind, let’s look back on the 2024 Olympics using insights from eBay:

    Athletes (and rappers) who saw a surge of collector interest

    The most searched Team USA men’s basketball players within eBay during the Olympics were LeBron James, Anthony Edwards and Steph Curry. James and Curry’s places there shouldn’t be surprising, given their status as legends of the game and how they came through in big moments for Team USA, but Edwards being searched at that level within a marketplace (rather than just on a more general interest platform like Google) is noteworthy.

    The day Team USA beat Serbia in the semifinals, Edwards’ ungraded 202o Panini Prizm silver card (a popular parallel in the most popular NBA set that has a bit more favorable supply/demand balance than his plentiful Prizm base rookie card) returned to the price level it reached at the start of the NBA Western Conference finals in May (around $320), when he was one of the postseason’s top performers to that point, up from the sub-$200 level it dropped to in late June/early July. Edwards didn’t produce a standout performance in the semifinal or final of the Olympic tournament, so there has been another decline, but the card remains higher than the lows it hit after his NBA playoff elimination. He’ll need to take another leap forward this season and have better showings in key moments in order to further grow the level of collector interest in him, though.


    Steph Curry (left) and Anthony Edwards after receiving their gold medals. (Photo: DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images)

    On the women’s side, the most searched Team USA players on eBay were Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, and Kelsey Plum.  Taurasi didn’t play in the gold-medal game and averaged just 1 ppg for the tournament, but she won her sixth gold medal — a new record for the sport. Noticeably absent from that group is A’ja Wilson, who was named MVP of the tournament and is also the clear favorite to claim a third WNBA MVP trophy this season. There have always been players who far outperform the level of collector interest in them, but this looks like a generational talent/all-time great being seriously undervalued.

    The Olympics provided a boost to women’s sports collectibles though. Katie Ledecky sales grew throughout the Olympics, peaking with a new all-time high of $4,037 for her 2024 Topps Chrome Ledecky Legacy autographed superfractor (a one-of-a-kind parallel, pictured below). Two Simone Biles cards sold for more than $2,000 each. But perhaps most impressive was that two superfractors, one autograph and one patch, from the 2024 Topps Chrome Olympic set of Ilona Maher, star of the USA rugby bronze-winning team, sold for $1,743 and $1,500, respectively — not too far off from those sales for Biles, a more established star in a sport that’s more popular in the U.S.

    Assessing long-term value of Olympic athletes in sports that don’t hold annual mainstream interest in the U.S. is always difficult. Ledecky and Biles could hold strong since the former is tied for the most career Olympic gold medals among female athletes (nine) and the latter isn’t far behind (seven) and both have more of a cultural presence. Their legacies are set. But unless rugby undergoes a dramatic rise in popularity, it seems difficult for Maher to have the same staying power. (That said, monetary value often isn’t the primary concern for collectors — particularly if they never intend to sell a given item — and waiting for more buyer-friendly conditions when one-of-a-kind items become available often isn’t possible.)

    The USA women’s soccer team won gold thanks in part to the trio of Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson (or “Triple Espresso,” as they’ve nicknamed themselves), who all scored big goals and all saw big eBay search spikes when they did. Searches for Swanson jumped 580 percent on eBay (compared to the previous week) after she scored the gold medal clinching goal against Brazil. Cards from the 2024 Topps Chrome Olympic set that bear autographs from both Smith and Swanson (pictured below) have drawn particular interest, with peak sales prices of $628 and $700 on August 18, a week after the tournament closed.

    A couple of non-USA athletes who also had big search spikes were the men’s tennis finalists. After he won the gold medal, searches for Novak Djokovic rose 450 percent compared to the week prior and searches for silver-medalist Carlos Alcaraz rose 80 percent. These are two of the biggest names in an already popular sport, so the fact that Olympic success could provide a surge in marketplace searches is a testament to the new wider audience the event brings. With the U.S. Open now underway and a newly released Topps Chrome tennis set, there will be an opportunity to retain some of that interest.

    The Olympics can also blur the already sometimes fuzzy lines between sports and non-sports collectibles. Snoop Dogg’s custom Olympic pins went viral, resulting in global eBay users to search “Snoop Dogg pin” almost 140 times per hour on July 30 and 31. And since the 2028 Olympics will be in his hometown of Los Angeles, this may not be the last we hear of Snoop Dogg Olympic pins.

    Industry views

    As The Athletic continue to grow its collectibles coverage, we’ll include perspectives and observations from around the hobby. Since this is our first time diving into eBay insights, we begin with the executive who oversees their collectibles operation.  

    Interest in the Snoop pin and Olympic pins in general points to the variety of collectibles that have gained in popularity in recent years.

    “Obviously trading cards is a huge, huge piece of it, but the thing that’s fun is you see new categories that emerge and sometimes those things disappear again and sometimes they stick around,” eBay vice president and general manager of global collectibles Adam Ireland told The Athletic during the National Sports Collectors Convention last month. He cited sealed vintage electronics and Type 1 photographs as examples. 

    “Someone once told me that it’s sort of that 25-year window when you start hitting nostalgia and that’s the point where people have got the money now and are spending on things that tie them back to those happy childhood days,” he added, saying that they’re seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles merchandise take off as it now fits that window for older generations, while the franchise’s new movies and shows draw in a younger audience as well. 


    Chad Ochocinco draws a crowd to an eBay Live broadcast at The National. (Photo courtesy of eBay)

    Trading card games, which can hit on that nostalgia appeal, are also driving a lot of interest. Ireland says he is “super bullish” on them. “Obviously (Disney) Lorcana has been another big boost to that area, but you’ve still got Pokemon going strong, some of the recent Magic: The Gathering releases have been really, really successful. … (Lorcana) and Disney collectible pins, a lot of historical artifacts, toys, vinyl – there’s just so many categories (in the collectibles space), but you do find that sports as a single thing becomes the largest piece.” 

    “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,” the Netflix series about Goldin Auctions, which eBay recently acquired, is something Ireland sees as helping to broaden interest in collectibles. 

    “It’s easy to think about collectibles as a niche area, but they hit number four on the Netflix charts and that’s just going to bring more and more people into the hobby,” he said. “It’s amazing how many people I’ve spoke to about and they’ve been like, ‘Oh my wife watched the show and now she understands why I get excited about this stuff.’ And so from that point of view I think it’s just going to open it up, it’s going to democratize it more.” 

    The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.

    (Top photo: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

    The New York Times

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  • Grading The Week: Nuggets star Nikola Jokic dished out almost $400,000 in gifts to Serbian teammates, because of course he did

    Grading The Week: Nuggets star Nikola Jokic dished out almost $400,000 in gifts to Serbian teammates, because of course he did

    Nikola Jokic isn’t just the best hoops player on the planet when it comes to dishing out dimes.

    The Big Honey might be the best when it comes to dishing out bling, too.

    Despite our crack staff being in the writing biz, Team Grading The Week believes actions speak louder than all the words on this page.

    And GTW is firmly in the camp of backing up your brags.

    Is anybody — certainly not anybody in the basketball sphere — conquering both fronts better than the Joker is, right here and now?

    The NBA’s three-time MVP didn’t just help carry the Serbian hoops squad to a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. According to the Blic newspaper in his native country, Jokic purchased Rolex watches for every one of his teammates on the national team.

    Jokic’s Serbian gifts — A

    The kicker? Those timepieces were reportedly worth $32,500 each. Which puts the Joker’s total purchase at an estimated $357,500 for 11 watches.

    Jokic and Serbia won the men’s hoops bronze in Paris thanks to a 93-83 win over Germany in the tourney’s third-place game. The Nuggets star posted a very Jokic stat line, too — 19 points, 12 boards and 11 assists.

    The Joker averaged 18.8 points, 10.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists for his homeland, which finished 4-2 at the tourney. He led all tournament players in points, boards and dimes — the first Olympian to ever top all three categories in one campaign.

    Apparently, nobody gives like Jokic gives when it comes to the gift department, either. At least the fantastic gesture was one the Joker could afford: The Nuggets center, per Spotrac.com, is slated to take up $51.4 million in cap space in ’24-’25, and $55.2 million in ’25-’26.

    If you’re like the GTW staff, you don’t just want Jokic as your franchise centerpiece now. You kind of want him as your secret Santa, too.

    Big Russ’ debut — D

    Russell Wilson’s Steelers stats after preseason Week 2: One appearance, five drives led, zero points, three sacks taken.

    Bo Nix’s Broncos stats after preseason Week 2: Two appearances, seven drives led, 30 points, zero sacks taken.

    It’s early, and we’ll know in a month whether Sean Payton won the Broncos-Steelers game, head-to-head. But the coach is off to a flying start in terms of winning the argument. And in justifying one hellaciously expensive football divorce.

    Valor’s Friday — A

    Love ’em or hate ’em, this past Friday was a pretty good day to be an Eagle.

    Earlier in the day, Valor alum and PGA star Wyndham Clark pulled himself back into the BMW Championship title picture by shooting a 68 during his second round at Castle Pines — including five birdies. Later that evening, his alma mater’s football team opened its season with a 31-14 victory over Pine Creek. The latter had beaten Valor in last September’s meeting, 31-17.

    Originally Published:

    Sean Keeler

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  • Will the ‘Car-Free’ Los Angeles Olympics Work?

    Will the ‘Car-Free’ Los Angeles Olympics Work?

    What’s undisputed is that, starting in the mid-1940s, powerful social forces transformed Los Angeles so that commuters had only two choices: drive or take a public bus. As a result, LA became so choked with traffic that it often took hours to cross the city.

    In 1990, the Los Angeles Times reported that people were putting refrigerators, desks, and televisions in their cars to cope with getting stuck in horrendous traffic. A swath of movies, from Falling Down to Clueless to La La Land, have featured the next-level challenge of driving in LA.

    Traffic was also a concern when LA hosted the 1984 Summer Games, but the Games went off smoothly. Organizers convinced over 1 million people to ride buses, and they got many trucks to drive during off-peak hours. The 2028 games, however, will have roughly 50 percent more athletes competing, which means thousands more coaches, family, friends, and spectators. So simply dusting off plans from 40 years ago won’t work.

    Olympic Transportation Plans

    Today, Los Angeles is slowly rebuilding a more robust public transportation system. In addition to buses, it now has four light-rail lines—the new name for electric streetcars—and two subways. Many follow the same routes that electric trolleys once traveled. Rebuilding this network is costing the public billions, since the old system was completely dismantled.

    Three key improvements are planned for the Olympics. First, LA’s airport terminals will be connected to the rail system. Second, the Los Angeles organizing committee is planning heavily on using buses to move people. It will do this by reassigning some lanes away from cars and making them available for 3,000 more buses, which will be borrowed from other locales.

    Finally, there are plans to permanently increase bicycle lanes around the city. However, one major initiative, a bike path along the Los Angeles River, is still under an environmental review that may not be completed by 2028.

    Car-Free for 17 Days

    I expect that organizers will pull off a car-free Olympics, simply by making driving and parking conditions so awful during the Games that people are forced to take public transportation to sports venues around the city. After the Games end, however, most of LA is likely to quickly revert to its car-centric ways.

    As Casey Wasserman, chair of the LA 2028 organizing committee, recently put it: “The unique thing about Olympic Games is for 17 days you can fix a lot of problems when you can set the rules—for traffic, for fans, for commerce—than you do on a normal day in Los Angeles.”

    Jay L. Zagorsky

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  • Derrick White is cheering on his childhood basketball rival Wyndham Clark at BMW Championship

    Derrick White is cheering on his childhood basketball rival Wyndham Clark at BMW Championship

    CASTLE ROCK — Twenty years before they rekindled a friendship in Europe, the Euro step was a controversial subject between rivals Wyndham Clark and Derrick White.

    They played for opposing youth basketball teams in the Denver area, first matching up around the third grade. Both were point guards. White guarded Clark. Clark guarded White. White was a little more advanced than his peers — little did they know, he was a future NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist — and at some point during the mid-2000s, he implemented an unfamiliar move to his game. It was just beginning to get popular in the pros.

    “He was doing the Euro step at a young age,” Clark remembers, “and our whole team kept thinking it was traveling. So every time he would do the Euro step, all our dads and everyone was like, ‘That’s a travel!’ And they would never call it.

    “Fast forward to next year, and we’re all doing the same thing.”

    White was teaching Clark new tricks on the basketball court. Now it’s finally Clark’s turn to return the favor on the golf course. He’s the fifth-ranked golfer in the world, the winner of the 2023 U.S. Open and the fan favorite this weekend at the BMW Championship. Valor Christian High School, Class of 2012. White is a two-time All-Defensive Team honoree in the NBA, a glue guy for the Boston Celtics and Team USA, and a Clark groupie this weekend. Legend High School, Class of ’12.

    White has never played golf or gotten invested in the sport, “but I’m gonna start,” he declared while walking the first fairway at Castle Pines Golf Club on Thursday. He walked all 18 holes in support of his former basketball foe, who was paired with Rory McIlroy.

    “It’s fun because he’s kind of new to golf, and so (he) got his real first experience of pro golf at the Olympics, watching and walking with us,” Clark said. “And he really has the bug. We’ve been talking about it. He’s like, ‘I love it so much.’ It was really cool to have him out there.”

    Clark finished his first round at even par, but that doesn’t even begin to tell the story. He endured a hectic back nine that included multiple shots into the water and multiple double-bogeys. And that was before a cartoonishly timed lightning delay forced him and McIlroy to wait more than three hours to complete their final putts on the 18th hole. Spectators (even White) had vacated the premises by the time they resumed.

    “I was hoping it was going to be one of those quick Colorado 30-minute storms, but there was another one behind it,” Clark lamented. “Definitely a bummer being here for three hours.”

    Before that awkward conclusion without a crowd, Clark had been treated to resounding applause throughout the afternoon. Coloradans who noticed White gave him some love, too. He was hard to miss during the first hole, cradling the Larry O’Brien Trophy as he strolled downhill. Whether it was Boston’s Larry or Denver’s from the previous year, though, is unclear. The trophy was also on display Wednesday during the pro-am event, which featured Nuggets president Josh Kroenke.

    “I didn’t even know it was gonna be here,” a confused White said, starting to regret his decision to lug Larry along. “I’m really just here to support Wyndham and cheer him on. … I didn’t know it was gonna be here. I was walking in, and I see it on the ground, and I’m like, ‘Let me hold that.’”

    His opportunity to reacquaint with Clark this summer was truly last-second. Kawhi Leonard’s withdrawal from Team USA opened a roster spot two weeks before the Paris Olympics. White was the first choice to fill in. He flew solo to Abu Dhabi, UAE, to join the team for its remaining exhibition games, and soon enough he was floating down the Seine with Clark at the opening ceremony.

    “(We had) big battles. Big rivalry on the court,” White said. “And then obviously he went and did big things, so it was great reconnecting. And we ended up on the boat in the Olympics.”

    “Hanging out in Paris was pretty cool,” Clark said, grinning.

    Bennett Durando

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  • For Surfer Caroline Marks, Winning Olympic Gold at Teahupoʻo Feels Like Just the Beginning – POPSUGAR Australia

    For Surfer Caroline Marks, Winning Olympic Gold at Teahupoʻo Feels Like Just the Beginning – POPSUGAR Australia

    There were less than 10 minutes left in the semifinal round of the women’s Olympic surfing event in August 2024, and US surfer Caroline Marks was two points behind French athlete Johanne Defay when she saw the good wave coming and took it. Marks got barreled in the Teahupoʻo tube, then switched to turns, earning a 7.00 – the exact score she needed to advance. She matched Defay’s 12.17 points and won with the heat’s highest-scoring wave.

    Marks had scored higher with other waves that week, like her first-round ride with a late start, which had her air dropping, extending, and compressing as she landed, earning her a 9.43. Though earlier rides had delivered shots of competitive momentum, the semifinal win felt big: it took her somewhere she had never been. Marks’s first Olympic run at Tsurigasaki Beach in 2021 ended with a fourth-place finish during the bronze medal match. After defeating Defay, she knew she’d be going home with at least a silver medal. “In Tokyo, I came up one short, so that felt so good,” Marks tells PS. “I actually got really emotional when I won. It was a really close heat.”

    Later that day, Marks came out of the finals against Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb with Olympic gold. A week out, it’s still sinking in. “There’s been a lot of emotion,” Marks says. “A lot of good emotion, a lot of happy tears, a lot of adrenaline. A very proud feeling, a very surreal feeling.”

    For Marks, that pride swells when she remembers where she won, as well: She took gold at Teahupoʻo, a village on Tahiti’s coast. “Teahupoʻo” roughly translates to “wall of skulls,” and it’s home to one of the heaviest waves in the world. The high-volume, left-breaking Tahitian wave bends into beautiful and harrowing barrels. To take a clean line out of that wave is one of the ultimate skills in surfing, and it’s a rush that’s difficult to describe, Marks says.

    “Winning in a wave of really big consequence and a wave like that, it just felt that much better,” Marks says. “That’s an area of my surfing that I put a lot of work into, that I want to get better at. The fact that I was able to win a gold medal under all that pressure, in proper waves – it makes it feel that much better, for sure. Real proud moment.”

    It’s a historic moment, too, for Marks’s field. Until 2022, women had been strangers to the sensation of winning at Teahupoʻo for the better part of two decades. Though Teahupoʻo tube riding is a rush, it comes with risks: the wave pummels a shallow reef with sudden and singular ferocity. Due to that danger, the World Surf League pulled Teahupoʻo as one of the venues for its World Championship Tour in 2006 – but only for the women. Then, in 2020 – the same year the International Olympic Committee approved Teahupoʻo as the next Olympic surfing site – the World Surf League announced plans to bring the women’s event back to the Tahitian reef break.

    In 2022, the WSL hosted women at the Outerknown Tahiti Pro (now known as the Shiseido Tahiti Pro, presented by Outerknown) for the first time in 16 years. It wasn’t the league’s only move to put women in the world’s heaviest waves that year. The WSL also hosted the first women’s Billabong Pro Pipeline and launched a fully-integrated world tour, which enabled the women to surf at all the same spots as the men throughout the annual series.

    “Growing up, we didn’t have Teahupoʻo and Pipeline and all these waves on the schedule,” Marks says. “This is a very new thing. We’ve only been going to Teahupoʻo for three years on the tour. For some girls, it was maybe their first time ever being there, this year at the Olympics.”

    Though the Olympics at Teahupoʻo are over, the surf spot is here to stay as a stop for women on the World Championship Tour, which means Marks’s generation of competitive surfing will have the chance – and the career-advancing incentive – to push themselves and the progression of their sport there. For Marks, what’s to come will be just as exciting as the events of this summer.

    Marks surfed Teahupoʻo for the first time in February 2020, her 18th birthday month and a month before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. In a video Marks shared on Instagram, she emerges from the tube in slow motion with a grin and a dazzled shrug, and hops off her board with added pop. Here, Marks is getting to know the unique wave. “It’s a place that takes a lot of experience, a lot of time,” she says. “You’re always going to be learning.”

    Layne Beachley, a seven-time world champion surfer from Australia, agrees. You have to learn how to position yourself and pick up Teahupoʻo’s turbo-charged tubes just right – to get deep in the barrel and outpace the whitewash that can swallow you whole, throw you over the falls, and pin you back onto the reef, Beachley says. Learning to do so on a big day, with a cool head, takes time. “The profile of the wave as it breaks – it changes directionally,” she says. “It wraps a bit. It’s like the wave faces you as you take off, as if to say, ‘How fucking committed are you?’”

    When the women lost Teahupoʻo as a venue, they lost time on tour with the wave. Any more hours and resources they’d put into surfing in Tahiti and learning Teahupoʻo would be their own. It was “complete and utter bullshit” to pull the event, Beachley says, given what her generation had done with it. Beachley, Rochelle Ballard, Keala Kennelly, and other pro surfers charged waves competitively at Teahupoʻo for nearly a decade before the WSL took it off the world tour.

    “Women’s surfing was just starting to thrive in conditions of consequence,” Beachley says. “All of a sudden, those waves were being taken away from us, which was bitterly disappointing.”

    Since the women’s return to Teahupoʻo in 2022, Marks’s generation has brought vindication. In 2022, Hawaiian surfer Moana Jones Wong won the first women’s Pipe Pro as a wildcard, displaying her mastery of the North Shore wave she grew up surfing. Tahitian surfer Vahiné Fierro did the same at Teahupoʻo in May 2024, winning the Tahiti Pro in massive swell and proving what women can do with enough time with a heavy wave. At the same event, Brazilian-American surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb scored the first 10 of the venue’s new era.

    Marks won the Tahiti Pro in 2023. To psych herself up to surf waves at spots like Teahupoʻo and Pipeline, she relies on her support crew and summons self belief, which grows the more Marks gets out there. “Sometimes, there are certain days where it looks really scary, and it looks really intimidating, and you kind of just need to be thrown out there and show yourself, ‘Whoa, I can do it,’” Marks says. “I think that’s what we’ve all learned, all of us girls: you have Teahupoʻo on the schedule. ‘Wow, this is so gnarly. This is gonna be crazy.’ But then, all of a sudden, you go out there and you do it, you show yourself you can do it, and it just keeps ratcheting up. It’s gonna be really cool to see where it goes in a couple of years.”

    For now, Marks is soaking up what feels like the biggest moment in her career so far. She’ll have more chances to get barreled, and to achieve other goals: making a cool surf film, competing in LA in 2028, and winning another world title after claiming her first in 2023. “And putting a positive light on surfing, showing the next generation how awesome it is,” Marks says.

    Suzie Hodges is a freelance writer drawn to stories in science, environmental conservation, and outdoor sports. In addition to POPSUGAR, her work has appeared in Smithsonian magazine, Blue Ridge Outdoors, and The Daily Beast. Previously, she was a writer at an environmental conservation organization called Rare and at the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech.

    Suzie hodges

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