Post from: EveryJoe

Olympic Opening Ceremony – Athens 2004

Post from: EveryJoe

Michael Phelps: Starting Early

Kaklamanakis is a Greek Olympian. His event is held on water, Sailing. He’s a three-time Mistral class windsurfing world champion and a gold medalist at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Sailing. And he was the one who lit the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

His achievements are listed as follows:

Gold European Championship (Mistral) 1994
Bronze IMCO World Championship 1995
Gold Australasian Championship (Mistral) 1995
Gold IMCO World Championship 1996
Gold Atlanta Olympics 1996
Gold Athens EUROLYMP 1998
Gold Mistral World Championship 2000
Bronze International ASA Windsurfing Championship 2001
Gold Mistral World Championship 2001
Silver ISAF World Championship 2003
Silver Athens Olympics 2004
(Source: Wikipedia)

As the Games draw closer, it makes me want to look back and reminisce a bit and that’s why I came across Kaklamanakis. I’m now wondering who will be the next to go down Olympic history as the torch bearer to light the Olympic torch. Anyone have an idea who it might be? I’m actually still researching.

Post from: EveryJoe

Who is Nikolaos Kaklamanakis?

Nine months after his previous World Cup race, Tim Don returns to the circuit this weekend a relieved world champion. There is nothing so precious as that which is taken away and until last week the Briton was banned for life from future Olympics. But there was more than just the Games riding on Don’s appeal for reinstatement.

(Source)

Tim Don, is a British triathlete, who won title in the World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland last September 2006. He also competed in the past two Olympics, 2000 Sydney Games and 2004 Athens Games.

However, a few weeks later, Don was banned for life from competing in future Olympics. This is simply for missing three drug tests prior the World Championships.

His appeal was lifted that will now allow him to compete in the upcoming World Cup this September in China and, hopefully, earn enough points to get him a seat in the British Olympic Team and compete in the 2008 Beijing Games.

Read the article

Post from: EveryJoe

Tim Don’s Life Ban Lifted, Onwards to the World Cup then the Olympics

To bring the rest of you up to speed, Robbins is infamous for being “lay down Sally”. As I’ve mentioned before, “the team was in medal contention when Robbins apparently stopped rowing and laid down on her team mate’s lap due to exhaustion.” That didn’t sit well with a sport-mad country, hence, her notorious rep. However, after all the drama caused by that incident, Robbins took it into heart to prove herself worthy of a seat back in the Australian Olympic Rowing Team and had taken steps to redeem herself. But her efforts have fallen short of the dream.

Had Robbins made the world titles squad, she would have at least had a chance to prove to selectors and crewmates that she can perform under pressure on the big stage. Even if she impresses in the Olympic trials next year, the only gauge selectors will have is in lead-up World Cup events, which will not present the pressures of a world title regatta, of which this year’s is an Olympic qualifier.

Some opportunities are presented even to the undeserving but in this case perhaps more is expected from someone who had caused disappointment. Sometimes, it would require more than time, sweat and tears. People may forgive but often times, they never forget. I wish Sally the best as she takes on the final leg of her quest. Robbins has one last chance next year to make the Games team, but without any international form to back her. Hopefully, she’d make full use of that chance.

Source

Post from: EveryJoe

Sally Robbins’ Dashed Olympic Hopes

AUSTRIA – Athens Triathlon Olympic gold medalist Kate Allen of Austria has announced she has her sights set for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to try and defend her gold medal. Allen, who has been absent from the world cup circuit since early 2005 choosing to focus on long-distance events, confirmed she will race the 2007 and 2008 BG Triathlon World Cup series in an attempt to qualify for the Beijing Games.

[RunnersWeb.com]

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! I’d like everyone to know I’ll be blogging about the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing! Er, but you know already know that, right?

I was just wondering why athletes need to “announce” their upcoming involvement in the Olympics. Do they really need to do a press release and be interviewed? Hmmm. Curious thought, is all. Hehe.

Before I start listing down my theories (and stirring the pot), what do you think? ;)

Post from: EveryJoe

Triathlete & Olympic Gold Medalist Kate Allen of Austria Will Compete in Beijing

Olympic and Commonwealth Games Champion, Anna Meares, today broke her own World Record for the 500m time trial in the morning session of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup at Sydney’s Dunc Gray Velodrome today.

The 23 year-old Queenslander posted a time of 33.944 sec to take eight thousandths off the mark she set to win gold at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. — cyclingnews.com

Really makes you wonder just how much effort and heart some athletes put into their game. Meares wasn’t just content for achieving something like a world record, she matched it, er, exceeded it the second time around.

It’s kinda sad that she won’t be competing in the upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Post from: EveryJoe

World Record Breaker: Anna Meares, Olympic and Commonwealth Games Champion

The Ethiopian distance runner have set a number of records in his events over the years.

World Records as of August 2005

* 5,000 m indoor world record 12:49.60 (Birmingham, England, on February 20, 2004)
* 5,000 m world record 12:37.35 (Hengelo, Netherlands, on May 31, 2004) from compatriot Haile Gebrselassie at 12:39.36 (on June 13, 1998)
* 10,000 m world record 26:17.53 (Brussels, Belgium, on August 26, 2005, breaking his previous record of 26:20.31 from June 8, 2004, which at the time replaced Gebrselassie’s former record at 26:22.75 from June 1, 1998).

It was just 2004 when he broke the records in the indoor 5,000m, outdoor 5,000m and outdoor 10,000m.

When Bekele participated during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, he took home the gold and silver for the 10,000m and the 5,000m events, respectively. It was his race in the outdoor 10K meter during the 2004 Athens Games that he took Gebrselassie’s title and only to break the record again a year later [see 3rd *].

Source: Wikipedia

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Who is Kenenisa Bekele?

After that game, the team quickly became the World Cup favourite. And with their last game against The Netherlands resulting to a draw, 0-0, it secured them a spot in Stage 2 and will play Mexico next.

Tevez is Argentina’s star footballer during the Athens 2004 Olympics. They also happen to take home the gold. With that said, I reckon, apart from the skills that Tevez and Messi brings to the pitch, Argetina is one of the teams to look out for. Will Brazil finally step aside this year? It’s funny that none have voted for Argentina in my poll.

Well, I’m still rooting for Australia, though! Hehehe.

Post from: EveryJoe

Argentina’s Brightest Young Talents, Germany 2006 and Athens 2004

The team was in medal contention when Robbins apparently stopped rowing and laid down on her team mate’s lap due to exhaustion. Australia finished last. What was the deal if there was a valid reason for her to stop rowing? Well, a lot of people saw it as a sign of her quitting. Australian media feasted on it. They’ve headlined the incident with “Just Oarful” [Sydney's Daily Telegraph] and “It’s eight, mate, pull your weight.” [Melbourne's Herald Sun] and that’s just for samples.

I reckon it’s just a reaction to the loss they incurred for that particular event. Australia is a sport-mad country. That trait has its good side and, of course, bad side. Fellow Australians will clap, root, support, and back you up big time in any sporting event. That’s how passionate they can get. However, with the same passion, they can also tear down an athlete’s confidence to the point that he or she might fear to show his or her face back in their home country, and they can brand them, “un-Australian”. It’s sad, really.

Good thing about Robbins, though, she didn’t really quit rowing after Athens 2004. She has expressed that she has a desire to be part of the Australian Rowing Crew once more for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Beijing. But she’s just taking it one step at a time, gauging her skills with the rest of the rowers in the country. She has been rowing in the doubles with Sally Newmarch in Tasmania, representing Western Australia’s Swan River Rowing Club in the championships.

I do believe that knowing what you’re meant to do and doing it regardless of what others think or say is one of the best achievements a person can have.

Image: BBC

Post from: EveryJoe

Do you remember Sally Robbins?