Post from: EveryJoe

Olympic Opening Ceremonies – Sydney 2000

Here’s a brief overview of career as an athlete and her stint in the Olympics:

In three successive Olympic Games, Shirley Strickland competed in the 4×100m relay:

London 1948: Shirley’s first Olympic Games, at the age of 23. The Australian women had to make do with silver behind the Dutch team, for whom the amazing Fanny Blankers-Koen made the difference in the final leg.

Helsinki 1952: The Australian women set a new world and Olympic record in the 4×100m heats. They were thus favourites for the final, but just when they were ahead, everything changed with the last baton change between Marjorie Jackson and Winsome Cripps: the baton fell, and the victory was lost. This was a huge disappointment for the Australian team, which finished fifth.

Melbourne 1956: This time, Shirley and her team-mates ran a faultless race. They won the final ahead of the British and American women, setting a new world and Olympic record in the process. Strickland finished her Olympic relay career on a high note, with a gold medal.

Strickland was the first Australian woman to win a medal in athletics during the 1948 Olympics Games in London. She also had the honour of carrying the Olympic Torch in the Olympic Stadium during the 2000 Sydney Games.

Source

Post from: EveryJoe

Meet Shirley Strickland de la Hunty, Sprint & Relay Specialist

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

According to the article I read today, multiple Olympic and World champion Kong Linghui announced his retirement last Thursday after playing his last competitive match during the Chinese National Championships.

He had plans of competing in the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing but he viewed it as an unrealistic goal prior his decision. He further said that he’s no longer in his prime and will be able to contribute better as a coach. He now takes on the coaching role in the Chinese National Team.

Kong’s major achievements are:

Source: People’s Daily Online

Post from: EveryJoe

King Kong Retires