Gabby Douglas, the three-time gold medal-winning Olympic gymnast, has announced her return to the sport after a seven-year hiatus. She expressed her excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to return, and mentioned that she is in a good mental health place, having "found peace." Douglas has been keeping busy since her last Olympics appearance in 2012, and her return to the sport is sure to be an exciting one.
Posts tagged as “Centennial Olympic Park”
Caster Semenya, a two-time Olympic champion, won a major legal victory when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that she was discriminated against by sports rules requiring her to medically reduce her natural hormone levels to compete. The court found that the rules, introduced by World Athletics, raised “serious questions” about their validity. Semenya has vowed to continue fighting for her right to compete without restriction and to go for another gold at the 2021 Olympics in Paris, though the implications of the ruling remain unclear.
Megan Rapinoe, a 38-year-old American soccer star and member of the U.S. Women's National Team, announced her retirement from professional soccer at the end of the current NWSL season. She will make her final appearance in the Women's World Cup this summer and is looking to help the USWNT win its third consecutive World Cup title. Rapinoe is an icon in the world of women's soccer, having won two World Cup titles, two Olympic gold medals, and the 2019 Ballon d'Or award for the best female soccer player in the world.
Nikki McCray-Penson, two-time Olympic gold medalist and former ABL MVP, has died at the age of 49. She was an assistant women's basketball coach at Rutgers and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. She was an integral part of the 1996 U.S. women's basketball team which sparked the formation of the WNBA and ABL, and was known for her positive attitude and her commitment to helping others.
Simone Biles, a seven-time Olympic medalist and four-time Olympic gold medal-winner, is set to make her grand return to the competitive stage at the U.S. Classic on August 5. This is her first sanctioned event since the Tokyo Olympics, where she dropped out due to mental health issues. She is expected to compete in the all-around event, as well as the balance beam and floor exercise, and is a favorite to make the U.S. Olympic Team for the Tokyo Games.
Tori Bowie, a three-time Olympic medalist and Mississippi native, has passed away. Icon Management Inc., Team USA, and the Olympics have all released statements expressing their condolences to her family, friends, and everyone that loved her. Bowie was a champion and a beacon of light that shined so bright, and her legacy will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.
Brittney Griner, WNBA star and Olympic athlete, announced Thursday that she will no longer play basketball overseas during the WNBA offseason, citing the disparity in pay between the leagues and her recent detainment in Russia on drug-related charges. Griner, speaking to reporters for the first time since her return to the U.S., got emotional while discussing her experience and the importance of standing up for what is right.
Brittney Griner, a WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, is set to release a memoir in spring 2024 detailing her experience of being arrested and incarcerated in Russia. Griner was arrested last year at the airport in Moscow on drug-related charges and detained for nearly 10 months, and is now ready to share her story. The memoir will provide an in-depth look into Griner's experience in Russia, and is sure to be an interesting read.