Olympians – News Stories About Olympians - Page 5

Aug 28, 2008 6:41 AM CDT

Phelps to Kick Off SNL Opener

Gold medal star makes comedy debut as host next month

(Newser) - Super swimmer Michael Phelps will be trying his hand at making comedy gold as host of the season premier of Saturday Night Live, E! Online reports. The 23-year-old Olympic champ will be making his acting debut when the program's 34th season kicks off September 13. The swimmer will be joined...

China's Gold Rush
Pays Off Nicely for Athletes

Olympics

Aug 23, 2008 11:04 AM CDT

China's Gold Rush Pays Off Nicely for Athletes

Government, corporations give athletes big bucks on top of Olympic glory

(Newser) - Decades ago, bringing glory to the motherland would have been the sole reward for victorious Chinese Olympians. The glory is still there—plenty of it, as China leads the gold medal table—but champions can now expect an average reward of $300,000 in cash and bonuses, even before corporate...

Spitz Starts Life
as Second-Greatest

Aug 21, 2008 7:37 AM CDT

Spitz Starts Life as Second-Greatest

1972 Olympic champ stays gracious after record falls to Phelps

(Newser) - Outspoken and prickly in the best of times, Mark Spitz is slowly adjusting to being the second-greatest Olympian of all time, the Wall Street Journal reports. Mustering a little grace for the occasion, Spitz says he's relieved at the downgrade. "He's got the burden of inspiring the youth as...

At 41, Torres Makes
5th Olympics

Jul 5, 2008 6:05 AM CDT

At 41, Torres Makes 5th Olympics

Ageless US swimmer makes a splash in the record books

(Newser) - Dara Torres swam her way into the history books with a victory in the women's 100-meter freestyle trials last night, reports the New York Times. The 41-year-old will be the first five-time swimmer in Olympic history. She shot past 25-year-old American record holder Natalie Coughlin to finish in 53.78...

Dolphin Kickers Sink Swimming Records

Jun 20, 2008 9:40 AM CDT

Dolphin Kickers Sink Swimming Records

Revived technique is propelling swimmers to victory

(Newser) - Dozens of world swimming records have fallen in the last 18 months and many credit the explosion in speed to a technique invented by a scientist who worked on the A-Bomb, reports the Washington Post. Swimmers say the underwater dolphin kick, which has been revived and polished in recent years,...

Olympian Indicted for Dealing Heroin

May 2, 2008 10:00 AM CDT

Olympian Indicted for Dealing Heroin

Accusation is latest of many legal troubles for track star Montgomery

(Newser) - Olympic gold-medalist Tim Montgomery has been indicted for dealing heroin, the Virginian-Pilot reports. “They said I sold 100 grams of heroin to an informant,” Montgomery told the paper in a jailhouse interview, noting that he has “no idea” why he’s been charged. The sprinter, now 33,...

China Shines Image for Olympics

Jan 30, 2008 2:29 PM CST

China Shines Image for Olympics

Bureaucracy in full spin mode with Games less than 200 days away

(Newser) - With less than 200 days to go before the Summer Olympics, Der Spiegel takes an in-depth look at China’s feverish preparations and finds a sprawling bureaucracy working overtime to project the perfect image to the world. But while Beijing might clean the smog, and even prevent rain, making communist...