Olympics

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Chicagoans Cool Off on Olympic Bid

Financial concerns drive lukewarm public support

(Newser) - Local support for Chicago's bid to play host to the 2016 Olympics has fallen sharply, with public opinion evenly split, the Chicago Tribune reports. Just 47% of Chicagoans in a new poll support the mayor’s initiative—a 14-point slide—while 45% oppose it. The main issue is expense: 84%...

Women, Time to Compete Against the Men

Eliminating divisions will solve gender identity issues in sports

(Newser) - Female athletes will always be inherently inferior to their male counterparts unless they can directly prove their mettle against them, Dominic Lawson writes in a provocative column for the Times of London. His solution: “Let there be no male or female athletics championships. Instead, let men and women—and...

Olympic Board Backs Golf, Rugby for 2016

IOC execs reject baseball, softball; decision faces Oct. vote

(Newser) - Olympic leaders selected golf and rugby today for proposed inclusion in the 2016 Summer Games, rejecting bids from baseball, softball, and three other sports. The IOC executive board narrowed the field to two from a list of seven, which also included squash, karate, and roller sports. The board will submit...

Searchers Find, Can't Recover 8th Body

Olympian Torres rode copter over Hudson 2 days before crash

(Newser) - Crews searching the Hudson River for the victims of Sunday's collision between a sightseeing helicopter and a small plane located an eighth body yesterday in the submerged plane but were unable to recover it, 1010 WINS radio reports. Rough water and silt impeded the efforts of divers, who suspended work...

Phelps, US Grab Relay Record

(Newser) - Michael Phelps and the US 400-meter medley relay team closed the fastest meet in swimming history with an appropriate finish Sunday night in Rome—the 43rd world record. Phelps earned his fifth gold medal of a world championship that showed he's still got plenty of motivation, even after scoring a...

Olympian Opens Brothel to Fund 2012 Bid

(Newser) - A New Zealand athlete has opened a brothel to finance his Olympic aspirations, the BBC reports. Logan Campbell just wants to stop asking his parents for money—his Beijing efforts cost $150,000, and he hopes to start training again in 2011 with $300,000 from the “gentleman’s...

Tetris Creators Want It in the Olympics
Tetris Creators Want It in the Olympics
Interview

Tetris Creators Want It in the Olympics

They dream of world connected by 'universal language' of game

(Newser) - As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, Tetris is still selling like wildfire, so you’d have to forgive the men behind it a little arrogance. Creator Alexey Pajitnov and Blue Planet CEO Henk Rogers want Tetris to be an Olympic sport, they told CNN, and no, they’re not joking...

Olympic Snowboarder Dies in Climbing Accident

(Newser) - Former Olympic snowboarding champ Karine Ruby of France died yesterday after she and two fellow climbers tumbled into a glacial crevasse while descending Mont Blanc in France. One of her companions survived the fall, but sustained serious injuries and was air-lifted to the hospital. The 31-year-old Ruby, who won a...

Phelps Snags 2 Wins at NC Meet

(Newser) - Sporting a goatee and an old-school swimsuit, Michael Phelps picked up right where he left off in Beijing. Two races. Two wins. The world's greatest swimmer left a 9-month layoff and marijuana travails in his wake tonight at his first meet since a triumphant Olympics. None of it seemed to...

De La Hoya Hangs Up Gloves
 De La Hoya Hangs Up Gloves 

De La Hoya Hangs Up Gloves

(Newser) - Boxer Oscar De La Hoya called it quits today after an electrifying career, the Los Angeles Times reports. “Knowing that you’re never going to compete again is a tough decision,” said De La Hoya, 36, who earned the nickname “Golden Boy” in a victorious 1992 Olympics...

Chicago Is Better Off Without 2016 Olympics
Chicago Is Better Off Without 2016 Olympics
OPINION

Chicago Is Better Off Without 2016 Olympics

Games are not worth the cost and hassle

(Newser) - International Olympic Committee representatives are currently visiting Chicago, one of four cities vying to host the 2016 Summer Games. But Chicagoans should hope the honor goes elsewhere, writes Steve Chapman for Reason. The Olympics tend to be a huge cost and hassle with little benefit. Does Chicago, home state of...

Phelps Suspended; Kellogg Won't Renew Deal

(Newser) - The fallout continues: Michael Phelps has been suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming in the wake of his bong photo. Meanwhile, Kellogg's will not renew its contract with the swimmer when it expires at the end of the month, Advertising Age reports. The Wheaties maker says Phelps'...

Do Vast Lungs Equal a Monster High?

Phelps' super-size lungs help him absorb THC quickly

(Newser) - Michael Phelps' lungs—those that secured him enough Olympic gold to start a mint—are made for a stupendous high, reports Slate. They hold twice the smoke of an average human's, speeding up his THC absorption. But at his size (6-foot-4 and 195 pounds), Phelps needs a lot more weed...

SC Sheriff Vows to Prosecute Phelps for Pot

Says if Olympian toked in his jurisdiction, it'll be an 'easy case'

(Newser) - A South Carolina sheriff says he’ll charge Michael Phelps with whatever crimes he can if the Olympian smoked pot in his jurisdiction, the State reports. “This case is no different than any other,” the Richland County sheriff said yesterday. “This one might be a lot easier...

Phelps' Toke Shouldn't Cause Such a Splash
Phelps' Toke Shouldn't
Cause Such a Splash
OPINION

Phelps' Toke Shouldn't Cause Such a Splash

He goes to great lengths to win, and it's the same with relaxing; embarrassment is punishment enough

(Newser) - Michael Phelps’ reputation shouldn't go up in smoke just because he was caught indulging in a drug an estimated 42% of Americans have tried, Sally Jenkins writes in the Washington Post. Phelps, like most great athletes, is a creature of extremes, and nobody should be surprised that when he breaks...

(Some) Sponsors, Celebs Support Phelps

A few celebs are also in his corner

(Newser) - Michael Phelps’ sponsors are supportive—so far—following his bong imbroglio, AP reports. Watchmaker Omega called the whole thing a “nonissue,” and Speedo reiterated that Phelps is a “valued member of the Speedo team.” Experts say Phelps better stick to the straight and narrow—he promised...

UK Tabloid Says It Caught Phelps With Bong

(Newser) - Michael Phelps may be getting a little too relaxed in the swimming off-season. The British tabloid News of the World has published a photo that it says shows the Olympic king taking a hit from a bong. No word yet from the Phelps camp, but the tabloid says the swimmer...

Newest Bailout: 2010 Olympics
 Newest Bailout: 2010 Olympics 

Newest Bailout: 2010 Olympics

Vancouver games get $369M loan approved

(Newser) - The global recession is putting the 2010 Olympics Games in Vancouver in peril, writes Canada's Globe and Mail. This weekend the provincial parliament in British Columbia passed an emergency bill that allows the host city to borrow $369 million to make sure the athletes' village will be ready in time....

First Dog Releases Last Video
 First Dog Releases Last Video 

First Dog Releases Last Video

Olympic medalists Phelps, Liukin guest-star in 2008 'Barney Cam'

(Newser) - The White House released its final “Barney Cam” Christmas video today, continuing the adventures of the first dog, the AP reports. This year, the Bushes’ terrier dreams of representing America as an Olympic pole-vaulter and swimmer before clinching a US victory in the Ryder Cup. After waking, Barney decks...

Phelps' Gal Pal Meets Mom
 Phelps' Gal Pal Meets Mom 

Phelps' Gal Pal Meets Mom

Girlfriend spends Thanksgiving with fam

(Newser) - Olympic champion Michael Phelps brought his latest prize home: his girlfriend spent Thanksgiving with the family in Baltimore, People reports. The pair met in Vegas, where Phelps is practicing for the World Series of Poker and his gal pal works as a cocktail waitress. The Olympic sensation says the card...

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