PARIS 2024 SUMMER OLYMPICS

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
blues gm doug armstrong named canada gm for olympics
Armstrong, 59, has been the Blues' general manager since 2010, winning the Stanley Cup in 2019. He won two Olympic gold medals as part of the management group for Team Canada in 2010 and 2014 and won the 2016 World Cup of Hockey championship as general manager.
 

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
usa basketball, men's, women's teams face rematches in paris
The Americans also will play South Sudan, playing in its first-ever Olympics and the qualifier from a tournament in Puerto Rico. Italy, Lithuania and Puerto Rico are candidates to get that spot, which will be determined on July 7 in San Juan.



********
MEN'S GROUPS
Group A: Australia (world ranking 5), Canada (7), Spain OQT winner, Greece OQT winner.
Group B: Germany (3), France (9), Japan (26), Latvia OQT winner.
Group C: United States (1), Serbia (4), South Sudan (33), Puerto Rico OQT winner.
WOMEN'S GROUPS
Group A: China (world ranking 2), Spain (4), Serbia (10), Puerto Rico (11).
Group B: Australia (3), Canada (5), France (7), Nigeria (12).
Group C: United States (1), Belgium (6), Japan (9), Germany (19).
 

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
uswnt to play mexico in pre-paris olympics warm up
Mexico defeated the United States 2-0 last month in the group stage of the Concacaf W Gold Cup in what was just their second victory in 43 meetings between the teams. The U.S. ecovered to win the Gold Cup, beating Brazil 1-0 in the final on March 10.
 

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
2024 wnba all-star game to feature team usa vs. wnba stars
The 2021 All-Star Game also pitted Team USA vs. Team WNBA, with Team WNBA winning 93-85 in Las Vegas before the Tokyo Olympics. This year, the game is the weekend before the start of the Paris Olympics, which run July 26-Aug. 11.
 

C-40

NEW AGE POSTING

2024 Paris Olympics: Medals for Summer Games will feature pieces of Eiffel Tower​

The 2024 Olympics will get underway July 26, 2024


The medals for the 2024 Paris Olympics are going to contain a very famous part of the city's history. On Thursday, the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee unveiled the medals for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and their most notable feature is they contain small pieces of the original iron from the Eiffel Tower. Each of the gold, silver and bronze medals will contain a piece of the Eiffel Tower, which was originally built in the late 1880s. The Paris 2024 Organizing Committee wanted to make these specific medals unique, and it seems confident the mission was accomplished.

Click Here For Full Story
 

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
lauren jackson comes out of retirement again in bid for olympics
The 42-year-old three-time WNBA MVP was included in Australa's 26-player squad on Wednesday, and is widely tipped to make the final 12 for the Opals at the Olympics. Jackson retired for the second time in February after helping Australia qualify for the Paris Olympics with a win over Germany in Brazil, revealing she struggled to spend so much time away from her two young sons.



********
Jackson, who won four consecutive Olympic medals starting with a silver at Sydney in 2000, is in a squad that includes 11 members of the team that took bronze at the World Cup in 2022.
 

C-40

NEW AGE POSTING

France asks 46 countries for help with Paris Olympics security​


France says it has asked 46 countries if they would be willing to supply more than 2,000 police officers to help secure the Paris Olympics this summer, as organizers finalize security planning for the French capital's first Games in a century while on heightened alert against potential attacks. The interior ministry said Friday that the request for foreign security assistance was made in January and is seeking 2,185 reinforcements. The officers are sought to help with Games security and "the spectator experience" and to "strengthen international cooperation," the ministry said.

France plans to deploy about 45,000 police and security forces, 20,000 private security personnel and around 15,000 military each day. A French government source told Reuters that 35 countries had so far responded positively to the request for help. In addition to the broader requests, Israel and the U.S. will also send their own security capacities, sources said. Security is the biggest challenge for Paris Games organizers in a city that has been hit by deadly attacks by Islamic extremists and is expecting as many as 15 million visitors for the July 26-Aug. 11 Games and Paralympics that follow.

Click Here For Full Story
 

C-40

NEW AGE POSTING
iowa's catlin clark focused on sweet 16, deflects big3 talks
Clark's Hawkeyes are the No. 1 seed in the Albany 2 Region, and face the No. 5 seed Buffaloes at MVP Arena on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Iowa is hoping to make the Final Four for the second year in a row.

Caitlin Clark invited to Olympic camp before Final Four​


Caitlin Clark will be busy on women's Final Four weekend in Cleveland whether her Iowa Hawkeyes make it that far or not. USA Basketball on Thursday confirmed Clark is invited to take part in the Olympic training camp in Cleveland on April 3-5. The Final Four is April 5-7. Clark's Hawkeyes are the No. 1 seed in the Albany 2 Region, and face No. 5 Colorado here on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Iowa is hoping to make the Final Four for the second year in a row.

If the Hawkeyes fall short, Clark can take part in the USA senior team camp. She has earned three gold medals with USA Basketball junior national teams, most recently with the 2021 USA Women's U19 National Team. Clark, who leads Division I in scoring, assists and 3-pointers, is expected to be the WNBA's No. 1 draft pick by the Indiana Fever on April 15.

Click Here For Full Story
 

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
.
 

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
2024 Summer Olympics
The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Paris 2024, is an upcoming international multi-sport event that is scheduled to take place from 26 July to 11.

Dates: Fri, Jul 26, 2024 – Sun, Aug 11, 2024
Opening: 26 July 2024
Athletes: 10,500 (quota limit)
Stadium: Stade de France (Athletics competition, closing ceremony); Jardins du Trocadero and River Seine (Opening ceremony)
Closing: 11 August 2024
Motto: Games wide open; (French: Ouvrons grand les Jeux)
Location: Paris, Srade de France
 

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
Grant Hill confident in Team USA roster, touts defensive talent
Grant Hill, the managing director of the United States men's basketball team, said the decision to release the team's roster happened to coincide with the United States Olympic Committee's weeklong event in New York City commemorating the Paris Olympics being 100 days away.

NBC picks Noah Eagle as voice for Paris Olympics basketball
NBC Sports announced Wednesday that Eagle will be the play-by-play voice for USA Basketball's men's games, women's games and the medal rounds at this summer's Paris Olympics. The men's roster was announced Wednesday; the women's roster will be announced in the coming weeks. Eagle broadcast 3x3 basketball at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago -- but because of the pandemic, he did that from a studio in the U.S. This time, he'll be courtside.
 

C-40

NEW AGE POSTING

100 days until Paris Olympics 2024: Dates, athletes and more​


In 100 days, more than 10,000 athletes from 206 countries will float down the Seine on boats bearing their delegation's colors to announce the start of the 30th edition of the Summer Olympics. The largest sporting event ever organized in France, the 2024 Paris Games feature the first opening ceremonies planned to take place outside of a stadium, the first surf contest to take place 10,000 miles from the host city -- and the return of crowds. But why wait until July to get into the five-ring spirit? There's plenty of action to dive into over the next three months as the U.S. teams come into focus -- starting with wrestling trials two days from now. Prepare for a spectacular summer of Olympic sports with our top-100 Paris primer.

Click Here For Full Story
 

C-40

NEW AGE POSTING

2024 Olympics: Why this roster could be more talented than past USA teams​


How do the players who will represent the USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics compare to past U.S. men's basketball rosters? Thanks to high interest in getting the U.S. back on top of the medal stand after last year's fourth-place finish in the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the lure of playing in Paris, the USA's preliminary roster looks almost identical to the ideal group I picked last fall. Ten of the 12 players picked were on my imaginary roster, with Leonard Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday both among my toughest cuts -- as the lone aditions addition to the group. There are more than three months until the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, so it's possible the U.S. roster might change between now and then. Still, let's take a look at how much more talented this group could be than recent USA teams.

Click Here For Full Story
 

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
maroulis first u.s. women wrestler to make three olympics
The two-time Olympic medalist Maroulis topped Winchester with a pin in the first match and a 6-0 decision in the second, sweeping the series. With a bloodied nose, Maroulis bowed to a sea of cheering fans before having her arm raised by the official at the Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State's campus.

j'den cox retires at u.s. olympic wrestling trails after loss
The bronze medal winner at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 was beaten by the fourth-seeded Moore and promptly retired. The 29-year-old Cox is a two-time world champion and three-time NCAA champion for Missouri. He decided to call it quits after being defeated.
 

blackfoot NAP

King Of Bling
french open to use second retractable roof ahead of olympics
The second retractable roof at Roland Garros will be inaugurated on the opening day of the French Open next month, organizers said Thursday about a project planned with the Paris Olympics in mind. The main 15,000-seat Philippe Chatrier court has had a retractable roof since 2020.

wings eyeing post-olympic return for satou sabally
Sabally, who turned 26 on Thursday, averaged 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game last season in helping the Wings finish 22-18 and reach the WNBA semifinals. Sabally underwent surgery in February after she was injured while helping Germany qualify for the Olympics.[/size=]
 

C-40

NEW AGE POSTING

TRACK AND FIELD STARS SET TO TAKE ON 2024 USATF BERMUDA GRAND PRIX​


Some of the brightest stars in the track and field galaxy will take the stage Sunday in the breezy island paradise of Bermuda for the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix, offering fans a glimpse of what is to come this summer at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Topping the bill in the men's 100 is Noah Lyles, the gold medalist at last summer's World Athletics Championships in Budapest who also stood atop the podium in the 200 and 4x100 relay with his U.S. teammates. Lyles has lofty aspirations for Paris and certainly has the talent to make his dreams come true, bringing a lifetime best of 9.83 in the dash.

Continuing her comeback from injury and surgery, 2022 USATF 200 champion Abby Steiner has looked good in her two outings at 100 and 400 this year, clocking 11.05 and 51.58, and she will race at her specialty distance.

Donald Scott, who won nine indoor and outdoor USATF titles and was the World Indoor bronze medalist in 2022, will headline the men’s triple jump field.

American youngster Elija Godwin will take on Grenada's Kirani James who has Olympic medals of all three colors, with gold coming in 2012, silver in 2016 and bronze in 2021.

One of the most decorated 4x400 women in American annals, Courtney Okolo is the best of the bunch in the women's 400, boasting a 49.71 PB from 2016 and relay golds from the Olympics,

Click Here For Full Story
 

C-40

NEW AGE POSTING

Gabby Douglas returns at American Classic to mixed results​


Gabby Douglas is officially back. Whether the gymnastics star's return to the sport carries all the way to the Paris Olympics remains to be seen. Douglas, who became the first Black woman to win the Olympic all-around title when she triumphed in London in 2012, competed for the first time in eight years Saturday at the American Classic. The gymnast looked rusty in spots and promising in others while posting a score of 50.65 in the all-around. Douglas qualified in multiple events for the U.S. Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, next month. She will get another chance to qualify for the all-around competition at nationals when she takes the floor at the the U.S. Classic in Hartford, Connecticut on May 18.

Douglas, 28, last competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she helped the Americans claim a second straight gold in the team competition. She took an extended break from the sport but never officially retired. Her comeback, however, has been shrouded in mystery. She was supposed to compete at the Winter Cup in February, but she pulled out of the competition just days before after testing positive for COVID-19. She has limited press exposure, and unlike 2020 Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee and Jade Carey -- both of whom competed at American Classic -- she opted not to participate in podium training on Friday.

Click Here For Full Story
 
Top