Sports & Competitions

Here’s the story behind those purple circles on Michael Phelps’ back

If you watched the Olympics this weekend, you probably noticed the purple circles on swimmer Michael Phelps, and some members of the US men’s gymnastics team. The marks have been garnering a lot of buzz, and speculation: Michael Phelps probably just fell asleep on his medals pic.twitter.com/IOzvGaJ0Dv — Above Average (@AboveAverage) August 8, 2016 But […]

Here’s the story behind those purple circles on Michael Phelps’ back Read More »

International, Sports & Competitions, USA

Dutch cyclist Van der Breggen wins Rio gold, team-mate hurt in crash

Rio de Janeiro (dpa) – Anna van der Breggen delivered the Netherlands its first gold medal of the Rio Olympics on Sunday in a nail-biting finish to the women’s cycling road race, which saw her team-mate Annemiek van Vleuten injured in a nasty fall. Van Vleuten had been in the lead when she fell while

Dutch cyclist Van der Breggen wins Rio gold, team-mate hurt in crash Read More »

International, Sports & Competitions

Phelps captures another gold as U.S. wins 4×100 freestyle relay

RIO DE JANEIRO — Michael Phelps added a 19th gold medal to his ever-growing record haul Sunday night. Phelps surged ahead in the second leg of the 4×100-meter freestyle relay to give the U.S. team a lead it held for good. It was Phelps’ first race of these Rio 2016 Olympics, and the 31-year-old looked

Phelps captures another gold as U.S. wins 4×100 freestyle relay Read More »

International, Sports & Competitions, USA

The high cost of sports

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Politics isn’t everything. There’s also sport. Anyone who’s visited Rome’s Coliseum, or the remains of Greek amphitheaters around the Mediterranean, knows that it’s capacity to divert has been with us for a long time. We’ve moved beyond the blood sport of the gladiators. Boxing is losing its popularity. Dog fighting

The high cost of sports Read More »

Ira Sharkansky, Sports & Competitions

Regev blasts ‘racist’ Lebanese athletes for refusal to travel with Israelis

Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev on Sunday decried the Lebanese Olympic delegation’s refusal to travel on the same bus as their Israeli counterparts as “anti-Semitism” and “the worst kind of racism.” On Friday, Lebanese Olympic athletes attempted to block the Israeli team from traveling with them to the opening ceremony, according to a report

Regev blasts ‘racist’ Lebanese athletes for refusal to travel with Israelis Read More »

International, Middle East, Sports & Competitions

Celebrities gift an ambucycle to United Hatzalah

JERUSALEM (Press Release) — Recently retired NBA all-star Amare Stoudemire and current NBA star Omri Casspi on Friday afternoon, Aug. 5, gifted their friend, Entourage TV actor Jeremy Piven, with a life-saving ambucycle. The ambucycle immediately became part of Israel’s national emergency medical services (EMS) organization, United Hatzalah’s, response team. “Just the idea that we can use

Celebrities gift an ambucycle to United Hatzalah Read More »

Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

The Olympic Museum: A Gold Medal experience in Lausanne, Switzerland

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Aug. 6, 2016 – Pierre de Fredy, Baron de Coubertin, was a dreamer who revived the Olympic Games in 1896. Though it was an idealistic concept to unite the countries of the world through athletic competition, the baron believed the games should encompass three things: athleticism, art and culture. Baron de Coubertin (Wikipedia)

The Olympic Museum: A Gold Medal experience in Lausanne, Switzerland Read More »

International, Sports & Competitions, Travel and Food

Lebanese Olympic team demands Israelis be removed from shared bus

Members of the Lebanese delegation to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games refused to travel on the same bus as their Israeli counterparts, with some attempting to block athletes from entering the vehicle, according to a report by an Israeli trainer who claimed to have witnessed the scene. “I kept on insisting that we board the

Lebanese Olympic team demands Israelis be removed from shared bus Read More »

International, Middle East, Sports & Competitions

Virginia Thrasher helps Team USA nab first gold medal in Rio Olympics

RIO DE JANEIRO — Virginia Thrasher has a gold medal, but it won’t get her a pass with her physics professor. She will return to classes at West Virginia only 20 hours after returning to the U.S. on Aug. 17. “I’ll be in physics at 8:30 a.m.,” she said. Thrasher might want to volunteer for

Virginia Thrasher helps Team USA nab first gold medal in Rio Olympics Read More »

International, Sports & Competitions, USA

Rio preaches peace for the planet in understated Olympic opening ceremony

RIO DE JANEIRO – Ask a guy who makes small, compelling, artsy films to design the opening ceremony for the Olympics and he’s not going to hand you a teeth-rattling, bombs-exploding blockbuster. And so it was that the Games of the XXXI Olympiad officially opened in Rio de Janiero on Friday night, with a presentation

Rio preaches peace for the planet in understated Olympic opening ceremony Read More »

International, Sports & Competitions

Olympic carnival begins as Rio opening ceremonies open with a bang

RIO DE JANEIRO — For at least three hours on a balmy Friday night, Brazilians got a respite from months of bad publicity, a chance to belt out bossa nova, dance the samba, watch supermodel Gisele sashay across Maracana Stadium and be distracted from the political and economic turmoil that have weighed on the nation

Olympic carnival begins as Rio opening ceremonies open with a bang Read More »

International, Sports & Competitions

John Kerry, Mark Spitz fire up U.S. Olympics team

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Press Release) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Olympic swimming great Mark Spitz met with the U.S. Olympic delegation on Friday, offering both encouragement and praise. Here is a transcript of that meeting which was held at Brazil’s Naval Academy: SECRETARY KERRY: I don’t want to temper this energy

John Kerry, Mark Spitz fire up U.S. Olympics team Read More »

International, Sports & Competitions, USA