Tag: Olympics (61-70 of 268)

Aug 4 2012 01:01 AM ET

Olympic Stud of the Day: Katie Ledecky

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Image Credit: Lee Jin-man/AP

When I was 15, I spent my days cutting out pictures of the Backstreet Boys from PopStar, Tiger Beat, J-14, Teen Pop Scene Steam Clean or something like that. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Katie Ledecky just won herself a gold medal. (Kids these days — so ambitious. When do they have time for the important things, like TV? That’s how I was raised and I turned out TV.)

Today in London, the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic delegation set a new American record in the 800m Freestyle with a time of 8:14:63, delivering a total upset for Great Britain’s Rebecca Adlington, who was the favorite going into today’s race.

And as if her amazing accomplishment wasn’t enough to earn her stud status, Ledecky also won points with me for her show of emotion during her medal ceremony. I’m not sure what it is with these Olympic-bots, but I just don’t think we see enough happy tears. Maybe they’re taught not to cry on the podium (or maybe I’m a weepy wimp), but seeing Ledecky shed a few tears up there was a great moment. So note to Olympians (who I’m sure hang on PopWatch’s every word): When accepting your medal, try changing your dial from “compete/kill” to “feel.” Makes for great TV. READ FULL STORY »

Aug 3 2012 05:59 PM ET

Ryan Lochte: I peed in the pool at the Olympics

Ryan-Lochte

Image Credit: Clive Rose/Getty Images

We could get past the grill and the one-night stands and even the spitting, but peeing in the pool may be a deal breaker, Ryan Lochte.

The Olympic swimmer revealed to Ryan Seacrest that he does relieve himself in the water while he swims. “Of course. I think there’s just something about getting into chlorine water that you just automatically go. [I didn't] during the races, but I sure did in warm-up.”

Since you swim faster in cold water, maybe that’s why he lost to Michael Phelps in their final head-to-head matchup?

Related:
Watch My Sport: Equestrian show jumper Reed Kessler edition
Eww, pool-spitting. What is your damage, London Olympics? (Vol. 2)
Olympics recap, Day 6: The Flying Squirrel soars, Phelps gets his threepeat (and his mojo back)

Aug 3 2012 04:00 PM ET

Watch My Sport: Equestrian show jumper Reed Kessler edition

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Image Credit: Joe Klamar/Getty Images

Saturday marks the start of the equestrian team show jumping competition, which awards medals on Aug. 6. The Americans are two-time defending Olympic champions, and seeing if the U.S. will three-peat is just one reason to tune in. (Check out the TV listings here.) ”I think the great thing about show jumping is the partnership with the horse. To jump those huge jumps clean, there has to be such a tight connection with the horse and rider,” says first-time Olympian Reed Kessler, 18, who’ll ride Cylana. “And what a lot people don’t know about the sport is that it really is 24-7. You spend all day, every day, planning. Picking a farrier to shoe your horse, a vet, what equipment you use on your horse, who takes care of the horse, where you’re gonna show, what class you’re gonna show in, how you’re gonna prepare in the morning. There’s so many different aspects of it.” READ FULL STORY »

Aug 3 2012 12:00 PM ET

What is your damage, London Olympics? (Vol. 2)

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Image Credit: Tim Wimborne/Landov

Welcome to ‘What Is Your Damage,’ Annie Barrett’s summer shop of all the melodrama and self-absorption she misses from springtime reality TV. Every Tuesday and Friday, she’ll rant about a current offense to her humanity, then assess readers’ damages via video replies. Don’t be shy about admitting what annoys or intrigues you. We’re all in this pop cult together!

What’s your damage, Olympics? This week I’ve already railed against poolside interviewer Andrea Kremer and NBC’s hideously disjointed men’s all-around gymnastics telecast, so it’s time to lighten up. Today’s all about wedgies, towelies, and a lovely temper tantrum from a “challenging character” in women’s gymnastics. But first and foremost: Can these gross-outs please stop spitting in and around the pool?

READ FULL STORY »

Aug 3 2012 09:11 AM ET

Olympics recap, Day 6: The Flying Squirrel soars, Phelps gets his threepeat (and his mojo back)

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Image Credit: Gregory Bull/AP

As we get deeper into the Games, the boldface stories for each night multiply. Whether it was in the pool or the gymnastics arena, everyone really came to play last night. It continues to confound me how people can be this good at anything. My friends and I recently joked that, if I were to have a building named after me, the only option would be the Lanford Beard Center for Lounging Around and Talking S—. Which is pretty much the best — and only — way I can introduce tonight’s recap. Onward!
READ FULL STORY »

Aug 3 2012 08:30 AM ET

Olympic Stud of the Day: Gabby Douglas

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Image Credit: Thomas Coex/Getty Images

Cue up Beyoncé’s ”Run the World (Girls),” sports fans! That is the official anthem of Gabby Douglas, women’s gymnastics all-around gold medalist. Not only is Gabby a personal fave for Abby West and me, she’s also today’s Olympic Stud of the Day.

Gabby was…

The girl who nearly quit.

The girl the experts doubted could handle the pressure.

The girl who, even tonight, came within millimeters of stepping outside the boundaries.

But she didn’t.

And that’s why she is…

The girl who took it all.

The first African-American to win the all-around gold. READ FULL STORY »

Aug 2 2012 07:03 PM ET

Olympics: Chat live with Jennifer Weiner tonight at 9 p.m. ET during the Women's Gymnastics All-Around Final

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Image Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

At the conclusion of the latest season of The Bachelorette, fans rejoiced when Emily Maynard picked Jef “One-F” Holm. But they wept over the fact that there would be no more live chats for bestselling author Jennifer Weiner to host on EW.com. Weep no more, because Jen is returning tonight to chat live with you during the Women’s Gymnastics All-Around Final starting at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Earlier today Jen tweeted, “What has fifty-six legs and 1.5 breasts? Why, the women’s Olympic gymnastic finals!” If you haven’t read her smash-hit novels Good in Bed and In Her Shoes or followed her snarktastic Bachelorette live chats, that gives you a pretty good sense of Jen’s “Oh no she didn’t!” sense of humor. She’s taking a break from the whirlwind tour in support of her latest book, The Next Best Thing, to add her commentary to the gymnastics finals. And she will do so until we know the gold medalist. In case you missed our live blog of the Opening Ceremony, this is another chance for you to get your citius, altius, fortius on with fellow pop culture/Olympics obsessives. And never fear. Unlike NBC, EW’s live chats are strictly a spoiler-free zone. See you at 9 p.m. ET!

Click Here to Access Jennifer Weiner’s Olympics Live Chat

Read more:
‘The Bachelorette’: Jennifer Weiner on its lessons for girls:
Olympics Opening Ceremony: We’re live blogging it!

Aug 2 2012 06:00 PM ET

Olympics: Hugh Jackman thinks he could be a contender

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Image Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

He’s too late to qualify for the London Games. But 43-year-old Hugh Jackman jokes that he hasn’t given up on winning a gold medal someday. “You know what I’d like to do? Badminton!,” he told EW at the short film festival Tropfest earlier this summer. “I mean, I’m not that talented a player, and — I don’t want to be disparaging — but the amount of people who are really talented who go into badminton is a small number. I’d say 90 percent go into tennis. So I figure my chance of actually making it in badminton is higher.”

See just how talented the world’s top players are when the medal matches begin. Friday is mixed doubles, Saturday is women’s singles and doubles, and Sunday is men’s singles and doubles.

Read more:
Olympics: Best/Worst Athletic Wear
EW’s Olympic Studs of the Day
EW’s Olympics coverage

Aug 2 2012 05:51 PM ET

Olympics: Gabrielle Douglas loves 'Twilight,' 'The Hunger Games' and 'clean versions' of Drake

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Image Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

By now you’re familiar with gymnast Gabrielle Douglas — sometimes known as the “Flying Squirrel.” You watched her and her American teammates earn gold in the team competition and tonight, NBC will air the all-around, where Gabby goes for an individual gold*. Her sparkling personality shines through in her events, but we wanted to know what her pop culture obsessions are. Gabby obliged, letting EW in on some of her favorite things.

READ FULL STORY »

Aug 2 2012 04:00 PM ET

Olympics: Why you should watch trampoline

STEVEN-GLUCKENSTEIN

Image Credit: Jae C. Hong/AP

It’s trampoline time at the Olympics on Friday with live men’s qualifying on MSNBC and NBCOlympics.com at 9 a.m. ET, and the final following at 10:26 a.m. ET online and in primetime on NBC. (That’s U.S. champion Steven Gluckstein pictured. The women, including American competitor Savannah Vinsant, compete Aug. 4.) Commentator Tim Daggett, who says he stands the whole time because “I want to be able to duck,” shares three reasons why we should tune in.

1. Outrageous air. They go twentysomething feet in the air, about as high as your house. When you’re standing next to the trampoline, and you see these guys jumping, you first of all are like, Ohmygod, they must have a mental disorder. And I mean that in a good way. The air that they get is unreal. READ FULL STORY »

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