Launceston Elliot was a versatile athlete who took part in no less than five events at the inaugural modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896, becoming Britain’s first Olympic champion. He had a magnificent physique and was described as: ‘the most handsome man of his generation.’

His father, Gilbert Elliot, was a magistrate related to the Earls of Minto, who were known for their distinguished service in India, and Launceston was born in India on 9 June 1874. While Gilbert was staying in a hotel in Launceston, Tasmania, his first wife fell to her death from a balcony, apparently under suspicious circumstances, and Gilbert married the hotel receptionist, Ann, who was of Scottish descent. Launceston was a product of this marriage, and he was said to have been named after the town where he was conceived. After spending part of his early childhood in Australia, he saw his true homeland for the first time in 1887 when his father began farming in rural Essex.

He became interested in bodybuilding and attended the school of Eugene Sandow (1867-1925), the respected professional strongman and exponent of physical culture, where he was introduced to the sport of weightlifting. Sandow was a man of thoughtful views who advocated moderation in all methods of health. Under his expert guidance Elliot was taught to recognize the advantages of acquired muscular power by a system of movements over basic brute strength. Elliot was a good pupil, and at the age of only 16 he gave a good account of himself at the first weightlifting championships open to competitors from all over the world, which were held at the Cafe Monaco on Piccadilly in London, on 28 March 1891. The competition lasted three days, during which time each man attempted ten lifts consisting mainly of repetition or alternate pressing of 56-pound and 84-pound weights with each hand. The contest was won by Edward Lawrence ‘E L’ Levy (1851-1932) of Birmingham. Elliot won his first title in 1894.

The Olympic Games were held in ancient Greece for twelve centuries, until AD 393 when they were abolished by the Emperor Theodosius and the great stadium at Olympia was allowed to crumble into ruin. Britain was highly influential in the movement towards an Olympic revival. The Cotswold Olympic Games were started by Robert Dover in 1636, continuing for 200 years, and in 1850 Doctor Penny Brooke founded an Olympic Society at Much Wenlock in Shropshire. Many new sports were being devised and established in Victorian England, and this ‘golden age’ of sport put an idea in the head of a French nobleman called Baron Pierre de Coubertin, an adviser on physical culture to his government, who was becoming concerned about the advance of commercialism in sport. When he visited England he was impressed with the stature of games played purely for recreational purposes at public schools, and he admired the spirit of internationalism shown by Doctor Brooke when he met him on a visit to Much Wenlock. He was determined to revive the Olympic Games as a way to bring young people together to take part in friendly competition.

De Coubertin worked with untiring energy to organise an International Sports Congress, and his efforts were rewarded in Paris on 23 June 1894, when he chaired a meeting of 285 representatives from 13 nations, and a further 21 countries pledged their support. From this meeting the International Olympic Committee came into being. It was decided to hold the Games every four years, London being the initial choice for the first venue. However, de Coubertin wanted to stage the inaugural Games to coincide with the forthcoming Paris World Fair scheduled for 1900. However, enthusiasm was such that an earlier date was demanded, and Greek delegates put in a plea based on tradition for the Games to be held in Athens. The request was accepted, and the first modern Olympic Games were staged in April 1896, at the stadium where its ancient predecessor had met its demise.

Lawrence Levy had been involved in the Olympic Movement, and it was probably due to his influence that Elliot decided to sail to Athens from Marseilles aboard the ‘SS Congo’. His magnificent appearance caused quite a stir when he arrived in the Greek capital. The official report of the 1896 Olympic Games states: ‘This young man attracted universal admiration by his uncommon beauty. He was of impressive stature, tall, well-proportioned, his hair and complexion of surprising fairness.’ He most certainly appealed to the Greeks, especially the females, and an Athens newspaper was prompted to report: ‘His handsome figure procured for him an offer of marriage from a highly-placed lady admirer.’

On Easter Monday afternoon, 6 April 1896, 4,000 eager spectators packed into the newly-renovated Panathenaic Stadium, along with de Coubertin and several other dignitaries, to hear King George of Greece announce the opening of ‘the first International Olympic Games.’ There were no official entries, most competitors seem to have travelled to Athens on their own initiative, and it is believed that about 250 men took part from 14 nations. Of the 81 non-Greeks only ten were from the British Isles, and some of these were resident in Athens. There were 43 events from ten sports – track and field, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, weightlifting and wrestling. However, the rowing events were cancelled due to bad weather and the sailing was dropped through lack of interest. Lawrence Levy intended to take part in the weightlifting competition, but there was some difficulty with organization and he decided to officiate instead. He also wrote reports on events for the Birmingham Post. Among the thousand or so people outside the stadium was the Royal Navy crew of HMS Howe docked at Piraeus.

James Connolly of Boston became the first Olympic champion when he won the triple jump on the first day of competition. Times in the running events were not expected to be fast because the bends were too sharp to be negotiated at speed. Launceston Elliot was one of 15 men who entered for the heats of the 100 metres, and the first Briton to compete in the Olympics was Charles Gmelin (1872-1950) of Oxford University, who came fourth in the third heat. Elliot was also eliminated in the heats. The sprints produced an incident of comic farce when a dapper French runner insisted on wearing white gloves because he was performing in front of royalty. Charles Gmelin became the first Briton to compete in an Olympic final when he lined up for the 400 metres on the second day. Britain’s sole competitor in the field events was George Stuart Robertson (1872-1967) of the London Athletic Club. He was a classics scholar and an Oxford blue for the hammer. However, there was no hammer event at the Games so he entered the discus and came sixth. He also found time to write daily reports on the action for Field magazine.

There were just two events on the weightlifting programme, the one-handed lift and the two-handed lift, both scheduled for the second day, 7 April. In the first event Elliot raised 71 kilograms – 156 pounds, with his right hand. The nearest anyone got to that was 57.2 kilograms – 126 pounds, by Viggo Jensen of Denmark, so Elliot won by nearly fifteen kilograms – thirty pounds, to become Britain’s first Olympic champion. Both men met again in the two-handed event, which caused the first instance of an Olympic judging controversy. Both men lifted 111.5 kilograms – 245 pounds, but as in the two tied athletics events, the decision of the referees went against the Briton. Elliot was said to have moved his foot during his attempt and the decision went to Jensen on the strength of his ‘superior style’. Elliot thus became the first Briton to be placed second in an Olympic event, and he lifted the most weight when both disciplines were added together. Apparently, King George volunteered to help clear up the apparatus, and after lifting one of the heavier weights, he threw it quite a considerable distance!

Elliot and Jensen met for a third time when they competed in the rope climbing event three days later, as part of the gymnastics programme. Unfortunately, neither man managed to reach the top of the rope. On the following day, Elliot entered the wrestling competition, which took place outdoors in a sand pit, and although it was technically a Greco-Roman event, leg holds were allowed. Elliot met Carl Schumann, a formidable Germany who had won three Olympic gymnastics championships and had placed fourth in the shot putt. Elliot had a slight psychological advantage in that he had beaten the German in the weightlifting. As it was, Schumann ‘grabbed him round the middle and threw him to the ground in the twinkling of an eye’ – and went on to win the competition.

The prize ceremony on the tenth and final day of competition took place in pouring rain on 15 April. King George presented each champion with a silver medallion and an olive branch and runners-up received a bronze medallion. Third placed athletes went unrewarded and the presenting of gold, silver and bronze medals was not introduced into the Olympic Games until 1908 in London. George Robertson recited a self-composed Greek ode, for which he received a laurel branch from the king, as a parade of champions brought the Games to a close. Robertson was knighted in 1928, and when he died at the age of 94 he was the last known survivor of the first Modern Olympic Games.

Launceston seems to have shunned the attention he attracted among the rich and affluent women of Athens, because in 1897 he married Emelia Holder, the daughter of a Kentish clergyman. His Olympic successes boosted his confidence and he went virtually from strength to strength in his sport. In 1899 he set four new weightlifting records at the British Amateur Championships. His magnificent physique brought him much fame, and he became one of the men displayed on nickelodeon cards which made popular viewing in arcades at the beginning of the twentieth century. Music Hall or Variety Theatre was at the height of its popularity at the time, and Launceston created a speciality act with the famous circus strongman, Montague Spencer, with which they toured Britain, Europe and South America. Among scenery representing a Roman arena and dressed as gladiators, they enacted a fight-to-the-death struggle, using mock-up weapons of the time, such as the cestus, trident and net. At the end of the show, Elliot gave exhibitions of strength, the finale of which was to suspend a bicycle and rider on each end of a long metal pole which was supported across his shoulders. He would raise them off the ground and start to revolve, gaining in momentum until the two cyclists were horizontal.

In 1923, he and his wife went to live in Australia, making their home in Melbourne, where he became a respected member of a group of well-known sporting characters. In 1930, he developed cancer of the spine and was admitted to hospital for specialized emergency treatment. He failed to recover from a serious operation, and died on 8 August 1930, aged 58. He was buried in the Fawker Cemetery in Melbourne. Because of his family connection with the Earls of Minto he is the only Olympic weightlifter to be listed in Burke’s Peerage, and as Britain’s only Olympic weightlifting champion he has a position of prominence in the Scottish Athletes Hall of Fame in Edinburgh.

Remember Sebastian Coe? You can’t really forget him can you, as he’s been in the public eye since the seventies. From winning Olympic gold medals, being an MP to organising the London 2012 Olympics. We all know of his major achievements, but here are a few lesser known things that you may not know.

1. Coe was appointed the first chairman FIFA’s ethics commission.

He was appointed in 2006 and his role was to set dates and locations for tournaments, including deciding on the formats. He also had the power to hire and fire delegates.

2. Seb is an ambassador for Nike worldwide.

He also owns a string of health clubs, including some in prestige hotels.

3. He is descended from Jamaican slave proprietors and sugar plantation owners, George Clarke and Edward Hyde.

George Clarke was also the Lieutenant Governor of New York Colony.

4. Coe is colour blind.

Colour Blindness – genetic inability to distinguish differences in hue

5. He was given the “Prince of Asturias” award (the very first one) in 1987.

The “Prince of Asturias” is an award given in Spain for high achievers around the world. There are several different categories and coe won the very first one in the category of “sport”.

All in all Lord Sebastian Coe is an inspirational figure who has worked very hard to stay in his high profile position. He has been many things in his lifetime, including Olympic athlete, gold medal and world record holder.

He has had a spell as a tory MP for Falmouth and Camborne from 1992 until 1997.

He also became ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic bid in 2004. In this role he was wildly successful, helping to win the bid for London. From 2004 right up to and throughout the Olympics, Coe worked tirelessly and is rightly admired for his achievements in this area.

He has made many television appearances over the years. He’s appeared as himself in “Brass Eye”, “The Britta’s Empire” and the spoof documentary “Twenty Twelve”.

He has been adorned with a host of awards including, BBC sports personality of the year 1979, United Press International athlete of the year 1979 and 1981, Men’s Track and Field athlete of the year 1979 and 1981.

It could be said that Lord Coe’s future is bright; in fact “the world is his oyster”. He has the scope to do anything he wishes to do. There will be huge queues for his services including international corporations, tv stations, radio stations, newspapers and magazines, political parties, charities and a plethora of other organisations. One big appointment he could be in for, surely he is now a prime candidate for London Mayor.

If you want an answer to this question, just ask an Olympic Weightlifter, and they’ll tell you… Every Muscle!

When you’re lifting, every muscle and every part of the body is called into play. Olympic Weightlifting is not about specific muscles. It’s all about athletic performance, power development, and whole body strength.

If we had to narrow it down, you could say that the following muscles play the biggest part in the process of Olympic Weightlifting:

• Hamstrings
• Quads
• Glutes
• Back Traps
• Shoulders

Olympic weightlifters do tend to build muscle strength and size, especially in the legs and back. But, they build strength in their legs through the squats that they do during the lifting process. The muscles in the back are used as stabilizers during the process.

If you consider the training that Olympic weightlifters go through, that’s probably where most of the muscle is built overall. Practicing the snatch and the clean and jerk will definitely work some muscle groups. But, a weightlifter at this level will be doing considerable training other than pure lifting.

It’s common for weightlifters in smaller weight classes to be strong, but not huge. Some professional bodybuilders will be bigger than them. On the other hand, at the top of the weight classes, those guys can be massive. But again, consider that size is not the goal here, overall strength is.

Momentum and use of joints are a vital part of completing a lift. These are even more important for Olympic weightlifters than other types of competitive lifting. During the lift, the ankles, knees, and hips have to work in conjunction with the muscles or the life will fail. Momentum and speed are essential. The heavier the weight the longer it will take to lift it. It’s lack of speed and momentum that will be more likely to cause the lift to fail.

Trying to use Olympic weightlifting as a means of body building is a mistake. It’s just not going to focus on individual muscle and muscle groups like other types of weight training and lifting will. If you are looking to improve flexibility, speed, and overall strength, then you should consider it. It’s also going to lend strength to your cardiovascular system.

Many people think that Olympic weightlifting is dangerous and on the fringe. You have to follow safety precautions, just like you do with any other sort of training or lifting. But, it can be quite rewarding as the goals are definite and challenging.

Leadership in our Canadian youth is pervasive and active. As a volunteer, I was witness and observer to an extraordinary 4-day conference hosted by the University of Ottawa (May 11-14). This year’s theme was “Making a Difference”. The delegates to this 2006 Ontario Olympic Youth Academy, were fifteen Ontario students representing their high schools. These students confirmed that our youth will bring a new order of leadership to this country, their province and their communities.

OOYA is sponsored by Sport Alliance of Ontario, OFSAA, and the Canadian Olympic Committee. The Ontario Olympic Youth Academy is held each year and serves 2 purposes:

1. To share the magic of The Olympic Games in a ‘hands on’ format by debating, discussing, discovering, meeting, networking, playing, laughing in an active & dynamic 4-day conference.

2. To meet Olympic athletes, coaches, organizers and managers and hear them speak about the impact The Olympic Games has had on their lives.

Working long hours, this group of engaging teenagers were involved in interactive presentations and group workshops. Through the team sports of Dragon Boat Racing and a modified Olympic Games event, the group showed their ability to focus as a unit and meet goals. The delegates developed Sports and Exercise programs that can easily and immediately be introduced in their respective schools and communities. Programs are like:

1. “Clean Play Starts with a Clean Place to Play”,

2. “Mini Olympic Days” to promote a healthy and active lifestyle to Grades 5 & 6, are designed for both athletes and non-athletes and help shape high school students into leaders.

Appearance by guest speakers included:

1. Sue Holloway, Honorary Chair of OOYA – Silver and Bronze Olympic Medalist for kayaking (1980-Los Angeles). Ms. Holloway is the first female to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympics (1976 – kayaking and cross-country skiing).

2. Shaunna Burke – second Canadian female to reach the summit of Mount Everest (spring 2005).

3. Pierre Lafontaine, CEO Swimming Canada – recently, Head coach for Australian Institute of Sport, and before that the Phoenix Swim Club of Arizona. Mr. Lafontaine led 4 and 8 medal swimmers to Olympic victories in 2004 and 2000 respectively.

4. Marg McGregor – Chef de Mission 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England.

5. Greg Joy – Silver Medalist and world record for high jumping 1976 Montreal Olympics.

6. Marc Leger – 2005 Canadian delegate at the International Olympic Academy in Greece.

7. Dr. Gene Sutton, Chair OOYA and National Olympic Academy, Director of the COC Board, and Canada’s Chef de Mission for the 2003 Pan American Games team.

8. Michael Chambers – President Canadian Olympic Committee (COC).

These speakers had a profound impact on the delegates. The Academy ended on a high note with an emotional closing ceremony during which each delegate lit a candle from the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games Torch!

However subtle, a key message was woven throughout the conference presentations by the Canadian Olympic athletes, Olympic coaches, and Sports executives. And that message: to have these future leaders consider sports management, sports coaching, and sports education as career options. This message was effectively introduced and appreciated by the delegates. Some delegates openly shared their renewed consideration for sports education/management as a career choice.

Currently, there are a number of active Provincial/Territorial (PTOAs) Olympic Youth Academy Programs:

1. Quebec Youth Olympic Academy

2. Ontario Olympic Youth Academy

3. Alberta Youth Olympic Symposium

4. BC Olympic & Paralympic Youth Leadership Academy

5. Nunavut Youth Olympic Academy

As a youth sport educational forum, the various Olympic Youth Academies, are an excellent way to introduce Canadian Youth to career and volunteer opportunities and rewards associated with national, provincial, community sports management/coaching, and sports education. The Olympic Youth Academies provide an expanded opportunity to share the Canadian Olympic Dream whether as an athlete, a coach, an organizer or a volunteer.

Expanding and funding the Olympic Youth Academy Programs to each and every Canadian Province and Territory has been an ongoing initiative of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). Each province should now embrace this youth leadership forum. It is a perfect program to parallel the COC initiative, Own the Podium 2010.

1. Cuba- Drugs & Scandals

Unfortunately, Cuba is already a nightmare in the Olympic Movement. Why? Since 1964, Cuba has produced athletes with a huge superiority complex and strong anti-American feeling. They have showed this anti-Olympic feeling many times. Angel Volodia Matos Fuentes, a Cuban taekwondo athlete, is the only athlete in the Olympic history that has hit a referee. This sportsman kicked a referee in the face after he lost a match at the 2008 Olympics. “We didn’t expect anything like what you have witnessed to occur. I’m at a loss for words. This is an insult to the Olympic vision, an insult to the spirit of taekwondo and, in my opinion, an insult to mankind”, said Yang Jin-suk (World Taekwondo Federation secretary). Angel won a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in 2000.

In Atlanta in 1996, the Cuban’s women’s volleyball team quarreled with the Brazilian team during the semi-finals. This is why Regla Radameris Torres Herrera, who has received several offers to become a top fashion model in Italy, was suspended and could not play for several months. Cuban players of women’s volleyball are famous for their aggressiveness against rivals.

Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor Sanabria will be remembered as one of the worst examples in the world sports community. In 1988, Prensa Latina -Cuban news agency- announced that in its annual poll of sportswriters Javier Sotomayor was named “Cuban Athlete of the Year”. He beat out Felix Savon (boxing), Jorge Fis (Judo), and Ana Fidelia Quirot (track & field). Javier, known as “Soto”, was one of the most successful athletes in the history of the Cuban Revolution.

On September 8, 1988, Javier -whose country had boycotted the Summer Olympics in 1988- set a world record in the high jump. A year later he set another world record (2.45 m / 8′ 1/2″). Under the direction of Jose Godoy, a Soviet-educated professor, he won almost all his competitions in the 1990s.

In 2001, Javier Sotomayor, in one of a series of exhibitions tournaments, tested positive for a muscle-building steroid. “The decision to let him compete again is like a hit in my face”, said Arne Ljungqvist (vice president of the IAAF).Two years ago, Javier also had tested positive for drugs at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg (Canada). However, he had been exonerated by the Cuban Olympic Committee. Furthermore, Fidel Castro Ruz -Cuba’s dictator- denied that Javier had taken cocaine. In an article in Granma (Communist party daily), Javier said ” I’m innocent. I have only seen that substance in the movies. I´m the victim of maneuver, a dirty trick”.

Unlike Ben Johnson and Linford Christie, Javier received a special treatment by the IAAF. He was banned by the IAAF for only 11 months. Thanks to this, Javier Sotomayor could compete at the 2000 Olympics, where he won a silver medal. Three European countries, Norway, Finland and Denmark, criticized this controversial decision. “If you test positive and get suspended, you shouldn’t get a reduced sentence just because you’re a famous track athlete”, said Patrick Sjoberg, a former world record holder in men’s high jump.

2. Myanmar- Sports & Dictatorships

Olympic sport can unify a country like Myanmar -an Asian country which has many ethnic conflicts. However, it -pop. 52 million- has one of the world’s worst Olympic teams. In the last fifty years, three dictatorships have destroyed the Olympic spirit in this land of friendly people. For unknown reasons, Myanmar did not compete at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Canada. In 1980, Sue Khin finished in 47th place in the marathon at the Moscow Summer Games. Four years later, Myanmar -it officially changed its name from Burma in 1989- sent 1 athlete (boxer) to Los Angeles (USA). In 1996, Myanmar was represented by only 3 athletes (athletics and shooting).

At the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar, Myanmar finished 27th in the unofficial team standings (behind China, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Jordan, Lebanon, etc). In an interview, Khin Maung Lwin, secretary of the Myanmese Olympic Committee, said “Our NOC has worked in close collaboration with the respective national sports federations to make all the necessary preparations for participation in Doha 2006. We have selected the athletes who showed their best form and achieved top results from that 23rd SEA Games for the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006. As a founding member of the Asian Games Federation in 1949 and the Olympic Council of Asia, we believe the Asian Games is a very important tool for the development of the youth of Asia and for the promotion of international respect, friendly and goodwill…”

3. Albania – Enver Hoxha’s Legacy

What is the reason why Albania does not produce world-class athletes? Albania is well-known for its indifference to sports. It is one of the few European countries that have not Olympic champions. Albania was one of the most unsuccessful countries at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the People’s Republic of China.

Like Mao Tse-tung (Chinese dictator, 1949-1976) and Pol Pot (Cambodian tyrant, 1975-1979), Enver Hoxha did not support friendly relations with the International Olympic Committee. From 1950 to 1985, Enver Hoxha -one of the bloodiest dictators of the 20th century- gained a reputation as an anti-Olympic leader in the world. During his Maoist dictatorship, Albania boycotted seven Olympic Games (Rome ’60, Tokyo ’64, Mexico City ’68, Montreal ’76, Moscow ’80, Los Angeles ’84, Seoul ’88), seven Mediterranean Games (Beirut ’59, Naples ’63, Tunis ’67, Izmir ’71, Algiers ’75, Split ’79, Casablanca ’83) and other international events (Winter Games, World University Games, World championships, European tournaments). In 1985, two weightlifters had defected to Yugoslavia (currently Serbia).

Since 1991, the new government does not have interest in sports and recreation. This European nation is losing its best athletes, who are choosing to live abroad, and not returning to Albania. Many Greeks athletes have Albanian descent: Leonidas Sampani (weightlifting), Sawa Lika (track and field), Pyrro Dimas (weightlifting / Olympic champion, 1992, 1996, 2000), Mirela Manjani (athletics). At the World Championships in 2003, Mirela won a gold medal. Albania has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1959.

4.Taiwan is not Ethiopia

Who was the last world-class athlete of Taiwan? Her name: Chi Cheng (1959-1972). This Olympic ambassador has been called “the Eastern Flying antelope”. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, in October, she, who studied and trained in California, won a bronze medal in the 80 meter low hurdles. Two years later, she broken the world records in the 100m (11,00 seconds) and 200m (22,44 seconds) in July 1970, but she failed in the Olympic Games in 1972. Unexpectedly, she had an injury. Chi Cheng was the favorite to win the gold medal in the 200m. To prepare for the Munich Games, she competed in Asia, Europe and the United States. In 1972, she announced that she was retiring from athletics. In 1971, she was elected “World Athlete of the Year” by the Associated Press. In this election, she beat Edson Arantes do Nascimento, one of the greatest athletes of all time. Since 1972, Taiwan continues to celebrate Chi Cheng’s world records.

Unfortunately, Taiwan can not produce world-class athletes.

This Asian country -also known as ROC, Chinese Taipei, Republic of China on Taiwan or Free China- has 10,000 stadiums, 1,850 swimming pools, 1,420 tennis courts, 14,252 sports parks, more than 762 gymnasiums, nearly 9,100 basketball and handball courts, and 87 cycling tracks. With more than double the budget of Jamaica, Ethiopia and North Korea, Taiwan only has won two gold medals (1960-2008). At the 1996 Games, Chinese-Taipei sent 71 athletes and won one silver medal (tennis table).

They have not learnt the experience of South Korea, whose athletes have won 85 gold medals-its best unconventional diplomacy in the world. A good example for a country which does not have full diplomatic relations with 180 nations. Chinese Taipei -one of the developing world’s most successful democracies- is only recognized by 23 countries: Belize, Burkina Faso, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gambia, Guatemala, Holy See, Haiti, Honduras, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Sao Tome & Principe, Swaziland, Tuvalu.

5. Iceland- A country without Olympic Champions

Iceland – a nation in the North Atlantic near the Arctic Circle- has never won an Olympic medal in the Winter Games. It is one of the oldest Olympic countries in the world (IOC member since 1921). Ranked by the United Nations as one of the richest countries in the world, Iceland has several sports facilities- indoor stadiums, winter Olympic arenas, sports parks and swimming pools. Many people can not believe that one of the richest nations in Europe can not win a winter Olympic medal. Unlike Iceland, Liechtenstein -an area the size of District of Columbia- has won two Olympic titles and 58 World championships. Iceland -it is slightly larger than South Korea- took part in 15 editions of the Winter Games between 1948 and 2006. Glíma, a traditional wrestling, is the national sport of Iceland.

References

-Agacino, Ricardo. “30 años”, Cuba Internacional, Habana, diciembre de 1988

-Almanaque Deportivo Mundial 1976, editorial America, Panama,

1976 – “Castro defends fighter facing ban”, The Miami Herald, August 26 2008

-Encyclopaedia Britannica Book of the Year: 1977, 1981, 1984, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chicago

-The World Almanac and Book of Facts: 1975-2007, The World Almanac Books, New York

-Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. Enciclopedia Mundototal, editorial San Marcos, Lima, 1999

——–“La silenciosa caída del deporte cubano” (The silent fall of the Cuban sport ). Lima, 5 de septiembre del 2005

-Human Development Reports: 1996-2007

-Martinez Perez , Pedro. “Desarrollo deportivo en Cuba”, Granma, Habana, 28 de mayo de 1978

-The Republic of China Yearbook. Taiwan 2002

-Urbano, Fernando.”Del Batos a Montreal”, Cuba Internacional, Habana, junio de 1978

——“Derecho al deporte”, Cuba Internacional, Habana, julio de 1976

-2004 Athens Official Report Volume 1, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 2005

-2000 Sydney Official Report Volume 2, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 2001

-1984 Los Angeles Official Report Volume 2, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 1985

-1980 Moscow Official Report Volume 2, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 1981

-1976 Montreal Official Report Volume 1, International Olympic Committee, Lausanne, 1977

Olympic protestors invariably miss their objective because they pit one motherhood issue against another.

Ideals of International Friendship

The Olympic Games are solidly based on the ideals of mind, spirit, body and international camaraderie. In ancient Olympia fair play and friendship were promoted ahead of any other aspects of the festivals and participation was more important than winning.

Thanks to Pierre de Coubertin, who after 15 centuries revived the ancient Olympic Games, those ideals are maintained and today’s athletes are also proud just to participate.

Tradition of Peace

The ancient Olympics were always held in peace thanks to the truce established by King Lycourgos of Sparta. This truce was inscribed on a metal disc displayed in a temple at Olympia. All factions of unrest in Greece were required to lay down their arms before, during and after the Festival of Games. Today’s Games should be accorded the same honor because threatening violence is the antithesis of the Olympic spirit.

Today’s higher costs cover things such as building the Olympic Village. In keeping with the original Olympics, where athletes trained and lived together for one month before the event and formed bonding friendships prior to competing, today’s athletes make international friendships which promote peace, not discord.

Peace and Celebration

Modern day governments value the Olympic Games which bring honor, goodwill, recognition and hopefully prosperity to the host city. People will change their attitudes in favor of the games once they have enjoyed the spectacle and/or received benefits in some way. The Olympics have always been held with or without demonstrations of protest. For now peace and celebration should be the focus as it was in ancient Olympia.

Michael Phelps has accomplished a seemingly impossible feat, winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympic games. That is the most gold medals ever won by an athlete in a single Olympic games!

As a gold investor like myself, you’ve probably wondered what the value of Michael Phelps Olympic medals are.

Let’s see if we can figure it out.

First, let’s determine what the gold portion of the medal would be worth.

According to the Olympic Charter, the gold and silver medals must consist of 92.5 percent pure silver. The gold medal must be coated with at least six grams of gold.

• In the futures market, a tradable unit of gold is one hundred troy ounces.
• One troy ounce is equal to 31.1 grams

For illustrative purposes, let’s assume there is six grams of gold in each gold medal.

Friday’s closing gold futures (for December delivery) price was $792.00.

To figure out the price of one gram, we would divide the gold price of $792.00 per troy ounce by 31.1. Then we would multiply that figure by six, to arrive at the price for six grams.

So using the current price of gold per ounce, the value of the gold contained in an Olympic medal would be worth around $153.00.

Now let’s figure out how much the silver portion of the medal would be worth.

We’ll also use Friday’s closing silver futures price.

At $12.82 a troy ounce, the silver portion (41 cents times 92.5 grams) of the Olympic medal would be worth $38.13.

That all adds up to an estimated value of about $191.00. Of course, the price of gold and silver fluctuates on a daily basis. So the value of the medal itself will depend upon how the metals markets are performing at the time of the calculation.

Let’s not forget that this year’s Olympic medals also include an inlaid ring of Jade. The inclusion of that precious gem will also impact the value.

The true value of an Olympic gold medal is more than just the composition of the raw materials, however.

Think about just what Michael Phelps has accomplished:

• He became the the first athlete to win 8 gold medals in an Olympic Games
• He swam 17 times in 9 days.
• He swam against 239 competitors in individual events alone!
• He smashed 7 world records!
• He set 4 world records in individual events.
• In the 200 meter butterfly, he swam a majority of the race with water-filled goggles and was unable to see. Despite this, he broke the world record!
• In the 100 meter fly, he won the race by a mere 1/100th of a second!

When you factor in all of the above, a conservative estimate for the value of those Michael Phelps Olympic gold medals are:

Priceless.

During the Gymnastics and Olympic Diving viewers learned that the judges do not use slow-motion cameras to review the athletes when they compete. Things that move in fast motion or subtle mistakes that cannot be seen in real-time thus, such points cannot be docked from their scores. Still, those mistakes are real, they did occur and should be counted, but are not. Why? Simple, because that is always how it has been done at the Olympics, and yet, such excuses seem preposterous in this day and; “We are doing it this way, because that’s the way it has always been done!” Sounds like a sorry excuse for those who are afraid of change supporting the Status Quo.

What should we do? Well, first it would be fairer to get rid of the judges all together and use a slow-motion optical recognition system to do the judging, the scores will appear faster and it takes out the human element – the human element of cheating judges for instance. Or what about the curse of the fist athlete in competition, it is known that the judges are more relaxed in scoring as time goes on in the match thus giving the advantage to the lucky diver or gymnast who goes last or next to last in the competition.

You see, the Olympic Games are about fairness – no cheating, no doping, no interference of other athletes, and in the spirit of that motif of fairness, let’s fix an obvious problem and save the Olympic Committee from embarrassment next time someone is caught cheating whether it be a coach, athlete or judge.

Okay so, now that you are with me on this, here is what I propose. Have 100 judges watch slow motion videos of divers and gymnasts and have them rate those videos and show where and why they took off points from a perfect score, thus they will be training the artificial intelligent video optical recognition system for flawless judging.

The viewers at home watching the TV can watch the instant replays and see exactly what the computerized artificial intelligent software judge saw. There will be fewer disputes and fairer play and the best athletes will win and there will be no more ambiguity in the judging anymore. If I were a gymnast or diver at the Olympic Level, I’d applaud such a system to render the events fair and I’d trust such a system that allowed the absolute best man or woman to win. Please consider all this and think on it.

1955 In Mexico City, the U.S. national squad beats the Brazilian team 3-2 (15-7, 7-15, 13-15, 16-14 and 15-9) to win its first medal (silver) in the Inaugural Women’s Volleyball Tournament at the Second Pan American Games (a performance it repeats in 1959 and 1963). This medal is the first medal of any kind for the States in volleyball in an international championship.

1956 The United States of America, birthplace of volleyball, participates for the first time in the Women’s World Championships at Paris, France, along with athletes from 16 other countries (Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, North Korea, Poland, Romania, USSR, West Germany, and the host nation).

1959 The American team finishes second in women’s volleyball at the III Pan American Games in Chicago, IL (in what may be the first women’s international volleyball tournament on U.S. soil), falling to Brazil in the finals 3-1 (15-7, 15-10, 9-15, 15-11).

1960 The national squad participates at the FIVB World Championships at Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), coming in sixth among 10 countries.

1962 America declines to compete in the World Championships in the Russian capital of Moscow in October.

1963 The IV Pan American Games (which is held every four years since 1951) are held in Brazil and serve as an Olympian qualifier for women’s volleyball. On Brazilian soil, the U.S. squad wins its third Pan American silver medal after losing to Brazil (3-1:12-15, 15-12, 15-4, 15-11) in the finals.

1964 Volleyball is admitted as an Olympian sport for the first time in the 18th Olympiad in Japan and the U.S. is one of the competitors, after Brazil announced their decision to cancel its participation as winner of the Pan American Games in 1963 (a Pre-Olympic tournament for athletes from Latin America and North America).

1964 Twelve athletes are selected for the first U.S. Olympic women’s volleyball squad. They are: Linda Murphy, Jane Ward, Jean Gaertner, Lou Galloway, Verneda Thomas, Barbara Harweth, Patti Lucas-Bright, Gail O’ Rourke, Nancy Owen, Mary Jo Peppler, Mary Margaret Perry, and Sharon Peterson.

1964 The States becomes the first country from the Americas (from Alaska to Argentina) to compete in the First Olympic Tournament, finishing in fifth place, behind Japan, USSR, Poland, and Romania.

1967 After not competing in 1962, the U.S. squad is runner-up to Japan in the 5th World Championships at Tokyo.

1967 The underdog United States volleyball team makes international headlines when they win the international tournament at the Winnipeg Pan American Games ( the country’s first Pan American gold medal in women’s volleyball and first major international title) by defeating five opponents– Canada (3-0: 15-6,15-5, 15-2), Peru (3-0:15-12, 15-8, 15-6), Mexico (3-0:15-7,15-4, 15-5), Cuba (3-0:15-8,15-8,15-10) and the defending champion Brazil (3-0:15-8,15-10,15-12). The winner gets a berth in next year’s Olympics in the metropolis of Mexico City.

1968 The Unites States sends players to the United Mexican States to compete in the Games of the 19th Olympiad. The North American country qualified for the Olympiad in the Pan American Games a year earlier.

1969 The U.S. volleyball team takes the bronze in the Inaugural Norceca (North and Central American and Caribbean regional volleyball championship) Tournament in the Mexican capital.

1970 Under the leadership of Mary Jo Peppler, the national side competes in their second consecutive FIVB World Championship in the Balkan republic of Bulgaria, placing 11th. On Bulgarian soil, Miss Pepper — a member of the first U.S. Olympic women’s volleyball squad at Tokyo’64 and 1967 Pan American Games women’s volleyball gold medalist– makes history as she is regarded as one of the top players on the planet (the first American to do so).

1971 The USA team refuses to participate in the Second Norceca Championship on Cuba.

1971 Surprisingly, the USA squad fails to qualify for the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics by finishing sixth in the VI Pan American Games at Cali ( a city in southwest Colombia, South America), after their victory over Haiti 3-0 (15-7, 15-1, 15-7).

1973 In the regional championship in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, the U.S. beats hosts (defending champion) 3-2 (15-10, 3-15, 2-15, 16-14, 15-11) to win the bronze medal, clinching America’s first appearance in the World Cup.

1973 Young-up-and-coming player Flora “Flo” Jean Hyman makes her major debut at the World University Games in the USSR/Soviet Union. Without a doubt, she will be the most famous female player in U.S volleyball history.

1973 The United States is one of 12 countries to compete in the Inaugural World Cup competition in the South American republic of Uruguay, one of the most prestigious women’s volleyball tournaments alongside the FIVB World Championship, the Grand Prix, and the Summer Games.

1973 South Korean-born Park Moo, who later was coach of the 1976 Canadian Olympic side, works with a new U.S. team.

1974 The American team -made up of six notable athletes: Paula Ditner, Leslie Knudsen, Debra Landreta, Susan Woodstra, Roxane Elías & Debbie Green– finishes 12th at the FIVB World Championship at Guadalajara (Mexico).

1974-1975 15-year-old Debbie Green becomes the youngest player in U.S history.

1975 Los Angeles (CA) hosts the IV Norceca Tournament. After defeating Mexico (3-2) and Canada (3-0), the host country finishes second in the regional championship, winning the right to compete at the 1976 Pre-Olympic Tournament in Heidelberg, West Germany.

1975 The U.S. women’s volleyball team fails to qualify for the medal round in the Seventh Pan American Games, despite defeating Mexico (the host country) 3-2 (6-15, 7-15, 15-12, 16-14, 15-11) in the first round.

1975-1984 Arie Selinger is named Head Coach of the USA Women’s Squad. Mr. Selinger has been praised by sportswriters and experts for his work with giant players, becoming an international pioneer in the sport of volleyball.

1976 After two difficult games against Bulgaria and East Germany and three victories over Switzerland, Poland, and the host Germans, the American squad, under Selinger as a head coach, fails to qualify for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games by finishing in fourth place in the Pre-Olympic Tournament at Heidelberg (Federal Republic of Germany).

1976 The Peruvian side, led by its main athlete Mercedes “Meche” Gonzalez (who later played in the state of Arizona), makes a trip to U.S. to play friendly games against the American team of Arie Selinger.

1977 In the V Norceca World Cup Qualifying in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), the U.S side — spearheaded by the top-class volleyball player Flo Hyman — takes the silver medal after losing to arch-rival Cuba 3-1 (15-2, 15-13, 8-15, 15-13).

1977 The U.S. is invited to participate in the Second World Cup in Japan.

1977 At the FIVB Volleyball World Cup in Japan’s capital city of Tokyo, America defeats Soviet Union 3-1 for the first time in U.S. volleyball history. A year ago, the USSR picked up a silver medal at the 1976 Montreal Sumer Games.

1978 Before grabbing fifth place in the Women’s World Championships on Soviet soil, America beats China 3-0 (15-13, 15-11, 15-10).

1978 Selinger’s team shocks the world with a convincing victory over Peru 3-0 in the Global Championships at Moscow, USSR. In the event, America makes history again when its athlete Flora Hyman becomes one of the world’s top female players (alongside Yuri Yokohama from Japan and Cuba’s Mercedes Perez). The last American female to win this honor was Mary Jo Peppler in the early 1970s. Miss Hyman has played more than 300 women’s volleyball matches since her official debut in 1973.

1979 The Peruvian team travels to the United States to play some matches.

1979 Despite being one of the favorites at the Pan American Games in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the States is not able to win a medal after losing to Brazil 3-2 (15-8, 7-15, 15-11,7-15 and 15-11) in the bronze-medal match.

1979 At the VI Norceca Cup on the island of Cuba, the USA squad places second, winning the right to represent Norceca in the 22nd Olympiad (a feat it repeats in 1987). An American team has not participated in the Olympian event since 1964.

1980 For the first time since 1967, the United States defeats Cuba 3-0.

1980 Due to the American boycott of the Summer Games in the USSR ( in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan), the U.S. women’s Olympic team, made up of the best American athletes available, loses a chance to become an Olympic champion at Moscow (the capital of Soviet Russia), after impressive victories over Cuba (world champion and winner of the Pan American Games in 1979) and the People’s Republic of China during the last 10 months.

1981 In a historic volleyball match, the national team wins the regional championship title over the world’s number one squad, Cuba, 3-1 at Mexico City (they had spent nearly 12 years losing in the Norceca tournaments), a feat it repeats in 1983.

1981: The U.S. women’s World Cup team makes more history: For the first time in American volleyball history, the nation defeats Japan (host -country) 3-2 (15-10, 11-15, 15-13, 12-15, 15-9 ) at the FIVB World Cup. This win would have been extremely hard to imagine in the 1960s and 1970s. On October 11, 1964 America lost, 3-0 (15-1, 15-5, 15-2) to Japan at the Summer Olympics.

1981 The women’s volleyball squad of Peru makes a visit to Colorado Springs (USA’s main Olympic center) and to other cities to play important matches against the American squad of Mr. Selinger.

1981 During the III World Cup on Japanese soil, the United States national team beats South Koreans by 3-0 15-8, 15-12, 15-6; its first-ever win over South Korea.

1981 In Japan, the star of the U.S. women’s volleyball team is the African-American Flo Hyman, one of the most charismatic players in the history of sport. A 9-year member of the U.S. women’s national team beginning 1973, she paves the way for future champions in the United States of America.

1982 The United States beats China by 3-1 in the first round before falling 3-0 to Peru in the semi-finals of World Championship in the Peruvian capital of Lima. Nonetheless, Selinger’s team continues to make volleyball history as the first North American squad to capture a world medal (bronze), following a win over Japan, who dominated women’s volleyball for a decade.

1982 For the first time in US volleyball history, Miss Rita Crockett and her fellow American Flo Hyman are named to the All-Tournament Team in Peru, beating out teammate Debbie Green, Mercedes “Mamita” Perez of Cuba and the Peruvian-born Raquel “Chunga” Chumpitaz for the award.

1983 Giant Rose Mary Magers (who stands 1,90m tall) makes her first appearance on the U.S. national team.

1983 South Korean-born American player Debbie Green (1,63m-tall) is replaced by the less-experienced Carolyn Becker (1,84m-tall) as an official setter. By the mid-1970s, Miss Green was the first Asian-American player to make the U.S. volleyball senior national team. Despite her short stature, she was one of the top setters in American volleyball history.

1983 The captain Flo Hyman and her fellow Americans are on a tour of Cuba to play seven matches (six wins and one losses), becoming one of the first American amateur teams to visit Castro’s island since the late 1950s. Seventy years ago, the United States had introduced the game of volleyball to the island of Cuba.

1983 The Soviet-trained Cuban athletes, led by their world-class players Mireya Luis Hernandez and Josefina Capote, make a travel to the United States to play eight matches (USA won all matches).

1983 The VIII Norceca Championship is held in Indianapolis (IN) with the home country beating Cuba 3-0 (15-4, 15-9, 15-13) in the finals. They, with its new young star Rose Magers, become the first U.S. team to win back-to-back Norceca titles.

1983 At the Varna Cup in Bulgaria (one of the most notable international events on Earth), America — the world’s top-ranked squad- places first, following wins over the People’s Republic of China (3-0) and the Soviet Union (3-0), respectively.

1983 In the most glorious international match in volleyball history, Cuba beats the U.S. 3-2 (17-15, 15-7, 11-15, 9-15, 15-10) for the IX Pan American Games gold medal in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas; the nation’s first Pan American medal in 16 years. A marathon game where the global star Flo Hyman is overshadowed by the 16-year-old Cuban volleyball prodigy Mireya Luis Hernandez (who stands 1,76m tall, but with a jump of 3,39 meters over the net), a key-player during the match. Days ago, the U.S. had defeated Cuba 3-1 (16-14, 16-14, 11-15, 16-14) in the first round; it was the first defeat for a Cuban women’s volleyball squad in the Pan American Games since 1971. The North American nation also had wins over five other squads: Canada (3-0), Venezuela (3-0), Brazil (3-1), Argentina (3-0), and Peru (3-0).

1983 Despite being defeated by Cuba at the IX Pan American Games in August, the USA team becomes the top ranked volleyball team in the world and big favorite to win the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Games.

1984 The U.S. squad is preparing for the 1984 Los Angeles Games! The team embarks on a worldwide tour to play several international games– Far East, Eastern Europe, and South America.

1984 As a host nation, the North American team competes in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games.

1984 Arie Selinger leads the U.S. women’s squad to a silver medal at the 1984 L.A. Summer Olympics. The Los Angeles Games represented the culmination of Selinger’s 10-year project to remake the American side (first women’s volleyball squad in U.S. history to win an Olympian medal). In California, the United States is the only country to have both its squads (men and women) advance to the finals.

1984 California-born athlete Flo Hyman and nine teammates, among them Debbie Green, Rita Crockett, and Susan Woodstra, retire from international competition upon winning a silver at the Los Angeles Games. Miss Hyman was the most outstanding female player in U.S. volleyball history. In her outstanding career, she was nicknamed “the Black giraffe” for her tall (1,96m/6 ft 5 in) at a time when had not giant players in the world of volleyball. In those years, Hyman and her fellow Americans won a bronze in the global tournament by defeating long-time champion Japan in a historic volleyball match. Previously, they had earned a spot in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. By 1981, the national team was undefeated in five games at the Tokyo World Cup, beating Japan 3-2 for the first time. In the latter half of the 1980s and 1990s, Hyman was an inspiration to many world-class players such as Rose Magers, Gabriela “Gaby” Perez del Solar Cuculiza of Peru and Cuba’s Olympic champions Regla Torres and Magaly Carvajal.

1985 With an almost entirely different roster, the United States finishes last in the South Korea Cup (an unofficial championship) in Seoul, after losing its three games (Japan, Canada, and the Republic of Korea).

1985 The national team wins the Taurus Cup at Hungary, an international event with five teams (America, Japan, Italy, France, and the host Hungarians).

1985 The States, under a new national coach, fails to qualify for the 1985 World Cup (in Far East) for the first time by finishing second in the Continental tournament at Santiago de los Caballeros (Dominican Republic).

1985 The global star Rose Magers, who won her country’s first Olympian women’s volleyball gold medal at L.A in 1984, earns a spot on the World All-Star Team (alongside Ute Oldenburg of East Germany, Cecilia Tait of Peru, Japan’s Kumi Nakada, Heloisa Roese from Brazil, and other top players from the Soviet Union, Cuba, Italy and Asia), making her the first American female to earn that honor.

1986 The U.S. squad qualifies for their sixth straight FIVB World Championship (not World Cup) in the Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia, placing 10th.

1986 Japanese-based player Flo Hyman, who was one of the U.S. women’s top players between 1973 and 1984, passes away in Tokyo. After the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she became one of the first American players to play outside of the United States and one of the first to sign a professional volleyball contract in Far East at a time when many players could not compete as professionals in the Olympics.

1986 The United States Olympic Committee sends volleyball players to the First Goodwill Games on Russian soil.

1987-2004 The Flo Hyman Memorial Award, named after the former Olympian player, is given annually by the Women’s Sports Foundation to the sportswoman who by her example has done much to stimulate Olympic ideals and women’s interest in sports. Among the winners are Martina Navratilova (tennis), Jackie Joyner-Kersee (track & field), Nancy Lopez (golf), Lynette Woodard (basketball), Evelyn Ashford (athletics), Chris Evert (tennis), and Mary Lou Retton (gymnastics).

1987 Despite missing key players, the national team earns a Pan American bronze medal on home soil, behind Cuba and Peru and well ahead of Brazil (silver at the South American Cup) and Canada.

1987 In the 10th regional championship on Cuba’s capital, the North American nation is runner-up, clinching America’s fourth appearance in the Summer Olympics.

1989 At the Norceca World Cup Qualifying on Puerto Rico, the U.S women’s national volleyball team places third, losing a semi-final match to Canada.

1989 The first U.S. Under-17 team competes internationally in the FIVB Girls’ Youth Volleyball World Championship in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba.

1990 The underdog United States volleyball squad wins the bronze medal in the FIVB Women’s World Championships in the People’s Republic of China -the squad’s best World Tournament showing since the early 1980s– following a victory over the favorite, Cuba (led by its East German-trained coach Antonio Perdomo). It is one of the most extraordinary results in the history of the World Championship.

1991 At the 12nd Norceca Championship, the USA team places second, after losing to Cuba.

1991 Sportswoman Caren Marie Alexius Kemner leads the U.S women’s World Cup team to a fourth place finish in the Japan World Tournament by defeating Peru 3-2, earning a berth in the 1992 Summer Games in the Spaniard city of Barcelona.

1992 Caren Kemner becomes one of the world’s top female players at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, helping the U.S. volleyball team win a bronze medal (the nation’s first Olympian medal in eight years) by beating Brazil 3-0 (15-8, 15-6, 15-13).

1994: The North American players make a travel to Sao Paulo (Brazil) to compete in the Global Championship.

1995 100 years after being invented by W.G. Morgan in Holyoke (MA), volleyball is the second-largest participation sport on U.S. soil.

1995 America becomes one of the two best squads in the Western Hemisphere upon winning the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Mar del Plata (Argentina).

1995 The United States, led by its international star Tara Cross-Battle, defeats Brazil 3-2 (15-9, 15-10, 4-15, 5-15, 15-12) to capture the Third Volleyball World Grand Prix. This team becomes the first female team in U.S. history to win a major international championship. It is called the biggest upset ever in volleyball international.

1996 The Olympic Volleyball Tournament returns to the United States (Atlanta, GA) after a 12-year absence.

1999 In the regional championship, America’s team places second, qualifying for the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.

2000 Hawaii-born player Robyn Mokihana Ah Mow leads the U.S. squad to a fourth place finish in the Games of the 27th Olympiad in Sydney (New South Wales, Australia), after finishing seventh at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games.

2001 America defeats China to become winner of the Volleyball World Grand Prix played in Macau, a former Portuguese dependency in Far East.

2001 The U.S. women wins back the Norceca championship by defeating defending champion Cuba 3-1 in the first place match.

2002 U.S. player Tayyiba Haneef-Park (6ft 7 in) is one of the most outstanding athletes in the FIVB Women’s World Championships on German soil, helping the U.S. squad win a silver medal.

2003 The North American country captures the Norceca Tournament for the second time in a row, beating 3-0 Cuba in the final and repeating its feat from 1981,1983, and 2001.

2003 Chinese-born Lang “Jenny” Ping, a member of the gold-medal winning Olympic volleyball team in 1984, becomes the first female in U.S. volleyball history to be named head of coach of the women’s national team.

2003 The Pan American Cup in Saltillo (Mexico) is won by the American side of Toshi Yoshida, who debuted as an assistant coach of the national squad in the early 1980s.

2003 The American women are the surprise squad of the World Grand Prix, winning the third place (behind the People’s Republic of China and Russia).

2004 The U.S. squad qualifies for the Summer Games for the seventh consecutive time.

2004 For the second consecutive time, the U.S. wins the bronze medal at the Volleyball World Grand Prix.

2007 At the Norceca Championship at Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada), the North American country comes in second behind Cuba’s team (first).

2008 Lang Ping (one of the top female players in the latter half of the 20th century) leads the 2008 United States Olympic team, composed in great part of professionals, to a second place finish in the Beijing Summer Games (the highest Olympic finish) after losing to arch-rival Brazil 3-1 in the gold medal match. In the People’s Republic of China, the States and Brazil are the only countries to have both their teams (women & men) advance to the finals.

2009 Hugh McCutcheon is named head coach of the U.S. women’s national team (WNT), replacing Lang Ping. By 2008, he coached the U.S national men’s team to Olympic gold medal at Beijing.

2009 McCutcheon’s team finishes fourth in the VIII Pan American Tournament played in Miami, FL.

2010 At the First Young Summer Games at Singapore City, the U.S. Under-20 National Team places second behind Belgium (gold) and ahead of Peru (bronze).

2010 The United States team, led by its top-class player Foluke Akinradewo (who plays in Japan’s professional league) beats Brazil 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 28-30, 25-17, 13-15) to win its third World Grand Prix.

2011 Under the leadership of Nancy Metcalf, who plays professionally in the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, the national team wins the Norceca Championship in Caguas (Puerto Rico) with victories over the Dominican Republic (3-0), Cuba (3-0), Mexico (3-0), Canada (3-0), and the island-nation of Trinidad Tobago (3-0).

2011 The United States U-20 squad celebrates their bronze medal in the Junior World Championships in Lima (Peru).

2011 New Zealand-born Hugh McCutcheon leads the U.S. women’s World Cup team (made up of 11 professional players) to a second place finish in the FIVB Tokyo World Cup, gaining a berth in the 2012 Summer Games in the United Kingdom.

2011 The Unites States Olympic Committee sends an unofficial female squad to the Pan American Games at Guadalajara (Mexico), winning a bronze medal.

2011 The national team, led by its Italian-based player Destinee Hooker, successfully defends its World Grand Prix title, becoming the first North American squad to win back-to-back championships and capturing the attention of many experts and sportswriters around the globe. They, on the other hand, have become the fourth American team to take home a world title.

2012 The American women’s volleyball squad is one of the favorites to capture the gold medal in the 2012 Summer Games in the British Isles, upon their international wins between 2010 and 2012. They are professional athletes abroad, especially in the oil-rich country of Azerbaijan.

#FreelanceWebDesigner #WebDeveloper #WebDesigner

Taekwondo is a martial art that originated in South Korea, and is the national sport of that nation. The sport’s name is actually quite descriptive in the Korean language, as “tae” means “to strike or break with foot, “kwon” mean “to strike or break with fist,” and “do” means the “way,” “path,” or “method.” The name can be loosely translated to mean, “The way of the hand and foot.”

Taekwondo has a long and storied history, stretching back at least 1,000 years. Most notable about the sport is its fantastic and eye-grabbing kicks. Taekwondo has been a part of the Olympic games since 2000 at the Sydney, Australia Olympic Games, after being first demonstrated in 1988.

TRADITIONAL TAEKWONDO VERSUS SPORT TAEKWONDO

As might be expected, there is a difference between the styles of taekwondo. The traditional variety is heavily rooted in elements of Korean history and culture, and has its modern origins in the South Korean military, as well as educational institutions. Sport taekwondo is more familiar to those viewing the Olympics, with an emphasis on speed and sparring.

TAEKWONDO AT THE OLYMPICS

Those competing in taekwondo at the Olympics participate in a single elimination tournament for each of the 4 weight categories (flyweight, lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight). Repechage competition occurs for the bronze medal contest, where the winner of the single elimination tournament captures the gold metal with the loser taking silver.

Those who lose during the single elimination tournament are eligible to compete in the repechage, with those losing during semifinals earning a seed to the repechage finals on the opposite side of the bracket. Others retain their bracket position and proceed to the repechage unseeded. Bronze medals are awarded to the two finalists of the repechage.

Nations, whether host nations or not, send two female and two male competitors for each weight class to compete in the Olympics.

South Korea, as might be expected, has taken the lion’s share of Olympic gold medals in the sport since its introduction at the games. China ranks behind at number two, with less than half of the total medal count of South Korea.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR DURING A TAEKWONDO MATCH

Taekwondo is best known for its kicking techniques. Other martial arts such as karate and kung fu are not so heavy on these techniques, setting taekwondo apart. The originators of taekwondo had a philosophy that the legs are both the strongest and lengthiest weapons on the human body, therefore they should be the chief weapons used in combat. Legend has it that Koreans found the hands to be the body’s valuable asset, and that they should not be used in combat — at least not as its main weapon.

When watching a match, you can get a clue to who has the advantage by paying attention to certain factors. Keeping the correct distance from a competitor can be very advantageous. Scoring is incumbent on judging accurately where to place a kick, so those who have a good sense of body placement and distance have a good advantage. Ring awareness is another important factor. Experienced competitors know not to move into corners, so as to restrict the view of judges.