All posts tagged: Olympic Games

Cowboy hats, the Hulk and short shorts: the final days of Olympics fashion – in pictures | Fashion

Cowboy hats, the Hulk and short shorts: the final days of Olympics fashion – in pictures | Fashion

Published by skeptic

Teams including France, pictured here, have been competing in the artistic swimming – formerly known as synchronised swimming – at the aquatics centre north of Paris. When synchro was introduced at the 1984 Olympics, the New York Times declared it one of the new Olympic ‘glamour events’. A focus on the bedazzled costumes and aesthetics, according to Time, cemented ‘the idea that the world of competitive synchro was a feminine, performative domain’. This year, for the first time, men were allowed to compete, although none did. Watch this space for LA 2028 Source link

French swimmer Marchand wins gold with Olympic record in men’s 400-metre medley

French swimmer Marchand wins gold with Olympic record in men’s 400-metre medley

Published by Sam

France’s Léon Marchand won a gold medal and set an Olympic record in the men’s 400-metre individual medley at the Paris Games on Sunday, pulling away from his rivals as thousands of fans at La Defense Arena chanted his name. Issued on: 28/07/2024 – 21:47 3 min With a flag-waving crowd cheering his every stroke, Léon Marchand delivered a swimming gold for France with a dominating victory in the men’s 400-meter individual medley Sunday night. Marchand was ahead as soon as his head popped from the water and he steadily pulled away from the field in what was essentially two separate races: Marchand racing the clock and everyone else competing for silver and bronze. He was under world-record pace on the final turn but faded a bit coming home, touching in 4 minutes, 2.95 seconds — an Olympic record, but just shy of his own world mark of 4:02.50. Marchand claimed that mark at last year’s world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, erasing a record held by Michael Phelps for 15 years. Not surprisingly, the young …

Bullied, belittled but indisputably brilliant: how Victoria Pendleton became a cycling legend; and what’s missing from Twisters? – podcast | Life and style

Bullied, belittled but indisputably brilliant: how Victoria Pendleton became a cycling legend; and what’s missing from Twisters? – podcast | Life and style

Published by skeptic

Victoria Pendleton is one of Britain’s greatest ever athletes, but has often felt like a failure and fraud. She tells Simon Hattenstone about her Olympic golds, the misery that came with them, and the joy she has found since she retired. And Twisters is the tornado blockbuster that almost has it all. But its two hot stars – Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones – avoid a climactic smooch. Is Steven Spielberg to blame? How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know Source link

Team GB’s plan for Paris? Air con, ice vests and baristas – podcast | News

Team GB’s plan for Paris? Air con, ice vests and baristas – podcast | News

Published by skeptic

The Paris Olympics 2024 are about to begin, bringing two-and-a-half weeks of sporting wonder to our screens. Behind the scenes, Team GB’s chief executive, Andy Anson, has been working hard to prepare everything the athletes need. He tells Helen Pidd why, as well as ultra-hi-tech wetsuits, the team are taking a barista – and why a good plumber can be essential. He explains the importance of security and psychologists, and why we have a whole new boxing team. And he offers some tips of which athletes to keep an eye on. The Guardian’s chief sports editor, Sean Ingle, is in Paris and tells us which events he is most excited about, what records are likely to be broken and if any surprises are in store. Photograph: DeFodi Images/Getty Images Support The Guardian The Guardian is editorially independent. And we want to keep our journalism open and accessible to all. But we increasingly need our readers to fund our work. Support The Guardian Source link

Paris 2024: the history and architecture – in eye-catching images | Sport

Paris 2024: the history and architecture – in eye-catching images | Sport

Published by skeptic

Arnaud Assoumani, who won long jump gold at the 2008 Paralympics following bronze at Athens 2004, before triple jump silver at London 2012, poses in front of the Louvre’s Pyramide, designed by Ieoh Ming Pei. Originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century, the Louvre became one of the main residences of the kings of France and is one of the largest museums in the world. Photograph: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images Source link

Russian disinformation campaign targets Paris Games, Microsoft says

Russian disinformation campaign targets Paris Games, Microsoft says

Published by Sam

Russia is waging a “malign” disinformation campaign aimed at the Paris Olympics and French President Emmanuel Macron, Microsoft warned on Tuesday, accusations Moscow dismissed as “slander”.  Issued on: 03/06/2024 – 22:57 2 min Russia is waging an intense disinformation campaign aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the International Olympic Committee and stoking fears of violence at this summer’s Paris Games, according to a new report from Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center. According to Microsoft, the influence operations utilise a potent mix of fake videos, fictitious news stories, and AI-generated impersonations, including the faked voice of Hollywood star Tom Cruise. “Russia is ramping up these malign campaigns against France, President (Emmanuel) Macron, the IOC, and the Paris Olympics,” said Clint Watts, general manager of the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, in a blog post Sunday. “While Russia has a decades-long history of targeting the Olympic Games, the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center has observed old tactics blending with artificial intelligence… that may intensify as the 2024 Paris opening ceremony approaches,” he added. Prolific Russian influence actors tracked by Microsoft as Storm-1679 …

The adventures of the Belem, the historic French sailing ship bringing the Olympic flame to France

The adventures of the Belem, the historic French sailing ship bringing the Olympic flame to France

Published by Sam

The mission of transporting the Olympic flame on the first leg of its journey to the opening ceremony in Paris was given to one of the France’s most venerable sailing ships, the Belem, built in 1896. Issued on: 27/04/2024 – 06:42Modified: 27/04/2024 – 10:36 3 min Between April 26 and May 8, the ship will sail the Mediterranean to bring the flame from Greece to Marseille, the start of the Olympic torch relay on French soil. It’s fair to say that the task of conveying the flame to France is only the latest of the ship’s adventures over the past 128 years. The Belem escaped disaster in 1902 during a massive volcanic eruption while at anchor off Saint Pierre, Martinique. While approaching the port of Yokohama, Japan, in 1923, the ship again avoided the worst when an earthquake destroyed much of the city. The Belem is a three-masted barque 58 metres long and 8.8 metres wide and carries 22 sails, the heaviest weighing 800 kg. Her main mast measures 34 metres above sea level. Maximum …

Justice Department to pay 9 million to USA Gymnastics sex abuse victims

Justice Department to pay $139 million to USA Gymnastics sex abuse victims

Published by Sam

The United States Justice Department said Tuesday it had agreed to pay almost $139 million to victims of sex abuser Larry Nassar, for its bungled investigation into the former USA Gymnastics team doctor. Issued on: 24/04/2024 – 00:25 2 min For nearly two decades, Nassar subjected hundreds of people to abuse under the guise of performing medical treatment. His victims included Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and other top names in the sport. Despite complaints, the FBI initially did not act, and Nassar continued to act with impunity. He was ultimately convicted in late 2017 and early 2018 of sexually assaulting hundreds of athletes, and is serving up to 175 years in prison. “For decades… Nassar abused his position, betraying the trust of those under his care and medical supervision while skirting accountability,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice on Tuesday. “These allegations should have been taken seriously from the outset. (…) While these settlements won’t undo the harm Nassar …

French air traffic controller strike threaten travel chaos at Paris airports

French air traffic controller strike threaten travel chaos at Paris airports

Published by Sam

French air traffic controllers are to stage a one-day strike Thursday that risks seeing most flights cancelled at the two main Paris airports, France’s leading aviation association warned Tuesday. Issued on: 23/04/2024 – 19:03 1 min Unions called the strike after a breakdown of negotiations on salary increases and other measures in a planned overhaul of France’s air traffic control system. The action has raised new concerns over the risk of strikes during the Olympic Games that Paris is due to host from late July, when hundreds of thousands of extra visitors are expected. The main air traffic union has also warned it could order several days of strike action over a busy May holiday weekend if its demands are not met.  The strike is going to be “very strongly followed”, said Pascal de Izaguirre, the head of FNAM, an umbrella group of French aviation industry unions. He said 75 percent of flights could be cancelled at Paris Orly airport and 65 percent at Charles de Gaulle, the capital’s main airport. Regional airports are also …