While Russian gymnast Angelina Melnikova was competing on the balance beam in the women’s Olympic all-around final, her name rang out across the arena, but its pronunciation was decidedly American. The U.S. gymnasts sitting in the stands were cheering her on as she went through her leaps and jumps. And as she set up for […]
Sport climbing is making its debut at the Olympic Games this year. To win a medal, 20 men and 20 women will each compete in three separate events: lead, speed and boulder. To explain what differentiates the three events, what all the climbing lingo means and what it will take to win gold, Tokyo Olympics […]
Sport climbers have a lot to worry about during competition: the difficulty of the climb, the risk of falling, the distractions from spectators and the speed of their opponent. But Olympic climber Alannah Yip has found a way to work through her anxiety using a mindfulness technique called “color breathing.” This practice helps her get […]
History says the U.S. women’s soccer team tends to perform best with its back against the wall. Each of the four times they failed to win a World Cup, the Americans followed by winning the Olympic gold medal the following year. And after their worst finish in a major tournament — a loss to Sweden […]
Before discovering gymnastics, Kathy Johnson ran track and was quite good at it. She was so good, in fact, that for a time she thought she might become a track and field Olympian. It’s not unusual for athletes to explore other hobbies and interests before settling on their specialty. But for most elite gymnasts, the […]