Here is a video portrait of Olympic snowboarder Shaun White by Keith Carter, USA Today. Shaun White is the top snowboarder in the world. He is expected to win the gold again at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Take a look:
The 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay began this week with a ceremony at Olympia in Greece. The relay will last 106 days and will eventually end in Vancouver, the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics. It was pretty cool how a parabolic mirror was used to use the Sun's ray to light the torch. Take a look:
NPRreports that golf and rugby will be added as Olympic sports at the 2016 Olympic in Rio de Janeiro. Golf was last an olympic sport in 1904 and Rugby was last played at the olympics in 1924.
Both were reinstated for the 2016 and 2020 games after a vote Friday by the International Olympic Committee.
The vote also was a victory for Jacques Rogge, the IOC president who was re-elected to a final four-year term hours earlier. The 67-year-old Belgian, the president since 2001, was the only candidate.
"Time will show your decision [on the new sports] was very wise," Rogge said.
Each sport received majority support in separate votes after leading athletes and officials from both camps gave presentations, including a taped video message from Woods and other top pros. Woods has indicated he would play in the Olympics if golf were accepted for 2016.
It should be interesting. Both of the very different sports were strongly approved. Tiger Woods says he will golf for a medal in 2016.
Former medal winning U.S. track and field star Marion Jones was released from prison Friday after serving a six-month sentence. She was sentenced earlier this year about lying to federal invesigators about using performance-enhancing substances at the Olympic games. Jones denied using steroids for years before finally admitting using them. Marion Jones says it was an "incredibly stupid thing to do" and says she is fully responsible for her actions.
You probably missed this one at the Olympic games. It's cheerleaders for the beach volleyball games. The beach volleyball dancers performed before the matches and during breaks.
The Wall Street Journal's Chris Rhoads asks Michael Phelps about how he intends to capitalize on the Phelps brand to pursue business opportunities. He plans to take a lesson from another Michael - Michael Jordan. Phelps has already cut one deal - with Kellogs and Frost Flakes - which some say could be a mistake. It will be interesting to see if Phelps can become as huge of a brand as superstar athletes like Micheal Jordan, Tiger Woods and David Beckham. Phelps does sound very modest and very calm in all the interviews.
WSJ's Loretta Chao reports that the 2008 Beijing Games is considered the first "Internet" Olympics. Because of limited television coverage, many are going to the Web to watch minority events like water polo. It is great to have expanded coverage for some of these sports. NBC can only carry so much on broadcast tv but online they can offer much more. Water polo has been one of the most popular sports.
U.S. swimmer Mark Phelps is rapidly accumulating gold medals. He picked up his third today at the Water Cube reports the Chicago Tribune.
No heavy lifting, to pick up gold medal No. 3, was required this time.
Michael Phelps took away the tension almost immediately on Tuesday morning at the Water Cube, leading by the first 15 meters and then seemed to shift into cruise control, lowering his own world record in the 200-meter freestyle at the Olympics, going 1 minute 42.96 seconds.
Didn't someone by the name of Ian Thorpe used to swim this race? Phelps is three for three, all world records, including the classic of a 400 free relay on Monday morning
The medal was Phelps' ninth Olympic gold medal - tying him with Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis. You can find the bio for Mark Phelps here on NBCOlympics.com.
The U.S. crushed China 101-70 in the highly anticipated basketball matchup. The game was close for the first half. LeBron James led the U.S. in scoring with 18. China's Yao scored 13 points.
However, with LeBron James scoring 18 points and Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard both contributing 13, the Americans eased clear of a tiring Chinese team.
More than a billion people were estimated to have seen the game on television.
US coach Mike Krzyzewski said: "More people were supposed to be watching this game than any other in basketball history, and we treated that as a great honour. Both teams responded to the magnitude of the event."
Yao, who scored 13 points, said: "It was a great game played in a fantastic atmosphere, with all the flags and cheering. Everyone was very proud."
8-8-08 arrives and the Olympics began with a stunning opening display in Beijing at a building dubbed the Bird's Nest. The Associated Press calls the opening a "a stunning display of pyrotechnics and pageantry."
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the world record holder in the 100 meters, will also run the 200 meters in Beijing reports the AP. Bolt broke the world record in the 100 in New York this May. Usain Bolt has been one of the most widely discussed athletes appearing at the Beijing games.
The opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing is getting closer and closer. Those curious about the games may want to check out Time's special piece about 100 athelets to watch in Beijing.
Listed at #1 is rising U.S. basketball star LeBron James who has promised an Olympic gold in basketball for the U.S. It's more than just a promise since any medal other than gold would be consider a massive failure for the U.S. basketball team. James will be up against Yao Ming who plays for the NBA's Houston Rockets but will be playing for his home team of China at the Olympic Games.
Another athelete to watch is China's own Liu Xiang, who suprised analysts with a victory in the 110-m hurdles in Athens. Also check out U.S. sprinter Allyson Felix, 16-year-old U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson, Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice and China's diver Guo Jingjing. If you are interested in getting excited about the Olympics this great list from Time will help you to better know many of the possible stars of the 2008 Olympics.
Nightly News reports that a last minute decision by the IOC will allow five Iraqi Olympic team members to attend the Beijing Olympics. However, the decision came very late and as Nightly News reports some of the small Iraqi Olympic team have missed the registration date. The AFP has more details about the IOC's delayed decision.
This satellite image captured by DigitalGlobe shows the National Stadium and Aquatics Center in Beijing. The Beijing Olympics being on August 8th, 2008. The official site for the game is en.beijing2008.cn.
Did Japanese Cycling Event Buy Its Way Into Olympic Games?
A BBC article suggests that a fast-paced Japanese cycling sports called the keirin may have bought its way into the Olympic Games.
The payments were allegedly made in the 1990s. The sport, called the keirin, was supported for inclusion into the Games by the UCI, and admitted in 1996.
The UCI and its president at the time, Hein Verbruggen, deny any wrongdoing.
The keirin is a rapid and exciting track cycling event an event where riders are initially paced around a track by a motorcycle before sprinting for the line.
It is big business in its country of origin, Japan, commanding tens of millions of dollars in gambling revenue every year.
But despite its financial clout, the one thing keirin has always lacked is an international profile.
Wikipedia's entry says Keirin began in Japan in 1948. You can read a couple articles describing the sport here and here. Despite the controversy it does look like an exciting support. You can see a video of a race in this YouTube video.
The Associated Press has an interview with U.S. olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin. We recently learned about the swimsuit she will be wearing. Coughlin says she feels really good so far and she is starting to get into the routine of camp. She also says it is overwhelming because of all the attention it gets.
Concerns about what China is doing to Tibet is igniting protests along the path of the Olympic torch. Protests marred the torch proceedings in London and Paris. The torch had to be temporarily extinguished in Paris because of these protests. A similar protest is expected to meet the torch in San Francisco.
There were protests as the Olympic torch was passed to China on Sunday by Greek officials. Inside the ceremony was beautiful despite the grim action that China has taken recently against Tibet.
U.S. track star Marion Jones began her six-month sentence in federal prison Friday. Jones was sentenced to in jail for perjury. She lied about her steroid use at the Sydney Games. Jones was also stripped of her five medals she won at the games.
7-foot-6 Chinese basketball star Yao Ming is out for the season with a foot injury. Sadly, the injury may also dash Yao's Olympic hopes. Newsweekreports that 1 million Chinese fans are weeping alongside Houston Rockets fans.
Marion Jones is going to serve six months in jail for perjury - for lying about her steroid use at the Sydney Games. Jones had already been stripped of her five medals - she won three gold medals in the 2000 Olympic Games and become a celebrity appearing on the cover of Vogue. The BBC reports that there had always been accusations of steroid use surrounding Jones but she never admitted it until last year.
But in October of last year, an emotional Jones pleaded guilty to lying about her steroid use to US investigators, admitting that she had taken steroids ahead of the Sydney Games.
She retired from the sport and the IOC stripped Jones of her five Olympic medals and erased the American's results dating from September 2000.
In 1984, a nine-year-old Jones had written "I'm going to be an Olympic champion" on her bedroom blackboard.
But for jailed Jones her Olympic dreams, past and present, are well and truly over.
Sports Illustrated has a Marion Jones timeline here. This timeline ends in 2000 but an entry on Infoplease has a couple paragraphs on Jones' life from 2000 to 2007 including her struggles at the 2004 Olympics. The Wikipedia entry is also very informative.
Brian Sell has earned himself a spot on the Olympic team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Sell is a member of the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project (ODP), an elite running group sponsored by Brooks Sports
"Competing in the Olympics has been my dream for as long as I can remember," said Sell, a six-year member of the Hansons-Brooks ODP team. "Every day through training I had one goal in mind -- to run for my country in Beijing. It's an incredible feeling knowing my hard work has paid off, and I have my team to thank for pushing me each day."
In the largest field for the Olympic Team Trials -- Men's Marathon since 1984, 134 of the top runners in the United States competed in the race, including all three members of the 2004 Olympic Men's Marathon Team.
Sell began the race conservatively, and then stepped out to lead the pack at the 32k. He then settled into a steady pace for two loops through the challenging Central Park course. With power and determination banked, Sell moved into fourth place by mile 21. Surging further still, Sell advanced one more position near mile 22, maintaining his standing until the end for a commanding third-place finish.
"The competition was fierce this year, with 54 more runners than the 2004 trials," said Keith Hanson, founder and coach of the Hansons-Brooks ODP. "It shows distance running is truly making a comeback, and I'd like to think that our team -- with 13 men and four women qualifying for the Trials -- has helped inspire this resurgence."
Sell clocked in an unofficial time of 2:11:40. Sell will join fellow Olympic teammates Ryan Hall and Dathan Ritzenhein in Beijing in August 2008.
NPR 
U.S. swimmer Mark Phelps is rapidly accumulating gold medals. He picked up his third today at the Water Cube 
The U.S. 
The opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing is getting closer and closer. Those curious about the games may want to check out Time's 
Marion Jones is going to 
Brian Sell has earned himself a spot on the Olympic team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Sell is a member of the 