Sonja Henie – First ice skating celebrity

Norwegian Sonja Henie is a figure skating legend who is also considered the first ice skating celebrity. She dared to try the same jumps as the men and won gold at three different Olympics. She also became one of the most popular movie stars in Hollywood.

At the age of fourteen, Henie won the first of an unprecedented ten World Figure Skating Championships in 1927, and her first Olympic gold medal the following year. She went on to become a three-time Olympic Champion (1928, 1932, 1936), a ten-time World Champion (1927-1936) and a six-time European Champion (1931-1936).

Henie is credited with being the first figure skater to adopt the short skirt costume in figure skating, and make use of dance choreography. Her innovative skating techniques and glamour transformed the sport permanently and confirmed its acceptance as a legitimate sport in the Winter Olympics.

This video shows one of Sonja Henie’s ice show performances.

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Kelly Clark heading to Vancouver

Snowboarder Kelly Clark secured a trip to her third Olympics this week.

Clark defeated 2006 gold medal winner Hannah Teter to make her two for two this season in the U.S. Grand Prix events, which are being used to determine the riders who will represent the U.S. in Vancouver next month.

“Before the last Olympics, I qualified last,” Clark said of the 2006 effort, where she was a late qualifier and finished fourth at the Games. “So, yeah, this feels really good. It gives me a chance to use the rest of the season to work on things, practice my harder jumps in competition.”

There are three more Olympic qualifiers this month, starting Friday with another event at Mammoth Mountain. The full team will be selected at the end of January.

Throughout the comp, signs in the stands paid tribute to injured snowboarder Kevin Pearce, who suffered a brain injury during a fall last week while training.  Fortunately, news comes today that his condition has been upgraded and he’s improving.

Burton goes denim & plaid to outfit the US Olympic snowboard team

Earlier this month, Burton unveiled the US Snowboard Team Uniforms for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.  And in sharp contrast to other nations, the Vermont based company has  given the team a distinct ‘un-uniform’ edge – utilizing well worn denim plus a special red, white and blue plaid.  When the US Snowboard Team steps onto the World’s stage this February in Vancouver, they will look and feel unmatched with designs that speak to both individuality and heritage, key hallmarks of the Burton brand and the snowboard culture.

The Olympic uniforms feature a fresh and progressive style while also managing to pay tribute to more classic Americana fashion staples. The pants seamlessly integrate the look of real, worn, vintage denim (very cool), and the jackets feature plaids adorned with leather patches and chenille crests with both pieces incorporating the performance benefits of Gore-Tex fabric.

All product development at Burton is rider driven and this Olympic outerwear is no exception. Burton held a roundtable discussion with top pro-snowboarders and Olympic hopefuls Elena Hight, Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis, Kevin Pearce, Jack Mitrani, Luke Mitrani, Steve Fisher, Scotty Lago, and Louie Vito to review design concepts for the outerwear before arriving at the final creation.

“Since its inception, Burton has been a rider driven company,” said Jake Burton, Founder and Chairman of Burton Snowboards. “For the creation of the US Snowboard Team uniform, we listened carefully to the riders’ needs and used their input to ensure that the final fit, fabrics and overall design would maximize their performances and take these riders to the podium. It was also absolutely critical to ensure these Olympic uniforms were worthy of bearing the Burton name.”

“Although we are creating a uniform, our first objective is to express the individuality of snowboarding. As such, we are taking vintage American looks and interpreting them in a very unique and unexpected fashion.” says Greg Dacyshyn, Senior Vice President of Creative at Burton.

Looks like they’ve successfully managed to straddle both patriotic and street-influenced factors for the Games. What do you think?

Olympic athletes to sport vintage-inspired style

The Countdown to the Olympics includes a lot of important  preparations, not the least of which is what the athletes are going to wear at the Games.

As he has done before, Ralph Lauren will have a hand in outfitting the athletes. His  affinity for Americana will be on full display  at the Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia — complete with a patriotic palette of red, white and blue, along with stars-and-stripes flags and, of course, polo ponies.

Long-sleeve T-shirts with big bold graphics printed on the chest are part of the Olympic Village wardrobe, as well as white warm-up jackets with red and blue stripes down the sleeves and old-school alpine ski sweaters decorated with reindeer.

The closing-ceremony parade outfit includes a mostly red and blue shawl-collar sweater with antique buttons, a newsboy cap, a plaid shirt for the men, and a navy ribbed turtleneck for the women.

“We took a lot of inspiration from the 1930s games, reaching into the heyday of the Olympics and bringing to a more modern sensibility,” said David Lauren, the company’s senior vice president of advertising, marketing and communications.

During an Olympic fashion segment on the TODAY show, freestyle skiers Sho Kashima and Emily Cook modeled the closing ceremony outfits, including the vintage-inspired newsboy caps, cardigans, alpine boots and fleece pants.

Ralph Laureh, who dressed the American athletes for the summer games two years ago, has signed on with the U.S. Olympic Committee through 2012 in London to provide ceremonial clothes as well as recreational looks. It’s also creating the outfits for the Paralympic teams.

While the winter athletes will sport Ralph Lauren for the open/closing ceremonies,  Nike will rock the podium. The sportswear giant, who has also signed on as an official supplier for the winter games, will provide apparel and footwear for Olympians — for the competition, on the medal stand, and for wearing casually in the Olympic village. Focusing on incorporating sustainable “considered design,” Nike’s design team researched the variety of winter sports conditions the athletes are likely to encounter, from icy storms to heavy snow, and created fashionable modern looks that will also be available to the public at Niketown stores.

Nike unveiled the medal stand looks — blue waterproof down jackets — on short track speed skater J.R. Celski and snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler during the Olympic fashion segment on TODAY. The jackets featured 100 percent recycled fabric, 800-fill down insulation, and a unique faded fabric print that is customized for every single jacket.

With Nike and Ralph Lauren teaming up with the USOC on the fashion front, at least the U.S. athletes will sport a winning look.

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No clear answer from IOC for women ski jumpers

The fight to include women’s ski jumping has been going on for a while.

After all the controversy, it seems the IOC has a responsibility to help this sport grow and with minimal effort and cost they can do it. Many sports have been added to the Olympic program over the years of lesser stature but for this sport at this time there seems to be a definitive bias. Power can be used for both good and bad and unfortunately IOC President Jacques Rogge is the one who has it right now. Here’s his response to the athletes most recent missive:

Dear Ladies,

Thank you for your letter dated 4 September 2009.

You have clearly made important strides to develop women’s ski jumping since our decision in 2006 – and in coming years we are open to considering women’s ski jumping for inclusion in future Olympic Winter Games. However, we remain convinced that our decision in 2006 was the correct one, based on the analysis of the event done at that time, and our position for the 2010 Games is unchanged.

I am sure that with your passion for your sport and with the continued support of the International Ski Federation (FIS), your efforts to improve and develop women’s ski jumping globally will create a very compelling argument for the Olympic Programme Commission, when the winter programme is reviewed in the future.

I am pleased that you agree that the inclusion of women’s ski jumping in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is a wonderful initiative and hopefully, with your help, the YOG can play a part in encouraging the next generation of young female athletes to take-up this exciting event.

We continue to work, as Justice Fenlon noted, for “the inclusion of women in the Olympics and in amateur sports”, as well as in the fields of sports leadership and administration, and your commitment to your sport and its development will greatly assist in this domain. I wish you good luck during your competitions this up-coming season and thank you for your continued engagement to sport.

Yours sincerely,
Jacques Rogge

The 15  female ski jumpers who have filed suit are (understandably)  disappointed Rogge’s letter does not address their specific query about the technical requirements they allegedly fail to meet. As they’ve stated repeatedly, they’re confident they do indeed meet all the universality and technical requirements needed to participate fully at the Olympics.

They’ll now  concentrate their efforts on the appeal of their legal case to be heard in the BC Court of Appeal Nov. 12 & 13. That’s just three months before the Olympics begin on Feb 2010. Time is  running out and a  split decision in the Appeal Court would likely prompt a bid to put the issue to the Supreme Court of Canada.

How high must these women jump to get on the Olympic programme? If you want to help out, sign the petition to let the ladies jump now.

IOC pushes friendship and unity with new commercial

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched the latest component of “The Best of Us” promotional campaign, a multifaceted, global effort that aims to bring the Olympic values to life and engage young people around the world.

An animated commercial, entitled “All Together Now,” was broadcast for the first time by NBC during the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, in Berlin, Germany.

In the 30-second public service announcement, six larger-than-life Olympic athletes are depicted literally pulling countries together, symbolizing the inspiration of the athletes and their superhuman abilities to unite the world  through friendship and unity. Continuing the messaging that began in a 2007 campaign the spot ends with “The best of us” tagline.

The commercial is part of the IOC’s ongoing attempt to engage young people in the Olympics and the spirit it represents, especially in between events.

“We want to maintain relevance,” said Timo Lumme, IOC director for television and marketing. “We don’t want to go silent in between games.”

The Winter Games are set for Vancouver in February and the first Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Singapore next August.

The objective of the promotional campaign is to communicate the key Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect to a global youth audience. “The Best of Us” is a simple, powerful idea that transcends cultures and borders, motivating young people around the world to participate in sport by proving that sport can bring out their best.

Check out the spot and tell us what you think:

Swimmer Natalie Coughlin among new “Dancing with the Stars” cast

Natalie Coughlin can do the backstroke and the breastroke in world record time, but can she do the paso doble or tango?

Coughlin, who has made a big splash in the Olympics, will attempt to excel in the ballroom during the upcoming season of ABC’s “DWTS.” She was among the 16 celebrities named to the “Dancing with the Stars” cast, as announced Monday morning. She’ll compete against former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay, pop singer Donny Osmond, and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin.

Other hopefuls include singers Mya, Macy Gray and Aaron Carter; actors Melissa Joan Hart, Debi Mazar and Ashley Hamilton (son of George); models Joanna Krupa and Kathy Ireland; reality stars Kelly Osbourne and Mark Dacascos (”the Chairman” on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America”); mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell; and professional snowboarder Louie Vito.

The contestants were announced on Monday’s “Good Morning America” by “Dancing” host Tom Bergeron, who also unveiled a new competitive twist.

“In the middle of our season, over three weeks, we’re going to have double eliminations,” said Bergeron. “We’ll lose about half of our cast within that period. It will be a ballroom bloodbath.”

Coughlin  represented the United States at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2008, she became the first American female athlete to win six medals in one Olympics.

After taking a break from swimming competition after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Coughlin will be extending that break with time logged on the dance floor. She appears to be in good company on “Dancing” as three Olympians have won the reality show’s coveted title. Speed-skater Apolo Anton Ohno captured the prize in Season 4, while figure skate Kristi Yamaguchi prevailed in Season 6 and gymnast Shawn Johnson won the disco-ball trophy in Season 8.

The ninth season of the hit ABC show premieres Sept. 21 with a three night event.

Update: Natalie will be paired with Alec Mazo on this season of DWTS.

Nastia Liukin highlights field for ’09 CoverGirl Classic

It might sound like the CoverGirl Classic is a modeling event or pageant of some kind.  In fact, it’s  a gymnastics competition taking place next weekend at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa.

2008 Olympic all-around champion and recent ESPY Award winner Nastia Liukin, along with 2008 Olympic team silver-medalist Samantha Peszek are among 132 women expected to compete in the event. Shawn Johnson won this competition in 2006 and went on to win multiple national titles and Olympic medals.

Since winning the Olympic all-around gold medal, along with two silvers and two bronzes,  Liukin has taken up modeling, started her own clothing line, and dabbled in acting. Last night, she was in Los Angeles for the ESPY awards where she became the first gymnast to garner  the “Best Female Athlete” trophy.  Her teammate Shawn Johnson, won “Best Female Olympian.”

But now Liukin is getting down to her real business: being a world-class gymnast.  She plans to perform on beam at the CoverGirl Classic, her first meet since the Olympic Games.

Liukin is using the Classic as preparation for her return to competitive gymnastics at the 2009 Visa National Championships, Aug. 12-15 in her hometown of Dallas, where fans might get a peek at her new, top-secret floor set.

The online gymnastics community has been buzzing ever since Liukin announced in April, via her Twitter feed (@NLiukin), she was getting a new routine. Liukin, who wants to keep her music selection “a surprise,” is shocked  at the level interest her tweet has prompted.

The Classic, which is set to be televised and streamed online via Universal Sports, takes place July 25th. U.S. Olympians Tasha Schwikert and John Roethlisberger will call the action for the Universal simulcast,  from 7-9 p.m. CT, and Liukin will join the broadcast team following the first rotation as a correspondent on the floor.

While it’s great that big sponsors such as Visa and CoverGirl are involved with gymanstics (along with Tyson and others), it does tend to take focus away from the event at hand.  Can we at least keep some descriptive wording in the titles? Maybe the US Classic Gymnastics Competition presented by Cover Girl or the USA Gymnastics National Championships presented by Visa. Just a thought.

In any case, looking forward to seeing Liukin back in action.

ESPY Award winners

The hottest stars in sports, including many 2008 Olympians, converged with Hollywood last night as ESPN hosted the 2009 ESPY Awards. The 17th annual award show celebrated the best athletes and performances of the past year. Actor Samuel L. Jackson hosted the glittering show which saw some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment come together under a single roof for the gala evening.

Unlike the Oscars or the Grammys, fans vote for the awards and 13 were handed out. FYI, ESPY is short for the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly.

SPOILER ALERT: While the 2009 ESPY Awards was taped last night (July 15) fans will have to wait until Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. to watch it on TV. So, if you don’t want to know the winners, stop reading now!

The hometown team, Los Angeles Lakers (who play across the street from the Nokia at the Staples Center), won the ESPY for Best Team edging the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Stevie Wonder made the presentation and Kobe Bryant, surrounded by several teammates, accepted the trophy.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson won the award for the Best Coach, his third such honor.  NBA’s Best Player was the Cleveland Cavaliers Lebron James.  The L.A. crowd no doubt wanted Kobe to win the NBA’s Best Player award but Lebron deserved this one as he had a monster season.

One streak came to an end at the ESPY’s last night, the five year reign for Tiger Woods as the Best Male Athlete Award. Coming off a historic Olympics at the 2008 Beijing Games, Michael Phelps edged Tiger this year to win the prestigious award. Actress Demi Moore presented the trophy to Phelps. The Olympic swimmer who won eight gold medals in the pool also swam away with the ESPY for Best U.S. Olympian and the Best Championship Performance.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice presented the award for best female athlete to Olympic all-around gold medalist Nastia Liukin, who was a bit little shocked to have beaten out Serena Williams. Swimmer Dara Torres won the ESPY for the Best Comeback.

The Best Female College Athlete was given to Connecticut basketball player Maya Moore who also led her team to a National Championship.

The ESPY for the Best WNBA Player went to Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks. Tiger Woods was not surprisingly voted the Best Male Golfer and Lorena Ochoa won the ESPY for the Best Female Golfer.

Serena Williams took the award for Best Female Tennis Player. This is the first ESPY Award that Williams has received since 2003, when she won the Best Female Athlete award.

At the ceremony the Williams sisters presented former South African president Nelson Mandela the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Mandela’s daughter Zindzi Mandela and grandson Zondwa Mandela accepted the award, which is presented annually to individuals whose contributions transcend sports.

Erin Popovich emerged as a ray of hope for all humanity as she was named Best Athlete with a Disability while the Best Female Action Sports Athlete was awarded to big wave surfer Maya Gabeira.

Complete list of winners:
Special Awards
Arthur Ashe Courage Award: President Nelson Mandela
Jimmy V Award For Perseverance: Don Meyer, Northern State University coach
Best Comeback: Dara Torres, Olympic swimmer.

Best in Sport
Best Female Athlete: Nastia Liukin, Gymnastics
Best Male Athlete: Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimming
Best Moment: US Swim team wins thrilling finish in Olympic relay
Best Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Best Coach/Manager: Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers
Best Game: Steelers vs. Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII
Best Championship Performance: Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimming
Best Play: Roethlisberger to Holmes Super Bowl Winning TD
Best Upset: US Soccer shocks Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals
Best Breakthrough Athlete: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Best Record Breaking Performance: Michael Phelps, Olympic Swimming
Best Sports Movie: The Express: The Ernie Davis Story
Best Male College Athlete: Tim Tebow, Florida Football
Best Female College Athlete: Maya Moore, Connecticut Women’s Basketball
Best Male Athlete with a Disability: Jason Lester, Ironman Triathlete
Best Female Athlete with a Disability: Erin Popovich, Swimming
Best International Male Athlete: Usain Bolt (Jamaica, Sprinter)
Best International Female Athlete: Lorena Ochoa (Mexico, Golf)

Individual Sports
Best Baseball Player: Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Best NBA Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Best WNBA Player: Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
Best NFL Player: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Best NHL Player: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Best MLS Player: Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy
Best Male Action Sports Athlete: Shaun White, Skateboarding/Snowboarding
Best Female Action Sports Athlete: Maya Gabeira, Surfing
Best Bowler: Norm Duke
Best Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Best Fighter: Manny Pacquiao, Boxing
Best Male Golfer: Tiger Woods
Best Female Golfer: Lorena Ochoa
Best Jockey: Calvin Borel

Dara Torres does it again

Dara Torres continues to defy age and expectations when it comes to her performance in the pool.

In a world record time trial attempt in the women’s 50 fly, Torres raced to a 25.50. The performance gave her a third-straight progression of the American record, lowering her time of 25.72 set in College Station, Texas in May. Earlier that day, she broke Jenny Thompson’s 2003 record of 26.00 with a 25.84 during prelims.

Torres missed the world record of 25.33 set by Marleen Veldhuis of The Netherlands in April of this year. But, her 25.50 moved her into third all time. She stands behind Velduis and Sweden’s Therese Alshammar (25.46), while moving in front of Sweden’s Anna-Karin Kammerling (25.57).

The 42-year-old swimmer and 28-time U.S. championship winner also won her 16th national title in the 50-free swim, finishing the competition in 24.43 seconds, and beating two other female swimmers half her age. That gives her a spot on the world championship team, which will compete in Rome later this month. Torres blew many 20-something swimmers out of the water in last year’s Beijing Olympics.

Despite the fact Torres has a body many of us could only dream about having, it’s starting to give her a run for her money. She had surgeries on her right shoulder, left thumb and left knee, and she’ll have another knee surgery later this year. Torres has a packed schedule, which includes spending as much time as possible with her three-year-old daughter, Tessa, as well as various speaking engagements and sponsor commitments.

“The adrenaline is kicking in, so I don’t think about the knee that much,” Torres said. “I just try to push it out of my head. Age is just a number, right? Everything I do is for Tessa. She enjoys coming out and watching me swim.”

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