We travel back to 2000 for another look back at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics. This month Alison explores what's considered to be the biggest Paralympic scandal of all time, Spain's cheating in the Basketball ID tournament. Then Jill looks at the Olympic Road Cycling events, which feature inspirational legends, amazing comebacks, and Lance Armstrong. If you want a thoroughly depressing look at doping in cycling during this era, here's a handy infographic: https://www.sportingintellige...
Jul 10, 2025•59 min•Ep. 399
It's been nearly a year since we said, "Bonjour!" to the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics , so what's been happening in Paris since the cauldron went out? Let's take a look at the initial legacy of these Games! We look at the money, initial economic impact, audience figures, building legacies, and elements of the Games that are still impacting Paris. If you're interested in training in the sport climbing warm-up gym, check out Le B.O.S.E .. If you want to swim like an Olympian, the newly-buil...
Jul 03, 2025•39 min•Ep. 398
We're delving into the sport of wheelchair tennis with American Charlie Cooper, who's currently ranked #2 in the world for junior wheelchair singles. He talks with Alison about the sport and his plans to qualify for LA 2028. Plus, we also talk with Dr. Thomas Rietveld, a researcher at the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport at Loughborough University in the UK. Dr. Rietveld's PhD thesis examined wheelchair tennis chairs, so he answers our burning questions about tennis chairs that we had ...
Jun 26, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 397
We're talking technology at the Olympics with Pascal Wattiaux, IT Consultant and former Director of Technology at the International Olympic Committee. He got his start with Olympics technology at Albertville 1992, and most recently he consulted with Paris 2024. He's seen massive amounts of change in technology used at the Olympics--and what it takes to deliver it. He tells all about the tech challenges of an Olympics–and there’s so much that you may have not realized. Follow Pascal on LinkedIn !...
Jun 19, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 396
It's our monthly look back at history--all year long we're looking at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics. This month Alison tackles the massive Para Swimming competition, which includes the Paralympics' all-time medal winner Trischa Zorn. Then we stay in the pool for the Olympic swimming competition, which is just epic, given Australians' love of swimming and their enthusiasm in the stands at Sydney 2000. There are so many stories that it was difficult to choose just one, but Alison looks ...
Jun 12, 2025•45 min•Ep. 395
In April, LA 2028 announced that it would be the first Olympics to have more quota spots for women than men. That’s a win for women’s sports, right? Not so fast. Our gender in sports expert Dr. Michele K. Donnelly returns to peel back the layers of LA 28’s press release and tell us how fair these gender numbers really are. Dr. Donnelly is an associate professor in Sport Management at Brock University in Ontario, Canada . Learn more about her work here . In Milano-Cortina 2026 news, the Armani-de...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 394
We welcome back sports psychologist Dr. Kristin Keim to talk about the kinds of mental health issues Olympians, Paralympians and other elite athletes are facing in 2025. This includes finding your voice, what it's like to be an American athlete today, social media, cyberbullying, disordered eating, and more. As always, Kristin is frank about the pressures athletes face today and about the advice she gives her clients. It's definitely therapeutic to listen to her! Learn more about Kristin at her ...
May 29, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 393
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month and Military Appreciation Month, we're rekindling our interview with Olympian Samantha Schultz, former modern pentathlete and member of the US Army World Class Athlete Program. Samantha realized her goal of becoming an Olympian--but then after Tokyo 2020, she discovered underlying mental health issues, including an eating disorder, that turned her life upside down. In early 2024, Samantha shared her journey with us and how she's working toward better men...
May 22, 2025•56 min•Ep. 392
We're headed back to Sydney 2000 for another episode in our history series on these Games. It was the first time women were allowed to compete in Olympic weightlifting, and not surprisingly, there was controversy. It was also the first time for women's Paralympic powerlifting, which spawned some legends in Paralympic history. Jill's got the scoop on these events. Then Alison explores the Olympic football competitions, where underdogs prevailed on both the women's and the men's side. Which Davids...
May 15, 2025•31 min•Ep. 391
If you've ever been interested in studying the Olympics and the Olympic Movement, this is the episode for you! We're talking with Dr. Yoav Dubinsky, professor of sports business at the University of Oregon. Dr. Dubinsky is also the operational director of the university's new Olympic Studies Hub. We talk with Yoav about the Olympic Studies Hub, why it's important to study the Olympics, and--because Yoav is from Israel--the Israeli perspective on the Games. The University of Oregon Olympic Studie...
May 08, 2025•57 min•Ep. 390
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this month, we’re exploring aspects of mental health as it pertains to sports. We’re kicking it off with our interview with Olympic figure skater Gracie Gold. Gracie won a bronze medal in the team event at the Sochi 2014 Olympics. Gracie is an advocate for good mental health, having spent time in a treatment facility to help her cope with an eating disorder and depression. In 2024 she released a very candid memoir titled Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoi...
May 01, 2025•59 min•Ep. 389
USA Cycling's Senior Data Analyst Ryan Cooper joins us to talk about Project 4:05, the quest to win the women's track cycling team pursuit gold medal at Paris 2024. The US wasn't considered much of a contender for the podium--defending gold medalists Germany and reigning world champions Great Britain were considered to be the main teams vying for the top prize. However, Ryan developed a process to uncover more with data analytics using machine learning and real-time analytics to optimize rider s...
Apr 24, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 387
3x Paralympian and U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program member SFC Elizabeth Marks joins us to tell us about her experience in the pool at Paris 2024. Ellie competed in seven events, winning five silver medals. Ellie tells us what she thought about her third Games, including her thoughts on the infamous Paris 2024 chocolate muffins. We also discuss how swimming is an intellectual sport, how she's adapted to the sport throughout her career, and how she mentors other athletes. Learn more about th...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 386
We sail back in time to Sydney 2000! Alison explores the origins of the official Olympic mascots, Syd, Millie, and Olly , and the Paralympic mascot Lizzie . But Sydney doesn't stop with the mascot fun--the hosts of the Sydney 2000 recap show The Dream brought us Fatso, who stole the athletes' and fans' hearts....and caused some controversy along the way. See one of Fatso's best moments here: https://youtu.be/dJZS6DdS9xI?si=BjalIj50J6EA4-WB Then Jill heads across Sydney Harbor to the sailing comp...
Apr 10, 2025•42 min•Ep. 386
Five-time Olympian Kirsty Coventry has been elected as the new president of the International Olympic Committee. She's the first woman and the first African to lead the organization. What's her story, and how will she shape the Olympics for years to come? We take a deep dive to find out. Plus, another chapter in the Milan-Cortina 2026 slidingnovela, updates (and concerns) for LA 2028, and Brisbane 2032 missed the Agenda 2020+5 memo. Looking for tickets to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics? Another...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 385
Alison went to the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston and has all of the behind-the-scenes details! Find out what you can't see on TV and how different the skater's performances were in person! Also check out our figure skating-themed Patreon episode this month! And get more scoop from Figure Skating Champs in our free Substack . For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com . Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! *** Ke...
Apr 02, 2025•59 min•Ep. 384
Book Club Claire is back for our first selection of 2025, which is by a TKFLASTANI! We're reading Beyond Expectations: An Extraordinary Equestrian Journey from Deadly Diagnosis to the Paralympic Games by Sydney Collier with Heather Wallace. For Sydney, a routine eye exam turned into a diagnosis of a life-threatening rare disease. She's defied all expectations--particularly in terms of lifespan--to become a Paralympian in para dressage. She overcame some pretty touch obstacles to earn her ticket ...
Mar 21, 2025•58 min•Ep. 383
While the Sydney 2000 Olympics are generally considered to be one of the best Games of all time, yet they still had their fair share of issues, particularly in the gymnastics venue. In the latest installment of our year-long look back at Sydney 2000, Alison explores the numerous debacles during the gymnastics competitions, including a women's team competition that saw a podium change years later, and an all-around competition that forced a massive change in the vault starting with Athens 2004. F...
Mar 13, 2025•27 min•Ep. 382
Sometimes all of the training and preparation in the world doesn't get you to the Paralympic podium. Boccia player Alison Levine experienced that firsthand during the Paris 2024 Paralympics, when tournament bracket design forced her to face the other top player early on in the elimination rounds. Play didn't go her way, and she didn't get the results she wanted. It didn't get better in the mixed doubles tournament, when she and teammate Iulian Ciobanu lost to Thailand in the bronze medal match. ...
Mar 06, 2025•41 min•Ep. 381
We catch up with sprinter Kenny Bednarek and learn about his Paris 2024 experience running the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. He did bring home some hardware, but also had many learning experiences (and we're not just talking about dealing with the lack of A/C in Paris). We also look ahead to Kenny's 2025 season and how he's preparing for World Athletics' world championships. Be sure to watch Kenny's documentary series Road to Gold on YouTube . Also check out his website and follow him on Insta an...
Feb 27, 2025•46 min•Ep. 380
We catch up with our para powerlifter Bobby Body and talk with him about his experience at Paris 2024, including: What it was like to compete on the final day of the Games Dealing with no-lifts that resulted in a 4th place finish What it's like to get Team USA kit when you've got a powerlifter's body--did Bobby hulk out of his ceremonies uniforms? We also have news from past and upcoming Games, including a Paris 2024 concert and Milan-Cortina 2026 ticket and torch relay news. The Slidingnovela h...
Feb 20, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 379
Runners Cathy Freeman and Marion Jones, two of the stars from the Sydney 2000 Olympics, could not have had more different outcomes to their experiences at these Games. In this look back at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Alison has the amazing story of Cathy Freeman, who brought Olympic glory to Australia and the Aboriginal people. Meanwhile, Jill unravels the complicated story of Marion Jones, who was the first women to ever win five medals in a single Games in athletics. Until she gave them back--be...
Feb 13, 2025•33 min•Ep. 378
It's one year to go until the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics! Tickets went on sale today, which means it's time to figure out travel plans--and because Milan-Cortina is really spread out across northern Italy, travel between venue clusters is going to be much more complicated. Not to worry though. Our Olympics travel expert Ken Hanscom is back to talk about traveling to Milan-Cortina for the Games. He shares: What to think about when buying tickets Why Milan will be a great host city for the...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 378
Brazilian cross-country skier Bruna Moura joins us to talk about her continuing gritty journey to become an Olympian. A former mountain biker, Bruna took up roller skiing to help her recover from surgery. She found a love for the sport and transferred to snow to achieve her goal of representing her country at an Olympics. She was supposed to realize her dream in 2022 when she qualified for the Beijing Winter Olympics at the last minute. However, as she was riding to the airport to fly to China f...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 376
The one new sport on the program for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics is ski mountaineering (aka skimo). What is this sport all about, and why should you watch it? Sarah Cookler, Head of Sport for USA Skimo (USA Ski Mountaineering Association), joins us to talk about the sport, how it works, and how much fun its debut at Milan-Cortina will be. Follow USA Skimo on Insta and X ! They're @usaskimo. Also on today's show: Massive problems with the bronze medals from Paris 2024 - this New York T...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 375
Welcome to our look back at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics! We asked which historical Games should get a deep dive, and your response was to take another look at arguably one of the best Olympics of all time. On this episode, Jill delves into how Sydney won the right to host the Games against a crowded field that included Beijing, Berlin, Manchester (UK) and Istanbul. Would Sydney win on merit, or was there something fishy going on with their bid? Then Alison looks at the Opening Cerem...
Jan 16, 2025•39 min•Ep. 374
Movie Club returns to look at the 2024 biopic "The Fire Inside," which tells the story of Olympic boxer Claressa Shields and her journey to winning her first Olympic gold medal at London 2012. The movie also goes beyond her first victory to show what happens when the Games are over--and unfortunately, Claressa is one of the many Olympic athletes who do not see a financial windfall after the Games. Also on the show: News from Paris 2024 (how about those finances?!) News from Milan-Cortina 2026 ( ...
Jan 09, 2025•47 min•Ep. 373
It's the final episode of our series on Chamonix 1924! Alison explores the controversial curling event, which had teams that didn't show up, players on multiple teams, and the designation of not being an official Olympic event--or was it? Listen to find out! For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com . Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! *** Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz &...
Dec 22, 2024•13 min
Now that the Paris 2024 Host Organization is winding down its existence as a functioning entity, we start looking at the legacies the Games will (hopefully) leave behind. However, it can take years--or even decades--to realize the impact of these two months. However, other cities can provide lessons in what's possible. We're rekindling our June 24, 2021 interview with Randal Roark and Michael Dobbins, who worked for the City of Atlanta during the planning and execution of Atlanta 1996. They, alo...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 372
We're closing out our year of podcasting with a new feature: Rekindled. This is where we bring back some favorite interviews we’ve had over the years. For newer listeners, it’s a great way to hear how we met some of our TKFLASTANIs. If you have heard it before, it’s fun to go back and listen to the interview now that we’re post-Paris 2024 and see how our original conversation played out. Alison chose to rekindle our 2023 interview with para archer Matt Stutzman. Matt has been a trailblazer in th...
Dec 12, 2024•39 min•Ep. 371
