This week we talk with Olympic hopeful Madelynn Gorman-Shore to understand how the sport of Taekwondo works. We learn that it's much more than just kicking people in the head, it's also the sport of very expensive socks. Follow Madelynn on Insta ! In our Team Olympic Fever update, Josh Williamson is starting off his bobsled season right; XC skier Kikkan Randall has a sweet new appointment; and hockey referee Jessica Leclerc is featured in the New York Times . We also have the latest in the Tokyo...
Nov 21, 2019•57 min•Ep. 112
Book Club Claire is back! We discuss our latest pick, Munich 1972: Tragedy, Terror, and Triumph at the Olympic Games by David Clay Large. The book covers the hostage crisis as well as triumphs of the Games (notably in the swimming pool) and controversies (the men's basketball gold medal game) Our next Book Club selection is The Suspect: An Olympic Bombing, the FBI, the Media, and Richard Jewell, the Man Caught in the Middle by Kent Alexander and Kevin Salwen. Perhaps the winner of the longest su...
Nov 14, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 111
U.S. Olympian and World Champion Hammer Thrower DeAnna Price is back to tell us about her experiences at the Rio 2016 Olympics and take some listener questions. Plus, a Team Olympic Fever member is making a comeback, and we've got the end of the Tokyo 2020 marathon/race walking saga (or is it?). When DeAnna talks about "her girls," you can see the love in this video when Fiodorow congratulates her. Warning: You might need a tissue for this one. Follow DeAnna on Insta and Twitter ! From our Team ...
Nov 07, 2019•34 min•Ep. 110
Did you know that a 4kg ball has the power to lift you in the air and slam you on the ground ? U.S. Olympian and World Champion Hammer Thrower DeAnna Price tells us how this sport works. Plus, the latest in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon and race walking saga! Follow DeAnna on social: Twitter Insta Special thanks to our sponsor PinCollector.com ! We've got our very own Olympic Fever pin, thanks to them -- we'll update this with how you can get your very own! Photo courtesy of DeAnna Price. DISC...
Oct 31, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 109
Olympic hopeful Tom Scott joins us to explain a sport that's new to the Olympic program at Tokyo 2020: Karate. Tom talks with Contributor Ben Jackson about kata and kumite and what to look for during the competition. You can also learn more from Tokyo 2020's one-minute video ! You can follow Tom on: Facebook Insta Twitter In our Team Olympic Fever Update, Tony Azevedo's got a new line of apparel , and Shiva Keshavan can speak at your next event! Plus, the saga with the marathon and race walking ...
Oct 24, 2019•49 min•Ep. 108
Olympic teams have a wide range of support personnel--including doctors. On this episode we talk with Dr. Cathy O'Connor, who was the team doctor for the U.S. Women's National Ice Hockey Team for 10 years, including a stint at the Torino 2006 Olympics. Cathy tells us how she got to the Olympics and what it's like managing a team's medical needs -- from concussion management to doping, and everything in between. In our Team Olympic Fever Update segment, Jill reports back from her and Contributor ...
Oct 17, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 107
Olympian Chellsie Memmel talks gymnastics with contributor Ben Jackson. She tells what it was like to be an alternate at the Athens 2004 Olympics, then competing while injured at Beijing 2008. Chellsie's still involved in the gymnastics world--including getting back into the sport as an adult. Plus, the USOPC has relaxed the restrictions on Rule 40. We try to make sense of them. Follow Chellsie on Twitter and Insta to see some of her amazing videos and challenges. Thanks so much for listening, a...
Oct 11, 2019•55 min•Ep. 106
It's a Bucket List episode! Alison's been dying to talk about the infamous Blood in the Water water polo match from Melbourne 1956, and Jill's wanted to talk about the contentious football match between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia from Helsinki 1952. We get to cover BOTH of them this week with Harry Blutstein , author of the book "Cold War Games: Spies, Subterfuge and Secret Operations at the 1956 Olympic Games," which looks at how politics and history played out at the Melbourne 1956 Olympi...
Oct 03, 2019•59 min•Ep. 105
Rio 2016 Olympian Joe Maloy talks with Jill about what makes a successful triathlete (hint: think mental game). Joe is currently working for USA Triathlon as its Collegiate Recruitment Program Coordinator. You can follow him on Twitter and Insta . Some shocking news: Russia's worried about getting banned from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics because the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found some inconsistencies in the samples the Russian Anti-Doping Agency handed over. Inconsistencies?! From RUSADA? Who ...
Sep 27, 2019•48 min•Ep. 104
It's Week 2 of Olympic weightlifting, and this time we're looking at it from the perspective of an official. Dan Kent, The People's Publisher from Weightlifting House, joins us to tell us what the technical officials and referees look for during competition. You can find The People's Publisher at Weightlifting House , coaching at the Warwickshire Weightlifting Club , publishing at Powerful Ideas Press , or teaching people about Eleiko equipment. Plus, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has release...
Sep 19, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 103
The International Weightlifting Federation's world championships starts on Wednesday, September 18, so we thought it was a great time to learn about Olympic weightlifting and what this sport is all about. Joining us to explain it is the Voice of the People, Seb Ostrowicz , host of the Weightlifting House podcast and writer at its accompanying website. Seb talks with us about the two lifts that make up a weightlifting competition: the snatch and the clean-and-jerk. We also talk about: Weight clas...
Sep 12, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 102
Olympic athletes rely on sponsors to help them earn a living--but during the Olympics, the most important time a sponsor can benefit from this partnership, they often can't market it. Why? The International Olympic Committee's Rule 40. We talk with Associated Press sports correspondent Karolos Grohmann to learn more about this controversial rule. Follow Karolos on Twitter --he's a great resource if you want to keep up on the IOC. Plus, a Team Olympic Fever Update featuring Dr. Victoria Jackson, ...
Sep 05, 2019•36 min•Ep. 101
This week, since it's the long Labor Day weekend in the US, we're bringing you a Lightning Round, featuring our Team Olympic Fever interpreter Grace Hahn, our Kiwi Connection Dr. Micheal Warren and our sports historian Dr. Victoria Jackson. Our team members have been busy since they've been on the show. Grace Hahn has a new ebook about being a global traveler/remote worker. You can also get tips and guidance on travel and remote working from her website . Dr. Micheal Warren , aka our Kiwi Connec...
Aug 29, 2019•29 min•Ep. 100
It's one year until the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games! As we start to prepare to watch these Games, one thing stood out in our memories from watching Rio 2016: What's up with all of those classifications? Along with doping tests, para athletes have to undergo classification tests so that they're placed into competitive groups that all have similar limitations. Unfortunately for the casual viewer, they seem to be random letters and numbers that don't make much sense, particularly when you're watchi...
Aug 22, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 99
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic test events are well under way, and this weekend they're testing the triathlon course. We know that triathlon is swim-bike-run, but it's really more than that. Luckily for us, the USA Triathlon 2019 Age Group National Championships, which feature both a sprint and an Olympic distance were recently held in Cleveland, so Jill hopped on her bike and headed to Edgewater Park to have a chat with Tim Yount, USA Triathlon's Chief Sport Development Officer -- and race announcer --...
Aug 15, 2019•57 min•Ep. 98
We're excited to have Olympian John MacLeod*, producer at WitNit Productions, with us this week. John's been working on a fascinating project called "Beyond Bronze, Silver and Gold," which is a series of documentary films that share Olympians' untold stories. You've got to see the previews of his first two shorts -- they're riveting, and really well-told. John's working on the post-production portion now, and he's got a Kickstarter going to help fund that effort so they can get done and in front...
Aug 08, 2019•47 min•Ep. 97
We're less than a year away from the Tokyo Olympics, which means there's not that much time for fans to prep. Never fear--Superfan Sarah is back to give us some tips on what we can do now. Plus, she's also spent a good amount of time in Tokyo, so she's got tips on how to beat the heat, different food to eat, how to get around and more! We always love it when Sarah's on because there's so much to talk about. She fills us in on what the mood was like at the recent U.S. Classic gymnastics event tha...
Aug 01, 2019•59 min•Ep. 96
IT IS ONE YEAR UNTIL THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS!!! With all of the celebrations and ceremonies happening in Tokyo and with National Olympic Committees around the world, we couldn't be more excited. We wanted to get some perspective on what it's like on the ground in Tokyo, so we asked Roy Tomizawa to come on our show and give us some insight. Roy's the author of the blog The Olympians: From 1964 to 2020 and the new book 1964: The Greatest Year in the History of Japan – How the Tokyo Olympics Symbol...
Jul 25, 2019•53 min•Ep. 95
Ever wonder what happens to Olympic medals and torches? Some go to museums; some go to auction and to a collector's collection. This week we're talking to Jon Becker, Olympic auction consultant for RR Auction, who tells us the type of items that go up for auction and how much they can be worth (you'll be surprised to know how much Jill has held in her hand). RR Auction's July Olympic auction is ending, but it will have another one in January. You never know what you'll find, so if you're in the ...
Jul 18, 2019•45 min•Ep. 94
Book Club Claire is back to discuss our latest book club selection, Making Waves: My Journey to Winning Olympic Gold and Defeating the East German Doping Program by Shirley Babashoff with Chris Epting. Our next book selection is Munich 1972: Tragedy, Terror and Triumph at the Olympic Games by David Clay Large . We'll be talking about it in November -- but get your book now (if you buy through the link, we get a commission, which helps support the show). In our Tokyo 2020 update, we talk about te...
Jul 12, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 93
Book Club Claire is back to discuss our latest book club selection, Making Waves: My Journey to Winning Olympic Gold and Defeating the East German Doping Program by Shirley Babashoff with Chris Epting. Our next book selection is Munich 1972: Tragedy, Terror and Triumph at the Olympic Games by David Clay Large . We'll be talking about it in November -- but get your book now (if you buy through the link, we get a commission, which helps support the show). In our Tokyo 2020 update, we talk about te...
Jul 11, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 93
It's Canada Day and Independence Day in the US this week, so we're celebrating by putting together a set of Lightning Rounds. We ask our Team Olympic Fever members five quick questions, and we love hearing how different everyone's answers are! In this edition, we've got sports psychologist Dr. Kristin Keim , Team USA's "Team Mom" Sherry Von Riesen and gold medal diver Laura Wilkinson. Who hooked Kristin on the Olympics? What does Sherry think of the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center's fo...
Jul 04, 2019•33 min•Ep. 92
Hope you had a great Olympic Day! Alison did some sport climbing; Jill did elements of a triathlon, and we both participated on Team Olympic Fever for Team USA's Virtual Race (we're currently sitting in 3rd place--wooo!). We loved seeing everyone's celebrations -- if you haven't gotten your participation certificate, send us your proof of participation. We'll get a certificate to you! It's that time of year when the International Olympic Committee members get together for their semiannual IOC Se...
Jun 27, 2019•50 min•Ep. 91
Team USA sport climber and Team Olympic Fever member Josh Levin is back on the show to talk about his involvement with the sport since age 4 and training for the Tokyo Olympics. He also tells us which countries to watch out for at the Games. One of the other topics we talked about was moving up from the junior to senior ranks, and Jill was surprised to hear that Josh thought it was less stressful for him once he moved up. Josh also lays on some good wisdom about assessing your involvement in the...
Jun 20, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 90
It might still be a year away, but it's not too early to start planning your trip to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This week we're talking with Ken Hanscom, COO of Ticket Manager and a recognized expert in ticketing, corporate sponsorships, traveling to and experiencing the Olympic Games. Ken tells us about the ticketing process, when to start looking for flights and hotel rooms and what else you can do in Tokyo during the Olympics if you don't happen to get tickets (three word clue: Heineken Holland...
Jun 13, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 89
At the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting a couple of weeks ago, the IOC Evaluation Commission for the Olympic Winter Games 2026 presented a report of its site visits. This large presentation shares details about each bid and sums up some of the important areas the IOC membership should consider when voting for a city (or in this case, region) to host the Games. In the first corner, we Milan-Cortina, Italy. They're passionate! They've got the backing of multiple government e...
Jun 06, 2019•36 min•Ep. 88
Recently, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that women who compete in the 400m, 800m and 1500m in athletics (track & field) may not have testosterone levels above a certain limit. This limit seemingly targets runner Caster Semenya, a South African Olympic gold medalist in the 800m, who is a woman with elevated levels of testosterone and runs these exact 3 races. Any woman who's been around a while knows this certainly seems like another way your gender is being kept down. So we decide...
May 30, 2019•56 min•Ep. 87
We love the fact that we have listeners from all over the world, and while we do love Team USA, we are also really happy when we can bring a different country's perspective to our show. Today we're talking about New Zealand and what participating in the Olympics means for its national identity. Our guest is Dr. Micheal Warren , an adjunct research fellow at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. We talk with Micheal about New Zealand's place in Olympic history--and it has a pretty pro...
May 23, 2019•52 min•Ep. 86
We've been working on getting into equestrian events and thought, Well, why don't we start with how horses actually get to the Olympics? In this episode we're joined by Martin Atock, Managing Director at Peden Bloodstock, the firm that's been transporting horses to the Olympics since Montreal 1976. Martin tells us the incredible amount of logistical work that's involved and what it's like for a horse to fly on an airplane. You can learn more about Peden Bloodstock at its website , and its Facebo...
May 16, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 85
The US Olympic Committee's training facility in Colorado Springs plays hosts to hundreds of athletes every year. Some spend a week or two on campus for special training; others live there year round. To make sure the athletes are getting everything they need, the USOC relies on Sherry Von Riesen, athlete services coordinator -- or better known as Team Mom. In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, we learn more about how she helps the athletes become their best. We've also got a lot of Team Olympic...
May 09, 2019•36 min•Ep. 84
