Today marks the 25th anniversary of Atlanta 1996, so we are talking about the legacy of those Games from the city planning perspective. We’re joined by Randal Roark and Michael Dobbins, who along with Leon Eplan wrote the new book Atlanta’s Olympic Resurgence: How the 1996 Games Revived a Struggling City . During the Games, Randal was the director of planning and design for the Corporation for Olympic Development in Atlanta for the design of public projects in preparation for the 1996 Centennial...
Jul 20, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 201
One week from Tokyo 2020! Today we're learning about Greco-Roman wrestling from SPC Alejandro Sancho of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. Alejandro will be competing for Team USA at Tokyo 2020 in the 67kg weight class. We talk about how to distinguish Greco-Roman from freestyle wrestling and what it's like to drop someone on their head. Alejandro is slated to compete on August 4, so be sure to tune in and watch him wrestle! What are our TKFLASTANIs up to this week? We've got news from: ...
Jul 16, 2021•46 min•Ep. 200
We're on the shooting range with SPC Tim Sherry of Team USA and the US Army Marksmanship Unit . Tim walks us through the sport of 3 Position Rifle, including how to shoot in wind and rain, dealing with your feet falling asleep during competition, how puberty affects your shooting, the cost of a rifle, and why the new Olympic mixed rifle event will be exciting to watch. Follow Tim on Facebook , Insta and Twitter . Plus, our TKFLASTANIs are arriving in Tokyo, and we have more team news from: Jorda...
Jul 13, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 199
Women's gymnastics is one of the most popular Olympic events, but the way the sport evolved made it ripe for abuse and overtraining. Sports scholar and former international gymnast Georgia Cervin joins us to talk about her book, Degrees of Difficulty: How Women’s Gymnastics Rose to Prominence and Fell From Grace . We talk about the beginnings of the sport as a display of feminity and how Cold War rivalries led to younger competition and created an environment that led to multiple types of abuse....
Jul 09, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 198
On this episode we look at great and unique Olympic moments with Jeremy Fuchs, author of the new book "Total Olympics: Every Obscure, Hilarious, Dramatic and Inspiring Tale Worth Knowing." We talk Olympic legends, how the Nazis used the 1936 Winter Olympics as a dress rehearsal for the Berlin Summer Olympics, and the infamous plunge for distance event. Jeremy's book is the perfect gift for the Olympics fan in your life. It's full of short articles on everything you need to know about to know abo...
Jul 05, 2021•49 min•Ep. 197
Abdi Abdirahman knows how to run for a long time. He's the only American distance runner to have qualified for 5 Olympics, 3 Games at 10000m and 2 at the marathon distance. He'll be running the marathon at Tokyo 2020, so we and Book Club Claire talked with him about how both of these races work and what's up with the controversial Nike Vaporfly road shoes. Abdi has also written a book about his life and his approach to running. Abdi's World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun will be out...
Jul 01, 2021•47 min•Ep. 196
What do pimples have to do with table tennis? Australian Olympian and Paralympian Melissa Tapper explains all -- and what she says about the sport will have you glued to the screen during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Follow Milly on Facebook , Twitter and Insta , and check out her website for more info. In news from TKFLASTAN, we have updates from: Lauren Gibbs Marnie McBean (check out Xander's Podcast here ) Evan Dunfee Sydney Collier And news from Tokyo 2020, including a tidbit about an Opening Da...
Jun 28, 2021•42 min•Ep. 195
As Americans, we're used to Team USA being a major force at any Olympics, but what's it like to represent a small country? Today we're talking with swimmer Felicity Passon, who will compete for the Seychelles at the Olympics. Felicity tells us about the few resources she has access too, how her National Olympic Committee is trying to improve sport within the country, and how she hopes to make it better for the next generation of athletes. Plus, we've got a big announcement! Felicity's qualified ...
Jun 24, 2021•57 min•Ep. 194
Rugby coach Ben Ryan led the Fiji men’s rugby sevens team to the country’s first-ever gold medal, which they earned at the sport’s Olympic debut at Rio 2016. We talked with Ben about how the sport works -- and got some sunscreen tips. Follow Ben on Twitter and Insta and check out his website . Season 2 of The Ben Ryan Podcast starts in July, so check it out. What are our TKFLASTANIs up to this week? We've got news from: Chellsie Memmel Laura Wilkinson Mallory Comerford Tom Scott McKenna Geer Daw...
Jun 17, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 193
Today we're on the shooting range with Paralympian McKenna Geer. McKenna is a Paralympic bronze medalist in the sport of rifle shooting. At Rio she competed in the R4 - Mixed 10m Air Rifle Standing SH2 and earned 24th place and the R5 – Mixed 10m Air Rifle Prone SH2, where she took home the bronze medal. We talked with McKenna about how rifle works on the Paralympic side of the sport. Follow McKenna on Facebook , Insta and Twitter - and cheer for her this week as she competes at the World Cup ev...
Jun 10, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 192
The Shot Diva is here! 3x Olympian and Rio 2016 gold medal shot putter Michelle Carter joins us this week to talk about shot put technique, her strategies for managing her ADHD and dyslexia, her Olympic experiences and how looking her best helps her achieve her best. Follow Michelle on Instagram and Facebook , and check out her website for more information on her You Throw Girl sports confidence camp and other programs Michelle's created. What are our TKFLASTANIs up to this week? We've got news ...
Jun 03, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 191
Film Buff Fran is back for another edition of Movie Club! On this episode we discuss "Foxcatcher," the 2014 film on the tragic story of wrestlers Dave and Mark Schultz, who coached and trained at John du Pont's Foxcatcher Farms. Steve Carell stars as du Pont, Channing Tatum plays Mark Schultz, and Mark Ruffalo plays Dave Schultz in this highly-nominated film. Did we think as highly of it? In our conversation, we do talk about the book that inspired this movie. If you missed our book club convers...
May 27, 2021•50 min•Ep. 190
We're on the shooting range this week with Rio 2016 Olympic gold medalist Ginny Thrasher. Ginny won gold in the 10m air rifle, and she also competes in three-position 50m small-bore rifle. Ginny talks with us about the physical and mental demands of shooting, the funky shooting jacket and shoes, and how she travels with her rifles. Follow Ginny on Facebook , Insta , Twitter and TikTok and check out her website . What are our TKFLASTANIs up to this week? We've got news from: Figure skater Meagan ...
May 20, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 189
Para Dressage Paralympian Sydney Collier joins us this week to explain how her sport works. From searching hundreds of horses to find one with the perfect walk, to the importance of fitness in equestrian sports, Sydney's gotten us excited to watch her event at Tokyo 2020. Follow Sydney, her horse All In One--owned by her sponsor Georgina Bloomberg--and her service dog Logan on Twitter and Insta . Also check out her website for more information about her journey. What are our TKFLASTANIs up to th...
May 14, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 188
American flyweight boxer Ginny Fuchs joins us to tell us more about how boxing works. Ginny is also coping with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and as May is Mental Health Awareness Month, she tells us how OCD manifests for her and what sort of treatments she goes through to better manage it. Follow Ginny on Facebook , Insta and Twitter , and check out her website, Ginnyfuchs.com . Book Club Claire also joins us for a preview of our next Book Club Book, Sevens Heaven: The Beautiful Chaos of...
May 06, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 187
Book Club Claire is BACK for our discussion of Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother's Murder, John du Pont's Madness, and the quest for Olympic Gold by Mark Schultz with David Thomas. Bonus! The dulcet tones of Jason Bryant also join us to give some context to the story and what was going on in the wrestling community at the time. Read Claire's blog Light the Cauldron and follow her on Twitter . Listen to more of Jason's dulcet tones at Mat Talk Online and follow him on Twitter and Insta . O...
Apr 29, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 186
Connor Fields, reigning Olympic gold medalist in BMX racing, joins us to explain just how BMX is more organized chaos and less demolition derby. And he shares some interesting details about the BMX course we'll be watching at Tokyo 2020. Follow Connor on Twitter , Insta and Facebook , and check out his website . What are our TKFLASTANIs up to this week? We've got news from: Modern pentathlete Samantha Schultz Figure skater Meagan Duhamel Paralympic swimmer and long jumper John Register -- check ...
Apr 23, 2021•55 min•Ep. 185
Canadian Olympic race walker Evan Dunfee is back to tell us how race walking works. Really -- we actually get into the sport this week (though don't count out novela talk)! Evan talks about the mechanics of the sport, the discrepancy between TV cameras and judges' human eyes, and possible career opportunities once he ends his pro racing career. Oh, a little Rule 50 chat, just for fun. You can follow Evan at @evandunfee on Twitter, Insta and Strava and read more about him at his website . What ar...
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 184
When Olympic race walker Evan Dunfee joined us to talk about his sport, little did we know we were in for some maranovela talk! In part 1 of our interview with Evan, we talk about the marathon and race walks' move to Sapporo and his opinions about the switch. Plus, the controversy over his race place at Rio 2016 and how Canadians embraced their best race walker. Follow Evan on Twitter and Insta , and check out his website ! What are our TKFLASTANIs up to this week? We've got news from: Film prod...
Apr 08, 2021•55 min•Ep. 183
Legendary softball outfielder Laura Berg is the most decorated softball Olympian, winning 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal and having played at every Olympic softball tournament ever held. She’s now head coach at Oregon State University and is extending her Olympic streak as a member of Team USA's coaching staff for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. We talked with her about the game and building a team. Follow Laura on Twitter and Insta . What are our TKFLASTANIs up to this week? We've got news from: Ski ju...
Apr 02, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 182
Big news from Tokyo 2020 this week: No overseas fans welcome at this summer's Olympics. We talk with TKFLASTANI Ken Hanscom about the ticketing situation and what fans are feeling now that they can't go to the Games. We're also talking equestrian eventing with 6x Olympian Phillip Dutton. Remember him from one of our Atlanta moments earlier this year? He's still competing and hopes to make Tokyo his 7th Olympics. Phillip explains the sport for us and what to look for when watching it. Find Philli...
Mar 25, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 181
3x3 basketball is one of the new sports on the Olympic program, and NY Harlem/Team USA player Dominique Jones joins us to tell us how it works. Mark your calendars now to watch this during Tokyo 2020. We predict it'll be one of the most exciting additions to the Olympics. Jill also reports back from her Tokyo test event - i.e., the International Olympic Committee's recent marathon Session meeting. What's in store for the new Agenda 2020+5 plan, and did TBach get reelected? Follow Dominique on In...
Mar 18, 2021•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 180
We're on a boat! Not really, but we're talking sailing this week. Americans Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea join us to talk about how the Olympic 49erFX class works, what the water in Tokyo is like and what it's like to try to consume five to six liters of water a day. Follow Stephanie and Maggie's endeavors on their website . On social they're on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobleSheaSailing/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/roblesheasailing/ Speaking of sailing, it's our Atlanta 1996 mo...
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 179
Something big happened in TKFLASTAN this week, which led to this week's Lightning Round episode with TKFLASTANIs Stu Sheldon and Phil Andrews. We've got the details for you, plus an update on when Tokyo 2020 will release its decision on having spectators. Follow Phil on Twitter ! Want bonus content? We’ve got exclusive shows just for our patrons! Become a patron today at Patreon . *** Keep the Flame Alive: The Podcast for Fans of the Olympics and Paralympics with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison B...
Mar 04, 2021•33 min•Ep. 178
It's another week with a TBach press conference, so we take the opportunity to dive into the International Olympic Committee's new five-year plan/math problem called Agenda 2020 +5. We also have a report from the IOC's Future Host Commission. Could the Olympics go back to Australia in 2032? Plus, more feelings about the International Weightlifting Federation and Tokyo 2020's new leader. Our TKFLASTANIS in the news this week include: Beach volleyball player Kelly Claes XC skier Kikkan Randall Bia...
Feb 26, 2021•54 min•Ep. 177
The Olympics touts its gender equity -- but that means an equal number of men and women are competing at the Games, not that they have the same sports and events. On this episode we talk with Jordan Gray, a female decathlete who's working on that latter type of equality. Only men compete in the decathlon at the Olympics now, but Jordan's working to get the women's event included at the 2024 Olympics. She tells us how the decathlon and heptathlon work, and talks about her efforts with Let Women D...
Feb 18, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 176
Grab your popcorn - it’s Movie Club time! We welcome back Film Buff Fran to talk about our latest Movie Club selection, “The Other Side of the Mountain.” How well does this 1975 telling of Olympic ski hopeful Jill Kinmont hold up? What are our TKFLASTANIs up to this week? Giles Long and his new LEXI website Nick Cunningham coached bobsled this season Josh Williamson is an athlete to watch for Beijing 2022 Meagan Duhamel is teaching a virtual off-ice course for skaters and coaches Alex Diebold wa...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 175
Today’s guest is author and historian Dr. Cat Ariail. Cat is a lecturer of history at Middle Tennessee State University and author of the new book Passing the Baton: Black Women Track Stars and American Identity . We discuss how great female Olympic track athletes Alice Coachman, Mae Faggs, Wyomia Tius, Wilma Rudolph, Willye White, Earlene Brown changed the way society perceived Black women in the sporting world. Learn more about Cat at her website: https://catariail.com Our TKFLASTAN Update inc...
Feb 05, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 174
Book Club Claire is back to discuss the book World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women's Cross-Country Ski Team by Peggy Shinn. Read Claire’s blog Light the Cauldron and follow her on Twitter. Our TKFLASTAN Update includes news from: Chloe Kim Alex Diebold Lauren Gibbs Phil Andrews Clare Egan We also have Games Updates from Tokyo 2020 - be on the lookout for "playbooks" that will guide the Organizing Committee on how they'll manage having the Games this summer (another reason to make sure the Ga...
Jan 28, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 173
In part 2 of our interview with visually impaired Paralympian Ness Murby, Ness talks with us all about how the sport of para discus works and whether his guide dog Lexington is good at fetching the discus after throws. Ness and his assistant (and wife) Eva have qualified for Tokyo via the World Champs, but they have to get through team selection and hopefully automatic selection at the Canadian nationals this summer. Follow their journey at TougherThan.com and on Twitter and Insta . Our visit to...
Jan 21, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 172
