Book Club Claire is back for our last Book Club meeting for 2022, and we're discussing Snowball's Chance: The Story of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games Squaw Valley & Lake Tahoe by David C. Antonucci. Know nothing about the 1960 Winter Olympics? Neither did we until we read this book, and it's got all sorts of fun details that are surprisingly relevant to other parts of this episode. Plus, Walt Disney was involved with the ceremonial aspect of these Games, which definitely peaked our interests....
Nov 18, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 262
We're just weeks away from registration for the ticket lottery for the Paris 2024 Olympics, so our TFKLASTANI travel expert Ken Hanscom is here to tell us about the new way tickets will be sold (and why it's OK to not win a spot in the first ticket lottery). He also talks about the lodging situation, so you can start planning your trip! Follow Ken on Twitter and Insta . He also runs the Paris 2024 Olympics Planning & Preparation Facebook Group , so if you're not part of that, you should be. ...
Nov 11, 2022•56 min•Ep. 261
We're getting on the track -- the short track -- with Ryan Shane, US Olympic hopeful in short track speed skating. Ryan's got the details of the sport and answers some of our burning questions left over from Beijing 2022! And we've got some ice talk! You know how we love ice talk! Ryan recently made the Team USA roster for the Fall Short Track World Cup Circuit, so be on the lookout for his competitions! The easiest way to do that is to follow him on Insta and his website . In our Albertville 19...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 260
Ever wonder what goes into creating an Olympic gymnastics floor routine? Choreographer and gymnastics judge Nicole Langevin joins us to explain some of the required elements and how gymnasts pack them into a minute-and-a-half. Among Nicole's routines include TKFLASTANI Chellsie Memmel's comeback routine and TKFLASATNI Houry Gebeshian's Rio 2016 routine (which has a really cool story behind it). Follow Nicole and learn more about her services: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolelangevincons...
Oct 28, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 259
Sports marketing, sponsorship and bid city consultant Terrence Burns is back for part two of our conversation. This time we're talking bidding for the Olympics. Which bids surprised everyone? Which bids failed miserably? We've got the details! Learn more about Terrance's work: https://www.tburnssports.com/ Get more bid stories on his blog: http://www.terrencehburnsblog.com/ Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TBurnsSports Will there ever be an Olympics in the Middle East? Terrence has opi...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 258
What's it like to be an Olympic sponsor, and how has sponsorship and marketing of the Olympics evolved? Terrence Burns of T. Burns Sports Group is here to give some insight into this history. Follow Terrence on Twitter and read about his adventures consulting on Olympic bids at this blog . In our Albertvile history moment, Alison looks the legendary Italian skier Alberto Tomba--better known as Tomba la Bomba--and his achievements at Albertville 1992. In our visit to TKFLASTAN where we catch up w...
Oct 13, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 257
Grab your popcorn and pull up your chair! Film Buff Fran is back for another edition of Keep the Flame Alive's Movie Club. This time we're watching the 2016 Jesse Owens biopic "Race." Will it inspire us to become sprinters? In our Albertville 1992 history moment, Jill starts looking at the bobsled competition. This competition has it all: Scandal! Spying! A color pukesplosion! This week: Scandal -- or, Team USA's really tough Olympic quad. Would the Dream Team have made it better? In our visit t...
Oct 06, 2022•56 min•Ep. 256
Content warning: This episodes contains discussions of eating disorders. During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, our listeners had a ton of questions about ski jumping (particularly with that suit controversy). We talked with Blake Hughes, former USA Nordic Women's Ski Jumping Team Director and Head Coach of USA Nordic Sport, to sort it all out. From ice tracks to ski suit tailors to thoughts on the movie "Eddie the Eagle," this interview will definitely make you watch ski jumping in a differen...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 255
We're back after technical problems and a medical emergency derailed the show last week. This show is worth the wait though! We're excited to have British Paralympic bronze medalist Louise Sugden on the show this week to help us learn about the sport of para powerlifting and setting goals that keep her motivated to go further in the sport. The European Para Powerlifting Championships take place September 24-29. Follow the action here . In our history segment, which focuses on Albertville 1992 th...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 254
Book Club Claire is back for a not-so-marathon discussion about TKFLASTANI marathoner Abdi Abdirahman's book Abdi's World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun. And plants. We also talk plants. Our next book will be Snowball's Chance: The Story of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games Squaw Valley & Lake Tahoe by David C. Antonucci. Get your copy through our Bookshop.org storefront (affiliate link) and support the show -- we get a commission from purchases made through that link. Also on the s...
Sep 08, 2022•48 min•Ep. 252
It's time for another Lightning Round episode with some of our TKFLASTANIs - and this time, we're keeping it in the world of athletics. Runner Madeline Manninng Mims talks with us about being a Tigerbelle and just how hard training could be. Race walker Evan Dunfee shares where you can get the best doughnuts in Canada. And marathoner Abdi Abdirahman shares the secret to getting good pins for his Olympic pin collection. For a transcript of this episode, please visit: https://wp.me/pbRtIx-1Yp Than...
Sep 01, 2022•36 min•Ep. 252
Theater collaborators Gordon Leary and Julia Meinwald have brought the Olympics to the stage in the new musical "The Magnificent Seven," which tells the story of the women's team artistic gymnastics competition during the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. How did they bring this show to the stage, and just what is "sports blue"? We talked with Gordon and Julia during a limited run of the show Off Broadway that took place this past July. You can learn more about them at their website and on Insta . Find out...
Aug 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 251
It’s time for movie club! Film Buff Fran is back with the official film of the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics “One Light One World, ” directed by Joe Jay Jalbert and R. Douglas Copsey. In our Albertville 1992 moment , Alison has part 2 of her deep dive on the women's figure skating competition. In news from TKFLASTAN we have updates from: Connor Fields ' and his retirement from BMX racing Michelle Carter - Check out her new jewelry collection Retired bobsledder Lauren Gibbs Figure skater Nate ...
Aug 18, 2022•58 min•Ep. 250
We are so excited to have David Maraniss on today’s show to talk about his new book Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe. Path Lit by Lightning came out this week, and we talked with him about the book and Thorpe, who won the pentathlon and decathlon at Stockholm 1912, but had his medals stripped because it was later discovered that he had been a professional athlete. Follow David on Facebook , Twitter and Insta ! David will be on tour promoting the book from now through October. Check ...
Aug 11, 2022•58 min•Ep. 249
Big changes are coming to the sport of modern pentathlon for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Contributor Ben Jackson talks with Team GB Olympian Jo Muir, who breaks down what they are and how the sport will look. Also, what's hotter? Tokyo at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics or the United Kingdom in summer 2022? Follow Jo on Insta: @jomuir_194 and @poised_pilates . In our news from TKFLASTAN, we have updates from: Beach volleyball player Kelly Claes Cheng Retired luger Jayson Terdiman Superfan Sarah We also hav...
Aug 04, 2022•54 min•Ep. 248
It is two years to go until the Paris 2024 Olympics begin! To celebrate, we're talking with George Hirthler, author of The Idealist , a historical novel about this founder of the modern Olympic Movement. George was recently honored with the International Olympic Committee's Pierre de Coubertin medal for his service to the Olympic Movement. We talk with George about the baron's life and his thoughts on physical education within the French school system, along with his struggles to have it impleme...
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 247
We've been mesmerized by the last week of the World Games (and not just by how many American Idol contestants have come from Alabama), so we've got more of the action from Birmingham 2022, including thoughts on the artistic gymnastics disciplines we wish were in the Olympics, feed replay beefs and what could possibly be the deal with the mascot of the 2025 World Games. Plus, we open the phone lines to hear from our listeners who watched and/or went, and we learn just how hot it was in Birmingham...
Jul 22, 2022•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 246
u5gLKIsoqxsBhrgsB1kgThe 2022 World Games are underway, and we are glued to the feeds! Today we talk about the sports we've been watching and how the World Games has made us love multi-sport events all over again. If you haven't been watching the World Games, check out the feeds at Olympics.com. It's really cool to see some sports with disciplines that aren't in the Olympics. It's also cool to get to know some new sports that aren't in the Olympics (though some are trying for LA 2028 - looking at...
Jul 15, 2022•54 min•Ep. 245
The 2022 World Games kicks off today in Birmingham, Alabama. Why should we care about a non-Olympic or Paralympic event? The International Olympic Committee is connected to this, and we've got some details on their relationship. We're also joined by World Games medalist John Moorhead, who won bronze in American Football at the 2017 World Games in Wrocław, Poland. John tells us about his experiences and having football in a multi-sport event. Follow John on Twitter , Facebook and Insta. In our Al...
Jul 07, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 244
We talk a lot about more nations getting involved with sports, or smaller nations having more presence at an Olympics or Paralympics. For a nation to be at the Games, they need to have a national governing body in the sport – but what does it take to start one? On this episode we’re talking with skeleton athlete Shannon Galea, who has dual citizenship with Canada and Malta, and who founded the Maltese Bobsled and Skeleton Federation with hopes of qualifying for the Olympics. Follow Shannon on In...
Jul 01, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 243
Book Club Claire is back for another session of book club! This time we've got our first Paralympics-related selection: "Driven to Ride: The True Story of an Elite Athlete Who Rebuilt His Leg, His Life, and His Career" by two-time Paralympic Snowboarder Mike Schultz (affiliate link). Follow Claire on Twitter and Insta , and on YouTube her channel is C Nat . Keeping with the Paralympics theme, in our Albertville 1992 history moment, Jill looks at the Tignes-Albertville Paralympics, which was the ...
Jun 24, 2022•58 min•Ep. 242
Nordic Combined is the only sport on the current Olympic program that is only open to men. Many athletes are working to change that, including Team USA’s Annika Malacinski. We talk with Annika about how the sport works, which surprisingly involves a lot of body measurements (see: ski jumping suit scandal at Beijing ), and we learn about one of the best winner's prizes ever. Annika gets pretty frank with us about how tough it is to not have her discipline in the Olympics. It tried to get into 202...
Jun 17, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 241
Wheelchair curler Steve Emt returns to talk with us about his experiences at the Beijing 2022 Paralympics. Follow Steve: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephen.emt Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/stephen.emt LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-emt And his website, steveemt.com In our Albertville 1992 moment, Jill looks at the men's ice hockey competition, notably, thoughts on hockey referee Sven-Erik Sold, who officiated a number of games at these Olympics. We also travel to TKFLA...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 240
Olympic Host Cities usually get a reputation for spending a ton of money building venues that become white elephants, but that's not necessarily the case. The International Olympic Committee has released a report that catalogs all of the modern Olympic venues and what's happened to them. We delve into this report and examine the IOC's findings. We find some surprises--and sadly, some disappointments. Find out which cities have done it right and which ones haven't. We also have an update from TKF...
Jun 03, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 239
It's Memorial Day weekend here in the U.S., and we're breaking our tradition of publishing a Lightning Round episode to bring you an interview with Olympic speed skater Erin Jackson , one of our TKFLASTANIs who appeared on our friend Elizabeth Emery's podcast Hear Her Sports . For a transcript of this episode, please visit: https://wp.me/pbRtIx-1SB We'll be back next week with a full dose of us. Until then, thanks so much for listening and remember to keep the flame alive! *** Keep the Flame Ali...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 238
Today we welcome Paralympian-turned-broadcaster Rob Snoek. Rob competed in athletics at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Paralympics before transitioning to a career in sports broadcasting. Today Rob calls all sorts of sports and has worked with the CBC on their Olympics and Paralympics coverage since 2002. At Beijing 2022, Rob was the CBC's snowboard play-by-play announcer for the Olympics, commentating from Toronto. Then he traveled to Beijing to work as a sled hockey (or sledge hockey, as Rob says) co...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 237
Josh Williamson, our very first TKFLASTANI, makes a return visit on the show. He's no longer an Olympic hopeful; he's now an actual Olympian, and we couldn't be more proud of him. Josh tells us about his experiences at Beijing 2022, which involve COVID positives, an unusual competition, lots of issues with security during the Closing Ceremonies, and a robot who said he was beautiful. In our look back at Albertville 1992, Jill has one of the many amazing stories from the speed skating oval. This ...
May 13, 2022•1 hr 25 min
John Coates has stepped down as president of the Australian Olympic Committee. UIPM, the modern pentathlon federation, has selected a sport to test to replace the horse showjumping discipline. The International Skating Union is set to vote on raising the minimum age limits for senior-level athletes. So much going on in the world of the Olympics this week! In our history moment, Alison explains the Unified Team from Albertville 1992. We also have news from TKFLASTANIs Teri Hedgpeth, Stephanie Rob...
May 06, 2022•51 min•Ep. 235
Author David Davis returns to the show to talk about his book Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku, about the legendary 3x Olympic medalist and surfing pioneer. David's book has been turned into a documentary that will air on PBS' American Masters in May. Duke Kahanamoku won back-to-back gold medals in the 100m freestyle at the 1912 and 1920 Summer Olympics. He also won silver at the 1924 Summer Olympics, just losing out to Johnny Weissmuller, in an Olympic career that spanned a whopp...
Apr 29, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 234
Photographer Mark Edward Harris was one of the friends we made in the Closed Loop at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. We talked with him about his craft--and his several frostbitten fingers. Learn more about Mark at his website and follow him on Insta . Plus, Alison's got a funky costume story from the Albertville 1992 Opening Ceremonies. We raved over the outfits worn by the country escorts during the Opening Ceremonies of Beijing. Alison's got the details on those from 30 years ago. We also h...
Apr 22, 2022•54 min
