Olympic Gymnasts Spoofed By 'The Bronze'

The first time I heard about "The Bronze" -- the new comedy that spoofs Olympic gymnastics -- it had just debuted at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

Following some studio troubles and distribution issues, it took longer than anticipated to finally see it, but I recently enjoyed a media preview screening just in time for its limited release (pushed back yet again) on Friday. 

It's too bad this five-ringed flick may not get a broader audience; the film is packed with many funny moments, some very funny. 

But over time, "The Bronze" may gain a cult following on par with other sports-skewering late night comedies like bowling's "Kingpin" or golf's "Caddyshack." 

Early scenes introduce viewers to the young Hope Annabelle Greggory, an Olympian from small town Ohio competing at the Rome 2004 Olympics. In case you weren't sure: Unlike other recent releases "Race" and "Eddie The Eagle," "The Bronze" is not based on a specific Olympian, nor are its Olympic scenes based on real-life. 

After Hope's ankle audibly snaps during her televised balance beam routine, the would-be Kerri Strug guts through one more routine to secure a bronze medal and win America's sweetheart status, in the process upstaging fellow U.S. gymnasts who took home the gold.

Flash forward 10 years: Adult Greggory (Melissa Rauch), now pushing 30, has long-since gotten sponsorship offers or appearance fees. Donning her Team USA uniform, she fills her days with trips to the mall in search of free food, shoes and other Olympic hero spoils she negotiated through questionable means (some X-rated).

When she's not cruising the mall or small town Ohio streets in her bronze and rusting Buick, Hope spends time stealing greeting card cash from her postal dad's mail truck and hiding out in her trophy-filled basement room, at times masturbating to stuck landings in her own competition videos.

Getting the picture? America's sweetheart ... gone wild!

Viewers may recognize Hope's father Stan (Gary Cole) from his previous authoritarian role in "Office Space" (yeah, that manager with the TPS reports and great coffee mug).

Though Stan loves Hope, he's reached the end of his rope in trying to nudge her out of the nest. Then opportunity knocks!

Through a series of unfortunate events centered on her former coach's suicide and an unexpected inheritance secretly promised to her, Hope reluctantly accepts a coaching gig to train America's next sweetheart gymnast -- high schooler Maggie Townsend, Hope's heir apparent -- in time for the Toronto 2016 Games.

Though gaining a small fortune is Hope's only real motivation, for her own dark amusement she unleashes a spectrum of awful pranks undermining her naive protege's training through bad diet, condoning premarital sex and bottled water spiked with ecstasy, all while fending off an encroaching U.S. Gymnastics coaching nemesis dead-set on luring Maggie over to his camp.

Refraining from more screenplay details, I'll just state that by the time an intense gymnastics sex scene and the Toronto Games are underway, sportsmanlike conduct is long gone and Hope's back story on her vault from sweetheart to seductress is fully disclosed, with many hilarious if raunchy, er, Rauch-y one-liners delivered. There are a few times when this joke or that joke are just slightly overcooked, but overall most lines aren't forced.

I really took a shine to the dancer-turned-actress Haley Lu Richardson as Maggie, an ever-chipper yet gullible athlete looking to Hope for advice.

Between Maggie's Christian one-liners ("cursing hurts God's spirit") and cluelessly suggestive secret hand signals (finger poking her other hand's encircled fingers) she earned some of the biggest laughs.

My prediction is that others will one day recall this Richardson comedy debut the way folks already reminisce about Jonah Hill in "Superbad."

Thomas Middleditch as the awkward gym owner (and lifetime small town Hope fan) provides a dose of sensitivity that also will make folks smile.

It was fun spotting Olympic cameos by Dominique Dawes, Olga Korbut and Dominique Moceanu, and most of the music is apt. Fans may enjoy Doris Day crooning "Why-o-why-o did I leave Ohio?" and the end credits rolling to a Rauch gymnastics rap ("I'm a bronze ass beeochh!") are nice finishing touches.

"The Bronze" leaves no doubt its "R" rating is appropriate, so some Rio 2016 Olympic hopefuls may have to wait for theatre access. I suspect the DVD will put the "nasty" into artistic gymnastics while leaving room for rhythmic or trampoline sequels.

Images via Sony Classics

Only Olympic Bronze at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas

About a week ago a colleague surprised me with an invitation to work for three days at the Interbike convention in Las Vegas.

Three days in Vegas? Twist my arm!

During this, my second trip to Nevada, we wheeled and dealed with media on behalf of client WingFlyer, a new scooter that combines the feel of a bike with the workout of a stair stepper as the foot platform provides a pumping action creating the "flying" motion.

It was fun to also learn about popular cycling products and teams (though no Olympians spotted) on site.


When the show wrapped up on Friday, I caught a taxi to downtown Las Vegas for a visit to the world famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop where "Pawn Stars" was taping in-store on a Friday afternoon. To my surprise, there was a line about 100 fans deep waiting for entry into the shop, which is quite cozy when filled with tourists, but authentic to its portrayal on the History Channel series.

Of the show cast, during my visit only Rick Harrison, the shop's owner, was on site -- I stood across the counter from him while he spoke with a camera operator and they filmed b-roll for a deal in progress involving what appeared to be some very old firearms.

It was my hope Rick would make time to answer some questions about the many Olympic items for sale in the store, but Flip cameras are not allowed, and Rick left the building before many of my questions got answered.

















Lots of Olympic collectors know about the two Joe Greene Olympic bronze medals -- one each from Atlanta 1996 and Barcelona 1992 -- and how they made their way to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.

Going into the store, I vaguely recalled a brief "Pawn Stars" segment with the back story, but not the exact story.

According to Yamil, a worker in the shop, Greene's medals were pawned by a thief (who was later caught), but when Greene came to the shop to retrieve them, the Olympic medalist and Rick worked out a deal with the condition that the Harrisons would never re-sell the medals. To this day, the two bronze medals remain on display among the many "priceless" artifacts that draw throngs of visitors to the store.

Of course, Yamil's story and the store's claim that Greene's Olympic medals are not for sale, doesn't  jive with past news articles and YouTube videos about the medals, so I would still love to get the straight story from Rick.

What may surprise Olympic collectors or fans is that the shop also displays a 1960 Rome Olympic bronze medal (history unknown as of this blog post), a 1948 St. Moritz Olympic gold medal (priced at $8,000), a 1984 Longines pocket watch cast in gold with diamonds on the cover (see photo below) and other Olympic items such as a Calgary 1988 poster (overpriced -- way overpriced), a gold 1996 commemorative coin and a bronze statue of a slalom skier which may or may not be Olympic-related.

Non-Olympic items of interest include some rare first and second-edition books, a Chicago World's Fair/Columbian Expo souvenir photo book, many of the iconic items purchased on "Pawn Stars" and stacks of newly-printed Chumlee T-shirts.

Rick's new book, signed or unsigned, is also available.

A young sales associate, Krista, was helpful in providing more detail about the 1988 Winter Olympic poster (left) by artist Melanie Taylor Kent, signed and numberd 285/400 titled "Let the Games Begin." It's displayed at the front of the shop, while the Olympic medals, watch and coins are mostly in the same middle section of the store.

I asked a lot of questions about the 1960 Rome medal, which featured an older shop price tag of about $3,900. Wishing now I bought it on the spot with no questions asked, because later during my visit, the shop changed the price tag to "not for sale" (as shown in photos). I have call planned early next week to learn more about the history of this item and how it arrived at Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.

If you decide to visit the store, be prepared for a wait outside ("up to three hours on some days" according to one shop security guard) as the store now hosts an average of 6,000 visitors per day, according to Krista.

The shop is open to the public and free to enter from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a pawnbroker's window open overnight providing 24/7 options to barter. They have no Olympic pins in the store -- in fact, there were only a handful of rare military pins, and a few boxed sets of NASCAR pins, about which to write.

While in line to enter the store, a man my age was waiting to negotiate a sale of several mint in box G.I. Joe action figures. He did not make it onto the "Pawn Stars" show but he did successfully negotiate a decent pawn deal at the counter, so don't be shy about bringing your wares to Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.

Thinking I'll bring my cassette tapes and VHS collections next time. Think they'll buy?

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Rodin at the High = French Wissing in the USA

To wis is to know, and visitors to Atlanta's High Museum of Art may enjoy getting to know French sculptor Auguste Rodin through the fresh exhibition of 70 works in "Rodin in the United States: Confronting the Modern" on view through Jan. 15. 

When a banner for the exhibition recently went up locally, lyrics to Debbie Harry's seldom-heard passionate smooching song played in my head and inspired the rhyming headline to this post. 

In anticipation of the recent exhibition media preview, I dusted off memories of my first Rodin encounters, both in 1996, also at the High. 

Visiting the museum a week after moving to Georgia, the artist's solemn work "The Shade" -- the centerpiece of a memorial to 106 Atlantans lost in the Orly air disaster of 60 years ago -- greeted me on the approach to Richard Meier's award-winning building on Peachtree Street.

Later that year, of course, the exhibition "Rings: Five Passions in World Art" (photo below) was a cornerstone of the Cultural Olympiad in which Rodin's six-foot marble masterpiece "The Kiss" was a showstopping loan from the Rodin Museum in Paris. 

The new exhibition also features "The Kiss" though this time in bronze borrowed from the Baltimore Museum of Art, where I previously enjoyed this version during a New Jersey to Georgia road trip pit stop of summer 2018 (yes, I brake/break for museums). 

Here are five other Rodin works that caught my eye now on view at the High:

The marble "Christ and Mary Magdalene" -- for which Rodin supervised carving rather than himself chiseling, according to the exhibition wall text -- bookends silky smooth lines of the Biblical characters with rough, unfinished stone pockmarked by somewhat symmetrical knife-poked divots. Taking inspiration from the themes of Slow Art Day, I spent nearly 10 quiet minutes studying this work from all sides and it is extraordinary. This work is loaned by another Meier-designed masterpiece museum, The Getty in Los Angeles. 

"Female Torso with a Slavic Woman's Head" (photo below), which I vaguely recalled from an early 2000s Rodin exhibition at its Legion of Honor home in San Francisco, is an armless plaster figure whose downward gaze perhaps inspired Quintin Tarantino's French-Japanese character Sophie Fatale. As some may recall, she was the interpreter rolled down the snowy hill to a Tokyo emergency room in "Kill Bill: Vol. 1." But what woman will you see and be inspired to revisit via Rodin's work?

Speaking of Japan, for the drawing "Hanako" Rodin sketched his only Japanese model, a touring actress named Hisa Ota (or is it Ota Hisa?). I loved viewing the pen and ink later colored with crayon. While writing this post, a more detailed back story of the actress' intro to Rodin came to light via this site and their eventual artist:spouse:model collaboration is fascinating. 

According to wall texts, "The Prodigal Son" bronze (photo below) was cast for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. This was another Legion of Honor work seen previously and it proved as moving now as ever. 

If this exhibition's iconic showpiece is "The Thinker" then its feminine counterpart conversation starter may be "Iris, Messenger of the Gods" on holiday from the Smithsonian/Hirshhorn Museum in D.C. Rodin left little to the imagination rendering the bronze "unexhibitable" for prudish American museums. The model was definitely more provocateur less demure.

The exhibition also includes an informative timeline for Rodin's career highs and lows, mistresses and marriage. 

I asked the guest curator, Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, the extent to which "The Kiss" loan of 1996 or the forthcoming Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad were on her radar ("non" is her paraphrased response). 

She does have great expertise and information about Rodin to share, which may be viewed on YouTube via her summer presentation at the Clark Institute when the exhibition opened there. 

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver except the cover image of "Rings: Five Passions in World Art" catalog cover photo by Bruno Jaret. 

Olympic Rings To Fill Silver Screens In 2016

With all the recent attention on "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and other big films opening for the holidays, some previews are popping up for new Olympic-themed features set to open in 2016.

Not since Leni Riefenstahl assigned her crews 80 years ago have there been so many filmmakers with an eye and lens on Olympic action.

Here's a look at the big studio releases and smaller potential gems with a five-ringed connections coming soon to a theatre near you:

Title: "Race"
Release Date: 19 February 2016
Website: www.FocusFeatures.com/Race
Production/Distributor: Focus Features
On screen: Stephan James, Jeremy Irons, Jason Sudeikis, William Hurt, Carice van Houton
Off screen: Stephen Hopkins (director)

Description: Tailored to the masses fresh look at Jesse Owens and his journey from rural Alabama to the world's stage at the Berlin Olympics. Title is a double (or perhaps triple) entendre about Owens' running prowess, the color of his skin and (hinted by the previews) a "race against time" for the track star to decide whether to compete for Team USA in spite of obvious discrimination in its ranks and Germany's emerging Aryan aspirations.

Curious facts: According to IMDB, the title role originally went to John Boyega, who backed out to appear in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Jeremy Irons will play the role of U.S. Olympic chief Avery Brundage, an official likely to appear in two of the upcoming Olympic documentaries listed later in this post.

Olympic Rings And Other Things prediction: Film will entertain with a new, crowd-pleasing spin on Owens' feats while disappointing the fact checkers who call to question the fictionalized bio for the sake of tension/drama (sort of like in the film version of "Unbroken").

Title: "The Bronze"
Release Date: 11 March 2016
Website: SonyClassics.com/TheBronze
Production/Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
On screen: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong
Off screen: Bryan Buckley (director)

Description: Comedy about a twentysomething Olympic bronze medal gymnast "putting the nasty in gymnastics" whose star is falling while a younger athlete's profile is on the rise in the same small Ohio town they call home.

Curious Facts: Gary Cole is often quoted for the TPS Report-loving manager he portrayed in "Office Space." Since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, several Team USA women's gymnastics Olympians took home bronze medals, including: Mary Lou Retton (1984 uneven bars, floor exercise), Kathy Johnson (1984 balance beam), Phoebe Mills (1988 balance beam), Shannon Miller (1992 uneven bars,), Amy Chow (1996 uneven bars), Dominique Dawes (1996 floor exercise), Courtney Kupets (2004 uneven bars), Nastia Liukin (2008 floor exercise) and Alexandra Raisman (2012 balance beam). In 1948, Team USA earned a bronze in the "team combined" women's gymnastics events in 1948 London, 1992 Barcelona and 2000 Sydney.

Olympic Rings And Other Things prediction: Future cult classic and solid scores for F-bomb vaulting.

Title: "Eddie The Eagle"
Release Date: 26 February 2016
Website: www.FoxMovies.com/movies/Eddie-the-Eagle
Production/Distributor: 20th Century Fox/Lionsgate
On screen: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken
Off screen: Dexter Fletcher (director), Matthew Vaughn, Adam Bohling, David Reid, Rupert Maconick and Valerie Van Galder

Description: Highly fictionalized version of events leading to the world famous British ski jumper's Olympic debut at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

Curious Facts: In a BBC interview, the athlete on which the film is based said, "I've been warned only 10 to 15 percent of it is based on my life."

Olympic Rings And Other Things prediction: Future boxed set with the other Calgary Games comedy "Cool Runnings."

Title: "Munich 72 And Beyond"
Release Date: TBD
Website: www.MunichMemorial.org
Production: Foundation for Global Sports Development, Crisman Films
On screen: Surviving family members from 1972 Israel Olympic Team
Off screen: Stephen Crisman (director)

Description: According to the official site, the film will, "... capture the story of the Munich Memorial, and create an unflinching, elegant and timely examination of contemporary remembrance. The film will revisit Munich's history and bring it to a contemporary moment through intimate interviews and access to those involved. The film will also follow the construction of the Memorial ... with blueprints and renowned architects as guides.

Curious facts: The New York Times wrote up new revelations to be discussed in the film, and Around The Rings aired a podcast interview about the project. The 40th anniversary of the Munich Olympic attack is covered here. 

Olympic Rings And Other Things prediction: Surviving family member inch closer to closure while the Oscar-winning "One Day In September" (documentary which covers the same topic) proves tough to beat.

Title: "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice"
Release Date: TBD
Website: www.1936OlympicsMovie.com
Production: Coffee Bluff Pictures
On screen: Blair Underwood (narrator), Carl Lewis, Isaiah Thomas
Off screen: Deborah Riley Draper (director)

Description: Documentary exploring the 18 black American athletes (including Jesse Owens) and the discrimination they faced at home before, during and after they competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Curious facts: Draper, who is based in Atlanta, previously created the documentary "Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution."

Olympic Rings And Other Things prediction: Audiences will be treated to an accurate and detailed look at what Team USA's black athletes endured in spite of their accomplishments.

Title: "Roads to Olympia"
Release Date: TBD
Website: www.RoadsToOlympia.com
Production: Beacon Revolt
On screen: Daniel Alexander
Off screen: Ramazan Nanayev (director/writer)

Description:  "Weaving between Russia, Saudi Arabia and South America ... a dark yet truly empowering story that follows young people testing their strength and endurance, as athletes and as people, while the attempt to achieve their dreams."

Curious facts: Like "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice" this film was funded in-part through a public campaign via Seed & Spark.

Olympic Rings And Other Things prediction: Effective international version of "Race" portraying athletes overcoming oppression, poverty and intolerance due to ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

Images courtesy of the respective film production companies or distributors listed in this post. 

Guest Column: J. Brian Carberry’s 20:16 in Texas

My good friend and fellow International Society of Olympic Historians member J. Brian Carberry recently trekked to the capitol of Texas from his home near Bossier City, La. What follows is an "Austin Postcard" guest column Carberry wrote about the experience.

Though his colleagues and friends don't typically think of Brian as a "clock watcher," readers will see and appreciate that Carberry kept an eye on his timepiece during these experiences. Enjoy!

GUEST COLUMN: J. Brian Carberry's 20:16 in Austin, Texas

The Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend dates of Jan. 16-17, 2016, in Austin offered a unique opportunity for viewing an Olympic-caliber sporting event, exploring local ties to Olympic history, taking in a commemorative statue of a local Blues legend, and learning about one of Brazil’s most beloved sportsmen and athlete ambassadors via a world-class exhibit.

With 2016 upon us, and the Rio Olympics on the horizon (along with my family being out of town on school and family business), a driving journey to Austin from Shreveport, La., offered the perfect getaway to set the Olympic/Brazilian mood for the year.  

My 20 hours and 16 minutes (20:16) in the Texas capitol -- built around attending the Arena Pro Swim Series at Austin (a FINA-approved competition for athletes to log qualifying times for Rio) -- accomplished this goal.

Departing at noon on Jan. 16, I arrived in Austin at 5:30 p.m. after a pleasant drive through eastern Texas’ pinewood-laden geography.   

Following a rapid check-in at the Courtyard Marriott (Official Partner of USA Swimming), I quickly navigated my way to the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center on the main campus of the University of Texas where the finals session of Day 2 of the Arena Pro Swim Series commenced at 6 p.m.

With 10 minutes to spare, I paused to take in the Olympians Plaza right outside the venue (modeled after the 1972 Munich Olympic pool, according to this page on the UT website), which features a fenced-in tree with a band of round medallions inscribed with the name of every UT swimmer or diver who competed in the Olympics. The name, discipline, and (where appropriate) medals won, are denoted. 

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Illinois native and current oldest living U.S Olympic gold medalist Adolph Kiefer (USA) attended and swam at the University of Texas in the wake of his inspiring gold medal-winning swim (at age 17) during the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games in the 100-meters backstroke.

Given Kiefer’s Jewish heritage, it was a nice reminder of the overall climate at the ’36 Games, and an affirmative testament for the MLK Jr. Holiday.  

The final medallions denoted Kathleen Hersey (USA), who is a two-time Olympian through 2012 in the women’s 200-meter butterfly and James Feigen (USA), who won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics in the men’s 4 x 100-meters relay and whom I would see swim later that evening.  A long and rich Olympic swimming and diving tradition indeed!

After viewing the plaza and medallions, I made my way into the venue and to my seat with moments to spare before the first “A” final of the night in the women’s 400-meters individual medley. 

As veteran Olympic attendees know, you travel the swiftest when alone and focused on your destination. My fast-tracked entry was also assisted by the lack of multiple layers of security to process through prior to entering, and no line at on-site ticketing where $15 afforded me the equivalent of an Olympic “A” level vantage point for the evening session.

In year four of their exclusive sponsorship with USA Swimming, aquatic gear manufacturer Arena’s logo was ubiquitously presented at the venue with a full array of branded training and casual wear products available for purchase.

Eight finals were on the slate for the evening, and the performances did not disappoint. Over 35 Olympic medalists from around the world were on the program to swim, along with many noted up-and-comers set to make an impression as they worked to make their first Olympic team this year.  

Some swimmers at this meet were clearly in the process of rounding into shape or focusing on rarely swam distances/events as part of their training towards a peak in Brazil later this year.  

Others were there to serve notice as world class times were swam over the course of the night.

For the women’s 400 IM final, a notably partisan section of the crowd was on hand waving Hungarian flags as the 2015 World Champion and Olympic hopeful in this event, Katinka Hooszu (HUN), pulled away in 4:37.50 to win a final that included Olympic IM medalists Caitlyn Leverentz (USA) finishing sixth and Elizabeth Biesel (USA) seventh.

AP Photo/Stephen Spillman

Next up was what would turn out to be arguably the marquee performance of the evening as Olympic veteran Ryan Lochte (USA) took to the pool against a final field that included two other Olympic gold medalists, though in different disciplines.  

Backstroke Olympian Tyler Clary (USA) would finish fourth and long distance freestyle specialist Oussama Mellouli (TUN) would take eighth as Lochte, who at 31 was eight-plus years older than the average age of the field, set a UT Pool record of 4:12.66 in winning the event outright by 1.98 seconds over second place finisher Chase Kalisz (USA).

Not to be outdone, the women’s 200-meters freestyle final featured three Olympic gold medalists from the 2012 London Olympic Games. Missy Franklin (USA) came in third in her first of two finals for the evening, while her 2012 4 x 200 teammate Shannon Vreeland (USA) took eighth.  

Neither were a match for 2012 women’s 800-meters gold medalist and 2015 World Champion in this event, teenager Katie Ledecky (USA), who won in 1:54.43 to record the all-time sixth-fastest time in the event, beating out Sarah Sjostrom (SWE). This time by Ledecky was also a UT pool record.

AP Photo/Stephen Spillman

The men’s 200-meters freestyle final brought the crowd to its feet as Olympic legend Michael Phelps (USA) stepped to the blocks. Also in the field was Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Stravius (FRA); a perennial member of the French Olympic men’s relay teams that rival Phelps and others in the USA men’s relay units.  

On this night, Stravius prevailed in a time of 1:47.56. Phelps finished fourth behind Townley Haas (USA) and Jordan Pothain (FRA), foreshadowing the 2016 Olympic men’s freestyle relays should be as competitive as ever.

The women’s 200-meters backstroke final included the 2012 Olympic gold medalist Franklin and the 2015 World Championship bronze medalist Hosszu both contesting their second final of the evening.  Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), the 2004 and 2008 Olympic gold medalist in this event, was also in the field.  Perhaps due to fatigue from the attempt to double, Hosszu, with the aforementioned Hungarian crowd contingency rooting her on was beat at the touch by .34 seconds by up and comer Maya DiRado (USA).  Franklin was third and Coventry was sixth.

The men’s 200-meters backstroke final included 2012 Men’s 100-meters backstroke and men’s medley relay Olympic gold medalist Matt Grevers (USA) stepping up to the longer distance. With 2012 Olympic gold and bronze medalists (Clary and Lochte, respectively) absent from the field after the men’s 400 IM earlier in the evening, the event was a showcase for aspiring Olympians.  

Ryan Murphy (USA) who swam on the 2015 World Championship men’s 4 x100 medley relay gold medal team won easily in 1:55.99 with Grevers finishing fourth.

The penultimate final of the evening was the women’s 50-meters freestyle. Winner Sjostrom in a time of 24.17 and Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (BAH), who placed third, were semi-finalist and finalist, respectively, in this event at the 2012 Olympic Games, indicating a strong progression. 

Olympians Natalie Coughlin (USA), Dana Vollmer (USA) and Theresa Alshammer (SWE) swept the B Final in that order. The former two Olympic gold medalists were moving down in distance for this tune up, and the 2000 Sydney Olympics silver medalist in this event, Alshammer, is still going strong at the age of 38 after a sixth place finish at the 2012 Olympics.

The last Final event was the men’s 50-meters freestyle, which included 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meters freestyle, Nathan Adrian (USA), who finished first in 21.85. Olympic silver medalist and UT alumnus Jimmy Feigen (USA) finished third and the 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the event Cullen Jones (USA) finished sixth.  The 2000 Sydney Olympics gold medalist in this event, Anthony Ervin (USA) recorded the 10th fastest time of the night with a third place finish in the B Final.

After the competition, Arena provided an autograph and photo area with their sponsored athletes including 2015 World Championships silver medalist Connor Jaeger (USA), and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Breeja Larson (USA).

Hosszu, Cullen Jones (USA), and Rowdy Gaines (USA), who was there as media, all made time to mingle with the crowd outside of the venue.

Jones was born on Leap Year Day in 1984 so good luck and birthday wishes for the Olympiad year were offered as I secured an autograph before returning to my hotel to watch the last half of the NFL Divisional Round playoff game between the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. Folks interested in the upcoming Arena Pro Swim Series events in Orlando, Charlotte, Indianapolis and other cities will find ticket information via this link. 

The next morning, I grabbed a hearty breakfast at the International House of Pancakes (a nod to the weekend’s global theme), and headed to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) Downtown Paddock to take in the Hall of Fame Collection of memorabilia documenting and commemorating the career of Brazilian F1 legend Ayrton Senna (BRA).

The exhibit, which is described as having been “meticulously gathered over a period of 20 years by private collectors Howard Jacobs and Darren Jack,” consists of photo authenticated race worn clothing, steering wheels, autographed pieces, and original F1 car parts. 

The exhibit does an excellent job of documenting and including an array of items from each phase of Senna’s F1 career with an array of impressive items, many of which are signed by the late Senna. 

Of note is the inclusion of items from periods at the beginning and end of his career when he served very short stints with the teams of Toleman and Williams. 

The exhibit showcases some very interesting and appropriate items without overwhelming the viewer with clutter.

In an 11 year career in motor racing’s highest echelon, Senna won 41 Grand Prixs and three Driver Championships before his tragic death at the Imola Raceway in San Marino on May 1, 1994. In death, Senna remains a national hero in Brazil as I had learned more about in a preparatory viewing of the 2010 film Senna that documents his life.

A frequently used freeway in Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Ayrton Senna, has been named in his honor and many Olympic visitors this year will find themselves traveling this thoroughfare. Fans might also enjoy a listen to the CD A Tribute to Ayrton Senna: A Music Documentary, which features a collection of affirmational songs from noted artists including Queen, Tina Turner, Pink Floyd, Phil Collins, Enya, and others interspersed with recorded statements by Senna himself, and notable audio race calls from key moments in his career.  (The exhibit continues through March 2016, and it is advised to call ahead at 512-655-6400 to confirm dates and times.)

My final stop before departing Austin was a visit the commemorative statue of Texas native and

Blues guitarist extraordinaire Stevie Ray Vaughn. 

Unveiled in 1993 and installed along the Riverside Drive’s Bike Trail, the statue was executed by Ralph Helmick, and on this day small roses had been placed upon his sculpted hands by prior visitors.

Vaughn’s Blues guitar, which I first heard on MTV in 1984 while watching the video to his hit song Cold Shot, was distinctive and electrifying even among other guitar greats.

I was thankful for the morning walk along the bike trail, and the time to reflect on the musical genius of another legend whose time on Earth was short but made a global impact.

With the clock approaching 1:20 p.m., and with a long drive ahead of me, I pulled onto the northbound on ramp to I-35, and as I exited the Southern metropolis I noted it was 1:46 p.m., and my 20:16 in Austin had come to an end to the minute.

It was a weekend to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and look forward to a great Olympic year in Brazil and beyond.

Non-AP photos by J. Brian Carberry; image of UT Olympians Plaza via fd2s; Greetings from Austin vintage postcard via this blog.

Olympic High Jumpers Earn Medals, Chart Courses for LA28 at Tokyo 2025 World Championships

The best quote heard in the media mixed zone at Tokyo 2025 came from Ukraine high jump phenom Yaroslava Mahuchikh on the event's closing night. 

Carrying her rain-soaked sleeping bag less than an hour after earning a shared World Athletics Championship bronze with Serbia's Angelina Topic, and still dripping from the downpour that added tense competition delays and several inches of water to the landing pit, Mahuchikh spoke only of the good perceived from defending her 2023 Budapest and Paris 2024 golds (she also earned a bronze at Japan National Stadium at the Tokyo Olympics).

Paraphrasing here, "This gives me incentive to work toward [the next championships] and LA28." 

No tears. No frustration. No vent. Just focus on the lessons learned and what's next, spoken like a true champion. 

"I will learn from this," the world record holder added. 

Though she was calm and confident at the same media row at Tokyo, first-time and fellow bronze winner Topic -- who left Budapest in seventh and qualified for the Paris finals but no results due to injury -- was a tearful ball of nerves during the "excruciating" wait for the evening's last jumps. 

From my second-row seat near the trackside spot where Topic consulted her coach between leaps, by the middle of the first cloudburst she was pacing and paused to clasp her hands and stare sideways as though mimicking "Mater Dolorosa" (right) spotted the previous evening in Japan's National Museum of Western Art. 

When the scoreboard finally revealed bronze was secure, she fell to her knees with relief. 

"It was the most stressful two hours of my life," Topic said. "I was sitting with [Nicola] Olyslagers from Australia, and she was holding me like a baby."

With Topic and Mahuchikh each soaring 1.97m, it was Olyslagers who brought home gold at 2m as her follow up to Olympic silver last year and bronze at Budapest 2023. 

Poland's Maria Zodzik surprised herself and the world by winning silver with her personal best jump (also 2m -- my seatmates from Warsaw were over the moon). All four medalists competed at Japan National Stadium previously at the 2020 Olympics. 

Also impressive: Three-time Olympian and Paris bronze medalist Eleanor Patterson (AUS), Yuliia Levchenko (UKR) also a three-time Olympian, 2024 Olympian Christina Honsel (GER), thrice Olympian Morgan Lake (GBR) and Paris Olympian Elena Kulichenko, the recent University of Georgia grad/NCAA champ jumping for Cyprus who answered questions after the mid-meet qualifier.  

For all the rain-soaked drama, check out this NRG Sport roundup for the women's high jump final (the last photo at the base of this post is a screen shot of this blogger seated at Mahuchikh's penultimate jump).

Photo credits: Top image by Ashley Landis/Associated Press; Yaroslava and Angelina rain photos by Louise Delmotte/Associated Press; painting by Carlo Dolci via Japan National Museum of Western Art; tearful Angelina Topic with hands via Serbian Times; all photos in Tokyo 2025 mixed zone and trackside photos (below) copyright Nicholas Wolaver not for use without written permission.