GOLD MEDAL MEL

Some Olympic Thoughts « blog maverick

My position on NBA players and the Olympics has not changed since I first wrote about it nearly 8 years ago. It was stupid then. It has not gotten any smarter.

via blogmaverick.com

Just read this. That's all. Just read.

Recreation Minister, Fikile Mbalula, misinformed about his opinion that black athletes cannot swim

via www.businessday.co.za: FIREBRAND Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula is to launch a transformation commission of inquiry to investigate whether all sporting codes are serious about ensuring sport is fully inclusive.

GMM: South Africa, striving to create multiracial sports, sees a huge hurdle in the sport of swimming.

FROM THE SPORT AND RECREATION MINISTER (photo above): "I want to see multiracial rugby and cricket teams by the end of the year. I want to see all the teams multiracial. But (swimming) will take 100 years to be multiracial because black people cannot swim. When I raise these issues I am not being racist," Mbalula said.

GMM:  Mbalula's motivation to make South African swimming multiracial is positive, but he needs to do some research on the sport of swimming. Africans are, in fact, exceptional swimmers, and, historically, were the best swimmers.

SEE VIDEOS: 

GMM: Color in the sport of swimming has long been a debated issue, particularly in the United States.  In truth, it's an economic issue. Historically, people of color have not had the same opportunites as whites. They have not had access to pools, and lower income families have not had the economic means to support their children with swimming lessons.

Olympic gold medalist, Cullen Jones, is an Ambassador for Make a Splash, the USA Swimming Foundation's national initiative to teach every child in America to swim, to make sure they all have access to this life-saving skill. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MAKE A SPLASH GO HERE. 

Prince Albert of Monaco (married to Wittstock, an Olympic Swimmer) succeeds Samaranch as Partron of the World Olympians Asscociation

Following his election last month as President of the World Olympians Association (WOA), Joël Bouzou asked H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco to become the new Patron of this unique worldwide organization uniting all 100,000 athletes to have competed in an Olympic event.

The Sovereign Prince of Monaco immediately accepted and his role was unanimously approved by the WOA Board Members and by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Dr. Jacques Rogge.

The Sovereign succeeds Juan Antonio Samaranch who founded the WOA in 1994 and was Patron until his death in 2010. 

Himself a fine athlete, H.S.H. Prince Albert II is the only Head of State to have participated in five Olympic Games in bobsleigh (Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994, Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002).  He has also been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985. 

A passionate champion of the cause of peace and social progress through sport for many years, H.S.H. Prince Albert II will full-heartedly support and promote the WOA’s new ambition and mission: serving Olympians during and after their careers, and serving society. 

 WOA President Joël Bouzou declared: “It is a tremendous honour for the World Olympians Association to have H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco as the new Patron of our organization. He is an Olympian and a true humanist who has always believed that the values of sport can change lives and can change society for the better. His involvement and advocacy will greatly increase our influence and will make a huge difference to convince new stakeholders that Olympians across the globe can and should contribute to improve the world in which we live. I can’t thank him enough for his support.”

On Joël Bouzou’s recommendation, Swedish Alpine ski Champion and former IOC Member Pernilla Wiberg was also appointed Member of the WOA Executive Board. Pernilla Wiberg is one of the few skiers to have won medals in all five Alpine Ski disciplines (combined, slalom, giant slalom, downhill and Super G). Her achievements are exceptional: two gold medals in the Albertville and Lillehammer Games, four World Championship titles between 1991 and 1999, a victory in the 1997 World Cup, 24 racing medals (14 slalom, 3 Super G, 3 combined, 2 downhill, 2 giant slalom) and no less than 61 appearances on the winners’ podium. Pernilla was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 2002 to 2010 and she participated in many of its  commissions: the Athletes’ commission, Sport and Environment, Ethics, and Coordination of the 2010 Winter Olympics and  2010 Youth Olympic Games… She also serves as President of the Athletes’ commission for the International Ski Federation.

Following these appointments, the new WOA organizational chart is as follows:

H.E. Juan Antonio Samaranch, Founder

H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Patron

Dr. Jacques Rogge, Honorary President

Mr. Joël Bouzou, President (FRA)

Mr. Anthony Ledgard Grimm, Secretary General (PER)

Mr. El Hadj Amadou Dia Ba, First Vice President (SEN)

Mr. George Andreadis, Second Vice President (GRE)

Mr. Patrick Singleton, Treasurer (BER)
Dr. Liston Bochette, Executive Board (PUR)

Mr. Alper Kasapoglu, Executive Board (TUR)

Mr. Cor van Aanholt, Executive Board (AHO)

Mr. Dick Fosbury, Executive Board (USA)

Ms. Pernilla Wiberg, Executive Board (SWE) (appointed)

 

 

Olympian Cullen Jones inspires kids to swim through Make a Splash

Cullen Jones, USA Swimming Foundation's Make a Splash Ambassador, continues to spread the positive message of water safety. 

In the Human Factor, we profile survivors who have overcome the odds. Confronting a life obstacle - injury, illness or other hardship - they tapped their inner strength and found resilience they didn't know they possessed. This week, Cullen Jones, the first African- American male to hold a world record in the sport of swimming shares his story of how he became involved in the sport.

via thechart.blogs.cnn.com

 

MY FAVORITE BLOG POST: "Reasons why YOU should fall in love with Swimming!"

Whenever I'm feeling down or doubt why I should work that extra hour, I read this blog post from Terri Melvin. 

Terri explains who she is and why she loves the sport of swimming better than anyone I know. I might be a little biased as I'm from the South too, but she explains why--no matter where you're from--if you're a swimmer, you simply understand what's good and true about the sport.

Below is an excerpt with a link to Terri's post:

"I am from the south, the DEEP south, where accents are deep and tea is sugary sweet!  THE question is not what team do you cheer on, but rather "Alabama or Auburn".  THIS decides your status in the state.  A deep rich, FUN rivalry.  Football is EVERYTHING!  While I do enjoy Auburn football (WAR EAGLE!), I am a sweet southern Belle, after all.  Alabamian through and through!  There is another sport that holds my heart's strings and brings joy and excitement to my life.  If you know me at all, you know what this is!"

READ TERRI'S ENTIRE BLOG HERE:  imasoldiertoo.blogspot.com

Teri was sweet to use a few of the videos my wife (Tiffany) and I produced with SwimOutlet for her post. Tiffany and I always want to create and work on projects that not only support our family but also inspire swimmers to have fun. 

THE VIDEOS: