Steeplechase!

60 Minutes had an entertaining story this evening about steeplechasing. Any fan of British novelist Dick Francis would recognize this kind of horse racing, although here we have different names for different styles. Apparently in the US we make a distinction: if the course is made up solely of wooden fences it’s called timber racing; …

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Bogeys, Snowmen and…falling down stairs?

The first two are hazards during rounds of golf, but falling down the wooden stairs at the house you’ve rented for the Masters Tournament is unusual. That’s what Dustin Johnson did today, landing on his lower back and elbows. Considering the odds he’d win the tournament were 11-2 before the fall, this may throw the …

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Bye bye, Olympics?

“That man in the White House” may have cost Los Angeles a chance to host the 2024 Olympics and the United States a chance to host the 2026 World Cup in soccer. How? By banning Muslims from entering the country. “But wait,” you say. “It’s only for ninety days and only for seven countries and …

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Old-timers

The repeat medalists at these Games are the ones that amaze me the most. Michael Phelps in his fifth (!) Olympics and still winning gold medals. Usain Bolt in his third Olympics winning the same races in each appearance. Phillip Dutton in his sixth (!!) Olympics and getting a bronze medal in Eventing. Kim Rhode, …

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Opening Ceremonies, 2016 Summer Olympics

Okay, Rio and Brazil are in the midst of a horrible recession, so they couldn’t spend a fortune. In some ways that made this event more fun. The focus was on the athletes, not a big extravaganza. That’s fine by me. I enjoy watching them walk in, some in Western clothes, some in traditional clothing. …

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No Olympics ban for the Russian team?

So it appears the IOC has passed the buck. Rather than issue a blanket ban of all Russian athletes from the Olympics, as the evidence in the McLaren Report would indicate should happen, it has turned the decision over to each individual sport federation. The moment the McLaren Report was issued the World Anti-Doping Agency …

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Amazing video from the Eddie

During every surf contest the Honolulu Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services teams are out on the beaches and in the water. They have some jet skis to assist in getting people in trouble on shore rapidly. Yesterday during the Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau event Natasha Torcuato flew a drone overhead and got this …

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