Updates from homes around the world - 1 April

With many of us staying home, we're sharing inspiring and emotional moments to help us all stay safe and cope with these challenging times. 

4 minBy ZK Goh
GettyImages-590195342

Friendship, excellence, and respect are the three core Olympic values, and we have been touched by the way the sports world has responded to these challenging times.

And not just Olympians either.

The Olympic family as a whole, and that's all of us, has come up with brilliant ways to help and lift each other up.

Here's a collection of tweets, posts, memes, gifs, gags, and messages that have brought us inspiration and motivation - and made us smile!

We want this to be as interactive as possible so please comment, say hi, tell us how you're doing and send ideas, stories, and your own inspirations on Instagram or Twitter.

All times below are Central European Summer Time (UTC +2 hours).

6:30 pm – April ahead

We're now into April, and for all of you out there celebrating a birthday this month, happy birthday! Maybe you even share yours with an Olympian?

Thanks for joining us today. Keep safe and check back with the Olympic Channel soon!

5:50 pm – Do not try this at home (unless you're an elite sport climber)

5:22 pm – No April Fools' here

Are you really that tall, Anna Korakaki?

5:00 pm – Hosszu donates to coronavirus research

Katinka Hosszu has donated 1.5 million Hungarian forints (U.S. $4,500) to coronavirus research in her country.

The Olympic champion swimmer wrote: "I wanted to help in some way with the current situation, so I asked Dr. Béla Merkely, who is our team doctor, how to do it.

"With his recommendation, the Iron team (Máté Gelencsér, Tamás Batházi and myself) donated 1.5 million forints to the Semmelweis University Foundation for research into the coronavirus.

"Whoever can do it, please do the same! Hope to have success soon!"

4:30 pm – Return to Rio

How about a throwback replay from Rio 2016?

Here's the men's singles table tennis final.

4:20 pm – Pareto keeping fit

When she's not serving as an orthopaedic doctor in Argentina, Olympic judo champion Paula Pareto is training "balance, perseverance, and willpower" at home.

4:00 pm – Wayde's world

Wayde van Niekerk is making the most of the situation.

3:23 pm – Virtual dancing

Ice dancer and U.S. figure skating Olympian Madison Hubbell is getting into the spirit indoors!

2:48 pm – Paw partner

Here's bobsleigh Olympic champion Kaillie Humphries working out with a little help from a furry friend!

2:11 pm – How far can you throw a ball?

Liverpool and Brazil national team goalkeeper Alisson Becker, channelling his inner Cristiano Ronaldo in celebration, puts in a pretty good effort here!

View this post on Instagram

Quarantine effect!! #AB1challenge 🎥 @joaop93_

A post shared by Alisson Becker (@alissonbecker) on

1:45 pm – Solidarity from the Refugee Olympic Team

1:18 pm – Poulin "world's best", say NHL players

Stepping away from home quarantine for a moment, we head to ice hockey where Olympic champion Marie-Philip Poulin has been voted the world's best female player by National Hockey League players.

She took nearly 40 per cent of the vote from 496 respondents to the NHL Players' Association poll, conducted before the league season was suspended.

USA's Hilary Knight came second, around 3.7 percentage points behind.

12:50 pm – Pita takeover

Pita Taufatofua continues his Olympi Channel Instagram live fitness sessions in 10 minutes. Head over there and join in!

12:10 pm – Carlin Isles keeps up the explosive power

The American rugby sevens Olympian Carlin Isles, who is known for being one of the fastest players on the World Sevens Series circuit, it doing his best to keep up his explosive sprints in home confinement.

View this post on Instagram

That home stairs workout!

A post shared by Carlin Isles (@carlinisles) on

11:33 am – Aly Raisman leads Instagram meditation

Gymnastics Olympic champion Alexandra Raisman has posted a guided meditation on her Instagram to help her followers regain a sense of calm.

11:00 am – Home workout with Kim Glass

U.S. volleyball Olympic silver medallist Kim Glass is our home workout feature today.

10:45 am – Hello to a new month

A very good morning, afternoon, or evening to you wherever you are in the world.

March is finally behind us and April is here. Don't worry, we won't be posting anything April Fools-related here.

While this blog will focus on the athletes and their home quarantine lives, we'd love for you, our Olympic Channel audience and readers, to get involved too. Just mention us @olympicchannel across social media.

On that note, let's start with this incredible effort on Instagram of an Olympic fan dressing up as the Olympic torch and flame, responding to an Olympics-themed Instagram campaign by Australian actor Wade Briggs.

More from