Olympic Daily News: 14 July 2020

Happy Bastille Day!

In honor of the national day of France that commemorates the famous storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution, let’s take a look at one of their greatest Olympians: Martin Fourcade, who owns five Olympic gold medals in biathlon.

‘Iron Hammers’ Lang Ping refocuses team for Tokyo

Chinese volleyball legend Lang Ping, who won team gold at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and coached Team China to the same feat at Rio 2016, planned to retire in 2020 after one final trip to the Olympic Games.

Those plans are now on hold as with the Tokyo Games pushed back a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"This is the world we are living in and it's the same for everybody," said Lang in an interview with China Daily.

Lang stars in the upcoming Olympic Channel original ‘Iron Hammer,’ and her final Olympic challenge now be even more difficult than before: keep a team focused and ready for Olympic competition without competitions to participate in.

ISU says China Cup, Grand Prix Final still planned

Despite an announcement from the General Administration of Sport of China cancelling international sports events in the country through the end of the year, the International Skating Union said Monday that figure skating’s Cup of China and Grand Prix Final remain scheduled.

The announcement provided an exception for Beijing 2022 test events, which the Grand Prix Final is but Cup of China is not.

“Like for all other five ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events in the different countries, this is of course subject to finding the necessary logistical, medical and safety solutions to hold the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events as planned,” according to the ISU.

Whether those logistics can be accommodated is expected to be announced Aug. 1, 12 weeks before the first Grand Prix event is scheduled to begin in Las Vegas.

Olympic babies!

Four-time tennis Olympian Samantha Stosur of Australia announced Monday that she and partner Liz Astling had welcomed their daughter, Genevieve, to the world.

"On the 16th of June, my partner Liz gave birth to our beautiful little girl, Genevieve. It has been a whirlwind time but we could not imagine life without her now,” she former U.S. Open champion said in an Instagram post.

"Mum and Evie are doing well and it’s so amazing to be home with them both. We are absolutely in love with this little bundle and rolling with the happy chaos. We can’t wait for what’s to come and to watch little Evie grow up....Although not too quickly we hope."

Meanwhile Olympic gymnasts Vasiliki Millousi and Eleftherios Petrounias announced that they are expecting their second child.

“Same place, double the joy,” wrote Millousi, who represented Greece at the 2000, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. “I’m pregnant again.”

“Happiness is double,” echoed Petrounias, the reigning Olympic champion on still rings.

Tuesday Trivia

Yesterday, we asked who won the women’s 100m gold medal at Rio 2016. The answer: Elaine Thompson.

Here’s today’s question:

Who was the first Greek gymnast to win Olympic gold?

1. Eleftherios Petrounias

2. Ioannis Melissanidis

3. Vasiliki Millousi

4. Stefani Bismpikou

Finally, our Daily Dog…

And proof that we don’t deserve these sweet creatures.