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Olympians say medals from Paris 2024 games deteriorating

January 14, 2025
Several athletes who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics reported their medals deteriorating just months after the games ended. The French government minted more than 5,000 medals for the 2024 Olympics, including those awarded at the Paralympics.

However, several Olympians have raised concerns about their medals, reporting that they have become chipped, faded and tarnished.

Some athletes had already questioned the quality of the medals before the closing ceremony.

American skateboarder Nyjah Huston shared a photo of his damaged bronze medal on social media. He remarked it looked as though it had “gone to war and back.”

According to French news outlet La Lettre, more than 100 athletes have requested replacements for their damaged awards.

The French Mint, which produced the medals, said it has taken the issue seriously since the first complaints were made in August and has activated its internal teams to investigate the matter.

A spokesperson for the French Mint stated that while they have not disclosed the exact number of damaged medals, they are collaborating with the 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee to address the problem.

The medals drew attention last year because each contains iron from the Eiffel Tower, giving them a distinctive connection to the host city.

Officials in France have confirmed that replacements for the damaged medals will begin to be sent out in the coming weeks. Identical versions will be provided to the affected athletes.
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Year in review: The top sports stories of 2024

December 26, 2024
The world of sports certainly had its share of history-making events during 2024. So, like jolly ole’ Santa making his list and checking it twice, let’s look at some of the top sports moments of the year.

Kansas City Chiefs cement their legacy

We begin in February in Las Vegas, when the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl for the second straight season. They beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime, a back-to-back feat that hadn’t been done in 20 years. Yes, you can call them a dynasty. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also won his third Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. Of course, when asked how he did it, he deflected to his teammates.

“I think it was where we started at. We started in Texas in the off-season,” Mahomes said. “Me meeting a completely new group of receivers and learning. Learning what they do well and what we could get better at and guys leading from there. The guys accepted the challenge. It was a crazy year, and we came out on top, can’t ask for anything more from those guys.”

UConn’s new basketball dynasty

In April, the UConn Huskies went back-to-back. They won their second straight NCAA championship with a blowout win over Purdue in the title game. The Huskies were the first team to win two straight since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007. Not long after the celebration, NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers wooed head coach Dan Hurley, but he chose to remain in Connecticut.

American Olympians shine in Paris

The summer was dominated by the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Team USA fared well and made headlines worldwide. They dominated during track and field events and on the basketball courts, where both the men and women beat the host nation, France, for the gold. There was also a little comedy and tragedy, from the “Pommel Horse Guy” to Raygun’s breakdancing routine. And, of course, there is no forgetting American gymnast Simone Biles, who completed her comeback by winning all-around gold in gymnastics. With 11 total medals, she cemented her legacy as the greatest gymnast ever.

“All in all, I’m super proud of my performance tonight and the fight that I’ve had for the last three years, mentally and physically. Competing on a world stage like the Olympics is an amazing experience and I couldn’t be prouder,” Biles said.

Dodgers win World Series as Ohtani shatters records

Dodgers fans are certainly proud of what their team accomplished in 2024. Led by the incredible, game-changing superstar Shohei Ohtani, they won their eighth world championship. Ohtani’s contribution: becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to have 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season. Ohtani-mania peaked on Sept. 19 when he hit three homers and stole two bases to surpass both milestones.

College football begins major transformation

College football underwent a few changes in 2024. Not only are we still in the midst of the first 12-team playoff, but getting to that point was certainly unsettling for fans and schools alike. This was the first season without the 108-year-old Pac-12 Conference. Add in the transfer portal and the expansion of name, image and likeness dollars, and the sport’s landscape is now more professional than amateur. Arizona State head coach Ken Dillingham put it all in perspective.

“In today’s landscape of college football, you can’t blame the kids. It’s an adult problem that the kids are just participating in,” Dillingham said. “That’s why everyone who leaves, I’m supportive, everyone who stays, I’m supportive. I just want what’s best for our team, so we’ll just take it one day at a time and see where we end up.”

Caitlin Clark puts women’s basketball back on the map

Finally, there was no bigger story in 2024 than women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark. She set the NCAA all-time scoring record, men or women, while leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to the national women’s college basketball title game. She came to symbolize the emergence of women’s sports and society’s gender debate. Few athletes have entered the professional ranks with bigger expectations and scrutiny. Despite that, she set multiple rookie records while leading the Indiana Fever to the WNBA playoffs. On Tuesday, Dec. 24, Clark was named AP Female Athlete of the Year for her play and for leading the WNBA to viewership and attendance records.

“Playing at home in front of these fans and seeing the way the young girls dangle over the rail and some are so happy, and people are crying, and you understand the impact that you have on people’s lives and that’s what’s so cool about it for myself,” Clark said.
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Ex-world champion skier Lindsey Vonn calls out those critical of her comeback

December 19, 2024
Legendary ski racer Lindsey Vonn retired from the sport in 2019, saying back then, her body was telling her “It’s time.” On Saturday, Dec. 21, at age 40, Vonn will return to the starting gate during a competition in St. Moritz, Switzerland with what she called a new lease on life.

Vonn, an 8-time world champion who has 82 world cup wins under her belt, dealt with serious knee issues for nearly half of her two decades racing. In April 2024, she underwent a titanium knee replacement and couldn’t believe the results.

“It has changed my life entirely,” Vonn told NBC Sports. “I used to think about my knee pretty much every second of every day. I wake up and it’s sore and it’s swollen, and I go on a hike with my friends 7-year-old and it’s, ‘Aunt Linds has to take a break after 10 minutes.’ It was really hard.”

After rehab and playing other sports like tennis, she decided to get back on the slopes just to see how it would feel. After a couple months of testing, Vonn said she feels as good as she has in 15 years.

“I never imagined I would come out of surgery and within a few days and have a completely different life,” Vonn said. “I never thought that would happen.”

Her return, however, is being met with skepticism, most surprisingly, from fellow skiers.

Two-time Olympic champion Michaela Dorfmeister, who competed with Vonn at the Olympics in 2006, suggested, “Vonn should see a psychologist,” adding on Austrian TV, “does she want to kill herself?”

Franz Klammer, a legendary Austrian ski racer in the 1970s, said “she’s gone completely mad.”

On Wednesday, Dec. 18, Vonn called out some of the skiers on X.

“You know, I’m getting pretty tired of people predicting negative things about my future,” Vonn said. “It’s enough now. Bernard, Sonja and now Primin… is there a reason all former Swiss skiers think this way? Did they all become doctors, and I missed it, because they talk like they know more than the best doctors in the world.”

You know, I’m getting pretty tired of people predicting negative things about my future. It’s enough now. Bernard, Sonja and now Primin… is there a reason all former Swiss skiers think this way? Did they all become doctors and I missed it, because they talk like they know more…
— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) December 18, 2024

Despite her critics, Vonn said she will slowly work herself back into form, officially starting in St. Mortiz, a mountain where she won five races previously.

Vonn served as the forerunner on the course during the Birds of Prey series in Beaver Creek, Colorado, during the weekend of Dec. 14, just up the road from her long-time home, Vail. The forerunner skis the course just before the first racer to check conditions.

Her ultimate goal is to race for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
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Australian breakdancer Raygun reveals she is retiring following backlash

November 7, 2024
As reported on Thursday, Nov. 7, Raygun, the Australian breakdancer, who gained instant fame during the 2024 Olympic Games said she’s retiring from the sport, citing backlash online and beyond. Raygun, whose real name is Rachel Gunn, broke the news on an Australian podcast this week.

She told the hosts that she wouldn’t compete in the Olympics again if given the chance. She said that she still breaks but doesn’t plan to participate competitively.

“I’m not going to compete anymore, no, no,” Gunn said.

Gunn notably failed to score a single point in the Olympic competition. Online reaction to her performance was swift from gifs of Gunn’s dance moves.

In the weeks following her performance in August, the negative criticism turned into a movement. A Change.org petition was even created to get answers about the selection process for breaking during the Summer Games.

Gunn said everything from hate mail to conspiracy theories took all of the fun out of competing in the sport.

Although breaking is not on the schedule for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Gunn said she won’t be breaking competitively anymore. Instead, she will just be doing it for fun and encouraging others to get out and bust a move.

Gunn said she’s kept her head up reading messages of support from fans and blocking out the negativity.

Despite her lack of success in Paris, Gunn represented Australia in the World Championships three times and won the Oceania Breaking Championships last year.
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Paris saw nearly 20,000 people displaced before Olympic Games: Report

November 4, 2024
A coalition of more than 100 community groups accused Parisian authorities on Monday, Nov. 4, of removing nearly 20,000 people including 4,500 minors from shelters and tents to make way for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Monday, Nov. 4. The advocacy coalition is now calling for the Olympic hosting model to be reevaluated and suggesting a permanent site for future Olympic Games as well as for authorities to take steps to prevent forced removals.

The group’s data showed evictions grew by 41% from April 2023 to September 2024 compared to the same period in 2021 and 2022.

Advocates for the homeless community say forced removals amount to “social cleansing,” alleging it was a concerted effort to keep migrants and squatters out of the view of the Olympic Games, facilities and Olympic sites.

The report did note that the numbers of those displaced may be inflated because some people may have been evicted several times.

French officials did not immediately respond to the report.

Straight Arrow News reported in July about efforts by the French government to bus out homeless migrants ahead of the Olympics. Around 5,000 people were reportedly evicted under a program busing homeless migrants out of Paris and into other French towns.

French President Emmanuel Macron claimed the program was voluntary and denied the effort was connect to the Olympic Games.
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Former Olympian is accused of running ‘ruthless’ drug smuggling operation

October 18, 2024
The U.S Department of Justice announced a federal indictment of former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding on Thursday, Oct. 17, which accuses him of running a billion-dollar cocaine trafficking operation and ordering the murders of several people.

“Instead of using his privileges that come with being an Olympic athlete to do good for people, he did the opposite,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada of the Central District of California, said. “He chose to become a major drug trafficker, and he chose to become a killer.”

Federal authorities said the 43-year-old Wedding’s transnational drug trafficking organization, backed by Mexican cartels, smuggled tons of cocaine across the U.S. and Canadian borders for more than a decade, using hitmen to kill people who got in their way.

“These individuals ran what we call the Wedding criminal enterprise,” Estrada said. “This criminal enterprise was extremely prolific and ruthless. By prolific, they moved massive amounts of cocaine. They were one of the largest suppliers of cocaine to Canada and the United States. They move an average of 60 tons of cocaine per year. By ruthless, they were killers. Anyone who got in their way, they would target with violence, including murder.”

Prosecutors said all victims of the assassins were shot execution-style in Canada, so their family members could see them murdered, including two parents in Canada, who were mistakenly thought to have stolen a drug shipment. The mother and father were shot in front of their daughter, who was also shot several times but survived.

Authorities seized cocaine, guns, ammunition, cash and more than $3 million in cryptocurrency.

Wedding is among four of the named 16 defendants in the indictment who are still on the loose and considered to be fugitives.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest and extradition. FBI agents believe that Wedding is still living in Mexico.

If convicted of murder and attempted murder charges, Wedding reportedly faces a mandatory minimum of life behind bars.

Charges against the alleged criminals range from drug counts, running a criminal enterprise and murders connected to the drug operation.
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Bill aims to award Congressional Gold Medals to ‘Miracle on Ice’ team

October 9, 2024
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, Oct. 8, aims to award U.S. Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” USA Hockey Team. The squad defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union team in Lake Placid, New York, in the 1980 Winter Olympics, against the backdrop of the Cold War. The team would eventually go on to win the gold medal against Finland days later.

The bipartisan legislation would create and place the medals at three locations. One would be put on display at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota. Another medal would be showcased at the Lake Placid Olympic Center and a third medal would be at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The push to get the team recognized comes as members of the iconic hockey squad have died in recent years.

The NHL commissioner threw his weight behind the effort, calling the team’s run “perhaps the most memorable and impactful achievement in the history of athletics.”

USA Hockey Executive Director Pat Kelleher also urged fans to get behind the proposal.

Rep. Pete Stauber, R, Minn., introduced the bill, and said that he wants the legislation pass in time for the 45th anniversary of the “Miracle on Ice” on Feb. 22, 2025.
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Helene and other storms unleash 40 trillion gallons of rain

October 1, 2024
More than 40 trillion gallons of rain drenched the Southeast in the last week from Hurricane Helene and two other other storm systems. That’s enough to fill the Dallas Cowboys stadium 51,000 times, or enough to fill all of Lake Tahoe. It could also fill more than 60 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Ryan Maue, a former NOAA scientist, came up with the 40 trillion number using precipitation measurements made in 2.5-by-2.5-mile grids. The measurements were calculated by satellites and ground observations.

“I have not seen something in my 25 years of working at the weather service that is this geographically large of an extent and the sheer volume of water that fell from the sky,” Ed Clark, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Water Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, told The Associated Press,

At least 130 people have died across six states with many more reported missing on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Hundreds of roads are closed. Some people have hiked hours to try to get to their family. On Tuesday, 1.5 million customers were without power.

President Joe Biden is expected to fly over Asheville Wednesday, Oct. 2. The damage is currently so bad, his motorcade cannot make it through.
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Korean Olympic pistol shooter Kim Yeji lands acting role — as an assassin

September 24, 2024
A South Korean pistol shooter who captured the internet’s attention with her silver medal performance at the Summer Olympics is now stepping into the world of acting. Kim Yeji has landed her first role in a movie, and she’s to play an assassin.

Indian actor Anushka Sen took to Instagram to express her excitement to work together on their upcoming action movie, “Crush.” The entertainment firm behind the film said it’s excited to see the chemistry between Yeji and Sen in their new roles as a “killer duo.”

Kim became an online sensation for her signature style during the Games, a black tracksuit, baseball cap worn backwards and her cyborg-like shooting glasses. She fired the weapon with a hand resting casually on her hip, all while a plush elephant dangled from her wristband.

Some fans thought she was born for the action movie scene.

X owner Elon Musk posted to his website, saying “She should be cast in an action movie. No acting required!”

It seems the prediction has come true. Since going viral, she’s signed with a talent agency and has already done photoshoots with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Givenchy. Despite her new ventures, Kim’s athletics career is still her top priority.

Along with her Olympic silver medal, she recently won gold and set a world record in the 25-meter pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Championships.
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Nike rehires 1988 intern as next CEO. Here are Elliott Hill’s first hurdles.

September 20, 2024
Nike’s new CEO has a lot of ground to make up. On Thursday, Sept. 19, the company announced the sudden retirement of four-year CEO John Donahoe, while Elliott Hill will be returning from retirement to lead the company.

Hill last led commercial and marketing operations for Nike and the Jordan brand in 2020. He spent 32 years with the company, from intern to now-incoming CEO. He starts the job on Oct. 14.

Nike complimented Donahoe for leading the company through the pandemic, but in a lot of areas, Nike has been lapped by competitors under Donahoe’s reign. In the past year alone, Nike’s stock has fallen as much as 42% off its 52-week peak.

Donahoe’s resume includes CEO of eBay and software company ServiceNow. But during his time at Nike, analysts say his focus was too much on selling directly to consumers and not enough on providing them with new, innovative products to buy.

His marketing approach appears to have also fallen flat in the age of social media.

Donahoe expanded on his marketing strategy and the Nike Olympic Collection ahead of the Paris Olympics.

“Our experience has been when we launch these big moments in sport, we then cascade them down to consumers all over the world,” Donahoe said in April.

Yes, Nike has the record-breaking marathon shoe, the Alphafly 3. But that success didn’t necessarily cascade down. Nike’s often losing the race in consumer running shoes to cult running brands Hoka and On.

It’s not just a Nike problem. There’s real momentum behind smaller brands with spot-on marketing. Take Vuori, the athletic fashion brand stealing market share from lululemon. The brand partnered with more than 400 college athletes last year; most notably, LSU gymnast and social media sensation Livvy Dunne.

“If you think about it, before social media, athletes needed Nike to build their brand. Pause for a moment on that one,” Hill said in an interview last year. “So athletes wanted to be a part of Nike because Nike would help showcase them and build their brand. Today, they want Nike; they don’t have to have Nike. They can build their brand through social media and whatnot.”

Nike hopes the re-hiring of Hill will kick brand excitement into another gear. Who better than someone who’s been digging into the brand’s marketing since he was an Ohio University graduate student in the ’80s?

“I take a sports marketing class and do a paper on Nike, literally, just by chance,” Hill said of his graduate school days. “I love the brand, I love the product, and I write this paper on Nike about their evolution of their marketing funds. They started doing athletes first and then print and started to move into some TV.

“I did this paper and by chance, a month later, someone from Nike by name of Tim Joyce speaks at the university. And I went up to him after I just said, ‘Hey, I want to work for Nike.’ He said if you want to work for Nike, meet me at this cafe. I put on my suit and met him. There’s a whole story about that, but I bothered him for about six months until he finally hired me.”

Nike’s stock surged 10% when the company announced the 1988 intern was taking the company’s top job.
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