Olympics-Related News

[jmayesvaultmom]

U.S. Swimmers Get $1 Million Incentive for Gold, Record
USA Swimming Will Pay Up if Feat Is Achieved in Athens
By IAN SIMPSON, REUTERS

ATHENS (Aug. 11) -- U.S. swimmer Larsen Jensen can become an overnight millionaire at age 18 if he can beat Australian distance champ Grant Hackett at the Olympics.

It's a tall order. World record-holder Hackett's best in the 1,500-meter freestyle is more than 20 seconds ahead of Jensen, his nearest rival.

"That world record is just insane," says the American.

USA Swimming put up the seven-figure sum as the ultimate incentive to break Australia's lock on the event but will only pay up if Jensen, or another American, can win the gold and set a world record in the process.

Hackett, who won the gold in Sydney, was told about the cash carrot on Tuesday and said he would hand over the money to charity in a similar position.

"Well, it's little bit easier for him to say," Jensen, who is ranked second in the world behind Hackett, said on Wednesday.

"That's a nice gesture. I don't know that I would give it to charity."

Jensen, 18, set an American record at the U.S. Olympic trials last month but is still way behind Hackett's record of 14 minutes, 34.56 seconds.

The USA Swimming bonus offer also stands for a woman who can break the 800 freestyle record and win at the Olympics, a spokeswoman for the U.S. team said.

[jmayesvaultmom]

U.S. Men's Gymnastics Is Getting Respect
Americans Aim for Team Gold Medal in Athens
By EDDIE PELLS, AP SPORTS

ATHENS, Greece (Aug. 11) -- The silver medals are great. The video cameras following every move of the U.S. men's gymnastics team tell an even better story. After two decades of being largely ignored by international peers, the Americans are fetching plenty of attention. So much, in fact, that U.S. practices have become must-see events for the competition.

The Japanese are watching. So are the Russians. One sight that really caught the Americans' eyes in the leadup to Saturday's Olympic qualifying round: A coach for defending world and Olympic champion China standing on the sideline videotaping a U.S. workout.

"I remember when we used to get real excited to go watch the Chinese. Now, they come out to see us," said Miles Avery, the personal coach for team members Blaine Wilson and Paul and Morgan Hamm. "It's a level of respect."

Earning that respect has never been easy in a sport long dominated by two or three countries. Fifth-place finishes by the Americans at the last two Olympics didn't help the cause.

But things have changed since 2000. Led by Paul Hamm, the defending world champion in the all-around, the United States has finished second at the last two team world championships. The vast improvement has competitors much more interested in the team's inner workings.

"It's pretty cool," Morgan Hamm said.

It's more than just cool. Word spreads quickly in the tight-knit gymnastics world, and just as other coaches, gymnasts and team coordinators have found out about the American improvement, so have judges. In a subjectively scored sport, where athletes are separated by hundredths of points, a good reputation can make the difference between a gold medal and fourth place.

"For years, we tried to emulate the other programs -- not very well, by the way," said USA Gymnastics president Bob Colarossi. "Now, to be in this situation, it means they want to watch what you do and see your techniques. It's pure respect at the highest level."

What's all the buzz about?

It starts with Paul Hamm, who edged out China's Yang Wei for the world title last year and has since improved his rings routine along with his patented high-bar set, dropping one risky release move without lowering the value of his routine.

Hamm is tumbling with a level of confidence rarely seen before in an American. Despite America's recent improvement, the Chinese are largely considered the favorite in the team competition, with the Japanese and Russians also in the mix. But asked on Wednesday what the secret is to toppling the Chinese, Hamm simply brought up memories of the worlds.

"Somehow, I found a way to beat Chinese gymnastics last year," he said. "We found out they are beatable and I think we can do that as a team, as well."

Wilson, who comes to his third Olympics hoping to be a part of a long-awaited turnaround, remembers a time when Americans would walk into the gym and nobody cared.

"It was kind of like a slap in the face," he said. "I stood there like a rookie, staring at everybody else, jaw dropped."

Also on the American team is Jason Gatson, a powerful gymnast who has overcome two devastating knee injuries to make his first Olympic team. He has a move named after him on parallel bars -- the "Gatson" -- in which he grips the bar with his left hand and swings upside down while turning himself completely around.

Although not as strong overall as his brother, Morgan Hamm specializes on vault and floor, an event where he's often better than Paul, who won gold last year at worlds.

Rounding out the team are Brett McClure, who finished second behind Hamm at both Olympic trials and nationals, and Guard Young, who overcame an injury to win a surprise spot on the team.

Not on the team are Sean Townsend, who finished third in combined scoring at nationals and trials in June, and Raj Bhavsar, who is considered one of America's best on still rings. Townsend was a 2000 Olympian and a world champion on parallel bars in 2001. Bhavsar was on last year's silver-medal team. Their absence is viewed as a sign of America's depth, something sorely missing over the past several years.

The Americans are seeking their first team medal since 1984, when Peter Vidmar led them to gold at the boycotted Los Angeles Games. Vidmar, now a gymnastics commentator, believes this year's team is stronger than that one.

"They know they have the goods to do it now because they've done it before," Vidmar said. "That's a big deal. It's a very big deal."

[jmayesvaultmom]

Bhardwaj Beats Odds, Is Selected Captain
At Age 25, She Recovers From Injury to Even Make It to Olympics Squad
By TIM KORTE, AP Sports

ATHENS (Aug. 11) -- Mohini Bhardwaj's already impressive story just got a little better. Bhardwaj, who is one of the oldest female gymnasts in the Athens Games at 25, was selected as captain of the U.S. women's gymnastics team.

"From a year ago, if you had taken odds on her making our Olympic team -- even the odds of making it to nationals -- she just continues to impress," USA Gymnastics president Bob Colarossi said Wednesday.

Bhardwaj was one of the United States' most talented gymnasts as a teenager, but the long hours of training burned her out. She rediscovered her love of the sport at UCLA, where she led the Bruins to two NCAA championships.

She was on the American squad that won a bronze medal at the 2001 world championships, but an elbow injury the following year seemed to end her Olympic dreams. Bhardwaj, who turns 26 on Sept. 29, decided last year she had to give it one more shot.

She was considered a long shot when she finished 12th at the U.S. championships, but climbed to sixth at the Olympic trials. She put on another impressive show at the selection camp at team coordinator Martha Karolyi's ranch last month, earning a spot on the U.S. squad.

When Karolyi announced her name, Bhardwaj burst into tears.

"Dream your dreams and then go make them happen. That's what she's done," Colarossi said.

Bhardwaj also has star power on her side. When former "Baywatch" actress Pamela Anderson found out Bhardwaj was selling raffle tickets to help pay for her training, Anderson gave her $25,000. She's also been Bhardwaj's most vocal supporter, and will be in Athens to cheer her on.