Olympic Word of the Day: Cupping - Everyone should know this by now, since every network comments on how Michael Phelps is doing it, but it is fairly new at the Olympics, so I will define it. Cupping is a method of drawing more blood to specified areas of muscles by using a device similar to a suction cup. Think suction instead of massage, but for a similarly desired effect.
Several feel-good stories, so I will start with the one major problem: RAIN. The weather canceled the start of the golf tournament, played havoc with sailing, kayaking and field hockey, among other sports. Still, for an event that lasts 19 days or so, some delays are inevitable. Just so long as too much more bad weather conditions do not disrupt the Olympics.
On the political front, an Independent Olympic Athlete ("IOA") got himself into some hot water before and during the double trap shooting event. Fehaid Al-Deehani, a Kuwaiti whose country has been barred from international competition because of violations of the Olympic charter (they are also banned by FIFA), won gold in the double trap. However, he marked out IOA on his uniform leaving only his name visible. International Olympic Committee members saw what Al-Deehani did, and made him place a strip of paper above his name that said IOA.
Al-Deehani said that he would love to represent his country, but since he is not allowed to do so, he only shoots for himself. When the Olympic flag was raised in the customary gold medal position, Al-Deehani did not salute it in any manner. In fact, he was asked to carry the Olympic flag before the Independent Olympic athletes entered the stadium for the Opening Ceremonies, but he refused, explaining that since he was a soldier in the Kuwaiti army, he would carry no flag but that of Kuwait. Congratulations to Al-Deehani, for winning gold and sticking up for his country and principles.
On a related note, Kosovo won its first ever gold medal as Majlinda Kelmendi won gold in Judo. As mentioned in the day three blog, this is Kosovo's first ever Olympics, as it is the first time the IOC has recognized Kosovo as an independent nation that could compete. Over 80 countries still do not recognize Kosovo, including Serbia (Duh?!), Russia, and the host nation of Brazil. Kelmendi, who competed in 2012 in London for Albania, easily switched to Kosovo, her homeland, once it became recognized, but still cherished her time competing for Albania, as he she holds citizenship in both countries. Kelmendi, as the following picture shows, is clearly touched by her accomplishment for herself, and Kosovo.
The pool is always a focal point for the United States, and with several medals including another gold for Katie Ledecky as she anchored the women's 4x200m freestyle relay, however, given the fact that Ryan Lochte's hair is not the same color green as the diving pool, nobody from swimming gets any love today. Blame Ryan.
In gymnastics, Japan's Kohei Uchimora nailed his high bar routine to repeat as Olympic all-around gold medalist, the first repeat men's all-around champion in 44 years. Uchimora defeating Ukraine's Oleg Verniaiev by one-tenth of a point. Although a second straight gold in the all-around makes for a tremendous story, it is not our story of the day.
Both men and women competed in the cycling time trial, with Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara winning the men's gold at age 35 and American Kristin Armstrong winning the women's gold at age 42 (she turned 43 today). Kristin Armstrong becomes the oldest female gold medalist since 1908, and the first cyclist to win three straight events at the Olympics since its inception in 1896. For these achievements, and for giving cycling something to brag about other than the difficulty of the course that caused so many accidents in the road race, Kristin Armstrong is the story of the day.
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