Michael Phelps On Being Named Team USA's Flag Bearer.
We got to check out the Olympic pool today!
The reigning gold medal winners hit the hardwood.
Plenty of soccer games on the menu today.
If your betting good luck!
Me neither jersey....I just like watching and rooting for the gold.
Have a good night!
Can you believe it?.....Only 24 hours away!
What a great picture of the Rings on Copacabana Beach!
Portugal beats Argentina this afternoon.....2-0.
Practice for our gym guys.....Good luck!
At the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, one team will feature 554 athletes. One team will field 66 Olympic champions and 106 Olympic medalists, 43 of whom have more than one Olympic medal in their trophy case.
One team: Team USA.
One team will send 292 women into competition, the most from any nation at an Olympic Games. One team will compete in 27 of the 40 Olympic disciplines, battling for the title of Olympic champion in 244 of the 306 events contested.
One team: Team USA.
One team has a roster that includes 189 returning Olympians, that includes three six-time Olympians and seven five-time Olympians.
One team: Team USA.
Sport, and the Olympic Movement in particular, has always had a unique ability to inspire our nation and unite the world,” said U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun. “These Olympic Games will be no different in that regard as 554 Americans rise to their best and make our nation proud. I am especially excited for the historic achievement of our women’s delegation, which is a true testament to the strength and growing number of women’s sport opportunities in the United States.”They hail from 46 different states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. California is the most represented with 124 athletes, followed by Florida with 39 and Texas with 33.
At 52, equestrian Phillip Dutton is the oldest athlete on the team, while the youngest, table tennis player Kanak Jha, is 16. History is made as the 2016 Olympic Team includes its first two athletes born in the 2000s century: Jha, who was born June 19, 2000, and gymnast Laurie Hernandez, born June 9, 2000.
The most decorated member of Team USA is Michael Phelps. In four prior trips to the Olympic Games, he has amassed 22 total medals and 18 golds, the most by any Olympian in history.
Dutton and shooters Kim Rhode and Emil Milev will compete in their sixth Olympic Games, and Rhode will attempt to medal in her sixth consecutive Games, which would tie the record held by Italian luger Armin Zoeggeler.
“For both returning and first-time Olympians, the pursuit of an Olympic dream is never an easy journey,” said Alan Ashley, 2016 U.S. chef de mission and USOC chief of sport performance. “Earning the distinction of being named to the U.S. Olympic Team requires years of relentless focus, unwavering dedication and untold sacrifices. I’d like to commend all of those who helped support our athletes in pursuit of their Olympic dreams. During the Games, we will continue to uphold that same level of support as we help our athletes strive for excellence on the world stage.”
One team: Team USA.
One team will send 292 women into competition, the most from any nation at an Olympic Games. One team will compete in 27 of the 40 Olympic disciplines, battling for the title of Olympic champion in 244 of the 306 events contested.
One team: Team USA.
One team has a roster that includes 189 returning Olympians, that includes three six-time Olympians and seven five-time Olympians.
One team: Team USA.
Sport, and the Olympic Movement in particular, has always had a unique ability to inspire our nation and unite the world,” said U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun. “These Olympic Games will be no different in that regard as 554 Americans rise to their best and make our nation proud. I am especially excited for the historic achievement of our women’s delegation, which is a true testament to the strength and growing number of women’s sport opportunities in the United States.”They hail from 46 different states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. California is the most represented with 124 athletes, followed by Florida with 39 and Texas with 33.
At 52, equestrian Phillip Dutton is the oldest athlete on the team, while the youngest, table tennis player Kanak Jha, is 16. History is made as the 2016 Olympic Team includes its first two athletes born in the 2000s century: Jha, who was born June 19, 2000, and gymnast Laurie Hernandez, born June 9, 2000.
The most decorated member of Team USA is Michael Phelps. In four prior trips to the Olympic Games, he has amassed 22 total medals and 18 golds, the most by any Olympian in history.
Dutton and shooters Kim Rhode and Emil Milev will compete in their sixth Olympic Games, and Rhode will attempt to medal in her sixth consecutive Games, which would tie the record held by Italian luger Armin Zoeggeler.
“For both returning and first-time Olympians, the pursuit of an Olympic dream is never an easy journey,” said Alan Ashley, 2016 U.S. chef de mission and USOC chief of sport performance. “Earning the distinction of being named to the U.S. Olympic Team requires years of relentless focus, unwavering dedication and untold sacrifices. I’d like to commend all of those who helped support our athletes in pursuit of their Olympic dreams. During the Games, we will continue to uphold that same level of support as we help our athletes strive for excellence on the world stage.”
Good morning from Rio!
Vinny The Great is ready for a three-peat!
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Two Olympics, two gold medals and two Olympic records later, Vincent Hancock is ready for a three-peat at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.
The 2015 world champion in skeet shooting has high expectations for himself, despite the exponentially increasing pressure surrounding the Games leading up to his competition on Aug. 12-13. Another Olympic victory would make Hancock the sixth-ever American to win three consecutive gold medals in an individual event and the first skeet shooter to do so.
“I don’t really feel any more pressure than what I normally put on myself,” Hancock said. “I have high expectations. I always expect to go and win every time I step out on the range.”
Six of the top-10 skeet shooters from the 2012 Games will be returning to the competition, in addition to all four finalists from the 2015 world championships. Hancock was the champion of both events.
“My motto has always been, ‘If you don’t miss, then you can’t be beat,’” Hancock said. “Perfection is name of our game. We have to be as perfect as we possibly can, especially when we get into our finals.”
Hancock has a long list of accomplishments, including becoming the first to shoot a perfect 157, but despite all the success, family remains his priority. He makes every effort to pick up his daughters, 5-year-old Bailey and 4-year-old Brenlyn, from school every day.
“Family is huge for me,” Hancock said. “My heart is where my family is and I can’t wait to get back to Fort Worth (Texas) afterwards.”
Hancock has noticed that Bailey is beginning to understand his profession as the Olympic hype increases. He spoke to her class last year about what his job. But not until she saw him on television did he hear his daughter note that “Daddy going to the Olympics is so cool.”
“I want them to understand how to shoot,” Hancock said. “I grew up [shooting] and I loved it so I want to pass that on to them. I just want them to do what they love and be passionate.”
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Two Olympics, two gold medals and two Olympic records later, Vincent Hancock is ready for a three-peat at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.
The 2015 world champion in skeet shooting has high expectations for himself, despite the exponentially increasing pressure surrounding the Games leading up to his competition on Aug. 12-13. Another Olympic victory would make Hancock the sixth-ever American to win three consecutive gold medals in an individual event and the first skeet shooter to do so.
“I don’t really feel any more pressure than what I normally put on myself,” Hancock said. “I have high expectations. I always expect to go and win every time I step out on the range.”
Six of the top-10 skeet shooters from the 2012 Games will be returning to the competition, in addition to all four finalists from the 2015 world championships. Hancock was the champion of both events.
“My motto has always been, ‘If you don’t miss, then you can’t be beat,’” Hancock said. “Perfection is name of our game. We have to be as perfect as we possibly can, especially when we get into our finals.”
Hancock has a long list of accomplishments, including becoming the first to shoot a perfect 157, but despite all the success, family remains his priority. He makes every effort to pick up his daughters, 5-year-old Bailey and 4-year-old Brenlyn, from school every day.
“Family is huge for me,” Hancock said. “My heart is where my family is and I can’t wait to get back to Fort Worth (Texas) afterwards.”
Hancock has noticed that Bailey is beginning to understand his profession as the Olympic hype increases. He spoke to her class last year about what his job. But not until she saw him on television did he hear his daughter note that “Daddy going to the Olympics is so cool.”
“I want them to understand how to shoot,” Hancock said. “I grew up [shooting] and I loved it so I want to pass that on to them. I just want them to do what they love and be passionate.”
Meet The 3 Athletes Competing At Their Sixth Olympics.
Winning a spot on Team USA and earning the title “Olympian” is a feat that only a select few in the world can say they have accomplished. It’s the ultimate bucket list item to check off. Do it twice, it’s even more impressive.
Now stop and think what it must feel like to pack your suitcase for a sixth Olympic Games.
Three members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team can tell you what it feels like, because they are living that process right now. Five-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode, two-time Olympic champion Phillip Dutton and Olympic silver medalist Emil Milev will compete at their sixth Games when they step onto the field of play in Brazil, an honor few have every achieved.
Phillip Dutton, Equestrian
After winning two Olympic gold medals riding for Australia, Rio will mark Dutton’s third Games as a Team USA athlete. Born and raised in Nyngan, Australia, he grew up with horses while working on his family’s sheep and wheat farm. He moved to the U.S. in 1991 to prepare for the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, where he contributed to Australia’s gold-medal performance in team eventing, then successfully defended the gold in Sydney four years later. He received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1997 and was inducted into Sport Australia’s Hall of Fame in 2001.
After placing 13th individually and sixth in team at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Dutton, now 52, rose to No. 1 in the 2005 FEI World Event Rankings. He became an American citizen in 2006 and began riding for the U.S. He took second in the prestigious Rolex Kentucky Three Day in his debut as an American rider, adding team gold and individual silver from the Rio 2007 Pan American Games later that year. The following year he won the Rolex Kentucky event. A noted trainer, Dutton last spring was selected to work with Kentucky Derby runner-up Commanding Curve as he transitions to a second career as an eventing horse.
A founding member of the Professional Riders Organization (PRO), Dutton served as its president in 2012 and 2013. He also lends his expertise to U.S. Equestrian Federation governance as a member of its Eventing High Performance Committee and chairman of its Eventing Active Athletes Committee. He has been named the Leading Rider of the Year 13 times, including a streak from 2000-10.
Should Dutton and his teammates earn a medal in Rio, it will be the first for the Team USA in eventing since the Athens 2004 Games, where the U.S. won bronze.
Emil Milev, Shooting
Milev began shooting air pistol at the age of 16. He discovered the rapid fire discipline a year later and has remained with it ever since. A native of Sofia, Bulgaria, he competed for his native country at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, but it wasn’t until 1994 that he began to have a significant impact on this sport when he won a world championship silver medal.
The second half of the 1990s saw Milev, now 48, enjoy his greatest success, winning a silver at the Atlanta 1996 Games to go with a medal of the same hue at the 1995 world cup final. He took gold at the world cup event in Havana in 1996 and 1997, then barely missed the podium at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, placing fourth. He harvested a total of six world cup medals in the quadrennium after Sydney,
including two golds in 2002 and another in 2005 after placing eighth at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
He emigrated to the U.S. in 2009 and won a spot on the U.S. national team that year. Settling in Tampa, Florida, where he is an elementary school physical education teacher, Milev continued to make his presence felt on the international level, including a silver medal at the 2010 Championship of the Americas and gold at the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games and 2013 world cup finals.
If Milev medals in Rio, it would be the first for the U.S. in the event since William McMillan won gold at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games. Milev also would become the first men’s rapid fire pistol shooter to claim his second Olympic medal 20 years after his first. Germany’s Ralf Schumann won silvers 20 years apart (in Seoul 1988 shooting for East Germany and Beijing 2008 for Germany), but he bridged that gap with three gold medals (1992, 1996 and 2004).
Kim Rhode, Shooting
Rhode heads to her sixth Olympic Games on five different continents with a tall task before her: earning a medal in her sixth consecutive Olympic Games. By doing so, she would be the first woman to achieve the feat and would join Italian luge legend Armin Zoeggeler as the only two Olympians to medal in six straight Games.
The only U.S. athlete to win five individual medals in five Olympic Games, Rhode began as a 16-year-old at the Atlanta 1996 Games, where she won a gold in double trap. Two more medals in that event followed – a bronze in Sydney and another gold in Athens. When double trap was dropped from the Olympic program, Rhode made the difficult transition to skeet without missing a beat. A silver in Beijing gave her an Olympic medal of every hue, and she added gold in London in near-perfect fashion, setting the Olympic record by hitting 99 out of 100 targets. Because of changes to the scoring system, it is a record that may never be broken.
In addition to her Olympic medal haul, Rhode has won three world championship medals and five at the Pan American Games, including four golds.
What Rhode didn’t know was that her effort in London wasn’t a solo one – she later learned she was pregnant at the time. The pregnancy came with complications that had her on bed rest for the final four months. Son Carter was born two to three weeks past the initial due date, but that did not end the complications: Six weeks after delivery, Rhode underwent emergency surgery to remove her gall bladder.
The road back has been long, slow and winding, but she is ready to challenge for her sixth Olympic medal. If anything, the struggle has given her new perspective.
“It has made me stronger,” she told TeamUSA.org in March. “It has given me a whole new appreciation for your health. It’s one of those things where with a lot of work and a lot of support from a lot of different people, I am coming back.”
Winning a spot on Team USA and earning the title “Olympian” is a feat that only a select few in the world can say they have accomplished. It’s the ultimate bucket list item to check off. Do it twice, it’s even more impressive.
Now stop and think what it must feel like to pack your suitcase for a sixth Olympic Games.
Three members of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team can tell you what it feels like, because they are living that process right now. Five-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode, two-time Olympic champion Phillip Dutton and Olympic silver medalist Emil Milev will compete at their sixth Games when they step onto the field of play in Brazil, an honor few have every achieved.
Phillip Dutton, Equestrian
After winning two Olympic gold medals riding for Australia, Rio will mark Dutton’s third Games as a Team USA athlete. Born and raised in Nyngan, Australia, he grew up with horses while working on his family’s sheep and wheat farm. He moved to the U.S. in 1991 to prepare for the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, where he contributed to Australia’s gold-medal performance in team eventing, then successfully defended the gold in Sydney four years later. He received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1997 and was inducted into Sport Australia’s Hall of Fame in 2001.
After placing 13th individually and sixth in team at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, Dutton, now 52, rose to No. 1 in the 2005 FEI World Event Rankings. He became an American citizen in 2006 and began riding for the U.S. He took second in the prestigious Rolex Kentucky Three Day in his debut as an American rider, adding team gold and individual silver from the Rio 2007 Pan American Games later that year. The following year he won the Rolex Kentucky event. A noted trainer, Dutton last spring was selected to work with Kentucky Derby runner-up Commanding Curve as he transitions to a second career as an eventing horse.
A founding member of the Professional Riders Organization (PRO), Dutton served as its president in 2012 and 2013. He also lends his expertise to U.S. Equestrian Federation governance as a member of its Eventing High Performance Committee and chairman of its Eventing Active Athletes Committee. He has been named the Leading Rider of the Year 13 times, including a streak from 2000-10.
Should Dutton and his teammates earn a medal in Rio, it will be the first for the Team USA in eventing since the Athens 2004 Games, where the U.S. won bronze.
Emil Milev, Shooting
Milev began shooting air pistol at the age of 16. He discovered the rapid fire discipline a year later and has remained with it ever since. A native of Sofia, Bulgaria, he competed for his native country at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, but it wasn’t until 1994 that he began to have a significant impact on this sport when he won a world championship silver medal.
The second half of the 1990s saw Milev, now 48, enjoy his greatest success, winning a silver at the Atlanta 1996 Games to go with a medal of the same hue at the 1995 world cup final. He took gold at the world cup event in Havana in 1996 and 1997, then barely missed the podium at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, placing fourth. He harvested a total of six world cup medals in the quadrennium after Sydney,
including two golds in 2002 and another in 2005 after placing eighth at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
He emigrated to the U.S. in 2009 and won a spot on the U.S. national team that year. Settling in Tampa, Florida, where he is an elementary school physical education teacher, Milev continued to make his presence felt on the international level, including a silver medal at the 2010 Championship of the Americas and gold at the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games and 2013 world cup finals.
If Milev medals in Rio, it would be the first for the U.S. in the event since William McMillan won gold at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games. Milev also would become the first men’s rapid fire pistol shooter to claim his second Olympic medal 20 years after his first. Germany’s Ralf Schumann won silvers 20 years apart (in Seoul 1988 shooting for East Germany and Beijing 2008 for Germany), but he bridged that gap with three gold medals (1992, 1996 and 2004).
Kim Rhode, Shooting
Rhode heads to her sixth Olympic Games on five different continents with a tall task before her: earning a medal in her sixth consecutive Olympic Games. By doing so, she would be the first woman to achieve the feat and would join Italian luge legend Armin Zoeggeler as the only two Olympians to medal in six straight Games.
The only U.S. athlete to win five individual medals in five Olympic Games, Rhode began as a 16-year-old at the Atlanta 1996 Games, where she won a gold in double trap. Two more medals in that event followed – a bronze in Sydney and another gold in Athens. When double trap was dropped from the Olympic program, Rhode made the difficult transition to skeet without missing a beat. A silver in Beijing gave her an Olympic medal of every hue, and she added gold in London in near-perfect fashion, setting the Olympic record by hitting 99 out of 100 targets. Because of changes to the scoring system, it is a record that may never be broken.
In addition to her Olympic medal haul, Rhode has won three world championship medals and five at the Pan American Games, including four golds.
What Rhode didn’t know was that her effort in London wasn’t a solo one – she later learned she was pregnant at the time. The pregnancy came with complications that had her on bed rest for the final four months. Son Carter was born two to three weeks past the initial due date, but that did not end the complications: Six weeks after delivery, Rhode underwent emergency surgery to remove her gall bladder.
The road back has been long, slow and winding, but she is ready to challenge for her sixth Olympic medal. If anything, the struggle has given her new perspective.
“It has made me stronger,” she told TeamUSA.org in March. “It has given me a whole new appreciation for your health. It’s one of those things where with a lot of work and a lot of support from a lot of different people, I am coming back.”
It all starts TONIGHT at 7:30p ET/4:30p PT.
The weather today in Rio is AMAZING!
Rickie hanging out with the ladies.
