Tag: 15 in 2024

Kenny Bednarek: 5 facts about the Team USA track and field star aiming for his first Olympic gold

Kenny Bednarek is looking for his first Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

For the Paris Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. We’re highlighting 15 Team USA athletes in the 15 days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. Up next is Kenny Bednarek.

Kenny Bednarek has some unfinished business from 2021, and he means to settle it in Paris.

The 25-year-old track and field sprinter from Wisconsin is set to return for the 2024 Paris Olympics after qualifying for the men’s 100-meter and men’s 200-meter events for the United States. Bednarek may not be the favorite to win gold in Paris, but he is no doubt a medal contender after his qualifying times this summer.

Here are five things to know about Bednarek ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Michael Steele/Getty Images

1. Kenny Bednarek took home silver in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics

In his first Olympics in 2021, Bednarek won the silver medal in the men’s 200-meter event, beating out Team USA teammate Noah Lyles for the position.

The race was a close one, as Bednarek finished with a then-personal best 19.68, just behind Canada’s Andre De Grasse, who won gold with a time of 19.62 seconds.

2. He holds a national record in a very unique category

In 2019, Bednarek became the youngest and only American athlete to run sub-20 and sub-45 times in 200-meter and 400-meter outdoor events respectively on the same day. The record happened during the 2019 NJCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, an event that shot Bednarek’s name to stardom.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

3. He recorded his personal best times in the 100-meter and 200-meter at Olympic trials

Coming into the 2024 Paris Olympics, Bednarek set two personal best times during the Olympic trials. During the 200-meter event final — Bednarek’s specialty — the sprinter ran a 19.59, breaking his personal best record. And in the 100-meter final, Bednarek completed the race in 9.87 seconds, also a personal best.

4. Bednarek’s nickname is “Kung Fu Kenny”

The nickname “Kung Fu Kenny” adorns Bednarek’s various social media pages. But how did it come about? It all stems from the headbands Bednarek wears during races, as well as the connection to the movie character Rambo. Even better? Bednarek’s husky is named Rambo!

And it’s clear Bednarek leans into his nerdy side too, as his Instagram shows is a fan of the anime Naruto as well.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C80oj0kOTe1/?hl=en

5. Bednarek’s Olympic journey starts on August 3

Fans won’t have to wait long to see Bednarek race, as his first event — the men’s 100m — will start on August 3.

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Cierra Burdick: 5 facts about the veteran for the USA 3×3 women’s basketball team at the Olympics

Cierra Burdick might not be a WNBA player, but she played for Pat Summitt and has a long history with 3×3 basketball.

For the Paris Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. We’re highlighting 15 Team USA athletes in the 15 days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. Up next is Cierra Burdick.

When the U.S. announced its 3×3 women’s basketball team for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, the headliners that grabbed attention were the young stars. Initially part of the team were fifth-year college player Hailey Van Lith – who recently transferred from LSU to TCU – WNBA rookie Cameron Brink and 24-year-old WNBA All-Star Rhyne Howard, who is making her Olympic debut. Since the initial announcement, Brink has been replaced by her LA Sparks teammate Dearica Hamby.

Rounding out the squad is Cierra Burdick – a 30-year-old product of the University of Tennessee who hasn’t been on a WNBA roster in three years.

But Burdick shouldn’t be overlooked. The competition to make this roster was fierce and she’s on this team – which is aiming to defend its gold medal from the 2021 Olympics – for a reason.

Let’s get to know her.

1. Burdick played for Pat Summitt

Nov 15, 2012; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Lady Volunteers forward Cierra Burdick (11) brings the ball up court against the Rice Owls at Thompson Boling Arena. Tennessee won by a score of 101 to 48. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-US PRESSWIRE

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Burdick was a McDonald’s All-American out of Butler High School. She was lured just across the Smoky Mountains to Knoxville, where she was a freshman on the final team that the late, great Pat Summitt coached.

She played 13.5 minutes per game on that 2011-12 Tennessee team, which made it all the way to the Elite Eight.

The 2021 games in Tokyo were the first time that there were no Lady Vols playing for USA basketball in Olympic competition – although Kara Lawson was the coach of the 3×3 team that year. Still, Burdick’s selection puts a Summitt-coached player back in the games, an honor she’s proud to carry.

She told the Knoxville News-Sentinel:

“I’ve got some big time guardian angels that have been looking out for me, and I’m a proud Lady Vol… I took a lot of lessons from Pat, and it’s easy to just carry those with me every single day.”

2. Burdick helped Tennessee stay on top

Mar 28, 2015; Spokane, WA, USA; Tennessee Lady Volunteers forward Cierra Burdick (11) reacts after a Gonzaga Bulldogs turnover during the second half in the semifinals of the Spokane regional of the women’s 2015 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. The Lady Volunteers won 73-69. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

The 6-foot-2 do-it-all guard/forward was never really a star at Tennessee, but she was a starter, a very good college player. She helped the Lady Vols stay atop the Southeastern Conference after Holly Warlick took over when Summitt retired after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

With Burdick on the court in Warlick’s first three seasons at the helm, Tennessee won two regular-season SEC titles, one SEC Tournament crown and went back to the Elite Eight in 2013 and 2015. As a senior in 2015 – after averaging 11 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 37.1 percent from 3-point land – Burdick was an All-SEC selection and an honorable mention All-American.

3. Burdick was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks

In the 2015 WNBA Draft, the LA Sparks took Burdick in the second round with the 14th overall pick. But she never played for the Sparks and was waived about a month after signing her rookie contract.

And so began Burdick’s tumultuous journey through the WNBA. Between 2015 and 2021, Burdick played in 56 games for six different teams and was waived or released five different times. For one reason or another, she just couldn’t stick to a roster – although she was on the Seattle Storm squad that won the Commissioner’s Cup in 2021.

Before landing with the Storm near the end of the 2021 season on a series of short-term contracts, Burdick was waived by the Minnesota Lynx after just six days – and this was after she was told she would be with the team for four-to-six weeks.

It soured her on the WNBA experience, she told the Knoxville News-Sentinel:

“… And then you’re cut in the Minneapolis Airport at baggage claim after a week – I was completely humiliated, demoralized, disappointed and I honestly was done with the W after that experience.”

4. Burdick has a long history with Team USA and 3×3 hoops

However, getting cut by Minnesota allowed Burdick to sign with Seattle, which then opened the door for her to spend more time playing 3×3 hoops.

She’s been playing 3×3 basketball since 2014. That summer, between her junior and senior seasons at Tennessee, she was part of the U.S. squad that won the gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in Russia.

Right away, Burdick figured out it was a version of basketball that best fit her skillset, telling The Charlotte Observer:

“I love the fact that you actually don’t have a coach during the game, that you kind of have to coach yourselves, so all adjustments are being made on your own… Just the versatility that you need to be able to play 3×3, you gotta be able to defend everybody, and then offensively, you gotta be able to do a little bit of everything. So that’s always kind of been my game. I’m not great at any one specific skill, except for maybe rebounding, but I can do a little bit of everything. And that definitely helps in the 3×3 game.”

In 2023, Burdick suited up for Team USA again, helping the Americans win gold at the FIBA World Cup in Vienna, Austria and the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. This Olympics will mark the third time Burdick and Van Lith have been 3×3 teammates in a major tournament, as they both played in the 2022 and 2023 World Cups.

5. Burdick’s Olympic journey begins with Team USA’s 3×3 women’s basketball team on July 30

The U.S. women’s 3×3 team begins pool play on Tuesday, July 30 against Germany. Tip-off is at 11:30 a.m. ET. The Americans will take the court again the next day, taking on Azerbaijan at 3:30 ET. Both games will air on Peacock.

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Nyjah Huston: 5 facts about Team USA’s veteran skateboarder looking for redemption at Paris Olympics

Nyjah Huston is looking to get back on top of the skating world.

For the Paris Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. We’re highlighting 15 Team USA athletes in the 15 days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. Up next is Nyjah Huston 

The 2021 Tokyo Olympics were such a weird time. The Games had already been postponed for a year because of the global pandemic.

On top of that, skateboarding was being added to the Games as one of its newest sports. You couldn’t come into things with any expectations because it was all so new.

With that being said, Nyjah Huston was considered the world’s No. 1 skateboarder heading into the Tokyo Olympics. He left without a medal.

The 2024 Olympics in Paris might serve as a bit of a redemption play for Huston, who had huge expectations in 2021 that he fell flat on.

Here’s everything you need to know about him heading into this year’s competition.

1. Nujah Huston finished 7th at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Huston came into the 2021 Olympics as the world’s No. 1 skater. He’d just fallen short in the world championships ahead of Tokyo to Yuto Horigome, the world’s No. 2 skater, by a few points with a 36.75 score in the Men’s Street event. He finished seventh in the same event at the Olympics, missing out on a medal in his first appearance at the Games.

It was shocking to see. Huston is unquestionably the greatest skater of his generation. He’s won 14 world championship medals (eight gold, six silver) and has been competing at the highest levels since he was seven years old.

There was a reason for such a drastic dip from the greatest skater of his generation. Huston tore a ligament in his wrist just days before the Tokyo Games. It seemed to hinder his performance in Tokyo.

This year, however, he’s back and relatively healthy.

2. Huston had knee surgery in 2022

Huston tore his ACL in August 2022 after grinding a rail and falling awkwardly. He had to have a major knee surgery, which kept him off his board for months — something extremely tough for him, he told the Associated Press.

“The longest I normally go without being on my board is a week or two, so having to take four or five months off was brutal,” Huston said. “It did make me question how I was going to feel once I was back on my board, if I was going to have the same confidence. But it really made me appreciate being on my skateboard, having that free feeling it gives me. If anything, it only made me even more hungry to take care of my body and stay healthy for as long as possible.”

He talked about the injury here in this YouTube video and had been on the road to recovery for a while.

He was healthy enough to compete in the 2023 world championships and qualified for a spot in the Olympics this year in Budapest.

3. Huston is still extremely popular

Despite all the bumps in the road over these last few years, Huston is still one of the most popular skaters in the world.

He’s amassed 5.1 million followers on Instagram and has half a million subscribers on YouTube. He’s one of Nike’s most visible athletes in the sport and has even launched a signature shoe with the brand.

4. He’s also skated on a Lambo before

This has got to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

Shredding a Lamborghini is legendary.

5. Nyjah’s Olympic journey starts on July 27

You can watch Huston and the rest of the skating competition starting at 6 a.m. ET on July 27.

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Chase Budinger: 5 facts about Team USA’s new volleyball star who was once of the NBA’s best dunkers

Chase Budinger is putting those hops to good use

For the Paris Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. We’re highlighting 15 Team USA athletes in the 15 days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. Up next is Chase Budinger

We’ve seen athletes show up at the Olympics after specializing in other sports before. That’s not necessarily unique.

For example, there’ve been several Olympians from the NFL who have made the crossover before. But it’s not just an athlete making that crossover that’s special — it’s actually how good the athlete is at the other sport.

That’s why the story of Chase Budinger, the volleyball player, is so incredible.

If you’ve watched the NBA before, you probably recognize that name. Budinger put together a solid career in the league before retiring. These days, he’s traded in the orange round ball for a white one. Budinger is one of the United States’ best volleyball players.

Here’s everything you need to know about Team USA’s budding volleyball star. Get it? Budding? Sorry about that. Let’s get into it.

1. Chase Budinger had a lengthy NBA career

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY

Budinger had a pretty solid NBA career from 2009 to 2016. He appeared in games for the Rockets, Timberwolves, Suns and Pacers before continuing to play ball overseas in Spain.

He averaged a solid 7.9 points per game through 407 NBA games played. Obviously, that’s not a superstar-level career. But it’s still pretty good! He made just more than $18 million through his NBA career.

2. He was a McDonald’s All-American

Arizona’s Chase Budinger throws down a break away dunk against University of Louisville in the 1st half in the NCAA Men’s Midwest Regional semi final in Indianapolis, IN on Friday, March 27, 2009.JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/Detroit Free Press

Chase wasn’t a slouch coming into the NBA. He may have been more of a role player in the league, but he was one of the best high school prospects coming into his class, averaging 34 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Budinger was ranked as the 3rd best prospect in the nation for the class of 2006 by Rivals.com. As a freshman at Arizona, he averaged 15.5 points and was named the Pac-10 Rookie of the Year.

3. He was a volleyball star, too

Jun 19, 2024; Hermosa Beach, Calif., USA: Chase Budinger spikes the ball during a morning training session at Hermosa Beach, Calif. on Jue 19, 2024. Budinger is a former collegiate and NBA basketball player who has made the Olympic Beach Volleyball Team. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY

Budinger was a two-sport athlete in high school. He may have been just as good at volleyball as he was at basketball.

He led his team to three state championships and was named National High School Player of the Year by Volleyball Magazine, according to this profile from USA TODAY’s Jordan Mendoza.

Volleyball was a bit of a family trade for the Budingers. Both his brother and sister, Duncan and Brittanie, played volleyball professionally. Brittanie is even in the Hall of Honor for the West Coast Conference.

Budinger told the Indianapolis Star that part of his plan was to “play beach volleyball when basketball was over.” Here he is, doing it at a high level.

4. He’s an elite dunker

These hops are the reason he’s so good at volleyball. This reel of him dunking will absolutely get you out of your seat today.

He was so good as a dunker he participated in the 2012 NBA Dunk Contest and was pretty solid. He’s putting those hops to use elsewhere these days.

5. Budinger and Team USA will play in late July

You’ll be able to watch Budinger and Team USA take to the net on July 27 when Team USA opens its preliminary round matchup against Argentina.

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Regan Smith: 5 facts about the Olympic swimmer and world-record holder aiming for gold in Paris

Regan Smith is a three-time Olympic medalist, but the Team USA swimmer is aiming for gold in Paris.

For the Paris Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. We’re highlighting 15 Team USA athletes in the 15 days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. Up next is Regan Smith.

Regan Smith has been here before, but this time around, she wants more. And more of it to be gold.

The 22-year-old swimmer from Minnesota is now a two-time Olympian after qualifying for the Paris Olympics in the 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke and 200-meter butterfly. She’s a standout swimmer and one of the more versatile ones on Team USA this summer.

Here are five things to know about Smith ahead of the Paris Olympics.

1. Regan Smith is already a three-time Olympic medalist

Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

At her first Olympics in Tokyo, Smith came home with some hardware: Silver in the 200-meter butterfly, bronze in the 100-meter backstroke and silver in the women’s 4×100-meter medley relay. At world championships, she’s accumulated five gold medals, three silvers and one bronze, but she’s still searching for her first Olympic gold medal.

2. She enters the Olympics with a world record

Smith had a standout performance at U.S. Olympic swimming trials in June, including breaking the 100 backstroke world record. She broke the American record in the semifinals, and then in the finals, she reclaimed the world record at 57.13. In a fun rivalry, she got the world record back from Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown, who stole it from Smith in 2021 and lowered it again in 2023.

Smith’s reaction at trials to getting it back?

“[Expletive] yeah!” she said at trials. “You know, like, long time coming. You know, like it’s about time, so I was psyched.”

3. She swam at Stanford but now trains with Bob Bowman at Longhorn Aquatics

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JUNE 20: Regan Smith of the United States competes in the Women’s 200m butterfly final on Day Six of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

After the Tokyo Olympics, Smith swam for one season at Stanford, where she was a seven-time All-American and a two-time NCAA champ in the 200 backstroke and 4×200 freestyle relay.

But she opted to turn pro after her freshman year — prior to the NCAA’s new rules allowing athletes to capitalize on their name, image and likeness — and went to train with Bob Bowman, famously Michael Phelps’ coach, and Arizona State’s pro team. When Bowman recently left Arizona State to take over Texas swimming, Smith was among the swimmers to follow him to Longhorn Aquatics.

4. She adopted a cat named Roo, and both of them are in a better place because of it

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7R1Ul5OY5-/

Earlier this year, Smith was going through it. She was living alone for the first time in Arizona, training for the Olympics and, in January, was recovering from mononucleosis. She could barely practice and was getting sent home early.

“I would just come home in tears every day because I was so frustrated because this was supposed to be one of the most important years of my life,” Smith told For The Win while promoting her partnership with Nulo, a sustainability-focused pet food company. “I needed to be spending every second that I could training, and I couldn’t do that. And I just felt so stuck and so alone because I was across the country from my family and my pets.”

She needed something to change. So, despite growing up with dogs, she adopted a black and gray tabby cat named Roo, and they fell in love immediately.

“I was still in the process of recovering from mono, and I would still come home from practice so many days just so upset and frustrated and emotional. And she would always be there for me waiting at the door, like, ‘Where have you been? Come give me attention.’ And she was just exactly what I needed, and our relationship has just grown and blossomed from there. And now I’m so thankful to say I’m in a much healthier place than I was back in January, and I think she is too.”

Roo, Smith noted, is now stronger with a fuller coat and is almost twice the weight she was when she was adopted. While Smith gave her a loving home, the swimmer said Roo offers everything from cuddles and emotional support to comedic relief when it’s needed the most.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JUNE 20: Regan Smith of the United States looks on prior to the Women’s 200m backstroke semifinal on Day Six of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

5. Swimming at the Paris Olympics begins July 27

But Smith isn’t swimming right away. She’s entered in the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 200 butterfly, along with the possibility of being on a relay team. Her first event, the 100 backstroke, is set for July 29.

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Sha’Carri Richardson: 5 facts about the fastest woman in the world headed to her first Olympics

Sha’Carri Richardson won’t be denied this time

For the Paris Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. We’re highlighting 15 Team USA athletes in the 15 days leading up to the Opening Ceremony. Up first is Sha’Carri Richardson.

Missing out on the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games may have been the best thing to happen for Sha’Carri Richardson.

Since that moment, she’s come back better and faster than ever. In fact, she’s the fastest woman in the world right now. Richardson is the new face of the women’s 100-meter race for the United States.

Will she win gold in August? We’ll have to see. In the meantime, here are five things you should know about her before the competition.

1. Sha’Carri Richardson was barred from competing in the 2021 Olympics

Sha’Carri Richardson wins the first round of the women’s 200 meters during day seven of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., on Thursday, June 27, 2024.Ê

After failing a drug test, Richardson was barred from competing in the 2021 Olympic Games.

She won the 100-meter Olympic trials race in June 2021 and would’ve had a spot on the roster, but she tested positive for marijuana, which is still a banned substance under the World Anti-Doping Agency. She was suspended for a month, which removed her from consideration for the Games. She later issued a public apology for what happened.

2. She won U.S. Olympic trials again in 2024

Richardson won her Olympic trial runs again this year, running a 10.71 in the final heat.

Richardson’s time is the fastest in the world this year to qualify. She beat out:

  • Jacious Sears (10.77)
  • Julien Alfred (10.78)
  • Melissa Jefferson (10.80)
  • Sherika Jackson (10.84)
  • Tia Clayton (10.86)

That’s some impressive stuff.

Richardson finished fourth at U.S. trials in the 200-meter race and missed qualifying by .26 seconds.

3. She celebrated with her family immediately after winning

The moments after Richardson qualified for the race were so precious. She immediately ran to her grandmother in the stands and embraced her in tears.

What a sweet moment.

Richardson was raised by her grandmother, Betty Harp. Her mother died just a week before the Olympic trials in 2021, which is another reason why her exclusion was just so heartbreaking.

4. She set a world championship record for the women’s 100m

Richardson ran a 10.65 100-meter race at the Track and Field World Championships in Budapest in 2023. That was the fastest time in the history of the race at the event.

Afterward, Richardson dropped this absolutely golden quote: “I’m not back. I’m better.”

@nbcolympics

“I’m not back. I’m better.” Sha’Carri Richardson wins the national championship in the women’s 100m. #track #usatf #running #shacarririchardson

♬ original sound – NBC Olympics & Paralympics

She’s absolutely right.

5. Richardson’s Olympic journey starts on August 2

Richardson and the rest of the Women’s 100m competition will start their journeys on August 2 at 4 a.m. ET. The final will be held on August 3.

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