Tag: 2020 Olympics

Three former Notre Dame players on U.S. team training camp roster

Keep a lookout for this year’s Olympic roster.

With the 2024 Olympics in Paris only months away, now is the time for USA Basketball to plan its teams. That includes a women’s 5-on-5 team that can keep the gold medal in the U.S. Sure, the U.S. has won nine of the past 10 golds, but one never can be too certain.

Out of the 18 players on the U.S. training camp roster, 12 will be selected for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament. It should be noted that the U.S. is participating in the tournament despite automatically qualifying for the Paris Olympics by virtue of taking the gold in the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics. The next few weeks will serve as player evaluation more than anything else.

Three players on the roster will be familiar to Notre Dame fans because they all played for the Irish. While none of these names are surprises, it still is nice to see them have this opportunity. Here they are:

Photos of Notre Dame alumnus Jackie Young in the WNBA Finals

The Irish should be proud to have helped develop this champion.

Former Notre Dame player [autotag]Jackie Young[/autotag] has joined a club previously occupied only by [autotag]Ruth Riley[/autotag]. By winning the WNBA championship with the Las Vegas Aces, Young is the second Irish player to win a a national championship, an Olympic gold medal and a WNBA title. She was on the Irish’s national title team in 2018, and she was on the gold-medal team for the inaugural 3-on-3 women’s basketball competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

During the Aces’ finals victory over the Connecticut Sun, Young averaged 12.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game while shooting 38.3% from the field. Those numbers as well as matching Riley’s distinction caught the attention of Irish coach [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag]:

Appreciate this moment, Irish fans, because it might be a while before we see this again. This program has built some winners, but it rarely churns out winners quite like this. Until the next one comes, enjoy these photos of Young in the 2022 WNBA Finals:

When asked if his Olympic win counts as a victory, Xander Schauffele came back with a saucy response

“Screw everybody else, like I think this is a win.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Xander Schauffele’s easy-going persona makes him one of the most likable guys on the PGA Tour. Until you ask about the legitimacy of his Olympic gold medal as a victory, that is.

After a smooth-as-silk 65 during the second of the WM Phoenix Open, a reporter asked if Schauffele counts his victory at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan as a win. The response was a little out of character for the unflappable Californian.

“Do you count the Olympics as a win?” the former No. 8 snapped back. “I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten more recognition or attention for the Olympics and the gold medal than more than I’ve ever imagined. I think the longer that marinates, the better it gets for me.

“At first, I didn’t just because it was just new and people were telling me no. And then I kind of sat down and looked at it and I was like — hmmm, screw everybody else, like I think this is a win. So if you want to talk about PGA Tour official wins, then, yes, I’m lagging on that end, so we’ll pick up the slack.”

Although he hasn’t hoisted a trophy on the PGA Tour since the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions, Schauffele has consistently been in the mix, and he enters the weekend in Arizona at 10 under, tied with Brooks Koepka for second and just two shots behind leader Sahith Theegala.

Leaderboard | PGA Tour Live streaming on ESPN+

Schauffele called Friday’s round “stress-free,” which is a term rarely associated with a place where obstreperous galleries are the norm.

He did, however, mention that one of the things he loves about TPC Scottsdale has come back to bite him thus far.

“Typically the pureness of the greens,” Schauffele said, when asked why he feels comfortable on the course, “but the putter’s kind of holding me back right now, which is kind of unfortunate. So I guess I can take that as a positive and it means I’m playing good golf overall.”

Considering his putter is typically an asset — Schauffele has finished in the top 50 in strokes gained putting in four of his five previous years on Tour — an improvement with the flat stick could mean ending a drought that’s lasted more than three years. Well, a PGA Tour drought, of course.

“It’s nice, it means you’re doing a lot of things well,” he said. “For me, it feels like I’ve been putting pretty bad, so whether it’s just not seeing it or the greens being a little bit faster I think and maybe my putting off certain memory is kind of faulting me.

“But we’ll have to clean it up if I want to win this thing.”

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Olympics: Penn State volleyballers make Olympic gold medal history for USA

Penn State’s Haleigh Washington was instrumental in the first gold medal victory for the United States in women’s volleyball

It’s been a long time coming, but the United States women’s volleyball team finally got to celebrate winning a gold medal at the Olympics. As the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo were winding down, the United States won their first gold medal in Olympic history with a victory over Brazil. A pair of former Penn State volleyball stars were a part of the historic run to the gold.

Micha Hancock and Haleigh Washington were a part of the roster for the United States women’s volleyball team. Washington was one of the starters for the team.

“The hard work that we put in, the sweat, the tears, the blood, it’s been worth it,” Washington said in a postgame interview. “I am so proud to have done it with this group of women.”

Washington let the emotions flow in a post-match interview with NBC to reflect on being a part of making US volleyball history.

The United States has won three silver medals in women’s volleyball and two bronze medals. This is the first gold medal at the Olympics, although the team does have a collection of international tournament gold medals in events like the Pan American Games and FIVB World Grand Prix. But the ultimate goal, an Olympic gold, has eluded them until now.

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Ranking the top 10 players from the Olympics

HoopsHype ranks the Top 10 players from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic basketball tournament.

With the wrap-up of what was a fun, entertaining, intense Olympic basketball tournament, it’s time to take a look at what we just saw.

Players stepped up big-time while representing their countries, and though some, like that guy who plays for the Brooklyn Nets or the younger dude who suits up for the Dallas Mavericks, were to be expected, the production of other slightly lesser-known players was surprising.

Below, check out the Top 10 players from the Tokyo Olympic basketball tournament.

Olympics: Japan’s women’s basketball team coached into gold medal game by Penn State alum

Penn State alum hopes to coach Japan to major upset against United States in women’s basketball gold medal game at 2020 Olympics

The United States won the gold medal in men’s basketball at the 2020 Olympics, and now the women’s team will attempt to do the same as the Olympics begin to come to a close this weekend. Their opponent, however, will be coached by a former Nittany Lion.

The United States women’s basketball team will go up against Japan, the host nation. And Japan is coached by a former Penn State men’s basketball player, Tom Hovasse. No matter the result, Hovasse has already coached the Japanese women’s team to its best finish at the Olympics.

Under the coaching of Hovasser, Japan has become a rising power in international women’s basketball. Hovasse took over as head coach of Japan’s women’s team in 2017 after previous experience as an assistant coach for the team and years of experience coaching professional basketball in Japan in both men’s and women’s leagues. Since becoming the head coach, Hovasse has led Japan to gold medals at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in 2017 and 2019.

SAITAMA, JAPAN – AUGUST 06: Team Japan Head Coach Tom Hovasse cheers on his team from the bench during the second half of a Women’s Basketball Semifinals game between Team Japan and Team France on day fourteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on August 06, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Now, Japan has already clinched its best finish at the Olympics by far. Japan has never finished higher than 5th place in the Olympics, doing so in 1976. Japan automatically qualified for this year’s tournament as the host nation, and they are taking advantage of it.

Hovasse and his team from Japan are up against an absolute juggernaut in international competition, however. The United States women’s basketball team, coached by former Temple basketball standout Dawn Staley, is going for its seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal. The United States women have not lost an Olympic game since winning the bronze medal in 1992. The United States is 66-3 all-time in Olympic competition.

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Penn State wrestlers added to medal collection at 2020 Olympics in Tokyo

Penn State wrestlers are bringing home some hardware from the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo

The 2020 Olympics are ending with plenty of medals up for grabs across the games, and Penn State wrestlers added two more to the collection early Saturday morning. Following David Taylor’s gold medal victory this week, two more former Nittany Lions are taking home hardware from Tokyo after Saturday’s results.

Kyle Snyder, who won the gold medal at the Rio games in 2016, was unable to go back-to-back for the gold medal this time around. Snyder finished with the silver medal in the 97 kg weight class, coming up short against Russia’s Sadulaev Abdulrashid. It is Snyder’s second career silver medal in international competition (2018 world championships).

Snyder wasn’t alone in winning Olympic medals on Saturday. Bekzod Abdurakhmonov was also in action, representing Uzbekistan. Abdurakhmonov won the bronze medal in the 74 kg weight class, bringing Penn State wrestling’s total medal count to four during the 2020 Olympics.

Thomas Gilman won the bronze medal in the 57 kg weight class this week as well.

All in all, this was a very successful trip to the Olympics for Penn State wrestlers. Four Olympic medals, including one gold, is a testament to the power of the Penn State wrestling program, which remains one of the best in the sport. Expect more medalists in the future to hail from Happy Valley.

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Five players from the Olympics who should be on NBA radars

HoopsHype breaks down five basketball players from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics who performed well enough to put themselves on NBA radars.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics provided incredible theater in the basketball tournament, leaving us with the United States, France, Slovenia and Australia as a strong final four featuring various superstar names from the NBA.

The Games were also an opportunity for lesser-known players to gain some extremely valuable exposure on an enormous platform, potentially putting themselves on NBA radars for the future.

Below, we break down five players from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics who we believe played themselves into potential future NBA opportunities.

Olympics: Penn State’s David Taylor wins wrestling gold in Tokyo

Penn State’s David Taylor scored his first Olympic gold in Tokyo

The medals are coming in for some of Penn State’s finest world-class athletes. On Thursday, one of the wrestling program’s top performers in recent years became an Olympic gold medalist.

David Taylor had the gold medal awarded to him following his gold medal match victory over Iran’s Hassan Yazdanicharati, the top-seeded wrestler in the Olympic field for the 86kg weight class. Yazdanicharati is a two-time world champion, but Taylor improved to 3-0 all-time against the Iranian wrestling star.

Taylor’s matches combined to last a total of 10 minutes and 49 seconds, with none of his matches lasting the full six minutes. Taylor notched three technical falls before time expired.

 

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Olympics: Penn State’s Joe Kovacs wins silver in shotput final

Joe Kovacs is taking home the first Olympic medal by a Penn Stater in Tokyo

Penn State’s own Joe Kovacs added to his medal collection on Thursday at the Tokyo Olympics. Kovacs finished second in the shotput event to fellow American Ryan Crouser.

Kovacs won his second career Olympic medal, and it is the fifth medal of Kovacs’s career. As he boasted on Twitter following the Olympic final, he has never finished below a silver medal.

Kovacs certainly should not be disappointed in his second-place finish at the Olympics. His American rival, Crouser, happened to set a new Olympic record for the event as he took home the gold medal in Tokyo. Although it came just shy of his previous world record, Crouser shot a distance of 23.3 meters. Kovacs shot a distance of 22.65 meters in the final event.

New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh took the bronze with a distance of 22.47 meters.

Kovacs claimed the first medal by a former Nittany Lion, but more are surely on the way soon.

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