Tag: FTW Explains Olympic sports

Jordan Chiles’ Olympic bronze medal appeal controversy, explained

It looks like Jordan Chiles has to return her bronze medal. Let us explain.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. This is FTW Explains: The Olympics. Have you seen some stuff about Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles possibly returning the bronze medal she won in Paris for her floor exercise? And you’re very confused about that whole thing? Don’t worry. We’re here to help.

You may remember when Jordan Chiles dramatically won a bronze medal for her floor routine on Monday following a coach’s challenge to her score. It turns out the saga did not end there as Romania (understandably) lodged its own appeal of Team USA’s challenge.

It’s been an extremely emotional few days for Chiles as the fate of her medal was left up to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG).

Saturday brought a little clarity to the situation, and it’s really a heartbreaking one for all athletes involved following multiple appeals.

Why does Chiles has to give her medal back?

UPDATE Sunday 5:15 a.m. ET: Chiles does have to give her medal back, the International Olympic Committee announced Sunday. More via USA TODAY Sports:

The news comes less than 24 hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the judging panel for the women’s floor exercise final made a mistake in granting an inquiry filed by Chiles’ coaches, which moved the American gymnast into medal position. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation had challenged the validity of that move, saying it was filed four seconds beyond the deadline by which any inquiries had to be submitted.

The IOC said in a statement that it will reallocate the bronze medal to Romania’s Ana Barbosu.

Original story:

Well, first let’s slow down. As of Saturday afternoon Chiles doesn’t have to give anything back, but we will update this post if that changes.

If you remember, Chiles originally placed fifth in her floor routine with a score of 13.666 behind two Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea (who each scored 13.7). Chiles’ coaches sucessfully challenged the judges’ scoring on the difficulty of her’ routine, which added 0.1 to her score and earned Chiles the bronze.

No one is arguing Chiles’ initial score was correct or that the judges were wrong to award the 0.1 upon review.

Instead, Romania’s appeal came down to the timing of Team USA’s challenge. CAS ruled the Americans did, indeed, challenge too late, according to FIG rules — by a matter of four seconds.

FOUR SECONDS!? Chiles might lose her bronze because of four seconds!?

Yep. It’s truly awful, but those are the rules. Coaches get 60 seconds to challenge a score from the moment it flashes across the scoreboard. Chiles’ challenge came in after 64 seconds.

Per FIG Article 8.5:

Inquiries for the Difficulty score are allowed, provided that they are made verbally immediately after the publication of the score or at the very latest before the score of the following gymnast/athlete or group is shown.

In case two (2) categories / apparatus are judged alternatively (by two (2) panels or one single panel) the inquiry must be made before the score of the following gymnast or group of the same category/apparatus is shown.

For the last gymnast or group of a rotation, this limit is one (1) minute after the score is shown on the scoreboard. The person designated to receive the verbal inquiry has to record the time of receiving it, either in writing or electronically, and this starts the procedure.

Only the accredited coaches in the competition area are entitled to submit an inquiry.

Well, that’s just a very bad rule

Look, if the point is to make sure the athletes get the fairest score possible, then yes. It’s a very bad rule. But it’s also the rule that’s in place. And just as it was fair for Team USA to challenge Chiles’ score, it’s fair for Romania to appeal the challenge.

But Romania’s request actually extremely generous. They wanted to split the bronze three ways. Which brings us back to the CAS.

What was in Romania’s appeal?

Per the CAS:

The Applicants sought a ruling from the CAS Ad hoc Division concluding that the Inquiry was filed beyond the 1-minute deadline specified in art. 8.5 of FIG 2024 Technical Regulations (i.e. 1 minute and 4 seconds) and dismissing the Inquiry as untimely, thereby upholding the initial score of 13.666 and adjusting the final ranking accordingly. The Applicants also sought a conclusion that the penalty of 0.1 for execution imposed on Ms Sabrina Maneca-Voinea was given without basis, thereby increasing her score to 13.800, and that the final ranking be adjusted accordingly. Subsidiarily, the Applicants requested a ruling adjusting the ranking of Ms Ana Maria Bărbosu, Ms Sabina Maneca-Voinea and Ms Jordan Chiles by placing all three athletes in 3rd position and the allocation of medals to all three athletes.

What did the CAS have to say about all of this?

The CAS had five key rulings:

1. The application filed by Federation Romanian Gymnastics and Ms Ana Bărbosu on 6 August 2024, in its amended version of 8 August 2024, is partially upheld.

2. The inquiry submitted on behalf of Ms Jordan Chiles in the Final of the women’s Floor exercise was raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline provided by article 8.5 of the 2024 FIG Technical Regulations and is determined to be without effect.

3. The initial score of 13.666 given to Ms Jordan Chiles in the final of the women’s Floor exercise shall be reinstated.

4. The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique shall determine the ranking of the Final of the women’s Floor exercise and assign the medal(s) in accordance with the above decision.

5. All other requests are dismissed.

So now it’s up to the FIG to determine the final standings using Chiles’ original score?

Basically, and who knows what they’ll decide to do here.

No matter what happens, it seems like the gymnasts are going to be punished for the judges’ poor performance. Had they scored Chiles’ correctly to begin with, there wouldn’t have been anything to challenge.

Does Team USA have anything to say about this?

It sure does.

How is Chiles handling this all?

Honestly, it’s tough to say. Aside from the personal heartache of having a medal potentially ripped away on a technicality, she has faced some brutal and racist attacks online.

Because of that, she declared that she’s taking a break from social media.

via instagram.com/jordanchiles

What an awful situation

Truly. Here’s hoping everyone can head home with a medal, as Romania requested, and all the online hate calms down.

3 things to know about breakdancing, or breaking, for its Olympic debut from Team USA’s Sunny Choi

What to know about the new Olympic sport from Team USA’s Sunny Choi.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. This is FTW Explains: The Olympics. During the Olympics, some of the sports can be intimidating, especially if you’re not super familiar with them. That’s OK because we’re here to help.

Breakdancing, or simply breaking, is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2024 Paris Games. It was added to the Olympic lineup following success at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2018 in Buenos Aires.

Each team at the Paris Olympics could qualify up to four athletes — two each for the men’s and women’s competitions — and Team USA has a full team of four breakers: Sunny Choi and Logan Edra for the women’s competition and Victor Montalvo and Jeffrey Louis for the men’s event.

How does breaking work as an Olympic event? As Olympics.com explains: “Athletes will use a combination of power moves—including windmills, the 6-step, and freezes—as they adapt their style and improvise to the beat of the DJ’s tracks in a bid to secure the judges’ votes and take home the first Olympic breaking medals.”

Ahead of the Games, For The Win spoke with Choi and asked her to explain her top-3 things Olympics fans should know when watching breaking.

1. Breakers have no control over what music is played

“One of the biggest misconceptions that I have gotten along the way is that we choose our music; we do not,” Choi told For The Win. “The DJ picks the track for us, and we don’t know what it’s going to be, and sometimes it’s a brand-new track.

“When we walk out there, it’s definitely possible that the DJ is going to have new music produced for the Games that we’ve never heard before. And it’s not like we get it in advance. They just play it and you go, so I think that adds an element of suspense and excitement.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9VSvJ3vtcw/

2. Breakers are improvising a ton when they’re competing

“A lot of us are freestyling a lot of our rounds,” Choi said. “Not everyone freestyles 100 percent, and there’s a wide variety. But you’re going to see, especially with the American breakers, freestyling a lot. So even we don’t know what we’re going to do.

“So not only doing not knowing music, but we also don’t really know exactly what we’re about to go throw because it’s dependent on the music. We really want to connect to the moment and to the music and then just go do what feels right. So I might kind of plan anywhere from like 20 to 40 percent of my round, but no more than that. Everything else is just what comes out in the moment.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3UAIPiIwsL/

3. Breaking competitions can seem like one big party

For athletes and fans watching, Choi said to just enjoy it and be present in the moment because breaking is a good time.

“Breaking has this energy that I feel like you don’t get in so many other sports,” she said. “It’s like a party. You have an emcee who’s hyping up the crowd. You’ve got a DJ, and then we’re dancing, you know? And so there’s an energy about it that’s so different from so much else that you’re going to see at the Games. And so I’m just like, go out there, be in the moment. Go scream for your favorite people, and have fun because I think it’s going to be a really great event.”

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Why isn’t U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau playing golf at the Olympics? Here’s why.

In the simplest terms, DeChambeau didn’t qualify. His association with LIV Golf is a big reason why.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. This is FTW Explains: The Olympics.

Love him or hate him, Bryson DeChambeau is playing like one of the best golfers in the world in 2024.

The 30-year-old who grew up in California and now resides in Texas won his second U.S. Open title this year with a memorable finish at Pinehurst No. 2. DeChambeau — who is nicknamed “The Scientist” and also has monikers for each of his clubs — got an up-and-down out of the bunker from more than 50 yards away and onto the green, where he sank a four-foot putt on the final hole to beat Rory McIlroy by a single stroke.

DeChambeau also finished in the top 10 at the Masters and second in the PGA Championship this year. He’s ninth in the World Golf Rankings.

So, as golf gets underway at the Summer Olympics in Paris, France, you might be wondering: Why isn’t one of the best American golfers there?

The answer is simple, but also sort of complicated.

A lot of it has to do with DeChambeau playing on the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf instead of on the PGA Tour.

When boiled down, the reason DeChambeau isn’t in France is because he didn’t qualify. Qualification takes place across a two-year period where points are piled up at events deemed eligible by the Official World Golf Ranking.

But the LIV Golf League is not accredited by the OWGR. And so, DeChambeau’s only chance to qualify was to play well enough at majors to boost his ranking high enough to make it.

One would think that a world-ranking of ninth would suffice, but the other obstacle DeChambeau faced in qualifying is that he is from one of golfing’s strongest countries. For the Olympics, a maximum of four players per country inside the OWGR’s top 15 can compete.

While DeChambeau is ninth in the world, he’s the sixth American in the OWGR. Ahead of him are Patrick Cantlay at eighth, and the four U.S. players who are competing in the Olympics in Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa.

There are some LIV golfers competing in the Olympics. If a country didn’t have at least two players inside the top 15 of the OWGR, two outside of the top 15 could qualify. So, Jon Rahm and David Puig are there for Spain, Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz are representing Mexico, Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira of Chile are competing, and so is Adrian Mernok of Poland.

DeChambeau, meanwhile, is hopeful for 2028, when the Olympics will be played in his native California.

He told ESPN after winning the U.S. Open:

“Am I frustrated and disappointed? Sure, you could absolutely say that, but I made the choices that I made and there’s consequences to that and I respect it. But hopefully, sooner rather than later, we figure out this great game of golf, so we can get past all of that and move forward into showing how awesome this sport actually is around the globe.”

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Can NCAA athletes keep money earned at the Olympics?

Olympians are paid for medaling. But what if they’e still in college?

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. This is FTW Explains: The Olympics.

For many athletes, the Olympics is mostly about trying to win gold while representing their country at the highest level of competition. But there also is a monetary benefit for those elite few able to claim a medal.

Though it varies by country, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee awards $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver and $15,000 for bronze.

With so many collegiate athletes among those competing in Paris this summer, it’s natural to wonder whether the NCAA will allow them to keep that money if they win. Because, as we all know, the college athletics governing body is stingy about what it considers to be permissible benefits — even after adopting name, image and likeness rules.

The answer is yes.

Thanks to the decades-old Operation Gold Grants program, the NCAA does allow its athletes to accept money from the USOPC for their performance in the Olympics.

But there is a limit. NCAA athletes can only accept prize money from the USOPC and their respective national governing bodies — or their sport’s governing body from their home country. Any money outside of those narrow parameters remains off limits to maintain NCAA eligibility.

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What Olympic sport would you love to be elite at — or not? FTW weighs in

If you could be an Olympian, what sport would you want to play?

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. This is FTW Explains: The Olympics. This one has a twist.

If you’ve ever watched the Olympics, you’ve almost surely wondered what it’s like to be an elite athlete out there competing on the world’s biggest stage. If you ever played or wanted to play an Olympic sport, you’ve probably dreamed of competing at the Games, regardless of how realistic that dream was.

So for the 2024 Paris Olympics, we here at For The Win are trying to put ourselves in the literal shoes of athletes, imagining what sports we’d love to excel at and which ones we’d maybe pass on.

RELATED: Meet some of Team USA’s best athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics

What Summer Olympic sport would you love to be elite at?

Mike Sykes: Skateboarding. Skaters seem like the chillest people on Earth. They may not be the richest athletes or whatever, but I feel like the sponsorships they get are super cool. And they make enough money to sustain my terrible habit of purchasing sneakers I don’t need. I’d be good with that.

Michelle Martinelli: Swimming, no question. There was a time when I would have sacrificed just about anything — logical or totally nonsensical — if it meant being an elite swimmer competing for a spot on an Olympic roster. I’m clearly far from an Olympic swimmer. But swimming is my one true love, so if time travel and cosmic bargaining become options, I’d probably still make any trade.

Prince Grimes: Football. Or as we like to call it ’round here, soccer. And this has nothing to do with any sort of love I have for the sport. I just saw what Apple paid Messi and thought that’d be nice for me too.

Argentina’s forward #10 Lionel Messi takes a free kick during the Conmebol 2024 Copa America tournament final football match between Argentina and Colombia at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami, Florida on July 14, 2024. (Photo by Chandan Khanna / AFP)

Cory Woodroof: My disastrous coordination prevents me from being good at really any sports, but I’d absolutely love to be elite at carrying in the flag to the Olympic Opening Ceremony. I’d love to get a gold medal in carrying the flag and then just going to the stands to sit down.

Meghan Hall: Gymnastics. I thought I WAS Dominique Dawes growing up. Obviously, I’m not nearly as talented, but I got the height DOWN. Can you imagine me with knees that actually work and talent that won’t get me laughed out of the stadium?! BOW DOWN, PEASANTS. Your gold medals COULD NEVER.

Mary Clarke: Fencing. Swords are cool and learning to wield one professionally sounds so fun. Sure, swimming or gymnastics might get you more household name recognition, but consider: SWORDS!!!

Jul 27, 2021; Chiba, Japan; Anqi Xu (CHN), left, competes with Mara Navarria (ITA), right, in the bronze medal match of the women’s fencing epee team competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Makuhari Messe Hall B. ( James Lang-USA TODAY Sports)

Robert Zeglinski: Swimming. You’re telling me I could swim a few hundred laps a day in a massive pool of water and proceed to eat whatever I want for “fuel?” Uh, sign me up immediately.

Andrew Joseph: I feel like basketball is the obvious answer because it would be awesome to be an NBA player… and have an NBA contract.

Mitchell Northam: In high school, I was an extremely average shot put thrower. Being elite in that seems kind of cool, but far less fun than some other sports. Thinking a bit bigger here, I’m going to say archery, mostly because of comic books. Like, imagine just being Hawkeye, or Bullseye, and just being able to hit anything with an arrow. Is this a skill that would be useful or practical in everyday life? Probably not. But would it be neat to show off every now and then? Absolutely yes.

Christian D’Andrea: Golf. Oh, I get to make millions of dollars a year playing a game others spend thousands of dollars to play each year? And when I’m old and can barely move, I get to play against other old dudes who can barely move? Easy.

Aug 7, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; Mone Inami (JPN) tees off on the 16th hole during the final round of the women’s individual stroke play of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Kasumigaseki Country Club. (Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)

Bryan Kalbrosky: Basketball. Have you seen how cool Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson looked in those USA Basketball hats in 1992? I would do anything for one of those neat snapbacks with the blue brim and green underneath. I don’t even want to be elite enough to take away minutes from anyone on the roster. I kind of just want the authentic merch and a front row seats to the games. By the way, artistic swimming gets an honorable mention here. My haters would rue the day they doubted me.

What Summer Olympic sport would you not want to be elite at?

Sykes: The triathlon is the easy answer here. That seems absolutely miserable. The event itself is so grueling I can’t even bring myself to imagine what the training is like. I’d rather keep my sanity. Shoutout to the triathletes, though. I respect you so much.

Triathlon athletes compete next to the bridge Alexandre III and the Seine river as they run to go from swimming to cycling during a Test Event for the women’s triathlon for the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, on August 17, 2023. (Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)

Michelle: Cycling, of any kind really. But particularly track, road and mountain cycling. Have you seen some of Olympic cycling accidents? Terrifying, especially when athletes become roadkill and run each other over.

Prince: Rugby Sevens. By the way, why do they call it Rugby Sevens? Anyway, nothing about a rugby scrum or being hit with a blindside tackle seems particularly exciting.

Cory: Diving. The world does not need me jumping off a diving board and doing twists and flips of any sort. It wouldn’t go well. I’d probably get hurt. It’d scare the children at home. It’s a bad idea.

Meghan: Badminton. Nothing about Badminton says ELITE to me. But you better believe if I ever nailed an on-court serve that was medal-worthy, YOU WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO SHUT ME UP. Excuse me, the Olympic queen is coming through. Meghan Hall, first of her name, crusher of badminton souls and expectations.

Nan Zhang (CHN) and Yunlei Zhao (CHN) compete against Kenta Kazuno (JPN) and Ayane Kurihara (JPN) in a mixed doubles quarterfinal at Riocentro – Pavilion 4 during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)

Mary: The triathlon. The idea of a long-distance endurance race has me gasping for air already. Plus, you have to be good at not just one sport but three. Hard pass for me.

Robert: Boxing. Listen, I also cover American football. Boxing is probably the one sport that is truly worse from a head damage perspective. I would generally like to keep most of my (remaining) brain cells, thank you very much.

Andrew: Skateboarding with a doubt. Even the best skateboarders of all-time have more orthopedic injuries than they can remember. It brings all the physical risks of sports like boxing and football – but with little financial benefit unless you’re Tony Hawk. I’d prefer to not live in constant pain.

Aug 5, 2021; Tokyo, Japan; Pedro Barros (BRA) in the men’s skateboarding park during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park. (Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports)

Mitchell: I’m totally out on cycling. I’m a big guy, and bikes have been uncomfortable and unfun for my entire life. Not on a road, not on a track, not on a trail, not anywhere.

Christian: Triathlon. I get bored watching extra-long episodes of The Bear. Not a chance in hell I could get through six hour training sessions, even if I didn’t have the cardio of a senior citizen.

Bryan: Table tennis. No one would believe me if I told them I was an Olympian, and they’d laugh when I said it was table tennis. Plus, I’d never be able to play a full, relaxed game with my friends when we were around a ping pong table again. Although it might give me the practical skills to finally beat my mom at pickleball one day, I’d rather her have than over me still anyway.

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The rules against protesting at the 2024 Paris Olympics, explained

What are the rules against protesting at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. This is FTW Explains: The Olympics.

Athletic protest is nothing new at the Olympic Games, as global Olympic participants have expressed their political beliefs through demonstration for decades.

With the controversial wars in Gaza and Ukraine, pressing matters of climate change, the recent wave of global elections and other pertinent issues seizing the cultural conversations, it’s very possible that Olympic athletes may choose to display some forms of protest during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The Independent‘s Chris Wilson added context for how protest has been used at the Olympic Games over the last few decades.

“Perhaps the most famous protest at the Olympic Games happened in 1968, when American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists while the US national anthem played during the 200-meters medals ceremony,” he wrote. “Both athletes were later sent home. More recently, US athlete Gwen Berry raised a fist and Race Imboden took a knee during the 2019 Pan-American Games, with both athletes eventually given a year-long probation.”

What are the rules for such protests at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

The Olympic Charter spells out pretty plainly what the expectations are for participants, and they are very much against any public display of protest on Olympic grounds.

“No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas,” Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter adopted in Oct. 2023 reads.

This also applies to any “form of publicity or propaganda, commercial or otherwise” that could appear on Olympic persons, sportswear or any other article of clothing or accessory worn by Olympic participants of all kinds.

Later in on the bye-law to Rule 50, the Olympic Charter states what happens if this bye-law is violated by any Olympic athlete.

“Any violation of this Bye-law 1 and the guidelines adopted hereunder may result in disqualification of the person or delegation concerned, or withdrawal of the accreditation of the person or delegation concerned, without prejudice to further measures and sanctions which may be pronounced by the IOC Executive Board or Session,” the Olympic Charter reads.

However, Rule 40 in the Olympic Charter does promote carefully defined “freedom of expression” for Olympic participants.

“All competitors, team officials or other team personnel in the Olympic Games shall enjoy freedom of expression in keeping with the Olympic values and the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, and in accordance with the Guidelines determined by the IOC Executive Board,” the Olympic Charter reads.

If the rules support each other in any way, it’s that protests of any reason fall under Rule 50 for “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda” and do not qualify for the Olympic Charter as permitted “freedom of expression” that keep within “Olympic values and Fundamental Principles of Olympism.”

Basically, athletes and other individuals have very, very stringent guidelines for what they can express while participating in the Olympics, and basically all forms of protest are barred by the International Olympic Committee.

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Olympics gymnastics scoring: How Simone Biles keeps pushing the limits of the sport to the brink

Simone Biles is one of the greatest athletes we’ve ever seen

Simone Biles is unquestionably the greatest gymnast any of us have ever seen.

When I say this, I mean it quite literally: No one has been able to accomplish what she’s been able to accomplish — not just in awards and accolades but also in ability. She does things that no one else can do.

She’s been so good that gymnastics, as a sport, hasn’t always known how to handle how good she is. That’s been reflected in some of her Olympic performances in the past.

We know how the scoring system works and the basics of the sport, but she completely shatters those conventions.

Biles was so impossible back in 2019 that the International Gymnastics Federation dinged her for doing something no one else could do simply because it didn’t want other gymnasts to try.

Yes, that’s right. She was penalized for being better than everyone else.

Biles pulled off a double-twisting, double-somersault dismount off the beam during Team USA’s championship series. It was an incredible feat to watch.

The move was assigned an “H” letter grade, which is eight-tenths of a point, instead of the maximum possible which would’ve been a “J,” giving Biles a full point.

Biles’ double-double was unprecedented, but because of its boundary-pushing nature, it was graded on a curve. The decision was criticized heavily — rightfully so.

The Women’s Technical Committee released a statement in the days following Biles’ big moment explaining the decision.

“In assigning values to the new elements, the WTC takes into consideration many different aspects; the risk, the safety of the gymnasts and the technical direction of the discipline,” it said. “There is added risk in landing of double saltos for beam dismounts (with/without twists), including a potential landing on the neck.”

Biles was obviously unhappy about it.

The move is now one of many named after her and something that, still, all these years later, no one has been able to pull off in competition.

Simone Biles broke gymnastics.

Why Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings will be at the Paris Olympics

The most iconic team in beach volleyball history will be in Paris — just not on the sand.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. This is FTW Explains: The Olympics.

It just doesn’t feel like the Summer Olympics without Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings around. For three straight Games, between 2004 and 2012, the American duo ruled the beach.

That iconic pair rose to stardom en route to three gold medal performances in women’s beach volleyball. But while Walsh Jennings stuck around for one more run — winning bronze with at the 2016 Games with April Ross, a 2021 Olympic gold medalist — the two haven’t been paired together at the Olympics since.

Until 2024.

May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings will return to the sand against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower.

May-Treanor will be an analyst, calling games for NBC alongside Chris Marlowe. Walsh Jennings’ role is a little less certain. A comeback at age 45 alongside former Stanford teammate Logan Tom was derailed by an ankle injury. Regardless, she told NBC’s Bay Area affiliate she’ll make her way to France this summer.

“I will be part of Paris. I will go and participate in the Olympic movement,” said Jennings Walsh. “Right now, I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to show up.”

While we won’t see the most dominant beach volleyball pairing of all-time on the sand this summer, May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings will still be a part of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Olympic gymnastics rules, format and scoring in the 2024 Paris Olympics, explained

Here’s everything you need to know about gymnastics.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. This is FTW Explains: The Olympics.

Every four years, we all gather to watch Olympic gymnastics during the summer Games.

It’s always awesome. But let’s be real — so many of us don’t know what we’re watching. That’s okay, by the way! You don’t have to know exactly what a sport is or how it works to appreciate it and think it’s cool.

That’s the relationship a lot of people have with gymnastics. These incredible athletes do incredible things that none of us could ever dream of doing. That’s more than enough to get people to appreciate the sport.

That said, knowing some of the basics about the sport will be useful, so let’s dive into it.

Alright, so what are the rules and format of Olympic gymnastics?

Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

There are different variations of the sport for the women and men competing.

The women perform on four different apparatuses: The beam, the vault, the uneven bars and the floor exercise.

Separately, the men perform on eight different apparatuses: The rings, the vault, the pommel horse, the horizontal bar, the parallel bars and a floor exercise.

So how is Olympic gymnastics scored?

Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Judges grade a gymnast’s performance based on a difficulty score and an execution score. The scales for both scores are a bit different. The execution score starts at 10.0 and gradually decreases as participants make mistakes. The difficulty score starts at 0 and gradually increases as the gymnasts perform different moves in their routines.

Two separate panels judge gymnasts on execution and difficulty. The execution panel is called the e-panel and the difficulty panel is called the d-panel.

How does the difficulty score work in Olympic gymnastics?

Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

In women’s gymnastics, each routine receives points for the eight most difficult elements. In men’s gymnastics, each routine receives points for the 10 most difficult elements.

Each routine element must be performed as technically described to receive the full difficulty value on a given element. Judges will also award a “connection value” on every event except for the vault. Connection value points are awarded when a gymnast is able to chain unique combinations together. They’re valued at either 0.1 or 0.2 points and the more you can do, the better.

The vault is the only apparatus that has a predetermined difficulty score.

How does the execution score work in Olympic gymnastics?

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The execution score is simply about the execution and artistry of a routine. Again, contestants start with their scores at 10 and dedication are made from there.

Points will be deducted based on falls, errors in technique or mishaps in execution. The deductions can range from something as small as 0.1 to 1.0 points. Points might also be deducted for stepping out of bounds, violation of attire policies or even time violations.

That’s everything you need to know about the basics of gymnastics and how it works.

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4 things to know about fencing, according to Olympic fencer Kat Holmes

Here’s 4 things to know about fencing, according to Olympic fencer Kat Holmes.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. This is FTW Explains: The Olympics.

Olympic fencer Kat Holmes wants more for herself when the 2024 Paris Olympics arrive. She’s retiring soon, and there’s only one thing on her mind before this chapter of her life closes: a gold medal.

Since she was nine years old, Kat has been enamored with fencing. Holmes says the sport is what she was made to do, and she’s dedicated a huge portion of her life — 22 years of training and 15 years of competing on the international stage — to what she describes as her “love song.” (For those wondering, the tune could be Good Riddance [Time of Your Life] by Green Day, Daylight by Maroon 5 or Here’s to the Night by Eve 6 on any given day.)

But Kat understands that despite feeling like she’s operating within her resonant frequency when she’s competing (think striking a wine glass and it vibrates until it explodes), retirement is the best option for her. A post-Olympian career of giving back to the fencing community that has supported her sounds just right — except doing it with a gold medal in tow would make it that much sweeter.

As she prepares for her third Olympics, Holmes isn’t based near the USA fencing team training center. So, she’s been training with a coach from the fitness coaching app Future, which has been key to maintaining her physical edge while in medical school for a future in fencing sports medicine.

“It’s been such an essential part of my training,” Holmes recently told For The Win. “It’s really been the scaffolding upon which I’ve built all my training through. I started using it in early 2020 …”

Ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games, Holmes spoke with For The Win about the basics of fencing, what it will be like to compete in Paris and the one unusual thing fencers use that most people wouldn’t think about. Here are four things we learned about fencing in our conversation with Kat.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

There are actually 3 different types of fencing at the Olympics

Jul 27, 2021; Chiba, Japan; Katharine Holmes (USA) fights Ewa Trzebinska (POL) in the fifth place match of the women’s fencing epee team competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Makuhari Messe Hall B. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

FTW: How would you describe fencing to someone who has never seen it before? 

There’s foil, epee and sabre. (I fence epee. So, you should only watch epee. No, I’m kidding.) Epee is actually the easiest to watch and the easiest to understand. Basically, the whole body’s target, and you hit with the tip. It’s kind of like a clicky-top pen. So, when you compress the tip, a light goes off. So, if I hit and compress that tip, a light goes off. If we both hit at the same time, we’ll both get a point.

In foil, you can only hit on the chest. There’s this silver thing called a lamé you have to hit on the chest. You also hit with a point. In sabre, you hit from the waist and up, and instead of hitting with the point, you cut and slash.

Foil and sabre have these complicated rules called right of way, where you have to have control of the action to score – meaning you either have to score in attack or in defense, you have to parry the blade. So, you knock the blade out of the way. You have control of the blade before you hit.

Fencing has deep Olympic ties

Jul 13, 2024; Paris, France; A detail view of the Olympic rings hung on the Eiffel Tower ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports

FTW: What are important things new fans should know about Olympic fencing? How is the Olympic stage different from other stages?

It’s one of the original sports to be held in the modern Olympic games. So, the premise is epee … it comes from actual combat. You’re trying to draw blood. Foil is the court form, like what you practiced in the courts. You could only hit on the torso. The foil is much lighter.

And then sabre comes from the cavalry. So, you’re on a horse. You’re slashing, and you’re cutting your sabre, and you want to kill the man but save the horse, who’s a spoil of war.

Team USA is actually really good at fencing

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 21: Anne Cebula, Jacqueline Debruvich, Maia Weintraub, Lauren Scruggs, Katherine Holmes, Margherita Guzzi Vincenti and Hadley Husisian try on clothes during Team USA Welcome Experience ahead of Paris 2024 Summer Olympics at Polo Ralph Lauren on July 20, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for USOPC)

FTW: Tell us about Team USA and your thoughts on competing in Paris.

The U.S. is actually really good at fencing … We have many teams, many individuals that are ranked No. 1 in the world. We’re very competitive. We have a really good chance of medaling in almost every event that we’ve qualified for.

Next to dressage, we have the most [expletive] venue at the Olympics. We’re gonna be at the Grand Palais, which is this insane old building that they’ve been tricking out. It’s gonna be an amazing venue to have a competition at.

Fencers actually wear an extension cord while competing at the Olympics

Jul 27, 2021; Chiba, Japan; Katharine Holmes (USA) fights Aleksandra Jarecka(POL) in the fifth place match of the women’s fencing epee team competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Makuhari Messe Hall B. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

FTW: What kind of special equipment do you compete in? Is there a secret or weird thing you use that most people wouldn’t suspect?

So, fencing is electronic. I feel like most people are shocked by that fact.

It’s called a body cord. There’s essentially an extension chord that we plug into the weapon. It goes up our arm and out our backs and plugs into another extension cord that then plugs into a box — so that when we click down that clicky top pen, a light goes off. So, we literally have an extension cord on our bodies while we compete.

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