PARIS SUMMER OLYMPICS, COVID-19 AND SUPERSHOES

 This has been a memorable Summer Olympics.  None more so than the effort of Noah Lyles.

• He tested positive for COVID-19 three days ago.  Suffering from asthma anyway, he should have gone to the hospital.  He said he had symptoms and did not feel well, coughing a lot.  

• 
  But he wore a mask indoors and, with only his inner circle knowing, chose to compete in the 200m dash.  He made it through to the finals, but finished "only" third.  He collapsed and was in agony lying on the track after the race ended, placed in a wheelchair to leave.

• 
  His summer olympics competition is over, and he is overjoyed.
• He might have already contracted COVID-19 when he won the 100m race by 0.005 seconds.
• Remarkable.

Heard of Quincy Wilson?

• Say you are 16 years old, and a junior in high school. Youngest USA track Olympics member ever. He already did poorly for the USA just qualifying for the 4x400 meter finals tomorrow.  He might be replaced, but probably not.  Watch the event.
• There are younger competitors in Paris.  Chinese skateboarder is 11-years old, and there is an Australia skateboarder at 14.

Two amazing comebacks:

• The USA men's basketball team trailed by 17 points in the first half to Serbia.  
• With only 7 minutes and 19 seconds left in the final quarter, still was 11 points behind.  
• Then the USA scored 6 points in two seconds, going on to win  by 4 points.  

• 
  They play France on Saturday for the gold.
• The top NBA draft pick last year was Victor Wembanyama of France.  Yes he is tall. 7'6".
• This year, #1 was Zaccharie Risacher, also of France.  #2 was Alex Sarr, also from France.
• Risacher and Sarr were not good enough to make the French team.
• 
  It was only a Bronze medal, but the USA women's rugby team beat the overwhelming favorite Australia on the final play of the game.  This video is a must watch.

There is hip-hop culture in the Paris Games.  

• Breaking is called break dancing in America.  
• First time ever in the Olympics because this "sport" is more popular in France than the USA today.  
• I said I will avoid publishing results of the day.  So jump to the next paragraph if you are looking forward to this event on TV.
• 
  Rapper Snoop Dog of course made a grand entrance with Drop It Like It's Hot in the background.
• Women's event began with 17 participants.  If you are a female in this sport, you are a b-girl.
• Both American contestants were eliminated in the first round.
• You can read the details here.

• 
  Gold medalist was Japan's Ami Yuasa.  Watch her.
• B-boys take the stage on Saturday.
• Last chance for breaking in the Olympics, maybe forever, for the Los Angeles games in 2028 will not offer this event.

Incidentally, in that long box that all medalists get is one of the Paris Summer Olympics official posters.

• There are several.
• Created by French illustrator Uga Gattoni.
• You can buy one here.  Costs anywhere from $15 (Amazon) to $37.

Heard about those supershoes?

• In the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, the first three men crossing the marathon finish line word the same neon green Nike shoe.  This was the first supershoe.  

• 
  In 2019 runners wearing Vaporflys ran 4%-5% faster than those with normal running shoes.
• New rules were set for the Tokyo Olympics setting a maximum limit of sole thickness, ranging from 20 millimeters for field events to 40 mm for road events.
• The governing body put into place new rules for shoes for the Paris Olympics.

• 
  Basically, Nike used a thick foam cushion for Vaporfly.  Previously, running shoes were flat, with a less-is-more approach.  In other words, running shoes are now thick.  You feel bouncy when running. Foam not only cushions to store and return energy, but also protects the runner's legs.  There is also a full-length, curved carbon-fiber plate, providing stiffness for propulsion.
• But, oh, the Nike Alphafly 3 that abides to what defines the supershoe sells for $285.

• 
  The Adidas Adios Pro Evo retails for $500.  But there are so many different names and even numbers for this shoe that you will get confused.  The men's Adizero Adio 8 running shoes sneakers from Amazon, for example, sells for $96.
• You know, I just bought two Skechers slip-on walking shoes.  They are bouncy, and there is a liner that does aid in propulsion.  Must be using the same concepts.  And they do easily slip-on.

Watch this video for some touching moments of the Games, like North and South Korean athletes taking a selfie.

I'll end today with the current medal count.

2024 Summer Olympics medal table

Rank	NOC	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	33	39	39	111
2	China	33	27	23	83
3	Australia	18	16	14	48
4	Japan	16	8	13	37
5	Great Britain	14	20	23	57
6	France*	14	20	22	56
7	South Korea	13	8	7	28
8	Netherlands	13	6	10	29
9	Germany	12	9	8	29
10	Italy	11	12	13	36

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