Duluth, MN – One upset couple didn’t take too kindly to the 2012 Olympics and decided to pen a letter to the editor of their local newspaper to explain exactly why. According to the letter, it was simply impossible to enjoy the London Games what with all of the sex and Satanic influence overshadowing the competitions.

“We’ve enjoyed past Olympic openings and closings, and some of the sports,” the letter begins diplomatically. “But the quality of the past two or three Olympics has been a great disappointment.”

Dennis P. and Rosemary Mitchell submitted the letter to the Duluth News Tribune in which they criticize London game-makers of celebrating pedophiles in the opening ceremony and “glorfying Satan” throughout the two-week run of the Olympic games. According to MSN Now, the letter pretty much proves that the couple “haven’t watched television since 1950″ and wish that they could have enjoyed the Olympics “as much as we liked your crazypants letter.”

What else did the Mitchell’s take umbrage at? Take your pick. The couple specifically took offense to the “sexualized” uniforms, swimsuits, and leotards worn by the competitors. In the letter, they chastise male swimmers for “hip-huggers trunks stopping just above their pubic region,” women’s volleyball and track for their “underwear-bikinis,” and the “scanty clothes and revealing cleavage on women” of the performers in the opening and closing ceremonies.

“The black and red colors of sex and violence dominated most of the closing. The nuns were obviously there to mock Christianity while one could only think of Satan being glorified,” the letter said.

The offended couple also nostalgically yearned for the Olympics of yesteryear, which offered “spectacular bright, cheerful and family-style entertainment” and made sweeping social commentary on the matter, saying that the sexed-up styles of the Olympic Games “are also now worn in our schools and colleges, which no one seems to have objected to.”

Funny, I haven’t seen any teenagers clamoring onto buses in Gabby Douglas-inspired pink leotards. College is another story, though. That wouldn’t surprise me.

Head on over to the Duluth News Tribune (linked above) for the full letter. Come back here and tell us what you think. Was there too much sex and Satan in the 2012 Olympic Games?

2012 Olympics Had Too Much Sex, Satanic Influence is a post from: The Inquisitr

Prince Harry hopped a plane to Las Vegas after completing his duties at the London Olympics. The British Royal was spotted with bikini clad babes while sipping drinks by the pool at a Las Vegas hotel over the weekend. Prince Harry was adorned in red, flowery swim trunks while enjoying the Vegas party atmosphere, according to the Daily Mail.

A group of male buddies accompanied Prince Harry to the MGM Grand resort in Las Vegas. Prince Harry reportedly went mostly unnoticed while lounging poolside in Vegas, listening to the MGM Grand resort DJs play music to entertain the crowd of young, elite singles. Jennifer Lopez was hosting a party at the resort on Saturday, attracting the bulk of eager paparazzi in her direction.

Prince Harry lodged inside a private bungalow at the Vegas hotel and allegedly did not wander far from his Vegas room throughout his stay at the MGM Grand. A hotel guest interviewed by People magazine noted Prince Harry was approached by several small groups of women throughout the weekend, but the young Royal did not appear to give extra attention to any one woman and behaved like a gentleman.

Last year Prince Harry visited Las Vegas with a group of pilots during a 12-week helicopter training course. During that trip, the Royal stayed at the Wynn Hotel and enjoyed the Sin City nightlife with his pilot pals at the Tryst nightclub. Prince Harry appears to be keeping a lower profile during his current Las Vegas vacation and has not yet been spotted out partying til the wee hours of the morning or leaving with any young women after a few spins around the dance floor.

Prince Harry Vegas Vacation Remains Low-Key, No Midnight Partying This Trip is a post from: The Inquisitr

London, England – The 2012 London Olympics were a smash hit for social network Twitter. According to a recent report, the games generated thousands of tweets per minute for a total of more than 150 million postings.

The games, which lasted 16 days, saw the most Twitter activity when Usain Bolt was competing. The world’s fastest man competed in the 200m and 100m races, and, during the former, Twitter experienced 80,000 tweets per minutes, while the 200m race was still impressive at 74,000 tweets per minute.

Usain Bolt wasn’t the only athlete to bring in big tweet numbers. Men’s gold medal tennis champ Andy Murray pushed the network to 57,000+ TPM while the Jamaican 4×100 relay team hit 52,000 tweets per minute on the heels of their world record setting race.

As expected, basketball played well in the United States with 41,000+ TPM sent after Team USA defeated Spain for a gold medal win in men’s basketball.

Unfortunately for athletes, they were overshadowed by the Spice Girls performance during closing ceremonies, a performance that netted them 116,000 tweets per minute. Apparently when it comes to being the fastest trending party on Twitter, the Spice Girls outrun Usain Bolt.

When all was said and done 10 athletes each generated 1+ million tweets each:

1. Usain Bolt
2. Michael Phelps
3. Tom Daley
4. Ryan Lochte
5. Gabby Douglas
6. Andy Murray
7. Kobe Bryant
8. Yohan Blake
9. Lee Chong Wei
10. LeBron James

When it came to dominating the field, however, it was soccer with its 5+ million tweets that showed the world why it’s the most popular sport.

Are you surprised by Twitter’s massive Olympics reach?

2012 London Olympics Generated 150 Million Tweets is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lolo Jones is one of the world’s most famous virgins (though she’s a pretty good athlete too). In a recent interview, Lolo revealed that carrying the V-card is a lonely venture and that she still wants to meet Tim Tebow, if only just to commiserate with him over their shared purity.

At age 30, Lolo has admitted that hanging on to her V-card has been the hardest thing she’s ever done — harder, even, than training for the Olympics. Nevertheless, it’s something she is proud of, which reminds us of another famous virgin — former Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. Lolo’s virgin-status also puts her in a unique (possibly oblivious) position among her track and field teammates. Though rampant rumors suggest that the Olympic Village is a sex-infested orgy den, Lolo has said that this is not so (though she could be covering for them, notes YardBarker).

“I’m in a suite with seven girls, and I guess we don’t have any sluts on the team,” she says. “I haven’t seen any hookups. I’m sure it’s going on, though, but I haven’t heard any juicy details yet.”

Maybe Lolo just isn’t paying attention. Women’s soccer icon Hope Solo sees sex everywhere she goes, according to Larry Brown Sports.

“There’s a lot of sex going on,” Solo said. “With a once-in-a-lifetime experience, you want to build memories, whether it’s sexual, partying or on the field,” she continued. “I’ve seen people having sex right out in the open. On the grass, between buildings, people are getting down and dirty,” concluding, “If you don’t have discipline, the village can be a huge distraction.”

In any case, Lolo revealed that her post-Olympic plans still hinge on a desire to meet football player Tim Tebow. “You always think you’re the last virgin on earth,” she explained. “I respect his journey, and any virgin I just love talking to them and sharing the journey and the frustration.”

While we personally don’t think that Lolo Jones and Tim Tebow are looking to make a love-connection, we have to admit that stranger things have happened.

Do you think that Lolo Jones and Tim Tebow should meet? Do you think they’d make a good couple?

Virgin Diaries: Lolo Jones Still Wants To Meet Tim Tebow is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ryan Lochte’s appearance in a new Funny of Die video probably won’t get him any more work as an actor, but it’s worth a laugh or two.

Funny or Die, a comedy website founded by Adam McKay and Will Ferrell featuring short videos with celebrity cameos, has taken to London for the 2012 Olympic Games. The viral video stars respected Shakespearean stage actor Patrick Stewart (though we know him better as Captain Picard and Professor X) and Shaun of the Dead star Simon Pegg. The video also stars … Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte.

Stewart turns a particularly amusing performance as Cockney ticket-scalper Ticket-Tooth Phil with Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams as his street-urchin sidekick. Stewart’s character boasts about his chosen career when he and Williams happen upon US swim team celebrity Ryan Lochte, who is aimlessly wandering the streets of London.

Stewart and Williams discover that Lochte is holding an Olympic athlete’s pass, which he needs in order to compete in events (just being Ryan Lochte isn’t enough). Seeing the ultimate ticket-scalping score of all time… well… you can watch it below, I won’t spoil it (Simon Pegg hasn’t even showed up in my summary yet…).

In any case, some media outlets are cringing over Lochte’s acting in the video. We’ll take a moment to defend Lochte’s acting (as this video is surely going viral as we speak). Honestly, his bad acting makes this video even funnier. Second, he’s an Olympic-level, gold-medal chomping swimmer. He can suck at everything else he ever does in his entire life, and it wouldn’t matter. Just laugh, viewers! In the words of one commenter, “That’s Arya Stark. Arya Stark is helping Captain Picard scalp tickets with Shaun (of the Dead),” you can’t do much better than that.

The video is below. Due to some loud Cockneyed-cursing, this is NSFW.

More videos by Funny or Die (including another featuring Lochte) can be seen here. Here’s the ticket-scalper video for your viewing pleasure:

The Olympic Ticket Scalper with Sir Patrick Stewart, Ryan Lochte, Simon Pegg Maisie Williams from Patrick Stewart

Ryan Lochte: Great Swimmer, Not-So-Good Actor [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Allyson Felix won the gold medal in the 200 meter race today after twice being denied top honors. The American runner won the 200 meter race in 21.88 seconds. Allyson Felix beat the score of Jamaican opponent Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce by 0.21 seconds. Felix’s Olympic teammate Carmelita Jeter earned the bronze medal in the 200 meter race, which should sit nicely on her mantel with the silver she won in the 100 meter race earlier this week.

The American track team basked in their 15 minutes of fame after winning three straight races. Before Allyson Felix shocked London Olympics spectators with her speed, Aries Merritt won the 110 hurdles. Brittney Reese brought home the gold in the long jump, according to the New York Post. It was a seven-medal day for the American track and field team in London.

“We are always aware of what the medal count is. I know track and field can close that, let the world know the Americans are the best track and field country,” Jason Richardson, who finished second in the hurdles, stated after the Allyson Felix gold medal.

Allyson Felix won the 200 meter race quite easily, staying a full 40 meters ahead of Fraser-Pryce as she sprinted toward the finish line. Allyson Felix finished the 100 meter US Olympic trial in a tie with Jeneba Tarmon. American Track and Field officials considered a coin toss to determine whether Jeneba Tarmon or Allyson Felix would be packing for London.

In the end, the USA Track and Field officials decided to place Felix and Tarmon in a run-off for team placement. Tarmon decided against participating in the tie-breaking Olympic run-off. The runner not considered to be a serious Olympic contender proved she deserved another shot at the Olympic games. Allyson Felix is a six-time national champion at the 200 meter race and won two silver medals during the 2008 Olympics.

Allyson Felix Wins Gold Medal In 200 Meter Race is a post from: The Inquisitr

Usain Bolt OG pot is a new strain of marijuana which is allegedly so fast-hitting that it just had to be named in honor of the fastest man in the world. California medical marijuana dispensaries are struggling to keep the Usain Bolt OG marijuana in stock and have reportedly sold a multitude of the cannabis since the London Olympics began, according to TMZ.

The Usain Bolt marijuana strain is not the only Olympic tie-in available to the medical cannabis community in California. A pot strain named after United States judo fighter Nick Delpopolo will soon be available for consumption for weed prescription holders. The marijuana baked goods line will of course include pot brownies.

Triple Olympic gold medal winner Usain Bolt admitted to experimenting with marijuana as a youth in Jamaica, The Telegraph notes. During an interview with the Bild German newspaper, Usain Bolt stated that children growing up in Jamaica learn how to roll a joint.

“Everyone tried marijuana, including me, but I was really young. Nobody in my family or those close to me smoke and I don’t hang out with people who smoke,” Usain Bolt told Bild.

California marijuana dispensaries also introduced a strain of medical pot after Jeremy Lin not long ago, but it did not remain on the cannabis market long, Larry Brown Sports reports. The Usain Bolt OG pot was not named after the Olympic athlete to further a Jamaican stereotype but to honor both the runner and the marijuana which are apparently linked together by their winning speed and ability to achieve desired goals.

What do you think about naming this new variety of marijuana after Usain Bolt?

New Strain Of Marijuana Named After Usain Bolt Is Flying Off Pot Dispensary Shelves is a post from: The Inquisitr

We’ve long suspected it. Heck, maybe we’ve known it all along. Everybody pees in the pool, including U.S. Olympic swim team members. Ryan Lochte fessed up to it recently, and apparently, Michael Phelps agrees.

When Lochte confessed to using the pool as a toilet, he stirred a bit of shock and controversy, but not among his colleagues. Phelps seemed to shrug the whole thing off in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, saying that peeing in the pool really isn’t a very big deal. “I think everybody pees in the pool,” Phelps said. “It’s kind of a normal thing to do for swimmers. When we’re in the water for two hours, we don’t really get out to pee,” adding, “Chlorine kills it so it’s not bad.”

I guess when you’re the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, you can get away with anything.

Carly Geehr, a former member of the U.S. swim team, was nonchalant about peeing in the pool as well. In a column for Slate, she argued that competition swimmers have been doing it for years, and that every Olympic swimmer jumps into a pool with the full realization that they’re swimming in pee.

“Nearly 100 percent of elite competitive swimmers pee in the pool. Regularly. Some deny it, some proudly embrace it, but everyone does,” she said, hinting that when swimmers splash themselves with water before climbing on the racing block, it’s a veiled effort to urinate before a race. Despite this, she says that Olympic swimmers do not pee during races, but if they did, there wouldn’t be any way of knowing.

“I’m sure I’ve swum directly behind people who were just letting it all out,” she said.

Here’s the interview in which Michael Phelps admits to peeing in the pool. Disgusting or completely understandable?

Do Olympic Swimmers Pee In The Pool? Michael Phelps: “Yup, Everybody” is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ryan Lochte has gone on record correcting his mother’s previous assertion that the athlete only enjoys the company of ladies so long as he can send them away the next morning with a bit of cab money in their pocket. With his reputation absolved, Lochte and the rest of the U.S. swim team celebrated their collective Olympic victories with a night out in London, complete with a cohort of star-struck ladies.

Lochte, the eleven-time Olympic champ, let his hair down after years of strict dieting and training, partying with pals on Sunday night, reports NY Daily. The 28-year-old athlete jumped into a cab bound for London hotspot the Chinawhite nightclub to party with fellow Olympic competitors and a cadre of hotties, two of whom joined Lochte in the cab ride over.

Chinawhite is hosting a 17-night exclusive event called “The Last Lap,” specifically designed as a giant party for the world’s top athletes after their successes at the games, reports the Daily Mail. A spokesman for the club said: “The event will be attended by athletes and guests from across the globe and Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold and DJ Cut Killer are confirmed as part of the live entertainment line up.”

Lochte finished the London Games with two gold medals, two silvers, and a bronze, giving him plenty to celebrate.

Hopefully the images and buzz surrounding Lochte’s weekend partying don’t contradict his mother’s later comments, clarifying that her son is not some wanton lothario, but rather a good boy who is just too busy to commit. “He goes out on one-night stands. He’s not able to give fully to a relationship because he’s always on the go,” said Ike Lochte initially.

Later she clarified, “How innocent is that? All I wanted to say is that he’s so sensitive about not wanting to hurt a girl dating, so he just goes and dates and takes out a girl for maybe one or two dates and doesn’t have a relationship because he doesn’t have time and it’s not fair to the women. I thought that was so sensitive, but then they turned it around. I’m not used to this. … What kind of mom is going to say that (about her son having one-night stands)? Especially being a mom and having two daughters.”

Here are some photos of Ryan Lochte’s night on the town:

Ryan Lochte Parties In A Car Full Of Hotties After End Of Olympic Swimming is a post from: The Inquisitr

It has been four years since he solidified his hold on the title of World’s Fastest Man, and still no one is any closer to catching Jamaica’s Usain Bolt.

The superstar runner didn’t get off to the best of starts Sunday at the London Olympic games but that didn’t stop him from rolling to an easy defense of his gold medal in the Men’s 1oo Meter run. Usain Bolt finished the race in a time of 9.63 seconds, breaking an Olympic record in the process.

The New York Times reports that Yohan Blake, a fellow Jamaican who trains with Bolt, won the silver medal in 9.75 seconds. Justin Gatlin of the United States, a 2004 Olympic champion whose career was derailed by steroid use, completed his unlikely comeback story with a bronze-medal winning 9.79.

With the victory, Bolt is the first person to ever outright win the gold medal in the 100 meter dash in back-to-back Olympiads. American Carl Lewis was awarded a gold for two straight games in the event, but he actually took silver in in 1988 in Seoul before receiving gold when the title was stripped from Canadian Ben Johnson for steroid use.

Fox News reports that Bolt took a victory half lap around the track before stopping and kissing it, then giving his “to the world” pose to the crowd and drawing applause.

Later on this week Bolt will try to become the first runner repeat as champion in both the 100 and 200 meter runs.

Though losses to Blake at the Jamaican trials had made Usain Bolt appear vulnerable, the 25-year old runner showed Sunday that he’s still as good as good.

(Photo by New York Times)

Usain Bolt Breaks Olympic Record In Men’s 100 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Andy Murray has lost three of his last four grand slam titles to Roger Federer, a streak that came to an end on Sunday morning as the Scotsman managed to blow by Federer in three straight sets.

Murray dominated Roger 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in front of a crowd made up largely of supporters from his hosting country.

After the match Murray said of the fans:

“The atmosphere was unbelievable,” and “They helped me get a few extra miles an hour on the last couple of serves, that’s for sure. The adrenaline was pumping. I went for some big serves and got them. To be fair the whole week they’ve been amazing.”

Federer claimed the silver medal for Switzerland while Juan Marin del Potro captured the bronze for Argentina.

Speaking of the victory Murray said:

“It’s the biggest win of my life, that’s for sure.”

It didn’t take long for the gold medal winners confidence to shine through as he declared:

“Now that I’ve got an Olympics – I’d love to win the U.S. Open … I’ll work as hard as I can to do that.”

The match was uncharacteristic for Federer, not only because he lost but because the match ended in a brief 1 hour 56 minutes.

While not technically a “grand slam” sanctioned event, a player can only win the “Golden Slam” if they claim victory at all four major tennis tournaments and the olympics, a feat Serena Williams accomplished on Sunday thanks to her own Gold Medal worth finals match.

Are you surprised by the lopsided blow Murray dealt to Federer?

Andy Murray Falls Federer, Wins Olympic Gold is a post from: The Inquisitr

…the gold medal, of course! Michael Phelps won the 100-meter butterfly at the London Olympic Games today, grabbing the record 17th gold, and his 21st medal overall in his entire Olympic career, reports the Associated Press.

The 100-meter butterfly was the final individual race of Phelps’ career, and his gold win marks a milestone in an impressive and monolithic Olympic run. Though he lagged some, and was the penultimate swimmer to turn in the event, he kicked his usual last-stretch overdrive, clocking-in at 51.21 seconds. Phelps’ career will be officially over after the 4×100 medley relay tomorrow, reports Newser.

Other noteworthy wins today: Missy Franklin set a world record in the 200 backstroke, earning her third gold and fourth medal overall. Katie Ledecky, the 15-year-old American wunderkind, won the 800-meter freestyle, almost landing a world record for her troubles. The youngest member of the U.S. swim team fell off pace on the last lap, finishing in 8 minutes, 14.63 seconds.

Great Britain’s Rebecca Adlington, though taking second-seat to Ledecky, still made the old country proud, earning bronze, amounting to a historic feat:

Congratulations again to @beckadlington – that bronze makes her the first British swimmer in history to win four individual Olympic medals.

— British Swimming (@britishswimming) August 3, 2012

And just in case there’s any under-appreciation of Ledecky’s accomplishments, SwimmingWorld summed up her impact on the sport quite nicely with this tweet:

Incidentally, Katie Ledecky’s time is both an American record and U.S. National Age Group record #london2012… fb.me/1bw0RuB1n

— SwimmingWorld (@SwimmingWorld) August 3, 2012

It’s been an eventful day for swimming at the 2012 London Olympics, with more records and real-time updates at BleacherReport. Did you see Michael Phelps’ last race?

Michael Phelps Swims His Final Individual Race, Winning… is a post from: The Inquisitr

US Olympic swimmer Rebecca Soni set a new world record and also captured a gold medal during Thursday’s women’s 200 breaststroke, the same event she won in 2008.

USA Today reports that Soni dominated in every heat in the 200 breaststroke, even setting the world record in the semifinal heat Wednesday night. On Thursday, she won gold and beat the record again, touching the wall with a time of 2:19:59.

Soni, who was excited to have her family in the crowd at the London Olympics, stated:

“I’m so happy. I didn’t focus on medals or records or whatever. I just wanted to swim my race the way I knew I could. It’s been my goal since I was a little kid to go under 2:20. That’s what my coach (during high school) told me: ‘You’re going to be the first woman to go under 2:20.’ “

Soni wasn’t sure if she could break the record on Thursday, which is why she went for it during the semis instead. She went on to say:

“To break it again tonight, it’s just unreal. This past year, I really said the 200 is my baby, that’s what I want to focus on. I guess it’s been four years in the works, training really hard every day. I couldn’t be happier.”

With her gold medal, Rebecca Soni became the first US swimmer to successfully defend an Olympic title in the breaststroke event, and celebrated by pumping her fist twice, which coach Dave Salo remarked was a huge display of emotion, reports The New York Times. Salo stated:

“Two fist pumps out of Rebecca Soni is huge. I’m probably more excited about that than the time. She’s a very serious athlete. It’s good to see her that happy.”

Soni, who is an unusual swimmer in the US stables, because she specializes in one stroke, whereas swimmers like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin and Natalie Coughlin are multistroke stars, stated that:

“I used to do I.M. in college and before, and I do enjoy it…but I haven’t been able to do as well in it as I can in breaststroke. I will do the 200 I.M. every now and then to remind myself how much better breaststroke is for me, but, yeah, stick to what you’re good at. I do enjoy breaststroke. I feel like I’m still always working with it and improving. It’s never the same race twice.”

Were you excited to see Rebecca Soni break the world record twice, as well as take the gold, in the women’s 200 breaststroke?

Rebecca Soni Sets World Record, Wins Gold In 200M Breaststroke is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ann Romney’s horse made a showing in the London Olympics yesterday, dancing his fancy little hooves off at a champagne-festooned dressage event along with several other top-level dressage horses from around the world.

Ann Romney’s horse Rafalca has indeed been mocked in recent weeks as a bit of Romney-family frippery, but per the New York Times coverage of the event, no giggles were to be heard in the very, very serious and fancy event in which very expensive horses prance about to music.

Rafalca, Ann Romney’s horse, cut a rug to crowds as they toasted the dancing steeds — although the very expensive horsie didn’t come in first, second or even third place in the ballerina horse stakes.

Alas, Rafalca only rated 13th in the dressage competition, but her rider Jan Eberling thinks that the pony moved her hooves well and should be commended.

After the horsie dancing, Eberling said:

“[Rafalca] was great… I think that was a good score… I think I had a very good ride, I’m happy with it. I think my second pirouette started out a little bit large. She jumped off the line a bit and, over all, it was great. My piaffes were really nice. And that’s something that’s really improved over the last couple of months.”

Eberling added:

“I think she’s peaking just at the right moment.”

Eberling also noticed that Ann Romney’s horse was a bit jumpy before she took the stage to display her moves, but that it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing — he explains:

“It’s better because she has more expression,” he said, “but it’s harder because it’s harder to control the horse.”

Below is a video of Ann Romney’s horse dancing a month ago — are you impressed with the creature’s dancing ability?

Ann Romney’s Horse Dances In Olympics, Mitt’s Wife Celebrates Rafalca’s Hot Moves is a post from: The Inquisitr

Team USA decided to let everyone know they have come to London to win, when they demolished Nigeria, 156-73, in men’ s Group A basketball. The awesome performance on Thursday night, August 2, 2012, broke several all-time Olympic records for men’ s hoops, including total points (156), points in the first half (78), and margin of victory (83 points). Carmelo Anthony, who plays for the NBA’ s New York Knicks, set an American team record when he scored 37 points, breaking Stephon Marbury’ s previous record of 31 against Spain in 2004.

The American team scored at such a torrid pace that they reached the hundred point mark with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Kobe Bryant may have been expressing a bit of sympathy for the Nigerian team, saying, ”When we get hot, it’s a big problem. So you have all these guys on one team and then all get hot on the same night, it’s tough.” Coach Mike Krzyzewski went right to the heart of the matter, when he quipped, ”Our guys just couldn’t miss.”

In addition to Carmelo Anthony’s 37 points, Russell Westbrook finished with 21 points, Kobe Bryant scored 16 points, Kevin Love scored 15 and Kevin Durant had 14 points for the American squad. Ike Diogu was high scorer for the Nigerian team with a respectable 27 points, but his effort was rendered meaningless by the unprecedented show of power basketball. Diogu, who has played for 8 NBA teams during his pro career, was awestruck by the American performance. He simply said, “When they shoot like this, I don’t know if there is any team that can beat them.”

The U.S. effort topped the previous Olympic high score of 138 points set by Brazil, when they defeated Egypt in 1988 at the Seoul Summer Games. In addition to the new Olympic records, Team USA also set all time U.S. records for 3-pointers (26), field goals (59) and field-goal percentage (71%).

Team USA, who will meet Lithuania in their next game, is now 3-0 in the Group A standings. The players are well rested and feeling confident, as they take aim at another basketball gold medal for the United States.

USA Crushes Nigeria In Mens Hoops And Breaks Olympic Scoring Record is a post from: The Inquisitr

South Korean weightlifter Sa Jae-hyouk attempted to lift 357 pounds on Wednesday, an act which resulted in a grotesquely dislocated elbow. Since I’m not a big fan of seeing anyone writhe around in pure agony, the clip and images associated with this truly horrific injury aren’t really my cup of tea. If you’re at all squeamish about seeing parts of the human body in places where they’re not supposed to be, you may want to skip out on the video embedded below.

According to The Daily Mail, the problem began when Sa Jae-hyouk attempted to lift 357 pounds in the snatch. As a result, his elbow became dislocated, causing the South Korean Olympian to cry out in pain. As the medical team rushed to address the problem, it quickly became apparent that his injury was a bit more serious than most.

Although Sa had success with the 348 pound lift, though his problem began when he attempted to up the ante to 357 pounds. As he embarked on his mission to raise all of that dead weight into the air, the Olympian couldn’t seem to get out of a squatting position. As a result, his arm buckled under the pressure, causing his elbow to dislocate in the process. His pain, as you can see, is quite real.

Since Jae-Hyouk brought home the gold for weightlifting at the Beijing Olympics, South Korea had hoped the athlete would do the same in London. As you can tell from the embedded clip, Sa’s dream of obtaining another medal was shattered in a stream of pain and agony.

Following Sa’s injury, China’s Lu Xiaojun went on to win the competition, smashing two world records in the process. Good for China, bad for South Korea.

Sa Jae-hyouk was rushed to an area hospital for treatment. The status of his injury is unknown as of this writing. For those of you with strong stomachs and a high tolerance for human misery, the video of the South Korean weightlifter’s injury awaits your attention.

South Korean Weightlifter Sa Jae-hyouk Suffers Horrific Injury While Competing In London is a post from: The Inquisitr

Gold medalists return to the United States as folk heroes, netting recognition and praise from all corners of the nation. Though there’s one particular group that these athletes probably don’t enjoy such attention from: the IRS.

Olympic athletes have to pay a small fortune in taxes for the medals they take home, though not due to the actual value of the medals themselves. The tax is attached to the prize money that accompanies a gold, silver, or even a bronze win, reports Yahoo!News.

It breaks down like this: The United States Olympic Committee rewards our Olympic medalists with cash prizes. For gold, you get $25,000. Silver is worth $15,000 and finally, bronze is worth $10,000. Conservative news magazine The Weekly Standard crunched the numbers on the price paid by Olympic winners, estimating that gold medalists like Michael Phelps pay about $8,986 for each gold win, silver winners pay roughly $5,385 and bronze winners owe the IRS $3,500 in taxes.

This is slightly outrageous, as Olympic athletes are representing our country and “fighting” for the U.S. in different ways from our armed forces (who are tax exempt when deployed overseas). Should our Olympic athletes receive the same tax breaks? Sure, they have their endorsements, and no one is arguing that they come home to the poor house. But what about Missy Franklin who hasn’t cashed in any endorsements? The ATR (Americans for Tax Reform) estimate her post-Olympic taxes to be in excess of $30,000. Fair?

Though the winnings are indeed taxable, and according to Alex Knight, a tax partner at Atlanta’s Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, “no different from winning Wheel of Fortune or the lottery,” all the fuss may be for naught, as it is hard to imagine the IRS actually chasing down Olympic athletes for unpaid taxes. “I have to imagine that would be a public relations nightmare,” Knight told Reuters.

Fun Fact: An Olympic Gold Medal Costs U.S. Athletes $9,000 In Taxes is a post from: The Inquisitr

Brady Ellison is the face of American archery, heck, the face of archery worldwide, with a No.1 ranking and friendly personality t’boot. Then he was eliminated in the men’s individual Round of 16 on Wednesday, a shocking turn and one of the most unexpected results in the 2012 London Olympics.

Australia’s Taylor Worth defeated Ellison 7-1 in set points, with 112 points overall compared to 106 for Ellison. Worth was ranked No. 44 in the world before entering the event. Jacob Wukie, Ellison’s teammate, also lost in the Round of 16, losing 6-2 to Beard Nesteng from Norway. Finally, American Jake Kaminski lost to Dan Olaru of Moldova, also in Round of 16. Kaminski’s loss left the U.S. with no archers in the semifinals, reports Yahoo!News.

Ellison’s surprising and disappointing loss shattered the high hopes placed on him that he himself was acutely aware of. “There’s a lot of hype and stuff right now surrounding me. You can be the face of this, or you could be the face of that. I feel very blessed and fortunate that people try to make me that,” he said prior to the competition.

Regardless, Ellison identifies as an Olympian for life. He has a tattoo on his right arm of the Olympic rings, bearing the inscription “Beijing 2008,” inked after he was accepted onto the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, reports VH1. “I put it on my forearm because when I’m at full draw, it would be in all the pictures,” he said of the tattoo.

Ellison is taking home a silver medal, from a team competition win on Saturday, reports azcentral.

U.S. Archer Brady Ellison, Ranked Best In World, Loses is a post from: The Inquisitr

Right after Chinese diver Wu Minxia won her third Olympic gold medal, her family decided it was the right time to tell her a long-held family secret: her grandparents are dead.

Wu’s parents decided not to tell her about the death of her grandparents (or her own mother’s years-long battle with breast cancer) until after she had won the 3-meter springboard in London. Their reasoning? They didn’t want to interfere with Minxia’s diving career. “It was essential to tell this white lie,” said her father Wu Yuming.

A little bit you have to understand about Chinese Olympic athletes: they are crazy dedicated. Olympic athletes from China are government-backed, and have a harsh, almost militaristic “win-at-all-costs” mentality. Athletes in China are often taken away from their families at very young ages to train for hours on end. In the case of Wu Minxia, she began diving training at age 6, and left home at 16, bound for a government aquatic training institute, according to Yahoo!News.

Minxia is one of her sport’s shiniest stars, and part of that is thanks to the price paid by her personal life.

“We accepted a long time ago that she doesn’t belong entirely to us,” Wu Yuming told the Shanghai Morning Post. “I don’t even dare to think about things like enjoying family happiness.”

Wu’s mother decided to wait until her breast cancer was in remission before breaking the news to her daughter of her condition. Understandable, I suppose. But her grandparents have both been dead for over a year, and Minxia only just now learned about it.

The story has shifted national attention toward the Chinese government’s athletic practices, particularly with regard to the Olympics, and not in a good way. Seems unimaginable to we on the Western side of civilization, but the Chinese government only publicly congratulates gold medalists through the media – not silver or bronze.

Though we might expect Chinese athletic practices to come under some scrutiny as the 2012 Olympics push forward, their athletes deliver results. It’s not likely anything would change!

Chinese Diver Wins Gold, Finds Out Grandparents Have Been Dead is a post from: The Inquisitr

A man filled with “Olympic spirit” has decided to try to swim the Atlantic Ocean.

The 34-year-old London man said he was so inspired by swimming events in the 2012 London Olympics that he decided to try to swim the Atlantic, all the way to New York, the entertainment blog Starometer reported. The man said he wanted to bring some of Britain’s enthusiasm for the Olympics overseas.

Unfortunately, the man was not very good at math. The first man to swim the Atlantic Ocean, Benoit Lecomte, took 73 days to complete to trip, which would put the London man on America’s shores long after the Olympic Games have completed. Lecomte, who completed his swim in 1998, also had the help of wetsuits, a support boat to follow his trip and even an electromagnetic field to ward off sharks.

The London man, who jumped into the Atlantic in Biarritz, France, tried to make the swim unaided. His friends said he was a good swimmer, but they still thought he was joking before he jumped into the water.

His friends thought he was joking and since they know that the man is a good swimmer, they allowed him to jump in the water.

“He was a bit naive,” said Laurent Saintespes, senior officer at Biarritz airbase to AFP. “But at a time when the Olympics are taking place in London you have to see the funny side of things.”

Friends and lifeguards watched as the man swam out beyond buoys 300 yards from shore that marked the legal limits for swimming, The Daily Mail reported. Lifeguards watched as he continued on, attempting to make what would have been a 3,594-mile journey.

Man Tries To Swim Atlantic After Being Filled With “Olympic Spirit” is a post from: The Inquisitr

Aly Raisman has a chance to win gold in the women’s gymnastics all-around final, following her surprising victory over team-mate Jordyn Wieber, who is the world all-around champion.

Even Raisman herself was surprised that she qualified. Yahoo! Sports reports that, when Mihai Brestyan, Raisman’s coach, broke the news to the 18-year-old gymnast, she responded:

“Really? Who told you? Where does it say that?”

When speaking with reporters later, however, Raisman was all smiles, after one incredibly steady floor routine during Olympic qualifying on Sunday gave her a total score of 60.391, allowing her to slip past Douglas to the top performance by an American, and in the process knocking out best friend Wieber. U.S. coach Martha Karolyi stated, according to Yahoo! Sports, that:

“Aly’s success today just proves that hard work pays off. She’s one of the most serious and hardest-working girls in training. So finally it came true, and she was able to perform at the (highest) level.”

So, why couldn’t Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, and Jordyn Wieber compete in the all-around final? The Boston Herald notes that the Olympics gymnastics have a two gymnasts per country rule for the individual all-around finals, so only the top two gymnasts from the U.S. can compete, even if their scores are all in the top 24.

For months it has been predicted that Douglas and Wieber would be set to compete in the all-around finals, with the two leading ladies of the U.S. gymnastics team appearing on the covers of Time and US Weekly, respectively. And when Sports Illustrated featured the entire team, it was Douglas and Wieber in the middle, with Raisman’s seemingly “thrilled to be here” attitude.

Despite the fact that Raisman has three world championship medals, she has spent most of her career as an afterthought, despite being voted team captain, because of her age and veteran status in the gymnastics field. Mihai Brestayn, Raisman’s coach, talked about how difficult it was for Raisman to experience a lack of attention, despite her success. Brestayn stated:

“It bothers you sometimes. I tried to avoid that. I tried to protect her. But they have feelings like everybody else.”

But Raisman insists she doesn’t mind not being in the spotlight, especially because Wieber’s a champion and Douglas is a natural gymnast, and is considered the most talented gymnast of her generation. Raisman stated:

“I was OK with being under the radar because I just felt more calm going into this. I didn’t feel the pressure. I just wanted to do it more for myself and my coaches because we’ve been working so hard together. I really felt real confident that I could get my goal.”

Are you excited to watch Aly Raisman compete in the women’s all-around final on Thursday?

Check out Aly Raisman’s floor routine in the 2012 Olympic Trials below:

Aly Raisman Could Win Gold In All-Around is a post from: The Inquisitr

Just when we thought the London Summer Olympics had seen its fair share of strangeness, the report of a UFO hovering over the Olympic stadium during the opening ceremonies was revealed to the world by the mysterious MrScipher from the planet YouTube.

It was only a month ago that former Ministry of Defense UFO desk officer Nick Pope proclaimed his belief that the Summer Olympics were the perfect venue for visiting space aliens to reveal themselves to the human race. Mr.Pope is of the opinion that the immense world wide audience would not only appeal to companies paying millions of dollars a minute to advertise fast food and car insurance, but savvy visitors from distant planets would certainly be smart enough to take advantage of the biggest media event of the year.

The setting was perfect for something bizarre to occur. The crowd of thousands and a television audience in the hundreds of millions had already seen a visual spectacular created by film director Danny Boyle, that included such diverse tableau as a tribute to the British national health care system, complete with nurses, doctors and somersaulting youngsters cavorting on row after row of hospital beds.

After two skydivers impersonating James Bond and Queen Elizabeth parachuted from a helicopter into the stadium, the sky erupted with a massive display of fireworks. While all this was going on, the enterprising MrScipher noticed an unusual shape popping in and out of sight in the brightly lit night sky. He groped for his video camera to record what was sure to be the penultimate moment of human history.

To the utter amazement of those who were lucky enough to see the unusual shape moving silently behind the glare of the fireworks, many were stunned by what they saw. The object had the appearance of the classical UFO seen in the movie, “Day The Earth Stood Still.” MrScipher grabbed the shot and rushed to post it on Youtube.

As word began to spread and true believers wondered if they would finally get to “phone home,” counter claims began to appear in the press, informing all concerned that, alas, it was just the Goodyear Blimp with the running lights turned off. A spokesperson for the company explained that the blimp’s lights had been turned off so they wouldn’t interfere with the brilliance of the opening ceremony. He also informed us that there were no logos or adverts visible on the blimp because the blimp was on a “private hire.” Conspiracy theorists exchanged knowing glances, looked over their shoulders and bolted for the door.

Even now, there are still true believers who are convinced that the UFO was real and the blimp story is being floated by those evil plotters in MI-6 and the CIA to cover up the existence of the best dang UFO since Roswell. We might even wonder when the claims will surface that there are dead aliens being autopsied in the Buckingham Palace Basement, while the CIA and British Intelligence fight over powerful alien weapons tech.

You will have to decide for yourself as you examine the photos and watch the videos. It sure looks like a convincing UFO but they swear its only the Goodyear Blimp. I haven’t formed an opinion yet. Do you grok my meaning, Earthling?

UFO Spotted Over Olympic Opening Ceremony is a post from: The Inquisitr

Organizers have witnessed massive demand for Olympic tickets from potential seat holders, yet despite that demand some venues are still witnessing slow seat fills which has forced the countries officials to bring in military members to act as seat fillers, much like the Academy Awards and other live TV events.

Thousands of empty seats would have made the event seem less than stellar and therefore the decision was made to manufacture success.

London’s Olympic committee recently came under fire because of a lottery process that left out many potential ticket buyers and produced a confusing allocation of tickets.

In just the first few days of competition empty rows have been spotted in swimming, dressage, tennis, volleyball and gymnastics which led U.K. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt to tell ITV News:

“It is very disappointing. I was at the Beijing Games, in 2008, and one of the lessons that we took away from that, is that full stadia create the best atmosphere, it’s best for the athletes, it’s more fun for the spectators, it’s been an absolute priority.”

London 2012 organizers LOCOG said the seats in question are “accredited seating areas,” which are meant for members of the “Olympic family.”

Essentially the group claims the seats are sold or reserved but people are choosing not to show up.

Military members are not the only people receiving the chance at free tickets, LOCOG has also reached out to local teachers and students while some tickets are being sold last-minute to the public.

75 percent of tickets to London Olympic events were sold to the public.

Military Members Filling Empty Seats At London Olympics is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dutch cyclist Marriane Vos may have claimed the gold medal during Sunday’s sprint past Buckingham Palace but London’s focus was placed solely on the legs of cyclist Lizzie Armitstead whose silver medal became the first medal of Great Britain’s Olympic competition.

Team GB was waiting patiently for its first medal win and the course Armitstead was racing on was tailored perfectly for her sprinting style.

By the end of the race Lizzie Armistead was just seconds off Vos’ lead but failed to capitalizing coming down the stretch.

The American’s also had a chance at Olympic gold with Evelyn Stevens out in front for much of the race, however the foursome fell behind after Kristin Armstrong crashed on the rain-soaked course with only 50km left to go.

The sprint friendly race should have helped Armitstead’s male compatriot Mark Cavendish claim a medal on Saturday but he failed to capitalize on his strengths and ultimately failed to place on the podium.

Speaking of the support she received from British Fans Armitstead said:

“It is the most special thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. It’s so crazy and so inspiring. It was absolutely amazing. I didn’t even feel my legs, it was just so special.”

Final times for the podium were:

Marriane Vos 3:35:29, Lizzie Armitstead 3:35:29 and Olga Zabelinskaya 3:35:31.

Should British athletes fail to win a gold medal they would become the first country since Canada in the 1976 Montreal Games to complete the Olympic games without a gold medal on their home turf.

Great Britain’s Lizzie Armitstead Wins Silver, Claims Hosting Countries First Mdeal is a post from: The Inquisitr

A six-minute tribute to the victims of the London subway terror attacks of July 7, 2005, was cut from the American broadcast of the London Olympics opening ceremony.

The NBC network showed a Ryan Seacrest interview with Michael Phelps instead

Choreographer Akram Khan told the BBC that he felt “disheartened and disappointed” by the NBC decision against airing his performance for U.S. television viewers. He added that “I am really sad that I couldn’t show the work in America, and that really upsets me, because I don’t think it’s any less or more than any of the other pieces.”

Of its programming decision, NBC has said that it was attempting to tailor the 2012 Summer Olympics broadcast for the American audience. It also said that it wasn’t aware of that the performance of “Abide With Me,” by the singer Emeli Sandé, that featured Khan and 50 dancers, was specifically a tribute to the 52 innocent persons killed in the suicide bomb attack that occurred a few days after London was named the host city for the 2012 Games.

Time offered this assessment of the 7/7 tribute controversy:

True, there was some disagreement over whether the segment was actually, literally a tribute to terrorism victims. The official program of the opening ceremonies describes that section of the program as a general tribute to “loved ones who couldn’t be with us.” But the commentary on the BBC telecast of the ceremony referenced it as a 7/7 tribute, and from the coverage in the British press, the symbolism and staging of the event seemed to clearly, if not officially, reference the 2005 attack.

But it also doesn’t really matter. Specific or general, a tribute to the missing seems like precisely the most sensitive section of a ceremony to edit out. And besides that, given the stranglehold NBC maintains on content for an event its audience has a massive interest in, why edit anything out? It may have been a long ceremony, as they always are, but there was plenty of time to air the song rather than have Ryan Seacrest interview athletes…

Perhaps NBC’s decision is less than surprising in the context that IOC officials have refused to even observe a moment of silence for the Israeli athletes murdered during the 1972 Munich Games.

Here is the footage from the London Olympics opening ceremonies broadcast that wasn’t aired on U.S. television:

Watch the London Olympics Opening Ceremony Footage Censored By NBC [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mitt Romney, the man everyone but Ron Paul expects to be the next Republican candidate for president, will meet this morning, Sunday, July 29, 2012, with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The meeting is seen by many observers as an attempt by Romney to attract Jewish and Evangelical Christian Voters. At the same time, officials in Jerusalem are going to great lengths to avoid giving any appearance that the Prime Minister is trying to influence the outcome of the 2012 U.S. elections.

Romney arrived in Israel on Saturday, July 28. He will remain in Israel until noon, Monday, at which time he will continue on to Poland. He arrived on the eve of Tisha B’av, one of the most sacred days in the Jewish religion. Tisha B’av commemorates the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE and Second Temple in 70CE. Tisha B’av is a day of mourning, prayer and fasting. It is considered by Jews to be “the saddest day in Jewish history.”

After his morning meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr.Romney will meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Labor leader Shelly Yechimovich, Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. After the Tisha B’av fast ends, Romney will return to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s residence for dinner.

Critics have accused Romney of using Israel as a prop to attack President Obama. They point out that he is giving a foreign policy speech Sunday afternoon in Jerusalem, and that on Monday morning, he will squeeze in a $50,000 per couple fund raiser before he departs for Poland. His detractors also mentioned that Mr. Romney has agreed to an exclusive interview with ABC Television during his visit to Israel, which they cite as further proof that Romney considers Israel to be nothing more than another campaign stop.

Mitt Romney was already reeling from this week’s disastrous visit to the London. Romney arrived in London on Wednesday, July 25, to meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron and to attend the opening ceremonies of the London Summer Olympics. Comments made by Romney himself, and an alleged remark by an aide, infuriated the British public and by week’s end, Romney was ducking for cover.

The uproar began before Mitt even arrived in London, when The Daily Telegraph claimed that a Romney aide made the following statement: “We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, and he (Romney) feels that the special relationship is special.” This comment, which the campaign denies making, was cited by Democrats as further proof of Romney’s insensitivity to racial issues and lack of foreign policy experience. Vice President Biden, performing in his customary role as Obama’s pit bull, savaged Governor Romney, when he said, “Just another feeble attempt by the Romney campaign to score political points at the expense of this critical partnership.”

Then on Thursday, July 26, Romney outraged British citizens, when he questioned the ability of the government and the City of London to conduct a safe and successful Olympics. He told NBC News, “There are a few things that were disconcerting—the stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging,”

If Mitt Romney hopes to repair the damage that was done to his campaign, the thoughtless comments must come to an end. The loose cannons on his staff must be read the riot act and silenced. For Romney to defeat Obama in November, he can ill afford to make any more amateurish mistakes. His clueless behavior in London certainly did not win Mitt Romney any friends.

Ultimately, while a solid majority of American’s strongly support Israel, the main issues in this campaign are the economy, 15% real unemployment, the insane national debt and Obamacare. However much the voters may wish to protect Israel from a nuclear Iran, they are also sick and tired of the endless, costly wars that have killed thousands of Americans and added trillions to the staggering deficit. Romney may say all the right things to sound like he stands behind Israel and means business, but in his heart, Netanyahu is probably wondering if Israeli really will have to go it alone.

Update – 10:00 AM Jerusalem:

According to Reuters, just prior to the meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, Mr.Romney’s senior national security aide, Dan Senor, was quoted as saying, “US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would back Israel if it were to decide it had to use military force to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. If Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing that capability, the governor would respect that decision.”

It would appear the Republican candidate is taking a hard line attitude, which is contrary to President Obama’s policy of trying to avoid any unilateral action against Iran by Israel. How this plays with the American voting public will be determined in the days and weeks ahead.

Update – 12 Noon Jerusalem:

Governor Romney has concluded his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and he is on his way to a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres. At the meeting, Netanyahu was firm in his belief that American sanctions on Iran are not working.

Netanyahu said, “I heard some of your remarks and you said that the greatest danger facing the world is the Ayatollah regime possessing nuclear weapons capability. Mitt, I couldn’t agree with you more, and I think it is important to do everything in our power to prevent the ayatollahs from possessing that capability. We have to be honest and say that all the diplomacy and sanctions and diplomacy so far have not set back the Iranian program by one iota.”

Romney told the Prime Minister he was interested in hearing Israel’s views on Iran and that he wanted to discuss “further actions that we can take to dissuade Iran from their nuclear folly.”

Governor Romney added, “He was honored to be here on Tisha Be’Av, to recognize the solemnity of the day and also the suffering of the Jewish people over the centuries and the millennia, and come with recognition of the sacrifices of so many. Unfortunately, the tragedies of wanton killing are not only things of the past, but have darkened our skies in even more recent times.”

Update: 5:00 PM Jerusalem

Romney has finished his meeting with Shimon Peres. The Israeli President, who twice served as Israeli’s Prime Minister, is considered a “dove” by most Israelis and was one of the chief architects of the Oslo Accords. Many Israelis see his support for territorial concessions to the Palestinians as naive and dangerous. Peres is opposed to the use of military force against Iran and favors strong international sanctions.

While he is against going to war with Iran to deny them nuclear weapons, Peres seems to have a realistic attitude about Iran’s intentions towards Israel. In a previous interview, Peres did not hide his contempt for Iran’s Holocaust denying President. Peres said, “Ahmadinejad is calling for Israel to be wiped off the map, and the combination of nuclear weapons in the hands of a deranged extremist religious leader is a nightmare for the world. In a way it’s more complicated than in the time of the Nazis. Hitler didn’t have a nuclear bomb.”

In his talks with Romney, President Peres spoke of the need for strong sanctions. Peres said, “We trust [the US position] includes a very serious and warm consideration of the security of Israel. It’s far from being just an Israeli problem.” Peres is willing to go along with Obama’s current policies on Iran and gave no indication that he thought the sanctions were ineffective.

After his meeting with Peres, Romney met with Opposition Leader, Shaul Mofaz. The talks once again revolved around Iran. Mofaz, like Peres, indicated support for President Obama’s approach, when he said that the administration was “committed to dealing with Iran.” Echoing other Obama positions, Mofaz discussed the need to mend fences with Turkey and negotiate with the Palestinians. Mofaz told Romney, “”We have to be ready for all options on Iran, but the time for military operations has not yet come. This is a time to tighten the sanctions on the Iranian regime and be ready for any development which we should handle in full coordination.”

Instead of meeting next with Labor Party leader Shelly Yechimovich, Romney left many observers shaking their heads in disbelief, when he cancelled their talk. Israel’s Labor Party controlled the government for many years and it is puzzling that Romney did not meet with their leader. One Labor Party Member of the Knesset, Isaac Herzog, expressed surprise at the “unexplained, last minute cancellation” and wondered if the decision may have been politically motivated. Labor is considered to be center-left, social-democratic, and dovish; similar in many ways to America’s progressive Democrats and Herzog speculated that may have been the reason for the cancellation. Perhaps Romney felt that 3 meetings in a row with people who were more supportive of Obama than their own Prime Minister might have been embarrassing to him and Netanyahu. However, well informed observers of Israeli politics certainly could have informed Mr. Romney that this is normal behavior among Israeli politicians. National unity is no more popular with today’s Israeli political parties than it is between America’s Republicans and Democrats.

As the day wound down, Romney had not met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad but the meeting is still on the schedule. After the meeting with Mr. Fayyad, Romney and his wife, Ann will join Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife, Sara at Netanyahu’s residence for a private dinner.

After Romney leaves Israel, he will be headed to Poland, where he is expected to give a speech on Monday Night. In the speech, Romney will discuss the need to pursue an aggressive approach on Iran. He will emphasize the fact that, in his view, Iran poses a real and direct threat to the very existence of Israel. Referring to Israel as “the closest US ally in the turbulent Middle East”, Romney said, “When Iran’s leaders deny the Holocaust or speak of wiping this nation off the map, only the naive – or worse – will dismiss it as an excess of rhetoric. Make no mistake: The ayatollahs in Tehran are testing our moral defenses. They want to know who will object, and who will look the other way.”

The rumble of the distant war drums grows ever louder from the Romney camp. Despite appeals from many of Israel’s more dovish leaders to resist war and let the sanctions do their work, Romney has spoken over and over about the need to be more forceful with Iran. If Romney is to be taken at his word, he believes that Iran is testing America’s will and commitment to defend Israel. He indicates that if America blinks in the nuclear stare down, the Mad Mullahs of Iran will pounce like a hungry lion on a baby antelope.

Update 8:00 PM Jerusalem

Opposition Leader Shaul Mofaz went on Army Radio a few minutes ago and gave an interview about his meeting with Mitt Romney. He told listeners that he had much more to talk about with Romney than just Iran.

Mofaz discussed economic issues, national service and the Israeli government coalition. The Opposition Leader also spoke with Romney about several Arab nations including Egypt, Syria and Jordan and he brought up the need to return to the negotiating table with the Palestinians.

When the conversation came back around to Iran, Mofaz was adameent that if it ever becomes necessary to go to war with Iran, the only acceptable way to use military force would be if the United States led the operation.

One can only wonder if Mofaz has any concept how badly that will go over in certain quarters? There are already those on the left in the United States who grumble constantly about having to risk American lives for Israel’s wars. Perhaps that is why Mofaz said it in the first place.

Israeli politics being what they are, even on the occasion of the visit of an American presidential candidate, Mofaz couldn’t resist the opportunity to attack Netanyahu on domestic issues. During his radio interview, Mofaz accused the government of “irresponsible management” over the planned budget cuts and claimed that the middle class would suffer. It seems that criticizing Netanyahu is the paramount concern of the opposition. Once again national unity takes a back seat to partisan politics. Who cares if the majority of Israeli voters wants a strong leader like Netanyau to stand up for Israel.

Romney Arrives in Israel To Meet With Prime Minister Netanyahu is a post from: The Inquisitr

For John Orozco, growing up in the Bronx was tough, probably more tough than the competition he’s facing at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

According to the Bleacher Report, Orozco was only seven when his father signed him up for free gymnastics. Little did he know, but 12 years later, his son would be competing in the Olympics, although it was not until the Olympian was 13 that he realized his dream. Orozco recalled that:

“Around 13 years old I realized I really wanted to get serious. So that’s the time when I knew, ‘Okay, I gotta turn my dreams into a goal.’”

And now, it seems that the 19-year-old Olympic hopeful could have the best chance of the men’s team to win the individual all-around. CNN reports that John Orozco’s mom, Damaris added that, while she and husband William are thrilled their son made the Olympics, they were not surprised he made the team. Damaris recalled:

“When that little boy told us when he was 10 years old, ‘I want to go to 2012,’ we believed him.”

Damaris recalled that John won his first gymnastics medal at age 9, but didn’t hold onto it very long. Orozco noticed another boy in the competition who was in tears after being teased for a less than stellar performance. Damaris Orozco, who still chokes up when remembering the gesture, stated:

“He walked over to the kid that they were making fun of, and he said, ‘Here you go,’ and he took his medal off and put it around the kid and said, ‘One day you’ll be better than I am. Don’t cry.’”

John Orozco was quick to say that his Olympic dream was inspired by the Hamm brothers at the 2004 Olympic Games. He stated that:

“The minute I stepped foot in the gym I just loved it. I knew it was what I wanted to do for a long time. I said I really want to have that one day — to put the gold medal around my neck, waving to the crowd, knowing that all my hard work has paid off and my dream has come true.”

Do you think that John Orozco deserves to win gold at the 2012 London Olympics?

Check out John Orozco qualifying for the 2012 Olympics below:

John Orozco: US Mens Gymnast Is A True Inspiration is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dana Vollmer isn’t screwing around. The American swimmer set a new Olympic record during the qualifying round this morning in the 100-meter butterfly.

Vollmer, who previously held the record for an American swimmer, finished her heat this morning with a 56.25 second time. Vollmer beat the Olympic record, set by Inge de Buijn in 2000, by more than 3 tenths of a second.

Vollmer said:

“I felt really good. I like to push myself in the prelims and see where I’m going in my body. I did feel like I was kind of pacing myself and building up to get faster. Walking in I just had to remind myself that I love racing and the 100m fly is my favorite event. I feel so much better. I’m a completely different person to what I was four years ago.”

The NY Times reports that Vollmer is still a little shy of the world record, however. Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden set the world record when she finished the 100 meter butterfly in 56.06. Sjostrom is competing at the 2012 London Olympics but could only muster a 57.45 time today.

Olympic swimmers tend to swim just fast enough to win their heats at major meets, so Vollmer probably left a few tenths in the pool. Her closest competitor at the moment is Lu Ying of China, who finished close to a second behind.

Ying said:

“I am doing good as normally in training I swim around 58ish, so this morning’s swim (57.17sec) was not at my standard level… I feel good about it.”

Do you think Dana Vollmer will give the United States a gold medal?

Dana Vollmer Sets Olympic Record is a post from: The Inquisitr

26-year-old Im Dong-Hyun is legally blind in both eyes and is unable to read the newspaper at arm’s-length, yet despite his horrid vision he is the favorite to win the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Four years ago in Beijing the archer won the team event at only 18-years-old and his followers say he has only gotten better.

Dong-Hyun has only 20/200 vision in his left eye which means he must be 10 times closer to an object to see it clearly when compared to someone with 20/20 vision. The world-class archer also only has 20/100 vision in his other eye.

Despite what some people call a handicap the world-class athlete says of his situation:

“I don’t have a stick, I don’t have a blind dog. It’s unpleasant when people say I’m disabled. All this interest in my sight is not welcome.”

The most amazing part of his archery talent? The targets he is aiming at look like paint that has run together in the rain, different colors that blur into a single target. Im Dong-Hyun says he simply relies on “feel” to pick out the bright colors and choose his target.

The London Olympian says he has tried to use glasses in the past but they made him feel uncomfortable and actually hurt his performance.

This is the archers third attempt at a gold medal in an individual attempt and if all the colors run together for him just right he could claim the victory while seeing only 10 percent of what his fellow athletes can see, now that would be a vision to behold.

Legally Blind Archer Is Favorite To Win 2012 London Olympics Gold Medal is a post from: The Inquisitr

The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team started their bid for another gold medal today their first match at the 2012 London Olympics. Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, and Carli Lloyd each scored to give the Americans a 4-2 win over France.

The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team is the favorite to win the gold medal this year but it didn’t look that way during the opening minutes of their match against France. The French team scored two quick goals in the opening 15 minutes of play. Abby Wambach was able to rejuvenate the team with a header in the 19th minute and Morgan tied things up in the 32nd minute.

NPR reports that Lloyd came in for an injured Shannon Boxx during the second half and was able to give the United States its first lead of the game with a laser from the right side of the penalty box. Then, in the 66th minute, Morgan put the nail in the coffin with her second goal of the match.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Wambach’s goal puts her one goal closer to Mia Hamm’s international goal record of 158. So far, Wambach has scored 139 international goals. Morgan, who scored two goal, is also off to a bright career. Morgan, who is the second youngest player on the team, has already scored 19 international goals this year.

Do you think the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team will win the gold medal this year?

U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Rallies Past France During Opening Olympic Game is a post from: The Inquisitr

Two London Olympics merchandise factories in China have been accused of rampant worker abuse by a Hong Kong-based nonprofit workers rights organization.

In a report, Scholars and Students Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM) found unsafe working conditions, below minimum wage pay, excessive overtime, lack of insurance or benefits, and illegal child labor at the Xinda and Shiwei factories.

Reuters summarizes some of the problems at the two manufacturing facilities:

In both factories, the report said, workers had 11-to-12-hour shifts six days a week with overtime work up to 120 hours a month. At Xinda, workers who dozed off during work lost two-four hours’ wages. At Shiwei, being five minutes late for work led to a half-day salary deduction.

The SACOM report also noted that “workers are exposed to hazardous working environments without adequate protective equipment.”

The CEO of Xinda’s parent company told Reuters that “the company complied with industry labor standards including those set by the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI), and dismissed accusations that it failed to supply adequate safety equipment.”

SACOM also claims that the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is not winning any gold medals in its efforts to monitor the manufacturing facilities to make sure they live up to “internationally acceptable social standards.”

SACOM’s report indicates that “Sometimes, workers have to work from the morning till midnight, their own marathons. Yet, no one will cheer for the sweat and blood of these workers because consumers simply don’t know the realities of life at the factories supplying the London Olympics. ”

The Olympics is a hug cash-generating machine for collectibles. According to SACOM, sales of London Olympics merchandise could total about $1.5 billion in U.S. dollars although that estimate seems excessive.

Poor working conditions in China’s factories (including Apple’s Foxconn facility) have attracted international attention in recent years.

In a separate, but related, story, it recently emerged that Team USA’s uniforms at the opening and closing ceremonies during the 2012 London Olympics are made in China.

London Olympics: Souvenir Factories In China Accused Of Sweatshop Conditions is a post from: The Inquisitr

London, England – Crummy British weather may force competitors in beach volleyball to ditch their two piece bikinis for more conservative, warmer clothing as the 2012 London Olympics prepare to debut on July 27, 2012.

Chilly weather and rain through the country means bikinis could be traded in for pants as athletes in the sport attempt to keep their muscles warm.

Australian competitor Tamsin Hinchley admitted that competitors would likely avoid bikinis and when asked if fans would still watch the event she said the atmosphere of the games should still keep people tuning in for the event.

The biggest concern for bikini fans is that many of the beach volleyball matches are set for later in the night when temperatures will drop close to their 24-hour lows.

Hinchley admitted to Fox Sports:

”Obviously we’re that sport, we’re the sport that wears the bikinis and we’re the sport that’s physically out there. But we’re jumping and running and sliding on the sand. We’ll be using it (cold weather gear) to benefit us physically. We’ll definitely be taking it.”

Added as an Olympic sport in 1996 during the Atlanta Games, beach volleyball has continued to increase in popularity over the years, attracting more than 500,000 fans for more than 100 matches.

In London upwards of 15,000 fans are expected to watch each beach volleyball event live, not bad for an event that started in a parking lot in Atlanta.

In the meantime thousands of fans will likely be clamoring for nice weather to prevail, if not I’m sure they will still watch … possibly.

Sometimes I wonder how the London Olympics pitch went behind closed doors, I picture this conversation: “We promise a ton of good old fashion UK rain mixed with cold temperatures and plenty of overcast sky, the perfect weather for the 2012 summer games.”

In any case bikini’s may be out at the 2012 London Olympics and that is sure to drawn plenty of sighs from male spectators.

British Weather May Force Bikinis Out Of 2012 London Olympics is a post from: The Inquisitr

Japan’s Women’s Soccer team may have won the World Cup last year, shutting out the USA and securing a major victory, but that doesn’t mean they get to ride up front in the fancy seats on the way to the Olympics with the menfolk.

Yes, even in this day and age, Japan’s Women’s Soccer team was placed back in “cattle class” with all the non-celebrities, while the men’s athletes were seated in business class befitting athletes important enough to represent the country in the Olympics.

Booking issues were not what placed the Japanese Women’s Soccer team in the back of the bus — both teams left together, on the same Japan Airlines flight. And player on the female team Homare Sawa says:

“I guess it should have been the other way around… Even just in terms of age, we are senior.”

It wasn’t just players in Japan who received seemingly preferential treatment seemingly based on the fact they had a penis — the Australian Olympic basketball teams similarly had an airline class differential between women’s and men’s teams. The male Boomers were placed in business class, while the females on the Opals team rode in economy.

A spokeswoman for the Olympic planning officials in Australia said that disparity was not due to favoritism or taking male sport more seriously than female, but rather the fact that male athletes are larger overall than their female counterparts:

“The leadership group of each team is consulted on how that budget is spent – including travel arrangements… First and foremost, we’re always conscious of the welfare of our players… Different factors are taken into account when organising travel arrangements for our national teams – height and size being a primary consideration.

“For example, the average height of our male basketball players is 200.2cm. The average height of our female basketball players is 183cm.”

However, as the Sydney Morning Herald points out, that doesn’t always track, as “Opals rising star Liz Cambage is 203 cm tall, while Boomers players Adam Gisbon and Patrick Mills stand 188 cm and 183cm respectively.”

Do you think the treatment of the Japanese and Australian women’s teams is indicative of overall lack of respect for female athletes?

Japanese Women’s Soccer Team Flew Coach to Olympics, Men Flew Business Class is a post from: The Inquisitr

Hundreds of London cabbies staged a protest today at a major intersection at Parliament Square.

According to Sports Illustrated, the cab drivers are upset that they won’t be allowed to use “game lanes” in London which are dedicated road lanes dedicated to Olympic traffic. One “game lane” has already opened near Heathrow Airport and the rest will open a few days before the 2012 London Olympics.

Jonathan Myers of the United Cabbies union said:

“There will be no access to these lanes for any traffic apart from the Olympics family. Taxis are excluded, which is unacceptable and wrong. This is a working city and we need to get around and do our job. We’ve come to Parliament so MPs can wake up and hear what we’re talking about.”

According to the Telegraph the “game lanes” cover 30 miles of road and are dedicated for Olympic competitors, officials, and sponsors. London cabbies can be fined up to $200 for traveling in one of the designated “game lanes.”

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT union, also said that excluding cab drivers from the “game lanes” was a bad idea. Crow said:

“It’s a scandal that a London taxi was used as an iconic London image to secure the games and yet those same cab drivers are now being kicked in the teeth by Olympics chiefs over the VIP lanes and the entire Olympics transport strategy.”

John Mason, director of London Taxi and Private Hire, however, said that the protest was “completely irresponsible.”

Mason said:

“We strongly urge taxi drivers to ignore calls to join these unnecessary protests and instead show why they are regularly voted the best in the world.”

What do you think about the London Cabbies’ protests?

This is the second negative story in the last week to come out about the transportation situation in London. Last week, several athletes got lost on their way from the airport on an Olympic Bus. I guess the driver couldn’t find the designated game lanes…

London Cabbies Stage Protest Over London Olympics is a post from: The Inquisitr

The 2012 USA Men’s Basketball team has seen a few roster changes over the last couple of weeks. As stars like Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, and now Blake Griffin give up their spots on the roster due to injury, USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo has had to make some changes to the roster. The latest: Anthony Davis is now on Team USA.

Davis, who has yet to play a minute of professional basketball, will be filling in for Blake Griffin during the 2012 London Olympics. Davis was the number one pick during the NBA draft this year and gives Team USA another big man to fill the middle.

Colangelo said in a statement:

“We are sorry to have received confirmation of Blake’s injury which has forced his withdrawal from the USA Team for this summer… Blake worked extremely hard in our training camp and certainly would have been a valuable contributor. This is another unfortunate injury, but we have to continue to move on and we’re very fortunate to have Anthony Davis available. Anthony offers our team additional height and length, and this will be an incredible experience for him.”

Griffin, who just signed a huge deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, is “expected to be at full readiness when the Clippers’ training camp opens this fall,” according to a team release.

Davis may not have any professional experience but he’s already getting a taste of the Olympics. According to Bloomberg, the 6-foot-10 forward scored nine points in 10 minutes of action last night during an exhibition game against the Dominican Republic.

Do you think having Anthony Davis on Team USA is a good idea?

Anthony Davis On Team USA, Replaces Blake Griffin is a post from: The Inquisitr

NBC and Adobe on Thursday announced new mobile apps that will allow London Olympic viewers to examine stats in real-time while live streaming video feeds directly to their mobile devices.

The first app is a standard NBC Olympics app which provides medal counts, Olympic game schedules and statistics for each game played at the worldwide event.

Second is the NBC Olympics Live Extra app which offers video streams for all 302 events across the Olympics 32 sports.

NBC is releasing the apps as separate options for both Android and iOS based systems.

NBC officials are calling the streaming app a “second screen” meant to give extra viewing options to the networks already robust televised coverage. The apps will also offer additional 2012 London Olympics news and highlights.

While NBC viewers with a TV antenna are able to watch the Olympics for free the iOS and Android Live Extra app requires that the user already subscribe to either a cable or satellite TV package.

NBC is not the only network taking advantage of the internet to deliver Olympic coverage, British TV provider BBC will offer 24 live streams via its website for UK viewers. The BBC will also offer athlete and team statistics and other pertinent information. The BBC has also hinted at mobile applications. Even YouTube is getting into the London Olympics games, live streaming events through much of Asia and Africa where traditional viewing had not previously been announced.

Do you plan on using a mobile app to gain a better overall experience during the 2012 London Olympics?

Here’s an Adobe/NBC introduction video for the new apps:

NBC And Adobe Team Up To Deliver Olympics Games Apps For Android And iOS is a post from: The Inquisitr

The United States will have several patriotic moments of pride during the course of the 2012 London Olympics, unfortunately, they’ll be saluting the good ol’ stars in stripes in uniforms that were made in China.

ABC reports that Team USA’s uniforms at the opening and closing ceremonies during the 2012 London Olympics will be made in China.

Why? Well, the United States chose Ralph Lauren to provide the uniforms for the opening ceremony, and since Ralph Lauren uses contractors in China to make its apparel, the uniforms used by Team USA during the opening ceremonies will come with a tag saying “made in China.”

In a statement, the U.S. Olympic Committee said:

“The U.S. Olympic team is privately funded and we’re grateful for the support of our sponsors… We’re proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company.”

Nanette Lepore, a top U.S. fashion designer, told ABC that it was shocking to find out that Team USA would be wearing uniforms made overseas.

Lepore said:

“Why shouldn’t we have pride not only in the American athletes, but in the American manufacturers and laborers who are the backbone of our country? Why? What’s wrong? Why was that not a consideration?”

Fox News reports that this is the second time that Ralph Lauren has caused controversy with its Olympic uniforms. In 2008, the company received criticism for placing an “oversized” logo on Team USA’s uniforms.

The American Politics Journal wrote at the time:

“Lauren — and most likely his son David — celebrated not the spirit of athletic competition, but themselves and their brand, morphing our athletes into unpaid billboards for the “Polo™” pony and rider that has helped bring the Laurens great … riches.”

Here’s a picture of the 2008 uniforms. Do you think the Ralph Lauren Polo pony is too big?

Do you think Team USA should be wearing American made clothes to the 2012 London Olympics?

Made In China: Team USA’s Opening Ceremony Outfits Manufactured Overseas is a post from: The Inquisitr

USA Basketball finally has a 12-man roster for the 2012 London Olympics and its a strong lineup full of NBA all-stars.

The full team lineup was announced on Saturday night by Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Playing at center is Tyson Chandler who will have the support of forwards LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin. Also on the 12-man roster are guards Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Andre Iguodala and James Harden.

Speaking of the chosen roster Colangelo revealed:

“If someone had projected the 12 names six or nine months ago it might have had a different look. It’s a very versatile team that’s much more mature than they were in ’08. We think we’re deeper, we think we’re better.”

Also named as the teams three alternates in the event of an injury were Rudy Gay, Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis. Those three men can be called up at late as 48 hours before the team’s opening game on July 29 versus France.

The 12-man roster will now spend the next three weeks practicing together and playing in five exhibition games including matches in Washington, D.C., Manchester, England, and Barcelona.

When asked about the knee injury that limited his playoff play Blake Griffin said the injury is now healed and that he had proved that fact to coaches during camp.

In the meantime Team USA is full of experience on the world stage, both James and Anthony are competing in their third straight Olympics and the rest of the men minus Griffin and Harden have either earned a 2008 Olympic gold medal or a 2010 FIBA World Championship.

Team USA loaded with big guards and versatile wings should be able to create some interesting mismatches against their opponents.

Team USA Men’s Basketball Roster Finalized is a post from: The Inquisitr

The 2012 London Olympics will be protected from terrorist attacks thanks to six sites with surface-to-air missiles stationed on rooftops in nearby neighborhoods.

Britain’s defense secretary confirmed that the sites are being used as part of the security measures to protect the Summer Games, the Christian Science Monitor reported. The weapons will be located across the capital and on the rooftops of two east London apartment blocks, Philip Hammond told U.K. lawmakers.

Some residents challenged the location of the missile sites, but a defense official said they consulted with landlords and gained permission to use the six sites, and that tenants should direct complaints to the landlords. Some residents have even made legal challenges, but Hammond said he believes the objections will be defeated in court.

Other missiles will be stationed on farmland in east London, along the hillsides of south London and at a nearby reservoir. Defense officials said those locations give the best vantage points to protect the 2012 London Olympics, the Associated Press reported.

Britain’s MI5 has been beefing up its own security in the lead-up to the games in response to possible terrorist threats, CNN reported. Though official have been efficient at stopping threats, MI5 officials said they are more likely to consider all threats, no matter how credible.

“You could say that we are near to reaching a form of stalemate – they haven’t stopped trying but we have got better at stopping them,” said MI5 Director General Jonathan Evans. “That is normally as much as security on its own can achieve.”

Though there is no specific threat to the Olympics, Britain has experienced about one credible terrorist threat from al Qaeda each year, officials said. Security experts believe they will uncover a plot involving the 2012 London Olympics, whether it comes from al Qaeda or from the Irish Republican threat, CNN reported.

2012 London Olympics To Be Protected From Terrorist Attack By Six Missile Sites is a post from: The Inquisitr

U.S. Women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe has publicly stepped out for the first time to admit to her fans that she is gay, reports USA Today.

The soon to be 27 year-old who leaves for the 2012 London Olympics in less than a month has stepped out in hopes that the publicity following the U.S. Women’s Soccer team will serve as a platform, and that her story will empower those in the LGBT community.

Although living openly gay with her friends and family, Rapinoe was able to officially announce it to her fans in an interview with Out Magazine, and according to USA Today Sports it was all timed out perfectly.

“To be honest I’ve been thinking about it for a while, trying to find a time that works, now leading up to the Olympics, people want to get personal stories,” she says.

“Our team in general is in a position where people look up to us and kids look up to us. I embrace that and I think I have a huge LGBT following. I think it’s pretty cool, the opportunity that I have, especially in sports. There’s really not that many out athletes. It’s important to be out and to live my life that way.”

“It’s about standing up and being counted and saying you’re proud of who you are.”

When asked what her thoughts were on the difficulties that male athletes face when coming out, Rapinoe does admit that the idea is tougher to face, but all it takes is one high-profile athlete to break the barrier.

“The climate is much different for men,” she says.

“That stigma is only going to be broken when people come out and see that there is a positive response. That doesn’t mean there will be no negative response, but if people can have the courage to be one of the first, which is very hard, those barriers can be broken down very quickly.”

Rapinoe goes on to say in the interview how important it is to have the support of your family, saying, “they’ve been really supportive and they love me for exactly who I am.”

What do you think about the timing of Megan Rapinoe’s public announcement of her sexual preference? Do you think the publicity surrounding the soccer team will serve as a platform for the encouragement of the LGBT community?

U.S. Women’s Soccer Player Megan Rapinoe: ‘I’m Gay’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

15 year-old Katie Ledecky will be headed to the 2012 London Olympics with a win in the 800 Freestyle, making her the youngest member of the U.S. swim team, reports the Associated Press.

Breaking the trials record of 8:20.81 set by swimmer Katie Hoff four years ago, Ledecky came in at 8:18.78 in the 800 freestyle and officially earned herself a trip to London to represent her country in the summer games.

“I had a lot of confidence going into that race,” Ledecky said.

“I went out with it and I just kept trying to hold on to it,” she said, keeping count of the remaining laps quietly in her head.

“I never told myself I had it. I just kept trying to hold the same pace I was holding. I tried to pick it up a little bit and just try to push through.”

According to Yahoo, the 15 year-old girl, still stunned by her accomplishments, looks back 4 years ago realizing something like that was never even on her radar as it seemed to be an unrealistic achievement. However, through her hard work at the Curl-Burke Swim Club in the Washington, D.C. area, that dream has become a reality.

“It’s just unbelievable to think back at where I was and to think about the work I’ve put in these last couple months,” she said.

“Four years ago I never knew how to qualify for Olympic trials. I thought it was this unreal thing.”

What do you think of 15 year-old Katie Ledecky claiming 1st place in the Olympic trials and becoming the youngest member on the U.S. swim team?

Katie Ledecky: 15 Year-Old Swimmer Wins 800 Freestyle And Berth To 2012 Olympics is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dara Torres will not compete in her sixth Olympic team after she finished in fourth place in the 50-meter freestyle on Monday night, her only event at the U.S. swimming trials.

After realizing her Olympic career was coming to an end early Torres lingered behind the other swimmers as they exited the pool, literally soaking in the moment.

At 45-years-old Torres had hoped to focus her efforts on the single event in the hopes of competing in the 2012 London Olympics.

After exiting the pool Torres said:

“This is really over. That’s it, I’m going to enjoy some time with my daughter, have a nice summer and cheer on the U.S. team.”

At 41-years-old Torres not only competed in the Beijing Olympics, she won three silver medals. After Beijing Torres underwent a radical knee surgery procedure and ultimately decided to put all of her hopes in a mad dash from one side of the pool to the other.

When all was said and done Dana Torres seemed happy with her final professional performance, telling reporters:

“Obviously I was hoping to make the team. That was my goal and missing it by less than a tenth of a second is tough, but I don’t think there’s anything I could have changed.”

After the event Torres scoops up her 6-year-old daughter Tessa and told her she would still take her to the London Olympics to watch the event on the world stage.

When asked if she was nervous Torres said she had the same nervous energy she had during her first U.S. trials way back in 1984.

While Dara Torres didn’t believe she would be serious medal contender she had hoped to bow out on the world’s biggest competitive stage.

Dara Torres Finishes Fourth, Misses Chance To Join Sixth Olympic Team is a post from: The Inquisitr

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps vowed to do another eight gold medals in 2012, a repeating the media frenzy he caused four years ago in Beijing. Unfortunately, Phelps won’t be repeating the winning-streak that made him famous this time around, because he can’t win all that gold by pulling out of events last minute.

On Monday, Phelps withdrew from the U.S. team in the 200 men’s freestyle. He had previously qualified for eight events in the Olympic trials, and promised to take the gold in each event. Today, his coach, Bob Bowman, announced via Twitter that the celebrity swimmer would be withdrawing from one of his needed-eight.

“This will give him a full slate of 7 events,” Bowman wrote. “This change will allow him to focus more energy on relays for Team USA.”

Ryan Lochte, Phelps’ rival in the games, also qualifies for up to seven events in London. Thus far, they have raced each other in four finals, with Phelps winning three, notes the Times.

When asked previously if Phelps could perform better this time, Bowman batted the question carefully, reports USA Today. “It depends on what better is,” he said, smiling slyly. “He can become the most decorated Olympian of all time, which he couldn’t do last time. He could be the first man to win an event three times, at least three chances to do that, which no one has ever done. He could take his gold medal count to a level I don’t know if anyone could touch it. It might be there already. So there are plenty of things he could do.”

Well, whatever Phelps is going to do, a repeat of his success four years ago is off the table now.

Michael Phelps Drops 8th Event, Can’t Repeat 2008′s Success is a post from: The Inquisitr

Gold medalist Michael Phelps has qualified for eight events at the 2012 London Olympics.

Phelp’s wrapped up his amazing week with a rallying win in the 100-meter butterfly, securing his spot in five individual races at the Olympics and three relays.

When asked about his eight qualifications he nonchalantly said:

“I guess that’s OK.”

His comment comes after he was slow off the blocks and made the turn in sixth place before catching up to Tyler McGill on the return lap to eventually pull off the win in 51.14 seconds, well off his 49.82 world record-setting pace but still the fastest time recorded in 2012.

It wasn’t all bad news for Tyler McGill who held on for the second Olympic spot with a finishing time of 51.32 seconds. Finishing behind McGill in third place was Ryan Lochte who was just 33-hundredths of a second off the pace.

Four years ago Michael Phelps won a record eight gold medals and will swim the same individual events during the 2012 London Olympic games.

When asked if he was happy with his performances Phelps responded of his Olympic trials:

“That was a pretty crappy first 50 and a pretty terrible finish. I should have taken another stroke. It felt OK. It didn’t feel great, didn’t feel terrible.

“It’s done, we’re done.”

In the meantime regardless of the outcome Michael Phelps has already secured his reputation at the Olympics which could make him even more of a threat as the weight has been lifted off his shoulders and he can finally compete for himself.

Michael Phelps Qualifies For Eight Olympic Events is a post from: The Inquisitr

How embarrasing! Connor Jaeger was trying out for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials on Sunday morning when he continued to swim even after the race ended and he had finished second in his heat.

Jaeger was competing in the 1500m freestyle which involves nearly 15 minutes of swimming when he apparently lost count of his back and forth laps and continued to swim even after the race had ended.

Instead of reaching out for a quick touch of the timing pad Connor flipped around and kept swimming.

According to Jaeger:

“I lost count and never heard the bell. I didn’t want to risk it so I just kept swimming.”

During the Grand Prix and collegiate meets officials dunk the lap counter sign under water to alert swimmers of the lap count, at Olympic trials however they can not dip the sign for fear of activating the timing pad.

Even if Jaeger didn’t see the sign he should have heard the lap bell.

Jaeger eventually same 50 meters before realizing that his race had ended and he had finished in second place.

“On the last 50 I was pretty sure I was supposed to stop,” he said. “I turned around and looked and the counter didn’t even have their counter up anymore. I saw Peter Vanderkaay on the wall and I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m supposed to stop.’”

At 14:59.97 Jaeger was the second fastest of the morning and he’ll get a chance at an Olympic spot on Monday night when qualifying finals are held.

U.S. Swimmer Loses Count, Continues Swimming When Race Ends is a post from: The Inquisitr

Natalie Coughlin will compete on the first day of the 2012 London Olympics and then the 29-year-old will call it quits on her impressive career.

The veteran swimmer will slip into the last 4×100-meter freestyle relay slot after qualifying in sixth place in the individual 100 on Saturday night. Coughlin had failed to qualify in the 100 backstroke and butterfly and just squeaked by for the relay qualifying position.

Under Olympic rules a team can bring up to six swimmers for the relay event and often race a different quartet of swimmers in preliminary heats at the coaches’ discretion.

Speaking about her last-ditch Olympic chance Coughlin said:

“This isn’t the meet I visualized or anticipated going into this year or even into this quadrennium, but right now I couldn’t be happier.”

The swimmers final heat will occur on July 28, the very same morning in which the Olympics open for business. The relay final will air that very same night.

Speaking about her final chance at Olympic glory Coughlin said the it is “awesome, a huge honor. And then I’ll be done, and I’ll be there to support my teammates and the rest of Team USA, and I think that will be my bigger role at this Olympics.”

Should her relay time claim a victory Natalie Coughlin will surpass swimmers Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres as the most decorated medal winner in U.S. women’s swimming history.

In the meantime it appears as if her hard training over the last year has paid off, had she swam just 18 hundredths of a second slower she would have finished seventh and missed the 2012 London Olympics by one spot.

In celebration of her amazing career here’s one of Natalie Couglin’s gold medal winning 100-meter butterfly performances:

Natalie Coughlin Ready To End Her Olympic Career At 2012 London Games is a post from: The Inquisitr

Miami Heat star Chris Bosh will not attend the 2012 London Olympics, removing his consideration so he can recover from a strained abdominal muscle that sidelined him during part of his team’s run towards the NBA championship title

Bosh announced through agent Henry Thomas that he would not perform at the Olympics, that announcement comes just one day after fellow Heat teammate Dwayne Wade also withdrew his consideration because of a left knee surgery.

Speaking about his clients abdominal pain Thomas noted:

“This injury was a pretty serious one. He was able to come back and play under the circumstances because he was trying to contribute to them winning a championship. There’s still pain. There’s still discomfort. And the real concern is if he doesn’t rest and do the rehab associated with the injury, this could become sort of a chronic thing for him.”

Bosh wanted to stick out the injury and compete for Team USA but was advised against that decision by Miami Heat physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick.

In the meantime Miami Heat president Pat Riley says the team was leaving the decision to play up to Chris Bosh.

With Bosh and Wade both out that leaves only LeBron James left for the heat on the 12 player roster.

Team USA will start meeting in Las Vegas next week to begin training camp before playing in five exhibition games with international teams.

The full Team USA Olympic roster will be announced on July 7, at this time 16 players are currently competing for the Olympic teams 12-man roster.

Chris Bosh Sitting Out Olympics, Will Rehab Strained Abdominal Muscle is a post from: The Inquisitr

A few days ago, we brought you the story of Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice’s Twitter photo featuring herself wearing a swimsuit given to her as a birthday present, and then all the controversy that followed. The swimsuit’s designer posted a picture of herself wearing the same skimpy bikini in support of Rice, and damn. She might raise some controversy all her own!

“Thankyou to the Gorgeous @elliegonsalves for my birthday @veveswimwear bikini,” tweeted Rice along with a picture of her in the “birthday” suit. The Australian gold medalist from the Beijing Games in ’08 made huge waves with the photo, with Twitter followers criticizing the picture, telling Rice she had gone too far and should be focusing on the Olympics, notes the Examiner.

“i feel that stephanie rice posting a photo of herself in swimwear has brought disgrace to the australian swim team and she should be dropped,” tweeted one follower.

Some said that Rice’s photo would endanger her standing with Speedo, one of her sponsors. A rep cleared that accusation up, saying that the photo was merely a “thank you” to designer Ellie Gonsalves, and that Rice didn’t have a relationship with Speedo anymore.

Gonsalves herself lead the charge in support of the Olympic athlete, posting a picture of herself to Twitter wearing the exact same racy bikini, notes NY Daily. “Don’t start a war with the queens of selfies – you won’t win! Right ItsStephRice?,” the designer posted along with the pic.

Both pictures are posted below for a little compare/contrast. My personal opinion? Rice definitely looks good, no question. But designer Gonsalves tips the scale.

What do you think? Leave us your thoughts below!

Stephanie Rice Swimsuit Designer Looks Good In Controversial Swimsuit Too is a post from: The Inquisitr

David Beckham won’t be playing for Britain’s Olympic soccer team this year in London.

Beckham, who carried the Olympic torch earlier this year, was disappointed about Coach Stuart Pearce’s decision. But the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder said that he was ready to help the team from the stands.

Beckham said:

“Everyone knows how much playing for my country has always meant to me, so I would have been honored to have been part of this unique Team GB squad…. Naturally I am very disappointed, but there will be no bigger supporter of the team than me. And like everyone, I will be hoping they can win the gold.”

Beckham has been the face of the London Olympics since the city won the bid in 2005. London organizing chairman Sebastian Coe said that Beckham may still find a place at the 2012 London Olympics. Coe said:

“David has been an extraordinary supporter, probably our No. 1 supporter, of the games from the very beginning and is keen to continue his enthusiastic support right to the end… He really gets this. He is from east London and knows how important the games and sport are to young people. He is a great role model and we are lucky to have such an advocate. I will be talking to him about a games-time role.”

The Washington Post reports that Coach Pearce hasn’t given a reason for cutting Beckham yet but is expected to when the complete roster for Britain’s Olympic soccer team becomes available later this week.

But there is some good news for Beckham. Now that his Olympic schedule is cleared he’ll be able to watch his wife in the Spice Girls musical.

David Beckham Cut From Olympic Team is a post from: The Inquisitr

Three-time gold medalist Stephanie Rice is facing criticism from her native Australia as she recently snapped a photo of herself wearing a revealing swimsuit that was a gift from designer Ellie Gonsalves.

Rice is only days away from departing for the 2012 London Olympics where she will be defending her women’s individual 200m and 400m medley titles as well as helping her team win the 4x200m freestyle.

The 24 year-old swimmer who has been no stranger to suggestive photos in the past didn’t think twice when she posted her photo to the popular photo sharing app Instagram, but apparently the idea of a swimmer wearing a swimsuit is too much for some people to bear.

“Thank you to the Gorgeous @elliegonsalves for my birthday @veveswimwear bikini,” she tweeted.

The initial reaction by the public seemed to center around the possible conflict that would arise should her swimsuit sponsor, Speedo, find a problem with her donning another designers apparel. However according to Adelaide Now, Rice’s representative quickly spoke up to let the public know her relationship with Speedo has been nonexistent for a while and not to worry about a possible relationship with designer Ellie Gonsalves.

“No, Stephanie isn’t an ambassador for Ellie Gonsalves, she just loves their stuff. She doesn’t have any relationship with Speedo anymore so there are no restrictions there” they said.

The swimmer that has recently been polled as one of Australia’s favorite athletes soon faced a backlash from Twitter followers claiming that the photo went too far, especially in light of of the recent gun controversy surrounding other Australian Olympic team members.

Do you think Stephanie Rice’s photo below is too racy to be posted online given her position with the Australian Olympic swim team?

Stephanie Rice, Australian Olympic Swimmer Criticized For Choice Of Racy Swimsuit is a post from: The Inquisitr