Saturday, August 18, 2012
Iowans don’t seem eager to leave the London 2012 Olympics behind.
Thousands strong, Iowans filled a sports coliseum on the Drake University campus in Des Moines with their bodies, certainly, but also with their hearts at Saturday morning's warm welcome-home party for an all-star lineup of Olympic athletes. The crowd made it clear that these young athletes with Iowa ties firmly reside in the collective Iowa heart --,with admiration in every beat – for their drive and , their athletic prowess and their grace, in victory and in defeat. "They deserve this, right?” said Keith Murphy, the amiable sports director for WHO-TV, who emceed the welcome-home celebration. The crowd – about 3,500 strong – answered with thundering applause. The all-star lineup included two champions: Gabby Douglas, the West Des Moines-…
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Several athletes and coaches with Iowa ties are expected to appear at a celebration of the London 2012 Olympics.
A star-studded roster of Olympic athletes and coaches with Iowa ties are expected to be on hand for a celebration of the London 2012 Olympics in Des Moines this weekend. Jake Varner, a gold medal winning Olympian who wrestled for Iowa State, and Lolo Jones, a hurdler from Des Moines, have now agreed to attend, according to an Associated Press report. They will join Gabby Douglas, the Virginia-native who trained in West Des Moines, and her coach Liang Chow; Shawn Johnson, who didn't make the 2012 Games, but won gold in 2008, is expected along with several others. Douglas, a 16-year-old gymnast, was one of the brightest stars of the Olympics, claiming two Olympic golds. The homecoming event will be held Saturday, Aug. 18 at 11 a.m. at the …
Monday, August 13, 2012
ISU wrestler and coach Cael Sanderson show that Iowa still holds sway.
The Olympic Wrestling Trials started in Iowa City this year, and with the state's rich history as a wrestling hotbed, it's not surprising that there would be Iowa ties for the winner of Olympic gold. Yesterday, Jake Varner, a Bakersfield, CA, native and former Iowa State wrestler, defeated Valerie Andriitsev of Ukraine 1-0, 1-0 to win gold in men's 96-kilogram freestyle. Varner's win gave the United States a rare second gold in Olympic wrestling in an olympic games. Watching nearby was Cael Sanderson, himself an Olympic gold winner, who had a dominant career at Iowa State and recently coached Penn State University to another National Title, edging out such perennial favorites as the University of Iowa and Oklahoma State, much to the …
David Leonard
11:05 am on Sunday, August 19, 2012
If Gabby could bottle her personality and sell it, she would make a few more millions of dollars. I don't remember ever seeing another person her age who is so comfortable and articulate while being interviewed. She is really special. more ›