Posts Tagged: Olympic athlete

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Olympic diver celebrated vaccine status before dying of lung infection

RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images

A Brazilian diver who competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics died Tuesday of a lung infection. He was 32.

Ian Matos was influenced by British diver Tom Daley who inspired him to come out as gay in 2014.

Matos rejected his friends' advice to stay in the closet until after the 2016 Olympics.

He didn't want to keep his boyfriend hidden or miss the LGBT+ parties at the Olympics.

"From a young age, I knew I was gay, but it was here that I got to live my sexuality," Matos said.

Matos celebrated his vaccine status in an Instagram post dated August 4, 2021.

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Instagram/@ianmatos

He was diagnosed with a throat infection in October. The infection spread to his stomach and his lungs, before he died.

In November, friends and supporters raised funds to pay travel expenses for his family to travel to Rio, where Matos was hospitalized.

"Now he is dead. Thx to big Pharma," a fan wrote on Instagram.

"We are profoundly saddened to have received the news of the premature death of the Olympic diver Ian Matos, aged just 32," Brazil's Olympic Committee said in a statement.

"Team Brazil acknowledges his contribution to the evolution of the discipline. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends."

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RIP: Olympian Agnes Tirop Found Stabbed to Death

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Olympian Agnes Jebet Tirop was reportedly stabbed to death in her own home in Iten, Kenya on Oct. 13. She was 25.

The body of the long-distance runner was found in her bed by police responding to a welfare check call from the athlete's father.

Her father reached out to the authorities when he couldn't get in touch with his daughter by phone.

According to police, Tirop sustained multiple stab wounds to her neck and abdomen.

Police are looking for Agnes' husband, who went missing after her death, according to TMZ sources.

The sad news comes just weeks after Tirop set a women's world record at a 10-kilometer race in Germany.

Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya's president, said in a statement:

"It is unsettling, utterly unfortunate and very sad that we've lost a young and promising athlete who, at a young age of 25 years, had brought our country so much glory."

Adidas bosses also paid tribute to the athlete in a statement:

"The Adidas family is deeply saddened by the tragic news about Agnes Jebet Tirop. Agnes was an incredible person, a record-breaking athlete and a beloved member of our family. She will be greatly missed by us all and her legacy will forever live on in our memory."

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Sha’Carri Richardson chooses violence in Twitter beef with Jamaican sprinters

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Sha'Carri Richardson was nearly canceled this week when she chose violence in her ongoing beef with Jamaican Olympic sprinters.

It all started when the 21-year-old sprinter "liked" a tweet dissing Jamaican silver medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce who came in second at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon in August.

When asked if she saw Richardson during the race, Fraser Pryce said, "I wasn't watching Sha'Carri, to be honest."

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

As a reminder, Richardson finished dead last in that race.

After the race, Fraser Pryce tweeted: "Shorty in the back look Lil Wayne," referring to Richardson.

Then, Richardson "liked" a post that was disrespectful to Jamaicans. The post read:

"Not y'all Jamaicans still talking shit when y'all gotta walk barefoot to your coconut stand everyday for a living."

Richardson and the Jamaican athletes shared more insults on Twitter.com.

Then the American sprinter who was banned from Olympic competition for smoking weed shared a post with the word "Violence" with the toggle on.

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"Oh you're choosing violence now?" wrote one Twitter follower. Others let Richardson know that her attitude was unbecoming of an American athlete.

Another Twitter user wrote:

"Should've chosen violence on that track sis! It’s too late neowwww."

A third Twitter follower said the Jamaican ladies were eating jerk chicken and dancing by the time Richardson reached the finish line.

"They had time to make jerk chicken & start dutty wining to a dancehall track by the time you got to the finish line. The only violence is how you lost. You gotta stop. 'This is very em-bear-rah-zing! Are you not em-bear-rahz-ed?'"

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Sha’Carri Richardson Finishes Dead Last in 100m Race at Prefontaine Classic; ‘Talk All the Sh*t You Want!’

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson finished dead last in the 100 meter dash at the Wanda Diamond League Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday.

Sha'Carri, who was banned from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for smoking pot, finished 9th in the field during the "dream race" against Jamaica's 3 best sprinters.

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah, who won a gold medal at the Olympics, ran the 100 meter dash in 10.54 seconds, the best time in the world this year.

Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sherika Jackson followed close behind Thompson-Herah in the same 1-2-3 finish as the Olympics.

The Prefontaine Classic was billed as Sha'Carri's redemption race after she missed out on a medal at the Olympic Games. She debuted a long, blonde flaxen lacefront wig and 2-inch gel nails for the race.

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Afterwards, she defended her last place finish, saying she's not done yet.

"This is one race. I'm not done. You know what I'm capable of. Count me out if you want to. Talk all the sh*t you want. Because I'm here to stay. I'm not done. I'm the sixth fastest woman in this game ever. Can't nobody ever take that from me!"

Sha'Carri opted not to run in the 200 meters after her disappointing finish in the 100 meters.

After her spectacular loss, social media lit up with memes and taunts mocking her for being arrogant before and after the race.

Rapper Nicki Minaj shaded Sha'Carri by posting a meme of a broom on her Instagram Story.

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Simone Biles settles for bronze on balance beam in Tokyo Olympics

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Gymnast Simone Biles of Team USA settled for a bronze medal in the Women's Balance Beam Final in Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Tuesday, August 03.

The 24-year-old athlete came in third place in her last opportunity to earn a medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. She has won a total of 7 medals in two Olympic Games.

Simone was criticized for quitting when she landed awkwardly in the vault during the women's team final last week.

Tim Clayton/Corbis / Getty Images

She claimed she quit for her "mental health" and she blamed "the twisties" for feeling awkward during her routine.

Simone also pulled out of the women's individual all-around final, the vault and uneven bars finals to focus on her mental health.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

China's Guan Chenchen (center) and Tang Xijing (right) won the gold and silver medals in the balance beam respectively, with the 16-year-old and 18-year-old earning respective scores of 14.633 and 14.233.

Simone placed third with a score of 14.000, while her U.S. teammate Sunisa Lee came in fifth position with a score of 13.866.

In addition to the bronze medal, Simone will leave Tokyo, Japan with a silver medal in the women's team final.

READ ALSO: Gymnastics fans criticize Simone Biles for quitting in Tokyo

It's the second time Simone has won bronze on the balance beam, after previously coming in third in the competition at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Tuesday's medal win also means she has now tied with Shannon Miller as the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast ever.
 

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Team USA fans previously complained that Biles is a narcissist who spends more time taking Instagram photos with her boyfriend, NFL player Jonathan Owens, than she does practicing for the Olympics.

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Naomi Osaka beaten in straight sets by No. 14 ranked player Marketa Vondrousova

BACKGRID

Naomi Osaka, who is ranked No. 2 in the world, was upset by world No. 14 Marketa Vondrousova at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Tuesday.

Osaka was beaten in straight sets 6-1, 6-4 in her home nation of Japan. The Olympics was Osaka's first tournament since withdrawing from the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year.

She was criticized for avoiding the news media over concerns for her own mental health.

Osaka, 23, made headlines when she declined to speak to the press at the French Open. She was fined $15,000 and pulled out of the French Open in June.

Stoianov-spot / BACKGRID

Osaka ended her boycott by speaking to the media after she arrived at the Olympic Games. She also spoke to the media after her upset loss to Vondrousova.

"I feel like I should be used to (the pressure) by now. But at the same time, the scale of everything has been a bit hard because of the break that I took. I am glad I didn't lose in the first round at least."

When a Japanese journalist asked, "How do you feel?" Osaka fought back tears, then left Ariake Tennis Park, accompanied by her agent.

JosiahW / BACKGRID

Osaka is pictured at the 2021 ESPY Awards in NYC on July 10.

Osaka played down predictions that she would easily win her first Olympic gold medal.

"Well you know, definitely it would mean a lot for me to win gold here but I know it's a process," she said.

"You know, these are the best players in the world and I honestly haven't played in a while so I'm trying to keep it one match at a time. All in all, I'm just really happy to be here."

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Tokyo Olympics using cardboard beds to discourage sex in Olympic Village

Athletes competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this year will find it difficult to sneak sex workers and groupies into their rooms at the Olympic Village.

The Olympic Village has become notorious for its hook-up culture. And Tokyo officials are hoping to break the tradition by making it more difficult for athletes to get their groove on.

Sex is banned in the Olympic Village. And since humans have a tendency to ignore rules, Tokyo Olympics officials are using cardboard beds to discourage the rampant sexual activity that occurred at previous Olympic Games. The cardboard beds are designed to collapse and break under the weight of two (or more) people.

Man in Gym Massaging Shoulders

Stock photo: Getty Images

Who can forget the embarrassing stories about athletes bringing sex workers and groupies back to their rooms during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

According to the LGBT+ dating app Grindr, 38,000 people from 109 different countries used the app to score same-sex hookups during the Olympic Games in Rio. 14 million messages were exchanged during the two week period.

Three male male Olympic athletes agreed to meet a Daily Beast writer for sex within one hour. The article was later deleted following public uproar over "outing" ghey athletes.

It was reported that horny male athletes ran through 450,000 condoms at the 2016 summer Olympic Games!

Tokyo officials are hoping to prevent a repeat of the inappropriate behavior between athletes and sex workers. Particularly since Covid is still around.

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Caitlyn Jenner calls Gwen Berry ‘disgusting’ for protesting American flag

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Caitlyn Jenner slammed controversial athlete Gwen Berry for turning her back to the American flag during the national anthem at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials.

Berry, who took third place in the hammer throw, angered Americans after she protested the national anthem playing during the medal ceremony.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Berry, left, complained that "The Star-Spangled Banner" played as she stood on the podium alongside first place winner DeAnna Price, center, and silver medalist Brooke Anderson, right.

Price broke her own world record during the trials to secure her spot at the Tokyo Olympics this month. However, her achievement was overshadowed by Berry's antics.

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Reddit.com

"They said they were going to play it before we walked out, then they played it when we were out there," Berry said. She added that the American flag and national anthem were offensive to Black Americans.

But Olympic officials asserted the national anthem was played at the same time daily at the trials.

After the public backlash, Berry tweeted, "I never said I hated this country!"

Tony Duffy/Allsport

Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, who won the decathlon event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, ripped Berry for focusing the attention on herself.

Honestly, it's disgusting," Jenner said on Wednesday.

"I love this country, I love this state. I was the first person ever to put the American flag up at the finish line in 1976 and I've very proud of that because I'm proud of my country. I'm proud that my country gave me the opportunity to grow up to be who I am."

"I don't like political statements on the podium. We shouldn't do that. This is the greatest gathering of people and countries in the world... The other two girls ahead of her are so much better, and there's other ones around the world in the hammer throw. So I think that was kind of her last hurrah."

Jenner, who is running for governor of California, was criticized by LGBT+ groups for saying male-to-female transgenders should not compete against biological girls in sports.

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Twitter drags Sha’Carri Richardson after old tweets defending Chris Brown resurface

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The same people who praised sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson after she qualified for the Olympics, are dragging her on social media for defending Chris Brown.

Brown, 32, was arrested following a domestic dispute after attending a pre-Grammy Awards party with Rihanna in early February 2009.

In old tweets dating back to 2019, Richardson tells a Rihanna fan to shut up.

Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

"Oh my gosh SHUT UP !! Women like you are so annoying. None of us are perfect that was a mistake he made years ago & was dubbed throught [sic] the mud about for YEARS. It’s not right for anyone to put theirs hands on another person but y'all don't say anything about the fact that.

"Dragged through *but y'all don't say anything about the fact Rihanna hit him where is that criticism at. He came out & apologize but what did she do Both were wrong and both have move on with their lives why can't y’all."


 

Richardson, 21, qualified for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, winning the women's 100-meter dash in 10.86 seconds at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon.

Afterwards, she confirmed her LGBT+ status by tweeting a rainbow.
 

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Sha’Carri Richardson Thanks Lesbian Lover After Qualifying for Olympics

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The LGBT+ community has fallen in love with USA sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson after she thanked her girlfriend for choosing her fiery orange hair weave.

Richardson, 21, qualified for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, winning the women's 100-meter dash at the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon over the weekend.

She ran a blistering 10.86 seconds, with her long, orange hair weave flapping in the wind behind her.

Afterwards, Richardson thanked her girlfriend for choosing the vibrant color of her weave.

Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

"She said it just spoke to her, the fact that it was just so loud and vibrant," Richardson told USA Today.

"She felt like [orange] was loud and encouraging and, honestly, dangerous... That's who I am. She just wanted me to be able to make a statement — let's continue to show the world I'm a force to be reckoned with."

Richardson also posted a rainbow emoji on her Twitter feed, which prompted a plethora of rainbow tweets in her Twitter timeline.

After her qualifying run, the 5-foot-1 sprinter revealed the sad news that she lost her biological mother last week.

Richardson, who was raised by her grandmother and aunt, said she loved her mother and she knew her mother loved her, despite not bonding with her mom.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

My grandmother is my heart. My grandmother is my superwoman," she told NBC.

"To be able to have her here, at the biggest meet of my life and being able to run up the steps and knowing that I'm an Olympian now... Honestly, that probably felt better than winning the race itself."

Richardson will have stiff competition from Jamaica's two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in Tokyo next month.

Fraser-Pryce, 34, ran 10.63 on June 5 to become the second-fastest woman in history after FLorence Griffith Joyner.