If you are reading this post please humor me and tell me that you aren’t getting anything done with these Olympics on all day either! I swear I could sit and cheer these athletes day and night and have zero regrets!
I would consider it a pretty productive week, though, since I was able to accomplish at least most of the things on my to do list while still cheering on all my favorites to victory…and picking up a few new favorites that I plan to continue to follow.
How about a little Olympic Week Recap!
Friday Medal Update!
As of the time this article is published the USA Olympic Athletes are at the top of the leaderboard for overall medals won with 41 Total Medals. The next closes is France (31) followed by the Peoples Republic of China (27).
Gold Medal Recap:
I won’t say that I watched every one of these events but I would be lying if I said I didn’t watch most of them. If I didn’t catch them live then I definitely caught some of the recap. And that goes for our other medals as well. But, nothing got me on my feet faster than the Women’s Gymnastics. Simone Biles did what Simone Biles does and proved, once again, that she is the GOAT. I love her comeback story. But, the entire Women’s Gymnastics team was phenomenal and they deserve every ounce of that Olympic Gold.
Other than Michael Phelps himself, I don’t think anyone was more excited to see the Gold Medal for the Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay come back to the US team. I can’t even tell you why my house is so invested in this medal, but we are, and we cheered our behinds off and then celebrated like we had actually contributed to the winning of said medal.
And let’s not pass over the Men’s 4 Person Row…if memory serves it’s been a minute since they have medaled and they came in clutch with the Gold Medal this year!
READ MORE BELOW
Silver Medal Recap:
I can’t say that any of these gave me extra “jump out of my seat” reactions but that doesn’t mean these athletes haven’t been freaking amazing. of specific note…all of those swimming medals. Every one of those races was incredible. I was also super intrigued by the Equestrian Team Jumping, but mostly because I had never had the opportunity to see this event live on the Olympic level. It was definitely worth watching. Even if one of the major reasons I tuned is was because I heard Martha Stewart would be joining Snoop Dogg on the equestrian events because apparently the Dogg is afraid of horses. Who knew!
Bronze Medal Recap:
These Bronze Medalists, though. I could definitely camp out here for a little bit. There isn’t a single one of these events that were new to me, but several of these events made me a brand new fan for life!
These in particular though: Men’s Team Gymnastics. If you didn’t get behind these guys when they were competing there is something wrong with you on the inside. Specifically my new favorite Pommel Horse Specialist Stephen Neodoroscik. His little (self proclaimed) nerdy self came in clutch and helped secure the first Bronze Medal for US Men’s Gymnastics since 2008.
Also, and I can’t believe I am saying this, but I was able to watch my first Women’s 7’s Rugby Match and I’m hooked for life! These women are incredible and most of them have such cool stories about how they got started in their sport. I would specifically point you to Ilona Maher…she is hilarious, sarcastic, and an absolute beast on the field. I’m here for it!
What’s Next…
Today we kick off the first of the Track and Field Events (remember I love these) so you should definitely tun in to those. We are also still super competitive in 5×5 and 3×3 Basketball with the men and women…as well as a lot of volleyball left to play. Today is also full of more swimming but that will wrap up before long. I’m also super interested in catching some of the Olympic Rock Climbing that is scheduled for Sunday/Monday. There is definitely no shortage of old favorites to watch or new favorites to learn and love! Check back early next week for an updated recap and medal count!
Until then…that’s how the ball bounces.
Read more from How the Ball Bounces with Bekka in the archives at www.mysaline.com/bounces.
About the author: Bekka Wilkerson is a lifelong lover of all things sports. Raised in a super athletic household it was no surprise when she too began to love sports at a young age. It seems like from the time she could walk she had a softball bat in her hands, but her true athletic passion came from all things Basketball. That love served her well as a Bryant High School Lady Hornet and ultimately earned her a full scholarship to play at the University of Central Arkansas – among many other adventures.
These days Bekka can be found running around Saline County with her husband, Speedy, or chasing one of her grandsons. She is also the Executive Director of The EMpact One Foundation, a Saline County Nonprofit Organization that helps young people stay connected to extracurricular activities through tuition assistance and equipment provisions.
Reach out to Bekka with questions and/or ideas about things you want to see in this column at [email protected] and learn more about The EMpact One Foundation at www.empactone.org.