Five Ring Circus
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wore a crown after setting a new world record in the 400m hurdles. Considering that her time rivals some of the best runners who compete in the 400m without hurdles, the headware may have actually been understated. The effortless Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s only real competition is herself.
+ “There was a part of her dominance that was, like any prodigy’s, a boon of sheer ability, cosmic fortune, and genealogy. But the higher and faster she rose, the more that rise was fueled by the work along the margins, in the crevices of athletic ingenuity where faculty, force, and fastidiousness fold into one. She was beyond her years in competition but also in tactical command. On the same days when Sydney would beat her opponents by enough distance to make it seem plausible that her lane didn’t have hurdles, she’d nitpick her form after the meets.” The Ringer: The Spiritual Realm of Sydney McLaughlin. (It’s also spiritual for fans and competitors who stare in disbelief and repeat, “OMG, OMG.”
+ “At the centre of the disagreement is how Angelica Poquiz-Yulo managed her 24-year-old son’s finances and her reported disapproval of his girlfriend, a content creator on TikTok.” Double gold medallist’s feud with mom eclipses historic win.
+ WaPo: This all-girls high school has more swimming medals than most countries.
+ Among the biggest shocks of the Olympics: The US rugby sevens player Ariana Ramsey experiencing free healthcare.
+ Healthcare isn’t the only free perk. NYT: The Barber Will See You Now. The World Will See You Next. “At the Olympic Village, cuts, styles and manicures are free. The benefits, the athletes say, are priceless.”
+ “Once they had braved the bacteria-laden waters of the Seine last week, Ainsley Thorpe and Nicole van der Kaay met New Zealand’s team doctor at the finish line for some post-triathlon medical advice. What he had waiting for them would horrify any dentist: two open bottles of Coca-Cola.” WSJ (Gift Article): The Seine Is Gross, but Swimmers Have a Solution: a Can of Coke. (I’d rather swim in the can of Coke…)
