She’s received attention throughout these Olympic Games for her great looks and unusual background ( she’s a virgin!!! ). But Lolo Jones had a chance today to quiet the critics and make headlines for her actual exploits on the track. Did the sprinter make up for her 2008 stumble and earn a Medal in today’s 100-meter hurdles? Unfortunately… no. Jones finished in fourth place by one-hundredth of a second, crossing the finish line in 12.58 seconds. But it was still a strong event for the U.S. team: Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells finished in second and third place, respectively. Australia’s Sally Pearson took the Gold with an Olympic record time of 12.35. But might she date Tim Tebow ? See. Jones might end up a winner after all.
Khloe Kardashian has made the final kut. A few days after expressing enthusiasm over the possibility of hosting The X Factor , sources tell TMZ that this reality star really is one of six finalists for the Fox gig. While not releasing any of the other names – rumored possibilities include Stacy Keibler and Erin Andrews – insiders confirm that Khloe will have a screen test some time in the next two weeks. If all goes well, the Simon Cowell-produced competition really might try to take advantage of the Kardashians’ popularity. Would the move work out? Or would it backfire due to overexposure of this talent-free family? You tell us: Do you want to see Khloe Kardashian as X Factor host?
London Olympics sensation Gabby Douglas’ journey to become U.S. team and all-around individual gymnastics champion has come at considerable cost. The two-time gold medalist spoke candidly about her family’s tough times amid her quest for glory, including her mom current’s financial woes. “It was hard for us growing up … my dad had left us, so he wasn’t really in the picture anymore,” the 16-year-old told the New York Post. “So, my mom had to front all these bills,” Gabby recalled. “My dad didn’t really pay the child support. He was really short [on money]” “It was definitely hard on my mom , taking care of me and my siblings.” Gabby’s father, Timothy Douglas, was a military man who had been deployed to the Middle East when she was just nine years old. Although the family had resided in Virginia Beach, Va., the future Olympic champion eventually moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to train. After a history-making one-two punch that saw Gabby Douglas win Olympic gold medals in both the individual all-around and team competition, she wavered on Monday, placing eighth on the uneven bars . She’ll get another shot at a medal Tuesday on the balance beam. “Toward the end of the Olympics, you get physically tired and drained. And no matter how much rest you have your body is tired,” she said. “Coming into bar finals was a big challenge for me and I made a little mistake. Even if I would have hit a solid routine, I know I have a lower start value then the other competitors. I’m going to go into the beam finals tomorrow and try really hard to end on a good note.” We’ll be admiring Gabby Douglas’ hair and performance today no matter how she does. She’s made America proud in London!
London Olympics sensation Gabby Douglas’ journey to become U.S. team and all-around individual gymnastics champion has come at considerable cost. The two-time gold medalist spoke candidly about her family’s tough times amid her quest for glory, including her mom current’s financial woes. “It was hard for us growing up … my dad had left us, so he wasn’t really in the picture anymore,” the 16-year-old told the New York Post. “So, my mom had to front all these bills,” Gabby recalled. “My dad didn’t really pay the child support. He was really short [on money]” “It was definitely hard on my mom , taking care of me and my siblings.” Gabby’s father, Timothy Douglas, was a military man who had been deployed to the Middle East when she was just nine years old. Although the family had resided in Virginia Beach, Va., the future Olympic champion eventually moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to train. After a history-making one-two punch that saw Gabby Douglas win Olympic gold medals in both the individual all-around and team competition, she wavered on Monday, placing eighth on the uneven bars . She’ll get another shot at a medal Tuesday on the balance beam. “Toward the end of the Olympics, you get physically tired and drained. And no matter how much rest you have your body is tired,” she said. “Coming into bar finals was a big challenge for me and I made a little mistake. Even if I would have hit a solid routine, I know I have a lower start value then the other competitors. I’m going to go into the beam finals tomorrow and try really hard to end on a good note.” We’ll be admiring Gabby Douglas’ hair and performance today no matter how she does. She’s made America proud in London!
The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team is poised for the rematch its been waiting for since last summer. But it took everything this team had to get there. The Stars and Stripes overcame a hat trick by Christine Sinclair and defeated Canada 4-3 this afternoon, with the winning goal coming off a header by Alex Morgan three minutes into injury time. Earlier in the game, Megan Rapinoe scored in the 54th and 70th minutes, while Abby Wambach tied the match in the 80th for the Americans. Okay, there’s one thing more exciting than Alex Morgan nude pics. Next up for the impressive squad? A Gold Medal showdown against Japan, who shocked the U.S. on penalty kicks and won the 2011 World Cup. That match will take place at 7:45 p.m. local time in London. United States citizens might have sat down from cheering by them. Let’s go, team! Bring it on home!
Oscar Pistorius of South Africa may not have captured a medal at the London Olympics, but you’d be hard pressed to find a bigger winner at the games, or in life. This photo surfacing Sunday on Twitter proves it 1,000 times over. It’s an older image, but it resurfaced after Pistorius raced in the 400-meter semifinals. What Oscar Pistorius , a double amputee, did this week is immeasurable. Because of him, Ellie Challs, the young girl he is seen racing here, can look up to a man who faced the same obstacles as her but refuse to accept limits: Pistorius, nicknamed the Blade Runner after his cutting-edge prosthetic sprinting legs, inspired more than fellow amputees with his effort at the Olympics. Though he didn’t make the final, he did run well enough to make the semis and held his own against the best in the world in his track and field event. Kirani James, the man who won the semifinal Pistorius ran in, was so moved that after the race, he held up the nameplate from Pistorius’ uniform to the crowd.
She’ll always have one of the most memorable moments of the London Olympics, a nearly perfect vault during the gymnastic team finals. But McKayla Maroney will NOT have a Gold Medal to show for her efforts in that individual event, as she fell while landing yesterday and was forced to settle for Silver behind Sandra Raluca Izbasa of Romania. “I didn’t deserve to to win gold if I landed on my butt,” the 16-year old California native told reporters after the competition. “I’m not disappointed about the silver, I’m disappointed about my performance.” Maroney earned scores of 15.866 and 14.300 on her first two vault, respectively. She finished with an overall 15.083, while Izbasa garnered 15.191. “It happens, it’s gymnastics and you can’t be perfect and sometimes things don’t go as you planned,” Maroney told Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports. “I can’t blame it on anything except I screwed up.”
SPOILER ALERT: Oscar Pistorius made history today at the London Olympics. History that it’s hard to believe will ever be duplicated. The South African sprinter, who was born without fibulas and had hid legs amputated below the knee at 11 months old, qualified for the 400 meter semifinals today with a season-best time of 45.44 seconds. Known as The Blade Runner, Pistorius became the first amputee to ever compete in Olympic track. “I’ve worked for six years … to get my chance,” said the 25-year old, who will run again tomorrow night. “I found myself smiling in the starting block. Which is very rare in the 400 meters.” It took many years for Pistorius to receive permission to compete here. Many doctors and experts believe his prosthesis actually give him an advantage because they enable him to do less work as he runs. But many hearings later and Pistorius was given his chance. As you can see, he’s making the most of it.
There are endless impressive stories at the 2012 Summer Olympics – from Michael Phelps setting a medal record to Gabby Douglas winning the all-around gymnastic title to Oscar Pistorius advancing to the 400-meter semifinals – but no one has a story quite like Kayla Harrison. The judo Gold medalist (in the 78-kilogram division) has overcome an unimaginable past, as her former coach pleaded guilty in federal court in 2007 to charges of illicit sexual conduct. Harrison, 22, was listed in court papers as “K.H.” or “the victim.” Kayla has been open about the experience, which she says mostly took place on trips around the globe when she was 16. Emotional during the medal ceremony yesterday, she said soon afterward: “Kind of just reflecting back on my life. Everything it’s taken to get here, and everything that I’ve gone through. I’m America’s first gold medalist in judo – and always will be.” Harrison’s ex-coach, Daniel Doyle, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and has been expelled for life from USA Judo. Kayla has clearly moved on successfully, using her past as motivation. For herself and hopefully for others. “Never give up on your dreams,” Harrison said on Thursday. “I mean, if I can do it, anybody can do it. Things have happened, but now, my life is a dream. I’m living my dream right now.”
Serena Williams can add one more achievement to her Hall of Fame resume: Olympic champion. The 14-time Grand Slam winner won a major tournament on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon for the second time this summer, destroying top-ranked Maria Sharapova in the Gold Medal match by a score of 6-0, 6-1. It was the most lopsided women’s final in Olympic history. Williams lost only 17 games across six matches and let out a scream and even did a little dance upon taking the decisive point. “I don’t think I’ve ever danced like that,” she said afterward. “I don’t even know where the dance came from.” Serena now moves on to the doubles semifinals alongside sister Venus. It’s been quite a year for the legendary star. “I was so focused here,” she said. “I remember I was serving and I was thinking: ‘Serena, this is your best chance to win a gold medal. You’re at Wimbledon, you’re on grass, you play great on grass, pull it together, just win this.’ And that’s what I thought about.”
