Monthly Archives: March 2022

Connor Fields, who was involved in a frightening BMX crash at last years Summer Olympic Games in Japan, said he found out last month from doctors that his cognitive abilities are completely restored.

Fields was taken to a Tokyo hospital after he crashed July 30 and was treated for a brain hemorrhage among other major injuries.

Any sort of injury, whether its a knee, an ankle or a shoulder, thats just time and physical therapy, Fields said. Those will heal. With your head, its a totally different ballgame. And for everything that we know about the brain, we really dont know that much.

Fields, who went to Green Valley High School and UNLV, also should recover from shoulder surgery in about a month.

Then he will begin easing back onto a bike. But he isnt setting a deadline about deciding whether to return to competitive racing.

Fields, 29, won the gold medal in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro and was a strong favorite in Japan.

For the past seven months, I havent done anything that is risky because I dont want to hit my head, Fields said. Ill start riding a little bit again as well as stop living like Im made of glass.

Strong start for Cunningham

Bishop Gorman High graduate Vashti Cunningham won both her high jump events this year, including the U.S. Indoor Championships on Feb. 27 in Spokane, Washington, with a leap of 1.91 meters (just more than 6 feet 3 inches).

Her leap of 1.98 meters (6 feet 6 inches) two weeks earlier in Louisville, Kentucky, is the worlds second-highest this year.

The next major meets for Cunningham, 24, are the U.S. Outdoor Championships on June 23-26 and the World Athletics Outdoor Championships on July 15-24. Both are in Eugene, Oregon.

NEO Studios is doing a six-part documentary series on discovery+ on Cunningham and two other children of notable athletes Zaire Wade (Dwyane Wades son) and Evan Holyfield (Evander Holyfields son). Randall Cunningham, who also serves as Vashtis coach, was a star UNLV and NFL quarterback.

Randall Cunningham also coaches Jelena Rowe, who moved to Las Vegas from Chicago. Rowe, 22, is ranked second nationally in the high jump with a leap of 1.95 (nearly 6 feet 5 inches) in Louisville.

Swimming in the Springs

Nine Sandpipers of Nevada swimmers are training for a month in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to prepare for major upcoming events.

The Open Water National Championships are April 1-3 in Fort Myers, Florida, and the International Team Trials are April 26-30 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Sixteen-year-olds Katie Grimes and Bella Sims, Olympians last year, are the two locals most likely to qualify for the World Championships on June 18-July 3 in Budapest, Hungary.

Another Sandpiper, 16-year-old Abby Dunford, is preparing for the Canadian trials on April 5-10.

Sullivan delivers twice

Texas freshman Erica Sullivan, an Olympic silver medalist last year who also swam for the Sandpipers, recently won Big 12 Conference championships in the 1,650 meters (15 minutes, 58.74 seconds) and the 500 (4:39.46).

The Palo Verde High product will compete in the NCAA Championships on March 16-19 in Atlanta.

Sullivan also is preparing for the open water World Championships.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.

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Connor Fields, Olympics BMX racer, bouncing back from ...

Eileen Gu, along with other American-born athletes, represented China for the Beijing Olympics 2022

By Katherin Raygoza- sports@theaggie.org

The Winter Olympics kicked off on Feb. 4 and recently, there have been headlines regarding nationality and an athletes ability to compete for two different countries. News stories have emerged about 18-year-old Eileen Gu, who was born in the U.S. and won gold representing Chinas Olympic team. She is one of many Chinese-American Olympians straddling between two countries, and some people have questioned whether athletes are allowed to do this or why they would do this.

There are those who love her, moved by her ability to soar over treacherous slopes with ease, wrote Ashley Wong from The New York Times. Others are inspired by her efforts to navigate the uneasy political tension between two countries and cultures. Some believe she chose to represent China simply to cash in on the lucrative opportunities it has afforded her.

Gu or Gu Ailing Snow Princess, as she is known in China was born in San Francisco to a Chinese mother and an American father. She began skiing at the age of eight on weekend trips. American-born Gu has talent that allowed her to grow as a skier and was finally able to land the double cork 1620 a move in which skiers spin 4 times while rotating 20 plus feet in the air.

Chinese fans have been very supportive of Gus success and are proud to watch a Chinese win gold for their country, as opposed to her birth country which criticizes her decision.

Its very cheering. Shes of Chinese origin and has returned to China. I feel proud of her, said Jiang Yu, a Beijing resident and a Gu fan.

This is a great accomplishment for the skier, as she became the youngest freeski Olympic gold medalist in history and the first action-sport athlete to win three medals at the same Olympics. Despite her accomplishments, she is being called a traitor and ungrateful.

She has also received backlash on social media because users are arguing that she cannot be American if she competes for China. Some are saying that she must pick between identifying as American or Chinese.

Im an 18-year-old out here living my best life. Im not going to waste my time trying to placate people who are uneducated, and dont experience the gratitude and love I have on a daily basis, Gu told The Guardian.

Some dual citizens face the same challenges as Gu, and it has been seen all throughout sports, especially during the Olympics. That is why there has been a set of rules created which indicate that if a competitor who is a citizen in two or more countries, they have the freedom to represent the country they desire. They cannot represent a country if they play for a different country in other events like the Olympic Games, continental or regional games or world or regional championships. Once they compete in those games, they cannot change the country that they represent.

An athlete can be exempt from these rules under certain circumstances. For instance, if an athlete has gained a new citizenship or wishes to change their Olympic status, they can do so if three years have passed since they competed for their previous country.

There is an especially large controversy with China because they have 30 foreign-born athletes competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Olympians in China must follow specific rules since they do not allow dual citizenship. So the question remains whether American-born athletes are following the rules or simply have been exceptions to compete. Are they allowed to be U.S citizens while competing for Team China?

It has appeared that the Chinese Government has loosened their strict laws on nationality to attempt to win more medals. Other than Gu, about half of the Chinese Mens Hockey Team are American and all maintain their U.S citizenship.

I told China that Ill never give up my [U.S.] passport, and they said thats fine, said goalie Jeremy Smith, a Michigan native whos eligible to represent China due to a stint with Chinese club Kunlun Red Star.

Other countries have used naturalized foreign athletes for decades, but very few have laws as strict as Chinas. Regardless, China is slowly relaxing their rules, but it seems they still require a particular allegiance, such as Chinese players using Chinese names and not speaking in English during interviews.

Competing for a country that is not where the athlete was born is not a new concept. Many Olympians take pride in having a diverse background and are given an opportunity to compete for a national team that can utilize their talent. Still, it seems as though the topic will always stir headlines.

Written by: Katherin Raygoza sports@theaggie.org

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Topic of dual citizenship revived at this year's Winter Olympics - The Aggie - The Aggie

The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing spark conversation about the role of politics in sports and the effectiveness of boycotts

By ALINA ISSAKHANIAN features@theaggie.org

Much conversation around the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, has been focused on the current human rights crisis in the country. Globally, governments and international entities have chosen to diplomatically boycott the games, citing harsh human rights violations committed by the Chinese government in recent years.

In March 2021, the Biden administration declared Chinas treatment of Uyghur Muslims a genocide, officially categorizing it as a crime against humanity. According to the Human Rights Report discussing the poor treatment of Uyghur Muslims, China was involved in the imprisonment, torture, enforced sterilization and persecution of Uyghurs, as well as members of other religious and ethnic groups.

The U.S., U.K., Australia and Canada have diplomatically boycotted the games in an effort to call out the human rights abuses in China. While each country has its own definition of boycotting, generally, it includes that dignitaries representing the countrys government do not attend the games while athletes still get to compete.

UC Davis professor of political science and Department of International Relations director Ethan Scheiner explained that international power dynamics play a large role in who does and does not boycott in situations like these.

The United States, in particular, is one of the few countries that has less to fear from Chinese retaliation than other countries, Scheiner said. The fact that the United States is such a big country is a big factor. Also, the United States actually has a much stronger stake in pushing for democracy and has done so for a longer period of time, whereas others have been less inclined to do so.

Many believe that the U.S. should have taken a stronger stance in opposition to Chinas human rights violations, since they are classified as crimes against humanity. Scheiner said that he does not believe that the diplomatic boycott will be very effective, and that both the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Olympics could have been opportunities for the U.S. to make a more impactful statement.

What China learned in 2008 when it hosted the Summer Olympics was, Hey, we can do whatever we want, and nobodys gonna make us change, Scheiner said. We saw that carryover where China became increasingly aggressive between 2008 and 2022. Nobody ever called them on it and so now the problem still exists. So in many ways, either in 2008 or in 2022, [this] was sort of a lost opportunity to send a stronger signal.

However, Scheiner explained that most likely, the U.S. did not take any other steps because of international power dynamics and economic concerns.

If China wanted to, it could lash out at the United States in various economic ways, Scheiner said. American companies and sports leagues especially the NBA are terrified of losing the Chinese market [] If China wanted to boycott the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, and not show it on television or market it at home, that would have an economic impact on the ability of people trying to hold those Olympics and athletes competing in them to make money using the Chinese market.

He also said that this is not the first time that the U.S.has boycotted an Olympics. The U.S. actually implemented a full boycott of the 1980 Moscow games, during which the U.S. did not even send athletes to compete. According to Scheiner, some believe that even a full boycott like that in 1980 is not very effective.

The main lesson that people draw about boycotts they draw from 1980, Scheiner said. [After the 1980 games], when everybody came away with oh, boycotts dont work, if you boycott all you do is hurt the athletes. And so I think the United States is always coming back to that example and saying, Okay, we shouldnt boycott because all it did was have our athletes lose their opportunity, and everybodys mad about it.

First-year psychology student Michell Bancks, a volleyball player and co-captain for Davis second club team, said that athletes often see the Olympics as a career-defining moment, and some believe that those spots should not be lost due to politics.

Many Olympic athletes can only perform at the Olympic level for a few Olympics, Bancks said. I think its rare for an athlete to attend more than three Olympic Games, and between those competitions, its even more rare for an athlete to medal more than once. There are athletes who are at their prime for this Olympics and wont be as competitive in four years, so they should be given the chance to try for a medal.

However, Scheiner pointed out that others believe that its not possible to keep politics and sports completely separated.

Its sort of like saying lets keep life out of sports, Scheiner said.

First-year American studies major Nic Sardo agreed with Bancks that the loss to the athlete is great if they do not compete, but he said that choosing to do so sends a strong statement.

An athlete can sacrifice so much and spend years training for the Olympic games so if that same athlete decides that their energy is put to better use by boycotting those games, I believe that is very brave. By boycotting or speaking out against ones own country, or against the host country, that athlete is putting a lot at risk and may have their whole life disrupted because of that one decision.

Written by: Alina Issakhanian features@theaggie.org

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UC Davis students, professor weigh in on US' diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics - The Aggie - The Aggie

A park with a view of Midtown is open to the public again after being fenced off for more than 25 years.

The grassy hill next to a reservoir and water treatment plant in Northwest Atlanta is a spot where visitors can look over streets and trees to enjoy a skyline view. But since the Atlanta Olympics its been off-limits, surrounded by a security fence.

George Koulouris with the community group Friends of Waterworks Greenspace said he found the spot when he moved to the neighborhood about 10 years ago. He and his husband wanted to get a dog, and they wanted to find a place where they could walk him. When they learned the history of the hill with the view, they started advocating to get it opened again.

We had temporary fences go up in 1996, Koulouris said. Its the most permanent temporary thing Ive ever seen in this city.

He spoke at an event Tuesday morning, when the park officially reopened. Mayor Andre Dickens said its been in the works for some time.

Its been a long time coming, Dickens said. I think it will become a destination for all of us. At some point a lot of us will be here hanging out and enjoying a picnic.

Its in a part of the city that needs parks, Elizabeth Hollister with the Upper West Side Community Improvement District said. Her group worked hard to get this one reopened for people in the area.

It was industrial for decades, and so no parks were built, she said. The three surrounding neighborhoods of Berkeley Park and Marietta Street Artery and Blandtown still do not have any City of Atlanta parks. So this two and a half acres is fulfilling an important parks deficit.

Getting to the park, which is at the corner of 17th Street and Howell Mill Road, can still be a little dicey on foot. There arent many sidewalks in the area. But that might be addressed with the citys plan to fund more transportation and sidewalk infrastructure projects with a sales tax on the ballot in Atlanta this year.

And Koulouris and his husband do now have the dog they wanted and a place to bring him; Tucker the basset hound mix was in attendance at the park opening.

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Park closed since the 1996 Olympics reopens in Northwest Atlanta - WABE 90.1 FM

BEIJING, March 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics came to a successful conclusion on the evening of February 20, when the Olympic flame was extinguished during a closing song. Over the course of the games, China.org.cn commissioned a specialist agency to conduct an overseas public opinion survey related to the Beijing Winter Olympics. This poll was conducted among individuals aged 20-69 in the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, South Korea. According to the data, 73.2% of overseas respondents followed the Winter Olympics to varying degrees; respondents largely viewed the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as being professional, exciting and friendly. It was also found that young people are among the most willing to come to China and learn more about the country.

01.

Over 70% of overseas respondents followed the Beijing Winter Olympics

Those in their 20s and 30s watched most closely

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics garnered worldwide attention, especially from among young people overseas. According to the data, 73.2% of respondents said they had followed the Beijing Winter Olympics to varying degrees. The younger the respondents, the higher the proportion of people who were "very interested" in the Beijing Winter Olympics, with 75% of respondents in their 20s and 30s following the Winter Olympics.

Among those following the Beijing Winter Olympics, 81.4% followed the event on TV, far ahead of other mediums for following the games. The global viewership of the Beijing Winter Olympics reached an all-time high, setting new records in terms of broadcast duration, technology and content production, according to a press conference held for the Beijing Winter Olympics. Based on the data, respondents paid the most attention to "live competitions" as well as "medal tallies and competition results", 53.9% and 50.9%, respectively. Star athletes, the opening and closing ceremonies in addition to life at the Olympic Village were popular aspects of the games.

02.

High praise from overseas: Professional, exciting and friendly were the top key terms

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said in his speech at the Closing Ceremony for the Beijing Winter Olympics that "these were truly exceptional games." In the survey, overseas respondents also said they were deeply impressed with the Beijing Winter Olympics, with the top words associated with the event being professional, exciting and friendly.

According to the data, respondents believe that China's successful hosting of the Olympic Winter Games in the face of COVID-19 has had a positive impact mainly in the areas of "carrying forward the Olympic spirit and promoting unity and solidarity among countries" (32.1%) and "promoting sports and cultural exchanges among countries around the world" (31.7%).

03.

Over 70% of the respondents agreed with the slogan, "Together for a Shared Future"

"We all yearn for love. So let's go hand in hand. Together for a shared future, you and I, we can touch the sky." As the promotional song for the Beijing Winter Olympics slogan, "Together for a Shared Future" was widely sung during the event. Statistics show that "Together for a Shared Future", the slogan for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympic Games, was widely accepted by the international community, with 71.6% of overseas respondents agreeing with the slogan.

"Together for a Shared Future" is China's sincere invitation to the world, conveying the positive expectations of 1.4 billion Chinese people. Sun Weijia, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange of Counselors' Office of the State Council (COSC), said in an interview with China.org.cn that the slogan reflects the harmony between Olympic values and the vision for a community with a shared future for mankind. The song is a substantial development on Olympic values by this shared community. It also stands as the best interpretation of the vision for the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Yan Jiarong, Spokeswoman of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, previously said that the slogan "Together for a Shared Future" is the Chinese interpretation of the Olympic motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger- Together". "Together for a Shared Future" is about enabling every sports lover to realize their dreams.

04.

With impressive scientific and technological innovation, the "green Olympics" became a highlight

The high-tech elements of the Beijing Winter Olympics can be seen everywhere. The science and technology along with the green and sustainable concept of environmental protection that made this Olympics possible have received extensive attention and recognition from the international community. The "High-tech Olympics" highlighted the new image of a smart China, with 35.7% of respondents believing that China is a country distinguished by rapid technological development.

Data shows that 54% and 30% of respondents reported positive changes in their impression of China's scientific and technological innovation and ecological protection efforts. 21% of respondents said the Beijing Winter Olympics eased their concerns that China would struggle to meet its environmental commitments, such as carbon emission reduction.

Among those watching the tech highlights of the Beijing Winter Olympics, 56.3% expressed interest in China's green power supply and 45.3% in service robots. In addition to these two items, autonomous vehicles, VR guide system, 5G+8K ultra-HD cloud broadcast, natural CO2 refrigeration systems with nearly zero carbon emissions, and hydrogen-powered vehicles accounted for over 30% of respondents.

05.

Young people are the most willing demographic to come to China and learn more about the country

Respondents from Russia, Italy and the UK have the most favorable opinion of China

Russia (88%), Italy (78%) and the United Kingdom (67%) were the top three countries for respondents with favorable views of China during the Beijing Winter Olympics, followed by the United States and Canada (over 50%). Young people were more likely to have a favorable view of China, with 56% of respondents in their 20s and 61% of those in their 30s.

In addition, the results of the survey show that Russia, Italy and the UK account for 72%, 71% and 49% of respondents who want to come to China and learn more about it after watching the Beijing Winter Olympics. The younger the respondent, the greater willingness they expressed to visit China and learn more about China, with 53% of respondents aged 20-29 willing to visit China in person. From high-tech facilities, safe epidemic prevention measures, diverse cultural experiences, rich food experiences and friendly volunteer services, the Beijing Winter Olympics visually projected an image of China as a whole. Several international respondents expressed their willingness to learn more about China.

06.

Beijing Winter Olympics has boosted China's image

The bias against human rights and democracy in China has been reduced to some extent

The Beijing Winter Olympics has been the first global sporting event held as scheduled since the outbreak of COVID-19. Holding such a grand event on schedule is a landmark achievement and plays a positive role in enhancing China's international image. Among respondents from 10 countries watching the Beijing Winter Olympics, 20% clearly expressed that their impression of China had changed positively.

By watching the Beijing Winter Olympics, respondents were found to have the highest percentage of positive changes in their impression of China's scientific and technological innovation as well as its cultural industry, at 54% and 52%, respectively. In addition, over 40% of respondents reported a positive change in their opinion of China in the areas of economic and financial development, strength of winter sports, achievement of fighting against COVID-19 and epidemic prevention, transportation and travel, etc.

Additionally, the Winter Olympics helped dispel misconceptions about China. Shi Anbin, a professor from the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, argued that the Beijing Winter Olympics broke the "mudslinging" common to certain Western media outlets by taking advantage of participatory and immersive means of "third party communication". This included individuals, such as Eileen Gu, Su Yiming and Yuzuru Hanyu, the adorable Beijing Winter Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen, the "robot bartender" as well as videos showing players enjoying meals and interactions with grassroots volunteers.

In this survey, when asked, "From your point of view, which misunderstanding about China could be eliminated through Beijing Winter Olympics?", the highest percentage of respondents answered, "worries about the human rights situation in China" and "the lack of democracy in China". In addition, overseas respondents' misconceptions of "China struggling to meet its environmental commitment to reduce carbon emissions" and the "China threat theory" have decreased to some extent, thanks to the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Sports diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy and cultural exchanges have played a positive role in promoting China's international image. The Beijing Winter Olympics served as a window to understand China and allowed the world to know more about the real and lovely China.

The survey was conducted by China.org.cn and ePanel. Allowing for the number of medals each country won at the last Winter Olympics, as well as the country's population, economic influence, intercontinental distribution and other factors, overseas citizens aged 20-69 from 10 countries were randomly sampled from the international professional survey sample database. The questionnaire design, sampling, survey and analysis were conducted in accordance with the international market research standards and ethics of the ESOMAR. The survey results reflect objectively overseas respondents' feelings and views on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chinaorgcn-survey-reveals-overseas-opinion-of-beijing-winter-olympics-301497653.html

SOURCE China.org.cn

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China.org.cn: Survey Reveals Overseas Opinion of Beijing Winter Olympics - 69News WFMZ-TV

The success of Japan's women's curling team at the Beijing Winter Olympics has boosted tax revenues for the team's hometown in Hokkaido, northernmost Japan.

As the team, known by its club name Loco Solare, advanced in the curling competition, Kitami, the city where the team's hometown Tokoro is located, garnered 71,398,000 yen (about $620,000) in revenues in February, some 3.6-fold up from a year earlier, under Japan's "hometown tax" program. Under the program, taxpayers make monetary donations to municipalities and get a variety of thank-you gifts and a tax break in return.

A resident of Tokoro buys a special stamp set featuring Loco Solare.

Daily donations averaged 1.88 million yen during Feb. 1 to 17, and 3.41 million yen during Feb. 18 to March 1. The team advanced to the semifinals on Feb. 17 and took the silver medal on Feb. 20.

The surge in revenues was also seen in 2018 when the team won bronze at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

As thank-you gifts for this year's donors, the city prepared tumblers and towels with the logo of Loco Solare.

Japan Post Co., meanwhile, put out special stamp sets in late February featuring the team. It offered 2,000 sets at 67 post offices in northeastern Hokkaido, and they sold out on the initial day.

The Hokkaido Shimbun Press

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Success of Japan's curling team at Beijing Olympics boosts hometown revenue - Kyodo News Plus

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) Officiating an Olympic game isn't something everyone gets to do, but one Kansas City ref did just that.

Going to the Olympics can be a dream for the world's best athletes but it's also a dream for one Kansas City native.

When I work here in the states, I work for the American Hockey League, which is the AAA level to the NHL. So professional hockey, and when I'm in Germany working I work in their top professional league, which is called the DEL, Stephen Reneau said.

Stephen is a full time hockey referee and his career has taken him across the world

The opportunity of a lifetime came recently, he went to Beijing to officiate in the Olympics.

I was put on what's called a standby list with all the COVID protocols and everything that was going on in the world. Basically, two days before I left to go to Beijing, I got the phone call saying somebody tested positive, and I was going so it was a wild 48 hours, Reneau said.

While in China he officiated games between Finland, Slovakia, Germany and China.

It hasn't really said in yet that I even went, It was such a quick turnaround that I was getting to go. So I don't think it's hit me that I've actually even gone to the Olympics, Reneau said.

He says this career has given him the chance to meet some big names in the sport.

You know, at some of my world championships there's been NHL players so I've got to be on the ice with Alexander Ovechkin and Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby. So pretty much every top name that you hear in the NHL life. I've been fortunate enough to be on the ice with, Reneau said.

Stephen says his experience at the Olympics is something he'll be able to look back on and be proud of.

Slowly but surely, I think it'll settle in, you know, at least be able to, you know, look back at it and enjoy the experience that I had, Reneau said.

Just a week after he returned from Beijing he left for Germany to ref some more hockey.

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KC hockey referee goes to the Olympics | Community - KQ2.com

Viewership of the Beijing Olympics this year declined dramatically from the 2018 winter games in Pyeongchang, but thats not stopping Delta Air Lines from going all-in on the global sporting event through the next decade.

In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out across the globe, Deltasigned an eight-year commitmentto sponsor the Olympics and Paralympics with NBCUniversal as a founding partner of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. As part of the deal, Delta will sponsor Team USA, starting from Beijing 2022 and running through Paris 2024, Milan 2026 and LA 2028.

We are the founding sponsor of LA 28 and were working towards those games, said Molly Battin, SVP of global brand marketing at Delta. But in the time between now and then, we are the official airline of Team USA, and we're really getting behind the athletes.

As a top-tier sponsor, Delta faced difficult narratives around the Beijing games, from the spike of the Omicron variant to humanitarian crises in China that led to diplomatic boycotts from democratic countries. But, according to Battin, leaning into stories about athlete resilience and triumph aligned well with Deltas brand values.

So much of our brand is our people: how they show up, the humanity they bring and what they do everyday to be there for our customers, she said. There are so many parallel stories between our people and what these athletes do day in and out.

This year, Delta kicked off the partnership with a sendoff party for Team USA, whose athletes werent able to bring their parents, coaches or other support systems to the games due to strict COVID-19 regulations.

As the official airline of Team USA, Delta designed and painted an aircraft to take the athletes safely to Beijing, hosting a red carpet event aired on NBCUs pre-coverage of the opening ceremony that was picked up on theToday Show. Delta followed up with a similar sendoff for Team USA Paralympians a few weeks later.

Deltas commitment to the Olympics includes a long-term media partnership with NBCU, which holds the nearly $8 billion rights to the Games through 2032. The media network, using its One Platform philosophy, offers its founding partners white-glove service across its portfolio to get the most value out of the Games, said Dan Lovinger, president, ad sales and partnerships at NBCU.

For Delta, this included access to NBCU talent such as Seth Myers, who filmed a live ad for the brand, as well as exclusive placements and co-branded promotions on NBC Sports leading up to the Olympics.

We tried to use a bunch of touchpoints that back up their shorter-term goals, Lovinger said.

Deltas partnership with the Olympics will culminate at the LA games, where it will make its biggest splash as a strategic play in an important market. In 2020, the airline announced a$1.8 billion investmentin LAX airport to modernize and upgrade its terminals and make the city a major Delta hub.

Delta is one of the first brands to sign as an Olympics founding partner, a new premium tier offering from NBCU. Founding partners work with NBCU, the LA Olympic Organizing Committee and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee to enhance the Olympic movement and create meaningful games that will leave LA in a better place, Lovinger said. Other founding partners so far include Comcast and Salesforce.

We're in the business of making sure that, throughout the next seven years, we're connected with Delta every day, week, month and year to manage shorter-term objectives across our portfolio that leverage the partnership they've signed on to.

For NBCU, the challenge in delivering value will be to fight against falling viewership of the Games, especially on linear TV. Beijing drew the lowest U.S. ratings ever, declining more than 40% over the last Winter Games.

Lovinger argues that because NBCUs Olympics rights cover all content regardless of the distribution platform, the company is in a good position to capture migrating viewership. He admits, however, that theres a need to reawaken the movement after two consecutive games that took place during a pandemic with no fans and a long time difference in Asia.

No matter how people are consuming [the Games], we're the place to come to for the ability to advertise, he said. But we have to continue to make sure the Olympics matter to people and are relevant.

Battin also has high hopes for 2024 and beyond.

We're optimistic that, as fans and people come back, we're going to start seeing renewed interest and higher ratings, she said.

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Why Delta is doubling down on the Olympics through 2028 - Campaign US

As I watched the athletes perform at the recent Winter Olympic Games, I could only imagine their tremendous desire, determination and dedication, not to mention commitment, enthusiasm and mental toughness. They set goals and prepared. They had discipline.

It's the same in business.

It doesn't matter whether you are pursuing success in business, sports, the arts or life in general. The difference between wishing and accomplishing is discipline.

Discipline is all about setting goals, figuring out a schedule to achieve those goals and then following your plan.

Discipline turns ability into achievement. Dreams may get you started, but discipline keeps you going. Talent without discipline is nothing more than wasted opportunity.

Zig Ziglar said, "It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action,and discipline that enabled us to follow through."

I believe discipline is the difference between good and great.

Most people aim to do right; they just fail to pull the trigger. For whatever reason, they just don't have the wherewithal to finish the job. They lack discipline.

Good intentions aren't enough. People have good intentions when they set a goal to do something, but then they miss a deadline or a workout. Suddenly it gets a lot easier to miss again -- and again and again.

"Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built," said the late motivational speaker Jim Rohn. "Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure. Discipline is the bridge between thought and accomplishment ... the glue that binds inspiration to achievement ... the magic that turns financial necessity into the creation of an inspired work of art."

Whenever I eyeball a resume for a management job at my envelope company, I look for evidence of self-discipline. As candidates have prepared themselves for past jobs, did they identify and master three to five key self-disciplines essential to future success?

I'm looking for specific examples beyond just showing up for work. Did they take leadership on difficult projects that required developing new skills? Were they flexible when original plans had to be adjusted to conform to changing needs? Could they put ego aside when others had better ideas? Were they able to maintain control when challenged by customers or co-workers?

Keeping focused when things are going well is often as difficult as doing so when glitches surface. Self-discipline is what finishes the job. Managers especially need to model self-discipline so that their teams observe how it's done and can follow their example.

And employees aren't the only ones who see discipline in action. Customers take notice of how organizations conduct themselves. If they see a sloppy operation, they assume shoddy results. If they see a well-oiled machine, their confidence in the final product increases.

Discipline means you are prepared to do the things you don't always want to do in order to get the results you need to get. As difficult as that sounds, consider the alternative. Allow yourself to take the easy way out, and that's exactly what you will find: the way out the door.

Discipline isn't optional. It's an investment in your future.

Here's a story to drive the point home. A family was gathered for dinner one night when the youngest son announced that he had just enlisted in the Army. There were audible gasps around the table, then some laughter, as his older brothers shared their disbelief that he could handle this new situation.

"Oh, come on, quit joking," snickered one.

"You didn't really do that, did you?" asked another. "You would never get through basic training."

Finally, his father spoke up. "It's going to take a lot of discipline. Are you ready for that?"

The new recruit looked to his mother for help, but she was just gazing at him. When she finally spoke, she simply asked, "Do you really plan to make your own bed every morning?"

Mackay's Moral: Keep your head and heart going in the right direction and you'll never have to worry about your feet.

Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times best-seller "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive." He can be reached at http://www.harveymackay.com , by emailing harvey@mackay.com or by writing him at MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.

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From the Olympics to business, discipline is the key! - Rochester Post Bulletin