Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'olympic'

Philly Hotels To Tampa Bay Rays: No Vacany

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The Tampa Bay Rays are waking up Wednesday in a historic hotel whose guests have included Olympic runner Jesse Owens and eight American presidents. It is 50 miles from Philadelphia, where Game 5 of the World Series will be played. The Hotel du Pont in Wilmington, Del., was the only hotel with 85 empty rooms when Game 5 was suspended for rain. The Associated Press reports the team called 21 hotels before getting the last-minute booking.

Norway Won't Bid To Host 2018 Winter Olympics

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Norway was planning to make a bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. It has dropped those plans, in part because of the economic crisis. After a government study raised the projected costs of hosting the Olympic games to nearly $5 billion — or double the initial estimate — Norway's Olympic Committee decided not to go ahead with a bid. Other cities still hoping to host the 2018 Olympics include Munich, Germany, and Reno-Tahoe, Nevada.

Phelps Cashes In On Olympic Gold

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Record-setting Olympian Michael Phelps made an appearance Thursday in New York to promote a swimming program for inner-city kids. The event was sponsored by Visa, one of seven companies that has commercial ties to the swimmer. Phelps' agent says he could end up earning $100 million in endorsements.

Take The Olympics. Give Me My NFL, Please

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:44:00 EDT

When it comes to the people who run sports, look out for federations — and for officials wearing blue blazers. Commentator Frank Deford says team sports are easier to run than individual sports, and domestic sports are more manageable than international ones. That means the NFL trumps the Olympics.

Olympic Archers Take A Shot At Love

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Taking a cue from Cupid, two gold medal winners in archery are getting married. Perhaps inspired by the Olympic rings, the South Korean couple announced their nuptials just as the games ended. Their romance was sparked during training for the Olympics.

Filmmaker Detained In China

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Chinese authorities detained a number of people believed to be aiding pro-Tibet protestors during the Olympics. Tom Grant, an independent filmmaker from New York City, was released Sunday after spending five days in a Beijing detention center.

China Celebrates Success Of Olympic Games

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

As the Summer Olympics in Beijing end, Chinese citizens considers the event a resounding success, and national pride goes beyond the gold medals won by Chinese athletes.

A Beijing Neighborhood Changes

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

NPR's Frank Langfitt used to be a newspaper correspondent in Beijing. After five years away, he returned to his old neighborhood during the Olympics. What he found was a lot of new wealth. And some repression.

With Olympics Over, China's Self-Confidence Soars

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:51:00 EDT

China's 51 gold medals proved its status as a sports powerhouse, and the games showed off its modernity and organization. "China has stood up in the world," one expert says.

U.S. Wins Basketball Gold As Olympics Winds Down

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:11:00 EDT

The Beijing Olympics got off to a rocky start with talk about pollution and censorship and fakery at the glittering opening ceremony. But once the games began, transcendent performances by athletes gave the games a big boost. NPR's Frank Langfitt wraps up the Olympics during the closing ceremony.

U.S. Men's Volleyball Ease Tragedy With Gold

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

The U.S. men's volleyball team wasn't supposed to be contending for a gold medal at the Olympics. But after the father-in-law of coach Hugh McCutcheon was murdered in Beijing just as the games began, the team went on a streak and won the Gold Medal.

As Olympics Draw To A Close, A Look At The Host

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 10:39:00 EDT

NPR's Frank Langfitt, who has been in Beijing for the past two weeks, talks about what the Chinese did and didn't do for their Olympics.

Barbershop Takes On Veep Stakes, Master P

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

The guys in this week's Barbershop — Jimi Izrael, Ruben Navarrette, Arsalan Iftikhar and Nick Charles — comb through the week's headlines. They talk about the latest buzz surrounding the presidential veep stakes, the USA's performance in the Olympics and rapper Master P's latest business venture, family friendly TV.

Sparring Partners Helps Others Excel In Olympics

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Some athletes have been training for a long time to go the Beijing Olympics — only they were never planning to compete. These sparring partners get many of the perks, but must swallow the disappointment of not being on the Olympic team.

Some Economies Suffer As Beijing Cleans Up Air

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EDT

In an effort to curb air pollution for the Olympics, more than 250 factories in Beijing and nearby towns like Tangshan have been shuttered temporarily. Some factory workers are on vacation for the first time in 20 years.

Amputee Swimmer Dives Into Marathon

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Natalie du Toit of South Africa swam in the first-ever Olympic open water marathon Wednesday. What made the swim unique is that du Toit's left leg was amputated at the knee.

Olympic Race Walkers Get A Last-Minute Upgrade

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:38:00 EDT

Race walking normally doesn't get much attention at the games, but a last-minute course upgrade — costing more than $800,000 — has put a new spring in the step of international competitors who feared injury on the original granite surface.

U.S. Shooter Wins Bronze After Rival Fails Drug Test

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:02:00 EDT

A few days ago, Jason Turner's hopes for an Olympic medal were dashed by a fourth place finish in the 10-meter air pistol event. But when a North Korean shooter, who finished third, tested positive for a banned substance, Turner moved up to earn the bronze medal.

Baltimore Plans Homecoming Fit For Phelps

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Michael Phelps's Facebook fan club is second in membership to Barack Obama's. Now, his hometown of Baltimore has to figure out how to welcome the swimmer home in a style befitting his fame. After the last Olympics, the city threw a "Phelps-tival," giving him a parade, the key to the city and a street named after him. One suggestion: How about changing the name of his neighborhood — Fell's Point — to Phelps Point?

Amid China's Olympic Push, Public Recreation Lags

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:01:00 EDT

China's gold medal haul increases by the day at the Beijing Olympics. But some residents say the host country's multimillion-dollar investment on behalf of athletes has come at the expense of sports facilities for the Chinese public.

Open Water Swimmers Make Waves In Beijing

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:21:00 EDT

Open water swimming, a new sport to the Olympics, brings a new set of challenges to traditional swimmers. Practically a full-contact sport, swimmers compete in a 6-mile course and finish just fractions of seconds apart.

Not Good Enough For A Pen-Pal

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EDT

Masha Ma was reminded of her own rejection after she heard Yang Peiyi's story. Peiyi was the seven-year-old told she wasn't pretty enough to be shown singing at the Olympics. Ma was told she didn't have the right look to take part in a pen-pal program writing to students in Canada.

Post-Phelps Olympics Has Its Own Excitement

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:46:00 EDT

For a moment, it seemed as if the rest of the Beijing Olympics would be an anti-climax, as Michael Phelps celebrated his eighth gold swimming medal, but Day 10 of the competition began with new dramas. The U.S. and China remained neck and neck in total medals, but the host country holds nearly twice as many golds.

China's Champion Hurdler Pulls Out Of Race

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:56:00 EDT

It's a big setback for China at the Beijing Olympic Games. Defending Olympic champion Liu Xiang has pulled out of the 110-meter hurdles. His right hamstring has been bothering him for months.

U.S. Beach Volleyball Brings Party To Beijing

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

American sports fans have many traditions, but one bit of fan Americana that hasn't translated in Beijing is the beach volleyball's "party vibe." So two longtime announcers did some Olympics training of their own: working with Chinese DJs to pump up the sound and get the fans up and dancing.