The 2012 Summer Olympics in London are now less than a month away, but there’s much to be decided before the Opening Ceremony on July 27.
Here is a rundown of the latest news and notes.
Basketball
Dwyane Wade decided to take his doctor’s advice and have surgery on his left knee. The operation will force him to miss the Olympics next month.
Wade’s decision leaves Jerry Colangelo and USA Basketball with 17 players for 12 roster spots.
Swimming
In the waters of Omaha, Nebraska, Tyler Clary,, who has had the repeated misfortune of being the third guy behind Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, qualified for his first Olympics last night. Clary finished second to Phelps in the 200 butterfly.
Meanwhile Phelps, in a not-at-all-surprising move, dropped out of the 200 backstroke. Phelps, who has already qualified in the 400 IM, 200 free, and 200 fly, didn’t swim the 200 back in Athens or Beijing and still has plenty of other events on his program.
Lochte, for his part, scratched in the 100 free final. He also has plenty of other events to worry about.
On the women’s side Allison Schmitt held off teenage phenom Missy Franklin en route to setting an American record in the 200 freestyle. Schmitt won the 400 earlier this week. Franklin finished second, qualifying for her second individual event.
Allison Schmitt (left) has had a big week. Last night she beat Missy Franklin (right) to win the 200 freestyle. (Photo from Reuters/Jeff Haynes)
Track and Field
At the track-and-field trials in Oregon, sprinters Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh still haven’t decided how they’ll break their third-place tie in the 100. But both runners easily won their heats in the 200 to advance to this afternoon’s semifinals.
Felix and Tarmoh will decide what to do about the 100 after the 200 final on Saturday.
Taekwondo
Across the pond, British taekwondo star Aaron Cook decided yesterday not to take the British Olympic Association to court to fight his exclusion from the Olympic team.
Great Britain Taekwondo made the controversial decision not to include Cook, the top ranked fighter in the under-80kg class (and not to be confused with the Red Sox pitcher of the same name). The British Olympic Association urged Great Britain Taekwondo to reconsider, but GB Taekwondo opted not to make a roster change. Earlier this month the BOA ratified the Cook-less British taekwondo team.
Soccer
In other left-off-the-British-team news, Stuart Pearce, manager of the Great Britain Olympic soccer team, decided to leave 37-year-old David Beckham off the British roster. The three spots reserved for players over the age of 23 went to 38-year-old Ryan Giggs, 32-year-old Craig Bellamy, and 24-year-old Micah Richards.
Weightlifting
Finally, if you haven’t already, read Buzzfeed’s Jessica Testa’s profile of American weightlifter Sarah Robles.
Robles is the top-ranked weightlifter in the United States, she can lift 568 pounds, and she lives off the the $400-per-month she gets from U.S.A. Weightlifting.
Robles, who hasn’t gotten the kind of endorsement deals that other Olympians enjoy, has to rely on assistance from her family and discounted groceries from food banks to make ends meet. She’s someone you’ll want to root for next month in London.
About Josh Tinley
