Latest news with #Olympians
Associated Press
an hour ago
- General
- Associated Press
New Book, The Dolphin Kick Manual, Helps Competitive Swimmers Build a Faster Underwater Dolphin Kick
06/01/2025, Vancouver, British Columbia // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // [Vancouver, British Columbia] — [May 30, 2025] — Competitive swimmers and swim coaches looking to dominate their races now have a powerful new tool at their disposal. The Dolphin Kick Manual: The Swimmer's Ultimate Guide to a Fast Underwater Dolphin Kick is officially available, offering swimmers, coaches, and parents a proven, research-backed roadmap to mastering the 'fifth stroke' and taking their performance to the next level. Written by swim performance expert Olivier Poirier-Leroy, The Dolphin Kick Manual breaks down every element of an elite underwater dolphin kick, including timing, technique, frequency, amplitude, core control, mobility, power, and more. Built on over 140 peer-reviewed studies and insights from Olympians, NCAA champions, and top coaches, the book is the most complete guide ever written on building a dominant underwater game. 'A fast underwater dolphin kick isn't optional anymore, it's essential,' said Poirier-Leroy. 'This book is a detailed blueprint to help swimmers of all levels build a kick they can rely on for faster results in the pool.' Key features include: Whether you're an elite sprinter looking for that extra edge, or a developing swimmer frustrated with slow underwaters, The Dolphin Kick Manual delivers the tools to transform your kick—and your results. The book is exclusively available in digital format at: About the Author Olivier Poirier-Leroy is an author and former national level swimmer. He is the founder of and author of YourSwimBook, Conquer the Pool, and The Dolphin Kick Manual. He has helped thousands of swimmers from developing age groupers to Olympic champions sharpen their performance in the pool.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Trans athlete wins 2 girls events at California track and field finals
CLOVIS, Calif. (AP) — A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championship to take home gold in the girls high jump and the triple jump at a meet that has stirred controversy and drawn national attention. AB Hernandez competed under a new rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body. California's governing body changed the rules ahead of the meet to allow more girls to compete and medal in events in which Hernandez competed. Advertisement Hernandez finished the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches (1.7 meters), with no failed attempts. Co-winners Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle also cleared that height after each logged a failed attempt. The three shared the first-place win, smiling as they stepped together onto the podium. Hernandez wrapped up the night with a first place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher who trailed by just over a half-meter. Earlier in the afternoon, Hernandez placed second in the long jump. Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet (6.7 meters). This year's winner, Loren Webster, topped 21 feet (6.40 meters), with Hernandez trailing by a few inches. The California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez's success heading into the championships. Under the policy, the federation allowed an additional student to compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified. Advertisement The two-day championship kicked off Friday in sweltering heat at a high school near Fresno. Temperatures reached the triple digits during Saturday's finals. The atmosphere was relatively quiet despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Some critics wore pink bracelets and T-shirts that read, 'Save Girls' Sports.' During Friday's qualifying events, an aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour with a banner: 'No Boys in Girls' Sports!' Two groups that oppose transgender athletes participating in women's sports — the Independent Council on Women's Sports and Women Are Real — took credit for flying the banner. California at center of national debate Advertisement The federation's rule change reflected efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls' participation in youth sports. 'The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,' the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change. A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women's sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats. The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The federation said it decided on the change before then. Advertisement The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the federation and the district that includes Hernandez's high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law. California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The federation said the rule opens the field to more 'biological female' athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for 'biological female' athletes but not for other trans athletes. The federation did not specify how it defines 'biological female' or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Advertisement Sophia Lorey, outreach director with California Family Council, was among those at the stadium Saturday. She said the federation's policy is not a fix for the issue and only ends up causing more confusion. 'At the end of the day,' Lorey said, 'it shows the girls that we know this is wrong and we're still letting it happen to you.' Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main this month that she cannot worry about critics. 'I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,' she said. Other students break records California's championship stands out from that of other states because of the sheer number of competitors. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Advertisement The boys 100-meter heats also were a highlight, with junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finishing in 10.01 seconds Friday, 0.19 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. But he fell just shy of making it count as a meet record with a final time of 10.27 seconds in Saturday's final. Athletes set new meet records in several events, including boys and girls relay races, hurdle competitions and the boys pole vault. ___ Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report. ___ Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna Sophie Austin And Jae Hong, The Associated Press
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Trans athlete wins 2 girls events at California track and field finals
CLOVIS, Calif. (AP) — A transgender athlete bested the competition Saturday at the California high school track and field championship to take home gold in the girls high jump and the triple jump at a meet that has stirred controversy and drawn national attention. AB Hernandez competed under a new rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body. California's governing body changed the rules ahead of the meet to allow more girls to compete and medal in events in which Hernandez competed. Advertisement Hernandez finished the high jump with a mark of 5 feet, 7 inches (1.7 meters), with no failed attempts. Co-winners Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle also cleared that height after each logged a failed attempt. The three shared the first-place win, smiling as they stepped together onto the podium. Hernandez wrapped up the night with a first place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher who trailed by just over a half-meter. Earlier in the afternoon, Hernandez placed second in the long jump. Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet (6.7 meters). This year's winner, Loren Webster, topped 21 feet (6.40 meters), with Hernandez trailing by a few inches. The California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez's success heading into the championships. Under the policy, the federation allowed an additional student to compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified. Advertisement The two-day championship kicked off Friday in sweltering heat at a high school near Fresno. Temperatures reached the triple digits during Saturday's finals. The atmosphere was relatively quiet despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from competing. Some critics wore pink bracelets and T-shirts that read, 'Save Girls' Sports.' During Friday's qualifying events, an aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour with a banner: 'No Boys in Girls' Sports!' Two groups that oppose transgender athletes participating in women's sports — the Independent Council on Women's Sports and Women Are Real — took credit for flying the banner. California at center of national debate Advertisement The federation's rule change reflected efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls' participation in youth sports. 'The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,' the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change. A recent AP-NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women's sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats. The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The federation said it decided on the change before then. Advertisement The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the federation and the district that includes Hernandez's high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law. California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The federation said the rule opens the field to more 'biological female' athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for 'biological female' athletes but not for other trans athletes. The federation did not specify how it defines 'biological female' or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Advertisement Sophia Lorey, outreach director with California Family Council, was among those at the stadium Saturday. She said the federation's policy is not a fix for the issue and only ends up causing more confusion. 'At the end of the day,' Lorey said, 'it shows the girls that we know this is wrong and we're still letting it happen to you.' Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main this month that she cannot worry about critics. 'I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,' she said. Other students break records California's championship stands out from that of other states because of the sheer number of competitors. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Advertisement The boys 100-meter heats also were a highlight, with junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finishing in 10.01 seconds Friday, 0.19 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. But he fell just shy of making it count as a meet record with a final time of 10.27 seconds in Saturday's final. Athletes set new meet records in several events, including boys and girls relay races, hurdle competitions and the boys pole vault. ___ Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report. ___ Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna Sophie Austin And Jae Hong, The Associated Press
India Gazette
18 hours ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Ultimate Table Tennis Season 6: Debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades open against Stanley's Chennai Lions
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 1 (ANI): Debutants Kolkata ThunderBlades will kick off their IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 campaign against Season 3 champions Stanley's Chennai Lions on Monday in the day's first tie, scheduled for 5 PM. Following that, U Mumba TT will clash with Western rivals Ahmedabad SG Pipers in a highly-anticipated derby at 7:30 PM, as per a UTT press release. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, IndianOil UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, will take place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena. Led by an all-star foreguard of Olympians Aruna Quadri and Adriana Diaz, as well as India's 18-year-old sensation Ankur Bhattacharjee, Kolkata ThunderBlades are well-positioned to make an impact in their debut season. Aruna (World Ranking 27), returning for his fifth season with UTT, is the highest-ranked men's player this season, while Diaz (WR17), back for her second assignment after 2018, is the second-highest-ranked women's player. All eyes, however, will be on Ankur, who was the undisputed find of the previous season. Storming into the arena with unbridled intensity, Ankur won four of his five matches and 10 of the 15 games he contested-at a win rate of 66.67, the second-highest in Season 5-and stacked high across the board in terms of numbers in a breakout campaign. On the opposite end will be the former Youth World No. 1 Payas Jain, flanked by seasoned international stars Fan Siqi and Kirill Gerassimenko. Fan, the highest-valued player at this season's auction, is only the third player from China to partake in the league, while Kazakhstan's Gerassimenko is back for his third taste of UTT, after previously appearing in seasons three and four. In the day's second tie, U Mumba TT will aim to settle scores from last season's 9-6 defeat against Western rivals Ahmedabad SG Pipers in what promises to be a closely fought clash. While both sides would have completed their opening fixtures by then, this matchup carries an extra edge, with both teams fielding revamped and balanced line-ups for Season 6. Leading the charge for U Mumba is World No. 12 Bernadette Szocs, the highest-ranked player in the league. She'll be supported by returning Frenchman Lilian Bardet and rising Indian star Yashaswini Ghorpade. For the hosts, Ricardo Walther--fresh off a strong debut despite a 10-5 loss to Dempo Goa Challengers--will be key. His growing chemistry with Ayhika Mukherjee in the mixed doubles category adds intrigue to an already high-stakes contest. Squads Match 1 Stanley's Chennai Lions: Fan Siqi (China), Kirill Gerassimenko (Kazakhstan), Payas Jain, Sudhanshu Grover, Poymantee Baisya, Nikhat Banu Kolkata ThunderBlades: Adriana Diaz (Puerto Rico), Aruna Quadri (Nigeria), Ankur Bhattacharjee, Selena Selvakumar, Ananya Chande, Deepit Patil Match 2U Mumba TT: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB Ahmedabad SG Pipers: Ayhika Mukhejree, Ricardo Walther (Germany), Snehit Suravajjula, Giorgia Piccolin (Italy), Divyansh Srivastava, Yashini Sivashankar. (ANI)
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Harmeet Desai eyes 2026 Asian Games, begins preparations with UTT
Two-time CWG champion Harmeet Desai is focussed on a podium finish at next year's Asian Games in Japan and will use the sixth season of Ultimate Table Tennis, which will feature many accomplished players, to kick-start his preparations for the continent event. Desai, currently ranked 66th in the world, bagged gold medals in men's team event at the 2018 Gold Coast and 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. He also has a bronze medal in men's doubles at Gold Coast and a bronze at the men's team event in 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. "I don't like to predict so much. I am just taking it step by step, at the moment I am just focussing on UTT," Desai, who will be turning out for two-time champions Goa Challengers in the eight-team UTT, told PTI. "Definitely more important tournaments are coming. Next is Slovenia WTT tournament, Asian Games is also lined up next year so my focus is on to that as of now. "The UTT is a great platform to start my preparations for the Asian Games as many world champions, Asian champions and Olympians are participating in the event," he added. Goa Challengers are two-time defending champions, having won the title in 2023 and 2024 and are eyeing a hat-trick of crowns. He feels the league has changed the face of the sport in India. It began in 2017 but because of COVID two seasons didn't happen. "If you see the graph of Indian table tennis it has risen a lot. We used to be ranked around No.30 in the world but now we came up to top-10 in the recent past," Desai said. "In the last Olympics both the teams qualified for the very first time. We have been winning medals at the Asian Championships, Commonwealth Games. So many players have entered into top-100 in world rankings. "The juniors have been really doing well. Senior women team got into top-25 in the world rankings. These kind of things never happened before, so all credit goes to UTT because it gave us exposure to learn from foreign players, foreign coaches," he added. Desai, who is from Surat, is excited to play in his home state, which is hosting the tournament for the first time. "It's first UTT season in Gujarat, my home state, so I am really excited to perform before home fans. So it's a big opportunity to inspire youngsters who are taking table tennis as a future prospect. "It will great platform youngsters of Gujarat to watch international players, including 32 Olympians," he noted. The sixth season of UTT will be held at the EKA Arena here from May 31 till June 15.
