Rondez Martin, 15 and a Mariemont High School student, recently participated in the Junior Olympics. A Cincinnati Golden Gloves for Youth program student since he was 7-years old, Rondez says he likes boxing  under the supervision of the Golden Gloves coaches, and he likes to be around the people involved in the Golden Gloves program at the Over-the-Rhine gym, 1715 Republic Street, traveling to matches, and meeting other coaches and boxers. 

Christina LaRosa is the Cincinnati Golden Gloves for Youth (CGGY) Executive Director and the granddaughter of LaRosa’s Cincinnati-based pizza chain founder Donald “Buddy” LaRosa, who brought a Golden Gloves program to the city. She is also in-house Counsel for LaRosa’s Inc.

This Golden Gloves program has generated National and World champions, including Cincinnati’s late Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor, who became World Junior Welterweight Champion from 1980 to 1985 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996. Pryor was voted by the Associated Press as the #1 junior welterweight of the 20th century in 1999. With hundreds of youth passing through CGGY, Christina LaRosa said some of the other boxers also have been good enough to turn pro. Christina, who became executive director of the program in 2018, says she is trying to continue this legacy of her grandfather and her uncle, Michael, who is President of the CGGY Board of Trustees. “Family members have grown up around boxing,” she said.

She said, “Boxing is like a second home or family, where kids can come spend time doing something positive for a few hours a day.” 

The free, after school program is available weekdays.

“We have from 30 to 35 youth participating in the program on a weekday night, including two girls who are now active. However, there are about 150 kids who are active in the program,” Christina said.

CGGY provides at-risk children, adolescents, and young adults with a cost-free opportunity to participate in the sport of competitive Olympic-style youth boxing in a safe, supportive, and positive environment, encouraging development of essential physical, psychological, and social skills and competencies, according to the organization’s website.

“The program includes teaching boxing fundamentals, physical strengthening and developing coordination, as well as how to defend one’s self. Some of the kids we have are at-risk youth, and we have been able to keep them out of trouble, by teaching them about discipline and respect, which are important parts of the program,” Christina added.

The Olympic sport of competitive youth amateur boxing is a uniquely effective outreach tool to engage at-risk children, adolescents, and young adults in a positive activity promoting development of physical, psychological, and social skills, according to the program website.   

CGGY coaches include head coach Rua’shee Warren, a three-time Olympian and winner of two World championships, and five assistant coaches.

“Our amateur boxing programs are open year round (Monday – Friday, 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) to young men and women, ages 8 to 18, at all levels of physical fitness,” Christina said.

It should be noted that amateur boxing provides a safe, fun environment for boxers to train and compete in. Boxers are required to have mouthpieces as well as special safety gear when sparring. The safety gear is designed to absorb impacts rather than transfer them keeping the boxer safe. The physical condition of boxers is evaluated before and after each bout through physicals as well as the referees during bouts. Amateur boxing referees exercise more control in the ring than professional boxing and are constantly evaluating boxers throughout each bout. Amateur boxing ranks as the safest sport among contact sports such as football and wrestling. And according to a National Safety Council accident report, amateur boxing ranked 23rd on its list of injuries, below hockey, gymnastics and skating.

Cincinnati Golden Gloves Board members are  Michael LaRosa, President; John Burns, VP; Janice Neumann, Treasurer; Bill Burwinkel Chair, Governance Committee; Ryan Ernst, Chair, Philanthropic Committee; Candice Tolbert, Chair, Programming Committee; members Mark LaRosa, Steve Caudill, Johnny Burns, Frostee Rucker, Jonah Neuman; Athlete Representatives Peter Frakes Jr.; Javaughn Dula, Geonte Smith, Brandon McKinstry, Camren McKinstry.

Community Partners will likely utilize some of the classroom/office space in the (former) Elmwood Place Elementary School building where CGGY anticipates moving its program when the City of Cincinnati begins demolition of the current boxing gym as part of their Findlay Recreation project. 

Feature Image: A Cincinnati Golden Gloves for Youth boxer spars with an assistant coach. Photo provided by CGGY.

Cincinnati Golden Gloves Olympians:

• Raymond Russell (Munich 1972)
• Tony Tubbs (Moscow 1980)
• Tim Austin (Barcelona 1992) – Bronze Medal
• Larry Donald (Barcelona 1992)
• Gerald Tucker (Atlanta 1996)
• Ricardo Williams Jr (Sidney 2000) – Silver Medal
• Dante Craig (Sidney 2000)
• Ron Siler (Athens 2004)
• Rau’shee Warren (Athens 2004)
• Rau’shee Warren (Beijing 2008)
• Rau’shee Warren (London 2012)
• Duke Ragan (Tokyo 2020) – Silver Medal

NOTE: Rau’shee is the ONLY American boxer to qualify and compete in three Olympics.

The post Cincinnati Golden Gloves develops Olympians, positive behaviors  appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

“Once an Olympian, always an Olympian,” said Olympic Gold Medalist Mary Wineberg who won her medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She is now Vice President of the Cincinnati Public Schools Board. Wineberg worked with Mayor Aftab Purval and Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney to honor Cincinnati’s 2024 Olympians and Olympians from previous games. The celebration was held on September 19 on Cincinnati’s Fountain Square.  

The ceremony began with a procession led by the Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy Marching Band and the acrobatic dancers, the Q-Kidz. Both organizations are from the West End.

In addition to Kearney, Wineberg and Pureval (who broadcast his message virtually on Fountain Square’s jumbotron), Rep. Cecil Thomas, Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece, Councilmember Scotty Johnson, Councilmember Seth Walsh, and Councilmember Anna Albi participated in the festivities.

Our 2024 hometown Olympians are as follows: 

• Jordan Thompson, Silver Medal in Women’s volleyball 
• Annette Echikunwoke, Silver Medal in Women’s hammer throw (and first U.S. citizen to win an medal in this competition)
• Nina Castagna, Women’s Rowing Eight 
• Carson Foster, Bronze Medal in the Men’s 400-meter individual medley swimming and Silver Medal in the Men’s 4×200 freestyle relay swimming 
• Rose Lavelle, Gold Medal in Women’s soccer 
• Miles Robinson, Men’s soccer 
• Piper Kelly, Women’s speed climbing 
• Max Holt, Bronze Medal in Men’s volleyball 

In addition to Gold Medalist Mary Wineberg, other Olympians from past games who celebrated were Chris Bazon, David Payne, Duke Ragan, and Rau’shee Warren.

Mayor Pureval said of the Olympians, “We are so proud of you and the way you represented our city on the world stage.”

Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece added, “It takes a lot of work to make the Olympics Team. It is special for people from our city to represent the best in the world competing in the largest scale in the World.”

The post They represent Cincinnati among world’s best athletes appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Jaime Schultz, Penn State

More than 4,000 athletes with physical, vision and intellectual impairments will compete in 22 sports during the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

Within those 22 sports, there will be 549 medal events. That number seems high because several sports include multiple “sport classes,” which are used to even the playing field for athletes with different disabilities.

Some athletes compete in classes based on their specific impairment. Other classes include athletes with a range of different impairment types that result in similar degrees of “activity limitation,” as the International Paralympic Committee puts it.

For example, swimmers with physical impairments compete in categories that range from “S1” to “S10.” S indicates swimming; the number is the sport class. The lower the number, the more severe the limitation. So the S10 class might include competitors with hip restrictions, foot amputations, or cerebral palsy. They all compete in the same group because their different impairments similarly affect their swimming abilities.

The IPC sees this as akin to grouping athletes by age, gender and weight.

Despite the rigor and training that goes into the classification process, problems arise. Sport classes can be broad, putting some competitors at a disadvantage. Classification testing can be tiring or stressful for the athletes. And there can be classifier errors that put athletes in the wrong class.

Then there’s the issue of “intentional misrepresentation.” Over the years, a handful of athletes have exaggerated their impairment to gain a competitive advantage. They cheat during the classification process to improve their chances of winning against competitors who have greater limitations.

Intentional misrepresentation has been called the biggest threat to the integrity of parasports.

Building a bigger tent

As I detail in my book “Regulating Bodies,” Ludwig Guttmann, a Jewish neurologist who left Nazi Germany just before the outbreak of World War II, is considered the father of the Paralympic Games.

Guttmann established the national spinal injuries center at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, England. There, he implemented a sports program as part of the rehabilitation process for his patients.

As Guttmann later wrote, sports were “the most natural form of remedial exercise.” They also “had a psychological impact of restoring pleasure in life and contributing to social reintegration.”

In 1948, Guttmann staged the first Stoke Mandeville Games for Paraplegics, where 14 men and two women competed in archery. Initially, the Games were reserved for athletes who used wheelchairs. Over the years, the program expanded to include new sports and athletes with different impairments.

The 1976 Paralympic Games – then called the Olympiad for the Physically Disabled – introduced sports for athletes with amputations and visual impairments. Four years later, athletes diagnosed with cerebral palsy were able to compete in the 1980 Games. In 1984, organizers added “Les Autres” competitions – French for “the others” – a category that included athletes with “locomotor disabilities” such as short stature, multiple sclerosis and limb length differences. Athletes with intellectual impairments – for those with documented IQs below 75 – first participated in the 1996 Paralympic Summer Games in Atlanta.

With the addition of different impairment types, parasport organizers began to devise ways to streamline competitions while preserving fairness.

Classification was one solution.

A painstaking classification process

The current IPC Athlete Classification Code outlines a multistep classification process.

There’s a panel that includes medical classifiers – typically a physical therapist, physician, physician’s assistant or occupational therapist. There are also technical classifiers who have expertise in the sport, and can include coaches, scientists or physical educators.

Before a competition, classifiers first verify that the athlete meets the “minimum impairment criteria,” established by each sport’s international federation. This involves reviewing medical documents and detailed histories of training and performance. It might also include simple assessments of height, limb difference, muscle strength and stiffness, and range of motion.

Next, classifiers conduct a battery of sport- and impairment-specific tests to determine the athlete’s sport class. Finally, they review their decision by observing the athlete during competition. In other words, they check to make sure they got it right and that the athlete was being honest during their evaluation.

Classification is crucial. “Without it,” argues Paralympian and medical anthropologist P. David Howe, “Paralympic sport could not exist.”

Gaming the system

Despite the rigor of the classification process, intentional misrepresentation happens.

There are accounts of athletes exhausting themselves before classification so that they seem weaker than they really are. They might stiffen their muscles with cold showers, take a plunge into snow or wrap their arms and legs with overly tight bandages. Athletes might pretend to be less coordinated or weaker, fake slower reaction times or feign having poorer vision.

Perhaps the most infamous case of intentional misrepresentation involved the Spanish basketball team that won gold in the intellectual impairment class at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney.

Shortly after the conclusion of the Games, a team member revealed that 10 of the 12 athletes on the team were not actually impaired. The Spanish Federation of Sportspeople with Intellectual Disabilities, he disclosed, had deliberately signed unimpaired athletes to “win medals and gain more sponsorship.” As a result, sports for athletes with intellectual impairments did not appear again on the Paralympic program until 2012.

More recently, the IPC stripped Indian discus thrower Vinod Kumar of his bronze medal in the 2020 Paralympic Games. Kumar had been assigned to the F52 class, which is for athletes in field events who compete from a seated position due to “limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power or impaired range of movement.”

However, Kumar was observed competing with less impairment than he had shown during the classification process.

The IPC consequently suspended him from competing in the sport for two years. A second offense results in a lifetime ban.

A bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch

It’s impossible to tell how often intentional misrepresentation happens, partly because it can be difficult to prove.

In advance of the 2016 Paralympic Games, the IPC investigated allegations against more than 80 athletes from 24 countries across six sports. In each instance, IPC officials were unable to find evidence of cheating that went beyond reasonable doubt.

It’s important to remember that most Paralympians complete the classification process with integrity. It’s like any form of cheating: Should the few athletes who do something egregious taint the entire competition?

Of course, there’s always that risk. And the complex process of classification creates opportunities.

More than anything, though, intentional misrepresentation should not deter viewers from watching some of the world’s greatest athletes. The “para” in Paralympic indicates that they run “parallel” to so-called able-bodied sports.

But a comparison to “able-bodied” doesn’t do para athletes justice; just watch a snippet of the Paralympic Games and you’ll see those bodies are more than able.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Jaime Schultz, Penn State

Read more:

• Don’t run (and don’t laugh) – the little-known history of racewalking
• Imane Khelif’s gold medal run shows how sex testing in women’s sports puts regulators in an impossible bind
• Striking a balance between fairness in competition and the rights of transgender athletes

Jaime Schultz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

The post When Paralympic athletes fake the extent of their disability appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By Herald Digital News

The University of Cincinnati athletics department mourns the loss of men’s basketball great George Wilson, the only Bearcat to win a national championship in 1962 and an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in 1964. Wilson, 81, died Saturday, July 29.

Wilson averaged 13.2 points per game over his three-year varsity career, including 9.2 in his first year as UC claimed its second-straight title, for 1,124 overall.

His 888 rebounds, 10.4 per game, rank 12th in program history. He came to Clifton as a 1960 Parade First-Team All-American from Marshall High School in Chicago.

“I am saddened to hear the news of George Wilson’s passing,” Wes Miller, head coach, said. “He is a legend in the game of basketball: a national champion, Olympic gold medalist, NBA player, proud Bearcat and a trailblazer in his era. I was fortunate to spend time with him on multiple occasions over the last two years. Our entire Cincinnati program sends its regards to George’s family, loved ones and those he impacted over his lifetime.”

Wilson was a two-time NCAA All-Tournament team honoree, first in 1962 and again in 1963, as the Bearcats reached the title game for the third-straight season. He was a Second-Team All-American in 1963 by Converse and The Sporting News.

He was drafted in 1964 by the Cincinnati Royals as a center and also played for the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers and Buffalo Braves through 1971. Wilson was inducted into UC’s Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Wilson was born in Meridian, Mississippi, on May 9, 1942, and grew up on the west side of Chicago.He attended Marshall High School and led the Commandos basketball team as a center to four straight appearances in the Chicago Public League, winning the Illinois state championships in 1958 and 1960.

As a senior, he was named a high school All-American after three seasons of averaging 25, 27, and 26 points per game, and in 1960 he was the inaugural winner of the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year award. Wilson was named All-State three years.

Recruited by many colleges, he chose to attend the University of Cincinnati primarily because of his admiration of Bearcats star Oscar Robertson. As a sophomore in his first year on the varsity in 1961–62, he broke into the starting lineup for Ed Jucker‘s Bearcats in the 14th game, and for the season he averaged 9.2 points per game. The Bearcats were co-champions of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) and posted a record of 29–2, capping off the season by winning the NCAA championship game over Ohio State 71–59, the Bearcats’ second consecutive national title.

As a junior in 1962–63, Wilson led the Bearcats with 11.2 rebounds per game, a .505 field goal percentage. and 1.4 blocked shots to go with 15.0 points per game. He was named All-MVC, and he was named second-team All-American by The Sporting News and Converse. The Bearcats went 26–2, again won the MVC and advanced to the NCAA championship game for the third consecutive season, but they were beaten by Loyola University Chicago in overtime, 60–58.

In his senior season of 1963–64, Wilson (who was team co-captain with Ron Bonham) again led the Bearcats in rebounding with 12.5 per game, field goal percentage at .535 and blocked shots with 1.7 per game. He set a new Bearcats record with eight blocked shots in a game against Dayton. He also scored 16.1 points per game as he was again named All-MVC. The Bearcats finished the season 17–9.

Wilson was a member of the 1964 U.S. Olympic basketball team, which went undefeated and won the gold medal.

The Cincinnati Royals selected Wilson with their territorial selection in the 1964 NBA draft. In November 1966, the Royals traded Wilson to the Chicago Bulls for Len Chappell. He played as a backup for the Bulls, focusing on defense and rebounding.

The Seattle SuperSonics acquired Wilson from the Bulls in the 1967 NBA expansion draft. He played as a reserve forward for the inaugural SuperSonics and averaged 6.1 points per game. The following year, the Phoenix Suns acquired Wilson from the SuperSonics in the 1968 NBA expansion draft.

In January 1969, the Suns traded Wilson to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jerry Chambers. He played for the 76ers as a reserve while Lucious Jackson was injured. The Buffalo Braves selected Wilson from the 76ers in the 1970 NBA expansion draft. He retired from the NBA in 1971.

Wilson graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1964 with a degree in education. He was also a member of the Beta Eta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

In 2006 Wilson was voted as one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament, a group of former players and coaches in honor of the 100th anniversary of the IHSA boys basketball tournament. In 2010 Wilson was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.

Wilson worked as a YMCA director and lived in Fairfield, Ohio. He competed in the Senior Olympics in golf, basketball and horseshoes.

Of all his experiences, Wilson said his Olympic memories will always stand out.

“When they put those gold medals around our necks, I don’t know how I could have had a bigger smile,” he said. “I think I cracked the corners of my mouth smiling so big. I was like a little kid at Christmas.”

As a high school basketball state champion, a college basketball national champion and Olympic basketball world champion, Wilson’s name could have easily be preceded by a string of impressive titles. Instead, he’d prefer people just call him “Big George.” And those who really know him, especially his old teammates, called him “Jif,” a nickname that stuck because he could jump as high as the kangaroo mascot that debuted on Jif peanut butter’s label in 1958.

That’s about the same year that Jif, the player, first leaped onto the basketball scene to lead Marshall High School, an all-Back team from Chicago, to the first of two Illinois state championships. Recruited by many colleges, Big George chose UC because of his admiration for his hero, Oscar Robertson.

“The Olympic experience is the greatest thing ever,” he said. “There is nothing like it.”

The post UC, community mourns loss of basketball legend George Wilson appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

AFC North Champions

While Cincinnati technically already won the AFC North before this game, it didn’t feel right to even mention it until after handling business against the Ravens on Sunday. Your Cincinnati Bengals are back-to-back AFC North Champions and you can break out your cigars to celebrate now…But don’t use all the cigars, as this team has bigger goals ahead.  Now that the season is officially wrapped up, there will be a playoff AFC North clash coming up again, as it is time to take on the Ravens in back-to-back weeks. During the season, both teams managed to pull out a win, although Cincinnati is clearly going to be the favorite in this game. This will not be a “cake walk” by any means, as Burrow and company will need to be a lot better than they were on Sunday to pull out a playoff victory against Baltimore. For now though, puff your cigar and relax in your living room knowing that the Bengals have a chance to do big things again this post season, Who Dey!

Positives

• The biggest positive from this game is that we won and do not have to rely on the absolutely ridiculous coin toss rule that the NFL proposed. Cincinnati will host a playoff game next week and this city deserves it.
• The defense forced 4 turnovers on Sunday, including 2 fumbles and 2 interceptions. Winning the turnover battle is how this team made a run last season and I was happy to see the defense making plays.
• The Bengals were able to succeed in getting off to a quick start yet again, as they put points on the board in their first three trips down the field.  
• Drue Chrisman had a stellar performance and a few punts that really made an impact on field position in this game. He has done a fantastic job since getting his named called.
• Our core of Boyd, Hurst, Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and Mixon are healthy for playoffs. Not many teams can say that all of their offensive weapons are healthy and Cincinnati certainly can.

Negatives

• After the first quarter, our offense was nearly non-existent. Playing with a lead has been a struggle for this offense and we have to figure out a way to continue momentum when ahead.
• Joe Burrow seemed “off” to me for the majority of the game. He misread multiple coverages, overthrew or underthrew touchdown passes, and just didn’t seem to be himself. I trust that he will look much better come playoff time, as this was certainly a hard week for everyone.
• Alex Cappa left the field with an apparent ankle injury. If this is of any seriousness, an offensive line without Cappa and Collins is not good. While Cappa was carted off, he gave a thumbs up, so let’s hope this remains minor and he is ready to go next week. 

Nick Northcut joins Matt’s Take

If you haven’t heard the name Nick Northcut by now, you soon will if you are a Reds fan. Nick Northcut was acquired by the Reds in the Tommy Pham trade to Boston. Nick is from Cincinnati and spent his high school playing days at Mason High School. The Cincinnati native has spent time in High-A and Double-A and hopes to make an immediate impact with the Louisville Bats this season. Nick is 23 years old and is getting a ton of attention for his recent power surge at the plate. Nick is known for playing the infield corners and both throws and bats right-handed. Nick was kind enough to join me this week for a Q&A. 

Q: What was it like when you found out the news that you were heading to Cincinnati, your hometown?

A: “Still feels like a movie! Growing up watching the Reds play every night, I’ve always dreamed of playing down at Great American Ball Park, and when I got the phone call telling me I was traded home to the Cincinnati Reds I immediately called my family and told them I was coming home! I’m beyond blessed to get the opportunity to represent the city that helped shaped me into the man I am today!”

Q: What is your goal for the 2023 season?

A: “This year I’m going to show more consistency at the plate. Focus more on walks and controlling the strike zone. I’m the most dangerous hitter on the planet when I stay within myself and force the pitcher to make a mistake! But overall, I want to bring excitement back to the Nati and make it a party every time the Natiboys are in town!”

Q: What is one area you are working to improve on during this off-season?

A: “I’m currently working on some small swing adjustments to help me stay more balanced and controlled at the plate! I’m also trying to learn how to play chess to keep my mental game sharp!”

Q: Growing up in Cincinnati, who would you say your game most resembles in comparison to previous Reds players?

A: “If Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto had a baby, you get Nick Northcut.”

Mary Wineberg joins Matt’s Take

The Cincinnati legend, Mary Wineberg kindly joined Matt’s Take this week for a Q&A. Mary is a graduate from Walnut Hills High School and the University of Cincinnati. Mary is an Olympic Gold Medalist in Track and had an amazing 10-year career. While many know Mary for her athletic greatness, she holds many other exceptional titles such as CEO, Author, Public Speaker, Mother, Wife, and Teacher. Mary’s exceptional life and success has been motivation for many with large dreams and goals surrounding the city. As a Human Resource Professional myself, I can’t help but think about how long Mary’s resume would be, as she holds so many titles and is one of the most well-rounded athletes I have had the honor of interviewing.  

Q: How is life treating you since retiring from your track and field career?

A: “Life is even more amazing these days. I really enjoyed my professional track career which lasted for 10’years. I got the chance to do what I loved and enjoyed. Traveling the world, meeting other athletes, making money, winning races and being able to improve my time in the 400 meters. I retired from the sport after my mom passed away in 2013 and realized it didn’t make me happy anymore and I had done what I needed to do. I won an Olympic Gold, a Gold medal from The Outdoor World Championships, a silver and bronze from two indoor world championships. I also wanted to further add to my family- and I have two beautiful daughters who I look forward to seeing them grow. After track was an easy transition for me in which I went back to teaching. I was an educator before deciding to run professionally for 10 years. I knew that I could always go back to this profession. So I did and I enjoyed teaching for 11 years and being able to be a role model to youth while teaching them to advance in their academics.  My passion has always included teaching and for me, getting the chance to be a former second grade teacher was an experience I will always cherish. Now a days I am busy expanding my brand Mary Wineberg and as CEO of Secure Your Gold- I am the person you hire to motivate, inspire or engage with your organization/group/company. I am an author of two books, a motivational speaker, and enthusiast.  I travel doing author visits for my children’s book “I Didn’t Win” and I travel doing speaking engagements all over. I love what I can do now and how I can continue to be a pillar for growth and development in my community and beyond.  I am a busy woman, mother, wife and I wear many hats. I try to make sure though that I don’t overload my plate. Yes, I love being busy and I am thankful for the opportunities that have been able to come from my journey and story! I also stay busy with my service organizations, the boards that I sit on, and I love to read and travel when I have time. My end goal is to continue to build an empire with my family, husband and to always be happy and full of peace.”

Q: What is your greatest piece of advice for the younger generation with goals of following in your footsteps?

A: “You know what I advise is to educate yourself on where and what it is that you want to do. Make sure that you have a plan and a backup plan. I was always prepared, as I knew that track would not be forever. I knew that I would have to transition at some point. My husband and I got into real estate, and with my teaching degree I knew that I would always be able to look for work in the field of education. I advise that if it is athletics they want to pursue, to train hard, be dedicated, and committed. Know that there are trials and tribulations, but don’t beat yourself up about the outcomes. Use the outcomes as learning points and lessons to push forward. In the professional world I advise to always network. You never know who you will meet and to be yourself. People will judge you and not know your story. Be comfortable sharing your story and always stick to what you believe.”

Q: Is Joey Votto a Hall of Famer? 

A: “Definitely, he sure is! You know I got the chance to meet him at this last years opening day. As an Olympic Gold Medalist, I was brought down onto the field and got to engage with the players and see some of Cincy’s greats. He was awesome- he saw me trying to sneak a picture with him in the background and he kindly asked me if I wanted to take a picture with him. I absolutely did!!! We took our picture and I introduced myself. I hope he remembers me (lol). I was proudly sporting my personalized Reds jersey, and bright red lipstick to support and cheer on my home team. So let’s go, Votto for Hall of Fame.”

Matt’s Take is presented by BetFred Sportsbook

Join me in registering to bet at the following links, as January is almost here! 

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The post AFC North Champions, Positives & Negatives, Nick Northcut & Mary Wineberg join Matt’s Take appeared first on The Cincinnati Herald .

By US Olympic & Paralympic Committee

BEIJING — Erin Jackson went from total speedskating novice in 2017 to first-time Olympian just months later to world cup dominator in 2021 to now dramatically, historically, an Olympic champion.

The world’s No. 1 woman at 500 meters lived up to all the hype and more Sunday night at the National Speed Skating Oval, topping the field with a time of 37.04 seconds. Skating in the penultimate pair to go, Jackson knew when she crossed the line first that she was assured of at least a medal finish. When the final pair failed to knock her off, that’s when it hit her.

“I think I cried immediately,” said Jackson, 29. “Just like a big release of emotion. A lot of shock, a lot of relief, and a lot of happiness.”

It’s the first speedskating gold medal for Team USA since 2010, when Shani Davis won in the men’s 1,000-meter. Like Davis made history by becoming the first Black American to win an Olympic Winter Games individual gold medal, Jackson made some history of her own by becoming the first Black woman to medal in speedskating. 

Jackson is already a trailblazer, the first Black American woman to qualify for an Olympic team in 2018 and the first to win a world cup, and wants to be a role model for people of color to try not just speedskating but all winter sports.

“Hopefully it has an effect,” Jackson said. “Hopefully we can see more minorities, especially in the USA, getting out and trying some of these winter sports. And I just always hope to be a good example like especially with helping kids see that they don’t have to just choose one between school and sports.”

The latter case is especially relevant to Jackson. Despite already being a graduate of the University of Florida, she’s taking advantage of an opportunity through US Speedskating to take tuition-free classes at a community college near where she trains in Salt Lake City. She’s already completed one associate’s degree and is working on another. 

U.S. national team coach Ryan Shimabukuro knows that Jackson is a great student on the ice, too. She’d have to be to go from purely an inline skater, albeit a champion one, in 2017 to an Olympian the next year in PyeongChang. Jackson placed 24th that year in the infancy of her career.

“She knows how to move on skates pretty well,” Shimabukuro said. “Even though in the beginning it took a while for her to unlearn the technique on wheels, she immersed herself in anything and everything that it took to apply her skating knowledge to ice. And even to this day we’re still working on the finer points of speedskating technique on ice. And she never took that for granted. She never came in with an ego that, ‘Oh I’ve already been at the top of this, I got it.’ No, she was very humble, she was willing to start off at square one.” 

And Sunday almost didn’t happen. Jackson was cruising to a spot on the Olympic team this season, having won four times in the 500 on the world cup circuit and occupying the top spot in the rankings. But she still needed to race her way in at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, needing to finish in the top two. A slip caused her to finish third and leave her on the outside looking in. But teammate and fellow Ocala, Florida, native Brittany Bowe, who had won the 500, offered her place instead. The U.S. would eventually earn a third quota spot, allowing Bowe to race with her friend and teammate Sunday.

“Words cannot explain how proud I am of her,” said Bowe, who finished 16th. “I knew she had the chance to do something really special and she just showed the world why she deserved to be here, and she’s Olympic champion.”

Bowe was one of the first people Jackson celebrated with after the final race.

“Yeah she hugged me, and we cried, and she said she’s really proud of me and I said a lot of thank yous,” Jackson said. “… At the time when she gave up her spot, she didn’t know that we would be getting a third one. So she made a really big sacrifice for me and I’ll be grateful to her forever.”

The journey to arriving at the top of the medal stand was one that Jackson admitted has been a bit of a roller coaster. From her success early in the season when she began to think an Olympic medal was a real possibility to nearly being out of the Olympics to being back in again, it’s all been a part of her unique road to the gold medal.

“It was like happiness, and then stress, and then happiness again,” said Jackson. “It’s all come together, and yeah it’s been a wild ride, but I think that makes it even sweeter.”

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By Jessica Baker

Office of Councilmember 

Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney 

Cincinnati City Councilmember Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney and Hamilton County Commissioners, Cincinnati City Councilmembers, and community members came together on Fountain Square on August 10 for a socially distanced celebration of Duke Ragan and his accomplishment of winning a silver medal in boxing’s featherweight division at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  

The celebration featured proclamations from the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, past Olympic medalists, family members, friends, and supporters. Music was provided by DJ Diamond, as well as a performance by the QKidz. 

Duke Ragan became the first professional boxer to compete at the Olympic Games for Team USA.

The 23-year-old from Cincinnati was one of three professionals on the U.S. Olympic Team alongside Keyshawn Davis and Troy Isley. A Golden Gloves national champion in 2016, Ragan made his world championship debut in 2017 with a silver medal. He turned professional in 2020 and compiled a 4-0 record with one by way of knockout. 

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By: Sarah Dewberry

U.S. wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock made history Tuesday when she became the first American Black woman – and second American woman – to win Olympic gold in the women’s 68-kilogram freestyle final.

According to the Associated Press, Mensah-Stock defeated Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu 4-1 in the final to clinch the gold medal.

After the match, Mensah-Stock, 28, commented on the historical moment of her final with Oborududu.

“These young women are going to see themselves in a number of ways, and they’re going to look up there and go, I can do that,” Mensah-Stock said after the match, according to the AP. “I can see myself.”

Oborududu also made history Tuesday by becoming the first Nigerian athlete to win an Olympic medal in wrestling when she took home silver.

Reposted with permission from WCPO 9 Cincinnati.

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By: The Associated Press & Scripps National

Simone Biles has won a bronze medal in balance beam, her first of the Tokyo Olympics.

The American gymnastics star finished behind gold medalist Guan Chenchen and silver medalist Tang Xijing both of China.

A week after taking herself out of several competitions to focus on her mental health, Biles drilled a slightly altered routine on Tuesday.

Biles, using a routine that ended with a double-pike dismount — no twisting required — posted a score of 14.000.

That was good enough for second after four competitors during the eight-woman final.

Her decision to remove herself from the all-around team competition and several individual events has sparked an international conversation about mental health in athletics.

Biles told the “Today Show” that she’s “extremely proud” of herself and she’s glad she got to compete one last time.

“It means more than all the golds because I’ve pushed through so much the last five years and the last week while I’ve even been here,” Biles told Hoda Kotb.

Reposted with permission from WCPO 9 Cincinnati.

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Wire Services

TOKYO — At the Summer Olympics on June 29, the women’s all-around gymnastics winner was … not Simone Biles.

The title and gold medal went to Sunisa Lee of the U.S.

Biles’ absence hung over one of the most anticipated events at the Games, an event she won at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. Biles withdrew after first dropping out of the women’s team finals, while it was underway, earlier in the week, citing mental health challenges.

But she has acknowledged suffering from a phenomenon known as “the twisties.”

In her one, and perhaps only finals performance of these Olympic Games, Biles launched herself into a vault that, once airborne, would require 2 1/2 twists of her body. As she recounted afterward, it didn’t work.

“I was trying a 2 1/2,” Biles said, “and I ended up doing a 1 1/2. Just got a little bit lost in the air.”

An ocean away, in California, former competitive gymnast Catherine Burns watched and winced. “I know that feeling so deeply in my body,” Burns said, “of being, like, I’m lost, I came out [of the move] too early, where am I? And all of that is happening in the course of split seconds, that recognition of something’s not right and I need to be able to complete the trick without injuring myself.”

Burns competed through high school in gymnastics and diving. She was nowhere near the elite world Biles inhabits. But anyone who has honed their airborne skills in sport can experience the frightening sensation of suddenly being lost in air.

It’s called the twisties.

 “You can get it on twisting moves,” Burns said, “but you can also get it on any kind of rotational move. [And] you can get lost in the air on a really simple trick that you’ve done a thousand times before.”

Burns said gymnasts, especially elite ones, do so much work to be able to gain muscle memory and awareness of knowing where their body is in the air.

“Having that spatial recognition, being able to see yourself doing the trick, it becomes a point where it’s like built into your body,” Burns said, “and you do it sort of without thinking about it cognitively. And then sometimes you get these twisties [and] it’s sort of like a mental block that some people refer to as if you’re starting to cognitively think about [it] again.”

Burns likened it to other things we do over and over, with their execution locked into our muscle memory. Similar to walking down a flight of stairs.

After Biles withdrew from the team final on Sunday, she acknowledged to reporters “having a little bit of the twisties.” And she’s had them before. She told  Olympics.com that at the beginning of 2019, she forgot how to twist and flip.

A teammate from the 2016 Olympics, Laurie Hernandez, called the twisties painful. “Hated it, so much,” Hernandez said, adding, “it actively makes you feel like you’re not the caliber of athlete that you are.”

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