The AP has been documenting and visualizing the toll the Russia-Ukraine war has had on Ukrainian athletes, coaches and sports facilities ahead of the Paris Olympics. You can view the series here. CHORNOMORSK, Ukraine (AP) — When Oleksandra Paskal first took to the mat as a 4-year-old, her rhythmic gymnastics coach saw nothing but potential in a sport where the Olympics is the ultimate goal. Then a Russian missile crushed her summer house in the southern Odesa region, burying her beneath the debris and severing her left leg.Oleksandra’s coach, Inga Kovalchuk, prides herself on her ability to spot the future.…

Nastia Liukin is one of the few people who knows what the five athletes on the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team are about to experience in Paris at the 2024 Summer Games later this month. “You’re part of this family forever, and no matter how many years pass, it’s like there’s a common appreciation and respect for one another based upon you knowing exactly what it takes to get to where they are right now,” the retired gymnast, 34, tells PEOPLE. “I’m so grateful for what the sport and the Olympics gave me, these sisters that I have forever. And I…

(Reuters) – Gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Katie Ledecky headline a 592- member U.S. Olympic team that will again be targeting the top of the medals table at the Paris Games starting this month.Ledecky, winner of 10 Olympic medals and Biles, rated the top woman gymnast of all-time, are only two of 66 Olympic champions and 250 returning Olympians in a powerhouse U.S. squad named on Wednesday.At the Tokyo Olympics, the U.S. won 39 gold, one more than China, and returned home with a Games best 113 medals in total.”These remarkable 592 athletes of Team USA have demonstrated unparalleled dedication…

July 11, 2024, 6:00 AM EDTBy Kaetlyn LiddyThe Paris Olympics is expected to belong to Simone Biles.But if there’s one person who could spoil the party for the American gymnast, it’s Brazilian phenom Rebeca Andrade.Andrade, 25, became a household name in Brazil after she won two medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games.At the coming Paris Olympics, Andrade and Biles are expected to face off for gold in the all-around, vault and floor finals. While they have competed against each other before, Paris is set to be the first Olympic showdown with both of them at peak form.Andrade has been teasing…

With just over two weeks to go before the Olympics, one question pops up about the absence of the Gymnastics squad from the list of Indian contingent going to the Paris Olympics.Why are there no Indian gymnasts in Paris?For the first time in 12 years, there will not be an Indian representative in gymnastics, with both the Tokyo and Rio Olympics seeing an Indian participating in the event.Into the history books Dipa Karmakar scripted history back in 2016 when the then 24-year-old became the first ever Indian female gymnast to compete at the Olympics and the first Indi to qualify for…

CORVALLIS — Jade Carey will be seeking something rather unexpected when she travels to Paris later this month for the 2024 Summer Olympics.Redemption.While everyone remembers that the most decorated gymnast in Oregon State history won a gold medal at the last Summer Games, Carey recalls that she also flopped in the vault.While most remember that she participated on a United States team that earned a silver medal, she recalls that she did so as an individual competitor rather than as a part of the team competition.And while many remember the cornucopia of medals she has earned from various elite and…

Olivia Dunne turned the red carpet into her own fashion runway at the 2024 ESPY Awards. The LSU gymnast, social media personality and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model commanded attention and confidence at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 11, as she posed for photographers in a gorgeous gold pleated gown featuring a long, twirl-worthy skirt and halter neckline with a cutout. style on July 11. Dunne told PEOPLE on the red carpet it took her 2.5 hours to get ready for the event, and she was thrilled to be there with her LSU teammates. “They deserve all…