Where Do Olympians Go When The Olympics End

Growing ranks of Olympians are choosing to run off with the circus when their bodies no longer allow them to compete. For former gymnasts, divers and synchronized swimmers, Cirque du Soleil is offering many a chance to show off their skills.

The Guy In The Clown Nose? He's An Olympian -- Wall Street Journal

Terry Bartlett is a world-class gymnast who leapt, tumbled and swung for the glory of Great Britain in three Olympic Games.

Today, he is also a world-class clown. Ten times a week, he dons a red nose and floppy shoes to elicit chuckles at "O," a Las Vegas water-themed circus run by Cirque du Soleil.

"It's better than having a real job," says the 48-year-old Bartlett.

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My Comment: This is one of the many reasons why I love living in Montreal .... Cirque Soleil has a top in the old Port where many of these performances are held.

The Summer Olympics: 1896 vs. 2012

Summer Olympics: 1896 vs. 2012 -- Discovery News

With 116 years separating the first moden Olympics from this year's games, there are bound to be some noticeable changes between the two. Aside from archived photos of the Olympics, one of clearest windows into the first modern Olympics held in 1896 is from G. S. Robertson in an essay titled, "An Englishman at the first modern Olympics" (via Longform.org).

Robertson's account of the 1896 paints a picture of an Olympics in its infancy that, while grappling with the challenges of hosting an international competition without the benefits of modern telecommunications or transporation, still manages to capture what would be described in later generations as the Olympic spirit.

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My Comment: The Olympics have certainly changed over the years.

How Science Can Be Used To Predict Which Olympic Events Will Be The Most Exciting To Watch

How Science Predicts Which Olympic Events Will Be The Most Exciting To Watch -- Popular Science

You can't watch everything, so let an analysis of physics data guide you to this summer's most competitive events.

The Olympics represent something very special in the culture of sport, but from a viewing perspective they are a logistical nightmare. Multiple events play out at the same time, forcing you to pick and choose between your favorite events. Where will the next dazzling, record-breaking performance take place? Will someone rob Usain Bolt of his 100-meter record? Will there be a Kerri Strug moment in the gym? There's no way to to tune into the Games with absolute certainty that you'll see something historic, but Steve Haake thinks you can increase your chances. Science can tell us where we’re most likely to see the closest competitions or record-breaking performances, and where we’re least likely to see anything exciting at all.

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My Comment: Women's beach volleyball is where all the action is. :)

How The Drug Cheats Will Be Caught Durng London 2012

How London 2012 Will Beat The Drug Cheats -- The Telegraph

The very latest technology is being used to make this year’s Olympics the cleanest ever, reports Roger Highfield.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the use of performance-enhancing substances is as old as the Olympic Games themselves. From 776 BC, when they began in Olympia, until 394AD, when the pagan festival was suppressed in the name of Christianity, athletes boosted their performance with hallucinogenic mushrooms, plants and mixtures of wine and herbs.

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My Comment: The drug cheats are still going to try and cheat.

Olympic timing a high-tech affair

From CNET:

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--Less than a century ago, the timing of downhill skiing required someone at the top and bottom of the run, each with a stopwatch synchronized to the time of day.

Every few skiers, the timer at the top would send down a piece of paper with the start times of the last few skiers and then some math would ensue, eventually resulting in the time of the run being calculated.

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Inside The Olympics' 'Mission Control'

Magnus Alvarsson, chief integrator for technology consultant Atos Origin, says that he is practically bored with all the computer systems running so smoothly. Photo by Ina Fried/CNET

From CNET:

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--While the Winter Olympics have brought many headaches for organizers, the computing systems haven't been one of them.

In fact, things have been pretty quiet inside the low-rise building in east Vancouver where the technology operations are headquartered.

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