Olympians say medals from Paris 2024 games deteriorating
Several athletes who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics reported their medals deteriorating just months after the games ended. The French government minted more than 5,000 medals for the 2024 Olympics, including those awarded at the Paralympics.
However, several Olympians have raised concerns about their medals, reporting that they have become chipped, faded and tarnished.
Some athletes had already questioned the quality of the medals before the closing ceremony.
American skateboarder Nyjah Huston shared a photo of his damaged bronze medal on social media. He remarked it looked as though it had “gone to war and back.”
According to French news outlet La Lettre, more than 100 athletes have requested replacements for their damaged awards.
The French Mint, which produced the medals, said it has taken the issue seriously since the first complaints were made in August and has activated its internal teams to investigate the matter.
A spokesperson for the French Mint stated that while they have not disclosed the exact number of damaged medals, they are collaborating with the 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee to address the problem.
The medals drew attention last year because each contains iron from the Eiffel Tower, giving them a distinctive connection to the host city.
Officials in France have confirmed that replacements for the damaged medals will begin to be sent out in the coming weeks. Identical versions will be provided to the affected athletes.
The world of sports certainly had its share of history-making events during 2024. So, like jolly ole’ Santa making his list and checking it twice, let’s look at some of the top sports moments of the year.
Kansas City Chiefs cement their legacy
We begin in February in Las Vegas, when the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl for the second straight season. They beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime, a back-to-back feat that hadn’t been done in 20 years. Yes, you can call them a dynasty. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also won his third Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award. Of course, when asked how he did it, he deflected to his teammates.
“I think it was where we started at. We started in Texas in the off-season,” Mahomes said. “Me meeting a completely new group of receivers and learning. Learning what they do well and what we could get better at and guys leading from there. The guys accepted the challenge. It was a crazy year, and we came out on top, can’t ask for anything more from those guys.”
UConn’s new basketball dynasty
In April, the UConn Huskies went back-to-back. They won their second straight NCAA championship with a blowout win over Purdue in the title game. The Huskies were the first team to win two straight since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007. Not long after the celebration, NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers wooed head coach Dan Hurley, but he chose to remain in Connecticut.
American Olympians shine in Paris
The summer was dominated by the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Team USA fared well and made headlines worldwide. They dominated during track and field events and on the basketball courts, where both the men and women beat the host nation, France, for the gold. There was also a little comedy and tragedy, from the “Pommel Horse Guy” to Raygun’s breakdancing routine. And, of course, there is no forgetting American gymnast Simone Biles, who completed her comeback by winning all-around gold in gymnastics. With 11 total medals, she cemented her legacy as the greatest gymnast ever.
“All in all, I’m super proud of my performance tonight and the fight that I’ve had for the last three years, mentally and physically. Competing on a world stage like the Olympics is an amazing experience and I couldn’t be prouder,” Biles said.
Dodgers win World Series as Ohtani shatters records
Dodgers fans are certainly proud of what their team accomplished in 2024. Led by the incredible, game-changing superstar Shohei Ohtani, they won their eighth world championship. Ohtani’s contribution: becoming the first player in Major League Baseball history to have 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season. Ohtani-mania peaked on Sept. 19 when he hit three homers and stole two bases to surpass both milestones.
College football begins major transformation
College football underwent a few changes in 2024. Not only are we still in the midst of the first 12-team playoff, but getting to that point was certainly unsettling for fans and schools alike. This was the first season without the 108-year-old Pac-12 Conference. Add in the transfer portal and the expansion of name, image and likeness dollars, and the sport’s landscape is now more professional than amateur. Arizona State head coach Ken Dillingham put it all in perspective.
“In today’s landscape of college football, you can’t blame the kids. It’s an adult problem that the kids are just participating in,” Dillingham said. “That’s why everyone who leaves, I’m supportive, everyone who stays, I’m supportive. I just want what’s best for our team, so we’ll just take it one day at a time and see where we end up.”
Caitlin Clark puts women’s basketball back on the map
Finally, there was no bigger story in 2024 than women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark. She set the NCAA all-time scoring record, men or women, while leading the Iowa Hawkeyes to the national women’s college basketball title game. She came to symbolize the emergence of women’s sports and society’s gender debate. Few athletes have entered the professional ranks with bigger expectations and scrutiny. Despite that, she set multiple rookie records while leading the Indiana Fever to the WNBA playoffs. On Tuesday, Dec. 24, Clark was named AP Female Athlete of the Year for her play and for leading the WNBA to viewership and attendance records.
“Playing at home in front of these fans and seeing the way the young girls dangle over the rail and some are so happy, and people are crying, and you understand the impact that you have on people’s lives and that’s what’s so cool about it for myself,” Clark said.
Australian breakdancer Raygun reveals she is retiring following backlash
As reported on Thursday, Nov. 7, Raygun, the Australian breakdancer, who gained instant fame during the 2024 Olympic Games said she’s retiring from the sport, citing backlash online and beyond. Raygun, whose real name is Rachel Gunn, broke the news on an Australian podcast this week.
She told the hosts that she wouldn’t compete in the Olympics again if given the chance. She said that she still breaks but doesn’t plan to participate competitively.
“I’m not going to compete anymore, no, no,” Gunn said.
Gunn notably failed to score a single point in the Olympic competition. Online reaction to her performance was swift from gifs of Gunn’s dance moves.
In the weeks following her performance in August, the negative criticism turned into a movement. A Change.org petition was even created to get answers about the selection process for breaking during the Summer Games.
Gunn said everything from hate mail to conspiracy theories took all of the fun out of competing in the sport.
Although breaking is not on the schedule for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Gunn said she won’t be breaking competitively anymore. Instead, she will just be doing it for fun and encouraging others to get out and bust a move.
Gunn said she’s kept her head up reading messages of support from fans and blocking out the negativity.
Despite her lack of success in Paris, Gunn represented Australia in the World Championships three times and won the Oceania Breaking Championships last year.
Paris saw nearly 20,000 people displaced before Olympic Games: Report
A coalition of more than 100 community groups accused Parisian authorities on Monday, Nov. 4, of removing nearly 20,000 people including 4,500 minors from shelters and tents to make way for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Monday, Nov. 4. The advocacy coalition is now calling for the Olympic hosting model to be reevaluated and suggesting a permanent site for future Olympic Games as well as for authorities to take steps to prevent forced removals.
The group’s data showed evictions grew by 41% from April 2023 to September 2024 compared to the same period in 2021 and 2022.
Advocates for the homeless community say forced removals amount to “social cleansing,” alleging it was a concerted effort to keep migrants and squatters out of the view of the Olympic Games, facilities and Olympic sites.
The report did note that the numbers of those displaced may be inflated because some people may have been evicted several times.
Straight Arrow News reported in July about efforts by the French government to bus out homeless migrants ahead of the Olympics. Around 5,000 people were reportedly evicted under a program busing homeless migrants out of Paris and into other French towns.
French President Emmanuel Macron claimed the program was voluntary and denied the effort was connect to the Olympic Games.
Korean Olympic pistol shooter Kim Yeji lands acting role — as an assassin
A South Korean pistol shooter who captured the internet’s attention with her silver medal performance at the Summer Olympics is now stepping into the world of acting. Kim Yeji has landed her first role in a movie, and she’s to play an assassin.
Indian actor Anushka Sen took to Instagram to express her excitement to work together on their upcoming action movie, “Crush.” The entertainment firm behind the film said it’s excited to see the chemistry between Yeji and Sen in their new roles as a “killer duo.”
Kim became an online sensation for her signature style during the Games, a black tracksuit, baseball cap worn backwards and her cyborg-like shooting glasses. She fired the weapon with a hand resting casually on her hip, all while a plush elephant dangled from her wristband.
Some fans thought she was born for the action movie scene.
X owner Elon Musk posted to his website, saying “She should be cast in an action movie. No acting required!”
It seems the prediction has come true. Since going viral, she’s signed with a talent agency and has already done photoshoots with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Givenchy. Despite her new ventures, Kim’s athletics career is still her top priority.
Along with her Olympic silver medal, she recently won gold and set a world record in the 25-meter pistol event at the International Shooting Sport Federation World Championships.
Nike rehires 1988 intern as next CEO. Here are Elliott Hill’s first hurdles.
Nike’s new CEO has a lot of ground to make up. On Thursday, Sept. 19, the company announced the sudden retirement of four-year CEO John Donahoe, while Elliott Hill will be returning from retirement to lead the company.
Hill last led commercial and marketing operations for Nike and the Jordan brand in 2020. He spent 32 years with the company, from intern to now-incoming CEO. He starts the job on Oct. 14.
Nike complimented Donahoe for leading the company through the pandemic, but in a lot of areas, Nike has been lapped by competitors under Donahoe’s reign. In the past year alone, Nike’s stock has fallen as much as 42% off its 52-week peak.
Donahoe’s resume includes CEO of eBay and software company ServiceNow. But during his time at Nike, analysts say his focus was too much on selling directly to consumers and not enough on providing them with new, innovative products to buy.
His marketing approach appears to have also fallen flat in the age of social media.
“Our experience has been when we launch these big moments in sport, we then cascade them down to consumers all over the world,” Donahoe said in April.
Yes, Nike has the record-breaking marathon shoe, the Alphafly 3. But that success didn’t necessarily cascade down. Nike’s often losing the race in consumer running shoes to cult running brands Hoka and On.
It’s not just a Nike problem. There’s real momentum behind smaller brands with spot-on marketing. Take Vuori, the athletic fashion brand stealing market share from lululemon. The brand partnered with more than 400 college athletes last year; most notably, LSU gymnast and social media sensation Livvy Dunne.
“If you think about it, before social media, athletes needed Nike to build their brand. Pause for a moment on that one,” Hill said in an interview last year. “So athletes wanted to be a part of Nike because Nike would help showcase them and build their brand. Today, they want Nike; they don’t have to have Nike. They can build their brand through social media and whatnot.”
Nike hopes the re-hiring of Hill will kick brand excitement into another gear. Who better than someone who’s been digging into the brand’s marketing since he was an Ohio University graduate student in the ’80s?
“I take a sports marketing class and do a paper on Nike, literally, just by chance,” Hill said of his graduate school days. “I love the brand, I love the product, and I write this paper on Nike about their evolution of their marketing funds. They started doing athletes first and then print and started to move into some TV.
“I did this paper and by chance, a month later, someone from Nike by name of Tim Joyce speaks at the university. And I went up to him after I just said, ‘Hey, I want to work for Nike.’ He said if you want to work for Nike, meet me at this cafe. I put on my suit and met him. There’s a whole story about that, but I bothered him for about six months until he finally hired me.”
Nike’s stock surged 10% when the company announced the 1988 intern was taking the company’s top job.
Suspect in Trump apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
New details emerge on the suspect in the second apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, including how long he went undetected near the former president’s golf club. And Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been arrested on federal charges. We have the latest on what’s ahead for the hip hop mogul. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
Suspect in apparent assassination attempt went undetected for 12 hours
Authorities said the suspect in this past weekend’s apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump went undetected near Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida for 12 hours before being noticed by a Secret Service agent. The suspect was caught pointing a rifle through the bushes.
The agent fired at the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, who fled the scene only to be taken into custody a short time later. A local sheriff’s office released body camera video showing his arrest.
Routh was charged Monday, Sept. 16, with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He did not enter a plea during an appearance in a federal courtroom.
In a Monday afternoon press conference, Secret Service Acting Director Ron Rowe, Jr. said Routh did not fire any shots at the agent and never had Trump in his line of sight.
Rowe and the FBI agent in charge, Jeffrey Veltri, said so far, there is no evidence showing the suspect knew Trump would be golfing that day. Veltri went into detail about the suspect’s criminal past.
“In 2002, as the United States attorney mentioned, the subject was charged and convicted in North Carolina for possession of a weapon of mass destruction,” Veltri said. “Law enforcement checks also revealed that from 1997 to 2010, the subject had numerous felony charges for stolen goods. I can also share with you that he was the subject of a previously closed 2019 tip to the FBI where it was alleged he was a felon in possession of a firearm.”
Veltri said the FBI passed along that information to authorities in Hawaii, where Routh lived. Rowe told reporters Trump’s plans to play golf on Sunday were “off-the-record” – meaning it was not part of the former president’s official schedule.
As new questions emerge about the Secret Service’s effectiveness following the second assassination attempt in just over two months, Rowe defended his agents, saying they were “rising for this moment.”
“Yesterday afternoon, this country was reminded of the heightened and dynamic threat environment that the United States Secret Service and its protectees face on a daily basis,” Rowe said. “Immediately following the assassination attempt of former President Donald J. Trump on July 13th, the Secret Service moved to increase assets to an already enhanced security posture for the former president.”
Rowe said the “highest levels of protection” were in place for the former president – as directed by President Joe Biden – including “counter-sniper team elements.”
Speaking to reporters on his way to an event in Philadelphia Monday, Biden said the Secret Service “needs more help.” A White House official said President Biden spoke to Trump on the phone Monday, conveying his relief that the former president was safe.
During an appearance on the social media site X Monday night, Trump spoke about hearing the gunshots fired by the Secret Service. He said the agent did a “fantastic job” and joked that he “would have liked to have sank that last putt.”
Routh’s next court appearance is set for Sept. 23 for a pre-detention hearing. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 30. Routh remains in custody as authorities continue their investigation.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrested on federal charges in New York
Hip hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested on federal charges on Monday night. Sources close to the matter tell media outlets Diddy was not expecting the arrest.
Homeland Security took him into custody at the Park Hyatt Hotel on 57th Street in Manhattan.
It’s not yet clear what federal charges he’s facing. The indictment is expected to be unsealed Tuesday, Sept. 17, at his arraignment.
Combs is facing multiple sexual assault lawsuits and has been the subject of a federal human trafficking probe in the last year, which is why Homeland Security is involved. His lawyers said he has been cooperating with investigators.
Former lead engineer felt pressure to get ‘Titan’ ready
Tuesday is day two of the Coast Guard’s hearing into the Titan submersible implosion that killed all five people on board.
Monday, we learned one of the last messages sent from the doomed vessel, indicated there were no concerns. It read “all good here.” That text message was shown during a recreation of the submersible’s trip to the Titanic wreckage at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in June 2023.
It came not long before the watercraft imploded, leaving all five people on board dead, including Stockton Rush — the co-founder of OceanGate, the company that owned the Titan.
The lead engineer for the vessel testified at Monday’s hearing saying he felt pressured by Rush to get it ready for the trip.
Former OceanGate Engineering Director Tony Nissen testified he stopped the submersible from going to the Titanic in 2019, telling Rush it was “not working like we thought it would.” Nissen was fired that year.
OceanGate’s co-founder, former operations director, and former scientific director are also supposed to testify in the hearing, which is expected to last about two weeks.
Meta bans Russian state media over ‘foreign interference activity’
Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has banned Russian state media broadcaster RT, along with several other Kremlin-controlled outlets. Meta accuses them of using deceptive tactics to covertly influence operations online.
Before it was banned on Monday, RT had 7.2 followers on Facebook and one million on Instagram.
Meta’s move comes days after the Justice Department announced charges against two RT employees for funneling nearly $10 million into a U.S. company to create and promote content aligning with Russian interests.
Amazon ending remote work starting next year
Almost five years after the COVID-19 pandemic swept and ravaged the nation, as well as the world, and led to many people working from their homes, Amazon is ending remote work. Starting next year, corporate employees will be required to be back in the office five days a week.
This is the latest update to Amazon’s rules regarding remote work. Last year, the company changed its policy to mandate employees come back to the office at least three days a week.
Amazon has supposedly been marred by an inability to get things done with lots of meetings and layers of approval. CEO Andy Jassy called out that culture in a note to workers saying there are “pre-meetings for the pre-meetings for the decision meetings, a longer line of managers feeling like they need to review a topic before it moves forward.”
Jordan Chiles files appeal after being stripped of bronze medal
Chiles’ first individual Olympic medal was rescinded after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that her coach filed an inquiry during the floor exercises, which propelled Chiles to third place. But it was a few seconds too late.
Chiles has now appealed her case to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee supports Chiles and said they are determined to see she gets the recognition she deserves.
French authorities reveal they foiled 3 terror plots targeting Olympics
The 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Paris went on without any major act of terror, and reports on Wednesday, Sept. 11, seem to indicate that is likely due to the work of French intelligence. France’s National Counterterrorism Prosecutor Oliver Christensen has announced that the country’s authorities foiled three terror plots targeting the Games in Paris.
The plots reportedly included plans to strike “Israeli institutions or representatives,” but Christensen said the threats did not directly involve the Israeli Olympic team. Five people were reportedly arrested in connection with the thwarted terror plots, including a minor.
The Games took place as wars in Gaza and Russia’s war in Ukraine continued.
Meanwhile, France went on high security alert months before the Olympic Games, performing 936 house searches so far this year, which is up from 153 in 2023. The country also strengthened its air defenses over Paris with attack helicopters and surveillance aircraft.
France’s interior minister repeatedly warned of threats from Islamic extremists and cyberattacks from Russia or other enemies.
In May, an 18-year-old man from Chechnya was arrested for allegedly planning to attack Olympic soccer events just outside of Paris. He reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
French authorities said that the majority of the threats they stopped were from Jihadists, and Christensen cautioned that the Islamic State group is continuing to “spread propaganda” in France.
Australian breakdancer Raygun responds to Olympic performance backlash
Australian breakdancer Rachel Gunn, widely known by her stage name “Raygun,” has spoken out for the first time about the significant backlash she received following her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In an interview with Channel 10, Gunn discussed the criticism and allegations that emerged after her appearance at the Games.
Gunn, who represented Australia in breakdancing’s Olympic debut, revealed that she was advised by her media liaison to step away from social media due to the mounting negative reactions.
“As soon as I finished my rounds, my media liaison from the [Australian Olympic Committee] said, ‘Oh, there’s a bit of a storm brewing on social media. You might want to go off socials,’” Gunn recounted. “And then I did preview some comments, and I was like, ‘Oh no.’”
The backlash against Gunn was wide-ranging. In addition to critics of her breaking abilities, she faced accusations of manipulating the qualifying process to secure her spot in the Olympics and performing poorly on purpose during the competition.
In her interview, Gunn expressed her disappointment with the response, emphasizing that her approach was not unusual within the breaking community.
“It was really sad how much hate that it did evoke,” she said. “In the breaking community, what I did actually wasn’t very shocking. You know, it’s just a different approach in breaking.”
Gunn also firmly denied what she called “conspiracy theories” that suggested she had manipulated the entry process in her favor or intentionally underperformed.
“That was really upsetting because it wasn’t just people that didn’t understand breaking and were angry about my performance. It was people that are now attacking our reputation and our integrity,” she explained.
Looking ahead, breakdancing will not be returning to the Olympic stage in 2028 when the Games take place in Los Angeles, and Gunn says she has no immediate plans to compete again.
“I’m really happy that it gets to go back to being my medicine. I can kind of finally feel free again,” she said.
The battle against misinformation: Weapons and Warfare
This week on Weapons and Warfare, the team dives into the battle against misinformation. Host Ryan Robertson visited with intelligence analyst and YouTube content creator Ryan McBeth to talk about his battle against misinformation and how he thinks the U.S. and its allies need to deal with bad actors.
