Olympic Spirit Burns Strongly With Luz Long

JESSE OWENS is probably the most celebrated black American athlete prior to 1950. In the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, he captured international attention by winning four gold medals - the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and the 4×100 meter relay team.

In 1935, a year preceding the Olympics, Owens’ astounded the world in a Big Ten meet. In a remarkable span of 45minutes, he set three world records in the long jump, 220 yard sprint (equivalent to the 200m sprint), 220 yard low hurdles, and equaled the record for 100 yard sprint (91m).

Yet Owens’ unprecedented Golds in the sprint and long jump events in the 1936 Olympics would not have materialized if not for amazing Olympic Spirit displayed by Luz Long.

Luz Long and Jesse Owens were considered the favorites in the 1936 Long Jump event. In the preliminary rounds, Luz Long found himself clearing the distance required easily. Owens, his strongest competitor in the event, had fouled on his first two jumps and was on the brink of elimination from the finals. Read more

Reviews Of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Moments

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Momentsallows you a glimpse of what goes on in the minds of one of the world’s greatest footballers, if not the greatest.

This book was not meant to be an autobiography, and it should not be since Ronaldo is only 23 years old, a tad too young for writing autobiography. It however detailed Ronaldo’s rise to success, the kind of routines he adopted that made him such a special player, how he bounced back from World Cup 2006 and finally about his relationships with his family. Read more

Wimbledon 2008 Mens Singles Final: Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal

Both men are seeking history in their right. Roger Federer is bidding to be the first man since Bjorn Borg to win sixth consecutive Wimbledon titles, and Rafael Nadal will want to be the first man since Bjorn Borg to win the demanding French Open and Wimbledon in the same calender year.

1st set
Both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were displaying amazing forehand that were impossibly placed. The difference was that Roger Federer made at least three back hand unforced errors. His languid style almost seems to suggest that he was more concerned with fine tuning his back hand than whether the ball was in or not.

Federer serve and volley was working to perfection. He won almost every point that he came to the net. However Federer still trailed 5-4 due to a break in serve by Nadal in the third game.

He had three break points in this game but he seemed almost too eager to convert them. His anxiety got the better of him, and he couldn’t convert the break points, handing the set to Nadal. Read more

Awkward Ending to Wimbledon 2008 Finals: Venus vs. Serena Williams

With Championship point, and Venus holding serve, Serena could only hit a return wide, handing the All England Club title to Venus Williams.

As with any Williams’s games, powerful serves were the order of the day. The match was evenly balanced in powerful serves, and baseline returns. That Venus won is more attributed to her grit and determination to get to the balls, and her break point conversions (Venus won 4 of 7 break points, while Serena could only managed 2 of 13).

Serena perhaps conceded the match after the first set. In the second set, she displayed rather negative body language, hanging her head low after each unforced error or winners by Venus. She could even be heard asking herself “Why?”. The importance of body language in sports could never be underestimated.

The end of the competitive game started an awkward ceremony presentation. Other than a short hug right after the last point, Venus and Serena hardly made any eye contact through the rest of the Championship ceremony. Serena was particularly solemn, and constantly hung her head low. Read more

Michael Jordan On His Quest For Improvement

Michael Jordan is recognized as one of the hardest working athletes ever. He is worshipped not only for his divine basketball skills, but by his attitude towards the game.

Jordan is obviously known for his scoring ability, but do you know that he is also the only player in NBA to win the Defensive Player Of The Year award as well as the League MVP in the same year?

Jordan seeks constant improvement to his game. His defense and play-making were not outstanding in the initial years, but he made conscious effort to improve them. His quest for improvement probably made him the most complete player ever to play the game.

This video illustrates Michael Jordan’s determination to constantly improve his game.

“The Day I Stopped Improving, Is The Day I Walk Away From The Game”
by Michael Jordan

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