the mad sports man

 We're halfway through the Olympics. Highlights today has athletics beginning, with Jamaica SWEEPING the medal podium in the womens 100m.  Elaine Thompson-Herah winning with an Olympic record time of 10.61, Shelly Anne Fraser-Price with the silver (10.74) and Sherika Jackson with the bronze (10.76).  China and United States are tied with the lead for most medals with 26.  China gets first due to most golds (21-16). Russia is third with 37, Japan is fourth with 30 and Great Britain is 5th with 27.  Canada has 12 medals through 8 days. (3g, 4s, and 5b). Swimming ends tonight and Canada has two more chances to win a medal in the pool and athletics continue. Andre DeGrasse has a chance for a medal in the 100m.

 The swimmer is Kylie Masse. She also set a Canadian record with a time of 2:05.47, and her second medal of the games. That is now 3g, 4s, and 5b for 12 medals.

 A week in already. Canada beat Brazil in an epic (felt like it) penalties. Stephanie Labbe made two hugs stops as Canada won 4-3 in penalties in the quarterfinals. They face the USA, who beat Netherlands in penalties as well.  Other semi final has Sweden vs Australia. Rosie MacLennan finished fourth in trampoline, Penny Oleksiak finished 4th and Mo Ahmed finished 6th in the 10000. Canada finished with 3g, 3s and 5b.

 The women's rowing 8s just won GOOOOOOOLD. Susanne Grainger, Kasia Gruchalla-Vesierski, Kristen Kit (Cox), Madison Mailey, Sydney Payne, Andrea Proske, Lisa Roman, and Avalon Wasteneys led from start to finish winning in 5:59.13.  That is now 3g, 3s, 5b for 11 medals.

 Six days in already. San Marino became the smallest nation to win a medal as Alessandra Perilli won a bronze in trap shooting.  Wow.  Canada women's soccer team plays its quarterfinals game against Brazil at 4am tomorrow and Penny Oleksiak goes for career medal seven in the 100m freestyle tonight at 8pm. Two key times for day 7.  Plus more rowing.  That's all I know for day 7 so far. Canada finished day six with 10 medals. (2g, 3s, 5b).

 The Americans started in the 1925-26 season and their last season was the 1941-42 season. No Stanley Cup finals and got to the semis twice. Thomas Duggan and Bill Dwyer founded the team. When the league expanded to 10 teams, the league went to two divisions. The Americans were put into the Canadian division (which made absolutely no sense). That started their troubles. Them and Boston were the catalysts to the rule prohibiting icing Americans iced the puck 61 times.  Next meeting, Boston iced it 87 times). Over the seasons, lackluster performances, financial difficulties and eventually the second world war severely hindered them.  Dwyer tried selling the team.  When no buyers came, he abandoned them. When the NHL took over operations, Dwyer tried suing. Dwyer and the NHL settled when Dwyer agree if he could pay off all the debts, the team was his again. Dwyer never did so the NHL took over.  NHL asked coach and GM Red Dutton to take over operations.  The f...

 Another bronze, this time it was in the pairs 1000m race as Caileigh Filmer and Hillary Janssens crossed the line 3rd. That is now 2g, 3s and 5b for 10 medals.  Yeeeeeeessssss!!!!!

 The 1941-42 had seven teams and 48 game schedule. Red Dutton becomes owner of the New York Americans and changes it to Brooklyn Americans, hoping to have an attention Brooklyn. By the end of the season, they would suspend operations. The Boston Bruins famous Kraut Line of Milt Schmidt, Bobby Bauer and Woody Dumart enlists in the Royal Canadian Air Force and eventually goes overseas. Boston finishes third as a result. Montreal Canadiens owner Frank Patrick suffers a heart attack and sells his interest in the team. They almost end up moving to Cleveland.  Quarterfinals had Boston beat Chicago 2-1 and Detroit beat Montreal 2-1. Semi finals had Detroit beat Boston 2-0 and Toronto beat New York 4-2. Toronto beats Detroit 4-3 in the Stanley Cup final after they went down 0-3.  Yikes.  It's their 4th championship.

 Geez five days in already. Latvia (men) and USA (women) win 3x3 first gold's, Fiji men defends rugby 7s gold and women rugby 7s begins tomorrow.  Baseball began with Japan beating Dominican Republic 4-3. Canada finishes the day with 2g, 3s, and 4b for 9 medals.  Top five has the USA with 31, China with 27, Russia with 23, Japan with 22 and a tie with Australia and Great Britain with 16.  Day six begins in a few hours.

 Penny Oleksiak just won Canada's 4th bronze of these games, this one in the 200 freestyle.  That is now 2g, 3sand 4b for 9 medals. That is Oleksiak's 6th career Olympic medal and is now Canada's most decorated summer athlete. (Cindy Klassen has six in speed skating and Clara Hughes has 2 on the bike plus 4 in speed skating equalling six). YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!

 A pretty good day 4.  Couple of first and a slight surprise. The surprise being Lydia Jacobs taking gold in 100m breaststroke.  The firsts include: 1. Hidilyn Diaz winning Philippines first ever gold, winning it in weightlifting 2. Flora Duffy winning Bermuda's first ever gold medal, winning the triathlon and 3. Canada winning it's first ever medal in softball.  That was one of four medals won today (Maude Charron in weightlifting, second women's weightlifting champion, Kylie Masse with a silver and Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard a bronze in judo). Day five starts in a few hours.

 Maude Charron is Olympic champion in the 64kg category, lifting 105kg in the snatch and 131 kg in the clean and jerk putting her in the lead. That is now 2g, 3s and 3b for 8 medals. Yeeeees!!!

 This one comes from Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard in the 63kg weight class.  She beat Anriquelis Barrios of Venezuela to get it.  That is now 1g, 3s and 3b for 7 total.

 Canada has just beaten Mexico 3-2 in a pretty good game to win bronze.  First ever medal in this sport.  That is now 1g, 3s, and 2b for 6 medals.  Yes.

 This time it's Kylie Masse in the 100m backstroke.  She led at the split and Kaylee McKeown of Australia beat Masse and set an Olympic record. That is now 1g, 3s and 1b for Canada.

 Day three done.  No real surprises today. Tom Daley of Great Britain finally wins a gold medal in diving.  His first Olympics was 2008.  Skateboarding handed out its first medals. The three medalists on the ladies side, their combined age is 42. 😳. I feel old. Top three in medals are: 1. China with 18 (6g, 5s 7b), 2. United States with 14 (7g, 3s 4b) and 3. Japan with 13 (8g, 2s, 3b). Canada finishes the day with 4 medals won (1g, 2s, 1b). Tomorrow has the threat of a typhoon making landfall. So some sports will be postponed and rescheduled.

 Jessica Klimkait has Canada's 4th medal, this a bronze judo. She beat Kaja Kazjari of Slovenia in the 57kg class. That is 1g, 2s and 1b.  Let's go.

 Maggie Mac Neil had just swam to A GOOOOOOOLD in the 100m butterfly.  55.59 is the winning time.  That is now 1g and 2s. WHEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

 This is remarkable. Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan is competing in her 8th straight Olympic Games.  Her first one was 1992 in Barcelona when she competed for the Commonwealth of Independent States (Soviet Union was already falling apart).  She also competed for Germany.  Oh yeah she is 46. Unreal eh? 

 Day two finished. Couple of surprises. France handed the United States men's basketball team their first loss since the 2004 Athens Olympics with a 83-76 win. 25 straight wins since last loss in the semis in 2004 for the U.S.  Another surprise was Tunisia winning their second ever gold in the pool, courtesy of Ahmed Hafnaoui.  Canada finished the day with two medals, both silvers. China leads the medal haul with 11 medals (6g, 1s, 4b), followed by the United States with 10 medals (4g, 2s, 4b).