Posts Tagged ‘olympics’
An actual definition of Columbia’s beloved ‘community?’
Good morning, Columbia! Here’s hoping that no impostors will be bothering us today and we can all return to normalcy.
Read this: The Columbia College Student Council Executive Board takes on the task of defining one of Columbia’s favorite words: community, and how we’re supposed to create it.
Know this: Postcrypt Coffeehouse is doing something new (or old?) this semester—recording its weekly shows, a practice that hasn’t been done in over ten years.
Here’s more: Julie Zeilinger, BC ’15, is a little bit of a feminist celebrity. She recently published “A Little F’d Up: Why Feminism Is Not a Dirty Word,” after already writing her blog, The FBomb, since she was 16.
And one more thing: Read about Nzingha Prescod and Nicole Ross’ preparation for and experiences at the London Olympics. Yes, one of them got started with the sport with inspiration from “The Princess Bride.”
Win a gold medal, get stalked by the paparazzi
Spectator and Spectrum made sure to bring you updates and interviews from Columbia Olympians in our #LondonLions series. Today, we wrap up our coverage with an interview with one of our #LondonLions, gold medalist Caryn Davies.
Getting into and attending Columbia Law School? Pretty impressive.
Doing so while becoming a repeat gold medalist at the Olympics? Wow.
Caryn Davies, Law ’13, received her bachelor’s from Harvard, and is an 11-year veteran of the national rowing team. Davies added a gold medal to her collection this year at the 2012 Olympics in the women’s eight; in 2008, she won a gold in Beijing, and in 2004, she won a silver in Athens.
Davies answered a few of our questions via email. Read more and find out when you can work out with her at Dodge!
1. What was your internal reaction immediately after winning another gold medal and what did you do to celebrate later?
My initial reaction after crossing the finish line was relief. The USA women’s eight has gone undefeated since 2006 and thus we were favored to win gold. I knew we were indeed capable of gold, and I was glad that we were able to execute the race the way we had been practicing.
I actually had a quiet evening with my family after the race. We went out to dinner at a nice restaurant on the Thames and I was back in the Village asleep by midnight. I was too exhausted for any more celebration than that! More »
#LondonLions: Do you have to be insane to run the marathon?
Spectator and Spectrum are here throughout the next two weeks to bring you updates and interviews from Columbia Olympians in our #LondonLions series. Today, we profile one of our #LondonLions, Lisa Stublić. Follow @CU_Spectator and @CUSpecSports to make sure you’re up to date.
Lisa Stublić, CC ’06, is a Croatian marathoner. At Columbia, she trained under head track and field coach Willy Wood, where she made NCAA championships all four years for cross-country, and placed 10th her senior year to earn All-American status. Though American-born, post-graduation she immigrated to her father’s homeland country of Croatia, subsequently joining a track club where she began training for longer distances. In her marathon debut in 2010, Stublić set a Croatian record and earned the Olympic ‘A’ standard to allow her to compete in London.
Stublić is set to race on Sunday, August 5 at 6 a.m. We reached out to Stublić over email and got her to answer a few questions before she left for London.
1. What Olympic athlete are you gonna ask to call you maybe?
I am not going to ask any Olympic athlete to call me. I am already in a very serious relationship, so this is not an interest of mine. More »
#LondonLions: From leading Lions to leading Olympians
Spectator and Spectrum are here throughout the next two weeks to bring you updates and interviews from Columbia Olympians in our #LondonLions series. Today, we profile one of our #LondonLions, fencing head coach Michael Aufrichtig. Follow @CU_Spectator and @CUSpecSports to make sure you’re up to date.
Michael Aufrichtig made a large impact in his first year as head fencing coach at Columbia. Besides helping the men’s team achieve their best finish at the Ivy League Championships in four years, he led the women’s team to be runner-ups for the league title. But before he begins his second season at the helm of Columbia’s fencing program, he has some work to do in London.
Named the fencing coach for the USA modern pentathlon team, Aufrichtig is participating in the Olympics for the first time. Though he won’t be coaching any Lions, Aufrichtig will be seeing Light Blue fencers in the Village, such as foilist Nzingha Prescod, CC’15.
Aufrichtig took time before heading off to London to answer five questions from Spectrum. Look for his answers after the jump. More »
#LondonLions: Hurtault’s waiting for your emails
Spectator and Spectrum are here throughout the next two weeks to bring you updates and interviews from Columbia Olympians in our #LondonLions series. Today, we profile one of our #LondonLions, Erison Hurtault. Follow @CU_Spectator and @CUSpecSportsto make sure you’re up to date.
Erison Hurtault, CC ’07, is representing the Commonwealth of Dominica, running in the Men’s 400m this Saturday, Aug 4. He was also the country’s flag-bearer in the Opening Ceremony. This is his second Olympics, having also run the same event in Beijing in 2008.
Oh, and also, he’s looking for a date when he gets back to NYC. E-mail him maybe! For now, get to know him a little better by checking out his responses to our five questions.
1. So, is it true (that the Olympic Village is a den of sex)?
I have been to a number of villages for major games and have heard a lot of stories. As of now, things are still pretty relaxed here in London, but when more athletes finish competing and start bringing medals back to the village, I’m sure things will get a bit more interesting. More »
Farrag staying focused on target
Spectator and Spectrum are here throughout the next two weeks to bring you updates and interviews from Columbia Olympians in our #LondonLions series. Today, we profile one of our #LondonLions, Sherif Farrag. Follow @CU_Spectator and @CUSpecSports to make sure you’re up to date.
Sherif Farrag (CC ’09) has been training hard over the past year, earning himself a spot at the Olympics. But before he was fencing on the world’s stage, he started off his college career in Morningside Heights living in Carman Hall and studying in Butler.
The two-time Columbia co-captain will represent Egypt in men’s team foil on Sunday, August 5, when Egypt duels Great Britain, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. He was kind enough to take some time off from preparing for competition to answer a few questions for us via email.
1. What Olympic athlete are you gonna ask to call you maybe? More »
What happens in the Olympic Village, stays in the Olympic Village
Spectator and Spectrum are here throughout the next two weeks to bring you updates and interviews from Columbia Olympians in our #LondonLions series. Today, we profile one of our #LondonLions, Jeff Spear. Follow @CU_Spectator and @CUSpecSports to make sure you’re up to date.
Jeff Spear, CC ’10, made his mark on the Columbia with both his brain and his sabre. Now, the alternate athlete for the United States Olympic sabre team hopes to make his mark on an international stage.
The Columbia College salutatorian in 2010, Spear finished his Columbia career with an NCAA individual title and 4.07 GPA, with his only A-minuses coming in Contemporary Civilization.
Now, this part-fencer, part-genius, is enjoying his time in London.
He has also been spending time with fellow Columbia grad James Williams, CC ’07, who won the silver medal in the sabre at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Spear took time out of his busy schedule to answer five questions from Spectrum. See his answers after the jump.
Lions in London: a Spectrum Olympics roundup
Several of Columbia’s very own athletes and coaches have left for the Olympics in London, and we’ll be keeping in touch with them throughout their trips.
But before the Opening Ceremony begins, we thought we’d give you a sneak peek into what it’s like in the Olympic village and let you know when you can see our #LondonLions take the stage!
Jeff Spear, CC ’10, and James Williams, CC ’07, would never violate Olympic rules about paid promotions, but he just wants you to know that he never goes anywhere without his Apple ® iPad ™! (We’re just kidding, of course: This picture was taken last year, during the 2011 World Championships).
Courtesy of Jeff Spear
Nzingha Prescod, CC ’15, is representing the USA in the London Olympics, and is regularly making us jealous of all of the Olympic perks. More »
CCSC class president one day, sharp shooting archer the next
You may know Sarah Chai as the outgoing senior CCSC Class President, but there is so much more to her than that. This feature in today’s paper by Laura Allen takes a look at Chai’s archery prowess, including her quest to to be featured on the US 2012 London Olympics team. Check out the video below to see Chai in action and hear her story in her own words.
Four Columbia fencers will represent the U.S. in the 2012 London Olympics
It was a heartbreaking loss for CU fencing at the Ivy League Championships this past winter, but that won’t keep the Lions from sending four fencers to the Olympics this summer. Nzingha Prescod and Nicole Ross were selected to be a part of the women’s foil team, while Jeff Spear and James Williams will represent the Light Blue in the men’s foil.
Prescod, who is taking a year off before returning to Columbia for her sophomore year in the fall, had already qualified for one of the three Olympic spots due to her success over the past two years—highlighted by a second-place finish at the Pan Am Games.
Ross, who is on leave and will graduate in the fall, appeared to have practically clinched the remaining spot by midday Sunday. But things were not so simple for the Lion, who only needed a top-eight finish to clinch an Olympic position. More »