Looking back at how last Olympics in Paris helped lead to one of most acclaimed sports movies ever
This isn’t the 100th anniversary of the iconic movie “Chariots of Fire,” which was released in 1981.
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But it is the 100th anniversary of the true story that formed the basis of the legendary film, which took place the last time the Olympics were in Paris.
The movie is about two runners from Great Britain, Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, who came from different backgrounds, but had the same running talent and ambition to win gold medals.
Liddell, a devout Christian who ran for the glory of God and eventually became a missionary in China, won the gold medal in the 400 meter dash. He refused to run in his best race, the 100 meters, because one of the qualifying heats took place on a Sunday.
Abrahams, a Jew who ran to overcome antisemitism, won the gold medal in the 100 meter dash to become the fastest man in the world.
The movie ended up winning four Academy awards and made the two athletes legends. This summer, their fame will likely be rekindled 100 years after winning gold medals and ultimately inspiring one of the great sports films of all-time.
U.S. weightlifting team finalized
The final roster for the U.S. weightlifting team was announced last Friday, with five athletes chosen to represent the country in Paris.
The men will be represented by Hampton Morris and Wes Kitts, who will look to become the first American male weightlifters to win a medal at an Olympics since 1984.
The 20-year-old Morris, the current world record holder in the clean and jerk at 61 kilograms, has the best chance of ending that medal drought.
The three American women who will compete are Jourdan Delacruz, Olivia Reeves and Mary Theisen-Lappen. The three will look to follow in the footsteps of Kate Nye and Sarah Nobles, who each medaled in Tokyo back in 2021.
Oldest ever gymnast to miss Olympics for first time since 1992
One of the greatest streaks of longevity in any Olympic sport will come to an end in Paris.
Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan, who in Tokyo became the oldest female gymnast to compete in an Olympic games at the age of 46, suffered an injury during her final Olympic qualifying opportunity at the Asian Championships in Uzbekistan.
That means the 48-year-old Chusovitina won’t be able to head to Paris and continue a remarkable streak of longevity that started when she competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics for the Unified Team.
Chusovitina represented Germany at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics after moving to that country to help be with her son while he underwent treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia. She then changed her nationality back to Uzbekistan and represented that nation in 2016 and 2020.
In other gymnastics news, another veteran gymnast who was looking to get back to the Olympics, American Gabby Douglas, ended her bid for Paris on Tuesday when she pulled out of the upcoming U.S. gymnastics championships due to an ankle injury.
The 28-year-old Douglas was attempting a comeback after last appearing at an Olympics in 2016. At the 2012 London Games, Douglas became the first Black gymnast to win the Olympic all-around title.
Douglas said she plans on training for a chance to compete at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.