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The Torch
1:44 pm
Wed August 8, 2012

How Do You Stack Up Against An Olympic Athlete?

Credit Lars Baron / Getty Images
Weightlifter Kazuomi Ota of Japan takes a moment after failing to lift the required weight in the men's +105kg final in London. At 6 feet and 324 pounds, Ota is one of the largest Olympians.

Sure, you might spend a lot of time on your couch, as you watch the Summer Olympics. And hey, maybe you've drifted a couple pounds above your fighting weight. But there's all kinds of athletes competing in London — one of them has to be around the same size as you, right?

Now you can find that out, thanks to the BBC, whose site has an interactive chart that lets you enter your height and weight — and then tells you which two Olympic athletes you most resemble.

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Sports
12:53 pm
Wed August 8, 2012

Retired basketball players to host legends in New Orleans

The National Basketball Retired Players Association brings its annual Legends World Sports Conference to New Orleans next week.

The annual retreat for NBA, ABA and Harlem Globetrotters alumni will convene Aug. 17 to participate in a host of philanthropic events including giving a $25,000 gift to help rehabilitate basketball courts at Oliver Bush Playground in the Lower Ninth Ward. The group also will visit with patients at Children's Hospital and conduct free basketball and life skills clinics for at-risk youth.

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The Torch
11:49 am
Wed August 8, 2012

Field For Women's 200 Meters Is Loaded With Talent, And Speed

Credit Quinn Rooney / Getty Images
American sprinter Allyson Felix leads the field on her way to winning the women's 200 meters gold medal in London's Olympic Stadium.

Originally published on Mon August 13, 2012 9:29 am

Allyson Felix has won the women's 200 meter race in London's Olympic Stadium, running a time of 21.88. Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce took the silver medal at 22.09, as she wasn't able to track Felix down in the closing stretch.

The four center lanes were stacked with speed, with Jamaica's Fraser-Pryce and defending gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown in lanes 4 and 5, respectively. Just outside of them were Americans Sanya Richards-Ross and Felix, in lanes 6 and 7. And on the outside, in lane 9, was Carmelita Jeter.

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The Torch
11:04 am
Wed August 8, 2012

The Olympic Art of Shushing: Who Decides When Fans Can Be Noisy?

Credit Julian Finney / Getty Images
Fans make some noise as they watch Olympic women's beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade in London. There seems to be little consistency in which sports require quiet from spectators.

Originally published on Wed August 8, 2012 1:25 pm

There seems to be a vague logic that dictates which Olympic sports are conducted against a backdrop of noise, and which operate in a cone of silence.

For the most part, the more a sport depends on a fine motor skill, the quieter the spectators are meant to be. Shooters squeeze triggers before mostly hushed crowds. But in many shooting disciplines, the competitors line up in a group and can shoot at any point during their time allotment. So not only is gunfire ringing in their ears, crowds often become noisy, depending on the results.

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The Torch
9:53 am
Wed August 8, 2012

Rogue Condoms Appear In Olympic Village; Organizers Take Action

Credit Scott Heavey / Getty Images
London Mayor Boris Johnson picks up a packet of Olympic branded condoms during a visit to the Olympic Village last month. Durex, the official Olympic supplier, has sent 150,000 condoms to the village. A bucket of rogue condoms has created a small controversy.

It should come as no surprise that Olympics organizers take brand endorsements and official suppliers very seriously. That extends beyond logos on shorts and shoes — up to, and including, condoms. That's right, the Olympics has an "official" condom — and organizers want to get to the bottom of how a bucket of rogue condoms reached the Olympic Village.

As has happened before at the London Games, it started with a tweet.

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The Torch
8:48 am
Wed August 8, 2012

Let's Catch Up: London Abuzz Over Women's Soccer; Alternate Medal Count

Credit Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
Chinese trampoline gold medalist Dong Dong competes in London. An analysis by Yahoo finds that China's Olympians outpace their U.S. counterparts in judged competitions, such as trampoline and diving.

Good morning. Only five days remain in the Summer Games, and China leads the United States in the medal count, with a total of 73 (34 gold) to America's 71 (30 gold). Here's other news that caught our eye this morning:

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The Torch
7:49 am
Wed August 8, 2012

Coming Up: Wednesday's Big Events At The London Games

Originally published on Wed August 8, 2012 10:02 am

The Olympics' twelfth day features an all-USA showdown in beach volleyball for the gold medal. In all, there are medals up for grabs in 16 events Wednesday. Here are some of the highlights of the action. All times refer to the Eastern time zone:

Athletics

  • 3:05p Women's Long Jump Final
  • 3:10p Men's 200m Semifinals
  • 3:45p Women's 400m Hurdles Final
  • 4:00p Women's 200m Final
  • 4:15p Men's 110m Hurdles Final

Beach Volleyball

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