-- FanHouse

Synchronized 'Homies' and Other Fun Memories From an Olympic Insomniac

Posted: Aug 25th 2008 3:20PM ET by Tom Herrera (RSS feed)
Filed under: Beijing, China, USA, Attractive Olympians

For most people, the dust is already settling on all the extravagant Olympic action, but this sports graveyard desk editor is still riding high from sixteen sleepless days of swimming, more swimming, and the occasional taekwondo kick to the face. You want a unique perspective on the Beijing Games? This is the place to be. Just don't expect there to be any fresh coffee.

Michael Phelps is signing an endorsement deal for IHOP somewhere in exchange for free 5,000-calorie breakfasts for life.

Usain Bolt is concocting new ways to hot dog and high-step so he'll have some records left to break in 2012.

And I'm somehow still awake watching NBC replay the closing ceremony and Turkish oil wrestling highlights (now there's the next event!)

Spending the majority of the past sixteen days engulfed in Olympic coverage wasn't always a treat, but the memories I'll take with me will last a lifetime ... or at least four more years.

The visual treasures embedded in my mind aren't what you'd expect them to be. Phelps' record-breaking eight gold medals? Definitely wasn't a cakewalk, but we saw it coming. Bolt's ridonkulous sprints to history? Dude, his last name is Bolt.

Spanish synchronized swimmers dressed in 'gangsta' outfits, on the other hand? Now there's something I'm never going to forget, or hopefully see again for the rest of my life.

So let's toss the "memorable performances" and "winners and losers" aside for now. Here are my selections for the "Sweet 16" -- the lasting images that are off the beaten path ...

Olympics: Allyson Felix on the Run

Posted: Jul 28th 2008 2:35PM ET by Elie Seckbach (RSS feed)
Filed under: USA, Attractive Olympians

4 COMMENTS

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

In this exclusive video, we talk to one of the fastest people on the planet, Allyson Felix. Despite being a two-time World Champion, Allyson says she's much more popular overseas than here at home. In the upcoming Olympics, Allyson will represent Team USA in the 200-meter dash, where she won the Silver last time. Around 1:50 into the video find out the five things she can't live without.

Youtube link.

Attractive Olympian Bracketology: Inside the Women's Elite Eight

Posted: Jul 17th 2008 6:00AM ET by Matt Ufford (RSS feed)
Filed under: Attractive Olympians

3 COMMENTS

Olympic athletes often don't get paid to do anything other than look good. In that vein, Attractive Olympians handicaps which athletes may rake in endorsement deals after the Olympics

(The diverse field of semifinalists in the Bombshell Regional)

In our ongoing quest to determine this summer's hottest Olympian, last week's Sexy Sixteen matchups were even more humdrum than the first-round results, delivering zero surprises in a series of blowouts.

This week's A.O. Bracketology will recap last week's voting and preview this week's contests, including the all-swimmer battle between Natalie Coughlin and Stephanie Rice and the showdown pitting two of sports' most famous beauties: Jennie Finch and Maria Sharapova. Go HERE to vote.

Attractive Olympian Bracketology: Inside the Women's Sexy Sixteen

Posted: Jul 10th 2008 6:00AM ET by Matt Ufford (RSS feed)
Filed under: Attractive Olympians

13 COMMENTS

Olympic athletes often don't get paid to do anything other than look good. In that vein, Attractive Olympians handicaps which athletes may rake in endorsement deals after the Olympics.

Last week's first-round matchups in the Attractive Olympians' women's bracket produced few surprises: just two upsets, and very few close contests.

This week's installment of A.O. Bracketology will review the narrowest victories and preview this week's battles. Can Laure Manaudou's lascivious bedroom behavior push her past popular Maria Sharapova? Can Ana Ivanovic's FHM spread help her topple superhot juggernaut Jennie Finch? Is judging the looks of athletic women while I type in my underwear affecting my ability to have a normal relationship? Your votes solve the mysteries!

Attractive Olympian Bracket Breakdown: Female Division

Posted: Jul 3rd 2008 8:57AM ET by Matt Ufford (RSS feed)
Filed under: Women's Sports, Beijing, USA, Attractive Olympians

0 COMMENTS

Olympic athletes often don't get paid to do anything other than look good. In that vein, Attractive Olympians handicaps which athletes may rake in endorsement deals after the Olympics.

Lest anyone think that there wasn't a point to all these Attractive Olympian posts, fear not: all of your voting in the preliminary posts has paved the way for YET MORE VOTING, as we at FanHouse have tallied up the averages of the 32 women to receive your scrutiny and used those scores to seed the ladies accordingly (For those more interested in marginalizing sexy male athletes, I direct you to this gallery).

The field is American-heavy, but our excuses, in order, are (a) this is an American blog, and (b) Americans are naturally better-looking than everyone else. Just ask the voters: eight of the top ten spots are occupied by Americans, and the populace seems to favor -- this may shock you -- blonde Caucasian women.

There are, of course, questions about the tourney's selection committee: Why choose Australian hurdler Sally McLellan (who finished dead last) and not Swedish hurdler Susanna Kallur? Why Argentine field hockey player Luciana Aymar and not her busty teammate Magdalena Aicega? Why Misty May-Treanor and not any other on a long list of beach volleyball players? The answer is simple: there's a massive sports blogging conspiracy to make sure your favorite hot athletes get ignored in this hypothetical tournament that offers no spoils to the victor whatsoever.

To vote now, go here. For a deeper look at the field, continue reading.

Attractive Olympian: Basketball Player and Alleged Traitor Becky Hammon

Posted: Jun 24th 2008 6:15PM ET by Matt Ufford (RSS feed)
Filed under: Women's Sports, Beijing, Attractive Olympians

9 COMMENTS

Olympic athletes often don't get paid to do anything other than look good. In that vein, Attractive Olympians handicaps which athletes may rake in endorsement deals after the Olympics.

Becky Hammon just wants to be an Olympian -- so badly that she'll use her dual citizenship this summer as a member of the Russian national team, an act that has led some to call her a traitor.

Quick history: Despite being an All-America at Colorado State, Becky Hammon was shunned at the 1999 WNBA draft. She joined the New York Liberty as a free agent, where she had an immediate impact off the bench but spent four years backing up Teresa Weatherspoon. After a breakout season in 2003, she was left off the Athens squad in 2004. In 2007, she was the runner-up in the WNBA MVP vote, yet her invitation to try out for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team was less than sincere.

Personally, if I'd been snubbed by one country that much, I might consider going where I felt appreciated, too -- her Russian club, CSKA Moscow, pays her in the seven figures, and she was a lock for the Olympic team there.

But let's take a step back from the politics involved and ask something more superficial: how does this dilemma affect her sex appeal? Will this affect her potential sponsorships? Might Americans actually cheer for a Russian team? Is "Becky" an acceptable Russian name? None of these answers -- and more! -- after the jump.

Attractive Olympian: Team USA Pitcher and Legendary Hottie Jennie Finch

Posted: Jun 20th 2008 5:01PM ET by Matt Ufford (RSS feed)
Filed under: Women's Sports, Beijing, USA, Attractive Olympians

61 COMMENTS

Olympic athletes often don't get paid to do anything other than look good. In that vein, Attractive Olympians handicaps which athletes may rake in endorsement deals after the Olympics.

Get to Know Jennie Finch

Jennie Finch struck out 10 en route to a perfect game April 19 against Louisiana-Lafayette in a pre-Olympic exhibition tour. It's just the latest feat for Finch, who many consider the most famous softball player of all time.

Crystal LoGiudice, US Presswire

Finch had a 2-0 record in the 2004 Summer Olympics at Athens, Greece. She struck out 13 batters over eight innings in that tournament while only giving up one hit, leading the American team to the gold medal.

Dustin Snipes, Icon SMI/ZUMA Press

She appeared on the July 2005 cover of Sports Illustrated as part of the SI Summer Party edition, but turned down a lucrative contract to appear nude for Playboy, saying that she would "rather be a role model for young girls."

Sports Illustrated

Finch has also made a few reality TV performances, appearing in an episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County and as a contestant on the new celebrity edition of The Apprentice.

Tommy Baynard, NBC

Finch lasted until the fourth episode of Celebrity Apprentice, competing against other stars like country singer Trace Adkins, but she was fired in the fourth episode on January 24.

Jim Spellman, WireImage.com

Finch has made her presence felt in the big leagues, participating on the Legends Team at the 2005 Legends/Celebrity Game as part of the All-Star festivities at Comerica Park.

Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images

Finch regularly hosts TV segments for "This Week In Baseball" where she's seen pitching to major league baseball players, throwing from the same distance she would in a softball game.

Christian Petersen, Getty Images

Finch defeated Anna Kournikova in an ESPN online poll in 2003 as the most attractive female athlete. Like Kournikova, she has modeled swimwear for the SI Swimsuit Edition in 2005-06.

Albert L. Ortega, WireImage.com

Along with teammate Lisa Fernandez, left, Finch received an award for Best Female Olympic Performance at the 13th Annual ESPY Awards in 2005.

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

At the 2002 ESPY Awards, Finch was considered the "best dressed" at the show. She wore a black and rhinestone evening gown she helped design, which upstaged the likes of Vivica A. Fox and supermodel Carol Alt.

Robert Mora, Getty Images

No discussion of attractive Olympians could be complete -- or perhaps even started -- without adequate mention of Team USA pitcher Jennie Finch. The former Arizona great (her number 27 was retired there in 2003) posted a 2-0 record and allowed only one hit in 13 innings during the U.S.'s gold medal run in Athens in 2004, and she'll look to duplicate that success in Beijing.

The rest you probably know: an appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, her marriage to Twins pitcher Casey Daigle, a son named Ace born in 2006, TV appearances on Pros vs Joes and the celebrity edition of The Apprentice (she got fired), and regular on-camera work for ESPN.

But is she attractive? Well, yes. Definitively so. But that won't stop us from encouraging you to vote in our poll after the jump, where pleasant things like photos of her in evening wear reside. Thanks, Getty Images!

Attractive Olympian: Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnast Simona Peycheva

Posted: Jun 18th 2008 5:44PM ET by Matt Ufford (RSS feed)
Filed under: Women's Sports, Beijing, Europe, Attractive Olympians

0 COMMENTS

Olympic athletes often don't get paid to do anything other than look good. In that vein, Attractive Olympians handicaps which athletes may rake in endorsement deals after the Olympics.

Simona Peycheva established herself in rhythmic gymnastics with three gold medals at the 2001 Worlds (hoop, ball, and clubs), but her career has been plagued with injury since then. Not that those injuries have stopped her.

She broke her foot in the summer of 2002, but continued competing with the help of painkilling injections, winning two golds and a silver at the World Cup that year. She finally underwent surgery for the foot in late 2003, then recuperated in time for the Athens Games, where she finished sixth overall. Last October, she had surgery again -- this time on her spine -- but she's determined to take one more shot at Olympic gold before retiring. Pretty tough for a 23-year-old who doesn't even weigh 100 pounds.

She also happens to be pretty attractive for a 23-year-old who doesn't even weigh 100 pounds. Perhaps it's the flexibility, or maybe it's the competitive fire, but Peycheva legitimately joins the ranks of Olympic hotties. But just how hot is she? After the jump, ogle more photos and vote in our delightfully superficial poll.

Attractive Olympian: Teenage Gymnast, Video Game Cover Model Nastia Liukin

Posted: Jun 17th 2008 6:51PM ET by Matt Ufford (RSS feed)
Filed under: Women's Sports, Beijing, USA, Attractive Olympians

59 COMMENTS

Olympic athletes often don't get paid to do anything other than look good. In that vein, Attractive Olympians handicaps which athletes may rake in endorsement deals after the Olympics.

Nastia Liukin's accomplishments -- and the expectations they've created -- seem almost too much for someone who turned 18 just two months ago. Although she lost most of 2007 to an ankle injury, she has still managed to win nine World Championships medals, tied with Shannon Miller for the most in U.S. history.

Nastia Liukin Photos

BOSTON - JUNE 07: Shawn Johnson (L) and Nastia Liukin prepare for the uneven parallel bars during day 3 of the Visa Championships at Agganis Arena June 7, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Getty Images

BOSTON - JUNE 07: Nastia Liukin finishes her vault during day 3 of the Visa Championships at Agganis Arena June 7, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Getty Images

BOSTON - JUNE 07: Nastia Liukin competes on the uneven parallel bars during day 3 of the Visa Championships at Agganis Arena June 7, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Getty Images

BOSTON - JUNE 07: Nastia Liukin competes on the uneven parallel bars during day 3 of the Visa Championships at Agganis Arena June 7, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Getty Images

BOSTON - JUNE 07: Nastia Liukin competes on the uneven parallel bars during day 3 of the Visa Championships at Agganis Arena June 7, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Getty Images

BOSTON - JUNE 07: Nastia Liukin competes on the balance beam during day 3 of the Visa Championships at Agganis Arena June 7, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Getty Images

BOSTON - JUNE 07: Nastia Liukin competes on the balance beam during day 3 of the Visa Championships at Agganis Arena June 7, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Getty Images

BOSTON - JUNE 07: Nastia Liukin competes in the floor exercise during day 3 of the Visa Championships at Agganis Arena June 7, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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BOSTON - JUNE 07: (L-R) Nastia Liukin poses with the silver medal, Shawn Johnson poses with the gold medal and Chellsie Memmel poses with the bronze medal after day 3 of the Visa Championships at Agganis Arena June 7, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Perhaps it's her pedigree. Both of her parents were world-class gymnasts who emigrated from Russia when she was a toddler. They opened a gymnastics training center in Texas, and Nastia began tumbling by age three. Now, finally age-eligible for the Olympics, will anchor a U.S. team that is expected to challenge the team of her parents' homeland and the other front-runners.

Of course, successful athletes who also happen to be attractive young blonde women are afforded additional opportunities in America, and Nastia enjoys sponsorship from AT&T, adidas, and others. You may also have seen her cameo in 2006's box-office non-smash Stick It, and she also graces the cover of the Beijing 2008 video game for Xbox (see it here). Let's hope there's no Madden-like curse for Olympians.

Attractive Olympian: Breaststroker Leisel Jones

Posted: Jun 13th 2008 6:21PM ET by Matt Ufford (RSS feed)
Filed under: Women's Sports, Beijing, Attractive Olympians

0 COMMENTS

Olympic athletes often don't get paid to do anything other than look good. In that vein, Attractive Olympians handicaps which athletes may rake in endorsement deals after the Olympics.

Leisel Jones has been a member of the Australian national swimming team since she was 14. At 15, she shocked the world by earning silver in the 100-meter breaststroke in front of the home crowd at the 2000 Olympics, but four years later -- as the prohibitive favorite in the 100m and 200m -- she came up with only bronze and silver, respectively.

Despite two Olympics without an individual gold medal (she did earn one as a member of Australia's 4x100 medley relay n 2004), Jones may be the most dominant breaststroker in history. She set her first world record in 2003, and she now owns nine of the ten fastest times in both the 100m and 200m. And she's heading into Beijing with times close to her records.

But enough talk about Jones's "athletic ability" and "place in history." What we really care about are her physical attributes, am I right? Hey everyone, come quick! We've got a blonde Australian with a beautifully toned body! Let's look at more pictures of her and vote on how attractive she is!