Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Enjoy Gracie Gold: Budding starstruck superstar


Get to Know US Olympic Figure Skater Gracie Gold, Gracie Gold is America’s newest darling. She has only been skating for 10 years, but was the 2014 U.S. National Champion. The 18-year-old hails from Boston, is preparing in Russia where she hopes to take home the gold. “The Insider” co-anchor Thea Andrews sat down with Gracie who revealed what it would mean to stand on that podium saying, “There aren't words to describe that kind of feeling, watching your flag being raised after you just did the ultimate goal.” Gracie Gold: Budding starstruck superstar. On the eve of skating her Olympic short program here on Wednesday, Gracie Gold sits at the crossroads of international megastar and months-ago anonymous, small-town-kid who still appears a bit in awe of her present station in life.

Just last week Taylor Swift tweeted to her 39.1 million followers how she was searching to see when Gold was skating next, while asking "How adorable and lovely is she?"

Yet days later Gold was so in awe of sharing a practice rink with reigning Olympic champion Yuna Kim of South Korea that she posted on Instagram a selfie with Kim skating unaware in the background – like a reverse photo bomb. Later when Kim actually posed for a pic, Gold celebrated by posting it with four exclamation points.

So what is she? Cool enough to be Swift's sporting infatuation or starstruck fan who can't completely believe she's here?

Try both. And that's the beauty of Gracie Gold.

She carries herself with confidence and poise, but doesn't claim to have it all figured out. She's intelligent and well spoken, yet not jaded. She's excitable yet not so young that she lacks perspective.

It's cool having Taylor Swift know who you are, of course, but that's a fleeting fame and no more important than anyone else peppering her on social media from back home.
She has a lot going for her. Charming as well as beautiful. She could easily be the "Sonja Henie of America." Movies, commercials, Wheaties Boxes, as well as sports commentator. Just hope she doesn't get stuck with the wrong manager on whatever career path she takes.
She believes in herself and her abilities, that makes her a winner. I hope she gets a gold medal but if she doesn't, she is a winner simply because she is where she is. Star Struck? Geez where do you people get this #$%$. The young lady is giving it everything she has and realizing that she has a lot to give. She deserves the attention. Good luck Gracie. I hope you win the gold.

Gracie Gold



Monday, 10 February 2014

Iranian Women’s National Team

Iran Woman Team
Four players banned from Iranian women’s national team for failing gender tests.  "Women in Iran may not be allowed to attend football matches between male sides for religious reasons". I've never heard of any form of a religious book saying "Thou cannot attend football matches between two teams of the same sex if they are males". I'll tell you what though, if some deity that far in the past knew there was going to be football this far into the future and actually put it specifically in the book, I might actually have to start thinking about it. Failing a gender test is worse than misspelling your name. Come on now. I cannot imagine what level of Hell I would have to be in that would make me want to be the one to look at what is under those uniforms. The bad news is that you have been cut from the men's team. The good news is that we are putting you on the women's team... the really bad news is that we have a different definition of "cut"
Women in Iran may not be allowed to attend football matches between male sides for religious reasons, but the beautiful game is popular among the Islamic republic's female population. Players in Iran's burgeoning professional women's football league will now be subjected to mandatory gender tests, after it has been revealed that four national team players were found guilty of not being women. The Telegraph reports. The country's football governing body is bringing in the random checks after it was revealed that several leading players - including four in the national women's team - were either men who had not completed sex change operations, or were suffering from sexual development disorders. Medical inspectors will now randomly attend professional women's games . and those in the indoor "footsal" league ..to carry out spot checks. Furthermore, clubs will now be obliged to perform gender tests before signing new players to contracts. Those unable to prove they are female would be barred from taking part in the league "until they underwent medical treatment," said Ahmad Hashemian, the head of the Iranian football federation's medical committee.  The Telegraph note that sex changes are often carried out in two-year phases in Iran, but they represent a legal grey area: they are permitted under a fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, but contravene the sexual morality code of Sharia Law. So far, a total of seven players have been barred from the league after failing gender tests.

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ICC WORLD CUP 2011