Mom with a Medal

Dana Vollmer became the first US Swimmer to win an individual medal after giving birth with her bronze in the 100 fly.  However, she is not the first US athlete to win a medal after giving birth.

I am certain there have been plenty over the years.  The Wife would probably appreciate if I found them all and made a list.  That's not going to happen, for many reasons, including that she left me home alone for a week with 3 kids, a job and 271 days of Olympic coverage to watch and blog about.  I will, however, list one.  Kerri Walsh Jennings, who won gold in 2012 with 2 kids, and is going for a fourth gold medal, with a third kid this year.  In one of NBC's personal interest stories some time in the past 48 hours (this is all blending together already), Kerri said she was put on this Earth to have babies and play volleyball.  She seems to be pretty good at both.

Parents are always a story at the Olympics.  Usually, however, the story is the parents of the athletes.  Whether it is an advertising campaign about parents, Michael Phelps's mom or the crazy parents of Aly Raisman, parents are a key part of Olympics coverage.  After the Men's 100 Back, the cameras went right to Ryan Murphy's parents.  The Wife thought they were cute.  I am pretty sure my celebration of Murphy's win was more animated.  The cameras also went to Murphy's parents during his medal celebration.  They looked happy and proud.  I would have been crying more than Ryan Held.


Swimming is my favorite sport and the one I focus on the most during this first week of the Olympics.  However, the parent story is not limited to swimming.  The story about Simone Biles focused on her parents, who are really her grandparents.  Her grandparents raised her and she calls them Mom and Dad, as she should.  During the Men's Synchronized Diving, Steele Johnson's dad was almost as much a part of the show as his silver medal winning son.  Extra props to Dad for having the last name Johnson and deciding to name his son Steele.


Olympic parents deserve some recognition and credit.  I have three kids with little chance of becoming Olympians and I am always exhausted.  The time, energy and money needed to get someone to that level is fairly significant.  Middle, who wears a brief, or Speedo, style suit for swimming, wants a tech suit.  For those of you not familiar with swimming equipment or Middle, you need to know that these suits can run in the 100s of dollars (for boys, much more for girls), and Middle's suit would cover less butt on the average female diver than we saw a couple nights ago.  Needless to say, we have resisted the request.


This year, however, the "parent" stories are focused more on Olympic athletes who are parents than I have seen before.  In case you didn't know, Michael Phelps has a baby boy.  His name is Boomer.  His middle name is Robert, named after his coach, Bob Bowman.  I wish NBC would show him at the meets.  Does anyone know if he goes to the swimming competition?  It would be great if we could see a black and white picture of a shirtless Michael holding Boomer.  Too bad we can't.


We kid because we love.


In all seriousness, Phelps is a big story.  His family has always been a big story.  Adding a son and a fiancé to the newly happy, post-rehab Phelps makes for a good story.  So NBC will tell the story.  And as long as they are talking one parent Olympian, they may as well talk a few more.


Dana Vollmer apparently gained 50 pounds when she was pregnant.  (Editing note - I accidentally typed 509 pounds.  I think Dana would have been a little upset by that.)  Then she came back and won a bronze medal.  She has a pretty good shot at a gold in the Medley Relay.


Kerri Walsh-Jennings has three kids.  Three kids.  My wife has three kids.  The physical toll is incredible.  I have to be honest, I'm not sure she was put on this Earth to have babies and play volleyball.  Those seem mutually exclusive to me.  Volleyball requires jumping and running on sand and diving, and if you are a woman, wearing an outfit only slightly larger than Middle's Speedo.  Having babies means growing a person inside you, in a  space not really big enough for it, and having your center of gravity change, sometimes dramatically, and going through a fairly intense physical experience of giving birth, and then being the primary source of food for another person.  Well, I assume.  I've never really done those things.  However, from what I have seen, with the pregnancy/birth thing and beach volleyball, it doesn't look like one of hose helps the other.  Maybe the skimpy outfit helps one get pregnant, but that's about it.


I enjoy the Olympics for many reasons.  One of them is to learn a little about some of the greatest athletes on the planet.  It is fun to learn that they are real people, just like me.  If they can be that good and a parent, maybe I can beat my 16 year old self one day.


Parenting is hard.  It is rewarding, but hard.  This is why the Wife always cheers a little louder for those athletes who are doing it.  She loves Kerri.  She loves Dana.  She loves Boomer Phelps.  Parenting and being a great athlete is hard.  Parenting and being any athlete is hard, whether you are just trying to be healthy, trying to beat your 16 year old self, winning Masters National Titles and breaking Masters National records, or going after Olympic Medals.


And part of the 271 days of programming is a little story about Olympic athletes with kids.  It is worth watching just to see Phelps hold a doll with one hand and say he knows that's not the right way to hold his son.


Today's Olympic Story Line - Karch Kiraly.  In case you didn't know who that grey-haired guy coaching the US Women's Indoor Volleyball Team is, I'm here to tell you.  It's Karch Kiraly, the greatest volleyball player ever.  After winning gold in Indoor Volleyball in 1984 and 1988, and in Beach Volleyball in 1996, Karch eventually found his way to coaching.  He was an assistant for the silver medal winning Women's Team in 2012.  He became Head Coach after the Olympics and led the Women to the World Championship in 2014.  Now he's looking to win a gold medal as a coach (although the coach doesn't get a medal.)


Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits) -

1.  The US Women's Volleyball team won a 5 set match against the Netherlands yesterday.  This match did nothing to clear up the Indoor v. Beach debate from yesterday.  I sit squarely on the fence.


2.  The Men's Divers wear bathing suits that cover their butts.  So this mystery has not been answered.  David Boudia won a silver medal with his partner Steele Johnson to go along with the gold and bronze he won in London.  He now has a full set.


3.  In case you haven't checked out the US Women's Field Hockey Team, you may want to.  They beat Australia yesterday to go to 2-0, after finishing last in the 2012 Olympics.  More on our Women in a later blog.


4.  A win for clean and brash swimmers - Lily King takes gold in the 100 breaststroke, after making her opinions about Yulia Efimova's presence in Rio fairly clear.  "I'm not a fan."  A simple quote to sum up her opinion.  Katie Meili, who I love, went out like a bandit and held on for the bronze medal.


5.  The Dynasty lives - Ryan Murphy takes gold in the 100 back.  I woke up Eldest screaming during that race.  David Plummer, who is of course a parent, wins the bronze.


6.  A lot of rowing yesterday.  Women's Eights continues a decade long run of brilliance.


7.  Unfortunate time for some bad performances by the Men's gymnastics team.


8.  Nico Hernandez won a Light Fly boxing match, in a big upset over Vasili Egorov.  I know nothing about boxing, except I wouldn't be brave enough to call Nico a light fly to his face.


9.  Why is it that every time I watch kayak, I am watching someone on their second run, and they have already advanced to the semifinals?


10.  Loved the Lambeau Leap like celebration for Rafaela Silva's gold medal in Judo, Brazil's first gold of these games.
 
Predictions Sum Up -

1.  US beats Spain in Men's Water Polo.  WRONG!  10-9 loss.
2.  Women's basketball beats Spain by more than 30.  Yup.  103-63
3.  Someone continues the Men's US 100 backstroke Gold Medal streak.  (I will believe this until I see it not happen.)  I am thinking Plummer.  Murphy 4th.  Yup...and WRONG!  I have been a fan of Murphy for 2 years.  I have no idea why I bailed on him with this prediction.  Maybe it is the whole parent thing.  Couldn't be happier, though.
4.  Kathleen Baker makes it a 100 back sweep for the US (I'm feeling good about backstroke, but expecting to be crushed.)  -  WRONG!  So close.  But even closer to missing a medal.  Baker won silver and finished .01 ahead of a tie for the bronze medal and .05 ahead of 5th.
5.  Dwyer medals in the 200 Free.  Yup.  Bronze for Dwyer.
6.  Walsh-Jennings/Ross don't lose a set.  Again.  Yup. In dominant fashion.

  Predictions -

1.  Brady Ellison wins his Round of 64 Archery match.
2.  Women win Gymnastics Team title by more than 10.
3.  Women's Soccer wins 4-0.
4.  Ledecky does what Ledecky does, but no World Record.
5.  Phelps wins 200 Fly, then dunks Chad Le Clos, gives him a white wash and has Lily King run out on deck wagging her index finger at him.
6.  DiRado bronze in 200 IM.
7.  US Men win 4 x 200 free relay.

  What to Watch for:

1.  My post about my love of the Women.
2.  The second edition of You Are Beautiful
3.  Women's Soccer v. Columbia
4.  Men's C-1 Final in Kayak
5.  Men's Volleyball v. Italy
6.  And a whole lotta other stuff.


Big Blog News - My Volleyball Insider has been working overtime and has been promoted to Information Specialist/Volleyball Insider.  The Board has also voted to double his salary.  His tidbits are sprinkled throughout the blog, and we have more from him coming.