Olympic Channel Podcast

He’s 22 and already considered a veteran in the gaming world. Jake Lyon says that Esports and the Olympics could learn a lot from each other.“You could be confined to a wheelchair… you can be a man, woman, young (or) old – all these barriers that would usually require divisions – in Esports they don’t mean anything.”Plus, we have the latest headlines from Buenos Aires and an athlete to watch.

Are the Olympic Games at risk because of climate change?Olympic bronze medallist snowboarder Alex Deibold worries it’s a real possibility. “That’s what is at stake if you don’t take climate change seriously. ... The moments of triumph. The moments of joy.”Plus, we catch up on the headlines from the Youth Olympic Games and also give you an athlete to look out for here at Buenos Aires.

Olympic champion swimmer Chad le Clos opened up about how he dealt with his parents' cancer diagnosis just before Rio 2016. He argues that you must put everything to one side before stepping onto the blocks to perform."You don't cry for losing. You cry for winning."We also have all the headlines and an athlete to watch for the day too.

He is aiming to be Africa’s first gold medallist at the Winter Olympic Games.  The track prospect swapped sports to skeleton - but some people still didn’t believe in Akwasi Frimpong.  “I definitely know what it feels like to be bullied. I definitely know what it feels to be laughed at. I definitely know how it feels when people tell you to give up.” Plus, we have all the headlines from the Youth Olympic Games and an athlete to watch.

Nyjah and Leticia are two of the world's top skateboarders and we asked about their feeds - what do they post and why? Plus, we tracked down professional dancer Kaelynn Gobert-Harris on what grabs her attention on Insta and tips on how to make it.  We also have the usual headlines and an athlete to watch.

Double Olympic champion Jade Jones is 25 and aiming for a third title at Tokyo 2020. She's travelled to Argentina as an athlete role model to give advice to those competing. With that in mind, we fired some difficult questions about dating and being an athlete. How do you get that balance between your love life and elite sport?Plus, we have the latest headlines from Buenos Aires 2018 and the day's athlete to watch.

We went behind-the-scenes at the first ever Youth Olympic breaking individual finals. We spoke to Bumblebee, Shigekix, and Emma after they won their medals. Don’t forget the team event will be streamed on OlympicChannel.com today. Plus, we have all the usual headlines and tips on who to watch.

Yusra nearly drowned in the Aegean Sea when she fled Syria and became a refugee. She steadied a boat with her sister - saving the lives of the people on board. She went on to compete at Rio 2016 and won her swimming heat. We talked to her about her Instagram feed and practical ways people can help refugees.

We open our daily podcast from Buenos Aires with a bang as USA's Missy Franklin. She opens up about her body issues when she was a teenager. There’s some sage advice on how to perform under the glare of the world afrom the five-time Olympic champion. Plus, we speak to Paris 2024 boss and three-time Olympic champion Tony Estanguet on why he has a vested interest in the athletes' performance here in Buenos Aires.For a live stream from the Youth Olympic Games - head to Olympic Channel now.

The start of Buenos Aires 2018 is almost here. Over 4,000 elite sporting teenagers are descending on Argentina for the Youth Olympic Games.  Former Youth Olympians include snowboarder Chloe Kim, diving’s Tom Daley and Spain’s badminton Olympic champion Carolina Marin. We’ve spoken to four athletes who we think you need to know about.At 18, Kanak Jha is already USA’s top men’s table tennis player.“The Youth Olympic Games is the biggest event there is for juniors and (to win) would just be unbelievable,” he said.World junior champion Aaliyah Powell has all the ingredients for success in taekwondo according to double Olympic gold medallist Jade Jones.“I think she has got a lot of star qualities.”Plus, we get the stories behind British gymnast Amelie Morgan and USA rugby 7s captain Junior Waqavesi.Experience their journey from the start-line and discover the ‘Heroes of the Future’.

The 23-time Olympic champion, Michael Phelps, opened up to the Olympic Channel Podcast about his struggles with mental health. “Being able to be open, to be honest (and) being your authentic self… that’s kind of the equation for success.” Phelps was third place in what was billed as the ‘Race of the Century’. The man who beat him to second place was three-time Olympic champ Pieter van den Hoogenband. Ian Thorpe, Michael Phelps, Grant Hackett and Klete Keller were all in the race – and all have suffered from mental problems at some point. Pieter didn’t. And, once his time competitively swimming ended, he was still ok. “When your career is over, your life is not over. And you are not a medal.” Links: Legends Live On with Ian Thorpe: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/original-series/detail/legends-live-on/legends-live-on-season-season-1/episodes/australia-s-ian-thorpe-extended/ Race of the Century: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/video/detail/thorpe-wins-men-s-200m-freestyle/ Michael Phelps: Athlete Evolution:

Sarah Storey has won more Paralympic gold medals than any other British woman. She won 14, in both swimming and cycling, across her ground-breaking career. During Rio 2016, she took the decision to breastfeed during competition. She thinks that it’s possible to be a breastfeeding mother and be on the top of your game. After Serena Williams’ coach advised her to stop breastfeeding, Storey also says attitudes in coaching need to change at the highest level of sport. “You have to consider the small person that the athlete mum is looking after and all the other things that come with it.” SUBSCRIBE for the best interviews and biggest talking points around the Olympics every Wednesday.

Rhythmic gymnast Marta Pagnini is an Olympic bronze medallist from Italy who is totally confident with her body. She wants to promote a positive message. “I’m confident with my body and I shouldn’t be judged for my body, I should be judged for my performance as an athlete. And from what I do as a woman, not for my body.” SUBSCRIBE for the best interviews around the Olympics every Wednesday. LINKS: Anatomy Of: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/original-series/detail/anatomy-of/ Marta Pagnini Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martapagnini/?hl=en

Sweden’s Rio silver medallist Nilla Fischer thinks we’re a long way from seeing a big, male star ‘come out’ in the sport. But the first openly gay referee in the English game, Ryan Atkin, believes homophobia is on the decline in football. We want to know what the men can learn from the women’s game about LGBTQ+ inclusivity. SUBSCRIBE for the best interviews around the Olympics every Wednesday. LINKS: Nilla Fischer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=B5q8iORvrlA Ryan Atkin background: http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10946184/professional-referee-ryan-atkin-says-being-openly-gay-in-football-should-hold-no-fears

Imagine you’re single. Your date turns out to be an Olympic figure skater. Six months later, you propose. She says yes. Liam Cross went from knowing nothing about figure skating to being physically sick before the Olympic Games in PyeongChang because he was so nervous about his wife’s performance. Together With Bruno Massot, Alonja Savchenko took gold in the pairs from PyeongChang 2018 for Germany. Her husband Liam Cross says that day was the most terrifying of his entire life. Why? Because he's madly in love with a figure skater... LINKS: Tough Girl Podcast: https://www.acast.com/toughgirlpodcast Record-breaking pairs free programme in full: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/playback/savchenko-and-massot-ger-gold-medal-pairs-free-skating

Heptathlete Rebecca Wardell is on a mission to cycle through most of Europe and Asia before hopping on a plane and finishing her journey through New Zealand. After injury forced her hopes for a second Olympic appearance six weeks before London 2012, she’s now embarking on a trip to meet as many Olympians as possible and raise money for charity to get more women into sport. She says, “It’s definitely not as hard physically as you might think.” LINKS: Asian Games: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/events/2018-asian-games--jakarta-and-palembang-idn/ Tim Ferris Podcast with Jerzy Gregorek: https://tim.blog/2017/03/16/jerzy-gregorek/ Long Way Home website: http://www.thelongwayhome.co.nz/

Four-time Olympic medallist, coach, and NBC commentator Ato Boldon remembers Usain Bolt’s incredible world record breaking performance at Beijing 2008. The Trinidad and Tobago sprint legend has been at the stadium every time Jamaica’s Bolt has broken a record. He says that moment was simply iconic. As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of a race that won’t be forgotten, we spoke to Boldon about Bolt’s untied shoelace, the man who finished second Richard Thompson, and the celebrations that changed the way people think of running forever. The Olympic Channel Podcast comes out every Wednesday. Think like an Olympian. SUBSCRIBE NOW. LINKS: BACK TO BEIJING 2008: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/features/back-to-beijing-2008/ RICH ROLL PODCAST WITH DES LINDEN: http://www.richroll.com/podcast/des-linden-375/

Less than three months after winning Olympic gold in cross-country skiing at PyeongChang 2018, Kikkan Randall was diagnosed with breast cancer. The 35-year-old American is receiving treatment and the prognosis is good. But she’s had to shave her hair off. Hair that she used to dye pink to stand out from the crowd. We talk about the colour pink, the dreaded moment she took ‘the call’ and making the most of every day. Remember to subscribe to the Olympic Channel Podcast for more inspiring stories every Wednesday. We want you to think like an Olympian. LINKS: ISAIAH THOMAS VIDEO: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/playback/isaiah-thomas-i-want-to-inspire-small-kids/ SPORTSWEEK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0070lk9/episodes/downloads GOING OLYMPIC: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/playback/going-olympic-tokyo-2020/sports-chronicles/fukushima-returns-as-one-of-japans-premiere-surf-spots/ BREAST CANCER AWARENESS: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/