Olympic Channel Podcast

Courage is easy to talk about but hard to practise. How can we find the courage to speak out for the right thing? And do you have the courage to face your fears? Greek gymnast Eleftherios Petrounias won gold on the rings at Rio 2016. His journey to that moment was difficult. He was bullied as a child for being short and lost his father two weeks before he became world champion in 2015. We also talked to him about the bravery of US gymnasts – like Aly Raisman - who spoke out against their abuser and recently won an award for their courage. LINKS: Simone Biles article: https://articles.olympicchannel.com/simone-biles-returns-interview/ StopBullying: https://www.stopbullying.gov/ Speaking out: http://www.stepupspeakout.org/

Figure skater Denis Ten died suddenly on 19 July 2018. There was an immediate outpour of emotion after the Sochi 2014 bronze medallist was reportedly attacked and stabbed in Kazakhstan. The Olympic Channel Podcast spoke to Olympic gold medallist Aljona Savchenko. She was friends with Ten and gives a moving a tribute. Plus, we dug into our archives to find an interview with Denis Ten that we did before PyeongChang 2018. LINKS: Gamebreakers: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/playback/gamebreakers/core-gamebreakers/how-denis-ten-put-kazakhstan-on-the-map-with-an-unlikely-winter-sport/ Podcast: https://www.ted.com/read/ted-podcasts/worklife

The sun beats down hard on the Madrid street and it’s hot. The ice here is normally in drinks to cool down. The Spanish capital doesn’t seem like a natural first choice for Winter Olympians. That was until Javier Fernandez slowly worked his way to becoming one of the world’s leading figure skaters. He is a two-time world champion and took home a bronze medal from PyeongChang 2018. As a young man, once he reached a certain level, he knew he had to leave his country behind. He has trained with the legendary Brian Orser in Toronto for eight years. As his illustrious career competing comes to a close, he’s back and is looking to teach his skills to a new generation of Spanish skaters. So what does he have planned? Does he have any career regrets? And what does he make of double Olympic champion and training partner Yuzuru Hanyu? SUBSCRIBE for the best Olympic interviews from the podcast every Wednesday. We want you to think like an Olympian. LINKS: Shredding Monsters: Mavericks: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/

The swimmer won Olympic gold in 2004 with Michael Phelps and just a few years later he was jobless and living in his car. Klete Keller experienced the highs of beating Olympic swimming legends like Ian Thorpe but, after his winning career was finished, he sunk into a deep depression. Keller lost his marriage and his job over the course of 24 hours. His life fell apart and he spent 10 months living in his car. The American used to blame everyone but himself for his situation but now he has come to terms with his past. He simply struggled with real life once swimming had ended. He says he just got lower and lower. Now, Keller is rebuilding his life and says the biggest lesson he learnt was that life takes a bit of discipline. LINKS: Podcast: Gymcastic https://gymcastic.com/ Flag and Family: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/playback/flag-family/flag-family/boxing-star-kadiru-a-typical-german/

What happens when you are expected to stand on the podium as an Olympic medallist – but you finish fourth? Swimmer Katinka Hosszu was favourite for gold in 2012. (Interview starts at 03:05) During the race, she realised that she was in third position and the person in first couldn’t be caught. She started to be mentally distracted. The Hungarian finished the race and looked up at the board to check her time. She had finished fourth and was ‘devastated’. Some were even advising her to walk away from the sport entirely. Hosszu used this disappointment to become the ‘Iron Lady’ who broke the world record for the 400m Individual Medley in 2016. Finishing fourth was a necessary step on her journey to winning three Olympic gold medals (and also a silver!). That redemption hasn’t happened for rower Emma Twigg (interview starts at 12:04). Or at least not yet! She finished in fourth place in the single sculls twice – in 2012 and 2016. In the boat after her performance in Rio, she vowed to give up the sport. Now, she’s

It’s time to start thinking about the new Olympic cycle for figure skating. So, we asked two Olympic champions what they think Yuzuru Hanyu and Evgenia Medvedeva should do next. Russia’s Evgeni Plushenko (interview starts at 02:56) says that Hanyu is ‘from a different planet’. And hints that the Japanese double Olympic champion could be capable of doing the quad axel. Plushenko also says that if Medvedeva feels more comfortable training with coach Brian Orser then – why not? We also spoke to USA’s Brian Boitano (interview starts at 11:10) who won gold against Brian Orser at Calgary 1988. He advises Hanyu against taking too much of a break from competitive skating. And he thinks that Medvedeva will become an even better skater after training with Boitano’s former rival Brian Orser. Two exclusive interviews that you won’t see (or hear!) anywhere but Olympic Channel. If you liked this episode, we would love it if you gave it a five star review on iTunes or wherever you found us. SUBSCRIBE and you will never miss

If you have a look at Yusra Mardini’s Instagram feed – there are clues about what she does: pictures of swimming training and plenty of selfies. She’s clearly an international standard athlete. But her story runs deep – after fleeing Syria and swimming for 10km alongside a boat of displaced people looking for a new start, she ended up in Germany training for the Olympics. She refuses to be defined by her status as a refugee and wants you to reassess what you think about the word too. In a huge act of kindness, marathon runner Gatkuoth Puok Thiep gave up his place on the Refugee Olympic Team. He lost his father, mother and sister to the war in South Sudan. His inspiring story, although tragic, is full of hope about the future. We sat down with both for World Refugee Day. Don’t forget to subscribe for more of the best Olympic talking points every week. And leave a five star review on iTunes and other places if you liked what you heard. We want you to think just like an Olympian. LINKS: SPORTSPIEL: https://sport

Everywhere Luka Doncic has gone – he’s won. From the Eurobasket with Slovenia to the Euroleague with Real Madrid, the 19-year-old is hot property for the NBA Draft. But what makes him so special? And could we see Slovenia finally compete and even challenge at the Olympic Games? We speak to ESPN’s Senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski about why basketball dealmakers are so interested. Plus, we hear from to Bostjan Nachbar, who has played in the NBA and in Euroleague. He’s also Slovenian, knows Doncic and the pitfalls facing a young player trying to make it in the USA. Don’t forget to subscribe for the best Olympic talking points each week. LINKS: WOJ POD: http://art19.com/shows/thewojpod BOOK: https://www.mcdbooks.com/news/announcing-kobe-bryant-s-the-mamba-mentality WE ARE ONE DOCUMENTARY: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/features/we-are-one/

Physical trauma is, on the surface, much harder to stomach than any emotional pain. Imagine choosing between sparring a few rounds with a boxer compared to being called a few names. The choice seems easy. But, as an elite boxer watches cuts and bruises heal after a big fight, they say it's the emotional scars that can last a lifetime. Olympic bronze medallist boxer David Price has faced the worst of both. Price has suffered both internet abuse and brutal knock-downs. He admits to crying (in a positive way!) ahead of his last fight against Alexander Povetkin and argues that physical pain is much easier to handle than the mental. Plus, USA boxing coach Billy Walsh gives us some tips on how to stay in the best mental condition. LINKS: PEOPLE’S FIGHTERS: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/features/the-peoples-fighters/ PODCAST: https://www.michaelneill.org/podcast/ DOCUMENTARY: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1330059/

When two-time Olympic silver medallist figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva announced that she was leaving her coach to join Brian Orser in Canada, it was a surprise. We managed to grab a word with the two-time world champion about anime, meeting EXO, and her thoughts on PyeongChang. But she also gave us the lowdown on what she thinks of moving to Canada. ***LINKS*** EXO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdssuxDdqKk TRAILER FOR NEW DOC: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/playback/five-rings-films-the-peoples-fighters-official-trailer/ PODCAST RECOMMENDATION: https://armchairexpertpod.com/ BOOK RECOMMENDATION: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16175114-making-mavericks

It’s not every day that you receive an invitation to visit the home of one of the biggest skateboarders around. So the Olympic Channel Podcast naturally leapt at the chance to speak to Nyjah Huston at his apartment in Los Angeles. Why on earth are we concerned about skateboarding? Well, the sport is going to be at Tokyo 2020. And if you have any doubts as to why skateboarding should be at the Olympic Games – this episode should set that straight… LINKS SLS: http://streetleague.com/ Nyjah’s ‘Til Death part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBgbBrxj2to Danny Lozano profile (in Spanish) http://www.go-skateboarding.com/?p=15858 Joe Rogan Podcast: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/ ATHLEAN-X: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe0TLA0EsQbE-MjuHXevj2A

Surfing legend and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater invited us to his new ranch in California, USA. He has created a wave pool that, he claims, produces the best artificial waves in the world. It's located roughly 160 kilometres inland and we took a visit. Olympic Channel podcast reporter Ashlee Tulloch also caught up with six-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore who looks, simply, remarkable on Kelly’s wave. Surfing is making its first Olympic appearance at Tokyo 2020 so grab your board (or headphones) and let’s head to the beach (or a state-of-the-art artificial wave pool). Big thanks to WSL for all their help with this week's episode. SUBSCRIBE: Olympic Channel Podcast comes out every Wednesday. LINKS: Kelly Slater Ranch: http://www.kswaveco.com/ Open by Andre Agassi https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6480781-open The Nine Club Podcast http://www.thenineclub.com/the-nine-club-show-podcast/

Nine-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis has some big ideas about how to shake up the athletics world and make the sport even more entertaining to watch in the post-Bolt era. Plus, we hear from the grassroots with ex-sprinter turned Olympic Channel social media don Mathilde Delorme. LINKS: Olympic Channel Podcast: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/features/podcast/ Far From Home: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/playback/far-from-home/core-branded-far-from-home/ Podcast recommendation: https://soundcloud.com/designmatters Book recommendation: http://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/

Sparkles, music and dancing… the Olympians are already crushing the latest season of ‘Dancing with the Stars’. We went backstage and managed to grab a quick word with some of the contestants like Adam Rippon, Tonya Harding and Chris Mazdzer. Plus, we got the lowdown on what it takes to be a good judge from dancing legend Peter Maxwell from the World DanceSport Federation.

Is the world's future in good hands? Four-time Olympic champion Johann Olav Koss gives his reasons to be optimistic. Plus, Syrian refugee swimmer Yusra Mardini stands as an example to show that her generation can have a ‘no excuses’ attitude. Remember that if you like the podcast - subscribe and leave a five-star review where you can… (Update - we had to resend because of an audio glitch - all fixed now!)

We are all scared of something, aren’t we? But imagine the fear that is racing through the veins of a BMX rider at the Olympics: it’s dangerous and some of your peers have struggled with life-changing injuries. So how can you compete with complete focus? We take advice from Olympic champion Connor Fields who says conquering fear is just part of his job. We also have skateboarder Shuriken Shannon who talks about what spooks him out. Plus, Shannon speaks on behalf of the skateboarding community about their fears about the sport’s inclusion at Tokyo 2020.

Expectations can affect any achievement. Five-time Olympic champion Missy Franklin went into London 2012 without any expectations and had the time of her life. At Rio 2016, she admits her approach wasn’t correct. What are her expectations for Tokyo 2020? Plus, Singapore’s first ever Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling beat the world and Michael Phelps in Rio. How can he manage expectations going forward in his career?

To become the world’s first Olympic champion in skiing and snowboarding was impressive – but how difficult is it to have two passions? Can you balance two things that you love? Ester Ledecka opens up about her dual passion for skiing and snowboarding. Plus, Olympic gymnast turned actor Danell Leyva reveals why he’s walked away from the sport he loved. And what if your passion isn’t paying the bills? Olympic bronze medallist snowboarder Alex Deibold led a chat with some of his US teammates who have to subsidise their sporting careers with jobs on construction sites.

For an Olympian, pushing things to the maximum is normal. But where is the breaking point? We speak to pro-surfer Mick Fanning about when your days of performing at the maximum have passed, sport climber Josh Levin about peaking performance and we put snowboarder Sven Thorgren through his physical paces.

It’s a generational gap of gold as all the guests are gold medal winners. We have 15-year-old Russian figure skater, Alina Zagitova, on why she had to give up sweets to be Olympic champion. Michael Johnson gives us his view on the world of athletics. Plus, why is six-time Olympic champion cyclist Chris Hoy preparing for a very chilly expedition?