Sports

With Simone Biles Leading the Charge, Paris Will Go Down as the “Mental Health Olympics”

Perhaps no athlete received more visibility during the 2024 Olympics than Simone Biles. Her story of resilience and perseverance, combined with her boundary-breaking, gravity-defying athleticism, catapulted her to the pantheon of single name icons. Say “Simone” to anyone in Paris, and they’d know exactly who you’re talking about.
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When the world’s spotlight was shining the brightest on Biles, hours after she triumphantly won gold in the women’s gymnastics individual all-around, the 27-year-old took to her Instagram to make her first public statement on social media. The message? “Mental health matters.”
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​She’s among a growing host of elite athletes who have publicly shared their own mental health experiences, including Michael Phelps, Sha’Carri Richardson, Naomi Osaka, Sunny Choi, Tara Davis-Woodhall, Raven Saunders, Adam Peaty, Kimberley Woods, Caeleb Dressel, Tom Daley, and Katie Moon. And with each day of the Olympics, the list seemingly grew longer.
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Nice News Olympics correspondent Raymond Braun chatted with some of the athletes putting their mental health first, including Ariana Ramsey, of U.S. women’s rugby, and tennis star Novak Djokovic. Read his full article.​

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Sports

Beekeeper Saves the Day at Diamondbacks-Dodgers Game

We had to revisit 2024’s “bee delay” in this edition. On April 30, ahead of an MLB matchup between Arizona and Los Angeles, the hosting Diamondbacks posted an unconventional game delay notice: “Tonight’s game has been delayed due to a bee colony forming on the protective netting behind home plate.”
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As you might imagine, that caused “a real buzz” among MLB fans, and launched the beekeeper called in by the Diamondbacks to internet fame. Matt Hilton, clad in his all-white beekeeping gear, came to the rescue and removed the bee colony as the crowd gave him a standing ovation and Bonnie Tyler's “Holding Out for a Hero” played over the loudspeakers.
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Naturally, the home team called up Hilton to throw the ceremonial first pitch once the insect situation had been handled. “It was a little nerve-wracking, I’m not going to lie,” Hilton said, per MLB.com. “Lot of pressure to get this game going. But I was happy to come and take care of it.”
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Perhaps bolstered by the spectacle (which you can see more photos of here), the Diamondbacks pulled out a 4-3 win over the Dodgers, who went on to win this year’s World Series.

Sports

First Stadium Built for a National Women’s Soccer League Team Opens in Missouri

Olé! In big news for soccer fans — and even bigger news for women’s sports — the first stadium built specifically for a National Women’s Soccer League team opened this year. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the 11,500-seat stadium was christened on March 16, when the Kansas City Current faced off against the Portland Thorns.
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“I’m very happy not only for Kansas City,” said KC Current midfielder Debinha, “but also for women’s soccer.” And the players aren’t the only ones excited about the new venue, which sits on seven acres of land near the Missouri River: Season tickets sold out months in advance of the first game.
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​See the stadium.​

Sports

Team USA’s Most Inspiring Moments From the 2024 Paralympics

Jaw-dropping feats of resilience. World records. Power couples. Shocking upsets and surprising underdog victories. Heartwarming sportsmanship. Memes. Emotional catharsis. And new breakout stars. The 2024 Paralympics had it all, set among Paris’ most iconic monuments.
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Some people mistakenly think the “Para” in Paralympics stands for paraplegia, but the origin of the word stems from the Greek preposition “para,” which means “beside” or “along.” As such, the Paralympics were designed to be the parallel Games to the Olympics for athletes with disabilities, rooted in the core values of determination, equality, inspiration, and courage.
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And each of those values shone bright over 12 days of competition across 18 different venues in 22 sports — including two that are unique to the Paralympics: boccia and goalball.
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As the world’s third largest sporting event (measured by ticket sales), the Paralympics have been regarded as “the world’s No. 1 sporting event for social inclusion,” helping to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. With countless moments to choose from, read a roundup of Team USA’s “Nicest” moments from this year’s Paralympics.

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Quote of the Day

“At the end of the day, if I can say I had fun, it was a good day.”

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– SIMONE BILES