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Weekly Roundup: Olympics, Giannis & Osaka
Hey Friends,
Happy Friday! Rather than the typical mix of news, analysis, and personal opinion, we’re going to do something different today.
I read, watch, and listen to (what feels like) hundreds of articles, videos, and podcasts throughout each week, but if I don’t specifically write a newsletter on it or tweet about it, the flow of information stops there.
Instead, I’ve been toying with the idea of curating a few of my favorites — I’m thinking a mix of ~5 articles, videos, podcasts, etc. each week — and sharing them with the group as an additional add-on to the current Huddle Up offering (5x weekly newsletter).
I’m not sure if there is an appetite for this, but I figured we would start with 3 today and gauge the feedback from there. So let me know what you think, have a great weekend, and I’ll talk to everyone on Monday.
Enjoy!
Caeleb Dressel: The Swimming Machine
Caeleb Dressel won six gold medals and two silvers at the 2019 world championships in South Korea, and with Michael Phelps & Ryan Lochte stepping down from the global stage, he snatched the crown as the best male swimmer on the planet.
His physique doesn’t resemble a traditional swimmer — Dressel is 6’ 2” and 198 pounds with a vertical jump just two inches shorter than Zion Williamson — but will his body be able to handle another attempt at seven more gold medals in Tokyo?
“Whatever other people expect me to do, whatever they’re comparing me to, I don’t care. I’m just trying to swim fast,” Dressel says.
The Fire That Forged Giannis Antetokounmpo
With her book “Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP” set to come out on August 10th, Mirin Fader details “the trials and tribulations that helped the Bucks star go from a baby-faced rookie to a superstar with a mean streak.”
Giannis would stand in front of the mirror and practice his scowl. He’d squint his eyes, suck in his teeth. His nose would wrinkle; his forehead would tighten. His lips would curl, and then he’d let out a grunt.
He was trying to look more aggressive, less adorable; more intimidating, less innocent. He needed a new identity heading into his second NBA season—one vastly different from the goofy, endearing rookie discovering smoothies for the first time.
He needed to get mean.
Fast forward six years, and Giannis is now a 2x MVP, NBA Champion, and Finals MVP.
How Naomi Osaka Carved Her Own Path To Land On World’s Biggest Stage
Naomi Osaka has won four of the past six hard-court Grand Slams, previously becoming the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. She makes more money from endorsements ($50 million annually) than every athlete globally, not named Roger Federer, LeBron James, or Tiger Woods.
And the scariest part, she’s only 23-years-old.
But after wearing 7 different masks at the 2020 US Open supporting victims of police brutality and withdrawing from the 2021 French Open due to anxiety from media interviews, the narrative has changed.
Osaka has shifted from a multi-cultural tennis phenom beloved by seemingly everyone to a divisive representative of modern social and political views in athletics.
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