Joyousness

So it's possible that TigerBlog stumbled on the single most joyous video that has ever been created. 

If you need a smile, then you should watch it. There's no way you can see this and not instantly feel energized and happy.

Ready?

Here it is:

best video of the olympics if you ask me pic.twitter.com/FOXSPCh0h4

— carmen 🍉 (@eythorasfloor) August 2, 2024

Was TB right, or was TB right? 

TigerBlog watched that video two or three times before he realized something else about it. That's Princeton's own Hannah Scott, who was dancing after her gold medal run in the women's quad sculling the other day. 

That's just awesome stuff. 

With most of the equestrian events in Paris over, TB turned his attention to his next favorite sport to watch — canoeing/kayaking. Did you watch any of this? 

If nothing else, TB would want to do that big drop from the start in the kayak cross. It would have to be like being on the log flume at Great Adventure back when he was a kid.

Also, like every other sport at the Olympics, the coverage featured great commentary, including this line: "Throw the rankings out. Anything can happen in kayak cross."

Then there was yesterday's women's skeet shooting, which ended in major controversy when it appeared that the British woman who won silver drilled the target but it didn't break apart. 

Once again, each of what you might call the more "obscure" events have been contested in venues that appear to have been tucked neatly in various parts of Paris and its surrounding areas. It does beg the question: Where did they get all those temporary bleachers? Actually, it begs two questions: Where did they get them and what will they do with them when the Games are over?

 The 2024 Summer Olympics are past the halfway point. They certainly fly by, don't they? 

The Princeton medal count stands at three golds and a silver, the latter of which came courtesy of Tom George, who came in second in the men's pairs rowing for Great Britain. George, who graduated in 2017, is now a two-time Olympic medalist, after having won bronze in Tokyo.

The last Princeton male athlete to win medals in more than one Olympic Games was Doug Burden, who won rowing bronze in 1988 and silver in 1992.

The possibility for additional Princeton medals this week is pretty good. The United States women's water polo team has reached the quarterfinal round after going 3-1 in its pool play. The Americans, who feature alum Ashleigh Johnson and rising junior Jovana Sekulic, have won the last three gold medals — the last two of which have featured Johnson in goal.

Will they make it four straight? The Spanish team defeated the USA 13-11 in the second game of the opening round, but they are on the opposite side of the knockout bracket. 

The women's water polo quarterfinals are tomorrow, followed by the semis on Thursday and final Saturday. The U.S. women play Hungary, and the winner will face the winner of the match between Australia and Greece in the semifinals. 

Spain takes on Canada in its quarterfinal, with the winner to play the winner of Italy and the Netherlands in the other semifinal.

The men's pole vault final will be held today at 1. For Princeton, that means Sondre Guttormsen, who won three NCAA titles, two indoors and one outdoors, and then tied for first in the qualifying round Saturday.

The two Guttormsen brothers, Sondre and fellow alum Simen, were representing their native Norway in the event. Simen cleared his first two heights before going out at 5.70 meters.

Sondre was one of 10 vaulters who cleared 5.75 meters, reaching the final round with ease. In fact, Sondre only attempted four vaults and cleared the bar at each height. 

The finals will be much more competitive. And, as TB understands it, much more strategic, as each vaulter needs to figure out when to go, when to pass, how to ensure he stays in the competition without overdoing the number of times he heads down the straightaway and launches himself towards the bar. 

It's a fascinating event to watch. When you just see the highlights, you lose a lot of the nuance. You also lose the sense of how long it can take as the field begins to narrow.

Fortunately, this is an evening event in Paris, which means it's an afternoon start in the Eastern time zone.