The USWNT is guaranteed a shot at an Olympic medal in Paris after defeating Japan 1-0 in extra time in Saturday’s epic quarterfinal match. Trinity Rodman notched the contest’s lone goal in the 107th minute, with the US ultimately holding on to avoid moving to penalty kicks.

The contest marked the second-straight matchup where the US found themselves face-to-face with a low block, as Japan packed their defense in a 5-4-1 formation.

While the US dominated possession, they didn’t always appear dangerous on the attack, with Japan more than happy to let their opponent pass along the backline. But Japan couldn’t manage to be clinical on the counter — and Rodman’s individual strike saved the day to break the deadlock.

Extra time prevades Olympic soccer quarterfinals

The USWNT and Japan were not alone in their futile regulation-time efforts, as three of the four Saturday quarterfinals required extra time to decide.

Reigning World Cup champions Spain rallied against Colombia with a two-goal comeback to enter extra time 2-2, eventually advancing on penalty kicks.

Later that afternoon, Canada and Germany battled to a scoreless stalemate after 120 minutes, allowing German…

The USWNT will kick off their knockout journey at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, taking on Japan in a crucial quarterfinal matchup.

The US capped off the group stage atop Group B with three wins in three games, while Japan finished as runners-up in Group C with two wins and a loss.

Soccer quarterfinals mean do or die at Olympics

Soccer’s quarterfinal round highlights the idiosyncrasies of the Olympics, wherein the winner of a single game is guaranteed to play for a medal — while the loser goes home empty-handed.

The US has historically found success in the quarterfinals, having only dropped the match once in 2016’s shocking penalty exit to Sweden.

Should the US beat Japan, they’ll play the winner of Saturday’s quarterfinal between Germany and Canada. Spain will also play Colombia on Saturday, while France takes on a Marta-less Brazil to round out the single-day quarterfinals.

USWNT vs. Japan Olympic quarterfinal…

With US swimmer Torri Huske’s 100-meter butterfly gold medal win on Sunday, Team USA’s combined tally of 14 swimming medals leads all countries across the Olympics.

But while the current haul is looking healthy, the USA’s Olympic swimming gold medal stranglehold is very much in danger of falling by the wayside.

Australia takes aim at USA’s Olympic gold medal streak

It’s been 36 years since the coed US swimming squad came up short in the Olympic gold medal race — at least five years before anyone on today’s team was even born.

That dominance, however, is hanging by a thread as the Australians are gold medal count favorites after running away with the 2023 World Swimming Championships.

“Certainly, there are some events… where we’ve got a significant amount of ground to make up,” US head women’s coach Todd DeSorbo told reporters. “But I’m confident in the motivation and excitement and commitment of everybody — men and women — on the team that are prepared to do that.”

The Offseason, a reality series created by Gotham and USWNT star Midge Purce, has officially confirmed its streaming debut, Purce announced in Cannes on Tuesday.

The six-episode, half-hour docuseries will stream this summer on X, though a specific premiere date hasn’t yet been set.

The Offseason was filmed in Miami, two weeks before the NWSL preseason. It’s a crucial time for athletes, a period where they prepare to join their respective teams and compete for both starting and roster spots. Production designed all the facilities, bringing in top-tier trainers, masseuses, chefs, and gym equipment to create a high-level training environment, ensuring the players were in peak condition, per the show’s release. Throughout filming, athletes lived together in one house — a reality TV conceit rife for entertainment.

OFF SEASON TRAILER DROP

SAT SO FAST THE CHAIR BROKE pic.twitter.com/4mG84VfwLh

— In Season FC (@OffseasonFC) June 18, 2024

The series follows a number of NWSL stars, including Purce (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Maria Sanchez (Houston Dash), Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current), Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash), Taylor Smith (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Nikki Stanton (OL Reign), Ally Watt (Orlando Pride), Taryn Torres…

On the latest episode of the RE-CAP Show, USWNT star Tobin Heath revealed that she underwent a second knee surgery in her quest to return to the pitch. 

Heath hasn’t played since the 2022 NWSL season, when her tenure with then-OL Reign was cut short due to a knee surgery. A two-time Olympic gold medalist and World Champion, she hasn’t addressed her playing career much over the last two years. 

In the latest RE-CAP Show episode, Heath revealed that she had to receive a cartilage transplant in her knee.

“I think it was public when I got my first knee surgery, which was actually just kind of a clean-out of the knee,” Heath said. “I ended up trying to rehab back for about a year and got pretty close. I thought about signing for a team. At that time I didn’t think I was there enough with the knee to be able to commit fully to a team, because the way I play football is I’m all in — like I play to be at the highest level, I play to be winning World Cups, Olympics, club championships.

“And then obviously with that first surgery not helping, I got a second pretty big surgery with my knee that then put me in the category of like, ‘Will I ever play professionally again?'”

Initially, Heath…

Summer is getting closer as is trying to achieve a bikini body. That’s why, one of your New Year’s resolutions was (and you haven’t started yet) to get back into shape and you’ve chosen swimming as your means on getting there.

What I’m going to share with you today is a plan which has a scope of getting you started in a sufficient way in the swimming pool. The plan is a 4-week plan so it will cover the first month of your workout. There are two different plans depending on your level of preparation beforehand: beginners and advanced…The difference lays in the fact that the advanced plan has an extra workout each week and each workout is slightly longer.

Week 1

The US Olympic Swimming Trials begin this weekend, running from June 15th through June 23rd in Indianapolis, with Katie Ledecky eyeing her fourth-straight Summer Games.

While traditionally held in Omaha, Indiana’s Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, has been fitted with a 50-meter pool to host the meet that will determine the 2024 Paris Olympics roster.

All eyes will be on seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky, who will be competing in the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1500-meter freestyle — all events in which she’s been an Olympic champion. 

Rival Ariarne Titmus had her trials last week, breaking the world record in the 200-meter freestyle. Ledecky’s 200 is intended to qualify her for the Olympic relay. Meanwhile stateside, Katie Grimes stands to be a challenger in the 1500-meter freestyle has already qualified for the Paris Olympics in the 10km open water event.

Other competitors of note include 47-year-old Gabrielle Rose, who stands to become the oldest US Swimming Olympic qualifier in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke.

Additionally, Kate Douglass — an NCAA and World Champion — is a favorite to make her first Olympic team in the…

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Production engineer and certified swim coach. Full-time IT consultant, spare-time swimming aficionado. 2 sons, 2 daughters and a wife. President of the Faroe Islands Aquatics Federation. Likes to run

In Tasmania on June 22, 2013, the Dark Mofo winter festival nude swim attracted around 300 participants and was expected to become an annual winter tradition. The event was held at Long Beach in Sandy Bay in temperatures of about two degrees celsius, followed by a more modest ‘prude swim’ featuring swimmers in bathing costumes. In 2024, the Nude Solstice Swim promises ‘an increased capacity’ and will again take place at Long Beach at sunrise, on Friday, 21 June, ‘welcoming back the light after the longest night’.