DALLAS (AP) Gwen Jorgensen is making triathlon look easy. Less than 18 months after finishing her first triathlon, the former swimmer and All-American runner at Wisconsin qualified for the London Olympics. With a second-place finish that was the best ever for a U.S. woman at an International Triathlon Union World Championship Series event. On the same course that will be used for the Summer Games, no less. "I'm glad it looks like an easy transition," Jorgensen said with a laugh. "That's just a testimony to the support I've had behind me." Triathlon has been dominated by Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland since it made its debut at the Sydney Olympics, with the Americans winning just one medal, a bronze by Susan Williams in 2004. Three ... Continue reading →
The Americans have plenty of depth on vault, balance beam and floor exercise. Their weakness is uneven bars — which just happens to be Liukin’s signature event. She won a silver medal on bars in Beijing — she and China’s He Kexin actually tied, but He won on a complex tiebreaker — with a routine that was ridiculously difficult, an intricate mix of turns and twists that showcased her elegance and lines. When Liukin told her father of her comeback plans, he immediately began cooking up another “crazy” routine, one that could have a start value close to 7.0.Gabby Douglas, the top American on bars these days, had a 6.5 start value at American Cup in March, with plans to add another four-tenths of difficulty.Liukin’s ... Continue reading →
New Orleans Times-Picayune to cut staff, may reduce publication schedule The Newhouse family-owned New Orleans Times-Picayune plans to cut staff and may reduce its daily publication schedule to two or three times a week. Reports of Times-Picayune restructuring started circulating last night. My tipster — a former staffer at that paper — heard that they’re “going to an all-online site with a print edition maybe just a few times a week, getting rid of a bunch of top editors … [and] staffers must reapply for jobs at drastically reduced salaries averaging $30K to $35K.” David Carr posted his story at 11:33 p.m., and New Orleans alt-weekly Gambit got its report up at 2:40 a.m. It says: Carr’s report comes after a tumultuous week in the ... Continue reading →
