Top Five Friday : Olympic Edition

Happy Olympics Everyone!  I'm SO excited for the Games to start, so today's Top Five Friday is all about the Olympics.  I'm going to be sharing my favorite moments of Games past, the athletes I'm most excited to follow, a schedule of events I'm going to be sure to watch, and a playlist of pump-up songs to get you ready!


Linking up with Mar, Cynthia and Court 
as well as Heather and Momfessionals


Favorite Past Olympics Moments


Kerri Strug
This is the epitome of fighting through pain for your country to me!  Her determination really inspires me, plus her second vault was amazing!


Mo Farah
Both of these races were so exciting to watch, and I think it's even more meaningful to win in front of your home crowd.  The support and cheers were incredible!


Michael Phelps
Seeing Michael Phelps take over the all-time medal record count gave me so many chills!  Relays are always exciting to watch, and I remember screaming at the TV and being so excited when the USA won!


Deena Kastor
The marathon is such a physical and mental event, so seeing Deena come from behind to win the bronze was so impressive.  This moment is shown in one of my favorite documentaries (Spirit of the Marathon) and it always inspires me and makes me love the sport more and more.





Athletes to Watch

Simone Biles
Simone Biles seems to be the face of the Olympics this year, and with good reason!  So many people have been calling her the best gymnast of all time, and I'm excited (and a little nervous) to see how she handles all of that pressure.  She's incredible to watch, and I can't wait to see how she does in the team and individual competitions.

Sydney McLaughlin
Before the track and field trials, I had never heard of Sydney McLaughlin.  During the first round heats, I saw the determination and fire in her eyes and I just knew that she was going to go far.  Lo and behold, she made it to the Games as a 16 year old, and I can't wait to see how far she'll go!  She's a high school phenom and I have no doubt she'll have a huge future in the sport.

Bernard Lagat
On the flip side, Lagat is an athlete that I've been following as long as I can remember and have always admired.  He qualified for an incredible fifth Olympics this year, and I'm so excited to see how he does this year!




Events to Watch

Marathon
After watching the trials earlier this year, I've been counting down the minutes to Rio!  I'm so excited for all of the American athletes that are going to be running in the race and hope that we can get some people up on the podium.

Watch on : 8/14 (women) 8/21 (men)


Women's Gymnastics
I absolutely love watching gymnastics because it blows my mind what these athletes are able to do!  Not only are they incredibly strong, but they also have to be precise, artistic, and defy gravity.  It's so amazing to watch!  I'm hoping that Team USA can bring home another team gold, and a few other medals in the individual events!

Watch on : 8/9 (team) 8/11 (individual all-around) 


Tennis
Tennis is one of my favorite sports to watch, and I'm hoping that Novak Djokovic can get his Golden Slam by winning Olympic Gold.  It's a little disappointing that so many players have pulled out of the Games, but I'll still be tuning in and rooting for my favorites!

Watch on :  8/13 (women singles) 8/14 (men singles)
Track and Field
Track and field epitomizes the Olympics for me.  Anytime I picture the Games, I picture people running around a track, so it's no wonder that it's one of my favorite sports to watch!  There are so many races and different athletes to keep track of, and I don't know what event I'm most excited to watch!  

Watch on : pretty much every day....





Playlist



What are your favorite events?
Do you have a favorite Olympic moment?
Summer or Winter Olympics?

Comments

  1. Britt HensleyAugust 5, 2016 at 3:06 AM

    Love this list! The Olympics made my list too :) Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownAugust 5, 2016 at 3:14 AM

    SHOW JUMPING! I don't care if you don't like horses, watch it :D And yes to all! You know i was there when Kerri stuck that landing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunAugust 8, 2016 at 7:15 AM

      I will! One of my coworkers does show jumping in competitions around the country so she's getting us all into the sport :)

      Delete
  3. FabulousandfunlifeAugust 5, 2016 at 3:38 AM

    I'm looking forward to the Olympics too! Being Australian I have different Olympians on my "need to watch" list. One of them used to train with my daughter before she changed coaches. She was so determined and focused every single training session you could always tell she would do well!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 5, 2016 at 4:58 AM

    I have flashbacks of watching that Phelps relay! Literally jumping and screaming!

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownAugust 5, 2016 at 5:54 AM

    Swimming and gynmastics are definitely my favorites- can't wait!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunAugust 8, 2016 at 7:16 AM

      They're so good so far..can't wait for the team finals :)

      Delete
  6. Fairytales and FitnessAugust 5, 2016 at 6:00 AM

    Kerri Strug for sure.I was young but I still remember that. That was amazing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunAugust 8, 2016 at 7:16 AM

      So incredible. Every time I watch the clip it gives me chills!

      Delete
  7. AnonymousAugust 5, 2016 at 6:26 AM

    I just saw Kerri Strug's video last week, and that was incredible! Also Michael Phelps has been just such an amazing swimmer for years.

    Running has to be my favorite sport. I'm pretty partial to it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Courtney @ Eat Pray Run DC August 5, 2016 at 6:30 AM

    I love the Olympics and am SO EXCITED to tune in!

    ReplyDelete
  9. JennaAugust 5, 2016 at 6:32 AM

    I got goosebumps just reading this and watching those videos! I cannot even express how excited I am for these Olympics!

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownAugust 5, 2016 at 6:36 AM

    So excited to watch the Olympics! I am cheering for Bernard too! It is so awesome he is going once again to the Olympics!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sarah @pickyrunnerAugust 5, 2016 at 6:50 AM

    I'm biased towards swimming since it was the biggest part of my life for 15 years. I also love watching gymnastics- it's just so much more interesting than the other sports! Did you see the new USA swimming video? AMAZING. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqM_Oncq8l0

    ReplyDelete
  12. UnknownAugust 5, 2016 at 7:29 AM

    I love the summer Olympics, so many great sports but gymnastics has to be my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Heather @ Polyglot JotAugust 5, 2016 at 2:41 PM

    Yay! Im so excited--gymnastics and swimming are my favorite to watch! I always cry!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kristen @ See You In A PorridgeAugust 5, 2016 at 2:42 PM

    i love how much you love the olympics :) i am partial to swimming events myself!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunAugust 8, 2016 at 7:21 AM

      They're so good! I was cheering for the Aussies in a few events :)

      Delete
  15. Erin of TexErin-in-SydneyLandAugust 5, 2016 at 8:56 PM

    Because I live on the other side of the world, all the events this year are occurring at crazy times...my sleep is going to get interrupted, I can tell. I LOVE gymnastics, but Australia doesn't have full coverage of it the way America does. Of course, I can watch it online...but it's just not the same.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gretchen BraunAugust 8, 2016 at 7:22 AM

      That's so annoying! I'm lucky that we're just one hour behind this year. I hope you can find some good streams to keep up!

      Delete
  16. Laura DarlingAugust 7, 2016 at 7:35 PM

    This is the best. I love the Olympics too! I am watching right now waiting for the men's relay, hoping to have another great reaction from Phelps!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Elle SeesAugust 9, 2016 at 6:39 AM

    I have enjoyed what I've seen so far! And I'm just amazed at the athleticism and dedication...as I sit on my couch! ;)

    ReplyDelete

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