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

John Williams - Olympic Fanfare

Katy Perry - Rise

Sia - Unstoppable

Bill Conti - Power

Leo Arnaud - Olympic Anthem

Shakira - Try Everything

What are your favorite events?

Do you have a favorite Olympic moment?

Summer or Winter Olympics?