Seven-time Olympic gold-medalist Katie Ledecky stopped by the Today Show Wednesday morning to talk all things Olympics.

She said that her teammates and coaches have helped her to keep her inner joy throughout the years, keeping swimming fun and helping her in her journey.

“I love the sport and the people that I’m surrounded with,” she said. “I feel like each Olympics I’m having more and more fun each time. That’s why I keep going.”

Adding that the little moments in between the medals are what she’ll remember the most, she recalled the 4×200-meter freestyle relay which featured four-time Olympian Allison Schmitt. With that relay, Schmitt won her tenth Olympic medal.

“The hours leading up to that relay she was, every five minutes, giggling and so excited to be on that relay,” Ledecky said. “That really fired me up and it’s those little moments that I’ll remember with my teammates.”

Simone Manuel’s season isn’t quite over yet.

After missing out on the 100 free final  – the event in which she is the defending Olympic Champion – the sprinter rebounded to qualify for the 50 free final.

There she managed to overcome a stacked field, surging at the finish to place first and secure her spot on the team in a time of 24.29. 

The time is just off of her best of 23.97 set at the 2017 World Championships where she placed third overall. It’s also just off the 24.09 she swam at the 2016 Olympics to earn the silver medal. 

Manuel revealed earlier in the week that she has been suffering from overtraining syndrome. 

“I definitely think sharing that information allowed me to swim more free,” she said after her victory. “My goal was to make the Olympic team. I’m just so happy to accomplish part of my goal.”

Second to her was Abbey Weitzel, who was the winner of the 100 free, in a time of 24.30. Both Weitzel and Manuel swam this event for Team USA at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and will do so again in Tokyo.

The U.S. women’s national basketball team revealed their roster for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics on the Today show Monday morning.

The 12-player squad is headlined by WNBA giants and national team veterans Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, who will be going for their fifth gold medals.

The team will be led by South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who served as an assistant at the 2008 and 2016 Olympic games.

Here is the full Olympic roster:

Ariel Atkins

Sue Bird

Tina Charles

Napheesa Collier

Skylar Diggins-Smith

Sylvia Fowles

Chelsea Gray

Brittney Griner

Jewell Loyd

Breanna Stewart

Diana Taurasi

A’ja Wilson

Team USA revealed its 12-player women’s basketball roster for the Tokyo Olympics on Monday morning, and notably absent was Nneka Ogwumike.

Ogwumike went down in early June with a left knee sprain and was expected to return in four to six weeks. The women’s basketball tournament in Tokyo begins July 26, weeks after Ogwumike is expected to return to the WNBA court.

Chiney Ogwumike, who has missed time with an injury of her own, questioned her sister’s snub in a lengthy Twitter post. The Ogwumikes play together for the Los Angeles Sparks.

“I have watched Nneka put 144 players first each & every day for YEARS,” Chiney wrote about her sister, who is the president of the WNBA Players Association. “No one practices harder. Plays harder. Cares more. No one is a better teammate or leader.

“At the end of the day, her timeline worked PERFECTLY to return to play for the Olympics. Just wish that the process operated with the same grade that it has delivered OTHER stars.”

Notably, Diana Taurasi was named to the Olympic team is currently also sidelined with an injury.

Team USA coach Dawn Staley said it “breaks her heart” that Ogwumike was not included on the final Olympic team roster.

Ogwumike is the only season MVP in WNBA history who has not yet been named to an Olympic team. A member of the national team, she was second in scoring for Team USA in 2019-20 and was the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament MVP.

After withdrawing from the French Open to take a mental health break, tennis star and World No. 2 Naomi Osaka will now be sitting out Wimbledon.

Osaka’s agent wrote in an email Thursday that Osaka “is taking some personal time with friends and family.” He added that the Japanese native will be back in time for the Olympics stating that she “is excited to play in front of her home fans.”

Allyson Felix is set to compete in her fifth Olympics in Tokyo this summer, where she’ll get a chance to add to her nine Olympic medals.

Felix recently sat down with David Marchese of the New York Times to discuss all things Olympics, maternal health and faith.

When asked about public health and safety concerns at the Tokyo Olympics, Felix told the Times she would trust the experts.

“We have had so much loss of life, and I don’t want to contribute to any more. So I feel as if I have to be at the mercy of the experts in charge. It’s in their hands. But I can be very honest: I would be devastated if the Olympics didn’t take place.”

Felix also touched on athletes’ role in the broader Olympic machine, and she didn’t mince words.

“The athletes do not have a seat at the table when the decisions are being made. Now I get where we fall in the grand scheme of this ginormous thing that makes a ton of money — the athletes don’t see that money. It’s a big machine.”

The 35-year-old Olympic gold medalist also gave insight into her 2019 decision to sign with Athleta upon leaving Nike. Felix previously made waves when she publicly condemned the maternity policies at Nike.

“Going to Athleta, I was at a place in my career where supporting women and girls mattered to me, and they are actually doing things that are important in that space, like not Photoshopping their images.”

Finally, Felix revealed what it took to return to the track after giving birth. The sprinter said following childbirth, she could barely finish a 30-minute walk, but she was back competing at the world championships within a year.

“In this world we’re unwilling to give someone time, and after having a child that’s what you need.”

You can read the full New York Times interview with Allyson Felix here.

Simone Biles does not believe USA Gymnastics has taken accountability for their actions.

In an interview with 60 Minutes, Biles detailed just how deep the issues run with the organization, revealing that as of right now, if she had kids, she wouldn’t let her children do gymnastics.

Biles was acutely candid in the interview, saying there would be nights at the Karolyi Ranch when the gymnasts would break into the cafeteria to get food because they were so hungry.

“There would be nights where we’re like, running with our hoodie up, and we would break into the cafeteria to eat,” she said, adding that she now knows that it’s not the right way to train.

But it didn’t stop there. Biles is one of the many gymnasts who publicly disclosed that they were abused by longtime USA Gymnastics physician Dr. Larry Nassar, who has since been sentenced to as many as 175 years in prison. 

“It’s far from over,” she said, when asked if the Nassar situation is behind them. “There’s still a lot of questions that still need to be answered.”

“Who knew what, when? You guys have failed so many athletes. And most of us underage. You guys don’t think that’s a bigger problem?”

When asked if she feels as though USA Gymnastics failed her, Biles responded: “One hundred percent.”

“We bring them medals. We do our part,” she continued. “You can’t do your part in return? It’s just, like, it’s sickening.”

“The way that USA Gymnastics is right now, if you had a daughter in a couple of years, would you want her to be part of that system?” Interviewer Sharyn Alfonsi then asked.

“No,” Biles responded. “Because I don’t feel comfortable enough, because they haven’t taken accountability for their actions and what they’ve done. And they haven’t ensured us that it’s never going to happen again.”

Olympic Trials for diving wrapped up yesterday, with six divers being named to the US Olympic Team for Tokyo. 

Alison Gibson and Krysta Palmer kicked things off, becoming the first qualifiers for the team in synchronized springboard. 

From there, Palmer backed up her synchronized performance by qualifying on the individual springboard. Hailey Hernandez posted a score of 926.55 to join her in Tokyo and qualify for her first Olympic Games.

Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell qualified in synchronized platform, besting Katrina Young and Murphy Bromberg.

Schnell would then go on to qualify in the individual platform, marking her first individual win at the senior level. Young also qualified in the individual event, coming from behind on the fifth and final dive to qualify for Tokyo, overcoming Murphy Bromberg by a mere 2.95 points.

An individual qualifier who placed 10th in platform at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Parratto placed fourth in the individual event, making her only event in Tokyo the synchronized platform.

Less than three weeks before the world championships are set to open in Canada, the United States women’s national hockey team has a new coach.

Assistant coach Joel Johnson will be taking over for Bob Corkum, who has abruptly stepped down, citing COVID-19 protocol concerns.

“I was not comfortable with the protocols,” Corkum wrote in a text sent to The Associated Press on Saturday. 

While he didn’t specify his concerns, Corkum added, “It was a difficult decision to make, but one that I am at peace with. The team will not miss a beat. They are in great hands.”

Corkum has previously supported a business announcing that its employees will not wear masks, writing: “We need more educated citizens like this small business owner.”

Additionally, he has questioned some of Canada’s coronavirus pandemic support plans via his LinkedIn account, commenting on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s post and calling them “propaganda.”

Kirsten Whelan provided more insight on Twitter, reporting that Corkum’s issue wasn’t due to him being uncomfortable but rather opposing recently-released stringent tournament protocols.

Reportedly, Corkum came to the decision on Friday while in Maine with his players prior to the start of training camp. Competition is set to begin on May 6 in Nova Scotia. 

A 12-year NHL veteran, Corkum’s first international tournament as head coach with the U.S. Women’s National Team was the 2018 Four Nations Cup. The U.S. women went undefeated en route to its fourth straight tournament title. 

Most recently, Corkum helped lead the team to its fifth consecutive gold medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2019. 

“Bob put his heart and and soul into continuing to build on the legacy of our women’s national team program over the past three seasons, and we’re grateful for all he did,” USA Hockey’s director of women’s national team programs Katie Million said, per The Associated Press. “While he’s stepping away, he’ll always be a big part of the USA Hockey family and we’ll certainly miss him.”