Road to Rio

With the 2016 Summer Olympic Games approaching quickly, athletes, coaches, and fans are preparing all over the world for what should be a very interesting and dramatic couple of weeks. The training is intense and athletes are getting ready in different ways to prepare for their events. According to topend sports.com, swimming, gymnastics, and track are some of the more popular sports of the games and are ones I know I always tune in to watch. Although the athletes involved with these sports all share a common goal, the  training and preparation is far different and is based on and tailored specifically to each athlete.

Swimming is a very intense sport that requires many hours every day in the pool as well as weight and core training out of the water. Michael Phelps’ training schedule has to be one of the most rigorous and intense schedules of almost all athletes. He practices twice a day for three hours in the pool, swimming 80,000 yards a week: roughly 50 miles. This may get shorter as it gets closer to the Games but it will still be as intense. On top of that, he does weight training three days a week. His coach, Bob Bowman, says he is training harder than ever and is in the best shape of his life and is fully prepared for the upcoming games in Rio. For more on Michael Phelps’ practices and training go to http://www.muscleprodigy.com/michael-phelps-workout-and-diet/ .

Gymnastics has a lot of the same characteristics that swimming does except it’s all on land and some in the air. According to USA Gymnastics, elite gymnasts practice twice a day with a three hour practice in the morning and a four hour practice in the afternoon. Gymnastics however, requires a lot more upper body and core strength. In preparation for the 2016 Olympics, these athletes will train hard, right up until the games begin, where as in swimming training gets easier in the week or two leading up to it so the athletes aren’t as tired. This is where the training for these sports is very different. The US National Gymnastics Team’s workouts in preparation of the games consist of many elements (https://usagym.org/pages/athletes/womenList.html) . They stretch a great deal before practice and have to work all elements of the sport during the workout, including beam, floor, vaulting, and bars. Gabby Douglas is among the hopefuls to make a spot on the US Olympic team as she seeks to win her second consecutive gold (http://gabrielledouglas.com/).

Track and field includes many different events, but sprinting is one of the most familiar to viewers. According to GQ.com, Usain Bolt is the fastest human being ever, the reigning world recorder holder in the 100m and 200m and has been recorded at a top speed of 27.79mph. While this man is obviously very talented, he also trains very hard. Running isn’t all just legs though. He trains his whole body, including his upper body and core. This helps them with stability and balance when they run. This is why sprinting is one of the harder events of the Olympic Games. For videos showing aspects of Usain Bolts’ training go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEIxpcYukqc .

All athletes performing in Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games are preparing and training in different and intense ways. Every single one of them shares the common goal of winning and representing their respective country. All are hoping for Olympic Gold. For more on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEIxpcYukqc .