Olympics

Hey, Princess ... WANNA RACE?!!

Conor McGregor was rubbin' elbows with ROYALTY on the French Riviera on Monday ... racing water bikes with Princess Charlene of Monaco and the pics are awesome.

The two got in a workout while Conor and his family are in the area on vacation. Afterward, their families -- including Prince Albert -- hung out together on shore.

"A Great day racing the water bikes with Princess Charlene of Monaco," Conor said.

"A phenomenal athlete and Olympian, we are teaming up for a 180km voyage in September to raise awareness in water safety. I cannot wait!"

It's true ... Princess Charlene is one hell of an athlete herself -- a former Olympic and World Champion swimmer!

In fact, she competed for South Africa in the 2000 Olympic Games in the 4x100 relay, fishing behind Team USA (led by Olympic legend Amy Van Dyken).

She retired from competitive swimming in 2007 -- and now focuses on various philanthropic efforts including water safety and the Special Olympics.

McGregor was clearly impressed with the water bike workout -- saying he will now incorporate the exercise into his McGregor F.A.S.T. training program.

"Thank you for the great day for my family Your Highness," McGregor added ... "In aid of the Princess Charlene of Monaco foundation."

RAW EMOTION FROM HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN!!

It's true, Queen Elizabeth actually *giggled* during a conversation with a military member who moonlights as a member of the Jamaican bobsled team ... and the clip is great!

The monarch was having a video chat with members of the armed services -- including the Royal Army, Navy and Air Force ... when she began to assign questions to Lance Corporal Shanwayne Stephens.

When Her Majesty learned Stephens is the pilot of the bobsled team, she was so impressed, she let out a "Gosh!"

Stephens told her the plan is to compete in the 2022 Olympics -- and of course, the Queen asked how he's staying in shape during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Unorthodox training methods," Stephens said ... "I’ve been pushing a car up and down the street."

THAT'S WHEN THE QUEEN LAUGHED!!!

"Well, I suppose that’s one way to train," she added.

FYI, Stephens later revealed the car he uses during his street training is his fiancee's Mini Cooper.

The Queen also wished the entire group the best of luck and said she enjoyed the conversation.

Olympics legend Usain Bolt and his girlfriend, Kasi Bennett, have revealed the name of their baby daughter ... and it may be the most perfect name EVER!!!

Olympia Lightning Bolt.

Come on, does it get any better than THAT?!?!

Baby Bolt was born back on May 17 -- but the couple decided to finally go public with the name on Tuesday while celebrating Kasi's 31st birthday.

In an emotional bday IG post to Kasi, Usain wrote ... "I want nothing but happiness for u and will continue to doing my best keeping a smile on ur face."

"Now we have started a new chapter together with our daughter Olympia Lightning Bolt I look forward to what the future will bring for us but be reassured that I will be the ROCK for this family."

33-year-old Bolt and Bennett have been together for about 7 years now ... and the sprinter had previously shared his excitement about becoming a #GirlDad.

Congrats!!! And, welcome to the world, Olympia!!

Also, CAN YOU IMAGINE IF SHE BECOMES A SPRINTER AND COMPETES IN THE OLYMPICS!

OLYMPIA LIGHTNING BOLT FOR THE WIN!!!

Luce Douady -- a climbing prodigy who was expected to compete in the Tokyo Olympics -- died Sunday after tragically falling from a cliff in France ... officials confirmed this week.

She was 16 years old.

According to the French Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing (FFME) ... Douady -- one of the most talented teenage climbers on the planet -- was with friends near Grenoble when tragedy struck.

The FFME says she was trying to navigate between two climbing sectors on a cliff ... but lost her footing. Multiple reports indicate she fell nearly 500 feet.

Douady was an absolute star in the sport ... she took 1st in the bouldering event at the IFSC Youth World Championships in 2019 -- and had aspirations of winning a medal in next summer's Olympics.

She was "brilliant in competition," the FFME said.

Added IFSC officials in a statement Monday, "Luce was a young, brilliant and talented athlete ... The IFSC’s thoughts and prayers are with Luce’s family and friends at this tragic time."

Ginny Fuchs -- a U.S. Olympic boxer -- is in the clear ... she won't face punishment for a positive drug test after officials say she accidentally ingested banned substances through sex.

The story is wild ... Fuchs learned of the positive doping test back in March -- but USADA launched an investigation after she claimed it was all because she was bangin' her BF without protection.

The probe into the incident revealed the 32-year-old wasn't lying ... USADA officials say her positive sample did, in fact, come through intercourse.

"USADA determined that Fuchs’ male partner was using therapeutic doses of letrozole and GW1516 and the low amounts of letrozole metabolite," the org. said in a statement Thursday.

"And GW1516 metabolites detected in her sample were consistent with recent exposure to the substances via sexual transmission."

Fuchs will now face NO penalty over the positive test ... which is great news, considering she's gunning to be the United States' flyweight in the Tokyo Olympics next summer.

"I had no idea that you could get contaminated through intimate contact," Fuchs said in an interview with Fox 26's Mark Berman. "And I've just learned a lesson about this now and I want other athletes to learn from my mistake."

Heads up, 2044 Olympics ... Usain Bolt's baby daughter has officially arrived!!!

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed the news on social media Monday ... saying Bolt's longtime girlfriend, Kasi Bennett, gave birth to the couple's child this week.

"Congratulations to our sprint legend Usain Bolt and Kasi Bennett on the arrival of their baby girl!" Holness wrote.

Bolt and Bennett first announced their pregnancy back in January ... and at a gender reveal party in March -- Usain was FIRED UP over his future as a #GirlDad!

"Yo, I just did the reveal and I'm a girl dad," Bolt said at the time.

The two have been dating for close to seven years ... with 33-year-old Bolt and 30-year-old Bennett pretty much inseparable ever since the Olympic legend retired from competitive sprinting.

The couple has yet to publicly announce the birth ... but we're sure it'll be an epic reveal as soon as they get a minute for social media time.

Congrats!!!!

U.S. Olympic bobsledder Pavle Jovanovic died last week after taking his own life ... Team USA announced. He was 43 years old.

"The winter sports community has suffered a tragic loss," USA Bobsled/Skeleton CEO -- and Jovanovic's teammate -- Aron McGuire said in a statement.

"Pavle’s passion and commitment towards bobsled was seen and felt by his teammates, coaches, competitors, and fans of the sport."

Team USA says Jovanovic committed suicide on May 3.

Jovanovic began training as a bobsledder in 1997 and won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2004. He also competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics, finishing 7th in the 2-man and 4-man events.

Jovanovic was praised as being one of the best brakemen in the sport ... with coach Greg Sand calling him a "one-of-a-kind original."

"If there was ever a bobsledder born to push heavy objects, man it was Pavle."

"Frankly, I think the Olympics are in doubt next year."

That's U.S. soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe getting very real about the postponed summer games ... saying she's having a hard time seeing how the event goes on even in 2021.

"The more I think about it logistically," Rapinoe says, "just bringing everybody together like that with the absence of drug therapies or anything like that just seems difficult."

Of course, the Olympics were previously set to kick off in just a few weeks ... but the coronavirus pandemic forced officials to bump the competition to next summer.

International Olympics Committee spokespeople seem confident the event will go on then without a hitch ... but Rapinoe told CNN's David Axelrod on "The Axe Files" podcast this week she's skeptical.

"I guess we'll see," Rapinoe says. "I don't want to be in the prediction business, but we'll see."

A cancellation or even another postponement of the Olympics would likely spell the end of Rapinoe's time as an Olympian ... she's 34 years old now and retirement is on the horizon.

If it is ultimately the end ... Megan had a hell of a run, winning a gold medal for the U.S. back in 2012.

Justin Gatlin vowed to retire after the 2020 Olympics, but the 38-year-old USA track star tells TMZ Sports plans change, 'cause he ain't quittin' before takin' another crack at gold ... thanks to some inspiration from Tom Brady.

We talked to the LEGENDARY sprinter -- who competed in the '04, '12, and '16 Olympics and won 5 medals including a gold in the 100M in 2004 -- and asked him straight-up, are you retiring??

Nope ... "The goal will be to compete in the 2021 Summer Olympics," Gatlin tells us.

"I think a lot of people think that time is against me or against older athletes in this situation, and it's far from the truth."

Fact is, almost no track athletes remain elite into their late 30s. Usain Bolt retired at 31 years old ... and lost to JG in is last race. So, Gatlin is a freak of nature.

But, does JG really believe with the Olympics postponed a year -- only months shy of his 40th bday -- that he can realistically compete for ANOTHER gold medal?

"My educated guess is yes, [I can win gold in 2021]."

Gatlin continued ... "It won't be that big of a difference from being 38 to 39. But, I always said, 'I'm not running 'til I'm 40.' I was so hard on myself with not running 'til I'm 40, and now it looks like I'm pushing close to 40, and I'm gonna still be running."

Speaking of athletes in their 40s ... we asked Justin if he'll retire after Tokyo, and he sure as hell doesn't sound like someone who's done -- thanks to some inspiration from a guy who is still pretty damn great on the football field.

"Uh, [retiring after 2021 is] a possibility, I'm gonna see," Gatlin says ... "All this Tom Brady news that's going on right now, it's giving me a lot of hope to say, 'Ya know, maybe a 40-year-old Justin Gatlin on the track won't be that crazy.'"