Olympics

Ryan Clark is weighing into all the discourse that's gone on since Jonathan Owens said he was a catch for Simone Biles -- not the other way around -- by saying ... ease up, folks.

The ex-Steelers safety recorded a video addressing the backlash Owens is facing in the wake of an interview he did on RC's pod last week ... in which he described how he first met Simone, how they got together, and who he thought was the lucky one in the relationship.

It came off a little ineloquent at the time, but essentially ... he said he thought he was a catch for Simone -- and that he didn't necessarily "pull" her, but rather ... she pulled him.

JO also confessed he didn't know who Simone was when they matched on an app -- apparently, he wasn't tuned in to her Olympic run -- and says she made the first move.

BTW, as Owens was saying this to Clark and his podcast cohosts -- SB herself was in the room, and she didn't even flinch. The Internet, on the other hand, was up in arms over his comments ... as they felt he was being disrespectful for suggesting he was the prize here.

Simone and Jonathan have each addressed the heat he's catching ... and they both seem to be over it, and not nearly as mad as Twitter was when they first caught wind of this.

Now, Ryan himself is speaking up ... and he's got words for the collectively outraged.

Jake Paul is using his massive social media presence to give exposure to some rising stars in boxing ... joining forces with Team USA to help promote fighters ahead of the Olympics.

The Problem Child -- who has millions of followers and subscribers on the internet -- will spend time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado as well as the Paris Games in 2024 through the partnership ... documenting their journey on his accounts.

Jake has already been spending time with Olympian boxers like Joshua Edwards and Morelle McCane, who recently attended his first-round K.O. victory over Andre August this past weekend.

The 26-year-old spoke about the decision to work with Team USA ... telling TMZ Sports, "It has always been my goal to shine a spotlight not just on boxing as a sport, but on the people who work so hard to be the best within it."

"The mindset of pursuing greatness is one I both see and personally share with Mo McCane, Joshua Edwards, and the rest of Team USA's boxing talent. The Olympics are the greatest stage in the world, and I'm honored to help bring awareness to USA Boxing and mentor these young, inspiring athletes as they fight for gold. Anyone who works hard enough to receive the honor to represent Team USA at the Olympics deserves a platform, so I'm looking forward to getting down to business in Colorado Springs with Coach [Billy] Walsh and the rest of Team USA."

Of course, USA Boxing has been home to some massive names in the sport ... including Oscar De La Hoya, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Evander Holyfield.

It sounds like Naomi Osaka and Cordae have the whole parenthood thing figured out ... 'cause the tennis star says the two have made it easy by building "a really good foundation" for their baby girl.

Osaka and the "Gifted" rapper welcomed their daughter, Shai, in July ... and have been so private about raising their daughter, they don't even share photos of her on social media.

The 4-time Grand Slam singles champ briefly gave some inside info on her new role as a mother five months after giving birth ... and revealed Cordae -- who she started dating in 2019 -- is making parenting easy.

"We built a really good foundation," Osaka told InStyle this week. "I don't know if it's because he's just an easygoing guy, but I think we just respect each other's opinions. And if we disagree on something, we talk it out."

"At the end of the day, we both want what's best for Shai."

Osaka also said her pregnancy wasn't the smoothest journey -- the 26-year-old tested positive for a bacterial infection Group B streptococcus, which affects millions of expecting mothers every year.

The infection can lead to sepsis, meningitis, or stillbirth for babies ... and it made Osaka very anxious.

The death of Olympic track and field champ Tori Bowie, who was found dead as a result of childbirth complications about two months before Osaka's delivery date, had her scared as well.

"I was kind of starting to freak out a little bit," Osaka admitted. "There were so many things I wasn't aware of."

But, everything is going well now ... as Shai is a healthy baby girl, Cordae is being a great father, and Osaka -- who started back training in October -- is looking forward to the next Wimbledon and French Open.

Simone Biles quiere que todo el mundo deje de hablar sobre los rumores de embarazo, asegurándole a sus fans que no está esperando un bebé en el corto plazo después de que un reciente post en Instagram despertara las especulaciones.

Los fans de Biles comenzaron a conjeturar después de que la mejor gimnasta de todos los tiempos publicara una foto suya en el partido de los Packers vs. Giants el lunes, al que asistió para ver a su marido Jonathan Owens hacer lo suyo.

Algunos seguidores sintieron que la imagen ofrecía algún indicio de que ella podría estar embarazada, con uno diciendo: "Esta foto está enviando vibraciones de bebé".

Otro fan comentó: "¿Está embarazada? Estoy tan feliz por ellos!! ❤️❤️❤️"

Sin embargo, Biles, que se casó con Owens en abril, tuvo que poner fin a todas las habladurías y aclaró todo en su perfil el miércoles por la mañana.

"Odio tener que abordar esto, pero por favor dejen de comentar en esta foto o en mi Instagram en general que estoy embarazada", dijo Biles.

"No estoy embarazada".

Cuando se comprometieron el año pasado, sin embargo, Biles hizo mención durante un Q&A que Owens, que firmó un contrato de 1 año con los Packers en mayo, quiere un "equipo de fútbol" en el futuro y ella solo quiere dos niños.

Simone Biles wants everyone to pump the brakes on all the pregnancy talk ... assuring her fans she is not expecting a baby anytime soon after a recent Instagram post was met with speculation.

Biles' fans started to wonder after the gymnastics G.O.A.T. posted a photo of herself at the Packers vs. Giants game on Monday ... where she watched her husband, Green Bay safety Jonathan Owens, do his thing.

Some followers felt like the picture gave some sort of hint she was carrying a bun in the oven ... with one saying, "Picture is sending baby vibes."

Another fan commented, "Is she expecting?? I'm so happy for them!!❤️❤️❤️"

However, Biles -- who got married to Owens this April -- had to put a stop to all the chatter ... and cleared the air on her profile Wednesday morning.

"I hate that I even have to address this, but please stop commenting on this photo or my Instagram in general about me being 'pregnant,'" Biles said on Wednesday.

"I'm not pregnant."

When they got engaged last year, however, Biles did mention during a Q&A that Owens -- who signed a 1-year deal with the Packers in May -- wants a "football team" of kids in the future ... and she only wants two.

Shaun White grew up shredding the half pipe at a youth action sports camp in Oregon ... a time that had such a profound impact on the 3x Olympic gold medalist, he just teamed up with Philadelphia 76ers and NJ Devils owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer to buy the camp!

Talk about coming full circle.

We Are Camp, founded in the late '80s, is located in Ft. Hood, Oregon, a kick-ass skiing and snowboarding spot about 75 miles east of Portland. They offer a bunch of different activities in addition to snow sports, including mountain biking and skateboarding.

“As a kid, I was so thrilled to spend every summer going up to Windells and High Cascade Snowboard Camp,” White said, reminiscing on his many family vacations to the 28-acre campgrounds.

“Those were some of my fondest memories. I would snowboard the best park and halfpipe in the morning and then the afternoons would be filled with skateboarding, trampolines, and mountain biking, it was epic!"

Shaun, of course, went on to become the greatest snowboarder of all time... affording him the connections and opportunity to partner with Harris and Blitzer.

"I’m honored to officially partner with We Are Camp along with Josh and David. I’m excited to step in and help elevate a place that’s so special to me, so come June, you’ll know where to find me!”

Sources tell us the camp was valued at around $10 million!

A lot of money ... but Josh Harris and David Blitzer are incredibly successful. In addition to the Sixers and Devils, they own the Prudential Center arena in New Jersey.

Un YouTuber fue condenado a 6 meses de prisión federal el lunes por obstrucción a la justicia después de estrellar deliberadamente su avión para avivar sus redes sociales.

Trevor Daniel Jacob, de 30 años y ex snowboarder olímpico, se enfrentaba a una pena máxima de 20 años y fue condenado a solo 6 meses por John F. Walter, juez del distrito de Estados Unidos, después de declararse culpable por el cargo de "destrucción y ocultación con la intención de obstruir una investigación federal" el 30 de junio.

En un reciente comunicado de prensa, los fiscales federales dicen que Jacob confesó haber orquestado el accidente del 24 de noviembre de 2021 y haberlo publicado un mes después en YouTube, el 23 de diciembre, con el título: "Me estrellé con mi avión".

En el video se ve a Jacob volando un avión monomotor desde el aeropuerto de Lompoc a Mammoth Lakes, antes de afirmar que el motor estaba fallando a los 30 minutos.

Las imágenes capturan a Jacob abriendo la puerta lateral y saltando desde un paracaídas justo cuando el avión se precipitaba hacia abajo para estrellarse.

Los fiscales dicen que Jacbo esperó dos días a propósito para informar del accidente a la Junta Nacional de Seguridad en el Transporte, quien le aconsejó que preservara los restos. La investigación se estancó cuando les dijo que no sabía donde se había estrellado el avión.

En su lugar, utilizó un helicóptero para levantar los restos del bosque nacional de Los Padres el 10 de diciembre de 2021, antes de desmantelarlo y deshacerse de él.

Durante su sentencia del lunes, el juez Walter le ordenó que se entregara a las autoridades antes del 29 de enero. En una declaración transmitida por su abogado, Jacobs dijo: "Esta experiencia ha sido tan humillante".

A YouTuber was sentenced Monday to 6 months in federal prison for obstruction of justice after deliberately crashing his single-propeller plane ... to bolster his social media.

Trevor Daniel Jacob, 30, of Lompoc -- a former Olympic snowboarder who was facing a max sentence of 20 years -- was sentenced to just 6 months by United States District Judge John F. Walter ... after pleading guilty to one count of "destruction and concealment with the intent to obstruct a federal investigation" on June 30.

Federal prosecutors say in a recent news release that Jacob confessed to orchestrating the crash on November 24, 2021 ... posting the pre-planned event to YouTube nearly a month later on December 23, titling it, "I Crashed My Airplane."

The video sees Jacob flying a single-engine plane from Lompoc City Airport to Mammoth Lakes ... before claiming the plane's engine had failed 30 minutes in.

The footage captures Jacob opening the side door and leaping out to deploy a parachute just as the plane hurtles downward into a crash below.

Prosecutors say he purposely waited two days to report the pre-planned crash to the National Transportation Safety Board, who advised him to preserve the wreckage --- though he stalled the investigation, telling them he didn't know where the plane went down.

Instead, he used a helicopter to lift the wreckage out of the Los Padres National Forest on December 10, 2021 ... before dismantling and disposing of it.

During his sentencing Monday, Judge Walter ordered him to surrender to the authorities by Jan. 29 ... with Jacobs saying in a statement conveyed by his lawyer: "This experience has been so humbling."

Oscar Pistorius pronto será un hombre libre. Esto, después de que consiguiera la libertad condicional dos años antes de lo esperado por el asesinato de su novia, Reeva Steenkamp, en 2013.

El ex velocista olímpico y asesino convicto fue condenado a 13 años y cinco meses en 2016 por disparar y asesinar a la joven de 29 años, pero después de ganar su audiencia el viernes, el Departamento de Servicios Correccionales de Sudáfrica le concedió la libertad condicional, la que será efectiva a partir del 5 de enero de 2024.

Los términos de su libertad condicional establecen que permanecerá y vivirá en la zona de Pretoria y que requiere permiso de las autoridades para salir.

También tendrá que unirse a un programa de manejo de la ira ordenada por la corte y hacer servicio comunitario. Todas estas condiciones asociadas a su libertad condicional se mantendrán durante cinco años.

La desolada madre de Reeva, June Steenkamp, no asistió a la audiencia. Dijo que no pudo "reunir la energía para enfrentarse a él de nuevo en esta etapa". Sí estuvo presente para la primera vez que solicitó su libertad anticipada en marzo, la que terminó siendo denegada.

Según Sky News, la madre de Steenkamp le dijo a los periodistas en ese entonces que creía que él no estaba arrepentido y que debía estar tras las rejas.

Por su parte, Pistorius, quien posee dos amputaciones y es apodado "Blade Runner", ha dicho en repetidas ocasiones que nunca tuvo la intención de dispararle a su pareja, diciendo que pensaba que era un intruso.

Oscar Pistorius will soon be a free man ... after being granted parole 2 years earlier than expected for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013.

The ex-Olympic sprinter and convicted killer was sentenced to 13 years and five months in 2016 for shooting and murdering the 29-year-old -- but after winning his parole board hearing Friday, the Department of Correctional Services in South Africa has granted him parole, effective January 5, 2024.

The terms of his parole state he'll stay and live in the area of Pretoria ... requiring permission from authorities to leave.

He'll also have to join a court-ordered anger management program and do community service -- and the parole conditions will remain in place for 5 years.

Reeva's devasted mother, June Steenkamp, didn't attend the hearing ... saying she "cannot muster the energy to face him again at this stage" .. though she was present at his first request for early release in March, which was denied.

According to Sky News, Steenkamp's mom told reporters outside of the venue at the time she believed he wasn't remorseful and belonged behind bars.

On his end, Pistorius, a double-amputee nicknamed "Blade Runner," has repeatedly claimed he never meant to shoot his partner ... saying he thought she was an intruder.

Suni Lee -- the Olympics star who won gold in Tokyo in 2020 -- just revealed her kidney issues this year caused her to gain 45 pounds.

The 5-foot gymnast made the revelation in an interview with USA Today this week ... just a few months after she left Auburn to get a handle on the ailment.

"I couldn't fit into any of my clothes," Lee told the outlet. "My eyes were swollen shut. It was just so scary."

Thankfully, Lee says she's doing better now ... and, according to USA Today, she looks "very much like the gymnast" who competed in the Games nearly three years ago.

"I haven't had a really bad day in a while," Lee said. "But in the beginning it was like I was waking up swollen. My fingers were so swollen they wouldn’t fit into my grips and I couldn't hold on to the bar."

She added, "My whole body was swollen because I was retaining water, so I couldn’t do a flip. … So it was really different and I had to learn how to work through it."

Lee said she's made some changes to her diet -- eliminating a lot of her sodium intake -- which has allowed her to reignite her pursuit of more medals at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

"We're still working on trying to figure out how to balance all of it because I do have good days and bad days," Lee said. "But with the good days I just take advantage of what I'm able to do, and on the bad days I just do basics and try and stay as safe as possible."

Suni Lee, la estrella olímpica que ganó el oro en Tokio 2020, acaba de revelar que los problemas renales que ha sufrido este año la hicieron engordar 20 kilos (45 libras).

La gimnasta de 1,70 metros hizo la revelación en una entrevista con USA Today esta semana, apenas unos meses después de que dejara Auburn para controlar la dolencia.

"No me cabía la ropa", le dijo Lee al medio. "Tenía los ojos hinchados. Estaba muy asustada".

Afortunadamente, Lee dijo que está mejor ahora y, según USA Today, se parece "mucho a la gimnasta" que compitió en los Juegos Olímpicos hace casi tres años.

"Hacía tiempo que no tenía un día realmente malo", dijo Lee. "Pero al principio era como si me despertara hinchada. Tenía los dedos tan hinchados que no me cabían en las empuñaduras y no podía agarrarme a la barra".

Añadió: "Todo mi cuerpo estaba hinchado porque estaba reteniendo agua, así que no podía hacer una voltereta. ... Fue realmente diferente y tuve que aprender a trabajar con ello".

Lee dijo que ha hecho algunos cambios en su dieta, eliminando gran parte de su ingesta de sodio, lo que le ha permitido reavivar su búsqueda de más medallas en los Juegos Olímpicos de París 2024.

"Todavía estamos trabajando para averiguar cómo equilibrar todo porque tengo días buenos y días malos", dijo Lee. "Pero con los días buenos solo aprovecho lo que soy capaz de hacer, y en los días malos solo hago lo básico y trato de mantenerme lo más segura posible".

No hay nada mejor que un poco de competencia para que los miembros de su equipo de hospitalidad y cuidado se comparen con otros profesionales del sector, y si no que se lo pregunten a los atletas de las Olimpiadas de Limpieza de este año.

Un nuevo lote de aspirantes llegó a Las Vegas el fin de semana para la 33ª edición anual de la IEHA Housekeeping Olimpiadas, que regresó por primera vez en cuatro años debido a la pandemia.

Como era de esperar, no fue una competencia fácil para los participantes, que vinieron de todas partes de América del Norte para demostrar sus habilidades domésticas en el Mandalay Bay Michelob Ultra Arena, el que se convirtió en un campo de batalla de escobas, camas, aspiradoras y cubetas para trapear.

Los competidores deslumbraron en tareas como carreras de aspiradoras, tendido de camas y relevos de trapo, por nombrar solo algunas.

El Director Ejecutivo de la IEHA, Michael Patterson, cree que el evento saca a la luz las mejores prácticas, técnicas e innovaciones en este campo, al mismo tiempo que realza el objetivo de mostrar el impacto global de la excelencia dentro de la industria de la limpieza.

Nothing better than a little competition to make sure your hospitality and care team members stack up to other professionals in the biz ... just ask this year's athletes at the Housekeeping Olympics.

A fresh batch of hopefuls hit Vegas over the weekend for the 33rd annual IEHA Housekeeping Olympics ... which returned for the first time in four years due to the pandemic.

As expected, it was no clean sweep for participants, who came from all over North America to flex their domestic skills at Mandalay Bay's Michelob Ultra Arena ... which became a battlefield of brooms, beds, vacuums and buckets.

Competitors dazzled in tasks such as vacuum racing, bed-making and mop relay ... just to name a few.

IEHA Executive Director Michael Patterson believes the event brings to light the best practices, techniques, and innovations in the field while also buffing up the goal of showing the global impact of excellence within the cleaning industry.

Israel Barona, a surfing star in Ecuador and Olympic hopeful, passed away following a medical emergency in his hotel room in Central America this week.

He was only 34.

The National Civil Police (PNC) reported the death of Barona on Tuesday, announcing the young surfer suffered seizures in his hotel in El Zonte, La Libertad.

"He was taken to a hospital, however he was already deceased," PNC said on X.

"Homicide is ruled out" ... indicating there was no foul play.

The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee confirmed the sad news, saying the surf champ was in El Salvador for a competition when he died.

"The Olympic Movement extends its heartfelt condolences to the Barona Matute family, following the death of the great athlete of Team Ecuador Surf, Israel Barona Matute," the committee said on Tuesday.

"Rest in peace, champion."

Barona's surfing career started when he was 10 years old ... and he won several national championships. He repped Ecuador at the World Surfing and Bolivarian Games.

Israel also coached the sport with his sister Dominic Barona who is one of the best female surfers in Latin America.

Fans and fellow surfers paid tribute to Barona on social media, including Rafael Romero who called him "a great friend and mentor of the ocean ❤️."

Israel Barona, estrella del surf en Ecuador y aspirante olímpico, falleció tras una emergencia médica en su habitación de hotel en Centroamérica esta semana.

Solo tenía 34 años.

La Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) informó de la muerte de Barona el martes, anunciando que el joven surfista sufrió convulsiones en su hotel en El Zonte, El Salvador.

"Fue trasladado a un hospital; sin embargo, ya había fallecido", dijo la policía en X.

"Se descarta homicidio", indicando que no hubo juego sucio.

El Comité Olímpico Ecuatoriano confirmó la triste noticia, diciendo que el campeón de surf estaba en El Salvador para una competencia cuando murió.

"El Movimiento Olímpico extiende sus más sentidas condolencias a la familia Barona Matute, tras el fallecimiento del gran deportista del Team Ecuador Surf, Israel Barona Matute", dijo el comité el martes.

"Descansa en paz, campeón".

La carrera de Barona en el surf empezó cuando tenía 10 años y ganó varios campeonatos nacionales. Representó a Ecuador en el Mundial de Surf y en los Juegos Bolivarianos.

Israel también fue entrenador de este deporte junto a su hermana Dominic Barona, quien es una de las mejores surfistas femeninas de Latinoamérica.

Fanáticos y compañeros surfistas rindieron homenaje al deportista en las redes sociales, entre ellos Rafael Romero, quien lo llamó "un gran amigo y mentor del océano ❤️."