Mens Journal

SUMMER

OLYMPICS

12 REASONS

TO CARE

FROM TOP: TKTKTK

BECAUSE THESE

THREE ARE

AS GOOD AS GOLD

CHRISTIAN

TAY LOR

The 2012 Olympic

gold medalist

came within

a credit card’s

length of

breaking the

20-year-old world

record in triple jump last year — he

has his goal of 18.30 meters written

on the inside of his shoes. But most

incredibly Taylor inched this close

to the mark when due to an injury

he was forced to jump off the

opposite leg from the one he used

to win the gold medal in 2012.

ALLYSON FELIX

This American track star is going

for a rare double gold. Team USA

lobbied the IOC on Felix’s behalf to

move the first-round qualifiers

for the 200 meter so they don’t

conflict with the 400-meter final

as first scheduled. Valerie Brisco-

Hooks was the last American

woman to pull off the feat.

SHAKUR STEVENSON

It’s time to care about boxing

again. Stevenson a 19-year-old

bantamweight from New Jersey is

23–0 versus international

competition and poised to end the

USA’s 12-year gold-medal drought.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: VLADIMIR ASTAPKOVICH/SPUTNIK VIA AP;

COURTESY OF HELEN MAROULIS; VICTAH SAILER/PHOTORUN

9

Saber Fencing Is

Shockingly Cool

Prep-school kids

dressed up like skinny

beekeepers? That’s

not what Olympic

saber fencing is about.

The weapon used in

the event is heavier than a traditional

foil and athletes can score points by

wielding both the edge and the point of the blade. They even hit each other on

the head. In other words it looks a lot like aGame of Thrones sword fight. Also each

competitor is wired with LEDs to light up like a Christmas tree when struck. Best

of all there tends to be a lot of primal screaming both when and after points are

won especially if the Hungarians — long known as an aggressive saber-fighting

dynasty — are involved. En garde!

10

Fourth Place Is the New Bronze

When Canadian shot-putter Dylan Armstrong left the 2008 games he was

disappointed that he’d missed his chance at a spot on the podium by one

centimeter. But six years later the Belarusan medalist who’d finished ahead

of him was caught doping and Armstrong was awarded the bronze. Clean Olympians

who just lost out on getting on the podium should have ever more reason to hold out

hope for a medal this year. Between 1968 — when testing began — and 1999

15medalswerestripped.Butinthelast16yearsalone52medalshave beentaken

withmoretocome(helloRussia).Everyathletewhomedalswillbetested;thosewho

fail will have their hardware stripped and everyone else will be bumped up. As the

number of busted athletes rises there’s every reason to think finishing fourth in Rio

might eventually lead to serious jewelry.

11

While in high school in Maryland Amer-

ica’s best female wrestler twice placed

sixth in the state — in the boys division.

“Their game plan was always the same”

says Maroulis. “See if they could hurt me

and make me quit. Once they realized

thatwasn’tgoingtowork theyhada

problem.” In college she finally wrestled

against her own sex and the results were

even better (four college national champion-

ships and later six U.S. Open Champion-

ships). At the Games she’ll have to wrestle at

the Olympic class of 116.5 pounds five less

than what she’s used to. “I’ll be in full zombie

mode [at the Games]” she says. “So I’m just

enjoying food while I can.”

NO MATTER WHAT WEIGHT CLASS SHE’S IN

HELEN MAROULIS WILL TAKE YOU DOWN

12

Taylor is a

good bet to

take home some

precious metal.

MEN’S JOURNAL 86 SEPTEMBER 2016