• Simone Biles called this the redemption tour, but there was nothing to redeem. She and the rest of Team USA are consummate athletes. More importantly, they’re human and are willing to share this with us. We know that representation matters. The diversity of Team USA allows budding Olympic gymnasts to see that people who look like them are capable of competing at this level. But they also get to see that women who are able to accomplish superhuman feats experience the same stumbling blocks that we all do.
• Artistic gymnastics is one of five (as far as I can tell) current summer Olympic sports where you can have an element officially named after you.
• Those cameras come just a little too close to the athletes and are downright invasive.
• Have you ever seen gymnasts’ feet on the beam? Those bad boys are like eagle talons!
• Another reason why I love Big Kelce (that’s what I call him) the best…the shirt he was wearing with Ilona Maher’s face on it.
• In case you were wondering, each of Team USA’s star-spangled leotards had more than 10,000 Swarovski crystals on it and costs about $3,000.
• One of the things I admire the most about these gymnasts has been their ability to get back up and regroup after taking a fall. One of Team Brazil’s gymnasts fell and busted her head open during warmups. She grabbed herself a Band-Aid and then went on to help her team win a bronze medal. Meanwhile, I stumble over a couple of words while I’m teaching and I’m ready to throw the whole lecture away.
• Speaking of Team Brazil, this was their very first Olympic medal in women’s artistic gymnastics.
• The most precious thing during this whole event was watching the mini gymnasts back in the World Champions Gym in Spring, TX doing Jordan Chiles’ floor routine along with her.
• Team Italy’s silver medal represented Italy’s first Olympic medal in women’s artistic gymnastics in 96 years.
• I’m pretty sure the IOC purposely had Simone Biles close out the event with her floor routine.
• On to the pool…There will never be another Eddie Reese, but I can think of no one better to replace him than Bob Bowman (Hook’em!).
• Kaylee McKeown winning back-to-back gold medals in the women’s 100m backstroke is a great example of why you should always wear your pearls. I’m pretty sure that’s what made the difference in her performance.
• Daniel Wiffen became the first male member of Team Ireland to win an Olympic medal in swimming. His first place and Olympic record setting finish in the men’s 800m freestyle constitutes Team Ireland’s third swimming medal (ever), two of which were won during these Olympic games.
• An Olympic high from yesterday…The women’s rugby sevens team won Team USA’s first Olympic medal in that event.
• An Olympic low from yesterday…after a controversial officiating decision, Coco Gauff was eliminated from the women’s singles tennis tournament.

I need to either pace myself or train harder. We’re only three days into these Olympic games and I’m already tired. I might have to stick to only watching the finals of each sport.