Emma Hruby
May 18, 2023
Ashlyn Harris doesn’t miss soccer.
“Not a f–ing second,” Harris said when asked on the most recent episode of Snacks. “I don’t miss it for a second.”
The former U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper, who also became the first NWSL player to reach 500 saves, retired at the end of 2022 after 12 professional seasons. She made 25 appearances for the USWNT and is a two-time World Cup winner. But she is enjoying her retirement to the fullest.
“I am living my best life,” she told Snacks co-hosts Lynn Williams and Sam Mewis. “I don’t have schedules. I don’t have to (say), ‘Oh, I can’t, I have to be in bed by 9:30. I have training early.’
“I just live. If I need to fly home to Florida to see someone, I fly home to Florida to see someone. These days, they’re forever behind me.”
Harris is finally doing the things that she never had time to do, from dancing to grabbing co*cktails with friends. She is also serving as the creative director for Gotham FC, the club for which she played her last NWSL season and for which her wife Ali Krieger still plays.
“The amount of pressure we live under, it’s just not sustainable forever,” she said. “Everyone has an opinion of, I mean the dumbest sh*t. … It’s just exhausting. And now it’s like, I don’t care what people think of me. I don’t have to worry about performing. I don’t have to worry.”
While she gets stressed watching the national team play – to the point that she’s “literally picking and peeling back every nail and cuticle I have on my body” – she isn’t going to miss being in the heat of the moment for the USWNT.
“Soccer was just kind of something I did. It’s not really who I am,” she said. “It’s always been about the people for me and the journey and the process and living life like extraordinary. So I’m excited for this opportunity for a lot of young people.”
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Claire Watkins
Aug 12, 2024
One of the largest storylinesof the Olympics' final weekactually stemmed from the first week of competition, asUSA Gymnasticsbattles to retain the Olympic bronze medal won by Jordan Chiles in the individual floor final.
Chiles was awardedbronze after aninquiryfrom her coaches successfully challenged her original difficulty score, adding a crucial 0.1 to her tally to place her third over Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu.
How did Jordan Chiles lose her bronze medal?
After the final, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that the initial inquiry — the one that resulted in the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) changingChiles's score — was submitted four seconds after the one-minute deadline. The ruling dictated that Chiles's original score of 13.666 be reinstated, elevating Barbosu to third place and stripping Chiles of her bronze medal.
Truth be told, the move is a drastic measure usually reserved for doping or cheating allegations. It's incredibly rare to force an athlete to return an Olympic medal due to a scoring mistake.
USA Gymnastics submits evidence to refute Romanian appeal
USA Gymnasticsis not backing down,stating on Sundaythat they had submitted photo and video evidence proving that the team made the inquiry within the allotted time period.
"The video footage provided was not available to USA Gymnastics prior to the tribunal’s decision and thus USAG did not have the opportunity to previously submit it," the Federation wrote.
"The initial error occurred in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision."
While both athletes might be happy to share a bronze, USA Gymnastics is now engaged in an appeal battle with a number of governing nations to preserveChiles's accomplishment.
"We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly," concluded USAG.
Claire Watkins
Aug 12, 2024
USA Basketballwon an historiceighth-straight Olympic gold in the final team event of the Paris Games on Sunday, narrowly taking down host nation France by a wildly tight score of 67-66.
While the US entered the game as heavy favorites, France led in the second half by as many as 10 points, withdefensive sturdinessand a raucous home crowd propelling them to a wildly tight 67-66 final score.
French defense nearly upsets Team USA
It was Team USA's closest game in Olympic history, only avoiding overtime thanks to Team France starGabby Williams's foottouching the three-point line as she sunk the final bucket.
The US came into the matchup boasting a massive point differential, but France almost immediately flipped the script, forcing thedefending champsinto 19 turnovers — 13 in the first half alone.
The US had scored just 25 points by halftime — the lowest recorded in Paris — but France also struggled to capitalize on turnovers, shooting below 30% from the field in the first half.
Bench boosts USA to Olympic gold medal win
While it took some timefortournament starsA'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart to find their footing, the US saw key contributions off the bench in the second half. First-time OlympianKahleah Copperbecame the spark the team needed, adding 10 fourth-quarter points and taking control alongside Kelsey Plum and fellow first-timer Sabrina Ionescu.
Wilson ultimately bounced back, recording 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks to close out the slim win, with 15 of those points coming in the second half.
Olympic MVP A'ja Wilson leads all-tournament team
Wilson was crownedTournament MVPafter the final whistle, joined on the all-tournament team by USA teammate Stewart, France'sWilliams, Belgium's Emma Meesseman, and Australia's Alanna Smith.
Diana Taurasi, who didn't see any playing time on Sunday, earned a record sixth Olympic gold medal, breaking a tie with longtime teammate Sue Birdfor the most in Olympic basketball history.
Ultimately, the game's further professionalization around the globe produced Team USA's toughest Olympic battle yet. But despite the late-tournament challenge, they managed to carry the weight of a now-61-game winning streak all the way to thegold.
Claire Watkins
Aug 12, 2024
The Paris Olympicswrapped up over the weekend, with the USWNT reclaiming their place atop the major tournament mountain afterearning theirfifth gold medal on Saturday. USWNT forward Mallory Swanson scored the game's lone goal in the 57th minute to lead the team to their eventual1-0 win over Brazil.
The US never trailed at the2024 Olympics and became the first women's team in tournament history to record shutouts through all three knockout rounds.
Second-half adjustments secured USWNT win
Brazil looked the betterof the twoteamsin the first half, bypassing the USWNT's midfield to pressure their backline with probing, vertical play. Recent Chicago Red Stars signingLudmilaspurred chaos among the USWNT defense, striking what would have been the game's opening goal if she hadn't been ruled offside.
The US held fast to a 0-0 scoreline at the half,then worked their way back into the match. A well-weighted pass from Korbin Albert ultimately split Brazil's defense andslotted Swansonin on goal.
USA's World Cup rebound streak kept alive
The victory represents a monumental bounce-back after a disappointing2023 World Cup— not to mention an early indication of new manager Emma Hayes's future with the team.
To date, the USWNT has consistently walked away either one — but never both — of the international women's soccer cycle'stwo major titles, keeping alive their streak of capturing Olympic gold the year after losing a World Cup.
As for Hayes, the new boss is 9-0-1 in her first 10 games with the USWNT, making an immediate impact in the team's ability to get the job done on the biggest of world stages.
Joy caffeinates USWNT's frontline
The USWNT's"Triple Espresso"frontline trio — Swanson, Sophia Smith, and Trinity Rodman — contributed at least three goals each to the USA's 12-goal Olympic tally, including a game-winner apiece in the knockout stages.
France's Marie-Antoinette Katotofinished as the tournament's leading scorer with five goals overall, followed by Swanson's four.
"I think most importantly,you’re probably hearing it, we’re playing with joy," Swansontold reportersafter the match. "We’re having so much fun. I’m just so happy."
Hayes, who joined the team in May, echoed Swanson's sentiment, saying, "I'm so excited about what we can do together. It's been 75 days, baby!"
JWS Staff
Aug 12, 2024
Welcome to The Gold Standard, hosted by WNBA and Team USA basketball legend Lisa Leslie and NWSL and USWNT great Kelley O'Hara.
In today's episode, our hosts preview both the USWNT's gold medal match against Brazil and Team USA's Olympic final against France. Later, Kelley and Lisa talk all things track and field with four-time gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross.
Watch along for expert insight from gold medalists, exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, and pure enjoyment of the Summer Games.
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