All right, we're on to Day 4 of the Olympics, and for the first time so far I'm writing this as I'm watching, as I am hoping to catch a bit of sleep tonight unlike last night. But still, it's time to marvel at the beauty, grace, and magic of some of the greatest athletes on the planet.
David Boudia and Steele Johnson are a conflict for me. They're amazing divers, and soooo pretty, but I, and I don't really know how to pin this down exactly, but in interviews they give me the vibe that they spend their time in the whirlpool trying to convert Tom Daley. Call it a hunch. But, again, well done America! Silver, baby!
No, there is no such thing as American Olympics Story (at least not yet), but the reason Ryan Murphy started trending on your Twitter last night was because a swimmer of the same name as the Glee producer won the 100m Backstroke, continuing an American tradition that stretches back to 1992, and joining such greats as Aaron Peirsol and Lenny Krayzelburg.
Easily my favorite race of the night was Lilly King dominating in the 100m breaststroke, not just because it was an actual close race where the Americans come out on-top (I am never more patriotic than during the few weeks that stretch from the DNC to the Olympics every four years), but also because it was a statement about winning clean. King had admonished her competitor Yulila Yefimova multiple times on Twitter and in interviews about doping charges, and to see her come out on-top when Yefimova (who, in my opinion, should have been banned from performing) had to watch from the silver bleachers, was a cathartic moment.
It was a moment where you could just tell that you were watching a gif being created. Chad le Clos, who clearly has a secret love for Michael Phelps and just doesn't know how to express it, was taunting the 19-time gold medalist before their semifinals last night, much to the delight of social media and the swimming announcers, who literally couldn't get enough of a fuming Phelps grimacing while le Clos shadow-boxed in front of him. I doubt we'll get a funnier moment this Olympics, though thanks to some savviness on NBC's part we might next week...
...As Leslie Jones is coming to the Olympics! Yes, for those of you who aren't following her on Twitter (which is really a necessity), the Ghostbusters star has been the viral sensation of the Olympics, frequently making videos cheering for athletes (with a penchant for Conor Dwyer and Katie Ledecky), questioning the logistics of handball, and saying what we're all thinking about the men's water polo team (they're hot...they're really, really hot). NBC got a tweet saying that they should hire Jones to do commentary on the broadcast, and they took the person up on it, so Jones will be heading to Rio in some capacity next week. Can't wait!
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