Out Spotlight XXXVI

"Of the 10,708 athletes who will march into Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Olympic stadium on Friday, Outsports is aware of only 10 who are publicly gay, on par with the 2004 Games. There is also a bisexual American softball player.

Of the 10 publicly gay Olympians this year, only one is a man: Matthew Mitcham (Australia, diving). The out lesbians are: Judith Arndt (Germany, cycling), Imke Duplitzer (Germany, fencing), Gro Hammerseng and Katja Nyberg (Norway, handball and a lesbian couple), Natasha Kai (U.S., soccer), Lauren Lappin (U.S., softball); Victoria "Vickan" Svensson (Sweden, soccer); Rennae Stubbs (Australia, tennis) and Linda Bresonik (Germany, soccer)." (From Outsports.com)

Former Olympian Robert Dover,(USA Equestrian team), who is out, told the Associated Press back during Sydney there are scores more not ready to be open. "You spend a day with these athletes, and it becomes obvious that gay people are everywhere," Dover said. "The reason many of them aren't out is because they're focused on their job during this time when sports is the No. 1 thing in their lives."

"Simple math and common sense will tell you that many more gay or lesbian athletes will be competing. If 10% of the athletes are gay, that’s 1,000 people. Too high? Try 5%, which leaves 500. Still too high? OK, 1% still leaves 100. And even one-half of 1% still means there are 50 gay or lesbian athletes. Imagine the public attention if 50 athletes held a press conference to declare their homosexuality." (Outsports.com)

A pair of names looked familiar and remembered Norwegian Girl alerting us to the hardball players and lesbian couple, Gro Hammerseng and Katja Nyberg from Norway a while ago.

Gro Hammerseng was born April 10, 1980 in Gjøvik)she is currently the captain of the Norway women’s national handball team, and plays club handball for Danish club Ikast-Bording. Making her national team debut in 2000 she led Norway to two consecutive victories in the European Women’s Handball Championship, in 2004 and 2006, being voted the tournament’s most valuable player both times.

In the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Hammerseng has joined other Norwegian athletes in an Amnesty International campaign for human rights in the People’s Republic of China.

Katja Nyberg was born August 24, 1979 in Stockholm, Sweden, grew up in Finland and became a naturalized Norwegian citizen. She playes for Danish club Ikast-Bording as well as the Norwegian women's national handball team along with her partner Gro.

Nyberg is the daughter of Robert Nyberg, the first Finnish handball player to play professionally abroad.She was voted Most Valuable Player in the 2007 World Women's Handball Championship, where Norway won the silver medal.

Katja shared her success with her partner Gro twice playing in the Norwegian winning team in 2004 and 2006 European Championships.

They are both competing in the hardball for Norway in the Olympics.

Gro and Katja Clip


OMG Olympic Moment

Basketball
Basketball is played in 4 periods of 10 minutes each at the Olympic Games. Five-minute overtimes follow if a game is tied. Both the Men's and the Women’s basketball tournament is played with 12 teams, except the host country and the reigning World Champion all teams have to qualify through a continental championship a year in advance to the Olympics. A three-point line, or arc, around the hoop allows three points for baskets from beyond 6.25 metres and two points from inside that distance.

How could OMG not love a game that uses words, traveling, pick ups, shirts vs. skins and man to man coverage? Leaving the rest of basketball fun for the OMG'ers to comment on.

With his height and build many assumed Austin for a basketball player but he admits himself he's got no game, and he lied and said he could play for his role in Glory Road. But training camp molded him into a basketball player.

Jake shows no hesitation in his love of basketball, more as an unabashed Laker's fan as well as pick up game player. As much as they like to play. OMG prefers them as fans.