Olympic Facts - Female Athletes

Francina "Fanny" Elsje Blankers-Koen won four gold medals in the 100m (11,9s), 200m (24,4s), 80m hurdles (11,2s / world record) and 4x100m relay (47,5s) at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. In the 1930s and 1940s,she set 33 national records and 12 world records. Fanny finished 6th in the high jump at the 1936 Olympics in Germany. She also won 5 European titles. This great woman was born on April 26, 1918 in Lage Vuursche, Holland.

The American Virgin Islands sent 2 sportswomen to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary (Canada).

The Soviet Union -currently Russia- won the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Paris (France) in 1956. Final standings: 1.USSR; 2.Romania; 3.Poland; 4.Czechoslovakia; 5.Bulgaria; 6.China; 7.North Korea; 8.East Germany; 9.USA; 10.Holland.

Nancy Vallecilla (Ecuador) finished 28th in the 100m hurdles at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. In the 1970s and 1980s, she was one of the best female athletes of South America.

The team of Norway won the second edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup. Led by Ann-Kristin Aarones ( the best football player), Norway defeated Germany 2-0 in the final.

The Peruvian women's volleyball team won the silver medal at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis (Indiana, USA). The silver medalists were: Diana Uriol, Gabriela Perez del Solar Cuculiza, Janeth Vasconsuelos, Luisa Cervera, Alejandra de la Guerra, Cecilia Tait Villacorta, Rosa Garcia, Denisse Fajardo,Gina Torrealba, Natalia Malaga, Sonia Heredia. They were coached by Man Bok Park (South Korea), one of the best coaches of the world.

The Australian women's field hockey team won the gold medal at the 1994 World Cup. Final standings: 1.Australia; 2.Argentina; 3.USA; 4.Germany; 5.South Korea; 6.Holland; 7.China; 8.Spain; 9.England; 10.Canada; 11.Ireland; 12.Russia.

Lida Fariman was the flag bearer of the Iranian Olympic team at the 1996 Olympic Games. Who is Lida? She is one of the best shooters of Iran.

The U.S. women's basketball team won the FIBA World Championship in 1957. This was its second successive world title. Final standings: 1.USA; 2.USSR; 3.Czechoslovakia; 4.Brazil; 5.Hungary; 6.Paraguay; 7.Chile; 8.Mexico; 9.Argentina; 10.Australia; 11.Peru; 12.Cuba.

Israel sent 8 sportswomen to the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (California,USA).

Ghada Shouaa is regarded by the Syrian Olympic Committeee as the first Syrian Olympic champion. Ghada finished first in the heptathlon at the 26th Olympic Games in the United States. She was ranked first in the world having competed at the IAAF World Championship in 1995, where she won a gold medal. Like Hassiba Boulmerka (Algeria/ Olympic gold medalist, 1992) and Nawal El Moutawakel (Morocco/ Olympic gold medalist, 1984), she is one of the greatest Arab female athletes of all time. Ghada was born on September 10, 1972 in Muhardeh (Syria).

The Russian women's handball team won the World Championship in 2001. There were 24 teams. Final standings: 1.Russia; 2.Norway; 3.Yugoslavia; 4.Denmark; 5.France; 6.Hungary; 7.Austria; 8.Sweden; 9.China; 10.Holland; 11.South Korea; 12.Italy; 13.Slovenia; 14.Spain; 15.Angola (Africa); 16.Brazil; 17.Romania; 18.Ukraine; 19.Tunisia; 20.Japan; 21.Macedonia; 22.Congo (Africa); 23.Uruguay; 24.Greenland (Danish territory).

Diane Bui-Duyet (New Caledonia/ French territory) was named as the female swimmer of the South Pacific Games in 2007. She had a big performance in the 100m butterfly.

Nigeria sent six female athletes to the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich (West Germany).

Brazil is one of the best volleyball teams of the world. It has notable volleyball players such as Isabel Barroso Alencar, Ana Mozer, Marcia Cunha, Fernanda Venturini, Ericleia Bonziack, Vera Mossa and Sandra Survagy.

History:

1951: South American Championship-1st place

1955: Pan American Games-3rd place

1956: South American Championship-1st place

1958: South American Championship-1st place

1959: Pan American Games-1st place

1960: World Championship-5th place

1961: South American Championship-1st place

1962: South American Championship-1st place ; World Championship-8th place

1963: Pan American Games-1st place

1967: Pan American Games-4th place

1969: South American Championship-1st place

1970: World Championship-13rd place

1973: World Cup-9th place; South American Championship-2nd place

1974: World Championship-16th place

1975: Pan American Games-5th place; South American Championship-2nd place

1977: South American Championship-2nd place

1978: World Championship-7th place

1979: Pan American Games-3rd place; South American Championship-2nd place

1980: Olympic Qualification Tournament-3rd place; Olympic Games-7th place

1981: World University Games-3rd place; South American Championship-1st place; World Cup-8th place

1982: World Championship-6th place

1983: World University Games-1st place; South American Championship-2nd place; Pan American Games-4th place

1984: Olympic Games-7th place

1985: World Cup-6th place; South American Championship-2nd place

1986: World Championship-5th place

1987: Pan American Games-4th place; World Junior Championship-1st place ; South American Championship-2nd place

1988: Olympic Qualification Tournament-2nd place; Olympic Games-6th place

1989: South American Championship-2nd place; World Junior Championship-1st place

1990: World Championship-7th place

1991: South American Championship-1st place; Pan American Games-2nd place; World Cup-8th place

1992: Olympic Games-4th place

1993: South American Championship-2nd place

1994: World Championship-2nd place

1995: World Cup-2nd place; South American Championship-1st place; Pan American Games-6th place

1996: Olympic Games-3rd place

1997: World Cup-3rd place; South American Championship-1st place

1998: World Championship-4th place

1999: Pan American Games-1st place; World Cup-3rd place; South American Championship-1st place

2000: Olympic Games-3rd place

2001: South American Championship-1st place; World Junior Championship-1st place

2002: World Championship-7th place

2003: World Cup-2nd place; Pan American Games-4th place; World Junior Championship-1st place

2004: Olympic Games-4th place

2005: World Cup-1st place; World Junior Championship-1st place

2006: World Championship-2nd place; American Cup-1st place

2007:World Cup-2nd place; Pan American Games-2nd place; World Junior Championship-1st place ; American Cup-2nd place

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer.Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry.He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso".He is an expert on foreign affairs.Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latin America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Jos Gamarra (former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee ,1970- 1982), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). Alejandro said: "The person who I admire the most is Jos Gamarra . He devoted his professional and personal life to sport. Jos played an important role in the promotion of Olympism in Bolivia -it is one of the Third World`s poorest countries- and Latin America. His biography is interesting".The sportspeople he most admire is Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman. "This African-American sportswoman is my idol..."

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Chinese New Year Spectacular Showcases the Fashion of Ancient China

The NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular has entered its fourth season. Its theme of Myths and Legends weaves a tale of the proverbial battle between good and evil through theatre, music and dance.

The Spectacular has drawn a lot of attention in recent years for its theatrical costumes and themes revolving around ancient times; inspiring and impressing audiences of all ages with its natural style and bright presentation. Each characters appearance is vividly portrayed and expressed through their costume.

Modern design has a theory for every detail, including color balancing and dynamics. Ancient people did not have such theories. Beauty and virtue were the general principles of their designs. As long as it looks comfortable and harmonious then it is acceptable. The design group for the NTDTV Spectacular applied modern esthetics to recover and recreate the history. They further emphasized the balancing of harmony and contrast based on beauty.

These costumes were designed strictly according to the records in ancient books and paintings to re-display the Chinese traditional clothing and culture as accurately as possible to the audience. One reference was The History of Chinese Clothing. The book was compiled from the research of archaeological findings by a group of senior scholars of Shanghai Universities and Colleges.

A more direct source of blueprints was the frescoes in the Dunhuang cave, a treasure house of Chinese culture. All the way from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, paintings were added in each historical period and much of the clothing found on the characters was representative of the typical clothing in each time period. Besides Dunhuang, the designs were also referenced from sculptures, the jade carvings and household utensils from ancient times.

In the period just before the Tang Dynasty, peoples lives were very turbulent, most notably due to the wars during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. This is expressed through the flowers on the clothing, which looked relatively rough.

During the Tang Dynasty, the economy was good and society was stable. The flowers on the clothing were full, magnificent, and serene; the decorative patterns exuded elegance. Garments with big sleeves were most common during the Tang Dynasty. The outer garments were transparent, and the inner garments carried a low neckline. The hairstyles were varied; a womans hair could drag along the ground if not combed. The Tang Dynastys poetry and literature were full of imagination and the Chinese people were also very broadminded. Their clothing reflected this by being very open and broad. The clothing also absorbed elements from other cultures through frequent contact with the regions in the west, India and other Asian countries; Persian designs were also very popular.

Ancient clothing was not limited to only a few styles for each period. The big sleeves, for example, changed both in detail and color from the golden age of the Tang to the late Tang. The design must take into account the specific point in history. The size of the sleeve is also designed according to the era, with base colors designed from the most original findings.

The linings of the costumes were mostly from China in order to make things authentic, as one could tell with a glance that it was a foreign product if linings from other countries were used. The designers for the Spectacular are presenting the beauty of the Chinese traditional culture found within the Chinese traditional clothing.

The costume designers follow a principle: to make something responsible for and representative of society while respecting legitimate culture instead of something to stimulate the senses. Therefore, the designs must be in accordance with what is recorded from history. Everything from the hairstyles to the hats were all designed based on historical data throughout the entire artistic process.

Shi Wei is a Chinese History student living in the US. For more info about the NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular in your city/area, please visit: http://shows.ntdtv.com http://www.ntdtv.com

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Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) as a Fun Exercise Program

One of the main reasons people quit an exercise program is a lack of motivation and goal setting. You may start an exercise program in hopes of losing weight and becoming more fit. However, as you continue exercising, you may feel that you're putting in so much effort but gaining so little. You become unmotivated because it's just too much work.

With Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), kids, teens, and adults can find a way to stay motivated, exercise, and have more fun. Dance Dance Revolution is a music game available on both console and arcade. You can choose from a variety of energetic dance songs. As the song plays, you have to step on a specific pattern of arrows in response to the song's beat.

Like most games, learning Dance Dance Revolution takes practice. There is a range of tempos, song genres, and step difficulties, so there is something for everyone. Beginners can start with easy slow-paced songs. To get better, simply practice and become familiar with the songs. As you progress you can gradually choose faster songs and more difficult step patterns. With enough practice and persistence you'll gain stamina, become better at foot-eye coordination, and have a better sense of rhythm.

Since the game grades you on how well you've played each song, it is easy to set goals and stay motivated. For example, if you achieved a 'C' rating on a song, you can set a goal to get a 'B' rating in a certain timeframe. If you failed a song, you can set a goal to pass that song in a certain number of tries. Also, with a partner, you can both play the same song and participate in some friendly competition. This competition adds a great deal of fun. Furthermore, it helps you strive to improve and keep playing so you can beat your dance partner.

To play Dance Dance Revolution, check out local arcades and see if any of them has a Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine. If they don't, or you don't want to travel to an arcade, you can get a Dance Dance Revolution game for a console like Playstation, Playstation 2, or XBox. Of course, you could play with a regular controller but then you wouldn't be exercising (unless you consider finger manipulation exercising). To experience the game the right way, you'll need a dance pad.

There are three main types of dance pads: soft thin pads, ignition pads, and metal pads. Soft thin pads are flexible, made of plastic, and wear out quickly. They tend to slip around a lot. I have to constantly realign my soft thin pad while playing harder songs. If you simply want to test out DDR, soft thin pads are great. Ignition pads are soft pads which have a foam insert. The foam insert provides weight, durability, and comfort. It feels different from the arcade but is easy to adapt to. Like the soft thin pads, ignition pads will wear out. The best pads for expert players are the metal pads. They have been designed to give more of that arcade feel. They have greater durability and accuracy.

Visit http://www.ddrdancepadreviews.bravehost.com/ for descriptions of some specific DDR dance pads.

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