World Cup stars who played in Olympics (photos)

By Nick ZaccardiJun 10, 2014, 12:59 PM EDT

Soccer has mostly been a showcase for youth at the Olympics, with a rule limiting nations to a maximum of three players over age 23.

That has somewhat leveled the playing field — Nigeria and Cameroon won gold medals in 1996 and 2000 — and also provided international tournament experience to players would go on to become World Cup stars. This is apparent when looking at the 2014 World Cup squads.

One non-household name, the oldest player at the 2014 World Cup, 42-year-old Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, was on Colombia’s roster at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Here’s a gallery of this year’s World Cup stars who double as Olympians:

FIFA Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal for Portugal at the 2004 Olympics when he was 19, two years before his World Cup debut. Portugal is best known at those Athens Games for being upset by Iraq in their opener and being eliminated in the group stage.

Four-time FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi (seen here with World Cup teammate Sergio Aguero) scored twice during Argentina’s run to 2008 Olympic gold.

Neymar, the star of the World Cup host nation, scored three times at the London Olympics. But Brazil couldn’t overcome Mexico in the gold-medal game. Brazil and Mexico will face off again at the World Cup on June 17.

Recognize this American? That’s Michael Bradley, before he went bald, at the 2008 Olympics (with Japanese star Shinji Kagawa, also set to play at the World Cup). The U.S. failed to advance out of group play in 2008 (and didn’t qualify for the 2004 or 2012 Olympics). Also on that 2008 U.S. team were World Cup players Jozy Altidore and Brad Guzan. No. 1 U.S. goalie Tim Howard was on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team that finished fourth, but he didn’t play (alas, no photos readily available). Omission Landon Donovan, too, was on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team, when he had blond hair.

Polarizing striker Luis Suarez was an over-23 player at the London Games, but it didn’t do Uruguay much good. The South American nation that made the 2010 World Cup semifinals lost to Senegal and failed to make it out of group.

Xavi scored twice for silver medal-winning Spain at the 2000 Olympics, two years before he made his first World Cup team in 2002. The midfield maestro is pictured here with longtime South Korean star Park Ji-sung, who played at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon beat Xavi and Spain in the 2000 Olympic final. Both players scored in regulation (a 2-2 draw) and converted penalty kicks.

Giovani dos Santos was part of Mexico’s gold-medal team at the 2012 Olympics, scoring three goals, but missed the final against Brazil due to injury.

Andrea Pirlo is a two-time Olympian for Italy. He played in 2000, when Italy was eliminated by Xavi and Spain in the quarterfinals, and in 2004, when Italy won bronze. Also of note for Italy, longtime goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was the youngest member of its 1996 Olympic roster at age 18.

Didier Drogba is not an Olympian, but the Ivory Coast striker did take part in the 2012 Olympic torch relay.

Remembering the ‘Ohno celebration’ at 2002 World Cup

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Ryan Crouser breaks world record in shot put at Los Angeles Grand Prix

By OlympicTalkMay 27, 2023, 5:56 PM EDT

Two-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser registered one of the greatest performances in track and field history, breaking his world record and throwing three of the six farthest shot puts of all time at the Los Angeles Grand Prix on Saturday.

Crouser unleashed throws of 23.56 meters, 23.31 and 23.23 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. His previous world record from the Tokyo Olympic Trials was 23.37. He now owns the top four throws in history, and the 23.23 is tied for the fifth-best throw in history.

“The best thing is I’m still on high volume [training], heavy throws in the ring and heavy weights in the weight room, so we’re just starting to work in some speed,” the 6-foot-7 Crouser, who is perfecting a new technique coined the “Crouser slide,” told Lewis Johnson on NBC.

Sha’Carri Richardson won her 100m heat in 10.90 seconds into a slight headwind, then did not start the final about 90 minutes later due to cramping, Johnson said. Richardson is ranked No. 1 in the world in the 100m in 2023 (10.76) and No. 2 in the 200m (22.07).

Jamaican Ackeem Blake won the men’s 100m in a personal best 9.89 seconds. He now ranks third in the world this year behind Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala and American Fred Kerley, who meet in the Diamond League in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday (2-4 p.m. ET, CNBC, NBCSports.com/live, the NBC Sports app and Peacock).

The next major meet is the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in early July, when the top three in most individual events qualify for August’s world championships.

Richardson will bid to make her first global championships team, two years after having her Olympic Trials win stripped for testing positive for marijuana and one year after being eliminated in the first round of the 100m at USATF Outdoors.

LA GRAND PRIX: Full Results

Also Saturday, Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico won the 100m hurdles in 12.31, the fastest time ever this early in a year. Nigerian Tobi Amusan, who at last July’s worlds lowered the world record to 12.12, was eighth in the eight-woman field in 12.69.

Maggie Ewen upset world champion Chase Ealey in the shot put by throwing 20.45 meters, upping her personal best by more than three feet. Ewen went from 12th-best in American history to third behind 2016 Olympic champion Michelle Carter and Ealey.

Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic ran the fastest women’s 400m since the Tokyo Olympics, clocking 48.98 seconds. Paulino is the Olympic and world silver medalist. Olympic and world champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas is on a maternity break.

Rio Olympic bronze medalist Clayton Murphy won the 800m in 1:44.75, beating a field that included most of the top Americans in the event. Notably absent was 2019 World champion Donovan Brazier, who hasn’t raced since July 20 of last year amid foot problems.

CJ Allen won the 400m hurdles in a personal best 47.91, consolidating his argument as the second-best American in the event behind Olympic and world silver medalist Rai Benjamin, who withdrew from the meet earlier this week.

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Primoz Roglic set to win Giro d’Italia over Geraint Thomas

Associated PressMay 27, 2023, 4:13 PM EDT

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Primož Roglič all but secured the Giro d’Italia title on Saturday by overtaking leader Geraint Thomas on the penultimate stage despite having a mechanical problem on the mountain time trial.

Roglič started the stage 26 seconds behind Thomas — who was trying to become the oldest Giro champion in history — but finished the route 40 seconds quicker than the British cyclist after the demanding climb of the Monte Lussari.

That saw Roglič move into the leader’s pink jersey, 14 seconds ahead of Thomas going into the race’s mainly ceremonial final stage.

Roglič was cheered on all the way by thousands of fans from just across the border to his native Slovenia. They packed the slopes of the brutal ascent up Monte Lussari, which had an elevation of more than 3,000 feet and gradients of up to 22%.

The 33-year-old Roglič celebrated at the end with his wife and son, who was wearing a replica of the pink jersey.

“Just something amazing, eh? It’s not at the end about the win itself, but about the people, and the energy here, so incredible, really moments to live and to remember,” said Roglič, who had tears in his eyes during the post-stage television interview, which he did with his son in his arms.

It will be a fourth Grand Tour victory for Roglič, who won the Spanish Vuelta three years in a row from 2019-2021

Roglič also almost won the Tour de France in 2020, when he was leading going into another mountain time trial on the penultimate stage. But that time it was Roglič who lost time and the race to compatriot Tadej Pogačar in one of the most memorable upsets in a Grand Tour in recent years.

It appeared as if the Jumbo-Visma cyclist’s hopes were evaporating again when he rode over a pothole about halfway through the brutal climb up Monte Lussari and his chain came off, meaning he had to quickly change bicycles.

His teammates and staff had their hands over their heads in disbelief.

Despite that setback, Roglič — who had been 16 seconds ahead of Thomas at the previous intermediate time check — went on to increase his advantage.

“I dropped the chain, I mean it’s part of it,” he said. “But I got started again and I just went … I had the legs, the people gave me extra (energy).”

The 33-year-old Roglič won the stage ahead of Thomas. Joao Almeida was third, 42 seconds slower.

For Thomas, his bad luck at the Giro continued. In 2017, he was involved in a crash caused by a police motorbike, and three years later he fractured his hip after a drinks bottle became lodged under his wheel – being forced to abandon both times.

Thomas turned 37 on Thursday. The Ineos Grenadiers cyclist had seemed poised to become the oldest Giro winner in history — beating the record of Fiorenzo Magni, who was 34 when he won in 1955.

“I could feel my legs going about a kilometer and a half from the top. I just didn’t feel I had that real grunt,” Thomas said. “I guess it’s nice to lose by that much rather than a second or two, because that would be worse I think.

“At least he smashed me and to be honest Primoz deserves that. He had a mechanical as well, still put 40 seconds into me so chapeau to him. If you’d told me this back in (February), March, I would have bit your hand off but now I’m devastated.”

Thomas and Roglič exchanged fist bumps as they waited their turn to ride down the ramp at the start of the 11.6-mile time trial.

The Giro will finish in Rome on Sunday, with 10 laps of a seven-mile circuit through the streets of the capital, taking in many of its historic sites.

“One more day to go, one more focus, because I think the lap is quite hard, technical. So it’s not over til it’s finished,” Roglič said. “But looks good, voila.”

The route will pass by places such as the Altare della Patria, the Capitoline Hill, the Circus Maximus and finish at the Imperial Forums, in the shadow of the Colosseum.

The Tour de France starts July 1, airing on NBC Sports and Peacock.

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