2020* Tokyo Olympics

Just want to get a tally of the Pilot Olympians competing in this edition of the Games. Do I have this right / complete? Are there Pilots competing that I’m missing?

Women’s soccer: Rapinoe (USA), Schmidt (Canada), and Sinclair (Canada)
Athletics: Kincaid (USA)

I feel like I am missing someone? UP usually publishes an article along the lines of “Follow the Pilots in the Olympics” but hasn’t this year.

FloridaPilot wrote:Just want to get a tally of the Pilot Olympians competing in this edition of the Games. Do I have this right / complete? Are there Pilots competing that I’m missing?

Women’s soccer: Rapinoe (USA), Schmidt (Canada), and Sinclair (Canada)
Athletics: Kincaid (USA)

I feel like I am missing someone? UP usually publishes an article along the lines of “Follow the Pilots in the Olympics” but hasn’t this year.

Men's Basketball: Watanabe/Hogland (Japan)

Knew I missed one. Thanks, DD!

Women’s soccer: Rapinoe (USA), Schmidt (Canada), and Sinclair (Canada)
Athletics: Kincaid (USA)
Men's Basketball: Watanabe/Hogland (Japan)

On Monday Japan lost to Spain and today they lost to Slovenia.

Hugh (Hogland) Watanabe did not play in either game.

There is an article in the Wall Street Journal about Hugh, "He’s the Most Interesting Man in Olympic Basketball. And the Most Improbable," but as I am NOT a subscriber, I could not read it.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/olympics-basketball-japan-hugh-watanabe-11627533167

By now most everyone knows the USA got by the Netherlands 4-2 in a shootout with the winning goal coming from Megan Rapinoe.

Woody Kincaid was not so fortunate in the 10,000m, finishing 15th after hanging tough until the last 600m.  He will be running in the 5,000m on Tuesday.

Christine Sinclair's leadoff shot on goal was stopped by the Brazil keeper, but Canada went on to win their shootout and will now face the USA in the semifinal on Monday at 1am PDT on the USA Network.

DoubleDipper wrote:There is an article in the Wall Street Journal about Hugh, "He’s the Most Interesting Man in Olympic Basketball. And the Most Improbable," but as I am NOT a subscriber, I could not read it.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/olympics-basketball-japan-hugh-watanabe-11627533167

Is someone able to open the link and post Hugh's story here?

StudentPilot wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:There is an article in the Wall Street Journal about Hugh, "He’s the Most Interesting Man in Olympic Basketball. And the Most Improbable," but as I am NOT a subscriber, I could not read it.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/olympics-basketball-japan-hugh-watanabe-11627533167

Is someone able to open the link and post Hugh's story here?

Someone (totally not me) archived it a few days ago, so everyone can read Hugh's interesting and improbable run to the games.

https://archive.md/fJoQ8

Sound Voltex, thanks for sharing the archived story.

Hugh wrote:“If I had to do it over again I wouldn’t have quit.”

Just days prior to quitting the UP team I sat and talked with Hugh for about 15 minutes on the sideline while his teammates were stretching and casually shooting-around prior to a game.  At that time, feeling stifled in his bid to play and improve, he said he just wanted to get his degree and get away from Portland and Coach Porter as soon as he could.

When he quit the UP team, most of us reacted the same way, "why?'" There is nothing to be gained by not continuing to play if you want to eventually turn pro.  When he got to UC Davis he said, "transferring was the best decision I ever made, and wish I had done it sooner."

One can only hope Hugh finds happiness as a professional playing in Okinawa.

Hugh (Hogland) Watanabe did not play in Japan's 20 point loss to Argentina yesterday.  I guess Japan is now done.  
Christine and Sophie's Canada team beat Megan's US team on a penalty shot this morning.

Canada will play for the Gold and the USA will play for the Bronze.

DoubleDipper wrote:Woody Kincaid was not so fortunate in the 10,000m, finishing 15th after hanging tough until the last 600m.  He will be running in the 5,000m on Tuesday.

Woody finished third in his heat in the 5,000m this morning in a time of 13:39.04 and qualified for the 5000m final on Friday.

DoubleDipper wrote:Canada will play for the Gold and the USA will play for the Bronze.

Carli and Megan scored two goals each, including Megan's "Olimpico," a curler off a corner kick that went directly into the goal, and Team USA beats the Matildas 4-3 to capture the Bronze.



Just click on "Watch on YouTube" to see the video...

By now everyone knows that Christine and Sophie and Canada won the Gold in their match against Sweden.

Ugh, I hate penalty shoot-outs, and this was a weird one as seven out of the 12 shots taken were either saved or missed.

All the Pilots are now done with their Olympic competition for 2020* as Woody finished 14th in the 5000m this morning in a time of 13:17.20...which I think is a personal best for him.

A good showing by our Olympic Pilots!

I’m thrilled Sinclair and Schmidt finally got her gold. Unfortunately, I suspect this is the last we will see of at least Sinclair and Rapinoe in the Olympics and World Cups. Hopefully, Coach French is working on turning out the next generation of international-level Pilot women’s soccer players.

I’m not an athletics expert, but it was a joy to watch Kincaid run in his events. Hope we see him in Paris 2024!