Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Aha! I’m back.

Blogging from Beijing has not been a simple task. Finally, though, my co-workers in Lexington have figured a way to circumvent what apparently is government-blocked access to this site. Thanks, Deedra and staff!

With opening ceremonies about 5 1/2 hours away, excitement is high.

Had a chance to talk with Tayshaun Prince today (Friday), along with several hundred other reporters and many autograph seekers (mostly volunteer workers).

Just before the men’s basketball team arrived for the press conference, players and staff met with Lopez Lomong, the Sudanese refugee who will carry the American flag. After hearing a first-person account of Lomong’s story, Prince said his reaction was “pretty much self-explanatory. … It’s got to be a tremendous thrill for him. But it is for us as well because there’s a lot of people who go through tough challenges and obstacles in life, and he probably told us (only) half those stories. I’m pretty sure there were a lot of other things that went on as well.”

Meanwhile, Alexander “Sasha” Artemev has been named to replace Morgan Hamm on the U.S. men’s gymnastics squad. Hamm withdrew Thursday due to an ankle injury. His twin brother, Paul, withdrew earlier due to a hand injury.

Dennis McIntyre, director for men’s programs at USA Gymnastics, said in a press release: “Both Alex and David Durante (the USA’s alternates) have done an incredible job of maintaining their readiness and being prepared to step in on a moment’s notice if called upon. The role of the alternate athlete is very difficult and both of these athletes have demonstrated their commitment to our Olympic team by staying well prepared. In this situation, we believe Alex is best suited to help the U.S. men’s team pursue a team medal.  We appreciate the dedication of both men and the fact they have maintained their competitive readiness.”

“It’s an honor to be on this team, but it’s a shame that it had to happen this way with Morgan getting hurt,” Artemev said. “He’s a tremendous loss to this team. I’m ready to step in because that was my job as an alternate. It’s a tough position to be in, but Dave and I worked really hard. We pushed each other because we have to stay in shape. I’ll definitely be ready on time. It’s just an honor to be on this team and to be chosen.”

 Artemev won the pommel horse in the weighted combined rankings from the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics and Visa Championships.  He also finished fifth in the all-around.   

This entry was posted on August 8, 2008 at 2:41 am and is filed under Basketball, Detroit Pistons, Kentucky, Lexington, Mike Krzyzewski, Olympics, Tayshaun Prince, University of Kentucky, gymnastics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.