US Olympic Swimmers To Train In North Carolina
United States Olympic swimmers lead a weird life in terms of celebrity. Think about it, for three years and 50 weeks, the public at large knows little to nothing about them. Then for those two weeks, at the Olympics, we become obsessed. And when things go right? Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky become superstars and American heroes. Do you know Ashley Twichell or Mere Whelehan? You just might after the Paris games next summer. And whatever success these ladies might have, some credit will have to be given to North Carolina.
These two ladies and all other aspiring Olympic swimmers will be spending significant time in the Tar Heel State in the coming months as The Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary has been chosen as the domestic training site for the United States team. Twitchell’s husband, Derek Wall is the aquatic center’s director and is quoted by CBS 17, “It was probably last year around this time we started talking to USA Swimming about their needs heading into the Paris games. They did a site visit earlier this year, they came out a second time, we went through the schedule they would need and the amenities that we have here.”
The Triangle Aquatic Center’s 102,000-square-foot facility boasts a state-of-the-art fitness center and three pools for training-two of which are Olympic size. The United States Olympic Swim Team won’t arrive to the facility until June. They will then train there for 10 days before heading over to Paris for the Olympiad.
Drafting The Ultimate USA Flag Football Olympic Team
The International Olympic Committee has officially approved adding Flag Football to the Olympics starting at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. With the news and the NFL season six weeks deep, there’s only one thing left to do. And that is to mock draft what the ultimate USA flag football Olympic roster would look like.
While we are unsure what the limitations will be regarding players who can participate, we do know the 2028 Summer Olympics does not overlap with the NFL regular season.
Sure, we are still over four years away, and it’s hard to predict which athletes will dominate the NFL by then. However, on the heels of this exciting news, it’s only appropriate that we envision a flag football Dream Team.
I’m talking about the Jordan’s, Magic’s, Bird’s of today’s NFL that would be as culturally appealing as the 1992 USA Basketball Team.
Before we build this mega all-star Olympic flag football team, let’s give a nod to lacrosse, baseball, softball, and cricket for also getting into the 2028 summer games.
What To Know About Flag Football
“This is a no-contact sport with ‘tackles’ made by removing one of three ‘flags’ – more akin to fabric belts – attached to the ball-carrier’s waist with one on each side and another at the back,” Olympics.com explains.
Though much of the offense is passing, running plays are permitted except when the offense is five yards or less from the end zone. Other rules to note are that teams are typically 12 players total. Five players are on the field at a time, resulting in a five-on-five (offense vs. defense).
The NFL has long been a proponent for flag football, even hosting championships at the Pro Bowl. Furthermore, the NFL all-stars participated in this style of all-star game competition.
For our 2028 flag football Olympic Dream Team, we will build the roster by the following categories. Quarterback (2), wide receiver (3), running rack (2), tight end (2), defense (3), and head coach.
Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.
