US Senator Says The US Will Boycott The Olympics If North Korea team is at Olympics

South Korea has offered to hold high-level talks with rival North Korea next week to discuss cooperation during next month's Winter Olympics and potential improvement in overall ties.

Tuesday's offer came a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in his New Year's address that he was willing to send a delegation to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, which are set for Fe. 9-25 in South Korea.

But the prospect of a North Korean team at the Winter Games drew a blistering response Monday from U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who proposed that if North Korea attends the Olympics, then the United States should not.

Lindsey Graham

✔@LindseyGrahamSC

Allowing Kim Jong Un’s North Korea to participate in #WinterOlympics would give legitimacy to the most illegitimate regime on the planet.

I’m confident South Korea will reject this absurd overture and fully believe that if North Korea goes to the Winter Olympics, we do not.

11:02 PM - Jan 1, 2018

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"Allowing Kim Jong Un’s North Korea to participate in #WinterOlympics would give legitimacy to the most illegitimate regime on the planet. I’m confident South Korea will reject this absurd overture and fully believe that if North Korea goes to the Winter Olympics, we do not."

In 2014, Graham also pitched a boycott of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, objecting then to the prospect of Moscow offering asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Kim said Monday that he was “open to dialogue” with Seoul, Reuters reported. However, the North Korean leader also touted his country as a nuclear power, the report said.

Analysts say Kim may be trying to drive a wedge between South Korea and its ally, the United States, as a way to ease international isolation and sanctions against North Korea.

One doesn’t need to be a genius to see that this is what North Korea does: After having created a war-like, crisis atmosphere, (Kim) takes a small step back and there’s a collective sigh of relief that there’s no war. It does wonders for North Korea’s image.”

- Sung-Yoon Lee, Tufts University Fletcher School professor and North Korea expert.

Sung-Yoon Lee, a Tufts University Fletcher School professor and North Korea expert, told the Boston Herald that over the last 25 years the U.S. and its allies “have a less well-developed game plan and no real strategy.”

He said Kim’s actions “paint (President Donald) Trump further into the corner as the aggressor.”

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.  (Associated Press)

“One doesn’t need to be a genius to see that this is what North Korea does: After having created a war-like, crisis atmosphere, (Kim) takes a small step back and there’s a collective sigh of relief that there’s no war. It does wonders for North Korea’s image,” Lee said.

Cho Myoung-gyon, South Korean Unification Minster, said the South proposes that the two Koreas meet at the border village of Panmunjom.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

DONALD TRUMP HAS THROWN HIS WEIGHT BEHIND LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC BID

Trump spoke with IOC president Thomas Bach "to express his strong support" for the 2024 Games.

President-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone with the head of the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday to voice his support for Los Angeles' bid to host the 2024 Games.






The Los Angeles bid committee says on Twitter that Trump spoke with IOC president Thomas Bach "to express his strong support" for the Olympics and for the city's "plans to host a great Games."

Los Angeles, which is competing against Paris and Budapest, Hungary, is seeking to bring the Summer Olympics back to the U.S. for the first time since Atlanta hosted the 1996 Games. The IOC will select the host city on Sept. 13, 2017, in Lima, Peru.

Trump spoke with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti last week and told him he supported the Olympic bid. Garcetti arranged Wednesday's call between Trump and Bach.

U.S. Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix sought to allay any IOC concerns about Trump's election in a speech to Olympic delegates last month in Doha, Qatar, saying, "Please don't doubt us. America's diversity is our greatest strength."

Should Female Olympian Having No Ovaries With High Level Testosterone Be Allowed to Compete?

Fair or unfair? That is the question.

In the coming days, be prepared for the name Caster Semenya to take over Rio Olympics coverage.

Semenya — a South African middle-distance runner representing her country in this week’s women’s 800 meters — is tipped to win the event, and possibly set a new world record, but controversy is brewing as a debate wages regarding her natural advantage over many of her competitors.

The 25-year-old Olympian has a medical condition known as Hyperandrogenism, which would lead several medical professionals to label her as intersex or a hermaphrodite.

The condition means she has no ovaries, but as it pertains to athletics, it most notably causes elevated levels of testosterone.

Credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images    

The South African competitor naturallyhas three times more testosterone than the average levels for adult women. Thus, she may have an advantage by way of increased muscle mass, energy, and athletic performance as a whole.

If and when the track and field star takes gold in the 800M finals on Saturday, August 20, we’ll be asked this: Should individuals with naturally high levels of testosterone — such as intersex athletes — be able to compete as women in the Olympics?

A photo posted by The Daily Hype (@dailyhypeafrica) on Aug 9, 2016 at 10:00pm PDT

If this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been here before.

In 2011, the International Association for Athletics Federations issued regulations that female athletes with excessive testosterone take drugs to lower their levels to the appropriate female range following Semenya’s dominance at the 2009 World Championships.  

For the 2012 London Summer Olympics, the competitor obliged to the new rule and struggled.

Thanks to a successful appeal by the Indian Government — also representing a female athlete who is intersex — the court suspended the IAAF rule in July 2015 citing insufficient evidence to link hyperandrogenism to improved performance.

Thus, the 2009 world champion — and other intersex competitors — are prepared to compete this week without having to lower their natural testosterone.

“It is not unreasonable to suggest that half of the eight-women 800m final in Rio might well be intersex,” says Joanna Harper, a medical physicist and a member of a panel that advises the International Olympic Committee on gender issues. “And it is not unlikely that ... intersex women will sweep the podium.”

Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images    

As you can see, the success of these female competitors — on the global stage — could lead to major backlash — again.

Last month in Monaco, Semenya recorded her best time in the event, which may be foreshadowing of what’s to come this week. Her stance on the controversy is clear, stating, “God made me the way I am and I accept myself.”

PHOTOS: 7 Olympic Athletes & Their Celebrity Doppelgängers

As if we needed any more drama to surround the Olympics, it seems the Women’s 800M may bust open Pandora’s box.

Be prepared to spend the week pondering what is fair and what is unfair.

Team USA Just Chose Simone Biles To Lead Them At The Closing Ceremony Of Rio Olympics

Team USA Gymnast/Actual Superwoman Simone Biles has been chosen by her teammates to carry the flag during the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday evening.

The U.S. Olympic Committee announced Saturday morning that the 19-year-old, who won four gold medals at the games (and is the first American to ever to so!), will lead Team USA as they close out the Rio Olympics.

"It's an incredible honor to be selected as the flag bearer by my Team USA teammates," Simone said. "This experience has been the dream of a lifetime for me and my team and I consider it a privilege to represent my country, the United States Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics by carrying our flag. I also wish to thank the city of Rio de Janeiro, and the entire country of Brazil, for hosting an incredible Games."

Hooray! I'm so excited to see our lady Simone close out the Olympics in style, but also sad that they're over! I guess I just have to go back to not caring about sports for another four years, I guess!? (But I'm also a little happy that the Olympics are over because I can't take this level of stress much longer. I *literally* ripped out a chunk of my hair during the women's floor finals, and so I think I need to take several valium and sit in a dark room for a week to come down.)

Update 8/20/16 1PM: Simone just invited her celeb crush Zac Efron via Twitter. Come thru, Zac!

hey @ZacEfron
I'm carrying the flag for closing ceremony!! Will you still be here ? #GoTeamUSA

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) August 20, 2016

Before Meeting Simone Biles at Rio Olympics, Zac Efron Had ‘Butterflies’

Although you’ll never see Simone Bilesnervous during a gymnastics competition, she was freaking out before meeting her celebrity crush Zac Efron during the 2016 Rio Olympics after winning five medals.

“If you bring him out, I think I’m gonna pass out!” the Olympic gymnast, 19, told theToday show’s Hoda Kotb, who set up the meeting, on Tuesday, August 16.

Simone Biles with Zac Efron NBC News/TODAY

The Neighbors actor, 28, surprised Biles and her Final Five teammates Aly Raisman,Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez andMadison Kocian, and even gave Biles a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. “Ahh, oh my God! Stop, is this real life? Oh my God. Stop,” Biles said.

Kotb recalled that Biles was worried that she smelled bad because she was sweating so much after hearing that her favorite celebrity flew in to see her.

However, Biles wasn’t the only one with jitters. “I totally have butterflies right now,” Efron said while watching her compete in the floor exercise final. “I’m getting kind of emotional."

Efron appeared on the Today show on Wednesday and chatted about how excited he was to meet the girls. “They won gold medals, they were crushing it the entire Olympics, and I was like hiding in a closet waiting to come in, so I didn’t know what to think,” Efron said. “I kind of was getting nervous myself, but it ended up being so sweet.”

“Their story just blew my mind,” theBaywatch actor continued. “When I found out Simone and this team were fans, I was like, ‘What kind of guy am I if I don’t show up?’”

Efron said that although he doesn’t usually watch much gymnastics, he tuned in to watch the ladies compete. “They have such heart and there was clearly something special,” he said of the gymnasts. “I was really excited.”

The former Disney star tweeted a pic with the Olympians on Tuesday, captioning it, “My Olympic dream came true.”

The two struck up a friendship on Twitter earlier this summer after Biles revealed that she’s a huge fan of the High School Musicalstar during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and in her Us Weekly 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me. She also took NBC on a tour of her childhood bedroom, which had a life-size cutout of Efron that she liked to kiss on the cheek. 

Kris Humphries Beat Michael Phelps in Swimming Times as a Kid

Kris Humphries is more than just hoops and marrying a Kardashian.

The basketball star is apparently an amazing swimmer as well! We’re talking Olympics- worthy amazing…

Kris beat Olympic stars Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte’s fastest swimming times at just 10 years old.

In 1995 the athlete held the record for fastest time in six U.S. swimming events, beating out both Olympians, Radar reports.

Kris dominated in all rounds, including the 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter butterfly, 50-meter backstroke, 50-meter breaststroke, 200-meter IM, and the 100-meter freestyle.

He even beat the gold medalist by an impressive four seconds in the 100-meter freestyle.

Even though the basketball star spends his days on the court more than in the pool now, he still enjoys the occasional swim for leisure purposes.

“Pool workout. Swimming isn’t that easy anymore” he wrote in a recent Instagram pic of him in the pool.

Maybe the athlete should ditch his Atlanta Hawks uniform for some Speedos. Watch out Michael Phelps — you got some competition!

Michelle Carter Sets A Record Winning Gold in Olympic Shot Put

Team USA continues to rack up the medals and break records at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and in one of the latest history-making victories, American Michelle Carter took home the gold in shot put Friday—the first U.S. woman ever to do so. She's also the first shot putter to medal in quite a while: The last American woman to place in the top three was back in 1960, when Earlene Brown took home a bronze medal.

Carter's final toss—her sixth in the event final—hit 20.63 meters, breaking the American record she set and out-throwing the event favorite, New Zealand's Valerie Adams, by about a one-fifth of a meter.

"I knew I had more in the tank," Carter told reporters. "And to be able to go out there and put the pieces together and pull it out, I'm just really excited."

But there's a legacy to her story, too: Her father, Michael Carter, took home the silver medal in shot put at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. (As a former Super Bowl-winning football player for the San Francisco 49ers, he's also the only person to win an Olympic medal and NFL title in the same year). But he turned his attention to his daughter's training in recent years as both her first coach and the one who prepped her for Rio.

Michelle's victory makes them Team USA's first father-daughter combination to medal at the games—yet another reason to celebrate her own athletic accomplishment.

After officially becoming the best athlete in her sport, Carter took to Instagram with a gracious thank-you video for her supporters.

Congratulations, Michelle!