What You Missed This Week: World Records, Olympic Uniforms, and Cycling Fights

Every week, we spend a lot of time following what’s happening and what’s interesting in the multisport world—and we round up all the news and notes from around tri every weekend. (This week, Andy Potts is trying to make the Paralympics as a guide and Escape from Alcatraz opens its lottery, and a bunch of other stuff too.)

We also share some of the most relevant stories on Triathlete from our sister sites, like this one on training guidelines post-COVID vaccine from Trail Runner. But there’s lots of interesting stuff that doesn’t make the cut and that I know you still want to know about (because I want to know about it).

Here’s what you missed in the swim-bike-run-endurance-outdoors world this week:

From around the web

• With this week marking 100 days to go to the Tokyo Games, I spent a lot of time checking out The New York Times‘ explainer on all questions Olympics. (You can see our triathlon basics here—and stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.)
• Of course, in COVID times, there’s still a chance the Games could get canceled. That chance seems slim, though, with officials doubling down on the Olympics happening in the wake of those reports. (Forbes, Associated Press)
• Canada and the U.S. also unveiled their team opening ceremony uniforms this week. And well. (CNN)
• Maybe it’s time to rethink the Olympics anyway. (New York Times)
• This video series following the first HBCU cycling team is a fun watch. (Youtube)
• And this dive into why the national parks need new management (and a new mission and a new plan) is not so fun a read, but worth reading anyway. Should the parks just be returned to the tribes? (Harpers, The Atlantic)

From around the Outside network—our sibling brands

• If you somehow missed the news: Des Linden ran a 50K world record and went under three hours. Because Des can do anything she wants. (Women’s Running)
• The other thing it’s been hard to miss lately is the fact that Arkansas is at the middle of a fight in the cycling world and in the larger world. With the state passing bills banning trans girls from participating in sports and banning kids from receiving gender-affirming healthcare, the calls to boycott the 2022 World Cyclocross Championships in Fayetteville have been growing. VeloNews explains. Of note: Similar bills have been proposed in Wisconsin, and Triathlon Age-Group Nationals is scheduled for Milwaukee this August. (Listen to Chris Mosier explain why trans kids shouldn’t be banned from sports.) (VeloNews)
• VeloNews also explains the liability issues in a cyclist-pedestrian crash. (VeloNews)
• Outside’s sports science columns are always interesting, but a lot of triathletes should pay extra attention to this look at the more complicated link between sleep and injury. (Outside)
• You should also look into donating any old socks over the next few weeks for Smartwool to turn them into dog beds. (Outside Business Journal)
• Backpacker’s popular Out Alive podcast is back about people who survive, well, things that seem unsurvivable. (Backpacker)

For our Active Pass members

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• The Five Things Our Gear Editor Brings On Every Backpacking Trip — You know they probably know what they’re doing because they’re a Backpacker gear editor, so.

Fun fact: Did you know that injuries among college athletes increase around exam time? But, more interestingly, the time for a wound to heal also increases. (From this great newsletter)