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Andscape at the Olympics

Andscape at the Olympics: Talking US women’s sports from Simone Biles to Sha’Carri Richardson

Ari Chambers, William C. Rhoden and Marc J. Spears discuss gymnastics, track and field, the Caitlin Clark question, USA Basketball and more

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    By Marc J. Spears Arielle Chambers William C. Rhoden

    Andscape at the Olympics is an ongoing series exploring the Black athletes and culture around the 2024 Paris Games.

    PARIS – Welcome to Andscape at the Olympics, a video series in which Andscape columnist William C. Rhoden, senior NBA writer Marc J. Spears and Andscape/ESPN commentator Ari Chambers discuss the key topics about Black athletes and culture at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

    In Episode 2, the crew gathers at Le Gramont to give their take on the opening ceremony (0:45), the vibe surrounding women’s sports at the Games from gymnast Simone Biles making even more history to rapper Flavor Flav supporting women’s water polo (9:08) and the racial tone of France toward Black people (11:57). Then they turn their attention to the state of the 5×5 USA women’s basketball team (15:20), the Caitlin Clark and Team USA (16:20), 3×3 basketball (18:25), Black men in gymnastics (20:10), and the outlook for USA men’s and women’s basketball (21:25). Finally, they conclude by discussing what Chambers is looking forward to in women’s track and field, including sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson (24:59) and more.

    Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA writer for Andscape. He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to in years and his knees still hurt.

    Arielle Chambers is a commentator for Andscape & ESPN. She’s a Raleigh-born (& won’t let you forget it) 6 ft tall former pro cheerleader who ironically made women’s basketball her identity.

    William C. Rhoden is a columnist for Andscape and the author of Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. He directs the Rhoden Fellows, a training program for aspiring journalists from HBCUs.

    This Story Tagged: Andscape at the Olympics Paris Olympics 2024 Olympics