Volleyball

Seems like the entire USA has been concentrating on either Michael Phelps, the women's gymnastic team, Michael Phelps, and the Redeem Team (did I mention Michael Phelps).  Well, what about the rest of the American athletes in the Olympics?  Believe it or not, there are others besides Phelps, Alicia Sacramone, and LeBron James.  There's Tyson Gay, the Williams sisters, the entire women's soccer team, and many other Americans doing well.  Here's a look at how five different teams are doing in the Olympics.

1.  USA Women's Soccer Team

The USA has always done well in women's soccer.  They've won a whole boatload of tropheys and cups:   the World Cup twice in 1991 and 1999; the Olympics in 1996 and 2004; and many other tournaments.  This year, it looks like they're gonna take gold again.  With a 2-1 victory over Canada yesterday, the USA advances to the semi-finals.

2.  Venus & Serena Williams

The Williams sisters have done great in tennis this year.  Venus just won Wimbledon and her sister Serena almost won it.  In 2000, the sisters won the gold medal at the Olympics.  This year, they beat Russia's Vera Zvonareva and Elena Vesnina to advance to the semi-finals of the tennis doubles.

3.  USA Men's Track & Field

Rememer all the talk about Tyson Gay and Lopez Lomong (the USA flagbearer)?  It seems that they've been lost to the American people, replaced by Michael Phelps and gymnastics.  The track team has been doing quite well though.  Tyson Gay and Darvis Patton both made it to the semi-finals in the 100m event.  The US shotput team also won silver after a misfortunate mistake.  Bernard Lagat, Lopez Lomong, and Leo Manzano have helped the USA advance to the 1,500m semi-finals.  Bershawn Jackson (pictured), Angelo Taylor, and Kerron Clement all made it to the semis of the 400m hurdles also.

4.  USA Men's & Women's Volleyball

After the death of Coach Hugh McCutcheon's relatives, the men's team have gone undefeated in the entire event and automatically qualified for the quarter-finals.  The women have also done well, losing only one match.  They also advance to the quarter-finals.

5.  USA Women's Fencing

I totally forgot about this sport, but Dakota mentioned this to me and I decided to put it in.  The USA had great members on the team who were able to help win the event, including Mariel Zagunis who became the first American ever to win the gold in fencing back in 2004.  The Americans did well and swpet the entire singles event.  Mariel Zagunis won gold, Sada Jacobson won silver, and Becca Ward won bronze.  However, China and the Ukraine were able to out-fence the USA in the team fencing.  Ukraine won gold, China won silver, and the USA won bronze.

Basketball, swimming, and gymnastics have been great to watch.  However, people should not forget the other athletes doing well in the Olympics.  These people have played their hearts out for their country and they deserve the respect of every American.

pictures from Getty Images & Reuters

From: Inside An Olympian's Brain
Sports Are 80 Percent Mental

Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin, Misty May-Treanor and Lin Dan are four Olympic athletes who have each spent most of their life learning the skills needed to reach the top of their respective sports, swimming, gymnastics, beach volleyball and badminton (you were wondering about Lin, weren't you...)  Their physical skills are obvious and amazing to watch.  For just a few minutes, instead of being a spectator, try to step inside the heads of each of them and try to imagine what their brains must accomplish when they are competing and how different the mental tasks are for each of their sports.

On a continuum from repetitive motion to reactive motion, these four sports each require a different level of brain signal to muscle movement.  Think of Phelps finishing off one more gold medal race in the last 50 meters.  His brain has one goal; repeat the same stroke cycle as quickly and as efficiently as possible until he touches the wall.  There isn't alot of strategy or novel movement based on his opponent's movements.  Its simply to be the first one to finish.  What is he consciously thinking about during a race?  In his post-race interviews, he says he notices the relative positions of other swimmers, his energy level and the overall effort required to win (and in at least one race, the level of water in his goggles.)  At his level, the concept of automaticity (as discussed in a previous post) has certainly been reached, where he doesn't have to consciously "think" about the components of his stroke.  In fact, research has shown that those who do start analyzing their body movements during competition are prone to errors as they take themselves out of their mental flow.

Moving up the continuum, think about gymnastics.  Certainly, the skills to perform a balance beam routine are practiced to the point of fluency, but the skills themselves are not as strictly repetitive as swimming.  There are finer points of each movement being judged so gymnasts keep several mental "notes" about the current performance so that they can "remember" to keep their head up or their toes pointed or to gather speed on the dismount.  There also is an order of skills or routine that needs to be remembered and activated.

While swimming and gymnastics are battles against yourself and previously rehearsed movements, sports like beach volleyball and badminton require reactionary moves directly based on your opponents' movements.  Rather than being "locked-in" to a stroke or practised routine, athletes in direct competition with their opponents must either anticipate or react to be successful.

So, what is the brain's role in learning each of these varied sets of skills and what commands do our individual neurons control?  Whether we are doing a strictly repetitive movement like a swim stroke or a unique, "on the fly" move like a return of a serve, what instructions are sent from our brain to our muscles?  Do the neurons of the primary motor cortex (where movement is controlled in the brain) send out signals of both what to do and how to do it?

Researchers at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT led by Robert Ajemian designed an experiment to solve this "muscles or movement" question.  They trained adult monkeys to move a video game joystick so that a cursor on a screen would move towards a target.  While the monkeys learned the task, they measured brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare the actual movements of the joystick with the firing patterns of neurons.  The researchers then developed a model that allowed them to test hypotheses about the relationship between neuronal activity that they measured in the monkey's motor cortex and the resulting actions.  They concluded that neurons do send both the specific signals to the muscles to make the movement and a goal-oriented instruction set to monitor the success of the movement towards the goal.  Here is a video synopsis of a very similar experiment by Miguel Nicolelis, Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University.

To back this up, Andrew Schwartz, professor of neurobiology at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and his team of researchers wanted to isolate the brain signals from the actual muscles and see if the neuron impulses on their own could produce both intent to move and the movement itself.  They taught adult monkeys to feed themselves using a robotic arm while the monkey's own arms were restrained.  Instead, tiny probes the width of a human hair were placed in the monkey's motor cortex to pick up the electrical impulses created by the monkey's neurons.  These signals were then evaluated by software controlling the robotic arm and the resulting movement instructions were carried out.  The monkeys were able to control the arm with their "thoughts" and feed themselves food.  Here's a video of this experiment in action "In our research, we've demonstrated a higher level of precision, skill and learning," explained Dr. Schwartz. "The monkey learns by first observing the movement, which activates his brain cells as if he were doing it. It's a lot like sports training, where trainers have athletes first imagine that they are performing the movements they desire."

It seems these "mental maps" of neurons in the motor cortex are the end goal for athletes to achieve the automaticity required to either repeat the same rehearsed motions (like Phelps and Liukin) or to react instantly to a new situation (like May-Treanor and Dan).  Luckily, we can just practice our own automaticity of sitting on the couch and watching in a mesemerized state.



AJEMIAN, R., GREEN, A., BULLOCK, D., SERGIO, L., KALASKA, J., GROSSBERG, S. (2008). Assessing the Function of Motor Cortex: Single-Neuron Models of How Neural Response Is Modulated by Limb Biomechanics. Neuron, 58(3), 414-428. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.02.033

Velliste, M., Perel, S., Spalding, M.C., Whitford, A.S., Schwartz, A.B. (2008). Cortical control of a prosthetic arm for self-feeding. Nature, 453(7198), 1098-1101. DOI: 10.1038/nature06996

The Olympic Games are probably the only place where the entire world can watch a small and seemingly weak competitor beat its big and seemingly strong opponent.

Olympic history is full of such examples.

Spiridon Louis did it in the first Olympic marathon race in 1896. Jesse Owens did it to the Germans in 1936. The Soviet Union did it to the Americans in basketball in the 1988 semifinal, and later went on to beat Yugoslavia in the gold medal match. Anthony Nesty of Suriname did it to United States' Matt Biondi at 100 meters butterfly in Seoul.

The Sydney 2000 Games were no different. Its volleyball tournament will always be remembered after one nation that claimed gold against all odds—Yugoslavia.

The leaders Nikola and Vladimir Grbic, the superstar-on-the-rise Ivan Miljkovic, the server Goran Vujevic, and the coach who brought Yugoslav volleyball international stardom Zoran Gajic, were just some of the faces who sang Yugoslavia’s national anthem Hej, Sloveni (Hey, Slavs) on October 1 in Australia.

In the finals, the Yugoslavs obliterated the Russians in three straight sets—25:22, 25:22, and 25:20. Miljkovic, who scored the last point, dropped on his knees at the end to thank God for the golden moment. Vladimir Grbic waved the Blue, White, and Red flag and screamed on top of his lungs, “This is what we fight for!”

On that early Tuesday morning in Yugoslavia, the entire country was up on its feet.

However, though a gold medal itself was a tremendous feat, the road which the Yugoslavs had to overcome was even more admirable.

In 1999, the entire country had been bombarded by NATO airplanes from March 24 until June 10. The strikes were supposed to prevent further escalation of violence in the region of Kosovo. The estimated damage Yugoslavia suffered ranged from $20 to $100 billion. The country’s infrastructure had been completely destroyed, and its economy had come to a halt.

Yugoslavia withdrew its players from the volleyball World League in 1999 due to the crisis. However, they managed to take part at the European Volleyball Championship in Austria in September, where they won bronze behind Italy and Russia. 

The year 2000 was a hallmark year in Yugoslavia’s politics due to national presidential elections. At the time, the country had been torn apart between the communist leader Slobodan Milosevic and the democratic candidate Vojislav Kostunica.

September was the month set for the elections, and the nation’s eyes were focused as much on that as they were on the Sydney Olympics. Milosevic’s victory would bring another four years of isolation, while Kostunica’s would lead to the much needed economic reforms and help from abroad. 

Weeks before the elections, police were beating the citizens who were protesting Milosevic, or who simply had a different opinion on issues from the leader. People feared the future. The country was ruled by chaos.

The Olympic Games were seen as a way to shift the focus from the harsh, mundane reality. 

Going into the Olympic year, Yugoslav volleyball team represented a venerable opponent. They were the reigning world vice champions from the 1998 Championships, and bronze medalists from the 1999 European Championship and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

Two months before the start of the Olympics, Yugoslavia was fourth at the Final Six World League tournament in the Netherlands. Ahead of them were Italy, Russia, and Brazil, while the Netherlands and the USA finished fifth and sixth. 

Despite their biggest success in the World League to that point, very few people believed that they could win the Games, simply because they had never won a major tournament, and the country had been through a lot of turmoil for the past two years.

When Sydney Olympics started, it seemed that the Yugoslavs would quickly go down in flames. In their first game, they lost to Russia 1-3, although they won the first set 25-19. Then Italy beat them two days later 2-3 after a nerve-racking 20-22 fifth set. 

At the beginning of the third round, they were at the bottom of the group, and in a spot to play against either the reigning Olympic champions the Netherlands or the fierce Brazil, who was thirsty to reclaim the gold won in 1992.

However, the Yugoslavs still had to beat at least two teams from their Group B in order to secure the spot in the quarterfinals. 

The games against the United States and Argentina were won 3-0 and 3-1 respectively, and the playoffs were secured. The last group match against South Korea showed a lot of insecurity amongst the Yugoslavs, but taking into consideration that coach Gajic rested his most important players, the hard(ly)-earned 3-2 victory wasn’t much a surprise.

What the Yugoslavs did from the quarterfinals on was a true example of determination, devotion, and desire to give their absolute best to the audience at the Games and to a country they represented. 

Finishing third in the group, they were faced against the Netherlands in the next round. The Dutch were the defending Olympic champions, and a team against whom the Yugoslavs always lost at major competitions. The biggest, and probably the most unfair loss, was that at the 1997 European Championship final in Rotterdam, when the Dutch, aided by a few bad referee calls, were able to win the title 3-1.

This time, it was going to be different. 

After a five-set, 226-point game, the Olympic champion was brought down on its knees 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 25-18, 30-32, 17-15). Thanks to relentless block and unbelievable play in the field and on the serve, the Yugoslavs marched on to face the Italians in the semis.

This was the second time in a row that Yugoslavia eliminated a reigning Olympic champion in the quarterfinals, having beaten Brazil four years earlier in Atlanta. 

In the 1990s, the Italian national team was considered to be the best team that has ever played volleyball. From 1989 until 2000, they had won eight World League, four European, and three World Championship titles.

However, they have never succeeded to win a gold Olympic medal. In 1996, they lost the final to the Netherlands, and 2000 was considered to be their turn to climb the highest podium spot. 

But, it wasn’t meant to be.

The underdogs proved from the start that their loss in the second match of the group stage belonged to the past. Andrija Geric’s blocks, Vujevic’s serves, Nikola Grbic’s set-ups, Miljkovic’s spikes, and Vladimir Grbic’s leadership completely demoralized the reigning World, European, and World League champions in the first two sets. The Yugoslavs came back from behind in both of those, and won them 27-25 and 34-32 respectively. 

The Italians, powerless to do anything, watched their heated opponents kill the balls one after another in the third set, ending the game in a 25-14 blowout. Yugoslavia was going to be playing for the gold against the Russians.

At the time, Russian volleyball was on the rise. They didn’t win recent European or World Championship medals, and their best result was a World League silver medal two months before the Olympics. Russia and Yugoslavia played in Atlanta four years before in the bronze medal match, and Yugoslavia won 3-1. 

For the first time in Sydney, Yugoslavia was given even chances of winning the Olympics as their opponents.

However, in that October 1 final, only one team existed on the field—Yugoslavia. 

The Yugoslavs were able to recover almost every ball, were able to spike almost every ball, and were able to block almost any attacks the Russians had prepared.

In spite of bad set beginnings, thanks to the tandem Vladimir Grbic-Miljkovic, the Yugoslavs were leading 2-0 after only 46 minutes of play. Similarly to the Italians two days before, the Russian had started to feel the pressure. However, it had been too much for them to handle. 

One could say that the game ended when the second technical time-out was called.

With the score 15-12 for Yugoslavia, Roman Iakovlev served a 113 km/h (70 mph) rocket. It hit one of the defensive players, and was going out of bounds. 

Vladimir Grbic jumped over the commercials to return the ball into play. The Russians had a counter-attack. The ball was set for Iakovlev. In the meantime, Grbic came back on the field. Iakovlev spiked. Grbic BLOCKED!!!

16-12 Yugoslavia! 

The entire Yugoslav bench jumped on its feet, as if though it was all over! But, they settled down and went on a well deserved break. Their thoughts were focused on only one thing—how to win nine points more.

The last point, the one before Grbic started waving the flag, came from the youngest player on the team, and who is still one of the best players in the world—Ivan Miljkovic. 

Guerassimov served the ball! Vladimir Grbic absorbed it. Nikola set to Vladimir, but the ball was blocked. Defense picked it up, Nikola back set to Miljkovic on the right. Miljkovic spiked it diagonally! It’s all over!!!

It was all over! 

Zoran Gajic threw his papers in the air, Miljkovic dropped down on his knees, Vladimir went to pick up the flag, the Grbic brothers embraced, and the entire country celebrated a gold medal. In what was probably the shortest volleyball final in the Olympic tournament history (lasted only 68 minutes), Yugoslavia claimed the gold that October 1!

That was the last time the world heard the anthem Hej, Sloveni play at the Olympics. The players returned to their politically-torn country as mere passengers, not as nation’s heroes. There was no reception in front of the National Parliament in Belgrade, like the custom had been in the years past. Instead, the nation flooded the streets to protest the elections and demand the communist president to admit the loss. 

However, the unjust reception was corrected in 2001. The volleyball players got one worthy of gods after winning a gold medal at the European Championship in Czech Republic. The nation took to the streets once again, but this time, to welcome their heroes back home.

Thus Yugoslavia, like so many other before it, earned the golden medal at the Olympics.

The 2000 Games will forever remember a country which, despite war, political crises, economic struggles, and odds, managed to chisel its name in the history of the Olympics—a nation that conquered the Olympus in Sydney!

Note: If you'd like to take a look at the last six minutes of that 2000 Olympic final, you can do that here. Also, the block that was made by Vladimir Grbic can be viewed here.