Keep the Flame Alive Celebrates the Big 400!
Keep the Flame Alive
This week, Keep the Flame Alive is celebrating a big milestone: Our 400th regular episode! This episode is an online party with many citizens of (Team Keep the Flame Alive, which are our guests and listeners of the show), and we're thrilled to be joined by: Past guests Sean Colahan, Harry Blutstein, Rich Perelman, Roy Tomizawa and Listeners Ean, David, Mark, Patrick from Chicagoland, Meredith, Sarah and Tommy Producer Ben and Book Club Claire Like all great party conversation, it runs the gamut and includes Milan-Cortina's ever-expanding budget, potential politics at LA 2028, the IOC...
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Sydney 2000: The Cover-Up and the Comebacks
Keep the Flame Alive
We travel back to 2000 for another look back at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics. This month Alison explores what's considered to be the biggest Paralympic scandal of all time, Spain's cheating in the Basketball ID tournament. Then Jill looks at the Olympic Road Cycling events, which feature inspirational legends, amazing comebacks, and Lance Armstrong. If you want a thoroughly depressing look at doping in cycling during this era, here's a handy infographic: For a complete list of sources used in this episode, visit For a transcript of this episode, please visit ....
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The Surprising Early Legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics
Keep the Flame Alive
It's been nearly a year since we said, "Bonjour!" to the , so what's been happening in Paris since the cauldron went out? Let's take a look at the initial legacy of these Games! We look at the money, initial economic impact, audience figures, building legacies, and elements of the Games that are still impacting Paris. If you're interested in training in the sport climbing warm-up gym, check out .. If you want to swim like an Olympian, the newly-built (and very gorgeous) is now open for swimming and so much more. has opened in Bobigny to provide another workout facility that includes...
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Wheelchair Tennis with Charlie Cooper
Keep the Flame Alive
We're delving into the sport of wheelchair tennis with American Charlie Cooper, who's currently ranked #2 in the world for junior wheelchair singles. He talks with Alison about the sport and his plans to qualify for LA 2028. Plus, we also talk with Dr. Thomas Rietveld, a researcher at the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport at Loughborough University in the UK. Dr. Rietveld's PhD thesis examined wheelchair tennis chairs, so he answers our burning questions about tennis chairs that we had after Paris 2024. Follow Charlie on Insta: Learn more about the Peter Harrison Centre for...
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Olympic Technology with Pascal Wattiaux
Keep the Flame Alive
We're talking technology at the Olympics with Pascal Wattiaux, IT Consultant and former Director of Technology at the International Olympic Committee. He got his start with Olympics technology at Albertville 1992, and most recently he consulted with Paris 2024. He's seen massive amounts of change in technology used at the Olympics--and what it takes to deliver it. He tells all about the tech challenges of an Olympics–and there’s so much that you may have not realized. Follow Pascal on ! The big news from is that the ice hockey groups and schedules are out. Who from the NHL...
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Thorpedo and the Experiment: Para Swimming, Swimming and Wrestling at Sydney 2000
Keep the Flame Alive
It's our monthly look back at history--all year long we're looking at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics. This month Alison tackles the massive Para Swimming competition, which includes the Paralympics' all-time medal winner Trischa Zorn. Then we stay in the pool for the Olympic swimming competition, which is just epic, given Australians' love of swimming and their enthusiasm in the stands at Sydney 2000. There are so many stories that it was difficult to choose just one, but Alison looks at the Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe (aka Thorpedo) and the amazing performance of the...
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Dr. Michele K. Donnelly on Gender Equity at the LA28 Olympics
Keep the Flame Alive
In April, LA 2028 announced that it would be the first Olympics to have more quota spots for women than men. That’s a win for women’s sports, right? Not so fast. Our gender in sports expert Dr. Michele K. Donnelly returns to peel back the layers of LA 28’s press release and tell us how fair these gender numbers really are. Dr. Donnelly is an associate professor in Sport Management at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. Learn more about her work . In Milano-Cortina 2026 news, the Armani-designed Italian kit has been unveiled. We have some milky white thoughts about it. In LA 2028...
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Olympians' Mental Health Update with Dr. Kristin Keim
Keep the Flame Alive
We welcome back sports psychologist Dr. Kristin Keim to talk about the kinds of mental health issues Olympians, Paralympians and other elite athletes are facing in 2025. This includes finding your voice, what it's like to be an American athlete today, social media, cyberbullying, disordered eating, and more. As always, Kristin is frank about the pressures athletes face today and about the advice she gives her clients. It's definitely therapeutic to listen to her! Learn more about Kristin at her , and follow her on . We also have a ton of news from the Olympic world, including updates...
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Rekindled: Samantha Schultz on Mental Health after the Olympics
Keep the Flame Alive
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month and Military Appreciation Month, we're rekindling our interview with Olympian Samantha Schultz, former modern pentathlete and member of the US Army World Class Athlete Program. Samantha realized her goal of becoming an Olympian--but then after Tokyo 2020, she discovered underlying mental health issues, including an eating disorder, that turned her life upside down. In early 2024, Samantha shared her journey with us and how she's working toward better mental health. Follow Samantha on and ! If you're struggling with mental health,...
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Sydney 2000: Olympic Football and Women's Weightlifting, Para Powerlifting
Keep the Flame Alive
We're headed back to Sydney 2000 for another episode in our history series on these Games. It was the first time women were allowed to compete in Olympic weightlifting, and not surprisingly, there was controversy. It was also the first time for women's Paralympic powerlifting, which spawned some legends in Paralympic history. Jill's got the scoop on these events. Then Alison explores the Olympic football competitions, where underdogs prevailed on both the women's and the men's side. Which Davids took down which Goliaths? Listen on to find out! For a transcript of this episode and our list of...
info_outlineWelcome to our look back at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics! We asked which historical Games should get a deep dive, and your response was to take another look at arguably one of the best Olympics of all time.
On this episode, Jill delves into how Sydney won the right to host the Games against a crowded field that included Beijing, Berlin, Manchester (UK) and Istanbul. Would Sydney win on merit, or was there something fishy going on with their bid?
Then Alison looks at the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics and Paralympics, with its grand walk through Australian history, big star performances and the epic cauldron lightings.
Especially fun to watch:
- Sydney 2000 bid song: https://youtu.be/J8FIw5Ra-aU?si=9juBaYlBr15NP8H6
- Opening Ceremonies song "Under the Southern Skies": https://youtu.be/zC3qm3If8Z8?si=JHOT8DYaAELGSvyI
- Olympics Opening Ceremonies: https://youtu.be/qsLLzL27hYA?si=nUO_UDpajeD8SPLx
- Paralympics Opening Ceremonies: https://youtu.be/rkZ9LtoMaNg?si=4synpfUbPqqGf2bs
For a full list of sources and a transcript, please visit our website: http://flamealivepod.com.
Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!
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Keep the Flame Alive: The Olympics and Paralympics Fan Podcast with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown. New episodes released every week and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. Also look for our monthly Games History Moment episodes in your feed.
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