Speed skater Kristen Santos represents the US in tonight’s Olympic qualifying races, and if you’re interested in learning more about her, please visit her website. Yes, Olympic contenders have reached the point where a website and social media outreach is an integral part of their burgeoning brands. Best of luck to Santos in her quest for Olympic gold!
Red-hot red-head Shaun White is heading into his fifth Olympic Games, which, if you do the math involved, is pretty damn impressive. He earns this Dazzler of the Day for his lifetime of snowboarding magnificence, and all the Olympic medals he’s collected along the way. This winter he may add some new jewelry to his collection.
Taking over the shirtless baton in the Winter Olympics (with a respectful nod to Pita Taufatofua) this is Nathan Crumpton, who just walked into the Olympic Opening ceremony sans shirt, waving the flag for American Samoa. Crumpton is competing as a skeleton racer, but he also works as a model and photographer, for obvious reasons. Check out his amazing website here.
Tonight marks the opening of the Winter Olympics 2022 from Beijing, China, and it is only fitting the we begin with two Winter Olympians who also happen to be gay Americans: Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy. They have appeared here before in the altogether (Adam nude here and Gus naked there) – proof that winter fun need not be draped in excess clothing.
As for this year’s games, I’ve already featured the ice dancers (Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates) along with the great Nathan Chen. More to come in the near future…
While I love the American teams for Olympic ice dancing (Chock & Bates, Hubbell & Donohue) my favorite team, and the one I’ll be rooting for, is the French team of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. They are named Dazzlers of the Day because in my armchair-amateur opinion they have the best combination of skill and artistry in this competitive field, just edging out their counterparts. Witness the rest at Beijing next month, when the Winter Olympics begin on February 3…
Swizzling their way onto the road to the Winter Olympics, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue earn their first crowning as Dazzlers of the Day, even if Zachary has been featured here previously. This is reportedly their last outing as a competitive ice dancing pair, which lends all of their programs an added gravitas and flare. I’m always here for both.
We began our journey to the Winter Olympics in Beijing next month with this Dazzler of the Day, and today we continue on that ice-laden path with a joint Dazzler crowning for the US ice dancing team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who have been featured here before for previous Olympic glory. They are an exquisite pair to watch, and the ice dance competition is fierce, so they have their work cut out for them.
Hot off the blades of his 6th US Figure Skating Championship title, Nathan Chen kicks off this year’s Winter Olympic extravaganza with his first Dazzler of the Day crowning. He leads the hopes for US Gold at this winter’s Olympic Games. There’s a lot of pressure riding on that, yet he has the champion’s focus to deal with it in a way that I cannot even begin to fathom.
She very well may be the reigning star of this summer’s Olympic Games, adding to her medal count to trigger records right and left and all over the place thanks to her speed and consistency. This is Allyson Felix, who nimbly earns a Dazzler of the Day from her winning efforts at the Tokyo Olympics.
A year late, and populated only by empty arenas, this summer’s Olympic Games were dramatic, moving, and must-see-viewing, even more than usual. For some reason, watching the Olympics is a source of great comfort. Maybe it’s the fractured world in which we live, and the ever-widening divides among us, but seeing the nations of the world come together is especially moving to me these days.
It began with a sneak-peek of some of the events courtesy of the Jonas Brothers in short shorts and gymnastic glory. From there it was all up and downhill, with a cavalcade of athletic superstars giving the performance of their lives, and all the drama that ensued. Here’s the linky list of spotlights and Dazzlers who have put this little website back on the international radar.
It began with the epic anticipation and pre-game dazzling pair of Simone Biles and Tom Daley – both of whom had the Olympic experience of their lifetimes.
A little puff got her pulled from these Olympic Games (told you there was drama) but Sha’Carri Richardson was an early Dazzler of the Day here.
As Simone Biles pulled out of several events early on in the biggest shock of the games, Sunisa Lee stepped up to earn a gold medal.
Another early favorite who delivered was Caeleb Dressel, who swam like a shark and Dazzled like a star.
Other Dazzlers that were featured include Carlin Isles, Dalilah Muhammad, Katie Ledecky, Pita Taufatofua, Ben Percival, Brody Malone, Chase Kalisz, Yul Moldaeur, and Oksana Chusovitina.
Tom Daley and Matty Lee dove for gold and found it, making a super Speedo splash at the Olympic Games. I was equally impressed with Daley’s knitting in the stands too. That’s my kind of Olympic spirit.
More Olympic Spotlights and Dazzlers included the following:
Still more Olympic Spotlights and Dazzlers included:
A graduate of Harvard University, and working on her Master’s degree in epidemiology (I won’t even pretend to know what that is but I’m sure it’s more complicated than, say, a degree in English and American Literature), Gabby Thomas also just won an Olympic medal at the Tokyo Olympics. For all of those accomplishments, and the promise of so much more, Thomas easily earns this Dazzler of the Day. 
Shot-put Olympic medalist, and black and queer athletic icon Raven Saunders has made a historical splash at this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. From the iconic hair to the indelible masks, Saunders has left an impression on the world stage, and I’m in awe of her grit and gumption, hence this Dazzler of the Day honor. Her inspiration has fittingly been the Hulk, and her stunning displays of power rightfully earned her an Olympic medal.
The highest I’ve ever likely jumped has been over one of those parking lot dividers. A far cry from the stunning heights that pole vaulters achieve, such as Olympic medalist Chris Nilson, who earns his first Dazzler of the Day thanks to his high-jumping prowess. (As for me, these days making it over a curb is the extent of my high-jumping.)
With a winning smile, and a winning track record, and double-entendres abounding, Noah Lyles swiftly earns another honor as Dazzler of the Day. He’s racing again tonight at the Olympics, where he currently reigns as the World Champion. Speed, agility, and affability, Lyles and his many attributes make for the ultimate Renaissance man.
The Olympic caliber wrestling on display in Tokyo this past week is nothing like the WWF nonsense that I knew as wrestling from my youth. There is a place for that frivolous piece of entertainment and fakery, and I’m all for it, but on this day we are celebrating the genuine athletic skill and refinement of Kyle Dake, who’s doing the real thing in Tokyo as we speak.
