Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin is an American basketball player. He is currently a power forward for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. He was chosen by team as the first overall draft pick of the 2009 NBA Draft.

Before playing professional, Griffin has a successful career playing basketball in high school, leading his school Oklahoma Christian School to the state championship for four years. He also played for the University of Oklahoma for 2 years before entering the Draft. 

Born: March 16, 1989 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 114 kg
Website: www.blakegriffin.com , Twitter





Achievements/Career Highlights:

• missed the entire 2009-10 season after breaking his kneecap in a pre-season game
• selected as an All-Star in 2011 during his debut season, and again in 2012
• first rookie to play in an All-Star Game since Yao Ming in 2003
• won the 2011 Slam Dunk contest
• chosen as one of NBA's 15 Greatest Rookies by Sports Illustrated 
• 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year
• won the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 2009

Andrey Arshavin

Andrey Arshavin, nicknamed Shava, is a Russian professional soccer player. His team is Zenit St. Petersburg, currently on loan from Arsenal FC. His playing position is winger/forward. 

Arshavin joined the Russian national team in May 2002; he played his first match in a friendly vs. Romania in February 2003. He became the captain for the team in 2008, leading the team to a semifinal appearance in the Euro 2008. He also also captained the team to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. 

He is married and has 2 children. 

Born: May 29, 1981 in Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Soviet Union 

Height: 5'7.5" 

Weight: 69 kg 

Website: www.arshavin.eu/en, Twitter

Achievements/Career Highlights: 

• signed up by Arsenal in 2009 for £15 million, then the most expensive for the team 
• in 2007 he played 30 matches for Zenit, scoring 11 goals and guiding the team to a title in the Russian Premier League 
• Russian Footballer of the Year, 2006 
• Premier League Player of the Month, April 2009 
• Russian Premier League Player of the Year, 2006 
• UEFA Cup top assist, 2007-08

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Rafael Nadal

Two of the world's biggest athletes go head-to-head in a battle of explosive speed. On-court, Rafael Nadal's supremacy is almost unrivalled. But against Cristiano Ronaldo and the new Mercurial Vapor VIII, he faces a challenge like never before. 

[An ad for the Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII]

The interview and making-of video: 

Dmitry Tursunov

Dmitry Tursunov is an American-trained Russian professional tennis player. The right-handed baseliner came to the United States when he was 12 years old to train. He represented his mother country in group competitions, leading his team to win the 2006 Davis Cup and helping it reach the 2007 Davis Cup finals.

He reached the semifinals of the French Open in 2008, his best showing in a Grand Slam. His first ATP singles titles was won in Mumbai in 2006. He has reached a career high of no.20 in the rankings (achieved in October 2, 2006)

Born: December 12, 1982 in Moscow
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 180 lbs
Website: www.dmitrytursunov.com , Twitter

Achievements/Career Highlights

• Career ATP Tour singles titles: 7
• Career ATP Tour doubles titles: 5
• Career prize money: $4,036,893 (as of March 2012)
• won the Hopman Cup (with Nadia Petrova) in 2007
• Career win-loss record: 181-153 (as of March 2012)

Kelly Slater

Kelly Slater is an American surfer. He competes in the professional circuit, winning the ASP World Championship 11 times. He also competed in the X-Games in 2003 and 2004. 


Slater has won more than $3 million prize money in his 20-year professional career. He appeared in the popular TV show Baywatch, and in several films and TV shows.

Born: February 11, 1972 in Cocoa Beach, Florida
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 160 lbs
Website: http://www.kellyslater.com/




Achievements/Career Highlights: 

• Won the ASP World Championships as the youngest (age 20) and oldest (age 39) competitor 
• Career event wins: 48
• first surfer to be awarded two perfect scores (Tahiti 2005)

Tom Daley

Tom Daley is a British diver specializing in 10-meter platform and 10-meter synchronized diving events. He started diving at age 7 and has reached the number 1 FINA ranking in 10-meter platform in 2009.

Born: May 21, 1994 in Plymouth, England 

Height: 5'7" 

Weight: 61 kg 

Website: Twitter , http://www.tomdaley.tv

 

Achievements/Career Highlights: 

• Britain's youngest competitor at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
• won two gold medals in 2010 Commonwealth Games, both in 10-meter platform and 10-meter synchro events
• won gold in 2009 World Championships held in Rome
• won gold in 2008 European Championships in Eindhoven
• won silver in 2012 FINA Diving World Series in Dubai
• nominee for the 2010 Laureays World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year

Matt Cooper

Matt Cooper plays as a center for the St. Georges Illawarra Dragons of the National Rugby League. The Australian rugby league player also plays for his country in international competition.

Cooper played with the Dragons for all of his career. He made his debut for the team in 2000 season. In 2010 he lead the Dragons to win the NRL Premiership.





Born: April 18, 1979 in Port Kembla, New South Wales
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 98 kg
Website: Twitter

Career Highlights:

• won the 2010 NRL Premiership with the Dragons, beating Sydney Roosters
• Scored his 100th try for the Dragons in the Week 26 of the 2010 season
• selected to join the Australian squad for the Tri-Nations from 2004-2006

Yoann Gourcuff

Yoann Miguel Gourcuff is a French soccer player. He plays as an attacking midfielder for Olympique Lyonnais of the French Ligue 1. He first joined the club in August 2010, on a 5-year contract. He previously played for Rennes (2003-06), Milan (2006-09), and Bordeaux (2009-10). His transfer fee to his latest club is €22 million.

Gourcuff also plays for France in international competitions; he first debuted on the senior team in August 2008, and has competed in the 2010 World Cup. 

Born: July 11, 1986, in Ploemeur, France 

Height: 6'1" 

Weight: 79 kg 

Website: http://www.yoanngourcuff.fr/ 

Achievements/Career Highlights: 

• named Ligue 1 Player of the Year 2008-09 
• French Player of the Year, 2009
• nicknamed "the next Zinadine Zidane" for his talent

Tim Tebow to NY Jets

Tim Tebow's just got traded to the New York Jets

Luke O'Donnell

Luke O'Donnell is an Australian professional rugby league player. He plays the second row and lock forward positions for the  Huddersfield Giants of the European Super League, where he signed a 4-year deal in 2011. 

O'Donnell previously played for North Queensland Cowboys (2003-2010), Balmain Tigers (1999) and Wests Tigers (2000-2003) of the National Rugby League.

Born: October 22, 1980 in Liverpool, New South Wales
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 103 kg


Career Highlights:

• Players' Player of the Year for New Queensland Cowboys in 2006 and 2009

Blair Morrison

Blair Morrison competed in the CrossFit Games.


Born: April 16, 1982 in Paradise, California
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180 lbs
Website: Facebook

Highlights:

• placed second in the 2009 Mid-Atlantic qualifiers

[source]

Sean Lamont

Sean Lamont is a rugby union player from Scotland. He plays center and wing positions for   Scarlet of Wales, but will play for Glasgow Rugby in 2012-13 season. He has previous stints with the Scarlets of Wales (2009), Northampton Saints (2005), Rotterham and Glasgow Rugby (2003). He also represents Scotland in international competitions.

His brother Rory is also a rugby union player.

Born: January 15, 1981 in Perth, Scotland
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 224 lbs

Career Highlights:

• Named man of the match during the 2005 Six Nations match vs Italy
• represented Scotland in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 Six Nations competition
• represented Scotland in 2002 Commonwealth Games for Rugby sevens

Peyton Hillis

Peyton Hillis is a professional American football player. He now plays as a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League, after a stint with the Denver Broncos  (2008-09) and the Cleveland Browns (2010-11). 

He played as a fullback at the University of Arkasas during his college days. He made it to the cover of the computer game Madden 2012 after a national vote.

Born: January 21, 1986 in Conway, Arkansas
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 250 lb
Website: Twitter

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• 2008 NFL Rookie of the Week
• 2008 FedEx Ground Player of the Week
• 2010 AFC Offensive Player of the week
• career NFL rushing yards (as of 2011): 2161

James Magnussen

James Magnussen, nicknamed 'The Missile,' is an Australian swimmer, competing primarily in freestyle events. He is currently the world champion for the 100-meter freestyle, and the first Australian to win gold for 100-m freestyle in the World Championships (2011)

He lives in Sydney, and currently a brand ambassador for Samsung. 


Born: November 4, 1991 in Port Macquarie, NSW 
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 90 kg
Website: Facebook

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• Personal best - 100-m freestyle: 47.49 at 2011 FINA World Championships
• Personal best -  50-m freestyle: 22.41 at 2012 South Australian State Championships
• won gold medal in 4x100 freestyle relay at 2010 Commonwealth Games
• won gold at the 2011 Australian Swimming Championships
• won gold in 4x100 freestyle relay at the 2011 World Championships
• won silver in 4x100 medley relay at the 2011 World Championships

Meet the new Captain - David Pocock

Richard Graham has announced David Pocock as the Emirates Western Force captain in 2012. Nathan Sharpe, who captained the side since the club's inception in 2006, will mentor Pocock. 

Pocock also talked about the new Western Force playing kit for the 2012 season, his new book and the Rugby World Cup.

Gymnastics 101

Here are the events for gymnastics:

Floor exercises

Pommel horse

Still rings

Vault

High bar

Parallel bars

Fabian Leimlehner

Fabian Leimlehner is an Austrian gymnast. Although a dual-citizen of Austria and Switzerland (owing to his Swiss mother), he have chosen to compete for the former. 

He resides in Innsbruck, Austria.  

Born: September 17, 1987 in Liestal, Switzerland 
Height: 5' 7"
Weight: 68 kg
Website: Facebook

Career Highlights:

• won silver medal at the 2007 World Cup and European Championships

Trey Hardee

Trey Hardee is an American decathlete, competing in international meets. He previously represented his alma mater, University of Texas, in the NCAA competitions while in college.

Born: February 7, 1984 in Birmingham, Alabama
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 210 lbs
Website:  http://www.treyhardee.com

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• Posted the highest score in decathlon since 2001 (8,790, his personal best and 3rd highest in American history)
• won gold in 2009 Berlin World Championships
• won gold in 2011 Daegu World Championships
• won silver in 2010 Doha World Indoor Championships
• placed fourth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Liam Tancock

Liam John Tancock, an English swimmer, set several world, Commonwealth and national records in his specialty events - 50-meter and 100-meter backstroke.  Tancock studied sports science at the Loughborough University.

Born: May 7, 1985 in Exeter, England 
Height: 6'0" 
Weight: 180 lbs
Website: http://www.liamtancock.com/ 
Twitter: twitter.com/LiamTancock

Achievements/Career Highlights:

• Set world record for 50-m backstroke in April 2, 2008 (24.47 seconds), broke the record again in August 1, 2009 (24.08 sec), and the day after (24.04 sec) to win the gold at 2009 Rome World Aquatics  Championships
• won gold medal in 50-m backstroke in 2011 Shanghai World Aquatics Championships
• won bronze in his debut at 2005 Championships in Montreal
• won gold medal in 50-m backstroke in 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi