2012 Olympics

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Five Penn State alumni earn Olympic medals

8/15/12

A total of five Penn State alumni earned medals at this year's Olympic Games, held in London. A school-record 17 Penn Staters represented their school and countries. The 2012 Nittany Lion contingent consisted of competitors from seven sports, including both male and female competitors in fencing, track & field and volleyball.

Whiting ninth in Olympic shot put final

8/10/12

Nittany Lion volunteer assistant coach Ryan Whiting placed ninth overall in the Olympic men's shot put final on Aug. 3 at Olympic Stadium. It was a full day of competition for Whiting, who qualified through to the final during rounds earlier in the morning.

Franek finishes 14th in Olympic steeplechase final

8/10/12

Former Nittany Lion great Bridget Franek competed against the world's best on Monday (Aug. 6), finishing 14th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2012 Olympic Games, at Olympic Stadium. The accomplishment is also a historic one, as Franek is the first Penn State graduate to qualify for a women's event final in track and field.

Moscato, McLeod win Olympic bronze medals with Canada

8/10/12

Erin McLeod and Carmelina Moscato, two former Penn State women's soccer players, have earned bronze medals as Canada defeated France by a score of 1-0 in Coventry, England on Thursday (Aug. 9) in the Bronze Medal Match. McLeod and Moscato are the first Penn State soccer players to earn a medal at the Olympics in program history. The bronze medal for the Canadians was the first sport medal for Canada since 1936.

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Students share insights, stories on Olympic blog

7/25/12

Five Penn State students covering the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London as part of an exclusive agreement with the U.S. Olympic Committee will share information and insights about their trip, as well as samples of their work and stories about Penn State Olympians, as part of a blog that will be maintained throughout the Games.

The blog -- available at http://sportsjourn.psu.edu online -- will be updated regularly by the students with additional contributions from Malcolm Moran, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society who serves as director of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism.

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School record 19 Penn Staters head to 2012 Olympic Games

7/25/12

As the Olympic Flame finishes its trip around the globe, a school-record 19 Penn Staters are gearing up to represent their school and countries at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Opening ceremonies at the Olympics take place July 27. Not including the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, where 65 countries did not participate, Penn State has sent athletes to each Olympic Games since 1948, a streak of 15-consecutive Games.

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Study finds gender differences during Olympics coverage

7/12/12

Similar women's and men's Olympic sports might look alike on television but how those competitions -- and their competitors -- are portrayed during broadcasts often differs significantly, according to a study by researchers at Penn State and Elizabethtown College. Researchers found women were often discussed positively as role models during the Olympics. At the same time, though, TV commentary often suggested that male competitions and participants paved the way for the women's success.

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Study: Weather might impact tone of Olympics coverage

7/9/12

Weather conditions could impact the tone of journalists' coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, according to a study of previous Olympics coverage by a Penn State researcher.

Using coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing as a basis, the researchers examined how air pollution and weather -- by producing cloudy conditions as opposed to sunlight -- might have impacted coverage of those Games. They examined four major U.S. newspapers and found that as air pollution increased and temperatures rose, journalists were more likely to use negative words in stories about the host country and about competitors from China and the United States when reporting.

Sports journalism students set to cover Olympics in London

6/26/12

Five Penn State communications students will provide daily coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games from London as part of an exclusive opportunity made possible by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. Competitions at the Summer Olympics are scheduled to run from July 27 through Aug. 12, and the Penn Staters will be on site in London throughout the event. "The United States Olympic Committee has provided the Curley Center with a remarkable opportunity," said Malcolm Moran, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and Society and director of the Curley Center.

Three Nittany Lion fencers qualify for 2012 Olympics

4/20/12

Two current and one former Nittany Lion will represent their countries at the 2012 Olympics in London after qualifying last weekend. Those representing the United States qualified at the Division I National Championships in Virginia Beach, Va. Eleven current and former Nittany Lions have represented their countries at the Olympics, covering five different countries.