Oglympics

Mellie Francon – Switzerland – Snowboarding

UncleLar — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:53:18 +0000

Mellie Francon is a 28 year old snowboarder from Switzerland who competes in the new to the Olympics sport of snowboardcross where four athletes at a time race down the course. In Vancouver, she raced to a seventh place finish.

Mellie started off hot in the snowboardcross event as she qualified with the fastest time. Unfortunately, she failed to make the finals when the medal round head-to-head competition started. She did take third to Lindsey Jacobellis in the small finals heat to claim seventh overall.

Here’s a video of the Vancouver snowboardcross small finals. This vidcap of Mellie (in red) just before she crashes in her heat (she was already in third so the crash didn’t hurt her).

Papau Barat

In her other life, Mellie is a wildlife photographer. She cooperated on a book on Papau Barat, a province in New Guinea. The province is very desolate and is home to several primitive indigenous tribes.

While taking pictures for the book, Mellie elected to go topless for part of the time. When these photos surfaced, several people criticized Francon for posing in the native dress. Personally, I find any controversy overblown.

Therese Johaug – Norway – Cross Country Skiing

UncleLar — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:41:19 +0000

Therese Johaug is an acclaimed cross country skier from Norway where cross country is a national sport (they don’t call it nordic skiing for nothing). As you can also tell from these photos she’s a world class beauty also.

Vancouver Games

Here are some shots of Therese from her gold medal performance in the relay.

Other skiing shots

Other candids

Some modeling sessions

Chemmy Alcott – Great Britain – Alpine Skiing

UncleLar — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:35:16 +0000

Chemmy Alcott is a 27 year old Alpine skier from London England. She’s been competing on the international circuit for over a decade. The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver will be her third Games following Salt Lake City in 2002 and Torino Italy in 2006.

Chemmy on the slopes

Chemmy was very active at the Vancouver Games competing in all five alpine events – Downhill (13th), Super-Combined (18th), Super-G (20th), Slalom (DNF), and Giant Slalom (25th).

Chemmy does her version of a strip tease

Off the slopes

World Cup Hot Tub Photos

It’s a standard tradition at the end of the World Cup season for the athletes to have a hot tub party. Here’s some photos from last year’s end of season party when Chemmy and fellow Oglympian Julia Mancuso got very close.

Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux – USA – Ice Hockey

UncleLar — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:34:03 +0000

The Lamoureux twins are 20-year old hockey players from Grand Forks, North Dakota. They come from a hockey centric family. Their father Jean-Pierre was a goalie for the University of North Dakota. They have a brother, Jacques, who plays for the Air Force Academy. Two other brothers, Jean-Philippe and Mario, play for the UND Fighting Souix. The twins, played for the University of Minnesota as freshman, then transferred home to also play for the Fighting Soiux.

Here are some shots of the girls together.

The girls have a lot in common including matching tattoos.

If you want to try to tell them apart, here are some separate shots:

Monique

Jocelyne

Katharina Schulz – Germany – Field Hockey – Vol IV no 7a

Allison Baver – USA – Speedskating

UncleLar — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:08:37 +0000

Allison is a short track speed skater (and fellow Penn State alum) from Reading PA. She is an Olympic veteran, having competed in both the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. She is generally believed to be the first in-line skater to have qualified for the Olympics in speed skating.

Allison suffered a serious injury, breaking her ankle and tibia, last February and has faced an uphill battle since then to make it back onto the Olympic team

At one time, Allison was dating the US’s male speed skating star Apolo Ohno but that relationship has ended.

Allison on the track.

Allison Photo Gallery

A collection of shots from Allison’s modeling sessions

[View with PicLens]

Vancouver Games

Allison and her teammates show off their bronze medals for the 3000 meter relay.

Kiira Korpi – Finland – Figure Skating

UncleLar — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:23:19 +0000

Kiira Korpi is a gorgeous 21 year old figure skater from Finland with Grace Kelly like looks. Unfortunately, she’s not quite good enough to crack into the top ten in the world which means NBC won’t find time for her. So you’re just going to have to rely on me to bring her to you.

Video Montage

Normally I don’t like posting video montages like this but I’m going to make an expeditious exception here. Korpi is a spectacularly beautiful young women and I’d have a very difficult time selected which photos to choose from the dozens that I have. Better to just use this video which has already selected some of the best, also included several that I don’t have, and just done an exceptional job of presenting them.

Note: Korpi’s remarkable resemblance to Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco is what has earned her the nickname “The Ice Princess”.

Valio Vanilla Yogurt Commercial

2008 European Championships

Korpi stands in 17th place after the short program in Vancouver. That means NBC won’t be showing her on the coverage later tonight. That’s a big loss to the US viewing audience. NBC won’t allow me to embed her performance but I can provide you with a link to it and a vidcap from it.

In my mind, there is no doubt that she is the most beautiful athlete at these Games.

Almost topless

I also have one candid that I have to add though – this one of her caught in a hand bra backstage at one of her performances.

Ashleigh McIvor – Canada – Freestyle Skiing

UncleLar — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:25:17 +0000

Ashleigh is a 26 year old ski cross racer who was competing in her home town. She’s was born in Vancouver and lives at Whistler so she got huge support in her races during the Games as she won gold in a runaway in the first ever women’s Olympic ski cross competition.

Ashleigh is the defending world champion in ski cross so her gold medal today didn’t come as a big surprise.

Ashleigh in an earlier competition

Images from her Gold Medal Winning Performance

Images from a pre-Olympic modeling session

Olympic Promo Photoshoot

Ashleigh’s photos from the Olympic portfolio.

Bree Schaaf – USA – Bobsled

UncleLar — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:58:35 +0000

Bree Schaaf is a 29 year old slider from Bremerton OR who made a shift from the skeleton to the bobsled in 2007 and has rapidly climbed the bobsledding success ladder. She’ll be the pilot of the US #3 sled in Vancouver.

Despite wearing a helmet in this shot you can see Bree’s sparkling eyes jump out at you.

Here’s a video of Bree’s hometown TV station interviewing her and her parents during her Olympic pursuit.

and a Seattle Times video interview of Bree describing the Olympic boblsed run.

Here’s a couple of shots of Bree while sledding and her eyes just jump out at you.

Some more shots that show a little more of her face.

Bree is the 2009 US National Champion and Rookie of the Year. As the driver of the third sled and such a neophyte to the sport she’s not expected to do much in Vancouver but her future in the sport is bright.

And she’s not just a pretty face – she’s got a great bod to go with it.

Bold Beautiful Biathlon

UncleLar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:14:27 +0000

Five beautiful Canadian biathletes got together to raise money for their Olympic effort by creating a nude calendar. I present to you those athletes:

Sandra Keith is a 29 year old from Canmore Alberta. Unfortunately, Sandra didn’t make the biathlon squad for the games but she’s certainly lovely enough to be included on Oglympics.

Zina Kocher is a 27 year old from Red Deer Alberta. She’s already competed in two events in this Olympics, the 7.5 km sprint and the 15 km individual. Today she’ll be in her third event, the 4 x 6 km relay.

Megan Imrie celebrate her 24th birthday last week in Vancouver. She’s from Falcon Lake Manitoba and like Kocher has already competed in the 7.5 km sprint and the 15 km individual and will go in her thirrd event, the 4 x 6 km relay later today.

Megan Tandy is a 21 year old from Prince George BC. Like Kocher and Imrie, she’s already competed in the two individual events and will be pulling a leg on the relay later today.

Rosanna Crawford is a 21 year old from Canmore Alberta. Like the others she’s already competed in the two individual events and will ski a leg on the relay team today. However, unlike the others, Rosanna will also be competing in the 10 km pursuit.

Here’s a video news report on the Canadian biathletes and their calendar.

Calendar photos

Tanith Belbin – USA – Figure Skating

UncleLar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:47:59 +0000

Tanith Belbin 25 year old Canadian-American ice dancer who, although she holds a dual citizenship, will be dancing for the US in Vancouver. She and her dancer partner, Ben Agusto, are five time US skating champions and won the silver medal in the 2006 Olympics in Turin. The silver that they won in 2006 was the first American ice dancing medal in the Olympics in thirty years.

Tanith and Ben enter the free dance competition in tonight’s Olympics in fourth place so they will have a chance to medal again.

Tanith and Ben on the ice

Tanith and Ben off ice

Tanith by herself

and a candid where she’s dressed like an angel.

Kiira Korpi – Finland – Figure Skating

Anni Friesinger – Germany – Speedskating

UncleLar — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:51:35 +0000

Anni is a 32 year old speed skater from Germany. She is a second generation Olympian as her mother Jana represented Poland in the 1976 Winter Olympics. Last year she married her long time boyfriend former Dutch skater Ids Postma.

Athletic Accomplishments

Anni has held the world record in the 1500 meters three times (the current world record holder is Cindy Klassen of Canada) and is the current Olympic record holder having set the record in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

Anni has medaled in 29 World Championships including 16 gold medal wins. She is the reigning World Champion in the 1500 meters and the silver medalist in the 1000 meters. She is a five-time European Allround Champion and three time, World Allround Champion.

Olympic Achievements

Vancouver will be Anni’s fourth Olympic games. She won a bronze medal in the 3000 meters in Nagano in 1998. She followed that up four years later with an Olympic record setting win in the 1500 meters in Salt Lake City. In Turin in 2006 she won two medals – a gold in the team pursuit and a bronze in the 1000 meters.

Before Vancouver Anni had competed in ten Olympic events and had never finished worse that sixth. That (and the fact that she’s the reigning world champion) will make her one of the favorites in tonight’s 1500 meter event.

Anni in action

Speedskating suits are designed to make the human body as aerodynamic as possible. However, even they can’t suppress the spectacular form that Anni has. Take a look at these photos from some of Anni’s skates.

Candids

Here’s a better look at what Anni’s hiding under those suits.

Maxim Photo Shoot

Anni posed for Maxim magazine with these results.

A video interview about the photo shoot (I haven’t a clue what she’s saying but she looks great).

Saving The Best For Last.

Tina Maze – Slovenia – Alpine Skiiing

UncleLar — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:56:34 +0000

Tina is a 26 year old Slovinian who just claimed her countries best alpine skiing medal ever at the Olympic Games. She edged the United States’ Lindsay Vonn for the silver medal in the women’s Super G event on Whistler Mountain.

However it isn’t her cuteness nor her silver medal winning performance that earns her a presence in Oglympics. It’s this candid photo obviously taken on a nude beach.

UncleLar Bonus Video: SI Swimsuit Olympians

UncleLar — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:34:53 +0000

Lacy Schnoor’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Video

UncleLar — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:19:32 +0000

Lacy Schnoor’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Gallery

UncleLar — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:13:33 +0000

Torah Bright – Australia – Snowboarding

UncleLar — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:08:18 +0000

Personal

Torah Bright is a 23 year old Australian snowboarder who will be competing in the half pipe at the Vancouver games. While she is Australian she currently resides in Salt Lake City while she trains at Park City. She is a practicing Mormon so Salt Lake is a convenient home for her. She is engaged to be married to an American Jack Welch this coming June. Unfortunately, her Mormon faith seems to have kept her from appearing uncovered but she’s cute enough to include on Oglympics anyway.

Here’s a video tour of her Salt Lake City home.

Athletic Accomplishments.

Torah turned pro at the age of 15 and won her first X Games medals in 2006 in Superpipe. Her X Games success led to her being named to the 2006 Australian Olympic team where she failed to medal but did place fifth.

The Olympics weren’t totally a new experience for Torah because her sister Rowena represented Australia in the Salt Lake Olympics in 2002 in alpine skiing. For the Vancouver Game Torah had the honor of being selected to carry the Austalian flag in the Opening Ceremonies.

Torah in action

NBC Video Interview with Torah

Here’s a link to an interview that Torah did in Central Park NY. Unfortunately NBC won’t let me embed it. However, I can put up a bunch of photos taken at the time of the interview along with a bunch of other Torah shots.

[View with PicLens]

Hannah Teter Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Video

UncleLar — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:33:58 +0000

Hannah Teter’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Gallery

UncleLar — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:50:32 +0000

Julia Mancuso – USA – Alpine Skiing

UncleLar — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:41:24 +0000

Personal

Julia is 25 year old US alpine skier from Tahoe NV. She through herself into skiing as a young child when her father, Ciro Mancuso, a respected real estate developer in Tahoe, was arrested and jailed for running a major drug operation in addition to his real estate business. Ciro Mancuso cooperated with authorities and eventually served a reduced sentence. Bespite being divorced by Julia’s mother while in prison, Ciro managed to maintain a strong relationship with his daughter and can often be seen at her competitions.

On the slopes

Julia has been competing in World Cup events for a decade now. Her first World Cup event was as a 15 year old in 1999. Her first World Cup points, i.e. top 30 finish, was in 2001 but it wasn’t until 2005 that she really became a presence on the circuit, leaping from a ranking in the fifies to ninth for that season.

Olympic History

The Vancouver games will be Julia’s second Olympic appearance. She was the gold medal winner in the 2006

Julia and her tiara

In this Visa commercial, Julia briefly tells the story of her trademarked tiara that she dons following her competition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzTZ4t9xjtk

Julia has actually raced in her tiara in the past but the World Cup rules committee nixed that when they started requiring the competitors to wear helmets.

Here are some snapshots taken during the Hawaii photo shoot for Visa.

Speaking of Visa commercials, here’s her current Visa commercial that exploits her 2006 Olympic Gold.

Lange Girl Photo Shoot

Julia’s photos from her Lange Boots photo session

Lingerie

Julia has developed her own lingerie line called “Kiss My Tiera”

Here she is modeling one of her own pieces.

Outside Magazine

Here are some glamour shots Julia did for Outside Magazine.

Vancouver Games

Julia has been struggling recently but she came through with a surprisingly strong performance to capture the silver medal behind teammate Lindsay Vonn in the women’s downhill. Here’s a link to her performance (NBC’s Olympic rights prevent me from embedding it here) and some photos from the awards ceremony.

Women of Curling “Fire on Ice” – Part II

UncleLar — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:54:01 +0000

My Women of Curling “Fire and Ice” post has received unprecedented attention on the site. My traffic drove to an all time high yesterday due mainly to the popularity of the girls on the calendar.

I have more good news. I’ve uncovered a bunch of new photos from the calendar series, complete with names for many. Without further ado, here they are:

[View with PicLens]

If you click on the thumbnails, you’ll be able to find the names of the athletes that I have been able to identify.

Olympians

Out of this bunch of curlers, I’ve been able to identify three that are or were Olympians. They are:

Rosa Pompanin – Italy – 2006 Olympics

Madeleine DuPont – Denmark – 2010 Olympics

Irene Schori – Switzerland – 2010 Olympics

Hope you enjoy this set as much as you seemed to enjoy the first