Olympic Fever

We're reviewing our first Olympic Fever Book Club selection, which means Book Club Claire is back! Claire Natsis joins us for a discussion of The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, a moving take on the 1936 U.S. Men's Olympic 8-person rowing team. Plus, news from Team Olympic Fever and Italy's combined 2026 bid.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Mexico City 1968 Olympics, and on today's show we start exploring its Cultural Olympiad celebrations. Gustavo Morales-Cirión of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington D.C. walks contributor Ben Jackson through its exhibit "Constructing Mexico68," which looks at the venues and sculptures (and Raquel Welch videos) of these Games.

Everyone talks about what a white elephant Montreal's Olympic facilities are. This week we take a tour of Montreal's Parc Olympique with Cédric Essiminy, PR officer, who tells us what's really going on at the Olympic Park. Plus, the Tokyo 2020 schedule is out, Beijing 2022 has released its events, and some sad news from the world of figure skating.

In a nice display of transparency, the International Olympic Committee released its host city contract documentation. We read it so you don't have to--and we definitely understand why cities drop out of the Olympic bidding process. You won't believe what this contract calls for--or maybe you will. Plus we've got an update from Team Olympic Fever biathlete Clare Egan!

Today we're delighted to have Canadian Olympian Jacqueline Simoneau to explain the sport of synchronized swimming. This sport is no joke - it requires stamina and strength and the ability to take a kick, perhaps to the head. Jacqueline explains it all, the sequins, the hair gelatin, and the amazingly complicated moves like stack lifts, spins and thrusts.

Jill and Alison are recovering from their exciting Olympic Fever Olympic Days and talking about listeners' celebrations. Then we see whether Alison gets all fangirl over one of her favorite Olympians, U.S. ice dancer Charlie White. Together with partner Meryl Davis, Charlie's won silver at Vancouver 2010 and gold at Sochi 2014, as well as bronze in the team event. Charlie talks with us about the sport of ice dancing, and he attempts to convert Jill on the complexity of the twizzle. Will he succeed?

Jill catches up with phenom U.S. Olympic Speedskater Erin Jackson about her experience at PyeongChang. Then Jill & Alison talk about the Canadian Olympic Committee's brand new Canadian Olympic Experience exhibit at its Montreal offices.

Jill and contributor Ben Jackson report in from the Montreal 1976 Olympic Village with what it's like to live in an Olympic Village--especially one with quirky buildings. Our guest this week is Canadian Olympian Olya Ovtchinnikova who competed at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in sabre fencing. In the first part of her interview with Jill, Olya talks about how the sport of sabre works (and why you need to practice watching before Tokyo 2020).

A look back, a look ahead. In 2024, Paris will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the second time they hosted the Olympics. Jill and Alison spend this episode looking at the innovations from Paris 1924 and the parallels between it and Paris 2024. We look forward to what the 2024 Games will bring! (we can only hope it's as good as Alison's rendition of the "Chariots of Fire" theme). Plus, a trivia extravaganza, and we hear your reports from Olympic Fever Olympic Day #OFOD!

Contributor Ben Jackson is back with another part of last fall's interview with 3x Olympic Aerialist Emily Cook. Emily talks about overcoming adversity, returning from injury, staying motivated and how to be OK if things don't go according to plan. Plus, we debut our Olympic Fever Book Club with contributor Claire Natsis. Claire's first choice is the New York Times bestseller, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Scott Riewald, the U.S. Olympic Committee's Director of High Performance, talks to us about bringing back its reality/documentary show "Scouting Camp: The Next Olympic Hopeful" and what's new for season 2. Also on this episode, we realize that we're getting close to Olympic Day, so we start preparing for the first Olympic Fever Olympic Day celebration. Join the fun at #OFOD

She's a five-time Olympian, winner of the first US Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing, first American to win a cross-country world championship--and now she's a member of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission. Kikkan Randall joins us on this week's show! We recap the Team USA Awards Show and talk royal trivia.

Wouldn't it be amazing if your job took you to the Olympics? NBC Boston Video Journalist Sean Colahan lived the dream this winter by covering the Olympics for the local news station. Sean tells us what it was like to be a local news cameraman at PyeongChang 2018, the gold medal game he saw, the pins he traded, and just how cold it was. Plus, Alison has updates on the Russian doping scandal and a major coaching change for a figure skating medalist.

Jill's just back from Rome, Italy, and naturally did a little Olympic tourism while she was there, so she and Alison talk about the game-changing Olympics of Rome 1960 and Jill talks about some venues that still remain. Plus, the Team USA awards and trivia.

Jill and Alison talk with Trevor Tiffany of A&T Europe and Chairman of Myrtha Pools USA to learn where Rio 2016's swimming pools went. Plus, Trevor tells us about swimming pool plans (or non-plans) for Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024 and LA 2028.