Keep the Flame Alive

In our year-long look back at the Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 Winter Olympics, we take to the slopes of the Tofane in the Dolomites to explore the Alpine skiing competition. With three events for men and women alike, athletes thrilled spectators on the slopes. The clear hero of Alpine skiing--and of these Olympics--was Austrian Toni Sailor. Hear how experts discounted his talents and how he almost didn't make a competition. On the women's side, hear how a pharmacy student surprised everyone in the slalom. Plus, Japan wins its first-ever Winter Olympic medal. Find out who raced to national glory and made the podium! All this, plus more amazing stories from the seventh Winter Olympic Games. For a transcript and complete list of sources used in this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons via Picryl. Public Domain. *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

The U.S. Center for SafeSport was created in 2017 by the U.S. Congress in the wake of the Larry Nasser scandal to address abuse and misconduct in American Olympic and Paralympic sports. On this episode, we talk with Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, who became the organization's new chief executive officer in February 2026. Benita is an Olympic champion herself, winning gold in 1984 in the 100 meter hurdles. She's also a mother of children who have their own competitive athletic journeys. These experiences combine to give her insight as to how to lead an organization whose mission is to protect young athletes. Our conversation, which took place during her first week on the job, gets into the differences of the inappropriate behavior she saw during her time as an athlete, the measures the U.S. Center for SafeSport is taking today, and her hopes for what the center can achieve in the future. Also on this episode, Alison reviews her experience at Stars on Ice, which includes insight on how influential Alysa Liu has become in our culture. Plus, there are rumors that the International Olympic Committee has said game over to esports and has thoughts about the sports programs for French Alps 2030 and Brisbane 2032. 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics. All year long, cultural institutions and the Olympic Park will have events to celebrate these Games. The fun will culminate in a big 50th anniversary celebration on August 1. Find out what's going on here: https://montrealolympique.ca/en/ The best event will be The Great Nadia Gathering in honor of the impact Nadia Comaneci had on baby names. If you're a Nadia of a certain age (born 1976-1978), this contest is for you: https://montrealolympique.ca/en/events/the-great-nadia-gathering-contest/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! Photo courtesy of U.S. Center for SafeSport. *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

To be a spectator at the LA28 Olympics, you can buy tickets directly from the Organizing Committee, or you can book a hospitality package through On Location, the Games' official hospitality provider. Paul Caine, president of On Location joins us to talk all things Olympic hospitality, from how the company did at Paris 2024 and Milano Cortina 2026, to what they're planning for once-in-a-lifetime experiences related to the LA 2028 Olympics. Find out more about LA28 packages at https://hospitality.la28.org/. Learn more about On Location and its other events (they're gearing up for World Cup) at https://onlocationexp.com/. Going to the Paralympics? Don't worry - there will be hospitality packages for the Paralympics too - more info will be released in the future. We have a ton of Games News to share - from an Olympic trials pool up for sale to Milano Cortina's instant budget shortfalls and legacy issues. For you that means the slidingnovela is back! We have the information we most definitely are not shocked to hear. LA28 has announced that ticket drop #2 will take place in August. If you haven't signed up for the ticket lottery, do so here: https://tickets.la28.org/ What's the likelihood of snagging some $28 tickets? We've got some interesting stats from the first ticket drop that may surprise you. Plus, French Alps 2030 is having trouble finding a place to hold the ice hockey tournament, but never fear, Paris and Lyon would like to step up and host those events. Also, the World Games 2029 sport program is out, and it's a doozy! For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! Photo courtesy of On Location. *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

While we still have Winter Olympics and Paralympics on the brain, we take a look at what's going on with Utah 2034 with Catherine Raney-Norman, Utah 2034's vice president development and athlete relations. Catherine is a 4x Olympic speed skater who transitioned into development work after retiring from competition. Given that Utah 2034 can't go after sponsorship deals until after LA28, it has created an innovative funding program called Podium 34. For the first time in Olympic history, private donors are stepping up to help fund the Games. Catherine talks about the program and how it's changing Games funding for the future. To learn more about Podium 34, visit: http://utah2034.org/podium34/ In LA28 news, Santa Monica is making plans to host a Nations Village during the Games. Also, if your event tickets take you to a venue at USC, you may want to build in some travel time. Plus, if you're in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, this summer, check out the Tread of Pioneers Museum's free weekly Olympic Heritage tour! Olympian Ben Berend will lead this series, which runs from June 2 through Sept. 9. Find out more at the museum's website. For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! Photo courtesy of Utah 2034. *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348

The International Olympic Committee has released a new policy on the protection of the female (women's) category in Olympic sport, which calls for gene screening for all female athletes. We talk about what this entails, what it could mean for sports, and whether or not we, as two women, feel protected. If you want to read the policy for yourself, you can find it here: https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/International-Olympic-Committee/EB/policy/policy-on-the-protection-of-the-female-category-english.pdf The UN's response is here: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/04/un-expert-welcomes-international-olympic-committee-policy-protecting-female Here's the Time article we referenced: https://time.com/article/2026/04/03/how-the-olympic-ban-on-transgender-women-could-affect-all-women-athletes/ And geneticist Andrew Sinclair's thoughts on SRY gene screening: https://www.mcri.edu.au/news/insights-and-opinions/world-athletics-sry-gene-conversation Also, LA 2028 has released its "look of the Games," which is called "LA in Full Bloom." Inspired by the California Superbloom phenomenon, the look features colorful graphics. Typography is inspired by signage found throughout the city of LA. Overall, the look caused us to have different--and surprising--reactions. Listen on to find out more! Ticket sales have also started for the LA28 Olympics. Aren't those two years away? Yes, but there's no time like the present to create some hype (and FOMO). We've got word on how the first ticket drop is going, and what you can do if you haven't gotten tickets yet (spoiler alert: time is on your side). USA Fencing is working on an exhibit for LA28 and is looking for fencing-related movie/TV artifacts. If you have an item of interest, let them know: https://airtable.com/appAn0O4fg39xtN9Y/pagB3jzyIt9DbFzD1/form Plus, we have a new Olympic and Paralympic travel segment, which features exhibits, events and more. On this episode, we feature Georgia Tech's new exhibit about its legacy with Atlanta 1996. Find out more about that here: https://www.library.gatech.edu/news/now-open-centennial-summer-georgia-techs-olympic-legacy And USA Gymnastics announced the location for its 2028 Olympic trials, which will be in Louisville, Kentucky. Learn more here: https://usagym.org/louisville-to-host-2028-u-s-olympic-team-trials-gymnastics-become-gymnastics-city-usa-2028/ For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com. Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! *** Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT. *** Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Become a patron and get bonus content: http://www.patreon.com/flamealivepod Buy merch here: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://flamealivepod.substack.com/subscribe VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348