Wasserman has signed Olympic triathlete Chris Mosier, the first openly transgender athlete to qualify for a U.S. national team. Mosier will be represented by agents Tim Hoy, Michael Spencer and Matt Wikstrom. He was not previously represented. Mosier has received a lot of media attention, including being featured in a Rolling Stone article and being included in the Body issue of "ESPN The Magazine." He recently partnered with Nike for the brand's "Unlimited Courage" film campaign (Liz Mullen, Staff Writer).
FACE THE NATION: In DC, Mark Giannotto notes Michael Phelps has turned "into an Internet sensation" due to a "meme of his death scowl/stare" toward South African swimmer Chad le Clos after le Clos on Monday "prepared for the start of the 200-meter butterfly semifinals by shadow boxing." Phelps' face, which is "almost growling, is showing up all over the place days after the now infamous pre-race incident" (WASHINGTON POST, 8/10). In N.Y., Katie Rogers notes after just a few hours, images of Phelps' face "seemed to have the potential to go down in the history of ridiculous sports memes." Rogers: "Somewhere, Michael Jordan is sighing with relief" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/10).
TEARS IN HEAVEN: U.S. swimmer Ryan Held gained notoriety when he started "crying with his teammates" on the medal stand after winning Gold in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay on Sunday. Held said, "I’ve heard the National Anthem hundreds of times before, but then this one seemed a little sweeter. It seemed a little more emotionally attached to me that the emotions just kind of manifested into tears.” NBC's Lester Holt said, “I can tell you firsthand there were plenty of misty eyes up in the viewing stands, too, during that moment” ("Nightly News," NBC, 8/8).
DOLLARS AND SENSE: In Denver, Mark Kiszla wrote it "seems like a stupid decision" for U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky to not turn pro and maintain her eligibility to swim in college for Stanford. Kiszla: "As a star refusing to take a healthy cut in this megareality show, Ledecky is allowing herself to get used. ... Money isn't everything. But sports are a lucrative entertainment business, and any entertainer that works for free is being exploited" (DENVER POST, 8/8).
PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS? In N.Y., Sarah Lyall profiled Int'l Organization of La Francophonie Secretary General Michaelle Jean, who is in Rio to "make sure nobody forgets" one of the two official languages of the Games is French. Jean said, "We must be there to make sure the French signs and documents and information are there." Lyall notes Jean "visited the athletes' village, only to discover that there were French-language signs in the cafeteria but nowhere else" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/10).
