Hundreds of fans packed Singapore's Changi Airport this morning as swimmer Joseph Schooling returned from Rio with an "Olympic gold medal around his neck." Schooling's win in the 100-meter butterfly resulted in the "first ever Olympic gold medal" for Singapore. Schooling, who attends the Univ. of Texas, will "spend four days celebrating in events in Singapore, including an open-top parade." By winning a Gold, Schooling earned a bonus of nearly $750,000 (AP, 8/15). Schooling will be able to keep the bonus "without forfeiting his remaining college swimming eligibility." Under the incentive program's rules, Schooling "will have to give 20% of his award money to the Singapore Swimming Association, but he'll still be left with a tidy sum" (USATODAY.com, 8/14).
CALIFORNIA DREAMING: U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte is "most likely" moving from Charlotte to California. In an interview prior to his weekend attack, Lochte said, "It's been on my bucket list to move to the West Coast ever since I was a little kid. ... So I should be on the West Coast anytime between September and October." Lochte has always had a thing for L.A., which "makes sense because he likes to be a Hollywood kind of guy" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/13).
RETURNING TO HIS ROOTS: Floyd Mayweather Jr., a Bronze Medal winner at '96 Atlanta Games, came to Rio and watched Saturday's evening fights, "starting with the welterweight quarter finals." Mayweather was "besieged by a stream of autograph-seekers and photo-takers" (AP, 8/13).
MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY: Olympic Village Dir Mario Cilenti had to deal with the "daunting task of mathematical and political calisthenics," by keeping together 200 delegations and "placing them into mostly 17-story buildings, with 3,604 apartments of varying sizes." Some countries want a specific location, while "some ask to be near other countries." Brazil had the "first choice" on where they wanted to be placed. Next, the "top 10 national organizing committees, by size of their athlete contingents, ranked their priorities and made special requests." That process "began about two years ago" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/13).
