- Table View
- List View
Accidental Ironman: How Triathlon Ruined My Life
by Martyn BruntHaving spent 10 years scaling the lower echelons of the sport, the time has come for one of Britain's least successful athletes to reveal all about how he got involved in all this nonsense in the first place. Marvel as he reveals: His sporting history - how being last pick at school football in the 1970s set him on course for a lifetime of being rubbish at team games. How he took up triathlons in the first place (for a bet, and the cow who made it with him never paid up). How he overcame a crippling lack of talent and a chorus of complete indifference from his family to complete 10 Ironmans, all outside the top 500 finishers. The many triathlon adventures he has experienced over the past 10 years (cow pats, Ironmans, incontinence, driving bans, broken bones, public nudity, spending entire redundancy payments on a new bike, Belgian portaloos, German knocking shops, sunburnt arse cheeks, channel swimming, fights with chavs, obsessions with weather and the nutritional value of Jaffa Cakes, 3 hour marathons, chronic dehydration and so on). The many and varied idiots he's got to know as a result of taking up the sport (aka his mates). The typical training (hell) he goes through to take part in a race given he has absolutely no ability whatsoever. How triathlons ultimately caused him to sell his Mercedes, give away his expensive suit, chuck in his job in the City and become, as his father put it, a "god-damned hippy" (A cycle path designer who owns a camper van).
Accidental Roommates (Love & Laughter)
by Charlotte MaclayHow to lose your virginity...At twenty-eight, getting down and dirty should be real simple-except if you're a good girl from an excruciatingly small town. Why, Hannah Jansen even lives with her father and helps him run the local hardware store! She's sick to death of being wholesome and dependable.When her hotel mixes up her reservations and puts her in the same room as sexy rancher Holt Janson, Hannah considers her options. Here she is footloose and fancy-free in the big city. And fate has given her an honest-to-goodness sex symbol for a roommate. Thank you!Except, Holt decides to be responsible and not seduce her. Great, just great.There was only one answer. Hannah Jansen needed to become a bad girl....
Accro d’la planche: (Skate Freak) (French Currents)
by Lesley ChoyceDorf is all about skateboarding, and so far that's worked out fine. But now that he's in a new city, the terrain has changed. He's no longer free to skateboard where he wishes, school is more difficult, and his passion for skateboarding garners him the nickname and reputation of a freak. With daring stunts he gains the grudging respect of local troublemakers, but he needs to tap into another kind of courage to effect real change.
Ace of Diamonds (Gents #3)
by Bruce H. ThorstadThe fourth installment of Bruce H. Thorstad's boisterous "Gents" series finds incorrigible scoundrels Cass McCasland and Riley Stokes in another lawless town and another heady situation. This time it's the mining village of Buckshot, Colorado, where the boys hope to find fortune in the underground caves belonging to Riley's Uncle Rufus. But once they arrive, they realize that their get-rich-quick scheme has turned into a get-suited-up challenge for their wits and their baseball skills. When Uncle Rufus' mine floods, the only way to save it--and their hides--is to win the big game against the Jersey Invincibles--a ball team in from the East with their throwing arms ready and their noses in the air. The Invincibles are serious challengers and the game is looking like a lose-lose situation, unless the Gents can pull off one of their signature miracle plays!
Ace of Diamonds (Gents #3)
by Bruce H. ThorstadThe fourth installment of Bruce H. Thorstad's boisterous "Gents" series finds incorrigible scoundrels Cass McCasland and Riley Stokes in another lawless town and another heady situation. This time it's the mining village of Buckshot, Colorado, where the boys hope to find fortune in the underground caves belonging to Riley's Uncle Rufus. But once they arrive, they realize that their get-rich-quick scheme has turned into a get-suited-up challenge for their wits and their baseball skills. When Uncle Rufus' mine floods, the only way to save it--and their hides--is to win the big game against the Jersey Invincibles--a ball team in from the East with their throwing arms ready and their noses in the air. The Invincibles are serious challengers and the game is looking like a lose-lose situation, unless the Gents can pull off one of their signature miracle plays!
Achieving a Dream: Independent Reading 18 (Reading Champion #453)
by Jill AtkinsRuby awakes to find herself in a hospital bed, but how did she get there? Through a series of flashbacks her memory slowly recalls how she injured her leg so badly. Can she recover in time to achieve her dream of being a high jump champion at the next junior championships?This first colour chapter book is a perfectly levelled, accessible text for Key stage 2 readers aged 10-11 or in year 6. Reading Champion offers independent reading books for children to practise and reinforce their developing reading skills.Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and activities to provoke deeper response and encourage writing. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure.The Key Stage 2 Reading Champion Books are suggested for use as follows:Independent Reading 11: start of Year 3 or age 7+Independent Reading 12: end of Year 3 or age 7+Independent Reading 13: start of Year 4 or age 8+Independent Reading 14: end of Year 4 or age 8+Independent Reading 15: start of Year 5 or age 9+Independent Reading 16: end of Year 5 or age 9+Independent Reading 17: start of Year 6 or age 10+Independent Reading 18: end of Year 6 or age 10+
Achtsamkeit im Sport: Theorie und Praxis zu achtsamkeitsbasierten Verfahren in Freizeit, Training, Wettkampf und Rehabilitation
by Petra Jansen Florian Seidl Stefanie RichterIn vielen Lebens- und Berufsbereichen spielt die Achtsamkeit eine große Rolle, wenn es um die Reduktion von Stress und die Fokussierung der Aufmerksamkeit geht. Auch im Sport gewinnt das Konzept der Achtsamkeit zur Leistungssteigerung zunehmend an Bedeutung. Gerade in Wettkampfsituationen gilt es, den Kopf frei zu bekommen, wobei Achtsamkeit helfen kann.Dieses Fachbuch stellt zum einen die theoretischen Grundlagen der Achtsamkeit, des Sports und der Leistung dar. Es macht darüber hinaus auf die Vielfältigkeit des Sportbegriffs und auf die bereits bestehenden achtsamkeitsbasierten Sportprogramme aufmerksam. Der anschließende Praxisteil greift die unterschiedlichen Facetten des Sportbegriffs auf und bietet somit auf den Kontext des Sports bezogene praktische Achtsamkeitsübungen, die in Training, Wettkampf, Rehabilitation und im Freizeitsport eingesetzt werden können.
Achtsamkeitstraining im Sport: Das Übungsprogramm zur Förderung der sportlichen Leistungsfähigkeit
by Darko Jekauc Lea Mülberger Susanne WeylandDer Kreislauf der Emotionen kann wie kaum ein anderes Phänomen unsere Leistungen im Sport stark beeinflussen. Aus diesem Grund setzt eine Vielzahl an Spitzensportlern auf das Achtsamkeitstraining als eine Form des Trainings der mentalen Stärke und Emotionsregulation. Prominente Beispiele sind Novak Djokovic im Tennis, Phil Jackson im Basketball oder Malaika Mihambo in der Leichtathletik. Seit einigen Jahren werden die Vorteile eines achtsamkeitsbasierten Trainings ebenfalls in der Wissenschaft diskutiert und erste Studien belegen die positiven Effekte aus der Praxis. Insgesamt kann die Schlussfolgerung gezogen werden, dass Achtsamkeitstraining ähnlich wie Krafttraining wirkt: Die Fähigkeiten, die Konzentration aufrechtzuerhalten und die eigenen Emotionen zu regulieren, lassen sich wie ein Muskel trainieren.Dieses Buch erläutert anhand anschaulicher Praxisbeispiele die Bedeutung von Emotionen im Sport, die Geschichte der Achtsamkeit im Sport und die Wirkmechanismen von Achtsamkeitstraining für Sporttreibende. Im Fokus steht ein wissenschaftlich evaluiertes Achtsamkeitsprogramm für Freizeit- und Leistungssportler, das allein oder in einer Gruppe durchgeführt werden kann. Die acht Einheiten des Programms beinhalten praktische Übungen und Informationen zu den Hintergründen und Wirkungen dieser. Werden Sie Ihr eigener Mentaltrainer, um Ihre sportliche Leistungsfähigkeit nachhaltig zu steigern.
Acoustic-Based Applications for Vertebrate Vocalization (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Ramashini Murugaiya Manisha Milani Mahagammulle Gamage Krishani Murugiah Madhumathy PerumalAcoustic-Based Applications for Vertebrate Vocalization is designed to help researchers improve their findings and knowledge of vertebrate vocalization by focusing on the integration of acoustic features with new technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and virtual and cognitive reality. The book addresses the most common challenges in vertebrate vocalization-based research via suitable audio signal processing techniques, data collection, data pre-processing, acoustic feature engineering, extraction, and selection for multidisciplinary applications, i.e. feature classification, vertebrate communication, behavioral analysis, and signal pattern analysis. The book is an important reference for scholars, researchers, industry practitioners, teachers, and students across a number of disciplines, including bioengineering, audio engineering, systems engineering, biotechnology, signal processing, biology, zoology, and animal sciences.
Acquiring Skill in Sport: An Introduction (Student Sport Studies)
by John HoneybourneThis user-friendly, accessible text will enable new students to understand the basic concepts of sport skills acquisition. Each chapter covers important theoretical background and shows how this theory can be applied through practical examples from the world of sport. The book also examines the ways in which skills can be developed most effectively and addresses issues such as: characteristics and classifications of abilities and skills in sport information processing in sport motor programmes and motor control phases of learning presentation of skills and practices. A valuable resource for students and teachers in physical education, sport studies and sports science courses as well as for coaches who want to develop their theoretical knowledge.
Acrobaddict
by Joe PutignanoFollow the author as he goes on a harrowing journey from the US Olympic Training Center to homeless shelters to shooting heroin on the job to being declared dead. This story goes beyond addiction. It is about the fragility and tenacity of the human spirit and how that spirit can redeem each and every one of us by helping to push us through the darkness, whether the darkness is from death, divorce, or the disease of addiction.Acrobaddict is a story about the close relationship between athletics and drug addiction-how the same energy, obsession, and dedication that can create an Olympic athlete can also create a homeless drug addict.PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (Starred review) After reading former Olympic gymnastics hopeful Putignano's sinister yet intoxicating memoir of addiction, recovery, and more addiction, you wind up feeling like one of his closest friends. The first-time author, who now portrays Crystal Man in Cirque du Soleil's traveling production of Totem, divulges what must be nearly every significant detail of his journey from the basement of his parents' Massachusetts home, where as an 8-year-old he taught himself flips using old couch cushions; to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where the author's insane quest for perfection exposed his insecurities and triggered his self-loathing; and finally to a seemingly never-ending series of addict escapades throughout his college and post-college years that somehow did not even climax after he was twice declared clinically dead. Putignano's homosexuality plays a crucial role in his story, and it is the one topic here he handles delicately. Elsewhere, his prose is unfiltered: graphic and intimate. Prone to hyperbole to the point of distraction, Putignano nevertheless writes so vividly about his highs that readers practically experience them with him. Similarly, his lows drop them into the private circles of hell on earth he created. A more powerful anti-drug missive would be tough to find. (Sept.)LIBRARY JOURNAL (July 22, 2013) Dale Farris, Groves, TX-Former star acrobatic contortionist and gymnast of the Cirque du Soleil's "Totem," performer in Twyla Tharp's musical The Times They Are A'changin, and guest on Dr. Sanjay Gupta's CNN show Human Factor, Putignano, shares his heartfelt, emotionally wrenching story of addiction to heroin. Putignano's memoir takes readers on an unsettling journey from his experience in the U.S. Olympic Training Center to homeless shelters to shooting heroin on the job, and even being declared dead. His vivid, brutally honest story begins with his realizing at an early age his innate talent for gymnastics, followed by his obsession with becoming an Olympic gymnastic champion, how he abandoned his Olympic hopes to chase his love of heroin, and ultimately how he managed to overcome his addiction and move into long-term recovery and stability. The narrative is replete with colorful descriptions of his many harrowing experiences, and deep musings that have formed the foundation for his commitment to remain free of drugs and a shining light for others who may be seeking guidance. VERDICT Putignano's honest memoir of drug abuse is a valuable addition to substance-abuse literature. His status as a successful gymnast and performer helps connect readers, and his impressive, erudite style results in a highly credible addition to this rapidly saturating genre.
Across The Great Divide: A History of Professional Football in Dundee
by George Wilkie Jim WilkieDundee. To football fans, it has been the subject of great curiosity for as long as the game has been played professionally. How does a relatively small and economically challenged city manage to sustain two senior clubs which, perversely, play across the road from one another? And why has this rivalry not suffered the scourge of sectarianism which has blighted football elsewhere in Scotland? When Dundee United reached the semi-final of the 1983-84 European Cup it meant that, with the exception of Glasgow, Dundee was the only British city to have provided two semi-finalists in that great competition. Since then Dundee United have gone on to reach a UEFA Cup final and to win the Scottish Cup. For Dundee FC, things have been slightly different. There are many fans with long enough memories to recall their glory days, and the silence of their suffering has been punctuated only by boardroom upheaval and the threat of closure. It is only recently that the club's fortunes have taken an upturn, with an influx of exciting, tenacious foreigners.Things are changing. The economic, cultural and academic life of the City of Dundee has flourished in recent years. Meanwhile, as revolution sweeps the international footballing world, the scales of success - which determine the balance of soccer power on Tayside - are showing faltering signs of movement. The Jim McLean era has ended, but will Dundee's Italian risorgimento succeed? Should there be only one team? First published in 1984, Across the Great Divide has been revised to update the historical perspective on professional football in the City of Discovery.
Across the Floor (Orca Limelights)
by Natasha DeenLuc Waldon always figured he knew what his passion was: football. Luc lives it, he breathes it—and he thinks he has what it takes to go all the way to the NFL. So when his football coach orders him to sign up for contemporary-dance classes to improve his game, Luc's less than thrilled. When he realizes that dance might actually be his true passion, he faces a tough decision. Is he willing to leave behind the field and a real shot at professional sports, and disappoint his parents, his coach and his teammates, in order to pursue a new dream? This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
Across the Line
by Kate WilloughbyBook two of In the ZoneCalder Griffin needs to get back in shape. Sidelined last season by a knee injury, he's determined to return to the San Diego Barracudas and play the best hockey of his career. This might even be the year he gets out of his talented older brother's shadow.For months, Becca Chen has poured her energy into Cups, the restaurant she owns, desperate to prove to her parents that she can succeed in the career of her choice, not theirs. But after she spends a five-hour plane ride flirting with charming, magic-on-the-ice Calder, she tells herself she needs a fling.Becca and Calder can't keep their hands off each other, but they know the relationship can't last. They live on opposite coasts, and they're both too devoted to their careers. All they have to do is prevent their feelings from crossing the line from lust to love...See how Calder's teammate Tim found love in On the Surface.99,000 words
Across the Line
by R. Frank DavisA chance meeting. A one-night stand. And then a pattern of them. For Nigerian-born professional football linebacker Arikawe “Ade” Adeloyebe and Chicago newspaper reporter Rex Palmieri, not-so-casual sex is all they can have. Ade is closeted to protect his career, and Rex has to toe the line between his own job and his secret relationship with a sports celebrity. Both men fall deeply in love, but misunderstandings, miscommunication, and outside pressure threaten to implode the relationship. Then a bounty-hunting scandal followed by a bloody gay bashing force Rex and Ade to face some hard choices. Can they tackle the opposition and cross the goal line to happiness together?
Across the River: Life, Death, and Football in an American City
by Kent BabbA “gripping” account of a New Orleans high school football team fighting to win on the field—and survive on the streets (Lars Anderson, New York Times–bestselling author of A Season in the Sun).On the west bank of the Mississippi lies the New Orleans neighborhood of Algiers. Short on hope but big on dreams, its mostly poor and marginalized residents find joy on Friday nights when the Cougars of Edna Karr High School take the field. For years, this football program has brought glory to Algiers, winning three consecutive state championships and sending dozens of young men to college on football scholarships.Although he is preparing for a fourth title, head coach Brice Brown is focused on something else: keeping his players alive. An epidemic of gun violence plagues New Orleans and its surrounding communities and has claimed many innocent lives, including Brown’s former star quarterback, Tollette “Tonka” George, shot near a local gas station.Award-winning sports journalist Kent Babb follows the Cougars through the 2019 season as Brown and his team—perhaps the scrappiest and most rebellious group in the program’s history—vie to again succeed on and off the field. Sure to become a classic of sports journalism, Across the River is a necessary investigation into the serious realities of young athletes in struggling neighborhoods: gentrification, eviction, mental health issues, the drug trade, and gun violence. It offers a rich, unflinching portrait of a coach, his players, and the West Bank, a community where it’s difficult—but not impossible—to rise above the chaos, discover purpose, and find a way out.“A penetrating, wide-screen story of what it means to mentor under the toughest of circumstances.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Masterful . . . equal parts heartbreaking and life-affirming.” —Jeff Pearlman, New York Times–bestselling author of Three-Ring Circus“A moving and evocative portrait of football and life.” —Publishers Weekly
Across the Savage Sea: The Epic Journey of the First Woman to Row Across the North Atlantic
by Maud Fontenoy Martin Sobolinsky Gerard D'AbovilleOver the last century only six men had defied the power of nature and successfully rowed across the Atlantic from west to east. Maud Fontenoy, a 2005 Time (Europe) Hero, changed that forever when she became the first woman to do so. In 2003 Fontenoy, a young woman and seasoned mariner, set out from Newfoundland in her twenty-four-foot-long boat, Pilot, to row across the North Atlantic. Her goal: to prove that a woman could do what men once believed to be impossible. It became a journey both far more harrowing than even she had imagined and one full of unexpected wonders. Her extraordinary story continues to inspire.
Acsm's Introduction To Exercise Science
by Jeffrey A. Potteiger<P>Succeed in your course and learn more about potential careers with ACSM's Introduction to Exercise Science, 3rd Edition.<P> This proven book provides an engaging, up-to-date overview of exercise science and related areas, such as athletic training and sports medicine.<P> In every chapter, the author illustrates the importance and clinical relevance of each topic in the curriculum and gives you an insider's view of the profession through fascinating interviews and online video profiles and fieldtrips.<P> As an American College of Sports Medicine publication, this full-color resource offers the unsurpassed quality and excellence that has become synonymous with titles by the leading exercise science and sports medicine organization in the world.<P> NEW! A brand-new chapter shows how research is conducted, provides an overview of research as a career pursuit, and explores the concept of evidence-base practice.<P> Video fieldtrips take you into different real-world settings to learn about exercise science careers.<P> UPDATED! Interviews and video profiles of rising stars in the exercise science profession and working healthcare professionals (a dietician, cardiologist, exercise physiologist, etc.) demonstrate the challenges and rewards of careers that begin with an exercise science degree. UPDATED! The "Future of Exercise Science" chapter now reflects the latest trends in the field.<P> Features important updates related to the 10th edition of ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription.<P> REVISED! The motor behavior chapter is now more meaningful, relevant, up-to-date, and understandable.<P> Chapter objectives, key terms and definitions, chapter summaries, and Thinking Critically boxes help you master key concepts.
Actin Polymerization in Apicomplexan: A Structural, Functional and Evolutionary Analysis
by Avinash KaleThis book discusses in detail the structural, evolutionary and functional role of actin and its regulatory proteins in gliding motility in apicomplexan organisms, a unique phenomenon found in actin-myosin cytoskeletal elements. The book also explores the potential of different actin regulators, namely formin, profilin, actin depolymerization factor (ADF), capping proteins (CPα and CPβ), cyclase-associated protein (CAP) and coronin 13–24 as potential drug targets against malaria. As the chief components of the gliding motor, the actin-regulator proteins are characterized by unique features that make them promising targets for structure-based drug design. Lastly, the book proposes a mathematical model, based on kinetic data mining, to help understand the most vital regulators for actin polymerization dynamics.
Action At Third
by R. G. EmeryThis book will give a rare satisfaction to the person who knows baseball; and even the casually interested will be stimulated to a new appreciation of America's number-one sport. For Action At Third is more than merely sports fiction-- it is an expertly focused portrayal of defensive baseball, illustrated by a power-hitting team that learns, before it is too late, that good hitting will not always guarantee a win. Johnny Hyland, third baseman for the Dallas Hawks, plays common sense baseball; and he also has some unique ideas about how the Hawks can achieve the proper offensive-defensive balance. When manager Mitch Corey suffers from occupational ulcers, Johnny becomes the player-manager and gets his chance to make third base an outpost of strategy. His radical shake-up of the infield seems to defy accepted practice, and his bold defensive techniques are often bewildering--but they work with amazing success. The reader will admire Johnny's originality and applaud his courage, for this is baseball at its best. By the author of HYLAND OF THE HAWKS, etc.
Action Sports and the Olympic Games: Past, Present, Future (Routledge Critical Studies in Sport)
by Belinda Wheaton Holly ThorpeBased on a decade of research by two leading action sports scholars, this book maps the relationship between action sports and the Olympic Movement, from the inclusion of the first action sports to those featuring for the first time in the Tokyo Olympic Games and beyond. In an effort to remain relevant to younger audiences, four new action sports, surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing, and BMX freestyle were included in the Tokyo Olympic program. Drawing upon interviews with Olympic insiders, as well as leaders, athletes, and participants in these action sports communities, the book details the impacts on the action sports industry and cultures, and offers national comparisons to show the uneven effects resulting from Olympic inclusion. It reveals the intricate workings of power and politics in contemporary sports organisations, and maps key trends in this changing sporting landscape. Action Sports and the Olympic Games is a fascinating read for anybody studying the Olympics, the sociology of sport, action sports, or sport policy.
Action Sports and the Olympic Games: Past, Present, Future (Routledge Critical Studies in Sport)
by Belinda Wheaton Holly ThorpeBased on a decade of research by two leading action sports scholars, this book maps the relationship between action sports and the Olympic Movement, from the inclusion of the first action sports to those featuring for the first time in the Tokyo Olympic Games and beyond.In an effort to remain relevant to younger audiences, four new action sports, surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing, and BMX freestyle were included in the Tokyo Olympic program. Drawing upon interviews with Olympic insiders, as well as leaders, athletes, and participants in these action sports communities, the book details the impacts on the action sports industry and cultures, and offers national comparisons to show the uneven effects resulting from Olympic inclusion. It reveals the intricate workings of power and politics in contemporary sports organisations, and maps key trends in this changing sporting landscape.Action Sports and the Olympic Games is a fascinating read for anybody studying the Olympics, the sociology of sport, action sports, or sport policy.
Activating Urban Waterfronts: Planning and Design for Inclusive, Engaging and Adaptable Public Spaces
by Quentin StevensActivating Urban Waterfronts shows how urban waterfronts can be designed, managed and used in ways that can make them more inclusive, lively and sustainable. The book draws on detailed examination of a diversity of waterfronts from cities across Europe, Australia and Asia, illustrating the challenges of connecting these waterfront precincts to the surrounding city and examining how well they actually provide connection to water. The book challenges conventional large scale, long-term approaches to waterfront redevelopment, presenting a broad re-thinking of the formats and processes through which urban redevelopment can happen. It examines a range of actions that transform and activate urban spaces, including informal appropriations, temporary interventions, co-design, creative programming of uses, and adaptive redevelopment of waterfronts over time. It will be of interest to anyone involved in the development and management of waterfront precincts, including entrepreneurs, the creative industries, community organizations, and, most importantly, ordinary users.
Activism and the Olympics
by Jules BoykoffThe Olympics have developed into the world's premier sporting event. They are simultaneously a competitive exhibition and a grand display of cooperation that bring together global cultures on ski slopes, shooting ranges, swimming pools, and track ovals. Given their scale in the modern era, the Games are a useful window for better comprehending larger cultural, social, and historical processes, argues Jules Boykoff, an academic social scientist and a former Olympic athlete. In "Activism and the Olympics," Boykoff provides a critical overview of the Olympic industry and its political opponents in the modern era. After presenting a brief history of Olympic activism, he turns his attention to on-the-ground activism through the lens of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Here we see how anti-Olympic activists deploy a range of approaches to challenge the Olympic machine, from direct action and the seizure of public space to humor-based and online tactics. Drawing on primary evidence from myriad personal interviews with activists, journalists, civil libertarians, and Olympics organizers, Boykoff angles in on the Games from numerous vantages and viewpoints. Although modern Olympic authorities have strived--even through the Cold War era--to appear apolitical, Boykoff notes, the Games have always been the site of hotly contested political actions and competing interests. During the last thirty years, as the Olympics became an economic juggernaut, they also generated numerous reactions from groups that have sought to challenge the event's triumphalism and pageantry. The 21st century has seen an increased level of activism across the world, from the Occupy Movement in the United States to the Arab Spring in the Middle East. What does this spike in dissent mean for Olympic activists as they prepare for future Games?