Hanging With Champions

This week, two-time Olympic Canadian speed skater Gilmore Junio joins us for an extended podcast that covers topics ranging from gaming to legos, hockey to short track. But in 2014, one text message reshaped the Sochi Winter Olympic Games and Canadian speed skating history. Gilmore shares the story about giving up his spot to race in the 1000m Olympic race in Sochi to his fellow teammate, Denny Morrison. In what is widely understood to be one of the most gracious and selfless Olympic acts of our generation, Gilmore explains how it happened, why it happened, and how his life changed as a result. In a fairytale ending, Morrison went on to claim the silver medal for Team Canada in Gilmore's race. We have plenty of fun with Gilmore as he sits in the hot seat for his Top 3, including Marvel characters & lego sets. Find out which Olympic champion Gilmore nominates to come on Hanging With Champions next in "Who's Next?"

This week, 2-time Russian short track speed skating Olympian Sofia Prosvirnova hangs with NBC Sports' Patrick Kinas to talk about a myriad of topics. At 16yo, Prosvirnova was one of the world's youngest Olympic competitors at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games in her home country. Prosvirnova takes us on a journey from her childhood in Russia to her entry into sports as a figure skater, then a short-term detour as a synchronized figure skater before making transition to short track at 14, a sport she knew nothing about. Two years later, she would shockingly compete in the Olympics wearing the colors of her native country. Sofia also shares her divergent memories from Sochi to PyeongChang, representing Russia in 2014, but then a member of the Olympic Athletes from Russia delegation in 2018. Sofia talks about her superhero mother and family, the odd story of how she came to train with US Speedskating in Utah, her photo op with Russia's President Vladimir Putin and how COVID-19 has impacted her preparation for a possible shortened season in early 2021. Finally, hear who Sofia nominates as her Olympic choice to come on Hanging With Champions, along with her sitting in the hot seat to answer her Top 3: Bands, Worst Sports, Streaming Shows, Least Favorite Training Elements and Actors.

One of the most animated, amusing and talented Olympic Winter Games in the past generation, four-time Finnish Olympic speed skater Mika Poutala joins NBC Sports broadcaster Patrick Kinas. Mika reminisces about his celebrated career, his unique on-ice character and his post-racing life after retiring from competition after the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games. Stories range from his speed skating hero, US Olympic champion Joey Cheek, his meager childhood start in the sport and how his flattering nickname as the Finnish Clown originated. Poutala talks about a future in Finnish politics and his family, while suggesting a future guest in our game of Hanging With Champions Olympic podcast tag, and closes the podcast with answers in our Top 3 lightning round.

Two-time Austrian speed skater Vanessa Herzog joins NBC Sports broadcaster Patrick Kinas to discuss a myriad of topics. At the age of just 25, Herzog is already a two-time Olympian, a single-distance World Champion… and the only speed skater who has- by claiming a European title - won the prize of… two alpacas! Herzog discusses the state of the speed skating World Cup season amidst the ongoing global pandemic, what it's like to race the speed skating sprint queen Nao Kodaira from Japan, and the challenges and special moments of her husband's (and coach) recently revealed diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease.

In Part 2 of our podcast with Maame Biney, the Team USA Olympian short track speed skating star navigates us from qualifying at US Trials for her first Olympic Winter Games through her Olympic debut as an 18-year-old in PyeongChang. Biney also discusses the weight she felt from the nation & media's expectations and leaning on one of her mentors, legend Apolo Ohno on how to best deal with racing and the media. Biney talks us through how she found her voice for racial & social justice causes, how long she plans on skating, her relationship status and closes with our rapid-fire Top 3 questions, including what TV show makes her cry.

In the 1st of a 2-part podcast featuring Team USA Olympic short track speed skater Maame Biney, NBC Sports & Olympic Channel broadcaster Patrick Kinas discusses the COVID-19 interrupted World Cup season for Biney and her teammates and how that has impacted their training for this season and the next Olympic cycle for the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. Maame then tells her fascinating family story of coming to America after being born in Ghana, the roadside promotional sign that prompted her to try ice skating, culminating with her triumph a decade later at the US Olympic Trials to make Team USA as a teenager, heading to PyeongChang. There are plenty of moments where Biney puts on display her infectious laugh and ebullient personality that endear her to the world.

In Part 2, Canadian Olympian star speed skater Ivanie Blondin joins NBC Sports/Olympic Channel broadcaster Patrick Kinas to weave a winding and amusing tale about losing & finding her beloved pet African Grey Parrot Gizmo. From climbing onto rooftops, trees and utilizing a tip from Facebook, Ivanie takes us on the search. Blondin also explains how she uses her diminutive size to her advantage on the ice, her family, and her least favorite chores! All of these stories in the laughter-packed conclusion with this affable World Champion.

Hanging With Champions goes International for the first time as NBC Sports broadcaster Patrick Kinas hangs out with two-time Canadian Olympic speed skater Ivanie Blondin. In Part 1 of a two-part podcast, Blondin discusses the recent ISU decision to delay the start to the upcoming World Cup season, along with the difficulties of executing a bubble-type environment this season in speed skating. Blondin then talks in detail about the funding & income hardships many in her sport are enduring amidst the pandemic. Then Blondin opens up about her bouts of mental health challenges after PyeongChang and during the pandemic. The episode concludes as Blondin relives her career renaissance during the past World Cup season and her breakout performance defeating two sport legends during the same weekend in Nur-Sultan.

In Part 2, Summer Sanders talks about her other childhood dream, a career in television. Summer shares a couple of stories about meeting her non-swimming childhood idol (Michael Jordan), and a bold encounter with another TV personality (Ahmad Rashad) that would lead to her initial role on "Inside Stuff". Summer then travels back in time to dissect her Gold Medal winning wall-touch in the 200m butterfly in Barcelona. Summer also reflects on when she was fired by Donald Trump. Finally, Summer reveals two profoundly personal stories about running the 2013 Boston Marathon, crossing the finish line just minutes before the two bombs detonated, and her ultimately completing her degree from Stanford University 24 years after leaving Palo Alto.

She put the "Summer" in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. Swimming superstar Summer Sanders claimed four medals as a 19-year-old, including two gold medals. Sanders was part of Team USA's gold-medal 4x100 medley relay team, while also claiming an individual gold medal in the 200 butterfly in a riveting finish. In the first of a two-part podcast, Summer talks about COVID-19's impact on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, the Sanders' family's year living abroad, her first trip back to Barcelona after the 1992 Games, the unique names of Summer and her son Spider & more!

In this episode, host Patrick Kinas is joined by 1992 Olympic men's singles figure skating silver medalist Paul Wylie. Paul shares detailed stories of barely making Team USA heading into Albertville, then shocking the world by winning the silver medal less than two months later. Wylie brings us up to date on his new position as the Director of Sport at the Olympic Regional Development Authority in Lake Placid, NY, along with his intimate story about a near-death cardiac event experience in 2015, revived by two men in a running club he had never met before.

5-time Olympian, 12-time Olympic medalist & 4-time Olympic Champion Dara Torres joins Patrick Kinas on this week's episode of Hanging With Champions. In a wide-ranging conversation, these Westwood One broadcast partners for the Rio Olympic Games relive memories from Dara's youth, her drive to succeed, the precious Olympic moments she cherishes the most and life, motherhood and career after the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Olympic swimming legend Natalie Coughlin joins NBC broadcaster Patrick Kinas in a wide-ranging conversation ranging from her record-tying 12 Olympic medals, her major influences in her life, her burgeoning wine company, her most memorable races from her three Olympic Games, what a potential cancellation of the Tokyo Games would mean to swimmers training for their one chance at Olympic glory, to her appearance on David Letterman after winning her first Olympic individual gold medal in 2004, meeting her husband and juggling her business life and motherhood. To this day, Natalie remains the only female Olympian to win the 100-meter backstroke gold in consecutive Olympic Games (2004, 2008).

Olympic short track speed skating legend Apolo Ohno joins Dara Torres and Patrick Kinas for a fun, deep dive into his sport, his upbringing and his post-Olympic career. Apolo also talks about his time on Dancing With The Stars, his childhood break-dancing hobby and the story behind his most memorable race in his career. Also, a young, aspiring speed skater Zooms into our interview to ask Apolo a few questions.

Team USA Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel joins Patrick and Dara to talk about the postponement of the 2020 Olympics and now training for Tokyo in 2021. He and Dara compare training methods at the University of Florida, the all-time great Gator athletes and his upbringing. Later, Dressel meets his boyhood idol for the first time as legendary NCAA quarterback and Florida Gator star Tim Tebow shocks Caeleb by Zooming in to hang out with all of us. There might even be an attempt by the three Gator standouts singing the Florida Gator fight song?? Exclusive new interview content can be found only on this audio podcast of Hanging With Champions.

In the Hanging With Champions pilot episode, Hall of Fame major league baseball manager Tony La Russa hangs out with NBC broadcaster Patrick Kinas and Olympic legend Dara Torres. Tony discusses the COVID-19 pandemic impact on baseball, his Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) and tells a story depicting a tragic intersection of events on his first-ever day a major league manager in 1979. (Recorded: May 4, 2020.)