On this week’s Quest for Gold: The Tokyo Olympic Games have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  It’s unclear when they will be played, but organizers say it will happen by the summer of 2021 at the latest. WGN’s Ryan Burrow spoke with USA Volleyball player Dave Wieczorek (Chicago), Judoka Nefeli Papadakis (Gurnee), and […]

Quest for Gold

Quest for Gold – Episode 35: Tokyo Games Suspended: Olympic hopefuls Dave Wieczorek, Nefeli Papadakis, Joe Rau weigh in

On this week’s Quest for Gold: The IOC and USPOC are telling athletes and fans to assume the games will go on as planned despite concerns over the spread of Coronavirus. Athletes are stuck at home, unable to train.  Events are being canceled.  Travel is being banned. 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Olivia Smoliga is among […]

Quest for Gold – Episode 34: Olivia Smoliga on Coronavirus & the Olympics “We’re being told to stay prepared”

On this weeks Quest For Gold: Coronavirus continues to leave questions about he future of the games.  President Trump weighs in. We talk with Rhythmic Gymnast Evita Griskenas, who had a competition cancelled, and had to leave Portugal ahead of the travel ban.   The U.S. Women’s Soccer team pursues its $66 million lawsuit against U.S. […]

Quest For Gold – Episode 33: BMX Freestyler Hannah Roberts on qualifying for Tokyo 2020: ‘I didn’t think I had a chance, but it’s been a journey’

This week on Quest for Gold: We get an update on construction ahead of the Olympics in Tokyo. The IOC says the Summer Games are full steam ahead, despite Coronavirus worries. Softball pitcher Monica Abbott can send you a birthday greeting! Simone Biles weighs in on the toll of the USA Gymnastics settlement over the Dr. Larry Nassar scandal. And our athlete spotlight we talk with Chicago Sky standout Diamond DeShields as she tries to make Team USA for 5×5 […]

Quest For Gold – Episode 32: Diamond DeShields: ‘The rest of the world is catching up. We have to bring our ‘A’ game.’

On this week’s Quest for Gold: The talks continue about the impact COVID-19 could have on the 2020 Olympics  in Japan. Athletes continue to move full steam ahead for qualifications. A teenager from Michigan punches a bid for Tokyo in BMX Freestyle for the inaugural Olympic event. And we speak with Stefanie Dolson of the Chicago Sky.  She is in the pool for USA Women’s Basketball, and has made the team for the upcoming 3×3 basketball qualifying event in India.  […]

Quest for Gold – Episode 31: Chicago Sky’s Stefanie Dolson Talks Coronavirus, Making Team USA for 3×3

On this week’s Quest for Gold: Sailor Maggie Shea needs to start searching for flights, she’s headed to Tokyo. 3×3 Team USA basketball qualifying rosters are set. Triple Jumper Tori Franklin lost, then recaptured her American jumping record. Japan gets emotional in releasing the new Olympic motto. And we talk with NBA stars about their thoughts about competing for gold in Japan this summer.  The stars were gathered in Chicago for NBA All-Star weekend.

Quest for Gold – Episode 30: USA Basketball Names Men’s Preliminary Roster: Davis, Butler, LeBron, Lavine Weigh In

On this week’s Quest for Gold: The USWNT has qualified for the 2020 Olympics, but still feel they’ve got some work to do. Coronavirus concerns continue to grow heading into the Summer Games. U.S. Women’s Basketball survives a scare. And we talk with Cirrus and Skylar Lingl of Carpentersville.  Cirrus, 21 and Skylar, 19 are hoping not only to reach Olympic glory for themselves, but for karate as a whole.  This is karate’s first time in the summer Olympics, and […]

Quest for Gold – Episode 29: Sisters Cirrus & Skylar Lingl ‘want everyone to see what karate is’

On this week’s episode of Quest for Gold… Japan reassures the public the Summer Games are still on as scheduled, despite the spread of Coronavirus A former Vice President of Sports Medicine for the USOPC is now suing his former employer after being fired. A wannabe 2020 Olympian is keeping up with training, while seven months pregnant! And we chat with Rhythmic Gymnast Laura Zeng.  She locked down an Olympic bid for Team USA in 2019, now she’s hoping to […]

Quest For Gold – Episode 28: USA Rhythmic Gymnast Laura Zeng: “I feel like I finally found my groove”

On this week’s episode of Quest for Gold: Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kobe Bryant is remembered by Coach K. The USWNT is one step closer to qualifying for the Olympics in Tokyo. USA Gymnastics is filing for bankruptcy, and part of the deal includes millions for Dr. Larry Nassar survivors. Will CBD will be allowed at the Olympics? And we talk of the potential impact of Coronavirus on the Olympics.  How is Japan handling the outbreak? We talk with Rocky […]

Quest for Gold – Episode 27: Will Coronavirus impact the 2020 Olympics?

On this week’s Quest For Gold… An awesome winter sports event is taking place in Chicago’s Northwest suburbs this weekend. Bradie Tennell is looking strong at the U.S. Championships. There’s been more fallout in the Dr. Larry Nassar scandal. What was the U.S. Women’s Softball team doing in New York in the dead of winter? And we talk to 3×3 basketball standout Robbie Hummel.  3×3 is new to the Olympics, set to make its debut in Japan.  And the former […]

Quest for Gold – Episode 26: Robbie Hummel on 3×3 Basketball: “I was so done with playing…but this kinda popped up”

On this week’s Quest for Gold… A big win for Serena Williams puts her in good position for a run at Tokyo. U.S. Soccer is sorting out some things as both men’s and women’s team eye the upcoming Olympics. More subpoenas have been issued over alleged abuse in sports include Taekwando. There will be a new way to watch the 2020 Olympics live. And we talk with Wheaton, Ill. native and 2016 Team USA bronze medalist Thomas Jaeschke.  He’s overcoming […]

Quest For Gold – Episode 25: Thomas Jaeschke on making the 2020 U.S. men’s volleyball Olympic roster: “I can feel the energy in my body, how bad I want it.”

In our first Quest for Gold of 2020 we begin the march to the Summer Games in Tokyo. Japan has announced what athletes will be sleeping on this summer. A couple former U.S. Olympic medalists are campaigning for presidential contenders in 2020. The U.S. Women’s Soccer roster is getting sorted out for 2020. And we talk with two-time U.S. Olympian and Tour De France cyclist Christian Vande Velde.  He retired in 2013, but still remains active in the sport…whether broadcasting […]

Quest for Gold – Episode 24: Olympic Cyclist Turned Broadcaster Christian Vande Velde talks doping, who to watch in Japan, and being a Peloton trainer

On this week’s episode of Quest For Gold we wrap up 2019, and set our eyes on 2020. Simone Biles picked up another award. Dozens of Americans have already qualified to compete in Japan in 2020. And this week we speak with rhythmic gymnast Evita Griskenas.  She just graduated from Carl Sandburg High School (Orland Park), but she’s competed around the world, and now aims to get to the podium in Japan in 2020.  WGN’s Ryan Burrow talks with her […]

Quest For Gold – Episode 23: Rhythmic Gymnast Evita Griskenas: ‘At 4 I wanted to play with ribbons, at 6 I wanted to win the Olympics’

On this week’s episode of Quest for Gold: 10 U.S. boxers have taken another step to qualifying for the Olympics in Tokyo. Kelly Slater’s Olympic dreams are still alive. You won’t believe how much a piece of Olympic history sold for at auction! And we talk with USA Softball player Monica Abbott.  She won silver on the 2008 team as the youngest member on the team.  Now at 34 years old, she’s among two returning American players to the returning […]

Quest for Gold – Episode 22: USA Softball Pitcher Monica Abbott on Returning to Olympics: ‘I Don’t Want To Have Those ‘What Ifs'”

On this week’s episode of Quest for Gold: Russia has been banned from the Olympics for not complying with doping rules. U.S. boxers begin their journey to Tokyo. A Team USA baseball player from Orland Park just signed with an MLB team. We get an update on weightlifter Mattie Sasser’s Quest For Gold. A former Mexican gymnast is accused of abusing a young gymnast in the Chicago area for decades. And this week we go in depth to talk about […]

Quest for Gold – Episode 21: The Curious Case of Richard Jewell and the 1996 Olympics

WGN’s Ryan Burrow hosts “Quest For Gold,” a weekly update on preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games in this podcast from Chicago's Very Own, 720 WGN.

hubhopper

Quest for Gold

hubhopper