Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Patty Schnyder

Patty Schnyder (born 14 December 1978 in Basel) is a Swiss professional tennis player. She has been playing on the WTA tour since 1993 and is a former World No. 7. She has defeated several World No. 1 players, including Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Serena Williams, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Steffi Graf, Jelena Janković, Ana Ivanović, Jennifer Capriati, Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin, Amelie Mauresmo, and Maria Sharapova.

During her long career, she has reached four Grand Slam singles quarterfinals and one Grand Slam singles semifinal. She has won 11 WTA singles titles and 5 WTA doubles titles and has earned over US$7.6 million in prize money. As of July 27, 2009, Schnyder is ranked World No. 19.

Career

In 1996, Schnyder made her Grand Slam main-draw debut at the French Open. In 1997, she quickly rose up through the rankings, and by August 1998 she had entered the WTA Top 10. However, Schnyder fell out of the Top 10 in April 1999, and spent the next 6 years ranked in the 15–30 range before re-entering the Top 10 in May 2005.

In December 2003, Schnyder married Rainer Hofmann, a German private investigator and information technology specialist who has accompanied her on the WTA tour since 1999 and became her full-time tennis coach in early 2003. Hofmann carries a fraud conviction in Germany relating to his business dealings with German national communications firm Deutsche Telekom. Hofmann pled guilty in 2002 to embezzling the equivalent of $400,000 from the firm, and was put on probation for 3 years. In addition to coaching Schnyder, Hofmann has also worked with some other WTA players in a coaching capacity including Anna Chakvetadze and Sania Mirza.

Schnyder has won 11 singles titles, including a victory in Zürich (Tier I Event) over American former No.1 Lindsay Davenport, and 5 doubles titles. Her first title on U.S. soil came in August, 2005, when she won at Cincinnati's Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open. Schnyder is perhaps best known for defeating 4 top 10 players consecutively, including Serena Williams and then-World No.1 Jennifer Capriati, in 2002 at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, which is the largest women-only tennis event held in the United States.

Schnyder's best Grand Slam performance came at the 2004 Australian Open, where she reached the semifinal before falling to Kim Clijsters. Later that season, she also reached the semi-finals at the Tier 1 tournaments in Charleston and Zurich - two large WTA events where Schnyder has compiled an excellent record through the years.

2005 was Schnyder's most consistent overall season to date. She reached five tour finals, winning two of them (Gold Coast and Cincinnati, both Tier 3 events). She was runner-up at the Tier I events Rome (to Amélie Mauresmo) and Zurich (to Lindsay Davenport). She also reached the final in Linz (Tier 2), falling to Nadia Petrova. She reached the career high of World Number 7 after the end of season WTA Tour Championships.

2006 proved to be a good season for Schnyder also, staying within the top ten and reaching the finals in Charleston (defeating top seed and defending champion Justine Henin in the semis and also ending Henin's 27 match winning streak on clay, though Schnyder lost to Petrova in the final), and in Stanford (falling to top seed and defending champion Kim Clijsters).

Schnyder had a mediocre year in 2007, where she lost her top 10 ranking. She reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, where she lost to Anna Chakvetadze 6–4, 6–1 after leading 4–1 in the first set. At the French Open, she managed to reach the fourth round, where she had 2 matchpoints against Maria Sharapova but ended up losing 6–3, 4–6, 7–9. At Wimbledon, she was beaten in the fourth round by No.1 Justine Henin 6–2, 6–2. At the Acura Classic in July, she reached the final, beating former No.1 and compatriot Martina Hingis 6–1, 6–7(4), 6–3 and Russian Elena Dementieva 7–6, 6–0 along the way before losing to Sharapova again in three sets, 2–6, 6–3, 0–6. Schnyder briefly moved up due to this. However at the US Open she lost in the third round to the unseeded Austrian Tamira Paszek in a final set tie break, again wasting leads. After that she played at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at Stuttgart, where she fell 0–6 2–6 to Ana Ivanović. She finished her year with a run to the Generali Ladies Linz final, beating Chakvetadze 6–1, 6–0 in a quarterfinal and Marion Bartoli 7–6, 6–3 in a semifinal, before convincingly losing in the final to Hantuchová 4–6, 2–6.

Schnyder began 2008 by beating Amélie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals of the Mondial Women's Hardcourts tournament in the Gold Coast before losing to Li Na in the semifinals. At the Australian Open, she lost in the second round to Australian Casey Dellacqua 6–4, 5–7, 6–8. She then lost in the second round of the Proximus Diamond Games to eventual finalist Karin Knapp, losing in a final set tiebreak. She entered the Qatar Total Open and beat Paszek easily 6–4, 6–0. She lost to Slovakia's Dominika Cibulková in the second round 6–4 6–3. Schnyder then competed in the Bangalore Open, a Tier II event in Bangalore, India. She defeated Akgul Amanmuradova 4–6, 6–4, 7–6 in the quarterfinals and then managed to beat Zi Yan 6–3, 6–4 in the semifinal. However, she lost to Serena Williams 5–7 3–6 in the final.

Schnyder again lost to Casey Dellacqua at Wimbledon in the first round. She played an epic match, but lost 4–6, 6–3, 1–6.

Alongside Emmanuelle Gagliardi, Schnyder played for her team in the 2008 Summer Olympics according to the List of entrants.

At the US Open, Schnyder was seeded 15th. She beat Katarina Srebotnik in the 4th round to advance to the Quarterfinals, for the first time in 10 years, where she lost to fifth seeded Elena Dementieva.

At the 2008 Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic, Schnyder won her first title in over 3 years when she defeated Tamira Paszek in the final 6–3, 6–0.

At the 2009 Madrid Masters, Schnyder defeated World No. 10 Nadia Petrova in the third round and World No. 4 Jelena Jankovic 7–6(6), 6–3 in the quarterfinals but lost to World No. 1 Dinara Safina in the semifinals 4–6, 2–6.

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Country : Switzerland
Residence :Baech, Switzerland
Date of birth :(1978-12-14)
Place of birth :Basel, Switzerland
Height :1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight :56.6 kg (125 lb; 8.91 st)
Turned pro :1994
Plays L:eft-handed; Two-handed backhand

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Rachel McLish

Rachel McLish (born June 21, 1955) née Raquel Livia Elizondo is an American female bodybuilding champion, actress and author.

McLish was winner of the inaugural Ms. Olympia competition in 1980, was sponsored by Dynamics Health Equipment Manufacturing Corporation and was also the Ms. Olympia winner in 1982.

In January 1999, McLish was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame.
Contest history
* 1980 US Bodybuilding Championship - 1st
* 1980 Frank Zane Invitational - 2nd
* 1980 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st
* 1981 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd
* 1982 Pro World Championship - 1st
* 1982 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 1st
* 1983 Caesars World Cup - 3rd
* 1984 IFBB Ms. Olympia - 2nd



Personal Info
Birth : June 21, 1955 (1955-06-21) (age 55), Harlingen, Texas, American
Height : 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Weight : 129 lb
Professional Career
Best win : Ms. Olympia two times, 1980 and 1982
Active : Retired 1984

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Rebecca Neuenswander

Rebecca Neuenswander, bourgeois Rebecca Welsh, is an American film actress, martial artist and model.

Rebecca Neuenswander was born in Jefferson City, Missouri, in 1980. She launched her acting career with "Rigged" (2008) in a role that closely mirrors her own life experiences. A born fighter, she trained in Tae Kwon Do throughout her teenage and young adult years. At the age of 20, she captured the title at the American Taekwondo Association's World Championships. Neuenswander won the world title while competing in the Women's Second Degree Black Belt 20-29 year-old division. The event was held June 16-18 in Little Rock, Ark. Neuenswander began competing in taekwondo in 1995 and trained in Columbia,
Kansas City and Chicago. Her instructor was Brian Davidson.

During her high school - time, she played several roles in the school play. As a model she worked for Nokia, Coca Cola, Lee won, etc. In 2000 the World Championship of Taekwondo. In her martial arts career, she took it to 17 victories and 29 defeats.
First experiences with film in the Independent Film is Fight Night film "Rigged".

Rebecca has worked extensively has a model and commercial actress, appearing in campaigns for Nokia, Under Armour and Lee Jeans. For the role of Katherine Parker, in "Rigged" (alternative title: Fight Night) she gained 20 pounds of muscle. At one point during filming, Neuenswander seriously injured her neck and had to take a six-month break before she could complete the movie.

She says that her life’s greatest accomplishment thus far has been the creation of the not-for-profit organization H.A.L.O. (Helping Art Liberate Orphans). Rebecca’s work with H.A.L.O takes her around the globe as she conducts art workshops for orphans and delivers aid generated by her fundraising efforts in the U.S.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Darya Pishchalnikova

Darya Vitalyevna Pishchalnikova is a female discus thrower from Russia. Her personal best throw is 65.78 metres, achieved when she won the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, August 2007.

Pishchalnikova is the sister of Bogdan Pishchalnikov. She was selected to represent Russia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but on 31 July, she was suspended from competition due to doping test irregularities, along with several other high-profile Russian female athletes.

On 20 October 2008, it was announced that Pishchalnikova was one of seven Russian athletes receiving a two-year doping ban for manipulating drug samples


Personal information
Full name :Darya Vitalyevna Pishchalnikova
Date of birth :July 19, 1985 (1985-07-19)
Place of birth :Astrakhan Oblast , Russia
Height :1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Weight :95 kilograms (210 lb)
Personal best(s) :discus – 65.78 m (2007)

Achievements
Year /Tournament /Venue /Result /Extra
2001 /World Youth Championships /Debrecen, Hungary /2nd
2002 /World Junior Championships /Kingston, Jamaica /8th
2004 /World Junior Championships /Grosseto, Italy /2nd
2005 /Universiade /İzmir, Turkey /6th
2006 /European Championships /Gothenburg, Sweden /1st /65.55 m = PB
2006 /World Cup /Athens, Greece /4th
2007 /World Championships /Osaka, Japan /2nd /65.78 m = PB

Franka Dietzsch

Franka Dietzsch (born January 22, 1968 in Wolgast) is a German discus thrower best known for winning gold medals at three World Championships in Athletics. She won the 1998 European Championships and 1999 World Championships, but did not return to the international podium until her win at the 2005 World Championships. At the age of 39 she won her third world championship title in 2007 in Osaka. This victory makes her the oldest athlete ever to win a gold medal in an athletic world championship. After spending a year away from the field due to health problems, she returned to competition at the Wiesbaden meet. She finished in second place with 61.49 metres, remaining focused on defending her discus World Champion at the Berlin World Championships.

Her personal best throw is 69.51 metres, achieved in May 1999 in Wiesbaden. This result ranks her ninth among German discus throwers, behind Gabriele Reinsch, Ilke Wyludda, Diana Gansky-Sachse, Irina Meszynski, Gisela Beyer, Martina Hellmann-Opitz, Evelin Jahl and Silvia Madetzky.



Personal data
Name: Franka Dietzsch
Born: 22/1/1968
Size / Weight: 183 cm / 92 kg
Occupation: Bank employee
Discipline: Discus Throw
Club: SC Neubrandenburg since 1/1/1991
Previous clubs: ASG Koserow (to 1981) and SC Empor Rostock (1982 - 1990)
pers Best performance: 69,51 m (1999) 69.51 m (1999

Achievements
Year / Tournament /Venue /Result
1986 / World Junior Championships /Athens, Greece /2nd
1993 / World Championships /Stuttgart, Germany /8th
1994 / European Championships /Helsinki, Finland /9th
1995 / World Championships /Gothenburg, Sweden /7th
1998 / European Championships /Budapest, Hungary /1st
1998 / IAAF World Cup /Johannesburg, South Africa /1st
1999 / World Championships /Seville, Spain /1st
2000 / Olympic Games /Sydney, Australia /6th
2001 / World Championships /Edmonton, Canada /4th
2003 / World Athletics Final /Monte Carlo, Monaco /6th
2004 / World Athletics Final /Monte Carlo, Monaco /7th
2005 / World Championships /Helsinki, Finland /1st
2005 / World Athletics Final /Monte Carlo, Monaco /2nd
2006 / European Championships /Gothenburg, Sweden /2nd
2006 / World Athletics Final /Stuttgart, Germany /1st
2006 / IAAF World Cup Athens, /Greece /1st
2007 / World Championships /Osaka, Japan /1st

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Anna Omarova

Anna Omarova (born 3 October 1981) is an Russian shot putter.
Her personal best throw is 19.69 metres, achieved in June 2007 in Munich.

Russian Olympic team 2008
European Cup Champion 2007
Russian Indoor Champion 2008
Bronze medallist Russian Championships 2008


Statics
Full name: Anna Aleksandrovna Omarova (Tolokina-)
Original name: Анна Александровна Омарова
Gender: Female
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
Weight: 236 lbs (107 kg)
Born: October 3, 1981 in Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Kray, Russia
Affiliations: Russian Army, Stavropol
Country: RUS Russia
Sport: Athletics
Specialization: Shot put

Achievements
Year Tournament Venue Result Extra
2007 European Indoor Championships Birmingham, England 6th
World Championships Osaka, Japan 9th
2008 World Indoor Championships Valencia, Spain 8th
Olympic Games Beijing, China 6th

Performance Wind Place Date
Shot Put 19.69 München 24/06/2007
Discus Throw 54.52 Stavropol 05/05/2009

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Birgit Prinz

Birgit Prinz (born October 25, 1977 in Frankfurt am Main) is a German international football player. She is one of the game's most prolific strikers and the Women's World Cup all-time leading scorer with 14 goals. Prinz plays for FFC Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga.

Prinz made her first appearance for Germany's national team on 27 July 1994 at the age of 16 against Canada. She entered the game in the 72nd minute and scored the game-winner in the 89th minute. In 1995 she was the youngest player to ever play in a World Cup final. She is a mainstay of the team since and holds several records. In November 2003 Prinz was determined as captain of the team. As part of the German football team Prinz has won the World Cup twice, in 2003 and 2007. She also won the UEFA Women's Championship five times. Prinz is the all-time leading scorer at World Cups with 14 goals as well as all-time leading scorer at Olympic Games with 10 goals (jointly with Cristiane). With 205 international games Prinz has played the most internationals of any European footballer and is amongst the top ten worldwide.

Personal information
Full name : Birgit Prinz
Date of birth : October 25, 1977 (1977-10-25)
Place of birth : Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Height : 1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing position : Forward

Club information
Current club : 1. FFC Frankfurt
Number 9

National team
1994– / Germany / 0205 plays (126 goals)

Hope Solo

Hope Amelia Solo (born 30 July 1981, in Richland, Washington) is an American soccer goalkeeper currently playing for Saint Louis Athletica of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team.
Hope-Solo2
Solo played soccer with the Three-River's Soccer Club in the Tri-Cities. As a forward at Richland High School, Solo scored 109 goals, leading her team to three consecutive league titles from 1996–1998 and a state championship in her senior year. She was twice named a Parade All American.

At the University of Washington, Solo switched to the goalkeeper position and was the team's all-time leader in clean-sheets, saves, and goals-against average (GAA). She was a four-time All-Pac-10 selection and a three-time NSCAA All-American.

On June 23, 2008, it was announced Solo would be the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In a reversal of roles from the 2004 Olympics, Brianna Scurry did not make the team, though she was an alternate. On August 21, the U.S. women's team won the gold medal by defeating Brazil 1–0 in extra time in no small measure due to Solo's outstanding performance as she stopped an energetic Brazilian attack, making save after save.

Personal information
Full name : Hope Amelia Solo
Date of birth : 30 July 1981 (1981-07-30)
Place of birth : Richland, Washington, United States
Height : 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position : Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club : Atlanta Beat
Number : 1
Youth career
1999–2002 : Washington Huskies
National team
United States U-16
United States U-18
United States U-21
2000– United States / 91 plays
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