🏃🏊🏐 The Next Wave Of Olympic Stars

We are missing some familiar names in Tokyo, but a new wave of world-class talent is emerging. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: The time when a sports legend moves on creates a void, and we are seeing that in Tokyo ... we take a look at if NBA free agents could follow the path of Giannis Antetokounmpo ... and we are treated to a beautiful moment between WWE star John Cena and a fan. You could sense it was coming, that something spectacular was about to go down. Back in 2008, camera phones weren’t fully established as a thing yet, and I wasn’t cool enough to have one, so I stood in the press box at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium with a regular handheld at the ready. Right when the gun sounded, Usain Bolt took off like a cheetah, scorching down the track, eviscerating a world-class field, pounding his chest as he crossed the line in a world record time of 9.69 that heralded a new champion and a fresh superstar. And, ever since then, I have always wondered about “the guy.” Looking back later at my camera footage, I noticed the strangest thing. The moment before Bolt’s race began, the eyes of the globe upon it, an Olympic volunteer stood up, turned around from his seat a few rows ahead of me with a calm smile, and headed up the stairwell, his back to the historic action taking place on the track. Did he not realize what was happening? Was he not interested? Did he have somewhere to be and, if so, could it not have waited for a slightly under 10 seconds? I never did find out. Anyways, that was the start of Bolt’s Olympic legacy and the reason for thinking back to it is that this past weekend marked the first Games track program since the end of the Jamaican’s glittering career. After Beijing, of course, he went on to win golds in London and Rio, dominating the 100-meter, the 200 and the 4x100 relay. [STORY IMAGE 1] His departure left a giant hole and sparked a significant change. On each night of track in which he participated, Bolt was the star of the show. The crowd would yell as one every time his face appeared on the big screen. Smart souls at Rio in 2016 would venture to a small balcony behind the stands, where you could watch him go through his majestic paces on the warm-up track in peace and silence, a stark contrast to what would come later. The time when a sports legend moves on creates a void, and we are seeing that in Tokyo. Bolt is gone from the track program, Michael Phelps retired from swimming post-Rio, and the Olympic beach volleyball tournament is taking place without Kerri Walsh-Jennings for the first time since 1996. Each was so good that they dominated every part of every storyline. The competition they were in was seen through a prism of their world. Would Bolt claim another gold … or could someone unexpectedly topple Bolt? Would Phelps add yet more gold to his extraordinary collection, or would someone take on and tackle the maestro? Would Walsh-Jennings complete Olympic perfection, or would a rival team find the antidote to her sparkling skill set, alongside first Misty-May Treanor and then April Ross? It is not like that now and it has opened the door in a fascinating and refreshing way. Sports loves its big stars, those willing to wear the burden of their own greatness, prepared to shoulder the reality that they’re who everyone wants to beat, every time. “It’s someone else’s turn,” Bolt said, when he exited stage right in 2016. “Good luck.” [STORY IMAGE 2] On the track, this year, no one was about to jump into the Bolt position of being the undisputed alpha male, king of all he surveyed. But in swimming, Caeleb Dressel has made some moves to replicate the star power of Phelps, albeit not quite on the same extraordinary level. Dressel grabbed five gold medals from six events to shine in the pool but admitted to being uncomfortable in the spotlight, a challenge that Phelps had to manage for nearly two decades on his way to a ludicrous haul of 23 golds and 28 overall medals. “Some parts were extremely enjoyable,” Dressel told reporters. “I would say the majority of them were not. You can’t sleep right, you can’t nap, shaking all the time.” On the beach, Walsh-Jennings was defeated only once in 28 Olympic matches, as she clinched bronze alongside Ross in Rio to follow three straight golds in 2004, 2008 and 2012. Her absence this time – now 42, she and partner Brooke Sweat did not qualify for Tokyo – has led to an open field primed for new stars to step in. Rio champion Laura Ludwig of Germany is bidding to repeat with current partner Maggie Kozuch, while Ross and Alix Klineman are hungrily seeking to top the podium, with those pairs due to meet Monday in a mouth-watering quaterfinal. The winner will be a red-hot favorite for gold and will be afforded the opportunity to become the figureheads of the sport. [STORY IMAGE 3] Sometimes, however, the successor to a champion comes in an unexpected way. No one could ever match Bolt in terms of personality and charisma, so what better than for his title to be assumed by an unknown with a wonderfully poignant story. Lamont Marcell Jacobs wasn’t expected to do much even in the semifinals of the 100. Representing Italy – he was born in Texas to an American father and Italian mother but has spent virtually his whole life in Europe – he wasn’t even particularly well known among the other competitors in the field. Yet Jacobs, a former long jumper, who only fully dedicated himself to sprinting the last couple of years, had an inner peace to keep him calm when the nerves were jangling in all others. A year ago, he had reconnected with his father, whom he had no prior recollection of. His Dad, an American serviceman, had been posted to South Korea when Jacobs was young, at which point his parents split and his mother returned with her boy to Italy. On the advice of a performance coach, Jacobs tracked down his father and established a connection that has led to regular contact. “It was my missing piece,” he said. [STORY IMAGE 4] After American Trayvon Bromell was surprisingly eliminated in the semis, Jacobs was flawless in the final, thundering to a personal best of 9.80 for one of the most surprising track golds of all time. It is possible Jacobs now becomes a beacon for sprint races. More likely perhaps, is that this was a beautiful, wondrous, one-off, where the chance for glory beckoned and he was the one to grasp it, on a glorious night where everything went right. “It is a dream,” he said. “A dream.” It is a dream that came true because he produced the race of his life when it truly mattered. When everyone was watching, hundreds of millions on television, Bolt from his home in Jamaica, Jacobs’ dad during the Texas night and maybe, this time, a former volunteer from Beijing. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Matt Norlander, CBS Sports: “There will never be another Michael Phelps, but if there's such a thing as the next-best thing, Caeleb Dressel is absolutely it ... It's official: When we discuss all-time Olympic greats, Dressel's name has to be included in that conversation.” Kerri Walsh Jennings, U.S. Olympic Volleyball Player: “I’m on a mission of personal growth and to develop myself into the greatest human and athlete. Whatever’s firing me up, I want to develop that to be the best in me and volleyball is still the platform that allows me to keep expanding my potential. And I’ve fallen in love with that process.” Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Track & Field Olympian: “I really worked hard with my mind because when I was arriving in the big moment, my legs don’t work really good. Now my legs go really good when it’s a big moment.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - The USWNT looked nothing like the most dominant team in women’s soccer history in losing to Canada. [FOX Sports Soccer Writer Doug McIntyre has the story](. - Giannis Antetokounmpo showed the NBA world you can win in a small market. [FOX Sports NBA Writer Melissa Rohlin wonders if that will influence star free agents](. - The Dodgers stole the spotlight at the trade deadline, while Joey Votto put on a show at the plate. [FOX Sports MLB Writer Ben Verlander details a wild weekend in baseball](. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( The “Summer Of Cena” just had another monumental moment, and this one didn’t come in the ring. Check out this video, which was originally posted by Reddit user “wsda 10” on Instagram. The video shows a young fan meeting John Cena and getting an autograph. After signing a few more things, Cena walks alongside the young fan and gives him a hug. This is a beautiful moment that really showcases what a tremendous role model Cena is! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Philadelphia Phillies at Washington Nationals (ESPN, 7 p.m. ET) Ranger Suarez and the Philadelphia Phillies take on Josiah Gray and the Washington Nationals. WWE Monday Night Raw (USA, 8 p.m. ET) Raw Women’s Champion Nikki A.S.H. is set for a No Holds Barred Match against Charlotte Flair. Olympics 2020 (NBC, 8 p.m. ET) Women’s beach volleyball, track & field and women’s gymnastics take center stage at the Tokyo Olympics. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Cleveland Indians at Toronto Blue Jays: Blue Jays -1.5 (-150) Robbie Ray takes the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays, who host Eli Morgan and the Cleveland Indians. Ray has been outstanding throughout this season, sporting a 9-5 record with a 3.04 ERA. He also has 150 strikeouts, which ranks fifth in Major League Baseball. On the other side, Morgan has struggled this season with a 1-3 record and a 7.47 ERA. He allowed six runs in 2.2 inning of work in his last start against the Blue Jays, who have won four in a row while the Indians have dropped six of their last nine outings. Go ahead and lock in the Blue Jays at -1.5. [WHAT THEY SAID] “You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” — Michael Phelps [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2021 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900