Take one name off the list of Olympic athletes with ties to the D.C. area. The Associated Press via ESPN.com is reporting that 20-year-old boxer Gary Russell Jr., who was born right here in D.C. and lives in Capitol Heights, Md., collapsed in Beijing while trying to make weight, and will no longer be competing in the Olympic games. more ›

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing are less than two weeks away, and we're definitely starting to feel some Olympic fever. We know we're just supposed to blindly support anyone representing Team USA No Matter What, but are there any local athletes to whom we can throw a little extra love? (Baltimore doesn't count). A quick perusal of of the USOC athlete roster says, why yes! Keep in mind, a lot of Team USA still hasn't filled out their online profiles, and we weren't about to check each of the ones who didn't, so there could be even more. But here's a few potential hometown heroes for you to keep in mind.
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. Buddhist monks were joined by a few American sympathizers in their efforts to persuade President Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. more ›