News from around the world about Olympic athletes

On this blog, we cover a lot about American Olympics athletes, but sometimes the stories from other countries are so interesting I just have to share.

In the sad category, Cuban cyclist Pedro Pablo Perez is in a coma following a car accident on Monday. He will miss the Olympics. The Beijing Olympics would have been his second Olympics. Hopefully, he will have a full recovery and have an opportunity to compete again sometime in the future.

In the odd category, the only female Afghanistan athlete slated to compete at the Beijing Olympics disappeared from a training camp in Italy earlier this week. Because Mehboba Ahdyar, a 19-year-old runner who competes in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters, took her bags with her, she was thought to have left on her own. Most recent reports say she may be seeking asylum in Norway. Prior to disappearing, she had undergone harassment and threats from the Taliban.

German swimmer Vipa Bernhardt finished third in the 200-meter breaststroke and failed to qualify to compete in this summer’s Olympics, but she is protesting that the second place finisher competed for an American club. Both swimmers competed for American universities.

So, that’s the international headlines that stood out to me this week.