In the 2016 Olympic Games, a dozen athletes—record-breakers, notable pioneers, and all-around thrilling competitors—were overlooked in the prime-time TV coverage obsessed with sprinters, soccer legacies, and “angry faces.” Outside the Rio Spotlight tells tales of courage and American excellence at its peak, stories of those who contest in the lesser-known sports like judo, rowing, BMX, and fencing. Told in the style of 16 Days of Glory, the book details the tournaments for these athletes who compete –- with little funding and even less hype -- for the love of their sport and the honor of their country, which is the essence of the Olympics. These U.S. athletes did it whether anyone was watching or not. (120,000 words)
Stories included in Outside the Rio Spotlight:
--Kayla Harrison, the first American judoka to win two gold medals
--Kyle Snyder, the youngest freestyle wrestler to win a gold medal
--Helen Maroulis, a freestyle wrestler, who upset Saori Yoshida, a Japanese legend
--Claressa Shields, the first American boxer to win two gold medals
--Michelle Carter, first American woman to win the shot put
--Matthew Centrowitz, Jr., the first American man to win the 1500 in over a hundred years
--Kristin Armstrong, the first cyclist to three-peat as a gold medalist and the oldest gold medalist in cycling
--Connor Fields, the first American to win a gold medal in BMX
--The American women’s rowing eight, who won their third gold medal in a row after being undefeated in 11 years
--The American women’s water polo team, who has medaled in every Games since water polo was opened for women
--Kim Rhode, the only athlete to medal in six consecutive Olympics and to medal on five continents
--The American women’s sabre fencing team, including Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American athlete to compete in a hijab
