Sports
This lounge chair made of 1984 L.A. Olympics merch is a tribute to what’s coming
I’ve been working on these lounge chairs for almost the last decade. I’ve been recycling materials, upcycling materials, into this lounge chair silhouette. For this story, I collected 1984 Olympics clothing and artifacts and all kinds of different objects and souvenirs. I worked closely with Goodwill on helping me source some of the materials. I found some of the materials on EBay, had a couple things in my collection, and mixed them together in the creation that you see.
The uniforms that were made by Levi’s are really interesting, because I remember the L.A. Summer Olympics when I was 8 years old and seeing those uniforms. Being able to source a couple of those was a key element of the chair. A Levi’s bag that was almost like a suit bag is on the back of the chair — that was a great discovery, and the guy’s name was still on it. There were a couple of tote bags that I hadn’t seen before, a bunch of T-shirts, some sweatshirts. Then I bought some pins that I used as detailing on the chairs, and these press credentials for photography, which are on one side of the chair.
Goodwill and I have been building a pretty unique relationship over the last three or four years now. I’ve developed a great dialogue with their team where, depending on what project I’m working on, I can ask them to help me source a couple things. Sometimes I’ll go on ShopGoodwill just to look for inspiration or different vintage I’m trying to find. They helped find a couple of the key items in the chair, including that one Olympic experience shirt that had the autographs of the athletes, which I thought was pretty special. There are a few elements on the chair that I had asked them to find, like there’s a logo shirt that they helped me source that was the main graphic for the Olympics. They also surprised me with a surfing shirt that just says “California” that’s on the ottoman. I thought that was a nice nod to surfing being in the Olympics — I was blown away by the surfing competition in this last Olympics, in Teahupo’o, and how amazing it was. I’m not sure whether they’re going to do surfing here in Los Angeles, but I thought it was nice to throw that in there, because surfing wasn’t in the Olympics in 1984.
“I remember moving to Los Angeles from San Francisco in 1984. I was 8 years old … I remember the feeling of everybody coming together. It was a really incredible experience. That was my first time really collecting something. I became obsessed with the pins.”
— Darren Romanelli
I remember moving to Los Angeles from San Francisco in 1984. I was 8 years old. We drove down in the family Volvo, and Coca-Cola was the title sponsor of the Olympics. I just remember there was a lot of Coca-Cola iconography all throughout Los Angeles, and we were lucky enough to get to go to a bunch of the different competitions and events. I remember the feeling of everybody coming together. It was a really incredible experience. That was my first time really collecting something. I became obsessed with the pins. I had this big USA hat with a long brim, and I remember trying to cover it in the pins. All the souvenirs I got from that summer — I held on to them for forever. At least a few of the items made it onto the chair — this one white Adidas hat that’s on the top-left corner and a diving shirt.
Right around that age, I became obsessed with a few brands and started collecting; whether it was trading cards or shoes or certain clothing items, there was this curiosity and interest in organizing and collecting. I was obsessed with Jordan and Nike as a kid, and I remember thrifting on the weekends during my university years and coming back to L.A. with all this rare Nike gear. I was really into fashion and had this idea to rework vintage or take apart something old and make it new. I had this idea of being a doctor breathing new life into older clothes or things I would find at the bottom of a pile, resurrecting them. I had this concept of taking these older ghosts of a story and bringing them back to life. Originally, it started with reworking vintage Nike items into these jackets that I revisited over the course of the decade.
I kind of retired from doing jackets and segued into doing furniture, mainly chairs. But it’s still the same approach with reworking the vintage items, having a sustainable mind-set, because there’s a lot of waste out there. I’ve always thought about all the stuff that’s produced in the fashion industry, it’s kind of overwhelming. My practice as a whole is really focused on sustainable creations that are visually interesting, because you recognize this older garment, but the way it’s been reworked, it feels more current. I love the idea of mixing generations and mixing eras. I’m inspired by the process, because I get a lot out of it. It’s almost meditative for me, finding the materials and then living with them, reworking them.
I hit a point with my jackets where I had kind of peaked, and I wasn’t as interested in exploring them. Maybe it was a moment where I was more interested in sitting down, and I was interested in staging environments a bit more. I love living with art, and whether it’s my living room or my outdoor area, or whatever office space I’m working on, I’m always reconfiguring the layout, because the right environment creates the right atmosphere for conversation. I wanted to have the perfect chair that I could not only move around easily but something that was maybe more comfortable. The lounge silhouette is super comfortable, and over time it molds to you. I kind of perfected the filling over the years, and I don’t want to say it’s the perfect chair — because some people might say it’s too low or it’s too loud, or it ages — but I love sitting in them because the material, the history of the materials, feels not only comfortable to me but it’s this idea of being engaged with what I’m sitting in based off the mood I’m in. And I’ll move them around — they’re all over my home and my work environment.
The thread line of my work is the history of iconography. I love brands, and I love the idea of reworking the iconography in a way where it has a new meaning, or it could exist in a new light. This chair in particular, in anticipation of 2028, made a lot of sense for me. I grew up in L.A. I love my city, and to be able to create this tribute piece to that moment in anticipation of what’s coming was really meaningful.
—As told to Elisa Wouk Almino
Darren Romanelli, born 1976, who also goes by the monikers of Dr. Romanelli or DRx, has more than 20 years of experience in curation and creative direction. Inspired by his dedication to sustainability and upcycling, Romanelli’s numerous collaborations with Converse, Levis, Coca-Cola and Disney have straddled the design, music, art, food and fashion disciplines.
Sports
Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship
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There are good days on the golf course, and then there is what Haeran Ryu just did on Saturday.
Ryu, 25, recorded the lowest round in LPGA major history on Saturday with an 11-under 60 at the Evian Championship. With the South Korean golfer’s historic round, she holds a three-stroke lead.
Ryu’s round comes just two weeks after winning her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. On the 18th hole, Ryu left a 30-foot eagle putt a few inches short, and instead settled for a birdie.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts on the 18th green after the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
She said after the round that she had no idea what she had done until she counted up her scorecard.
“But after the putt and I counted my score with my caddie,” she said. “Oh my God, it’s 11-under par today. It was so amazing. My caddie says, ‘Yep.’ I’m so happy right now.”
If Ryu had made the eagle putt on the 18th hole, she would have been just the second player to shoot a 59 in LPGA history.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Her 60 broke the record for the lowest round in an LPGA major by one shot. Leona Maguire and Jeungeun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated as an LPGA major in 2013.
The lowest round in a men’s major is 62, which is shared by four players — Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Lottie Woad of England interact after their round on the 18th green during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Ryu hopes her historic third round can help propel her to a second major win in three weeks.
“That is amazing, amazing dream,” Ryu said. “So I just want that one to come true, but we have one more day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Taylor Crabb is no stranger to South California beaches. The Long Beach State alum returns home this weekend to compete in AVP League matches.
It marks the first time AVP will compete in Long Beach since 2020 and allows players to compete at the 2028 Olympics beach volleyball venue.
Crabb, 34, made his AVP debut in 2013 with his brother, Trevor, and advanced from the qualifier in Manhattan Beach before finishing 25th in his first tournament.
After years of competing with various different partners, Taylor Crabb and Andy Benesh have delivered the top performances this AVP season.
The following interview with Crabb has been edited for clarity and length.
Are you excited to compete in this weekend’s event at Long Beach?
Crabb: Very excited. A lot of my college teammates and part of the school have reached out, saying that they’re gonna come. So I’m excited to get a chance to play in front of them again.
When was the last time you were in Long Beach?
Crabb: I always try to go down there for alumni events or any big games they have. I went to UCLA against Long Beach last year, when it was No. 1 versus No. 2, so I always try to get down there and support them.
You missed out on the chance to compete in the 2020 Olympics because of COVID-19 restrictions and chose not to pursue a spot at the 2024 Olympics. Are you fired up to try to compete in the 2028 Olympics, knowing that Long Beach will host the competition?
Crabb: Yeah, it’s definitely an exciting time having the Olympics in Long Beach, and we kind of get to break it in this weekend. As you said, Tokyo didn’t go the way I wanted, but I’m going full force now. I have a great partner in Andy Benesh, who obviously went to the Paris Olympics, and if it weren’t for the Olympics being in Long Beach, and me getting a partner like Andy, I’m not even sure I’d be going for it, but because of those two things, I want to make the most of it.
You mentioned that if it wasn’t for a partner like Andy, you wouldn’t be going for it. What do you mean by that?
Crabb: I didn’t feel motivated by playing in all the international events, but now, I think, sitting out kind of lit the fire under me, and I’m really motivated now.
You’ve had different partners throughout your time. What other motivation does Andy give you?
Crabb: He’s been, in my mind, the top blocker for the U.S. the last four or five years. Seeing the professionalism he brings every day to practice, on and off the court, while traveling and when showing up to tournaments, it rubs off on you and that’s really motivating to see. And I just want to make him proud.
Why do you love volleyball?
Crabb: A lot of reasons, but it’s just a feeling I have when I’m out there on the court. It feels natural. It feels like home. I was born into a volleyball family. I had a volleyball in my hands my entire life, so I’ve always just enjoyed it.
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CM Punk appeared on “Friday Night SmackDown” ready to take on any challenger that was ready to step to him after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.
Punk entered the ring in Oklahoma City and called back to the “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania 42 when he told Cody Rhodes he’d be ready to deliver if a championship opportunity fell “out of the sky.”
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Cody Rhodes and CM Punk face off during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
“When championship opportunities fall out of the sky, CM Punk catches them,” he said.
Punk named potential SmackDown superstars he’d think might come for the title, including Gunther, Finn Balor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams. He even said that Zayn could come back around and get his rematch if he wanted. He didn’t mention Rhodes’ name, but the “American Nightmare” came out uncalled and marched his way down to the ring.
“I don’t think you and I can run away from each other anymore,” Punk told Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes looks on during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
Rhodes agreed and mentioned that Punk would want a match with him, just “say when.” It was a quick retort from Punk, who said, “when.” SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, who was in the ring for the segment, booked the match for SummerSlam.
Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place Aug. 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
First, however, Punk and Rhodes will be involved in a tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in New York City next week. Aldis made the match after Gunther demanded that Aldis put him in a match against Punk. Gunther was hoping it would be for the championship. Instead, Gunther will tag with Zayn.
Gunther didn’t take too kindly to that and attacked Aldis. Rhodes came back out to break up the calamity. He wanted to take on Gunther after the show went off air but Gunther walked away.
Gunther makes his entrance during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
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Punk definitely has his hands full as he moves to SmackDown to become a fighting champion.
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