jorgelito

More!

1. USA Men sweep 400m hurdles! Nice!

2. I didn't notice this until this morning. Somehow this was buried deep beneath other stuff. But the Chinese men have been absolutely dominant in gymnastics and fantastic to watch. Currently 5-5 in gold medals. It's quite the feat but has somehow escaped coverage. I guess the ladies hysterics and drama is more newsworthy.

3. Gebreselassie regrets withdrawal from the marathon. Beijing has been blue skies and clear air so far and the Ethiopian regrets not running in the event. Gebrselassie regrets opting out of marathon - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

I think he should have remained in the race, and then pulled out at the last minute if the air was going to be bad. At the very least, China is a bit vindicated after taking so much criticism.

4. Team Redeem is unstoppable now. Gold is pretty much in hand. Maybe Lithuania or maybe Australia will be challenging. But it looks like US dominance in hoops will be restored.

5. New event to watch: Swimming marathon. This event looks interesting and I am looking forward to it. It's six miles in the open water, no-holds barred (within reason
). Should be lots of bumps and clashes along the way. I hear that the swimmers even draft each other. Sounds really exciting to watch and the finishes are really tight. This will be the only swimming event that Michael Phelps can't win the gold in cause he's not in it, haha!

6. Showdown at the track - look for Kenya and Jamaica to put on a running show as they compete fiercely for dominance.

7. Usain Bolt - got to say it again, This guy is quite the character. Hasn't been running that long and already owns everyone. He has everyone so fired up there's even talk of an NFL career as a wide receiver! I had to watch him again and I still can't believe this guy SLOWED DOWN towards the end of his race and STILL broke the record. He's only 21 too so he has time to continue wowing us. My favorite part of the victory lap: Usain runs into the stands where his family is and is hugged by mobs of Chinese dressed in "I Love China" t-shirts. One of the coolest and funniest sights on the day. The Chinese just love him there.

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dlish

where the hells jorge?

you slacker!

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jorgelito

D! I thought this thread had died due to lack of interest. I gave up on it I suppose. But I will restart.

Back in a minute...
-----Added 20/8/2008 at 05 : 26 : 55-----
Back for more:

1. Shawn Johnson wins gold in the final girl's gymnastics individual event. Finally the girl's events are over. So much drama and hysterics, they should just remove this event before World War III breaks out.

2. Usain Usain Usain! This guys is the friggin' Michael Phelps of track! Wins gold in both 100m and 200m while breaking BOTH world records. What a freak!! And he's only 21. What's next for this captivating fellow? Has he even reached his potential yet? Scary thought...

3. Bahrain wins first Olympic medal ever! Ramzi wins 1,500 for Bahrain's first track gold - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

Ramzi takes the gold for Bahrain in the Mens 1500m. Good job Bahrain! Read the article, he seems lie such a nice young man and well articulated too.

4. Afghanistan wins first Olympic medal ever!! - Rohullah Nikpai wins the bronze medal in Tae Kwon Do for the first Afghan medal ever. Apparently the power of prayer and divine intervention does work. Afghan medalist wins a house, cheers from country - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

Afghanistan was one of my adopted countries for this Olympics so imagine my joy when this scrappy underdog did the impossible. I'm happy for Afghanistan and wish them all the best. It's nice for them to have a wonderful moment despite what's going on at home.

5. Alot of track injuries it seems lately. Not sure if it's par for the course, environmentally related, nerves or extreme pressures and stress. From Liu Xiang pulling out to the USA ladies hurt, track is quite the rigorous sports. Maybe you track people can share your insight here.

6. Rule Britannia, Britannia rule cycling, rowing and sailing - GB is screaming up the charts. 20+ medals in what, 2-3 days? To the delight of the English everywhere, Britain has been dominating and showing her presence in cycling, rowing, and sailing. Even some swimming events here and there. Aussies are falling behind a bit but that was kind of expected after swimming is over.

7. Israel wins their first medal of the Olympics - Shahar Zubari takes a bronze in Mens Windsurfing. Tov meod.

8. Poor sport - I've been meaning to write this up but keep forgetting to. Sweden's Ara Abrahamian's absolutely abhorrent behavior during the medal ceremony for his Wrestling event where he refused his bronze medal and left it on the mat and stormed off. This act of un-sportsmanship conduct and disrespect is appalling to say the least. well, the IOC stripped him of his medal for his behavior and it remains to be seen if further punitive action will be warranted.

Does it seem like there is more and more unsportsman-like conduct these days? Are athletes more whiners than winners? From Bela Kartolyi to Blake, there seems to be no end to whiners, complainers and sore losers. Or maybe it has always been this way.

Only 4 days left until the Closing Ceremonies.

Enjoy the Games everyone!

__________________
"The race is not always to the swift, nor battle to the strong, but
to the one that endures to the end."

"Demand more from yourself, more than anyone else could ever ask!"

- My recruiter

The_Jazz

joregelito, a quick note on injuries:

The rate of injuries is just being reported better. It doesn't seem any higher or lower than previous years. Remember that Michael Johnson basically got robbed of sure gold in Barcelona by a bad piece of fish. There are lots of folks that should have made their national teams but didn't because of injuries - ask Tyson Gay (not that it would have mattered) about his 200 at the Trials, which is his specialty.

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jorgelito

Thanks for the insight Jazz. I used to be anti-track due to all the doping scandals but now I've been paying way more attention to track these days due to my recent interest in running. I've been getting into it as I now run 4 days a week. I have noticed though, that it is an extreme discipline and that I am prone to injuries as well *grumble*.

__________________
"The race is not always to the swift, nor battle to the strong, but
to the one that endures to the end."

"Demand more from yourself, more than anyone else could ever ask!"

- My recruiter

highthief

Duck if a Scot or Welshman enters the room (as in, England does not equal Britain, and Britian comprises more than England).

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jorgelito

Oops, consider it a typo then. I knew that, I just brain farted.

With 3 days left:

1. USA wins gold in Womens' Beach Volleyball in a rain soaked match - The Chinese took the silver and beat Brazil for the bronze as well. This will probably be Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh's last Olympics as both have made starting families their next goal. What a way to go out, with a golden bang.

2. Netherlands swimmer Maarten van der Weijden not only beat Leukemia, he took the gold medal for the 10k open swim. This guy is freakin' 6'9" (205 cm). Should be playing basketball. Open swim is kind of like the derby of swimming. It sounds rough with a lot of kicking, elbowing, jostling, even drafting other swimmers to get an edge. And these race seem to culminate in furious finishes. Read more about this interesting Dutch guy here: Van der Weijden wins 10K swimming race - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

3. Chinese continue their dominance at Diving, both men and women. Racking up perfect 10s all over the place, their dives are spectacular to watch. They are 6-6 in gold medals so far and just 2 medals short of a clean sweep. Wow!

4. USA's Wang Chen makes makes it to the Women's Table Tennis quarter finals for the first time in history. The competition has been furious and full of fast action. She faces some stiff competition in the matches ahead. Table Tennis is a whole other world there. Some interesting stuff: fierce competition and rivalries.

5. Yet another gold for Great Britain in Sailing. Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson won the 4th sailing gold for Great Britain and the 6th sailing medal overall. Sailing and other water events have been really challenging due to fast currents and high winds. Many boats capsized, broke down, and many did not even finish.

6. Georgia beats Russia!!... in wrestling - despite a tense situation at home, at least Georgia is able to beat Russia in Olympic events. Georgian wrestler Revazi Mindorashvili beat Russian Georgy Ketoev decisively in a politically tinged match. The Russian declined Revazi's offered hand to help him up after the bout.


Events to Watch:

1. Team USA dukes it out with Argentina, the defending Olympic champs.

2. Mens' Track 4x400m relay - Will Usain "Lightening" Bolt and Team Jamaica take the gold giving Bolt an unprecedented 3 golds in the 100m 200m, and Relay?

3. USA Womens Volleyball - Gold medal game - the ladies face either Brazil or China in a sure to be emotional game especially after the stabbing incident. Led by coach Jenny Lang Ping, legendary Chinese volleyball icon, Team USA has quickly become the darling of the Chinese fans. I swear, for the Americans, playing in Beijing is like having home court.

4. Field Hockey. Ladies Field Hockey. I gotta tell you, I have enjoyed watching Ladies Field Hockey. The action is decent and the girls are cute (especially for athletes) and not in that gross gymnast way either. Cute feisty girls running around and grunting in skirts while banging into each other equals great entertainment. The Netherlands play China for the gold in sure to be exciting match. My money's is on the Dutch girls cause they have been dominant throughout the games. China is the underdog and will be playing for their first medal ever in this sport and have home field.

I have tried to be more varied with different countries and stuff but after 10 days or so and countless hours scouring the net for info, I gotta say, it is difficult to try and provide snippets or lines of interest for the 205 countries of the Olympic Games. I know my posts lean USA but I have made every effort to be more inclusive. Plus this is tiring .

Almost to the end!

__________________
"The race is not always to the swift, nor battle to the strong, but
to the one that endures to the end."

"Demand more from yourself, more than anyone else could ever ask!"

- My recruiter

ktspktsp

Well I just want to say that I enjoy your coverage, jorgelito

yellowmac

Saw the USA beat Brazil in women's soccer for the gold medal just now. That was a pretty fun game to watch overall. Great goal by USA in extra time to win it.

Bill O'Rights

Jorgelito, I just want to say that you are doing a great job here. And...to top it all off...not once have you tried to sell me a DVD of Michael Phelp's Olympic moments highlights.

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jorgelito

Thanks you guys, I am glad you enjoy it. I didn't mean to sound high maintenance, just was curious if it was worth the effort.

Update:

1. Forgot to mention the Womens Soccer match between USA and Brazil - what made the match intriguing was the trash talking by USA goalie (keeper) Hope Solo. In a previous USA vs Brazil match, Solo was benched in favor of another goalie but the US lost 4-0. Solo ripped in to the coach and claimed she would have saved those 4 goals. In the aftermath, she was banned for her outbursts and outspokeness but reinstated with the arrival of a new coach. Her behavior was divisive to the team. However, in an exciting overtime match, USA pulled out a 1-0 win over the Brazilians and Solo appears vindicated. It was a tough talk to back up - shutting out the Brazilians is no easy task but Solo came through.

Lots of drama for the ladies of the Olympics, so much drama.

2. Upset city!! USA Softball presumed gold medal was taken away by a tenacious Japanese team that refused to give it up. In a shocker, USA dominance was ended with brilliant pitching and aggressive batting by the Japanese. In what was the last softball game for the Olympics, the Americans were devastated, in tears, and in shock.

More drama for the ladies.

3. Upset city, part 2! Both Mens and Womens 4x400m Relay teams failed to qualify for the semi-finals opening up a sure win for the Jamaicans. What happened? Both teams dropped their batons dropping them out of the races. But at least the ladies scrambled and made a bid to at least finish the race. My guess is the rain played a part but the runners themselves admitted to poor focus and a freak happenstance.

4. Upset city, part 3! - Dutch ladies defeat USA for Water Polo gold! Looks like we Americans are eating a ton of humble pie tonight. Yikes! The #1 ranked USA women were left in tears and bitter disappointment.

Note to self: Never take anything for granted and always play to win.

__________________
"The race is not always to the swift, nor battle to the strong, but
to the one that endures to the end."

"Demand more from yourself, more than anyone else could ever ask!"

- My recruiter

yellowmac

Yeah, seemed like a pretty terrible day for most USA teams yesterday. I mean, being upset in softball like that, especially with the possibility of it never coming back again (2016 at the earliest) will sure leave a bitter taste in all of the team member's mouths. That really sucks, but on the other hand, kudos to Japan for playing their hearts out and showing that Goliath can really go down.

On the other hand, the men's water polo team for the US has surprisingly advanced to the gold-medal game. So kudos to them. Add to that another beach volleyball gold, and gold medal matches coming up both indoor volleyball contests... hopefully the men's team can win gold to help in the healing over what happened at the beginning of the games.

Ok, off to watch me some Redeem Team action...

ktspktsp

Woooot! Iceland just beat Spain 36-30 in the handball semifinals. The whole office was watching the game . It will be a gold or a silver medal in the end, the final is against France on Sunday!

abaya

ÁFRAM ÍSLAND!!!!!!!!!!!

GO ICELAND!!!!!!!!!

We have only won 3 medals in the entire history of the Olympic games. Unbelievable that we are about to win a gold or silver in a team sport--men's handball. Stay tuned on Sunday, folks!!!

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highthief

Those are the 4 x 100 teams, not 4 x 400. The US men could drop the baton in the 4 x 400, but would probably still win, they are that dominant at that distance.

The performance by jamaica today in the men's 4 x 100 was sublime, destroying a long standing record in track (since 92 I think) by 3/10ths, which is a lot.

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Strange Famous

What about the South African girl with one leg competing (and competing well) in the 10KM swim? Du Toit is her name... good for her. Everyone was talking about the "blade runner" guy who wasnt quick enough to get in the team, and this girl is actually out there competing in one of the toughest events in the games with half the kick of everyone else, and more than holding her own. Fair play to her I say.
-----Added 23/8/2008 at 01 : 31 : 37-----
I know it sounds dodgy at first... but I wonder if the US team disqualified themselves on purpose rather than face Jamiaca again? US would have been a lock for silver if they got the baton round, but maybe they couldnt take being blown away by the lightening bolt again?

I mean, it must be bad enough having to face an angry, frustrated Asafa Powell with something to prove on the last leg (and without Tyson Gay), but with Bolt running third it must be hopeless.

I know it sounds stupid, and it cant be true... but Im half sure that AFTER Asafa crossed the line Usain Bolt started racing towards him to celebrate and he got over the line before the team that finished 8th.

It cant be true!

It cant be true... but I really did seem to see it!

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snowy

This interactive medal count map from the NYTimes is really cool to look at: Olympic Medal Count Map - 2008 Beijing Olympics - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com One of the neatest things about it is that it gives you a really good idea of just how many nations around the world are participating in the Games these days.

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Tully Mars

The Olympics are big down here, really big. Some of the athletes trained right here in Progreso and some of the trails were held here as well. One of the high divers is from Merida. The locals have followed them almost in a fever pitch. that fever went off the charts when Mexico took the Gold in one of the men's weight classes for taekwondo. After a Mexican lady took another gold, also in taekwondo, the streets filled with cars sporting Mexican flags and honking horns. It looked like Chicago after the bulls won the NBA finals. Well expect for the over turned burning cars and riots.

On a side note I guess someone from Afghanistan took the Bronze in taekwondo. Was Afghanistan's first ever Olympic medal. My neighbor told me "I guess you guys haven't blown up the whole country, least not yet. Either that or they trained somewhere else."

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