Olympic Games 2008 - Beijing

I've actually put a lot more effort into catching some of the Olympics this time round - usually athletics is one sport (alongside cricket, no offence larchy :P) I try my darndest to avoid. However with the games being held in that communist/free market paradise (!) we know as China I knew it would be interesting - some observations so far:

The opening ceremony was fantastic. Bar the odd PR slip up like not using the little girl with crooked teeth to sing the song and the fake fireworks, this event was magnificent. The movement of masses of people all covered in lights set on the darkness and single canvas was amazing. I struggle to see how London will top this - we'll probably use 100 p**sed up blokes fighting in the middle of Wembley stadium.

The events I have enjoyed so far are far removed from the "classic" Olympic icons such as sprint, relay etc. Cycling was fantastic, a Welsh girl getting a goal in the roadrace and some great performances in the pools as well. I also really enjoyed the rowing thus far, and the white-water slalom (don't know the proper name) has been just fantastic. Judo and archery i've also watched a fair chunk of and they've been entertaining too.

It's a shame the British media (ITV in particular) have taken it upon themselves to do an Olympics coverage which is 50/50 split of "this is what happened in the games" and "THIS IS EVIL CHINA DOING EVIL THINGS BECAUSE THEYRE EVIL!". I can understand and certainly support the movements toward better rights and freedoms, but the games are supposed to be non politicised, and some of the stories on ITV News have been wafer thin in justifying their moral alignments - for example, they ran a 5 minute story on the horrors of ticket touting, as if to suggest this is some kind of problem inherent with China. I would be choked to death with surprise if London, and other games we're rife with expensive touting - this isn't just a Chinese problem, touting happens everywhere.

Anyway, enough of that. Britain maintain their 10th place - same as we got in Athens 2004 so that's pretty good thus far. Looks like China need to grab a few more to secure top position, as the USA/African/European nations will go to town in the track and field events. Congrats to Togo who got their first ever Olympic medal, a bronze in the white-water slalom mens jobbo!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Summer_Olympics_medal_table

How have you enjoyed the Olympics so far? Have you even watched it? Do you secretly want Uzbekistan to sweep the board in the remaining events?!

I have been following the games. I personally like to watch Judo, boxing, and track and field stuff - mainly the discus (I threw the discus in high school). And yeah over here we've been getting the whole "Look at the games how nice they are and how cool it is that countries are coming together - BUT LOOK AT CHINA THEY ARE EVIL SOBS"

This is entirely my opinion here-

It kinda pisses me off to keep track of who has the most metals and what not. The Olympics aren't around to show off which country is greater, its to reward the athletes for their hard work and determination, not a gigantic "look at me I have more metals than you do" attitude that is portrayed. We place so much value on the winners and not enough on the competitors. In reality only a small handful of countries (out of the many that are competing) are even going to get a metal. When you think of who is the winner of an event do you think of the silver metal as a winner? or the Bronze? I'm told to think otherwise by our coverage :p.

\\my 2 cents

But then you guys have that swimmer who has won like 3,000 medals for treading water or somesuch. How can you not be proud of the HALF MAN HALF CYBORG SWIMMING MACHINE.

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I've actually yet to see a single thing in the Olympics. Like anything at all. I didn't even see the opening ceremony yet. I'm spending far too much time in the office at the moment That, and I haven't used my TV for watching TV since I moved into my current flat 12 months ago, so's I don't feel so guilty about not paying a TV license I can't say I miss it either, but I do feel I'm overlooking sporting events that I used to enjoy stumbling into like Wimbledon and the Olympics. Never things I went out of my way to watch, but if they were on they'd always catch my attention.

I'm not really that interested in the Olympics, but I did watch the Opening ceremony and managed to catch a few minutes of various events on various days.

Go Aus!, and I have a good feeling about Uzbekistan.

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Aaron's Stuff

The only thing that i have to say about the Olympics is that China cheated in gymnastics by entering 11 year old girls and no one has the ball to call them on it.

Dont know why.. but I have not been hyped about this years games.. I did watch some Womens Volleyball, but not because I like the sport.. the outfits rock though! Beach Vollyball as well.. did you see BRAZIL! WOWZERS!

I have not seen much other than that.. I did want to see the gymnastics, but I think its over now. Oh well, there is the next Olympics. =)

Muhnay?Shouldn't you be Moneyshot?Don't you know that your old user name is working for the new site?
Why did we bulgarians had to cheat last time? Now we aren't playing in the Olympic Games. Deamn