And....they're over (sigh). The last 2 weeks have flown by as I have been completely entertained by watching the best athletes in the world compete for the gold. Here is my top 13 Olympic highlights with #1 being the most memorable.
#13. Liu Xiang of China bows out of 110m hurdles in the prelims due to an injury. People in the crowd were bawling. Apparently, he was China's athletic rock star and biggest hyped-up hope of track and field gold. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people bawling. I thought I was obsessed with the Olympics...
#12. Did you see the unbelievable flexibility of the rhythmic gymnasts? Wow- that was fun to watch.
#11. Russia's Isinbayeva breaks the pole vaulting world record at 5.04 meters. She was so excited that she was doing flips on the mat. It's people like that, that I really enjoy watching win the gold.
#10. Both USA men's and women's track and field 100 meter relay teams drop the baton in pre-lims and don't move on to the finals. Man oh man, I'll bet someone got into some serious trouble for that one...or....those ones.
#9. Australia's Matthew Mitchum upsets the Chinese diver in the platform diving competition and keeps the Chinese from going 8 for 8 in diving. Again, that poor poor Chinese diver. Letting his whole country down...
#8. The 33-year-old woman gymnast from Germany who wins the silver on the Vault. 33 years old? Seriously? She is my new hero. Maybe there's hope for me afterall to accomplish my dream that was once thought long over. Or...maybe not.
#7. USA's Johnathan Horton's on-fire performance during the men's gymnastic team finals. What a great day to peak.
#6. USA's Justin Spring's bar routine. Wow. That's all I can say.
#5. The men's swimming 4x1 medley relay. Coming back from the dead to win it. Crazy good television right there.
#4. Nastia's individual all-around gold medal. Ah, the sweet success of winning gold in one of the most prestigious events in the summer games. And with such grace. I like her.
#3. That Brazilian gymnast who fell on his last tumbling pass on floor during the event finals. Did you see this? Brazil has never won any kind of gymnastic medal and they had high hopes for this fella. He was one of the last to go and he had a smokin' routine until the last pass in which he sat down. I don't think I've ever seen an athlete so devastated. He looked like he was going to burst into tears and...well, there are no words to describe the look on his face. I was watching this all by myself one night past midnight and I kept saying to the TV, "it's okay. You did great. It's okay! I just want to give you a hug. Don't worry, it's okay, " all in the tone of a very concerned mother. Poor guy.
#2. Shawn Johnson's gold on beam. Man, that girl is solid and consistent and amazing and I think I would have boycotted the summer Olympics if she hadn't have taken home a gold. I almost had a heart-attack just watching her routine and think I shed a few tears when she was on that first place podium. Good job Shawn, you deserved it.
#1. Phelps 100m butterfly. How in the heck did he manage to get in there? Man, there were a few races I swear he wasn't suppose to win, but somehow he pulled it off. I couldn't get enough of that butterfly win replay, being just as mesmerized as the time before. Is anybody else having Phelps withdrawals?
What was your favorite Olympic highlight?
The countdown to London 2012 is on!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Certainly Eventful
Posted by Shannon at 3:36 PM
Labels: 2008 Summer Olympics
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10 comments:
first of all, i am having phelps withdrawals. i think i must have had an olympic crush on him.
secondly, nice highlights. those were among my favorites too. i also enjoyed when jamaican shelly-ann fraser won the 100 meter dash. she did this great happy dance at the end and had a mouth full of braces. i loved her. so genuine and so thrilled. i love when the unexpected happens in the olympics, those are the moments you want to bawl.
I'm actually relieved the Olympics are over even though I'll miss 'em. It was becoming too hard to keep up with the 10 hours + of television coverage everyday. Thank goodness for DVR's!
My two cents:
1) How about the U.S. Men's Volleyball Team winning gold for the first time in 20 years and their coach, Hugh McCutcheon having to hide himself afterwards for a private moment after what happened to his wife, mother-in-law and the death of his father-in-law?
2. Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world. How he shattered the WR's in the 100 and 200 4 X 100 relay and I don't think he was even running all out. Man he's fun to watch!!
The games were so fun to watch. I was maybe a little too into them however. I'm sure that Chris will be happy that I am no longer glued to the t.v.!
Aren't those athletes so inspiring? I was so good to exercise while they were on for those few weeks. Like I will ever get a body like those women, but it's fun to dream.
I think my two favorite events had to be the swimming and the gymnastics. Mr. Phelps was truly amazing. I still can't believe he touched the wall first. I'm told that there are sensors and camera's under water to determine that but boy, from those replays I wasn't sure.
Anyway, welcome back to everyday life my friend!
i can't believe gymnast to gymnast you didn't mention all the controversy over the young young chinese womens gymnastics team. I promise that the one who was missing a tooth is not over 12. poor little girls being in the middle of all that controversy and only being - well who knows how old. but if they are 12, 13, 14- that is a big load of lies to carry!
i am sad to see it end- oh, and i loved watching the womens beach volleyball. those ladies are rockin.
Jenny- I also loved watching Shelly Ann Fraser win the 100m- she was cute and so excited and her braces made her look 13 years old.
Matt- I didn't tune-in to much men's volleyball. I had to prioritize my Olympic watching or else my kids wouldn't get fed (which is about all they got during the last 2 weeks) and unfortunately, volleyball took a backseat to gymnastics, swimming, etc. I didn't even hear about that coach. What happened to his family members? And Usain. He was the one who would taunt his opponents while running, right? I felt like some of the Jamaican runners (and the fact that Jamaican people are the fastest people in the world right now is news to me) were pretty conceited and disrespectful. Well, maybe you're allowed to be when you're the fastest man on earth. And do you think his last name is really Bolt?
Chrissy-Isn't it funny how watching a bunch of ripped athletes makes you want to get into shape? I think I also did a little more exercising than usual, not to mention a few beam routines in my living room!
Molls- I forgot to include all the gymnastic controversy. The fact that the Chinese gymnasts were consistently being over-scored and... yah, like I'm going to believe that little tiny awesome bar worker is 16 years old. She was missing a tooth? I didn't notice that! And Chung Fe should not have gotten the bronze on vault. Poor Alicia Sacramone. I guess I was just happy that Nastia pulled off the all-around even though some of her scores were low.
Another comment from me. Molly was right, I should have included some of the gymnastics controversy. It exists every year, doesn't it? But I just can't get over the way the Chinese handle (for lack of a better word) their young athletes. Taking six-year-olds from their home to an athletic school to train all day to be an Olympian? One poor girl hadn't see her family in 12 years!! I just don't think it's right. And I know the parents support it as well since they think it will make for a better future for their family. I am still baffled that some of those way-less-than-16-year-olds (seriously, I think that one girl was 10 or 11) had the talent and ability that they did. They would have had to begin when they were teeny tiny and do nothing but train all day every day to have that kind of skill. I think it's sad. Do you think standing on the podium was worth it to them? Probably not.
You've caught all my favorites - Phelps butterfly, Nastia gold and Shawn gold.
I have to say, it bugged me that Usain Bolt was strutting before he even got to the finish line in the 100! Where's the sportsmanship? I'm always much more of a fan for the humble athletes that blow everyone else out of the water than those that strut around telling everyone they're all that!
Wow, Shannon I'm impressed with your extensive list of highlights! I feel a little sad about how I missed out on a lot this time. I kind of didn't really ever get into the track and field week. So my favs were all swimming and gymnastics. Couldn't get enough of Shawn Johnson, she's the cutest little thing ever.
Wow! I can't believe how many events you saw. I could barely keep up. One event I appreciated being able to watch was Laura Wilkinson's last dive with a hurt triceps muscle in her arm. As she made her final dive tears were running down her cheeks and a huge smile on her face. And even though she knew she wouldn't win a metal she tried her hardest. I felt proud of her for not giving up.
I'm totally having olympics withdrawls. I think my favorite olympic moment was the phelps butterfly. That was crazy! I also loved the Bolt runner guy. I was not bugged by any of his showing off. I thought it was great! Of course gymnastics is always so great. I loved Shawn Johnson. She is darling.
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