A review of the opening days of the Olympics:
Beijing Olympics – The Good so Far
- Spectacular Opening Ceremony.
- Michael Phelps becoming most successful Olympic athlete of all time.
- The procession of World Records set in the Swimming pool. (Of course, If it was cycling people wouldn’t be explaining these fast times on a new lycra swimsuit)
- Britain’s cycling squad. (forgive blatant patriotism) Gold to Nicole Cooke in women’s road race in treacherous conditions
- Russian and Georgian athlete offering goodwill to each other on the medal podium, despite outbreak of war in Russia. [link]
- Spirit of the Games- “I was just happy to be involved in the Olympics, now I can look forward to two weeks of shopping…” – First athlete to be knocked out of the Olympics (after 38 mins)- Amazingly the athlete was Australian. article at Guardian
- Track cycling and athletics still to come
Beijing Olympics – The Bad
Athletes village perimeter
- Post Race Interviews see: post race interviews
- The mixing of politics and sport. Inevitable after giving the games to the country with one of the worst human rights records in the World.
- Faking of opening ceremony. I don’t mind the computer generated fireworks, but, getting a more attractive 7 year old singer to mime the lyrics seems the height of low taste.
- The excessive celebrations of the American swimmers on winning the 4 man relay, giving Phelps his second gold. It was a really great last gasp victory, but, why the need to scream like animals shouting the F word?
- Chinese bureaucracy preventing spectators watching the Olympic road races and time trials. Cadel Evans wife was prevented from watching road race. In the time trial she was forced to climb 3 feet up a tree.
- Choreographed cheering by paid student supporters. BTW: These slogans come from the same committee who thought up slogans for the cultural revolution. “Victory to the Peasant’s Socialist ideals and death to the Capitalist reactionaries”
Photo top: China Gucci
Photo middle: K
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