Beijing 2008 - Olympic Games

 

Oh, yeah!

 

 

I think the Koreans were relieved when Phelp decided not to compete in the 400m freestyle.    It would have been more interesting.   Park is only 18, so he's got still least one if not two more Olympics in him.   I wonder if he can get better in other style or distances like Phelps.  Obviously he's better at longer distance.  I think he will compete 200m too but i don't think he can really challenge Phelps in shorter distances, least not yet.  He might still get a bronze maybe.  I believe this one is their first gold in both Swimming and T & F combined, the two boiggest medal mines in  Olympics.   They are usually better at team sports or fighting sports.  They dominate in Archery too but then again that's also fight/battle related sport. 

 

Phelps was very impressive in 400m medley.  I thought he would get behind on the breast stroke part but he held his own and then blew the competition out of the water(no pun intended) in the freestyle finish.  His turns are so powerful.  I think he can cut down almost a full second every time he turns, well maybe not that much.....   I liked that world record imaginary blue line following them on the screen.  So much better idea than what they tried to do with NHL puck tracer thing.

 

Mond you it would also be a good idea to keep the military out of it. In Britain anyway we used to have 'tattoos' (do they still?) at which the military could show off their skills. But. like politics, it shouldn't get mixed up with sport.

 

Anyway it's Beijing's Games, not China's and the Chinese should realise that.

 

 

You forgot to mention the people who commited the biggest genocide in history and against their won nation killing millions after China became totalitarian.The world hasn't seen such huge scale genocide as the chinese showed us....Are you proud with that?

 

It also should simply be a games between athletes not national teams, but I doubt there's any hope now for restoring de Coubertin's ideals.

 

The Olympic Games is hosted by a city and the people of that city.

I can tell you this much.  The totalitarian regime that organized 1988 Seoul Olympics wasn't much better the current Chinese regime if not worse, only in smaller scale. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwangju_Massacre 

They used the Olympics to distract and hide the ugly truth of South Korean democracy or lack of it   There was absolutely no way South Korea could have won the right to host the 1988 Olympics. When they earn that right in 1981, South Korea was still a sweatshop nation crippled by Oil Shocks and its democracy in shamble.   But the West had no problem giving the dictator what he wanted because in the big picture, he was just a low-middle management of the Capitalist system. 

 

But no matter how they got it, once they had to do it, they worked their a$$ off to host a Olympics they can be proud of.  And I am proud of that Olympics.  I am still moved by the fact that the Cold war foes mat again in that Olympics after boycotts of 1980 Moscow and 1984 L.A.  I am proud of the Korean people who worked so hard to be the good hosts, fighting through poverty and oppression and all.  And no, I am not proud of the totalitarian regime made us go through all that.     Does that make sense?

 

Dictators come and go.  But the pride of the people runs deeper than what they have to endure on the surface.    Someday China won't be so Communist or totalitarian, they won't care which regime hosted this Olympics.    China had many dynasties of different origins and affects in its long history.  But this is their first Olympics and after long period of being closed to the rest of the world, this is their first coming out party.  If you really care about the well being of the Chinese people, perhaps you can be proud of them too instead of giving them a party to throw and go 'Pooh.Pooh' on the every corner.  Being proud of the Chinese for preparing for this Olympics does not mean that you support everything the Chinese government does.  I swear, if that's what you are afraid of.

 

And guess what? 4 years after 1988 Olympics, South Korea elected a civilian president with civil rights leader background.  See what happens when you open yourself the world more?  

 

 

 

Current overall  standing.    I know theOlympic spirit isn't about medal counts or winning or losing for that matter.  And all these athletes are winners just for being there because most of them least a national champion of their own countries.   But who am I kidding?  Of course the madal counts matter, especially when the Koreans are in the second place.

 

But unfortunately even I can't expect them to stay up there too long though.  Once more medals from Track & Field, Swimming, Gymnastics etc starts to roll in Koreans will slide, hopefully not too far.   Good to see North Koreans up there.  Someday they will count those medals combined.  Godd to see Thailand and Vietnam from SE Asia also.  And Zimbabwe!  Has any Afrian nation 3ever finished in top 20 in Olympics medal counts?  Some afre excellent at long distant running for sure.  But just like World Cup Football, they will get better with each tournaments. 

 

Once again it's still way too early for paying attention to the medal counts, but I had to while Korea is in the second place.     

 

I didn't see this coming. It was cool to see him win. The Korean commentor was cheering madly rather than commenting on the game... that was kinda hilarious

 

Japan also won a gold in Swimming today in men's 100m breaststroke.  Of course, every time a Korean does something Japan gotta match it, or is it the other way around.  I never thought I would say this but in the spirit of Olympics, congrats to Japan! 

 

 

 

Yeah, I saw their interview afterward.  Didn't they do the same thing last Olympics too.  Either way a total domination.  Those girls are all smart girls too. 

Good work ladies!