Official 2008 Beijing Olympics Thread

[Amonkey]

That Wade alley-oop to Kobe was sick!

[ederson]

Now this was good bball. When you are the best act like it!
Pressing defense , serious on offense very good game for team USA.

Greece is still not good. So far only Spanoulis is good but he can`t do everything. I hope that in the knock out games we`ll be better.

Lithuania VS Russia was a very interesting game. Lithuania is much stronger than expected.

[Amonkey]

Anybody watching the China Japan volleyball game?  The place is rocking in this huge rivalry.

[Amonkey]

Here is a great article about the Olympics-- about the random bonding of a 15 year Dutch boy with a 9 year old Chinese girl.  It reminds us that the Olympics it's not about our differences, but what makes us the same.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26150822/

THE OLYMPICS BUZZ
By Sunny Wu
MSNBC contributor
updated 4:59 a.m. ET, Tues., Aug. 12, 2008

This is an ongoing series of Olympics cultural reports Sunny Wu is filing from Beijing. Check back twice a day for 'The Buzz' and 'Nightlife.'

BEIJING - The story assignment was easy. Go to Chaoyang Park, the site of beach volleyball. Catch some games, capture the atmosphere and most importantly, watch the beach girls shake, gyrate and draw the rapt attention of every male in the stands.

This story was going to be a day at the beach.

I traveled to the beach volleyball venue Tuesday afternoon to see what all the hype was about. Most people who attended a beach volleyball match over the weekend loved it. They enjoyed the action (especially Americans who watched Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh roll to 2-0); the interaction as the announcer hyped the crowd and implored for louder cheers; and the entertainment as cheerleaders danced during time-outs and in-between matches.

This was a beach party, complete with bikinis, cheep beer and shirtless men. Did I mention there was a volleyball match?

But as I was walking around the stadium, something caught my eye: A group of Chinese schoolkids with the day off, still dressed in their uniforms, were watching the Chinese duo of Penggen Wu and Linyin. It was the ultimate field trip. They were sitting along the concourse, finding shade beside the stadium and drinking cold green tea and basking in China's win over the team from Estonia.

The scene itself wasn't peculiar. Many students had days off to attend the Olympics. But among the group of black hair and uniform white shirts was a mop of blond.

Tobias Harens, 15, from Holland was sitting in the middle of the group chatting with one of the female students, 9-year-old Zheng Mo Xuan. They had met when they both were seeking respite from the heat. Xuan approached Harens, crouching down to engage him in conversation.

Xuan asked about Holland in perfect English. Harens remarked how large China was compared to the Netherlands as the girl nodded her head: "It's very big."

"She speaks better English than I do," Harens said.

Despite all the cynicism, turmoil and controversy surrounding the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, here was a pure moment outside the glare of the spotlight and spin, on the concrete outside the stadium. If the Olympics still aspires to the universal ideal of harmony and acceptance, this connection between a Holland teenager and Chinese schoolgirl is one reason why the Games are still relevant.

"We were talking about our different cultures," said Harens, who was wearing an orange Holland Heineken House T-shirt that was one size too large.

After nearly 30 minutes of conversation, Harens and Xuan parted ways — but not before trying to exchange gifts. Harens tried to hand Xuan 5 RMB so she could buy herself something from the snack shop. She refused the money. She gave him a handmade trinket and a Chinese fan, which he tried to refuse. It was a stalemate until Harens' father stepped in and bought an Olympic souvenir flag and gave it to Xuan.

She accepted the flag, not the money, and Harens took the macramé. He patted her on the head and they shook hands as classmates and teachers snapped photos of them. Chinese-Dutch relations had never been stronger.

Once Harens left to watch the Brazil-Argentina match, I asked Xuan a few more questions. What else did they talk about?

"We talked about everything," the third-grader said.

What does she want to be when she grows up?

"I want to be a teacher."

What did she think of Harens?

"I think I have a new friend."

The music and cheers from the Brazil-Argentina match echoed from the concourse. The announcer introduced the beach girls for another performance. Inside the stadium, fans were enjoying the beach party.

Outside, the Olympic spirit was alive and well.

[celticmaestro]

did anyone catch the 100m heats? tyson gay is in trouble if he wants to follow-up his world championship gold with an olympic gold. usain bolt jogged the last 20m and still got a sub-10 time. outstanding stuff.

[ederson]

I accidentally watched just this race only. Imagine  what will happen when the guy will push himself. The predictions say that there will be a below 9,7 record.

[Roy Hobbs]

Crazy.  I don't think it's possible for a race to be any closer than that.  Amazing.

[Amonkey]

I am so p---ed that I missed the Phelps race!  I just got home a few minutes ago and got to see the replay and that must've been crazy.  However, I am extremely glad to see the 50m to see my fellow Brazilian Cielo Filho win it.  The guy was so emotional that he was crying.  My dad was telling me that his dad was having a hard time getting tickets for the event.  They messed up and he wasnt included with the family tickets.

[jackson_34]

Australia just beat Russia in the basketball, about 95-80. Heap of the aussies stepped it up today.

Cannot wait to watch Spain vs. USA in a few hours, gonna be a cracker!

[KCattheStripe]

US Fencing just cinched their FIFTH medal of this games by making the Gold Medal bout in Women's Foil

[kw10]

Australia just beat Russia in the basketball, about 95-80. Heap of the aussies stepped it up today.

Cannot wait to watch Spain vs. USA in a few hours, gonna be a cracker!

Yea. Very good game played by the Australians, especially the big guys and Brad Newley's shown why he got drafted into the NBA last year.

[ederson]

Did anyone watch the replay from the camera above the pool? How closer could it have been?

[zerophase]

that race was ridiculous.

[Amonkey]

I am not too impressed with Spain.  A lot of careless turnovers.  You're not gonna get too many alley-oops on team USA.  The kid (Rubio) looks decent.  Nothing out of ordinary, but he didnt seem to be trying too hard.  Basically, he looked under control, which is good considering he just went through puberty last week. 

[BigAlTheFuture]

D-Wade looks great out there in the Olympic games. Looks like he's back to his 2006 form.