The opening ceremonies were awesome and classy, and the ending ceremonies seemed disjointed and overbearing; however, overall, I enjoyed Beijing’s summer Olympics even though I’m a winter Olympics fanatic. I’m not such a fan of summer sports like ‘trampoline,’ synchronized swimming and hoop dancing, especially when a very cool sport like softball is getting a hack job. Despite my dislikes, I caught the highlights as they happened. And, through it all I developed new heroes:
1. Usain Bolt: He’s fast, he’s from Jamaica, and he’s so GOLD SHOE. He generated some heat from IOC chief Jacques Rogge for his pre- and post-win antics, but hey. How can you criticize a guy who pulled off unprecedented world records and titles in winning the 100m, 200m and 4×100m sprint relay Golds?
2. Michael Phelps: I adore Michael Phelps, but only because I know what his mum, Debbie, must feel. He’s a dream son. Plus, watching him win those eight Gold medals was a little like watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon – you know that it’s real, but it seems very unreal.
3. Shawn Johnson: I’m 5′3″, and Johnson is 4′9″. If I tried to lift my legs like she did on the balance beam, I’d fall on my butt. She flies like a butterfly, jumps like a tiger, and she’s so CUTE. My daughter and I cheered her on for that Gold – she way deserved it.
4. Dara Torres – Wow, what a hottie. I can’t remember if I was that hot when I was her age, but I sure hope I was. Plus, that lady has some class…she’s a true sportswoman. She deserves Gold, simply for being the first woman in history to swim in the Olympics past age 40; however, I’m as happy as she seemed to be for her three Silvers.
5. All the Weight Lifters, even the losers: Wow! Nothing like watching this sport – these athletes are the fo shiggety! Inside-out elbows (Hungarian Janos Baranyai); heroic lifting through back pain (Wales’ Michaela Breeze); histrionics and head bashing (Russia’s Svetlana Tsarukaeva); primal screams that rivaled Michael Phelps’ iconic neck-muscle-stretching roars (Russia’s Khadzimurat Akkaev); flower-smelling medal winners (Latvia’s Viktors Scerbatihs); handstands (Albania’s Romela Begaj); unbearable cuteness (South Korea’s Ji Hunmin); and, the heart-breaking sweetness of Germany’s Matthias Steiner as he dedicated his Gold medal win to his late wife, who died in a car accident in 2007.
Here’s to a great show, Olympians. Thanks!
