Go USA!

I stayed up late to watch Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh win their 2nd gold medal in Women's Beach Volleyball. They played against an amazing Chinese team.
The game was made tougher by the pouring rain. The ball doesen't volley as well when it's weighed down by rain water. So it was a bit of a nail biter and very exciting to watch. I was on the edge of my seat and scared my dogs when I wooted out loud at the win. In the end, the US team played a better game and went on to win their 108th game in a row!
Congrats to the ladies!!!

I watched the Women's Platform Diving semi-finals. Laura Wilkinson (Sydney's suprise gold winner) is in 9th place going into tonight's final. I'm hanging on for her to place in the top three, but she's up against some incredible talent from China, Canada and even one from Mexico (Paola Espinosa).

Tanya Couch of GB is fabulous and it will be fun to watch. I'll be watching the finals tonight - FOR SURE! (I know that I can go look up the results, now, but I like the suspense of watching it tonight)

I, of course, watched some track and field events, most notable being the 200 meter dash where Usain Bolt (of Jamaica) shattered the previous record of 19.32 seconds, and ran it in 19.30 seconds. It had been said that the previous record, set in the Atlanta 1996 games by Michael Johnson, could not and would not be broken. Lo and behold, it was.

oh, and Usain: Don't get cocky! You celebrate AFTER you cross the finish line!

Still watching and LOVING the Olympics!

Happy Olympics

I have to reiterate it again: I LOVE THE OLYMPICS!

After watching the women's team gymnastics take the silver medal earlier this week. It was amazing to watch the individual all around championship.

I'm sure I am not alone in congratulating Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson for their 1-2 to win the gold and silver in the women's all-around gymnastics final.

Nastia Luikin

Shawn Johnson
Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin and Yan Yillin
these pictures came from ww.zimbio.com

During the 2000 Olympics I wrote my thoughts about watching those and find that my feelings are much the same (if not more profound) today.

I started by writing about swimming:
"I watch swimmers go for 100, 200 and 400 meters within world record time with relative ease. In the excitement I imagine myself in the water making a similar attempt. What amusement that image conjures. In my best efforts, with limbs flailing gracelessly about, I can barely swim even 50 yards to the other side of the pool and that's purely out of desperation to avoid drowning! I make it to the edge of the pool in time only to prevent a lung from bursting and then cling desperately to the side to avoid being sucked into the now angry waters that are assaulting me from all angles for having dared make such a mockery of swimming by entering the pool!"

Continuing to gymnastics:
"Here again, my imagination gets the better of me. Even in my greatest imaginings, I must chuckle at what my attempt would look like: I face the vault boldly some 50 yards away. I remember running the 50 yard dash in junior high school and know all I have to do is flip gallantly over the piece of equipment that now stands menacingly at the end of my run. I start my run . . . . hang on, I gotta catch my breath *puff on the inhaler* . . . . hobble and limp the remaining 40 yards to the vault. I turn around, and scoot my backside onto the "horse," gracefully turn around with my legs together (I don't want to lose that 1/100th of a point) and land solidly on my feet. I lift my arms proudly above my head arching my back and pulling all the muscles in the process and beam at my accomplishment: I ran 10 yards!"

Go USA!

Olympic Fever

Have you caught it? It's terrible contagious and if you get it, you'll have it for two weeks.

Symptoms Include:
1. Late nights! Very late nights!
2. Nervousness
3. Turret's like symptoms; with common outbursts like "oh my gosh, did you see that!?" or "GO! GO! GO!" or "AMAZING!"
4. Leaking eyes, commonly known as tears
5. Sleepiness for lack of sleep.

I've caught Olympic Fever and I love it!
I've been captured by volleyball, water polo, boxing, swimming and men's gymnastics.

I see why they call him the Dolphin. Michael Phelps has been excruciatingly amazing! So far, he has blasted the previous world records out of the water (literally). He has won gold in every event he has entered.

The most exciting moment, with respect to swimming, was by FAR the Men's 4 X 100 meter freestyle relay. I love these relays. If you missed it watch it below. It was quite the upset! This is not the NBC version but I love the announcers on this one.


Amazing Finish in the Mens 4x100m Relay As the US Wins Gold - video powered by Metacafe

Last night was the USA's Men's gymnastic team's turn to shock the world and show what they were made of. The two Hamm brothers had bailed out due to injuries and everybody thought they team was doomed.
They nailed most of their routines and left me in awe of the pummel horse by Alexander Artemev (one of the alternates)and most especially with the routine on the high bar by Jonathan Horton. In the end, the team that wasn't "supposed" to metal walked away with the bronze. The Chinese team was truly on fire and ended with an uncontested gold!



I hope you all concur that the Olympics have been pretty amazing and promise to deliver even more.
If you want more inspiration, watch these fantastic ads by VISA.