Thursday, September 25, 2008 , early morning

The Olympic Games

Now that you’ve had a full month (and slightly more) to reflect on the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, do you have any favourite memories, observations, complaints?  I always want to bitch about NBC’s lousy coverage and how they show the same events over and over again (beach volleyball, anyone?), but I have to admit that I was really impressed with all the streaming footage available on their website at NBCOlympics.com.  Not only did they show entire events online live from start to finish, including every single competitor, they had interactive chat with a host who would describe the action and answer questions.  I was most interested in how some of the Canadian athletes fared (especially Canadian swimmer and cat rescuer Brent Hayden), and the website kept me informed.  I also watched all the women’s Modern Pentathlon competition, a sport which has become my secret obsession, and in which I want to compete.  I can be the next Sheila Taormina, I’m sure of it.  The only difference between us is that she’s already been in three prior Olympic games in two different events, and she only had to learn three new sports to participate in Pentathlon.  Me, I’ll have to get up off my death bed and learn all five new sports in the next three and a half years but hey—it’s good to have a dream.

I thought the people of China came off looking warm and wonderful, and it’s a country I continue to want to visit.  I also still think the Chinese government is evil and corrupt and cheated in many events to improve their medal tally.  If the government could have kept their grubby mitts off things and stopped interfering and being overly controlling, I think this truly could have been the best Olympic games ever.  As it was, I think the games were great, but the stench of cheating hung in the air at the gymnastics venue, for example, and just reinforced the lack of free will afforded to Chinese citizens who are deemed to be talented. 

I’ve been an Olympics junkie since I was 10 (1976, the years of Dorothy Hamill and Nadia Comaneci), and I’ve always dreamed of being a competitor.  I’ve got to get my CFIDS under control first, but at the very least, I’d make a fine volunteer in Vancouver, 2010.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 09/25 at 07:04 AM
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