Great start in the Olympics

[Mercedes Benzene]

It's hard to choose favorite events because they're all super-exciting in my opinion.
I do however, particularly enjoy the athletic events, as well as the whitewater slalom/kayaking.

[Jay-qu]

I enjoy the diving and gymnastics, its always very impressive to watch. I also like basketball (because Im a player myself) and I dont mind watching the swimming since its the one place us Aussies get a few medals

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Tormod

I love Javelin (Norway currently has the Olympic Champion and he is a gold candidate again in Beijing) and the high jump.

Good ones! I'm a fan of javelin ever since that video clip came out of a field judge taking one to the thigh. I competed in high jump, triple jump, and 100 yard dash for a couple seasons so I like them too. And who can't love a shot putter? Ohh ohh ohh...hammer throw! There's a sport you don't just practice any ol' where.

On your mark...set...GO!

[Turtle]

Boxing!! Fencing!!

Very impressive Opening Ceremony.

Here is a piece I did last year in homage to the Olympic Games, titled appropriately enough, Olympus. The Olympic ring colors are chosen because every nation's flag has at least one.

Olympus attachment

[Michaelangelica]

Knuckle dragging guys?

The opening ceremony was great, with some lovely touches like the little boy who survived the earthquake and saved some of his classmates leading the Chinese contestants
The whole thing was designed by the guy in charge of China's space programme.
(i didn't realise that they were the third country to have a man in space)
Some S..A... journalist said "Well it ain't rocket science" but the Chinese guy didn't 'get' the reference/idiom.

Pity they didn't mention that other great Chinese invention the wheelbarrow . Designed two thousand years ago 1,500 years before America got the wheel. It must have made building the Great Wall a bit easier.

Lets hope the whole thing creates a less repressive Chinese society.
(Although I thought Bush's comments were a bit like the "pot calling the kettle black")

[Mercedes Benzene]

It was definitely one of the best opening ceremonies that I can remember, although I did really enjoy Bjork's performace at the 2004 Athens ceremony.

This year's ceremony though.... WOW.
Did anyone else catch George and Laura's reaction when the Iraq athletes came out for the march? They had those awkward smiles, like they knew everyone was looking at them, but they didn't want to react.

[Mercedes Benzene]

Oh - My - Gosh.
Did anyone just see Michael Phelps OBLITERATE the world record in the 400m IM, to win his first gold medal for the 2008 olympics?

Geeez. That was intense.

[modest]

Originally Posted by Mercedes Benzene

Oh - My - Gosh.
Did anyone just see Michael Phelps OBLITERATE the world record in the 400m IM, to win his first gold medal for the 2008 olympics?

Geeez. That was intense.

I think it was a new Olympic record, but not a new world record. Of course, I think the new and old Olympic record and the 'old' world record are all his anyway, so hardly matters much in the end. But, yeah, he's half dolphin for sure.

~modest

EDIt:

Disregard the above, the fish has absolutely set a new world record. It was the 400 meter qualification round I saw

[Tormod]

And Alexander Dale Oen from Norway set a new Olympic Record in the 100M Breaststroke semifinals...the finals will be a thriller!!!

[Jay-qu]

Originally Posted by modest

I think it was a new Olympic record, but not a new world record. Of course, I think the new and old Olympic record and the 'old' world record are all his anyway, so hardly matters much in the end. But, yeah, he's half dolphin for sure.

~modest

EDIt:

Disregard the above, the fish has absolutely set a new world record. It was the 400 meter qualification round I saw

I just wish Ian Thorpe and him competed more, they made good races

Australia won their first gold in the pool today - Stephanie Rice won the girls 400m individual medley, beating the world record by 2 seconds!