Bejing Olympics

[William Kelly]

While there's a lot of politics going on in Bejing, there's also a gold medal love story.

The Olympics opened today, 08 08 08, which is suppose to be good luck numbers for the Chinese, but not for me as I got stuck in a traffic jam in Chinatown in Philly when they had a parade to celebrate.

I live in a pretty small town in the Jersey Pine Barrons, Browns Mills, New Jersey, which is also home to Matt Emmons, a world class marksman whose father is responsible for the rifle range at nearby Fort Dix. Though Matt never served in the military, he is an avid hunter and fisherman, a real Piney.

Matt Emmons won a gold medal in Athens in 2002 and was going for a second gold when he shot at the wrong target and was disqualified, allowing a Chinese shooter to win the gold.

One of first to offer condolenses was Katerina Kurkova, who won a medal shooting for the Czech Republic, where her father is the coach of the Czech team. The next time they crossed paths, at an international world cup event, Matt and Katerina talked some more, and then hit it off. Last June they were married in Katerina's hometown and some of my friends went over for the wedding.

My inside sources tell me Katerina's father will be coach of the Australian shooting team after these Olympics are over.

Now in Bejing, Katerina won the first gold of the Olympics, shooting a perfect round, and beating out the favored Chinese shooter, who had won the gold in Athens.

Here's some good pix:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/...ent_9085555.htm

My Browns Mills Blog:

http://whitedeercafe.blogspot.com/

Edited August 9, 2008 by William Kelly

[Ron Ecker]

Here's my favorite pic from the Olympics:

http://www.ronaldecker.com/bush.htm

[Dave Greer]

Here's my favorite pic from the Olympics:

http://www.ronaldecker.com/bush.htm

Ron, you're a very bad man.

"Lampooning Bush" should be a presentation sport at the next Olympics (you may laugh, but Art Competitions were held in London in the 1948 Olympics).

I prefer this image.

He was clearly getting revenge after being spanked by this rather stern looking woman. She looks vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place her.

[Christopher Hall]

While there's a lot of politics going on in Bejing, there's also a gold medal love story.

The Olympics opened today, 08 08 08, which is suppose to be good luck numbers for the Chinese, but not for me as I got stuck in a traffic jam in Chinatown in Philly when they had a parade to celebrate.

I live in a pretty small town in the Jersey Pine Barrons, Browns Mills, New Jersey, which is also home to Matt Emmons, a world class marksman whose father is responsible for the rifle range at nearby Fort Dix. Though Matt never served in the military, he is an avid hunter and fisherman, a real Piney.

Matt Emmons won a gold medal in Athens in 2002 and was going for a second gold when he shot at the wrong target and was disqualified, allowing a Chinese shooter to win the gold.

One of first to offer condolenses was Katerina Kurkova, who won a medal shooting for the Czech Republic, where her father is the coach of the Czech team. The next time they crossed paths, at an international world cup event, Matt and Katerina talked some more, and then hit it off. Last June they were married in Katerina's hometown and some of my friends went over for the wedding.

My inside sources tell me Katerina's father will be coach of the Australian shooting team after these Olympics are over.

Now in Bejing, Katerina won the first gold of the Olympics, shooting a perfect round, and beating out the favored Chinese shooter, who had won the gold in Athens.

Here's some good pix:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/...ent_9085555.htm

My Browns Mills Blog:

http://whitedeercafe.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Bill.

I was hoping to see some shooting event coverage by NBC.

Chicks with guns is, of course, my favorite genre.

Chris

[Matthew Lewis]

While there's a lot of politics going on in Bejing, there's also a gold medal love story.

The Olympics opened today, 08 08 08, which is suppose to be good luck numbers for the Chinese, but not for me as I got stuck in a traffic jam in Chinatown in Philly when they had a parade to celebrate.

I live in a pretty small town in the Jersey Pine Barrons, Browns Mills, New Jersey, which is also home to Matt Emmons, a world class marksman whose father is responsible for the rifle range at nearby Fort Dix. Though Matt never served in the military, he is an avid hunter and fisherman, a real Piney.

Matt Emmons won a gold medal in Athens in 2002 and was going for a second gold when he shot at the wrong target and was disqualified, allowing a Chinese shooter to win the gold.

One of first to offer condolenses was Katerina Kurkova, who won a medal shooting for the Czech Republic, where her father is the coach of the Czech team. The next time they crossed paths, at an international world cup event, Matt and Katerina talked some more, and then hit it off. Last June they were married in Katerina's hometown and some of my friends went over for the wedding.

My inside sources tell me Katerina's father will be coach of the Australian shooting team after these Olympics are over.

Now in Bejing, Katerina won the first gold of the Olympics, shooting a perfect round, and beating out the favored Chinese shooter, who had won the gold in Athens.

Here's some good pix:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/...ent_9085555.htm

My Browns Mills Blog:

http://whitedeercafe.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Bill.

I was hoping to see some shooting event coverage by NBC.

Chicks with guns is, of course, my favorite genre.

Chris

Across their various channels (NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Telemundo, USA, Oxygen, Universal HD) NBC is supposedly showing all sports with US competition.

If you click on "TV schedule" in the olymipcs section on the front page of Yahoo you'll get here

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/schedule/television

and hopefully you can catch some of that shooting.

[Dave Greer]

Faking The Beijing Olympics

Footprint fireworks faked

Parts of the spectacular Beijing Olympics opening ceremony on Friday were faked because of fears over live filming, it has emerged

Olympic Child Singing Star Revealed As Fake

The little girl who starred at the Olympic opening ceremony was miming and only put on stage because the real singer was not considered attractive enough, the show's musical director has revealed.

In the grand scheme of things, this doesn't really matter a great deal. So why am I left with a sour taste in my mouth? Shame, because at the time I was hugely impressed with the opening ceremony as a spectacle (although the Bird's Nest designer thought the total opposite). Now I feel thoroughly bemused, whereas previously I felt astonished. What else wasn't as it seemed at the time?

[Matthew Lewis]

Faking The Beijing Olympics

Footprint fireworks faked

Parts of the spectacular Beijing Olympics opening ceremony on Friday were faked because of fears over live filming, it has emerged

Olympic Child Singing Star Revealed As Fake

The little girl who starred at the Olympic opening ceremony was miming and only put on stage because the real singer was not considered attractive enough, the show's musical director has revealed.

In the grand scheme of things, this doesn't really matter a great deal. So why am I left with a sour taste in my mouth? Shame, because at the time I was hugely impressed with the opening ceremony as a spectacle (although the Bird's Nest designer thought the total opposite). Now I feel thoroughly bemused, whereas previously I felt astonished. What else wasn't as it seemed at the time?

The second one with the girl is terrible but the fireworks I don't see as a big deal. The fireworks were really there, they just couldn't be assured they would be able to film them live from a helicopter so tv audiences saw the CGI while the real fireworks happened.

[Dave Greer]

The second one with the girl is terrible but the fireworks I don't see as a big deal. The fireworks were really there, they just couldn't be assured they would be able to film them live from a helicopter so tv audiences saw the CGI while the real fireworks happened.

I understand what you're saying, and you're probably right. I'd rather just see whatever shots they could get of the real thing, rather than all of a CGI recreation. I feel robbed and cheated of part of what was otherwise an incredible spectacle.

I'm uncomfortable with this for another reason. 2025, China lands a man on the moon. We sit and watch it live in all it's technicolour (CGI?) glory.

There are certain HB proponents who are already suggesting that NASA are perfecting their CGI for the next round of moon landings.

See where I'm coming from?

[Ron Ecker]

Is it just coincidence that China is leading in gold medals so far? Just wondering. I hate coincidences.

[Matthew Lewis]

Is it just coincidence that China is leading in gold medals so far? Just wondering. I hate coincidences.

I would say "mostly" coincidence. They do have some superb athletes. But, there are allegations in women's gymnastics that they are skirting the age rules. The women have to be turning 16 this year (other events are 14 I believe), mostly for safety reasons. Supposedly some of their athletes when competing in previous events had provided documentation that showed they were as young as 14. The only verification of age for the olympics is a state issued passport. I'm sure anyone could see how easy that would be to fake if the competing country wanted to. Karolyi one of the US coaches, says the Chinese women look too yound and are way too small. They have the smallest average team in the competition (4 foot 9 inches and 77 pounds).

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/be...hina-ages_N.htm

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/9491

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/gym...tory?id=3527997

They also look much younger than the US competitors, or for that matter most of the competitors on most other teams.

[Len Colby]

Ron

I presume that the drug testing and judges referees are appointed by the IOC so cheating would be difficult unless people were being paid off but I wouldn’t discount some sort of chicanery. In the 1978 World Cup Argentina, the host played Peru in the semi or quarter-finals. Argentina was expected to win and make it to the final but the devil was in the details or rather the winning margin. The system was more complicated than today, if they won more than 4 points Brazil would be knocked out and the hosts would face a weaker opponent. The score was 6 - 0 (or so) and it was long suspected that the Peruvians were bought off. A few years ago some of the team’s top players admitted to Brazilian journalists that they indeed received money to loose my the requisite margin. Many people suspect that Brazil was paid to lose to France, the hosts of 1998 cup, during the final.

On the other hand it seems to fit a pattern - The PRC and Olympic Gold medals(source Wikipedia):

1952 - 1st appearance - No medals.

1956 - 1980 - boycotted games.

1984 4th place, but 16 countries including every Soviet bloc nation other than Rumania boycotted.

1988 11th place, 4 countries ahead of it in the table were not at the 1984 Games

1992 4th place

1996 4th place

2000 3rd place 9 golds behind the US

2004 2nd place 4 golds behind US

2008 1st place (so far) 7 golds ahead of US.

I wouldn’t discount home court advantage and perhaps some luck. It is also quite possible that events China are stronger in have been scheduled for the begining of the Games.

Edited August 13, 2008 by Len Colby

[Christopher Hall]

While there's a lot of politics going on in Bejing, there's also a gold medal love story.

The Olympics opened today, 08 08 08, which is suppose to be good luck numbers for the Chinese, but not for me as I got stuck in a traffic jam in Chinatown in Philly when they had a parade to celebrate.

I live in a pretty small town in the Jersey Pine Barrons, Browns Mills, New Jersey, which is also home to Matt Emmons, a world class marksman whose father is responsible for the rifle range at nearby Fort Dix. Though Matt never served in the military, he is an avid hunter and fisherman, a real Piney.

Matt Emmons won a gold medal in Athens in 2002 and was going for a second gold when he shot at the wrong target and was disqualified, allowing a Chinese shooter to win the gold.

One of first to offer condolenses was Katerina Kurkova, who won a medal shooting for the Czech Republic, where her father is the coach of the Czech team. The next time they crossed paths, at an international world cup event, Matt and Katerina talked some more, and then hit it off. Last June they were married in Katerina's hometown and some of my friends went over for the wedding.

My inside sources tell me Katerina's father will be coach of the Australian shooting team after these Olympics are over.

Now in Bejing, Katerina won the first gold of the Olympics, shooting a perfect round, and beating out the favored Chinese shooter, who had won the gold in Athens.

Here's some good pix:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/...ent_9085555.htm

My Browns Mills Blog:

http://whitedeercafe.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Bill.

I was hoping to see some shooting event coverage by NBC.

Chicks with guns is, of course, my favorite genre.

Chris

Across their various channels (NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Telemundo, USA, Oxygen, Universal HD) NBC is supposedly showing all sports with US competition.

If you click on "TV schedule" in the olymipcs section on the front page of Yahoo you'll get here

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/schedule/television

and hopefully you can catch some of that shooting.

Thank, Matthew, I will check this out later tonight.

[William Kelly]

While there's a lot of politics going on in Bejing, there's also a gold medal love story.

The Olympics opened today, 08 08 08, which is suppose to be good luck numbers for the Chinese, but not for me as I got stuck in a traffic jam in Chinatown in Philly when they had a parade to celebrate.

I live in a pretty small town in the Jersey Pine Barrons, Browns Mills, New Jersey, which is also home to Matt Emmons, a world class marksman whose father is responsible for the rifle range at nearby Fort Dix. Though Matt never served in the military, he is an avid hunter and fisherman, a real Piney.

Matt Emmons won a gold medal in Athens in 2002 and was going for a second gold when he shot at the wrong target and was disqualified, allowing a Chinese shooter to win the gold.

One of first to offer condolenses was Katerina Kurkova, who won a medal shooting for the Czech Republic, where her father is the coach of the Czech team. The next time they crossed paths, at an international world cup event, Matt and Katerina talked some more, and then hit it off. Last June they were married in Katerina's hometown and some of my friends went over for the wedding.

My inside sources tell me Katerina's father will be coach of the Australian shooting team after these Olympics are over.

Now in Bejing, Katerina won the first gold of the Olympics, shooting a perfect round, and beating out the favored Chinese shooter, who had won the gold in Athens.

Here's some good pix:

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/...ent_9085555.htm

My Browns Mills Blog:

http://whitedeercafe.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Bill.

I was hoping to see some shooting event coverage by NBC.

Chicks with guns is, of course, my favorite genre.

Chris

Chicks with guns indeed. Matt and Kate are the love story of Bejing.

And its not over yet.

Love and guns attrack attention:

http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...ID=200880815156

Silver Lining:

http://www.kansascity.com/495/story/751105.html

[William Kelly]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/olympics/cs-080823-london-olympics-2012-beijing,0,3597792.story?page=1

BEIJING - Now, the Olympic hot seat moves to London.

Its Games will be in 2012, but the official moment of gaining possession will take place here during Sunday night's closing ceremony.

They call it the Handover. It is an eight-minute segment when the next Olympiad period begins for the host city. That city usually uses it to keynote a theme for its Games, but London organizers cautioned against digging too deeply for significance into a show that will feature a galaxy of stars, including soccer's David Beckham, singer Fiona Lewis and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.

"Don't be tempted to analyze," said Bill Morris, director of culture, ceremonies and education for the London Games. "Just enjoy it."

also said his eight minutes will be "athletic loud and proud, like London."

Members of the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), have taken a high profile during these Beijing Games, enjoying, analyzing and answering lots of questions about measuring up to this China extravaganza.

Can they? Do they want to? Does it matter?

Paul Deighton, chief executive of LOCOG, answered all three here Friday during different stages of a press briefing.

First quote: "How can we compete with them? London will be great in its own way. The Games will light up the city."

Later: "After China, everybody gets the power of the Games. Everybody gets it."

And later still: "London is a world in a city. We'll be fine."

If any of that sounds defensive, it should not. London organizers know that Beijing ran these Olympics like Germans run trains. They know that China spent $40 billion on fabulous sports structures and went to extremes to satisfy every detail.

They also know that the perception of these Games has become one of soul-less efficiency and robotic lockstep.

When asked Friday about working toward bringing "more fun" to the London Games, since, the questioner said, there wasn't much of it going on in Beijing, LOCOG officials furrowed their brows in attempts to hide the twinkle in their eyes.

"I strongly disagree with that premise," said Sebastian Coe, chairman of LOCOG. "Once the track and field began in the second week, I walked around a lot, outside. I thought things got rather buzzy."

Coe is the face, voice and heart of the London Committee. He is ideal on several fronts.

He is the only man to win the 1,500 meters in two Olympic Games, his gold medals coming in 1980 in Moscow and '84 in Los Angeles. He is a former member of Parliament and a likely candidate for higher political office if things go well in 2012.

He is 51, good-looking, well-spoken, personable and impenetrable. He is critical of no other Olympic movement, nor effort, and articulate about his own.

"We will deliver a spectacular Games," he said.

He said that Olympics, after all is said and done, are about athletes. "The DNA in me says that we must take care of them first," Coe said.

Edited August 24, 2008 by William Kelly

[Christopher Hall]

And for anyone who thinks that life in the Olympic Village is all work and practice, check out the folowing link for a summary of recreation in the village:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/oly...icle4582421.ece