Beijing Olympics Hits and Misses

September 2, 2008

by Dharel Placido

In any Olympics, spectators never fail to see athletes stealing the limelight either by doping or smashing a record. The Beijing Olympics is definitely not an exemption. We have seen some of the most remarkable feats done by the athletes. We have also seen some who cried like a baby when he only got a piece of candy when he was aiming for a bagful. Here are the Top 5 hits and misses of the Beijing Olympics.

Hits

• “Here we come” - China

Coming up with the most expensive Olympic Games opening that resoundingly say, “Here we come,” China is definitely the biggest winner of this Olympics. China’s already thriving culture and economy have been boosted by the recently concluded Olympics which total cost amounts to an estimated 1.8 trillion pesos, more than the country’s budget for this year.

The Chinese people perhaps benefited the most from this event, when their morale and love for their country got a shot in the arm.

 

• 8 in 08-08-08

Without a doubt, USA’s Michael Phelps is this Olympics’ most successful athlete when he bagged a total of 8 gold medals.

The Baltimore native broke Mark Spitz’s record of winning 7 gold medals in a single Olympics which made him the “greatest Olympian.”

With an imminent stream of endorsements and a gained superstardom, the water wizard takes our second spot.

• Thunder from Jamaica

Usain Bolt took the limelight as fast as he run around Beijing’s iconic Bird’s Nest when he broke Michael Johnson’s record of 19.32 sec in the 200m dash. The Jamaican thunderbolt also won the gold for the men’s 100m.

Despite the criticism by International Olympic Committee’s president Jacques Rogge due to Bolt’s flamboyance and some doubts that the sprinter could clinch the sprint doubles, the world’s fastest man proved that a dose of Reggae music and healthy African food is enough to make a mark in the world of sprinting.

• Redeeming the redeemable

After defeating Spain during the finals match with a score of 117-108, the USA basketball team, also called the ‘Redeem Team’, has finally redeemed itself after a shameful loss to Argentina during the 2004 Athens Olympics and a decline in performance after the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

After the 1992 games, the US Basketball team has been the subject of criticisms of many American sports fans. They were blaming the lack of dedication and excessive egoism from the players who were coming from different NBA teams.

This time it was a sure redemption for a team whose abilities are unquestionable after they checked on their egos and played for their country and finally bagged the gold.

• A gracious welcome

Japan made it to our list for their friendly gesture of being the only country to carry Chinese flaglets along with theirs during the parade of nations at the opening of the Olympics. Japan, which many people said was envious not only of China’s hosting of the Olympics but of its economic growth as well, saved its face, at least, during the opening ceremonies.

Iraq also made it to our list for receiving a relatively loud cheer among the delegates who walked the grounds of the Bird’s Nest at the night of the opening. The war stricken country proved itself as a nation by showing that no war can dampen their spirit as they go to the Olympic Games.

Misses

• “Here we come” – China’s human rights violators

After detaining protesters, disapproving application for protests in designated Olympic protest zones, and failing to show openness, yes, China is also number one on our miss list.

77 applications of protests were filed but not a single of them were approved which shows China’s unwillingness to respect human rights.

For this, it’s a boo for China’s tight and neck gripping policies.

• An Olympic dream turned into nightmare

What would you feel if you are your country’s top athlete, your country is hosting the Olympics, and suddenly you got injured before a crowd of no less than 90,000? Ask Liu Xiang.

Liu Xiang, tagged as China’s Michael Jordan, turned what could be his biggest dream of grabbing the gold in his own country into a nightmare when a leg injury prevented him from competing the men’s 110m hurdles in which he took the gold during the last Olympics in Athens.

The disappointment of not being able to make his country proud alone made Liu Xiang take the second spot of our miss list. Add to that the potential endorsements that will soon turn its back on him after the injury.

• Definitely not no. 1

After losing the top spot in the Tennis world which he had been holding for four and a half years, Roger Federer once again found itself on a slump after it got lost to USA’s James Blake during the quarterfinals of men’s single.

It was quite a blow for Federer who is yet to garner his first Olympic medal when the No. 8-seeded Blake ended the match with high fashion.

Federer, who has been recently showing a lackluster performance in most of his games, shocked the spectators when he directed an angry scream toward his feet due to frustration.

Indeed, the Olympics loss is the cherry on top of Federer’s ice cream of tennis nightmare.

• How to get banned in the Olympics

If out of exasperation you hack your referee on his face, you are a sure-fire scene stealer. That’s why Cuban taekwando athlete Angel Matos made it on our list.

The taekwando jin and his coach were banned for life after attacking a referee after a call disqualifying him from a bronze medal match was called. Ouch.

• How old are you?

Doping may not have become much of an issue in the Beijing Olympics but the age of gymnasts was.

Definitely, the age issue that surrounded the Chinese female gymnasts is a dark spot on what could be considered as an almost flawless Olympics.

So, do you think He Kexin is really 14?