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Entry bubble The Olympics Are Here!

By: Colleen | August 06, 2008 | Category: Fun

olympic torchLooking ahead to the next two weeks really makes me wish I had TIVO. While I can't complain about spending the next week down the shore on vacay, it is likely that my sunbathing (safely, of course!) schedule will conflict with the viewing times of many of my favorite Olympic events.

Cue that great intro music that NBC plays—the Olympics are back! Starting on Friday (8-8-08), the next two weeks will be packed with intense athletic competition in Beijing, China.

I just love the Olympic Games, especially the summer ones. (I may not be good at it, but events like swimming—I can relate to. Curling? Not so much.) It's great to hear the inspiring stories of these athletes who have basically dedicated their lives to reaching this competition. Through personal sacrifice, injuries, and total dedication, they've reach the pinnacle of their sport.

I'm rooting for Team USA in a few events in particular:

  • Swimming—Michael Phelps has the chance to beat Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals in a single Olympics. Watch out for Ryan Lochte, a fellow American, who is hot on his tail. Also, Dara Torres, at age 41, is competing in her 5th Olympics.
  • Gymnastics—Not that the boys aren't impressive, but I'm much more into women's gymnastics. Shawn Johnson has the chance to be the 2nd American in a row to win the all-around gold, only the 3rd in history after Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson.
  • Track and Field—Is there anything cooler than holding the title of "fastest man alive"? Tyson Gay may own that as the current American record holder in the 100 meters.

More than anything, the Olympics carry a spirit of camaraderie and international respect that would be nice to see more often than every four years.

What are your favorite events and athletes? Do you have any personal Olympic stories?

| View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: athlete   colleen   competition   medal   olympics   sports  

Comments (2):

blue comment bubble Posted by holalola on August 06, 2008 at 12:03 PM EDT

I admire all the athletes you mention in your blog entry but I actually enjoy watching people I've never heard of before having their one moment of glory. I think there's nothing as exciting as watching people win the first medal for their countries in sports that you only hear about every four years. For me that's what makes the Olympics so very special.

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blue comment bubble Posted by clutter_buster on August 06, 2008 at 04:21 PM EDT

My favorite part of the Olympics is the opening ceremony. Seeing the athletes from all over the world in one place is pretty amazing! I think that "moment" is when the athletes realize all of the hours of training is worth it - dreams are coming true.

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