Savoring Olympic Moments
First off, let me start off to say to my loyal readers that I have not forgotten about baseball. You may have noticed that the most recent posts have been related to other sports, and that’s more related to my attention following the Olympics and the other sports news dominating the airwaves over the past couple of weeks than anything else. With that said, look for some new baseball related blog articles coming up in the near future!
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s focus on some of the amazing stories that have developed from the Olympic games in the past week. I have always been a big fan of the Olympics. I can still recall watching events from the ‘88 Olympic games in Seoul, in our two bedroom apartment in Canada with my family, all six of us crowding in front of our 24″ CRT television, cheering on both Canada and China in the various events. I find that the Olympics is one of those television sporting events that will bring people together … family members of various ages will gather around and cheer on the nations as well as athletes that display incredible ability and accomplishments in their respective sports. The fact that the Olympics can bring people together, regardless of age, interests or beliefs, is one of the reasons why the games are so special. With that said, let me share some of these Olympic moments that I’ve been fortunate enough to savor and enjoy over the past week:
Michael Phelps - 8 Gold Medals
Phelps did what many would consider impossible, until he proved them otherwise. I had the opportunity to watch most of Phelp’s final races live, and those that I missed were quickly up on YouTube. You can say that he was destined to achieve this incredible milestone of winning 8 gold medals in a single Olympics … the comeback of the American 4×100 relay team to overtake the French was the first example of his destiny and the fact that he was able to win the 100 metre butterfly by only 0.01 of a second, grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat, was the second example. Regardless of your belief, there is no question the amazing feat of Phelp’s accomplishments and it would be one of those moments where many years later you’ll be asked and remember: Where were you when Phelp’s won his recording setting 8th gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics? A true Olympic moment indeed.
Usain Bolt - World’s Fastest Man
I wasn’t sure what I was more amazed with. The fact that Usain “Lightning” Bolt obliterated the field in the 100 meter dash to earn his title as the “World’s Fastest Man” or the fact that he obviously eased up in the last 20 to 15 meters and began celebrating his victory and STILL broke the world record. When he was interviewed after the race, he indicated that if he knew that he was breaking the world record he would have continued pushing forward but since he had already won the race he didn’t feel the need to add insult to injury.
Some may take this as an athlete being too cocky and full of himself, but I didn’t interpret it this way. Usain is clearly having fun and savoring the moment … dancing and posing for the fans with the Jamaican flag draped over him, becoming an instant hero in his home country. Through his success and clear display of confidence, there is humility and a feel good feeling that you get that encourages you to cheer him on. Knowing the fact that he did not go all out during his race leaves the door open for many “what if” scenarios and the audience at the edge of their seats waiting to see what’s to come from this amazing athlete.
These are the top two Olympic moments that I have been able to enjoy from the first week of the Beijing games. Feel free to share yours and what events that you have savored thus far that would qualify to you as an “Olympic moment”.
Tags: beijing 2008, jamaica, michael phelps, olympics, swimming, track and field, usain bolt, world record