Beijing Olympics 2008

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by molson

950th post in an Olympics thread. What happened here? In '04, there were 8 scattered Olympics threads, none had more than 20 posts or so (unless I missed something).

Doesn't it seem like they were a way huger deal than normal this year? I don't think it's just Phelps.

I think the fact that the host nation spent $40 billion also had something to do with it.

[VPI97]

Originally Posted by molson

950th post in an Olympics thread. What happened here? In '04, there were 8 scattered Olympics threads, none had more than 20 posts or so (unless I missed something).

Doesn't it seem like they were a way huger deal than normal this year? I don't think it's just Phelps. I actually think DVR played a big part. I was watching all time, fast forwarding to the stuff I wanted to see, pretty much whenever I had down time.

I came for the Phelps and stayed for the rhythmic gymnastics.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by VPI97

I came for the Phelps and stayed for the rhythmic gymnastics.

honestly - rhythmic gymnastics isn't a horrible waste of time - it's kind of impressive how they fling the objects around and catch them with their feet and stuff.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by Icy

Uhh? did i ever complain about anything in the past to make you KNEW i was going to do it now?? Have i ever been a crybaby about anything in the past in this forum?? I think this is the first time i talk about referees in any sport in my whole "history" in FOFC, so i guess you confused me with somebody else.

Relax, my friend. You have to understand that you're replying to someone who has a track record of insulting people from Europe purely because they're from Europe. It's a waste of time to try and discuss with that kind of people.

And yes, you did come around as being a bit sour after a loss, the dutch commentary kept telling how he felt the Americans were the ones getting the tougher calls against them. Now, I'm not a basketball expert by any means, so I'm not going to claim who's right and who isn't, but we all know that feeling of disappointment after our team just lost a close game to a stronger opponent.

[Neon_Chaos]

That was a great game.

Regarding the officiating, the referees were all swallowing their whistles. It was probably the most physical basketball game of the entire olympics, what with everyone flying all over the court and only the tippy-tappy fouls being called. They let the players decide the game between themselves, and if it were not for team USA's cohesiveness, they might as well have collapsed and gone one-on-one against the exceedingly physical Spain zone. Instead, Kobe and the gang moved the ball and made the extra pass, getting those valuable hoops from Deron Williams and Dwight Howard in the final minutes. That four-pt play from Kobe and the three from Wade pretty much sealed the deal.

It's great to be able to see the other international stars compete pre-NBA. There are going to be a lot of expectations from Marc Gasol, Rudy Fernandez, and Ricky Rubio now.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by molson

950th post in an Olympics thread. What happened here? In '04, there were 8 scattered Olympics threads, none had more than 20 posts or so (unless I missed something).

Doesn't it seem like they were a way huger deal than normal this year? I don't think it's just Phelps. I actually think DVR played a big part. I was watching all time, fast forwarding to the stuff I wanted to see, pretty much whenever I had down time.

I think Phelps, plus the fact that people can DVR AND all of the online coverage, makes these far more conducive to conversation.

[Icy]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Relax, my friend. You have to understand that you're replying to someone who has a track record of insulting people from Europe purely because they're from Europe. It's a waste of time to try and discuss with that kind of people.

And yes, you did come around as being a bit sour after a loss, the dutch commentary kept telling how he felt the Americans were the ones getting the tougher calls against them. Now, I'm not a basketball expert by any means, so I'm not going to claim who's right and who isn't, but we all know that feeling of disappointment after our team just lost a close game to a stronger opponent.

Yeah it was his direct attack what surprised me, as i don't recall to have ever talked with him about anything, even less about referees or basketball. Seems he was just waiting for an Spanish to post about the game. Good to know he is this way with more people, next time i won't even lose my time arguing.

About the referees, i guess everybody has an opinion and being the team that lost, everything we say sounds like crying and could be true, i admit it, i was pissed as i think we almost pulled the miracle vs a superior team. It was nice to feel we could beat them and to show that the past game losing by over 30, was not a real reflect of both teams level.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Relax, my friend. You have to understand that you're replying to someone who has a track record of insulting people from Europe purely because they're from Europe.

You should check out the NCAA Tournament threads around here. I assure you those insults are not strictly reserved for the Europeans on the board.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by molson

950th post in an Olympics thread. What happened here? In '04, there were 8 scattered Olympics threads, none had more than 20 posts or so (unless I missed something).

I'm glad you and others pointed out that NBC's coverage has improved over the last couple Olympics,that is probably the main reason i gave it a shot at all this year. I still only watched maybe 5-7 hours total, but I did make time to watch some stuff which I haven't done at all the last 8 years, and I thoroughly enjoyed what I did watch.

[Alan T]

For me it was the ability to watch stuff online that helped get me more into the olympics this year. If Athens or Sydney had this possible, I just wasn't aware. After watching a few days of stuff online, I got more hooked and ended up watching virtually every day on tv after that.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Noop

Spain's team is a bunch of crybabies. I am surprised a fight did not break out from all the dirty plays they were doing especially when Marc Gasol punch Bosh in the mouth for the no call by the refs.

Honestly, I don't think anyone in the entire Olympics acted like more of a bitch than Dwight Howard. I used to really like Dwight, but that's dropped off a bit now. It pains me as a Cavs fan, but LeBron wasn't much better. LeBron and Dwight Howard would be first teamers on the All-Scowl team.

Having said that, the rest of Team USA were great - Kobe and Wade in particular.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Alan T

For me it was the ability to watch stuff online that helped get me more into the olympics this year. If Athens or Sydney had this possible, I just wasn't aware. After watching a few days of stuff online, I got more hooked and ended up watching virtually every day on tv after that.

Our coverage of the games was abysmal over here in Australia... Unless you like swimming heats!!! We had a commercial station as the major broadcaster, and we often only saw snippets of events (if we saw them at all), and during the basketball (and many other events) they'd just cut to a break as the action was still going. Yesterday during the 4th Q of the basketball final they cut to the half hour NEWS with 8 minutes left in the 4th Q and Spain closing in.

To make matters worse, most of the US/English streaming sites blocked foreign addresses, so that wasn't an option either. Thankfully I found a few Euro channels that streamed games. Watching Spain-Greece with Spanish commentators was arguably the highlight of the games for me (TRIPLEY TRIPLEY TRIPLEY TRIPLEY!!!!!)

[lighthousekeeper]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

honestly - rhythmic gymnastics isn't a horrible waste of time - it's kind of impressive how they fling the objects around and catch them with their feet and stuff.

alright - turn in your Man Card right now@!

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

alright - turn in your Man Card right now@!

not sure I ever had one to begin with

[RainMaker]

I think it was bigger this year because NBC loosened up their grip. The online coverage was great and they actually had a ton of TV coverage too. If I remember correctly, Athens didn't have nearly the same coverage.

I still wish NBC would loosen up a bit more on allowing other networks to run highlights and stuff.

[miami_fan]

The basketball tournement on a whole was much more physical than in years past IMO.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

The basketball tournement on a whole was much more physical than in years past IMO.

Definately. I think the rest of the world are starting to value power players in the post now, as opposed to purely finesse bigs - strangely enough, it's just as the US is moving away from that.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Relax, my friend. You have to understand that you're replying to someone who has a track record of insulting people from Europe purely because they're from Europe. It's a waste of time to try and discuss with that kind of people.

And yes, you did come around as being a bit sour after a loss, the dutch commentary kept telling how he felt the Americans were the ones getting the tougher calls against them. Now, I'm not a basketball expert by any means, so I'm not going to claim who's right and who isn't, but we all know that feeling of disappointment after our team just lost a close game to a stronger opponent.

"".GE insisting the the US football team is one of the world's best, or suggesting MLS teams were at the levels of a lower-level EPL team etc etc - this shouldn't come as a surprise.

[Senator]

Originally Posted by molson

950th post in an Olympics thread. What happened here? In '04, there were 8 scattered Olympics threads, none had more than 20 posts or so (unless I missed something).

Doesn't it seem like they were a way huger deal than normal this year? I don't think it's just Phelps. I actually think DVR played a big part. I was watching all time, fast forwarding to the stuff I wanted to see, pretty much whenever I had down time.

In '04 this was still a FOF forum. Now we have a large portion here that just want to interact with people, which isn't a bad thing. I mean, just pick a tv show. Look how many people came to this forum to talk about Lost. This site is more a community on just about any subject available. There is also a large segment of our population that will talk about what is "it" at the moment as if they have spent their whole life waiting for it.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Senator

In '04 this was still a FOF forum. Now we have a large portion here that just want to interact with people, which isn't a bad thing. I mean, just pick a tv show. Look how many people came to this forum to talk about Lost. This site is more a community on just about any subject available. There is also a large segment of our population that will talk about what is "it" at the moment as if they have spent their whole life waiting for it.

I agree that this community is now as you describe. I disagree that it wasn't that way in '04.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

I think the fact that the host nation spent $40 billion also had something to do with it.

Really? I may not be the representative voice on this, I guess. but what does that have to do with the watchability or interest level?

I mean -- I guess China invested more in arenas and so forth, and I suppose that makes some difference for things like the opening or closing ceremonies (that I don't watch anyhow) but I can't see any of that making a difference in whether I watch a given event.

I did watch a good bit more of these Olympics than the last two, though. Maybe I did fall prey to some sinister sinoplot that I didn't even realize. *shurg*

[Noop]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Honestly, I don't think anyone in the entire Olympics acted like more of a bitch than Dwight Howard. I used to really like Dwight, but that's dropped off a bit now. It pains me as a Cavs fan, but LeBron wasn't much better. LeBron and Dwight Howard would be first teamers on the All-Scowl team.

Having said that, the rest of Team USA were great - Kobe and Wade in particular.

I am pretty sure Dwight while on the bench does not argue with the refs and throws towels and look totally unprofessional.

[GoldenEagle]

Originally Posted by Crapshoot

"".GE insisting the the US football team is one of the world's best, or suggesting MLS teams were at the levels of a lower-level EPL team etc etc - this shouldn't come as a surprise.

Can you honestly tell me that the Houston Dynamo or New England Revolution would not beat Hull, Stoke City, or WBA?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

Can you honestly tell me that the Houston Dynamo or New England Revolution would not beat Hull, Stoke City, or WBA?

I don't think it's a given that they would. Would they likely, yes. But they also could quite possibly not.

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

alright - turn in your Man Card right now@!

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

not sure I ever had one to begin with

I can vouch for this, he never had one to begin with.



Sup DT

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by RendeR

I can vouch for this, he never had one to begin with.



Sup DT

Not too much - hangin round. Taking vacation this coming week, so that's definitely nice - should be around.

[RainMaker]

So is the IOC going to do anything about the underage girls on the Chinese team or just close their eyes like they did with the human rights stuff?

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

So is the IOC going to do anything about the underage girls on the Chinese team or just close their eyes like they did with the human rights stuff?

The IOC's heinies are still too sore for them to do anything.

[Subby]

Best Olympics ever. From the opening ceremonies to the five HD Olympics channels available on FIOS, to Phelps, to Bolt, to my DVR, to Internet feeds, to Nastia Liukin, to Misty and Kerry - just an incredible two week smorgasbord of complete freaking awesomeness.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Noop

I am pretty sure Dwight while on the bench does not argue with the refs and throws towels and look totally unprofessional.

Really don't know, don't see much footage of the benches outside of incidental stuff during the games. I'm more interested in how much of a punk he looked like on the court - like palming Pau in the face as they ran up court, for one, or pushing and scowling at some chump from Angola, who was just going for a loose ball under the basket.

For the vast majority of players on Team USA, they had none of the arrogance and ... well... poor attitude that has earnt them so much scorn in the past from the other players and spectators. It was only Dwight and, to a lesser extent, LeBron who had that air about them from what I saw.

The same can not be said for the USA women (yes, I'm looking at you Lisa "three gold" Leslie ).

[stevew]

Thankfully I can now go back to not rooting for Kobe, Wade, Bosh, Kidd and several other d-bags on team USA.

Im really glad Kobe decided to play though, as I doubt they win without him.

[stevew]

dola-

The international 3 point line is a friggin joke. That one really needs to move back to NBA range.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by stevew

Thankfully I can now go back to not rooting for Kobe, Wade, Bosh, Kidd and several other d-bags on team USA.

Im really glad Kobe decided to play though, as I doubt they win without him.

I hear that.

I had a lot more fun watching Kobe and DWade play D than I did watching the endless highlight reel of amazing dunks and acrobatic layups Team USA ran off each game.

[miami_fan]

Call it blinded nationalism all you want. I had a lot of fun and pride watching this version of Team USA play. To me, I can defintely say we weren't the world leaders in the arrogance dept. this time around. In fact, on more than a few occassions, I think Team USA were "punked" and I was pleasantly surprised with their non-reaction.

[clemsonfan]

I'm sad the Olympics are over.

[miked]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

For the vast majority of players on Team USA, they had none of the arrogance and ... well... poor attitude that has earnt them so much scorn in the past from the other players and spectators. It was only Dwight and, to a lesser extent, LeBron who had that air about them from what I saw.

I probably could've done without the taunting by Kobe and Wade in the final minutes. Act like professionals, though I guess in the NBA that sort of thing is par for the course.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by miked

I probably could've done without the taunting by Kobe and Wade in the final minutes. Act like professionals, though I guess in the NBA that sort of thing is par for the course.

Ah, see, we missed the last 8 minutes thanks to our outstanding coverage, so I didn't get to see that.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by miked

I probably could've done without the taunting by Kobe and Wade in the final minutes. Act like professionals, though I guess in the NBA that sort of thing is par for the course.

I am assuming you meant the finger to the mouth after Kobe's four point play and the same after Wade's three with about 2 minutes left, playing to the Spanish who were as intense as always. Of course, no mention of similar acts by the Spanish team throughout the game. Those actions were okay because they aren't supposed to act like "professionals".

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

I am assuming you meant the finger to the mouth after Kobe's four point play and the same after Wade's three with about 2 minutes left, playing to the Spanish who were as intense as always. Of course, no mention of similar acts by the Spanish team throughout the game. Those actions were okay because they aren't supposed to act like "professionals".

The US actions in that game were tame compared to the Spanish. Their bench was warned on several occasions for complaining and they twice threw towels onto the court of play DURING the game.

Even more amusing was when the Spanish were complaining about two of their players getting in foul trouble in the first quarter when Kobe and LeBron were already on the bench in the first quarter with 2 fouls each. They were evidently oblivious to the fact that the refs were making ridiculously lousy calls on both ends.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

The US actions in that game were tame compared to the Spanish. Their bench was warned on several occasions for complaining and they twice threw towels onto the court of play DURING the game.

Even more amusing was when the Spanish were complaining about two of their players getting in foul trouble in the first quarter when Kobe and LeBron were already on the bench in the first quarter with 2 fouls each. They were evidently oblivious to the fact that the refs were making ridiculously lousy calls on both ends.

Honestly, I don't even mean it as a criticism of the Spanish team. I just get tired of the double standards that is all.

[MJ4H]

I would guess (and it is only a guess) that it was more a result of paying more attention to your own team rather than an actual double standard. I noticed the USA tauntung much more than anything Spain did because I was paying more attention to them. Might not be the case here, though, just a possible alternate explanation.

[miked]

I was going to mention the Italy-like flopping of the Spanish players, but I figured that was to be expected as the US were clearly more physical. But seriously, act like you've been there before.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by miked

I was going to mention the Italy-like flopping of the Spanish players, but I figured that was to be expected as the US were clearly more physical. But seriously, act like you've been there before.

Call it the 'soccerization' of European basketball. There were several times during the tournament that I saw a European player go down like someone had just shot them. I actually saw one player grab their knee and start rolling around in pain, only to stand up seconds later and inbound the ball without any noticable limp.

I agree with MJ4H's assessment that it was mainly noticed because people were paying more attentiont to the US players. I'm not a huge fan of the NBA at all, but I thought the US players were pretty well behaved in comparison to the antics of some of their opponents.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

OK, I admit it. I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories. Chance of a lifetime for these two runners.......

Somalia's runners provide inspiration - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

Somalia’s runners provide inspiration
By Charles Robinson, Yahoo! Sports
Aug 24, 12:53 pm EDT

AP - Aug 18, 11:14 pm EDT

BEIJING – Samia Yusuf Omar headed back to Somalia Sunday, returning to the small two-room house in Mogadishu shared by seven family members. Her mother lives there, selling fruits and vegetables. Her father is buried there, the victim of a wayward artillery shell that hit their home and also killed Samia’s aunt and uncle.

This is the Olympic story we never heard.

It’s about a girl whose Beijing moment lasted a mere 32 seconds – the slowest 200-meter dash time out of the 46 women who competed in the event. Thirty-two seconds that almost nobody saw but that she carries home with her, swelled with joy and wonderment. Back to a decades-long civil war that has flattened much of her city. Back to an Olympic program with few Olympians and no facilities. Back to meals of flat bread, wheat porridge and tap water.

“I have my pride,” she said through a translator before leaving China. “This is the highest thing any athlete can hope for. It has been a very happy experience for me. I am proud to bring the Somali flag to fly with all of these countries, and to stand with the best athletes in the world.”

There are many life stories that collide in each Olympics – many intriguing tales of glory and tragedy. Beijing delivered the electricity of Usain Bolt and the determination of Michael Phelps. It left hearts heavy with the disappointment of Liu Xiang and the heartache of Hugh McCutcheon.

But it also gave us Samia Yusuf Omar – one small girl from one chaotic country – and a story that might have gone unnoticed if it hadn’t been for a roaring half-empty stadium.


***

It was Aug. 19, and the tiny girl had crossed over seven lanes to find her starting block in her 200-meter heat. She walked past Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown – the eventual gold medalist in the event. Samia had read about Campbell-Brown in track and field magazines and once watched her in wonderment on television. As a cameraman panned down the starting blocks, it settled on lane No. 2, on a 17-year old girl with the frame of a Kenyan distance runner. Samia’s biography in the Olympic media system contained almost no information, other than her 5-foot-4, 119-pound frame. There was no mention of her personal best times and nothing on previous track meets. Somalia, it was later explained, has a hard time organizing the records of its athletes.

She looked so odd and out of place among her competitors, with her white headband and a baggy, untucked T-shirt. The legs on her wiry frame were thin and spindly, and her arms poked out of her sleeves like the twigs of a sapling. She tugged at the bottom of her shirt and shot an occasional nervous glance at the other runners in her heat. Each had muscles bulging from beneath their skin-tight track suits. Many outweighed Samia by nearly 40 pounds.

After introductions, she knelt into her starting block.

***

The country of Somalia sent two athletes to the Beijing Games – Samia and distance runner Abdi Said Ibrahim, who competed in the men’s 5,000-meter event. Like Samia, Abdi finished last in his event, overmatched by competitors who were groomed for their Olympic moment. Somalia has only loose-knit programs supporting its Olympians, few coaches, and few facilities. With a civil war tearing the city apart since the Somali government’s collapse in 1991, Mogadishu Stadium has become one of the bloodiest pieces of real estate in the city – housing U.N. forces in the early 1990s and now a military compound for insurgents.

That has left the country’s track athletes to train in Coni Stadium, an artillery-pocked structure built in 1958 which has no track, endless divots, and has been overtaken by weeds and plants.

“Sports are not a priority for Somalia,” said Duran Farah, vice president of the Somali Olympic Committee. “There is no money for facilities or training. The war, the security, the difficulties with food and everything – there are just many other internal difficulties to deal with.”

That leaves athletes such as Samia and 18-year old Abdi without the normal comforts and structure enjoyed by almost every other athlete in the Olympic Games. They don’t receive consistent coaching, don’t compete in meets on a regular basis and struggle to find safety in something as simple as going out for a daily run.

When Samia cannot make it to the stadium, she runs in the streets, where she runs into roadblocks of burning tires and refuse set out by insurgents. She is often bullied and threatened by militia or locals who believe that Muslim women should not take part in sports. In hopes of lessening the abuse, she runs in the oppressive heat wearing long sleeves, sweat pants and a head scarf. Even then, she is told her place should be in the home – not participating in sports.

“For some men, nothing is good enough,” Farah said.

Even Abdi faces constant difficulties, passing through military checkpoints where he is shaken down for money. And when he has competed in sanctioned track events, gun-toting insurgents have threatened his life for what they viewed as compliance with the interim government.

“Once, the insurgents were very unhappy,” he said. “When we went back home, my friends and I were rounded up and we were told if we did it again, we would get killed. Some of my friends stopped being in sports. I had many phone calls threatening me, that if I didn’t stop running, I would get killed. Lately, I do not have these problems. I think probably they realized we just wanted to be athletes and were not involved with the government.”

But the interim government has not been able to offer support, instead spending its cash and energy arming Ethiopian allies for the fight against insurgents. Other than organizing a meet to compete for Olympic selection – in which the Somali Olympic federation chose whom it believed to be its two best performers – there has been little lavished on athletes. While other countries pour millions into the training and perfecting of their Olympic stars, Somalia offers little guidance and no doctors, not even a stipend for food.

“The food is not something that is measured and given to us every day,” Samia said. “We eat whatever we can get.”

On the best days, that means getting protein from a small portion of fish, camel or goat meat, and carbohydrates from bananas or citrus fruits growing in local trees. On the worst days – and there are long stretches of those – it means surviving on water and Angera, a flat bread made from a mixture of wheat and barley.

“There is no grocery store,” Abdi said. “We can’t go shopping for whatever we want.”

He laughs at this thought, with a smile that is missing a front tooth.


***

When the gun went off in Samia’s 200-meter heat, seven women blasted from their starting blocks, registering as little as 16 one-hundredths of a second of reaction time. Samia’s start was slow enough that the computer didn’t read it, leaving her reaction time blank on the heat’s statistical printout.

Within seconds, seven competitors were thundering around the curve in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest, struggling to separate themselves from one another. Samia was just entering the curve when her opponents were nearing the finish line. A local television feed had lost her entirely by the time Veronica Campbell-Brown crossed the finish line in a trotting 23.04 seconds.

As the athletes came to a halt and knelt, stretching and sucking deep breaths, a camera moved to ground level. In the background of the picture, a white dot wearing a headband could be seen coming down the stretch.

***

Until this month, Samia had been to two countries outside of her own – Djibouti and Ethiopia. Asked how she will describe Beijing, her eyes get big and she snickers from under a blue and white Olympic baseball cap.

“The stadiums, I never thought something like this existed in the world,” she said. “The buildings in the city, it was all very surprising. It will probably take days to finish all the stories we have to tell.”

Asked about Beijing’s otherworldly Water Cube, she lets out a sigh: “Ahhhhhhh.”

Before she can answer, Abdi cuts her off.

“I didn’t know what it was when I saw it,” he said. “Is it plastic? Is it magic?”

Few buildings are beyond two or three stories tall in Mogadishu, and those still standing are mostly in tatters. Only pictures will be able to describe some of Beijing’s structures, from the ancient architecture of the Forbidden City to the modernity of the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest.

“The Olympic fire in the stadium, everywhere I am, it is always up there,” Samia said. “It’s like the moon. I look up wherever I go, it is there.”

These are the stories they will relish when they return to Somalia, which they believe has, for one brief moment, united the country’s warring tribes. Farah said he had received calls from countrymen all over the world, asking how their two athletes were doing and what they had experienced in China. On the morning of Samia’s race, it was just after 5 a.m., and locals from her neighborhood were scrambling to find a television with a broadcast.

“People stayed awake to see it,” Farah said. “The good thing, sports is the one thing which unites all of Somalia.”

That is one of the common threads they share with every athlete at the Games. Just being an Olympian and carrying the country’s flag brings an immense sense of pride to families and neighborhoods which typically know only despair.

A pride that Samia will share with her mother, three brothers and three sisters. A pride that Abdi will carry home to his father, two brothers and two sisters. Like Samia’s father two years ago, Abdi’s mother was killed in the civil war, by a mortar shell that hit the family’s home in 1993.

“We are very proud,” Samia said. “Because of us, the Somali flag is raised among all the other nations’ flags. You can’t imagine how proud we were when we were marching in the Opening Ceremonies with the flag.

“Despite the difficulties and everything we’ve had with our country, we feel great pride in our accomplishment.”

***

As Samia came down the stretch in her 200-meter heat, she realized that the Somalian Olympic federation had chosen to place her in the wrong event. The 200 wasn’t nearly the best event for a middle distance runner. But the federation believed the dash would serve as a “good experience” for her. Now she was coming down the stretch alone, pumping her arms and tilting her head to the side with a look of despair.

Suddenly, the half-empty stadium realized there was still a runner on the track, still pushing to get across the finish line almost eight seconds behind the seven women who had already completed the race. In the last 50 meters, much of the stadium rose to its feet, flooding the track below with cheers of encouragement. A few competitors who had left Samia behind turned and watched it unfold.

As Samia crossed the line in 32.16 seconds, the crowd roared in applause. Bahamian runner Sheniqua Ferguson, the next smallest woman on the track at 5-foot-7 and 130 pounds, looked at the girl crossing the finish and thought to herself, “Wow, she’s tiny.”

“She must love running,” Ferguson said later.

***

Several days later, Samia waved off her Olympic moment as being inspirational. While she was still filled with joy over her chance to compete, and though she knew she had done all she could, part of her seemed embarrassed that the crowd had risen to its feet to help push her across the finish line.

“I was happy the people were cheering and encouraging me,” she said. “But I would have liked to be cheered because I won, not because I needed encouragement. It is something I will work on. I will try my best not to be the last person next time. It was very nice for people to give me that encouragement, but I would prefer the winning cheer.

She shrugged and smiled.

“I knew it was an uphill task.”

And there it was. While the Olympics are often promoted for the fastest and strongest and most agile champions, there is something to be said for the ones who finish out of the limelight. The ones who finish last and leave with their pride.

At their best, the Olympics still signify competition and purity, a love for sport. What represents that better than two athletes who carry their country’s flag into the Games despite their country’s inability to carry them before that moment? What better way to find the best of the Olympic spirit than by looking at those who endure so much that would break it?

“We know that we are different from the other athletes,” Samia said. “But we don’t want to show it. We try our best to look like all the rest. We understand we are not anywhere near the level of the other competitors here. We understand that very, very well. But more than anything else, we would like to show the dignity of ourselves and our country.”

She smiles when she says this, sitting a stone’s throw from a Somalian flag that she and her countryman Abdi brought to these Games. They came and went from Beijing largely unnoticed, but may have been the most dignified example these Olympics could offer.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by miked

I was going to mention the Italy-like flopping of the Spanish players, but I figured that was to be expected as the US were clearly more physical. But seriously, act like you've been there before.

I go back to what JIMGA said about the gymnastics team.

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Probably worth noting at this point that none of the members of the U.S. men's gymnastics team had ever been there before.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Call it the 'soccerization' of European basketball. There were several times during the tournament that I saw a European player go down like someone had just shot them. I actually saw one player grab their knee and start rolling around in pain, only to stand up seconds later and inbound the ball without any noticable limp.

I agree with MJ4H's assessment that it was mainly noticed because people were paying more attentiont to the US players. I'm not a huge fan of the NBA at all, but I thought the US players were pretty well behaved in comparison to the antics of some of their opponents.

Yeah, team argentina was especially made up of guys that dive like footballers. Manu is the worst flopper in the NBA, outside of maybe Varejao. I like Andy though and he plays for my fave team, but he's a diver.
Especially in 5 foul basketball, which is just an insanely small amount of fouls for how physical the game can get.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by stevew

Yeah, team argentina was especially made up of guys that dive like footballers. Manu is the worst flopper in the NBA, outside of maybe Varejao. I like Andy though and he plays for my fave team, but he's a diver.
Especially in 5 foul basketball, which is just an insanely small amount of fouls for how physical the game can get.

It's the same as the NBA.

6 fouls / 48 minutes = 1 foul per 8 minutes
5 fouls / 40 minutes = 1 foul per 8 minutes

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by stevew

Yeah, team argentina was especially made up of guys that dive like footballers. Manu is the worst flopper in the NBA, outside of maybe Varejao. I like Andy though and he plays for my fave team, but he's a diver.

You are not giving AK47 nearly enough credit.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Call it the 'soccerization' of European basketball. There were several times during the tournament that I saw a European player go down like someone had just shot them. I actually saw one player grab their knee and start rolling around in pain, only to stand up seconds later and inbound the ball without any noticable limp.

Wait, Paul Pierce is European?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by miked

I probably could've done without the taunting by Kobe and Wade in the final minutes. Act like professionals, though I guess in the NBA that sort of thing is par for the course.

the Spanish basketball team obviously got your memo to "act like professionals". what else you got?