2008 Summer Olympics

Before I get to some notes about the Beijing Olympics, let me just say that I know I've been slacking in my blogging efforts lately. I have a new work schedule now, and as summer winds down I should be able to do some more consistent posting. Now to the Olympics.

I watched a good portion of the Opening Ceremony last night, and felt that China put on a fairly decent show. Some portions of the ceremony were definitely more spectacular than others - the drummers, fireworks, and torch lighting were probably the three most memorable aspects for me. And I thought NBC did a fine job covering the event. The announcers regularly mixed in comments pertaining to political issues with more lighthearted fare - at one point, Bob Costas reminded viewers that the Central African Republic was located in central Africa. But Costas also had some chastising words for the Chinese revoking Joey Cheek's visa. It will be interesting to watch, as the Games continue the next two weeks, how NBC chooses to mix in political discussions with their coverage of the sporting events.

There are several other story-lines that I will be paying attention to during the Beijing Games. One is certainly the medal count competition between the US and China. A lot of analysts have predicted that the Chinese will win more medals than the American delegation. The Chinese team contains 639 athletes compared to the US' 595, and many believe that the homefield advantage will push China past the US. Here are the medal counts from the 4 previous Summer Olympics:

2004 - Athens

US - 102 Medals (36 Gold, 39 Silver, 27 Bronze)
Russia - 92 Medals (27 Gold, 27 Silver, 38 Bronze)
China - 63 Medals (32 Gold, 17 Silver, 14 Bronze)

2000 - Sydney

US - 97 Medals (40 G, 24 S, 33 B)
Russia - 88 Medals (32 G, 28 S, 28 B)
China - 59 Medals (28 G, 16 S, 15 B)

1996 - Atlanta

US - 101 Medals (44 G, 32 S, 25 B)
Germany - 65 Medals (20 G, 18 S, 27 B)
Russia - 63 Medals (26 G, 21 S, 16 B)

1992 - Barcelona

Unified Team (ex-Soviet Union countries) - 112 Medals (45 G, 38 S, 29 B)
US - 108 Medals (37 G, 34 S, 37 B)
Germany - 82 Medals (33 G, 21 S, 28 B)

So far, 12 countries have already won at least one medal. The US women swept the first fencing event, and the Americans have their first gold, silver, and bronze medals.

One of the bigger themes for the US team will be redemption. The US men's basketball team has dubbed themselves the "Redeem Team" as they seek a gold medal in Beijing to erase the disappointments of past world competitions. And recent doping scandals and suspicions have plagued a number of American athletes, in events such as track and field and swimming.

The events I'm most looking forward to watching are baseball, men's basketball, softball, tennis, and track and field. And table tennis - the event that defines the Summer Olympics.