Ahira's Hangar

Yeah, I watched an NBC profile on Phelps and his daily diet. He's a machine - in the best sense of the word. One of the most powerful swimmers I've ever seen, not that I look at them too closely.

Okay, can I just say the American swimming team - men's and women's - at these Olympics has been awesome? How about phenomenal: Rebecca Soni beating the heavy favorite Leisel Jones by over a body length in the 200M breaststroke and setting a world record...Ryan Lochte beating his own world record and teammate Aaron Peirsol in the 200M backstroke...and Michael Phelps getting Gold Medal #6 in world record time in the 200M individual medley....WOW.

That's what I like about events such as swimming: it's all about who gets there first. The clock cannot be bribed or blackmailed. Which brings me to gymnastics and the women's all-around competition. The judging seemed biased against the Americans early on, penalizing them for mistakes that the Chinese girls got away with almost scot-free. Dubious judging at the Olympics: what a big freakin' surpise. Yet somehow the judges recovered enough sense at the end to get it right: Gold and silver for the American girls, which they deserved because in my view they were clearly better than the Chinese this night.

Am I way too cynical in expecting wonky/possibly corrupt judging in sports like figure skating and gymnastics?

I have not seen any of the wonen's gymnastics, as it has been on TV while I have been at work - so I cannot say anything about the judging. But I did get home in time to see the medals being awarded in team competition the other night. Freaked me out. Those Chinese girls were cute as buttons, but some of them looked like they were 12 or 13 years old. What the heck?

I have long been an advocate of not letting anyone under the age of 18 in the Olympics. Too young to vote? Then too young to represent your country on an international stage.

A Chinese newspaper reported in November that one of the Chinese gymnasts is thirteen-now there's going to be a big investigation, Can't have an Olympics without a controversy...

I agree, those Chinese girls look awfully young. That doesn't mean they aren't sixteen, which is the minimum age requirement, but there are inconsistencies in the reporting of their ages, as danlo mentioned. Of course, Chinese officials dismiss it as a non-issue.

I have been meaning to ask - what is the controversy surrounding the opening ceremony? I did not see it, as I took the kids to a movie the night it was on, and I miss a lot of coverage working second shift, so have not heard about it, other than Mooonwatcher's post?

And while I'm at it, what is with the women's beach volleyball? The guys get to wear comfortable loose shirts and shorts, and the women are stuck wearing bikinis with bottoms that look like they would give you a permanent wedgie! Can't they at least let the girls wear tankinis with boy short style bottoms?

The equestrain three day event preliminary round is on right now. A guy from Canada just came out and they called him "Captain Canada". He is in his sixties and has been in every Olympics except the boycotted Moscow Games starting in 1972. And Moonwatcher - the American commentators said the Canadians have a great chance at a medal in this event because every Canadian rider and horse has looked great today!

That's the best part of the Olympics!

Captain Canada and his beautiful horse?

Could it be possible for a race to be closer than the Phelps race tonight?

And what great sportsmanship shown by Torres, the Grand Old Lady of the Pool, when she delayed the start of her semifinal to ensure a woman having a problem with her suit could make it out for the start of the race.

That thing with the little girl is both wrong and creepy.

I also googled around and the women in beach volleyball are required to wear skimpy bathing suits. There are even regulations on how many centimeters the briefs have to be under in size. They have the option of wearing a skimpy one piece instead, but I do not know of a single woman in the real world who actually chooses to wear a one piece swimsuit over a two piece due to bathroom issues and sand in the suit issues. (You guys probably do not understand how awful it is to go into a restroom for a quick pee while in a one piece swimsuit. Tankinis are every bit as modest as a one piece, and boy shorts make bathroom quick and easy and do not give you a wedgie! Nearly every little girl and women I know of every age group and size wear tankinis and boy shorts. Though maybe its a local thing, Menolly would have to comment if Floridians also go for tankinis.)

You guys do know that while it might make for good eye candy, and while probably a lot of the female athletes are quite deservedly proud of their very toned and fit bodies, that this uniform requirement pretty much blocks women from more traditional cultures from participating in the sport - most traditional Hindi women and Muslim women would not appear in public dressed like that. Whereas if they could wear baggy clothes like the men, perhaps some of them (a few of them?) might feel comfortable enough to participate.

And let us not even talk about how sickened I felt seeing George W. Bush cavorting with some of the US beach volleyball players (the girls in their bikinis, he fully clothed), like a nasty old horny goat. Gross!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So anyway, the women are required to wear the tiny uniforms - and the men are required to wear the baggy shorts and shirts. Googling around, a lot of the men would actually like to play topless, but are not allowed under the rules of the sport. Quite the double standard operating.

YAY!!!!!!

We have always had really good girl wrestlers - many of them nationally ranked - on our high school team. It is a co-ed sport in this state. There is one right now a year ahead of my younger son who is considered to have a great chance of being the first girl to make it to the individual state championships (girls have made it to the state team championships but not the individuals). I have nothing but admiration for the girls - they are filled with win, and tough as nails both physically and emotionally to thrive in such a testosterone laden environment. I was really happy when they added women's wrestling to the Athens games.

While I was watching the games tonight, I saw a Canadian male swimmer win a medal, and they mentioned a Canadian male rower also got a medal. So things are turning around for Canada.

What about Phelps? His name has got to be entered into any debates for the greatest male athlete of all time in any sport.

And what about that Jamaican sprinter, Bolt? Holy cow, that guy can run!

I am really hoping that neither Phelps nor Bolt turn out to be roid monkeys! I think that would break my heart.