History in Beijing

 

The biggest sporting spectacular has ended, it has been a drama filled two weeks at the Beijing Olympic summer games.

 

These Olympic Games surely rate amongst the best ever, despite fears of protest prior to the opening ceremony and concerns over the air-pollution in Beijing, more than 36 world records and 74 Olympic records have been broken, most of which came from the water cube during the first week of the Games. American swimmers did not disappoint with Michael Phelps over shadowing every other swimmer in the pool. Phelps had Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in one Olympic Games in mind, which was set at the Munich games in 1972. He managed to accomplish and surpass that goal, by winning eight gold medals breaking seven world records in the process and earned himself the title of – The greatest Olympian of all time. 

 

The second week at the Beijing Olympics saw the start of the Track and Field events. Much debate was on who will take the crown of being the fastest man on earth, with American Tyson Gay, Jamaicans Asafa Powell and in form current world record holder over the 100 meters Usain Bolt being the favourites for that title. As it is now known Usain Bolt won these coveted 100 and 200 meter titles with two world record times of 9.69 and 19.30 seconds and the 4×100m men’s relay also in a world record time. Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia won gold on both the 5000m and 10 000meters.

 

 Tyson Gay began U.S.A’s woes at the Track and Field by failing to qualify for the 100 meter final. And gold medal hopeful on the women’s 100 meter hurdles American Lolo Jones led her final race and  tripped on the second last hurdle to come seventh in that race. But that was not the end of U.S.A s misery, Jamaica made a clean sweep over the woman’s 100 meters winning the gold and two silver medals in the process, together with the women’s 200 meter gold medal by Veronica Campbell – Brown . With both the American and Jamaican 4x 100m women’s relay teams failing to perform, Russia won the women’s event. No one anticipated the drama at the Bird’s Nest, but China’s hopes also tumbled when gold medal favourite and current Olympic record holder over the 110 meter hurdles Liu Xiang failed to make it to the second round of the event, after pulling out on his first round race with a foot injury.

 

With the South African swimming team failing to win a medal during the first week of the games, the countries hopes were revived by a silver medal from Khotso Mokoena in the long jump.

One question lingers among the South Africans, what went wrong for our team in Beijing? But the question on the mind of sport lovers around the globe is, who is the star of the Beijing Olympic Games, and two athletes come to mind, Usain “Lightning” Bolt and The phenomenal Michael Phelps.