Well, Ive been overdosing on the Olympics lately. I hadnt even intended to watch much of themI *thought* I wasnt that interested, and I didnt know the names of any athletes who would be competing other than Michael Phelps and Dara Torres. But these Beijing games have captivated me, particularly the swimming, the womens gymnastics, and some of the track and field events. As I write, Im watching the medal ceremony for the final gymnastics event of the gamesthe womens balance beamwhere two American young ladies stand at the #1 and #2 spots on the podium. The beam proved to be sweet success at last for the cheerful Shawn Johnson, who had previously won 3 silver medals (in the team competition, all-around, and floor exercise)and she sure deserved the gold this time. Watching these gymnasts on the beam always makes me hold my breathhow in the world they can do handless somersaults in the air and land on one foot on a 4-inch wide beam without completely losing their nerve is beyond me. And Ive got to recognize Nastia Liukin, Shawns American teammate, who won the ultimate prize in womens gymnastics, the All-Around championship (contended over all 4 gymnastics events, the beam, vault, floor exercise, and uneven bars). She is as graceful as a ballerina and was a joy to watch. Following womens gymnastics this Olympics has taken me back to my childhood, when I used to watch, wonder, and get desperately emotionally involved in my favorite gymnasts (usually the Americans in their duels against the powerhouse Russians of the 90s).
And then, of course, theres Michael Phelps. What can i say that hasnt already been said? His feat (a never-before-achieved 8 golds in a single Olympics) is epic. Im talking Achilles, Odysseus, the stuff of legends. Over the course of his eight competitions, he had both dominant performancessetting world records in 7 of the swimsand close calls which were even more thrilling. In the 100m butterfly, in a finish that has since been endlessly replayed and dissected by freeze frame, Phelps won by the length of a pencil eraser. It didnt even look to the spectators eye, watching the race live, like he wonbut he got his fingertips to the wall in a last-second herculean effort to win by one one-hundredth of a second. To keep his historic streak alive. It was pure drama that I didnt even realize swimming was capable of! Now his quest (these Olympic commentators love the word in fact, they love Classical allusions in general, which I suppose is appropriate given the Ancient Greek origins of the Olympics) is over, and he can relax, give a bunch of interviews, and get about the business of deciding which endorsement deals to accept.
There are plenty more storylines to these Olympic games; these are just the ones Ive followed most closely. Any favorite events or moments for you guys.

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