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Beijing winners and losers
By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com
Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 3:26 AM ET
BEIJING -- Every Olympics produces winners and losers. Some are obvious. Some are not.
Michael Phelps leads off and Jason Lezak powers home on the anchor leg in the 4x100m free relay.
WINNERS
China: Spent at least $40 billion, staged most memorable Games.
Beijing: Pollution? What pollution? Those were blue skies over Olympic Green on some days.
IOC: Decision seven years ago to award Games to country with one-fifth of the world's population: vindicated. The IOC, spokeswoman Giselle Davies said at a closing news conference, leaves holding "very firmly in the belief it was the right choice to come to China and ... these Games have been enormously successful on a number of fronts."
President Bush: First sitting American president to attend Opening Ceremony overseas, scores points back home for support of Team USA, scores points in China by giving much-wanted face to politicians and citizens alike.
Michael Phelps: Eight races, eight gold medals, seven world records. The greatest performance at a single Games. Ever.
Usain Bolt: Three races, three gold medals, three world records. The most dominant performance by a sprinter at a single Games. Ever.
Jamaican sprinters: Four races, seven medals, including medal sweep in the women's 100m. Now: what's behind the greatness? Sunny island weather, or something else?
Rebecca Adlington: Games in London in four years and introducing your first star of those 2012 Games -- the 19-year-old British swimmer who won gold in Beijing in both the 400m and 800m freestyle events. In the longer race, she also toppled the longest-standing record in swimming, the one that had stood since the year Adlington was born.
Nastia Liukin: Gold medalist in women's all-around. Five medals overall, ties Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Miller. Ethereal loveliness sure to translate to marketing opportunities back home.
Shawn Johnson: Gold on balance beam means that, like her good friend Nastia, she too can go home a gold medalist. Both now gymnastics royalty. Winning smile sure to translate to marketing opportunities back home.
Bryan Clay: Nice guys really can finish first. In the decathlon. "I just want the Wheaties box," he said afterward. "Put me on the Wheaties box."
Jason Lezak: Thirty-two years old and still bringing it. Anchors U.S. men's 4x100m relay team to win. Anchors U.S. 4x100m medley relay team to win. Wins bronze in 100m.
BMX: Laoshan venue proved gnarly, riders and fans stoked the event in the Games.
U.S. team sports: Medalists in, among others, men's and women's water polo, women's soccer, men's and women's volleyball.
U.S. softball team: Their silver doesn't make them losers. It might be a silver lining -- maybe a key to softball being readmitted to the Olympics come 2016.
Redeem Team: Supposed to win. Did. Just because you're supposed to, and you do, doesn't make it any less of an accomplishment.
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LOSERS
Liu Xiang: Chinese hurdler can't go because of injury. Disappoints only 1.3 billion people. Biggest Liu-xer of the Games?
Ara Abrahamian: Swedish wrestler takes bronze medal off his neck during medal ceremony, steps from podium, drops it in middle of the mat, storms off.
Jeremy Wariner: 2004 Athens Games 400m champ finishes second to LaShawn Merritt in Beijing, walks right past rows of reporters without saying a word.
Lyudmilla Blonska: Silver medalist in the women's heptathlon tests positive for methyltestosterone, loses medal. American Hyleas Fountain moves up from third to second.
U.S. track and field 4x100 relay teams: Racing in the prelims, the men's team drops the baton. Racing in the prelims, the women's team drops the baton. New USA Track & Field chief executive Doug Logan writes in his blog, "I have received e-mails from people across the country, particularly about the relays. They all say more or less the same thing: the dropped batons were reflective of a lack of preparation, lack of professionalism and of leadership. I agree."
U.S. boxers: One medal. A bronze.
London Opening Ceremony planners: Top Beijing's. If you can.
Copyright 2008 NBC Universal. All rights reserved. Any use, reproduction, modification, distribution, display or performance of this material without NBC Universal's prior written consent is prohibited.
By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com
Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 3:26 AM ET
BEIJING -- Every Olympics produces winners and losers. Some are obvious. Some are not.
Michael Phelps leads off and Jason Lezak powers home on the anchor leg in the 4x100m free relay.
WINNERS
China: Spent at least $40 billion, staged most memorable Games.
Beijing: Pollution? What pollution? Those were blue skies over Olympic Green on some days.
IOC: Decision seven years ago to award Games to country with one-fifth of the world's population: vindicated. The IOC, spokeswoman Giselle Davies said at a closing news conference, leaves holding "very firmly in the belief it was the right choice to come to China and ... these Games have been enormously successful on a number of fronts."
President Bush: First sitting American president to attend Opening Ceremony overseas, scores points back home for support of Team USA, scores points in China by giving much-wanted face to politicians and citizens alike.
Michael Phelps: Eight races, eight gold medals, seven world records. The greatest performance at a single Games. Ever.
Usain Bolt: Three races, three gold medals, three world records. The most dominant performance by a sprinter at a single Games. Ever.
Jamaican sprinters: Four races, seven medals, including medal sweep in the women's 100m. Now: what's behind the greatness? Sunny island weather, or something else?
Rebecca Adlington: Games in London in four years and introducing your first star of those 2012 Games -- the 19-year-old British swimmer who won gold in Beijing in both the 400m and 800m freestyle events. In the longer race, she also toppled the longest-standing record in swimming, the one that had stood since the year Adlington was born.
Nastia Liukin: Gold medalist in women's all-around. Five medals overall, ties Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Miller. Ethereal loveliness sure to translate to marketing opportunities back home.
Shawn Johnson: Gold on balance beam means that, like her good friend Nastia, she too can go home a gold medalist. Both now gymnastics royalty. Winning smile sure to translate to marketing opportunities back home.
Bryan Clay: Nice guys really can finish first. In the decathlon. "I just want the Wheaties box," he said afterward. "Put me on the Wheaties box."
Jason Lezak: Thirty-two years old and still bringing it. Anchors U.S. men's 4x100m relay team to win. Anchors U.S. 4x100m medley relay team to win. Wins bronze in 100m.
BMX: Laoshan venue proved gnarly, riders and fans stoked the event in the Games.
U.S. team sports: Medalists in, among others, men's and women's water polo, women's soccer, men's and women's volleyball.
U.S. softball team: Their silver doesn't make them losers. It might be a silver lining -- maybe a key to softball being readmitted to the Olympics come 2016.
Redeem Team: Supposed to win. Did. Just because you're supposed to, and you do, doesn't make it any less of an accomplishment.
To view nbcolympics.com fully make sure you have Macromedia Flash Player version 7 or higher. Click here to download.
LOSERS
Liu Xiang: Chinese hurdler can't go because of injury. Disappoints only 1.3 billion people. Biggest Liu-xer of the Games?
Ara Abrahamian: Swedish wrestler takes bronze medal off his neck during medal ceremony, steps from podium, drops it in middle of the mat, storms off.
Jeremy Wariner: 2004 Athens Games 400m champ finishes second to LaShawn Merritt in Beijing, walks right past rows of reporters without saying a word.
Lyudmilla Blonska: Silver medalist in the women's heptathlon tests positive for methyltestosterone, loses medal. American Hyleas Fountain moves up from third to second.
U.S. track and field 4x100 relay teams: Racing in the prelims, the men's team drops the baton. Racing in the prelims, the women's team drops the baton. New USA Track & Field chief executive Doug Logan writes in his blog, "I have received e-mails from people across the country, particularly about the relays. They all say more or less the same thing: the dropped batons were reflective of a lack of preparation, lack of professionalism and of leadership. I agree."
U.S. boxers: One medal. A bronze.
London Opening Ceremony planners: Top Beijing's. If you can.
Copyright 2008 NBC Universal. All rights reserved. Any use, reproduction, modification, distribution, display or performance of this material without NBC Universal's prior written consent is prohibited.
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