Sports, Sports Everywhere!

The Olympics ended two days ago and I am finally getting some photos up of some more Olympic events.

First, here is a complete list of the events I got to see:

1. Cycling Road Race
2. Cycling Track
3. Boxing
4. Handball
5. Water Polo
6. Athletics
7. Beach Volleyball
8. Indoor Volleyball
9. Judo
10. Modern Pentatholon

Because this is the Olympics, which is all about handing out medals, I'd like to present my own winners.

Coolest Sport Award goes to: Cycling Road Race

It will always have a piece of my heart, as I learned more about that sport than any other.


Most Fun Award goes to: Beach Volleyball

Swimsuits. Sand. Sun. You get it.

Best Venue Award goes to: Athletics

Athletics is held in the Bird's Nest. End of story.

Strangest Sport Award goes to: Judo

An exhibition sport this year, it's basically boxing without rules. In my opinion, it should remain a non-Olympic sport.


Congratulations to all the winners.

Now, on to photos:

INDOOR VOLLEYBALL

My best sports photography shot all Olympics. This is why I am not a sports photographer.


Group hug. Wish I was in the middle.

MODERN PENTATHOLON (I wasn't allowed to take photos so I had to sneak these!)






JUDO

FYI

FYI: The Summer Olympic Games are over. Finished until 2012. But because I am painfully behind on my blogging (if you want me to write about the things I've done here, then I need time to actually go out and do them!) I will still be doing some blogging about the Olympics.

In the meantime, here is a hilarious picture.

A Chinese man and some kids approached a few of my friends and asked if the kids could be in a picture with them. My friends said that wouldn't be a problem. Then the kids decided to pose like this:



I'm pretty sure they are ninjas.

Handball and Water Polo: America's Favorite Pastimes

I recently snagged an entry pass to an Olympic venue that contains the buildings for Handball, Water Polo, Fencing and Modern Pentatholon.

So, after work the other day, I headed over to a handball match. After an hour or so, it was on to water polo where, as luck would have it, the USA women's team was playing the Netherlands. This was especially lucky because I've decided that Dutch is my second favorite nationality, right after Italian.

In terms of coolness, here is where I feel the countries' fans stand:

1. Dutch--who basically wear a lot of orange and hand out little wooden shoe pins which are also orange
2. Swedish--who mostly choose not just to wear their nation's colors, but usually to just wear their flag
3. Hungarians--who are usually just very intoxicated at all the events
4. Chinese--who flock in the thousands to any and every event even though you usually get the impression they don't understand the first thing about the sport. like me.
5. United States of Americans and Australians (TIE)-who are generally awesome, and enjoy painting their faces, but need to up the anty like those European hooligans.

Anyhow, I didn't intend to write about that. Here are some pictures of what I'm sure are your two favorite sports.

Column 9

One World, One Dream, One Big Decision

The Olympics are always filled with drama. Dramatic performances at the opening ceremony. Dramatic photo finishes . Dramatic losers. Dramatic winners.

But there's no point in denying that the Beijing Olympics has seen some extra drama. "To protest or not to protest?" seemed to be the big question surrounding the 2008 Summer Olympics. A few months before the Olympics began, President Bush, in defense of his reasons to attend the Olympic games, said, "I don't view the Olympics as a political event. I view it as a sporting event." Well, sorry Mr. President (and the rest of us idealists), but these Olympics are undeniably political.

For the 60 University of Missouri journalism students who are currently serving as interns at China's "coming out" party, we are getting a lesson in far more than sports journalism. We are learning how to live in the midst of constant controversy.

When I first learned that China was asking for Englishspeaking journalists to attend the Olympics, I was faced with a bit of a moral dilemma. I am fully aware of China's human rights violations, of China's oppressive ruling in Tibet and China's energy alliances with Darfur, without demanding changes in Daruf's human rights policies. So, when faced with the question "To go or not to go?" I had a bit of thinking to do.

For a previous article I wrote for a Missouri-based magazine, I interviewed Richard Baum, a political science professor at UCLA, about the controversy surrounding these Olympics.

"A lot of people didn't want China to get the Olympics," he told me in early May, "so they have been waiting for a way to show up China as an inappropriate host."

The often-unfavorable spotlight shining brightly on China shouldn't necessarily be unexpected. A country vies for the Olympics for a number of cultural , social, economic and political reasons. In my opinion, China's reasons for wanting the Olympics were primarily political. After years of political isolation , China finally wanted to open its doors to outsiders to reveal the changes they've made. Only, the political changes don't seem to be as substantial as people had hoped.

"They are the ones that built the Olympic platform ," Baum told me of China. "They turned on the spotlight and then got surprised when people started dancing in it."

And I have to agree with Baum. If you build your platform based largely on political promises, a political backlash can be expected. For the magazine story, I also interviewed Chloe Zue, a Beijing native who is studying at Mizzou. She told me the anti-China sentiment before the Olympics was disappointing. "China has looked forward to this event for many years," she said. "We want people to feel comfortable in the city."

After these interviews, I was still left with the big moral question: What would attending these Olympics mean? Would it mean I was supporting China's role in Darfur and Tibet? Or would it mean I was merely supporting the Chinese people and athletes from all over the world? In the end, I decided on Option No. 2. Obviously, because I am in Beijing.

During my stay in Beijing, I'm often frustrated with the Chinese government. (For example, with China's free speech laws. The very fact that I am writing this column could get me sent home, or worse, put in jail). But the fact is, I am not here for China's government. I am here for the Olympics. I am here to support the people and the athletes to whom the Olympics mean so much. And I'm so glad I've gotten to see everything firsthand, rather than reading it in the papers. My experience at the Olympics thus far has been nothing short of amazing.

My managers at the road cycling event, told me not to get star struck by the athletes. "They are just people like you and me," they said. Well, news flash! I'm not at all like Michael Phelps. Duh. I'm a girl. (Oh, and I didn't win eight gold medals this year.) I'm also nothing like Yao Ming, because I am short and he is tall. (Oh, and I'm not one of the biggest sports stars on the face of the planet).

These athletes are incredible. Think about it: they can do things better than most other people in the entire world. The only thing I can do better than most people is break and lose things. (I'm not kidding . I break/lose things in a way that would put Phelps' wimpy freestyle to shame. Case in point: in one month alone I've broken my camera twice and have lost my wallet, driver's license, credit card, a couple bobby pins, Ken Curley's business card and a pair of brown sandals.)

And it's not just the athletes that are working hard for the Olympics. The thousands of Chinese volunteers have been volunteering their volunteer butts off to make these Olympics a success. They work 14-hour days for free doing everything from refilling toilet paper, to translating for journalists, to directing tourists to the correct subway. And you know what? I haven't heard one of them complain. (Then again, I don't speak Chinese, so if they were complaining, it would be difficult to know.)

Being here in person has allowed me to truly grasp the spirit of the Olympics and witness the moments that even TV cameras can't capture. I've been inches away from professional athletes as they cry tears of joy at their wins and hold back tears of disappointment at their losses. I've seen German, Angolan and French fans bonding over beers after a big volleyball match. I've seen a South Korean cyclist crash into the ditch during the women's road race and get back on her bike.

There is one moment, however, that will never, ever leave me. While watching the opening ceremonies on television at a local restaurant, I glanced over and saw a Chinese man with his head in his hands. It took me a second to realize what was going on, but then it hit me: He was crying. He was so proud of his country he was crying.

If people want to use the Olympics as a venue for their protests, that is their prerogative. I'm the biggest believer of free speech around. But personally , whenever I feel the spirit of the Olympics has been lost since its debut in 776 BC, whenever I'm fed up with the commercialization, the ticket scammers, the cranky journalists and the politicization, I think of how much these Olympic Games still mean to that one man. And for me, that's enough.

Big News

I'll just get straight to the point. I saw Michael Phelps yesterday. In fact, I had to leave a conversation wtih ESPN reporter Jay Mariotti (I was wowing him with my vast sports knowledge) to take a picture of Michael Phelps.

He wasn't taking pictures with anyone as he would have been mobbed--not just by people like me, but other athletes, too. At first, I kind of felt bad for Michael. The poor guy just wanted to enjoy his free Budweiser at Club Bud and be left alone.
Then again, I didn't win eight gold medals this week so I lost some of my sympathy for him and started feeling bad for myself.




Also, here is the picture of my friends and I with Evander Holyfield. We sure gave him an earful.

Column 8

Take Me Out to the Cycling Course

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past several months, you probably know that the Olympic began on 8/8/08 in Beijing, China. If you have been living in a cave for the past several months, well, now you know.

It’s no secret that I’m not exactly a sports nut, unless you consider Scrabble a sport. But during the course of my training for the Olympic News Service (ONS) over the past couple weeks, I think it’s safe to say that I am in fact, a fan of sport. But not just any sport. Competitive Road Cycling.

Before I go in to my Olympic experience, let me just comment about two things I’m sure your reading about in the news. First, let me clear the air about Beijing pollution. Pun intended. Many journalists arrived last Tuesday, three days before the opening ceremony. Every day since Tuesday has been foggy, smoggy and rainy. It’ has been the worst weather I’ve seen all month. Before the Olympics began, the air was, for the most part, clear. Or at least clear looking. Of course, it’s not secret that Beijing is one of the most polluted cities in the world. But, just in case the newspapers aren’t saying this, unlucky weather is also contributing to the gray skies.

Second, I’m sure you’ve read about the stabbing of the father-in-law of the US Men’s Volleyball Coach on Saturday. The incident is extremely heartbreaking and, as an American in Beijing, understandably concerning. However, murders in China are rare, rare, rare. Up until Saturday, I’d felt perfectly safe in Beijing. So, while it certainly serves as a wake up call, I’d don’t necessarily feel less safe.

Now, on to my original topic: Competitive Cycling. My workplace for the duration of the Olympics is the Media Center of the Cycling Road Race Venue, located at the finish line of the race at Juyongguan area of the Great Wall of China. The Media Center of the venue provides table space, food and Internet access for roughly 100 journalists. (In the past week, I’ve met reporters from USA Today, ESPN, NBC, The New York Times and, yes, even the The Des Moines Register. (Think RAGBRAI, folks.)

Last Saturday was one of the main events: The Men’s Road Race. My day began at 6:40 a.m. when I hopped on the volunteer bus that goes from my university to the finish line at the wall, an hour-long bus ride when taking the Olympic-only lane.
There are eight people, including myself who serve as flash quote reporters. Four managers oversee us: Andy, Amy, Ernst and Kevin. Andy, the European correspondent for Velo News, a competitive cycling magazine, is our Sports Information Specialist. He is our “go to” guy with any questions we may have about the sport. Questions such as “Who is the key domestique for Australian rider Cadel Evans?” or “Is three minutes an average time gap between the first breakaway riders and the peleton?” Amy is a professional baseball player for Australia and works for Infostrada Sports, the company that organizes the Olympic News Service. Ernst, from the Netherlands, also works for the company. Then there’s our Chinese manager Kevin, whose name really isn’t Kevin but we call him that because it’s too tough to pronounce his Chinese name. Kevin, quite frankly, knows less about the sport than I do, and has unofficially been demoted to “language barrier problem solver.”

The race, which covers 248 kilometers (154 miles), began at 11 a.m. and was predicted to last 6 ½ hours. The wining rider crossed the finish line in 6 hr, 23 min and 49 seconds. The course is considered the toughest course in Olympic history, with sharp turns and steep climbs. Add in some unexpected pollution, wind and 94% humidity and you’ve got an interesting race on your hands. And interesting it was.

After some calculated research, here were my predictions: the strongest Italian rider and defending gold medalist from 2004, Paolo Bettini, would take the gold. Spain’s Alejandro Valverde, a good sprinter and climber, would grab second. And Ireland’s Nicholas Roche would get the bronze because he is attractive and looks great in green.

I was wrong. Spain’s Samuel Sanchez won gold, Italy’s Davide Rebellin won silver and Switzerland’s lone rider Fabian Cancellara won bronze. As for my predictions, Bettini placed 18th, Valverde 13th and Roche 64th. (I guess good looks aren’t everything after all.) The humidity quickly took its toll on many of the riders: one third dropped out of the race. “It’s like rubbing hot cream all over your body,” said one rider. Whatever that feels like.

All in all, it was a great day. I got to practice my Italian with Italian journalists and athletes, I was inches away from a gold medalist, the quotes I gathered from Davide Rebellin have shown up in numerous news articles and I started falling in love with a real sport. Tour de France, here I come.



Me and a few of the interns working hard.

It's about time

It's been a long, long while since my last post, which is a big "no no" when it comes to blogging. But let me tell you a few of the things I've been up to in the past few days.

1. I worked two days at boxing, reporting on the feather and fly weights. I was expecting to see lots of blood, sweat and tears at this event and I was pretty much right, sans blood. I had a great time working at this venue, though I have to say, boxers aren't reknowned for their thought-provoking quotes. (Maybe hit in the head a few too many times?) I'll write more about this in an unpcoming column.

2. I got to hang out at the Birds Nest for the Athletics events on Saturday night. Here's proof:






3. I watched Usian Bolt (conveinant name) win the Men's 100 meter dash and break the world record. It was by far one ofthe most intense moments of the Olympics I've experienced. After he crossed the finish line, Bolt just kept on bolting. He ran around the entire track! The stadium was filled with cheers and Jamaican music (to which Bolt did a little jammin.'. He enjoyed his well-deserved moment to the last drop. And rightfully so.





(The world record time for 100 meter dash.)

3. I took a rose pedal bath at a local spa followoed by a 90-minute body scrub and oil massage followed by yet another rose pedal bath. Massages and spa treatments in China are shamefully cheap. The only thing better than a spa day is a cheap spa day. The entire treatment cost 23 dollars.

4. I met swimming Silver medalist Alan Bernard from France and he absolutely insisted upon taking a picture with my friends and I, though we are clearly not thrilled about it. Notice me, on the far left, telling him to get out of our picture.



5. I've been asked to work at the Cycling Track course tonight inside the Velodrome. I will do my best to take pictures with someone else's camera, as my camera is kaput. (I think that is yiddish for "broken".)

6. I went to Club Bud and the Holland House. Don't know what these are? Let me indulge you: During the Olympics many countries set up makeshift home-bases, of sorts. They rent a building and elaborately decorate it in the colors of the country, furnish it with lush furniture and set up numerous bars. The "houses" are sponsored by major alchohol or beer producers from that country and then serve only those beverages. So, USA has Club Bud which serves Budweiser (though I guess next year they are going to have to sponsor Germany, those traitors...), the Holland House serves Heineken, etc. I haven't yet been to the French House but I'm guessing the serve Franzia...

For Club Bud, you need to be on the list to get in, as it is a high profile event that takes place every two nights throughout the Olympics. Here is how the Club Bud Fact Sheet describes itself:

"Club Bud is a Budweiser-sponsored, multi-level nightclub located inside the historic National Agricultural Exhibition Center in the Chaoyang District. The 3,700 square meter, indoor/outdoor venue offers guests a distinct social atmosphere combining Chinese and American culture. Club Bud features several bars, 360° video screens, an electrifying dance floor, a lounge and an outdoor pool as well as live DJs and cubista dancers to set the mood in each party area.

Club Bud will host eight exclusive theme parties built around the five elements of Feng Shui, local culture and Olympic themes. With a capacity of more than 2,000, Club Bud will be the place to be seen or see medal winners, sports legends and music and movie stars walking the red carpet and celebrating the Olympic spirit in style."

Because I'm so famous, I am on the list (actually, because I have a friend who has a friend who has a friend.) Last night I got to check it out. There were numerous medalists and kind of famous people present though no one I really recognized. Except for the guy who had his ear bitten off my Mike Tyson. (What's his name again.) Although, Access Hollywood TV crews were there.

As the Olympics carry on and more and more people finish their events, I expect more high-profile athletes to show up. I'm heading there tommorow, so I will tell Michael Phelps hello from good ol' SD.

6. Tomorrow I start training for the Modern Penthatholon. Not to compete, but to report. I was originally only supposed to work for the Cycling Road Race, however, I didn't come to China to work for three days, so I asked to be reassigned. The tally of sports I've worked for is now four: Cycling Road Race, Boxing, Cycling Track and now the Pentatholon. I'm really looking forward to the Pentatholon because it is kind of a ridiculous sport. The athletes must compete in five events, which combined is supposed to make you the ultimate gentleman: Shooting, Fencing, Running, Riding and Ping Pong. Just kidding. Swimming.

It sounds more like a reality TV series to me, but I am anxious to learn more about it.

Cheers!

Cycling Photos

Here are a few images from this week's races--just to help you put a few faces to the names, as I am sure you are following road cycling as vehemently as I am. Don't get too excited. I didn't take any of these photos. They were taken by a photographer from dailylife.com, a cycling website.


Cycling through the Great Wall. Fortunately, the didn't have to climb over it.

At the finish line. Obviously, as it says FINISH LINE.

Samuel Sanchez who took the Gold in the road race in an emotional finish.

Kristin Armstrong, who took the Gold in the Time Trial. She's one cool lady.

They go fast.

Oh, that's not an Olympic athlete actually. That's just me. Woops. How did this photo end up here?

Cycling News Story

While my goal is to give you my first hand experience of the Olympic games, I'm also posting news stories from VeloNews Magazine about the event. My venue Sports Information Specialist, Andy, is the European coorespondant for this magazine, and over the past few days, I've met Fred, the Olympic reporter who wrote these articles. Just so you can better understand my job here, I have highlighted the quotes I've collected from the athletes at the event. (As I mentioned before, the quotes my Mizzou friends and I collect at the events go to the AP, where any reporter can use them. Therefore, some of the quotes I collected are in news stories all over the world. The quotes I gathered after the race, and at the press conferences are bolded in the below article.)




2008 Olympic TT - Armstrong focuses on the gold.

Fabian Cancellara’s finish-line salute at the end of Wednesday’s Olympic time trial erased any concerns that the big Swiss rider has lost his edge in the race against the clock. He rolled into the finishing straight with 33 seconds in his pocket over Swede Gustav Larsson, stopped pedaling, lifted his arm in a very un-aero fist and punched the air.

Just one month ago Cancellara lost both time trials at the Tour de France to Germany’s Stefan Schumacher. The two losses left some doubt that Cancellara — the two-time defending time-trial world champ — could earn his first taste of Olympic gold. But on a muggy day in China, which saw Schumacher crumble in the heat, Cancellara earned his redemption.

“This has been the focus for so long,” said Cancellara, who clocked a 1:02:11 over the 47.3km course. “I told myself that going home without the gold is a failure. I've prepared specifically for this race and made a lot of sacrifices. I'm here at the Olympics and you see a Swiss flag, you hear the anthem. What more do you want?”

Larsson, a teammate of Cancellara’s at team CSC-Saxo Bank was a surprise finisher in second with a 1:02:44, calling the ride “the most beautiful race I’ve done in my life.”

American Levi Leipheimer won a tight battle with Alberto Contador of Spain and Cadel Evans of Australia for the bronze.

(Levi Leipheimer)

“I pictured myself on the top step, but it’s fantastic to win a medal,” said Leipheimer. “You hear people say Gold, Silver, Bronze, it’s all good.”

The three grabbed the podium spots after Canadian Svein Tuft spent the lion’s share of the day in the hot seat. Tuft, who hails from Langley, British Columbia, powered through consistent time splits to finish in 1:04:39, which would hold on for seventh place.

Tuft’s time held on until Samuel Sanchez, winner of Saturday’s road race, set a new standard. But Sanchez was quickly unseated by Larsson, whose phenomenal ride appeared all but unbeatable.

Cancellara trailed Larsson’s time by six seconds at the top of the final descent, but pulled clear on the ensuing downhill. He said he knew Larsson would be a threat, as the big Swede told his CSC teammates at a pre-season training camp that the Olympic time-trial gold was his target for the season.

“THIS WAS A PERFECT PARCOURSE FOR ME,” Larsson said. “I tried, but [Cancellara] was too strong.”

The win not only confirmed Cancellara’s place as the best time trial rider of this generation, it solved the question of which type of rider could win on the demanding circuit: a power rider who can climb.

Elite men spun two laps of the Badaling Pass circuit — the same one they faced seven times in Saturday’s road race. The circuit opens with the steady 12km ascent up the 1000-foot high Badaling Pass, then finishes with a gradual descent on a wide-open highway.

The course had both climbers and power riders scratching their heads to figure out who had the advantage.

After grimacing across the finish line having vomited in his mouth from the effort, American Dave Zabriskie said he thought the course was not ideal for time trial specialists.

“Maybe for a lighter type rider who could really kick it up the hill,” Zabriskie said.

But minutes later, a dejected Contador crossed the line having lost ample time on the course’s power descent. The fastest rider out of the gate, Contador had only the 15th fastest split on the final descent.

“It’s a circuit for riders who are heavier,” he said.

Indeed the circuit required a specific blend of climbing and power, and it also threw riders a curve ball when selecting their gearing. Cancellara won riding a 55x11 as his biggest gear, a fact that had Leipheimer dumbfounded.

“I thought about it for three days and chose the 55, and I could have gone with a 56 on that last descent,” he said. “I have no idea how [Cancellara] rode that fast with a 55. That’s impressive.”

Larsson said he ordered a special 58-tooth big chain ring, but it never showed up in the mail. He also tried unsuccessfully to find a 56, and instead opted for a 55.

“I felt I could have pedaled harder on the downhill,” he said. “But then I guess I would have not been able to ride uphill in the big ring. It’s give and take.”

Cancellara acknowledged the challenge of the course, calling it “not really a parcours for a time trial.” But the big Swiss rider said he did not let it throw him off of his game. Winning, he said, was the only option.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself for this race,” Cancellara said. “TO GO AWAY FROM HERE WITH ANYTHING BUT A GOLD MEDAL IS LIKE A LOSS TO ME."

Cancellara took his win after Kristin Armstrong earned the United States its first-ever women’s gold medal in the road time trial. The road time trial debuted in Atlanta in 1996, and since then the United States has won two silver medals, with Mari Holden in 2000 and Dede Barry in 2004.

Armstrong’s victory is the first by an American woman in the sport of cycling — road, track or mountain bike — since Connie Carpenter-Phinney’s victory at the inaugural women’s road race in Los Angeles in 1984. Armstrong came into Beijing as a serious medal contender in the time-trial, having won bronze, gold and silver medals at the ’05, ’06 and ’07 world championships. Still, the Idahoan couldn’t contain her tears as she stepped onto the podium to accept her medal.

“IT'S THE RIDE OF MY LIFE,” she said. “IT'S WHAT I'VE DREAMED ABOUT SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO PINCH MYSELF RIGHT NOW."

Armstrong and the 24 other women’s starters faced a single lap on the circuit, and awoke to find Beijing shrouded in a thick blanket of humidity after three days of relatively clear skies. Temperatures rose quickly as soon as the sun came out, and by the race’s 11:30 a.m. starting time, the thermometer read in the mid 80s. The heat, matched with the thick air, made for sweaty conditions.

Swiss rider Karin Thurig, who is also a world-class competitor in Ironman triathlons, likened the conditions to those found on the big island of Hawaii, site of the Ironman world championships.

“Except in Hawaii I am not seeing stars after [the race],” said Thurig after finishing. “For the spectators and television [the course] is beautiful to watch. I suffered today and couldn’t enjoy it.”

Emma Pooley of Great Britain was just the fifth rider to attack the course, and posted a blistering time of 35:16. The blond, 25-year-old, who helped compatriot Nicole Cooke grab gold in Sunday’s road race, flew up the climb in 20:46, the fastest ascent of the day. The time withstood challenges from the biggest names in the sport, including Thurig, Marianne Vos, Jeannie Longo and defending champ Mirjam Melchers-Van Poppel.

Armstrong took to the course sixth from last, and trailed the short brit by four seconds at the summit. But the much bigger American poured on the power on the descent, putting 24 clicks into Pooley by the race’s finish.

Armstrong said an Olympic medal first became an attainable goal in her mind after she finished third at the world time-trial championships in 2005. After winning the prize in 2006, she said, Olympic gold became the objective.

And now that she’s won, Armstrong said it’s time to celebrate.

“I’ve been living in this little bubble here, and I’m looking to going back to Boise to celebrate,” she said. “I can’t think about [cycling] right now. I’m ready to sit back and relax and enjoy the moment.”

Race Notes
● Armstrong’s compatriot Christine Thorburn finished fifth, missing a medal by just four seconds. In 2004 Thorburn finished fourth. The Californian said she had been receiving radio splits for the first half of the race, but her radio died on the descent, and she had no idea she was so close to the podium.

● Leipheimer said that missing this year’s Tour de France after his Astana team was denied entry may have hurt his form for the road race, but it helped him in the time trial.

“I suffered in the road race. I had the freshness but the other guys had strength on the last lap,” Leipheimer said. “I was riding purely on adrenaline. For the time trial I think it was an advantage to not have the tour in my legs.”

● Schumacher had no explanation for his poor finish in 13th place. “After five kilometers I was already struggling to keep a good pace,” he said.

I'm very tired, but not too tired for this.

There's not going to be much of a post today. I just finished my last day of Road Cycling events. Two Americans medaled in the Individual Time Trial Event (in which they race against the clock, not eachother). Kristin Armstrong won the gold medal (yay Kristin!) in the women's event and Levi Leipheimer won the bronze medal in the men's.

I will tell you more about that event (as well as the Women's Road Race) tommorow. (The Americans have a great sense of humor, so I will be sure to include some of their quotes.)

As for now, the only picture I have the energy to post is this one of a Chinese cheerleader with the word "Cherry" pasted across the back of her shorts. One word: Classy.



(By the way, the screen on my camera is broken, which means if you want more high quality photos like this one, someone should consider buying me a new one.)

A Day at the Beach

As I mentioned before, I snagged some free tickets to Beach Volleyball. I watched 5 matches throughout the morning and afternoon. Sorry I didn't get any pictures of the Brazilian team in their bikinis or those Dutch men's 6-packs. My camera's zoom just couldn't do it justice so I didn't even try.

Other Updates:
Tommorrow I will be working at the Men's and Women's Time Trial--my final cycling event. I will be sure to take lots of pictures of the venue.

On the 15th and 16th, I get to work at boxing, which is exciting because it is clearly my favorite sport.

On the evening of the 16th I have tickets to 100-meter dash track finals! I'll be sure to fill you in.


Outside of the venue, holding the Golden Ticket!

Budweiser was only 5 yuan (less than a dollar). Exactly what you need at a beach party. Unfortunately, all they had to eat was Snickers bars.

These actually aren't volleyball players on the court. They are called the "Beach Girls" a Chinese dance team.

Column 7

What the Guidebook Doesn’t Say: China tips to live by

I’ve been in China now for one month and some odd days, an experience that has been nothing short of a roller coaster. Everything here is “Really” something. Really busy. Really hot. Really fun. Really strange. Really pretty. Really noisy. Really salty. Really spicy. Really crowded. You get the idea. No, it’s not a country of excess such as Italy. It is a country of extremes, or at least some extreme differences. (Then again, I’ve always struggled with the word “moderation” so maybe it’s just me?)

If you happen to be planning a trip to China, especially if you happen to be coming to Beijing for the Games, I’ve prepared for you a mini travel manual. Take these words of warning and recommendations. Here are a few things you should know about China:

1.Beijing time is 13 hours later than South Dakota. So, if right now, you are reading this column at 6:12 p.m. and then I am most likely asleep in my rock hard bed at 7:12 a.m. That’s another thing: the beds here are generally very hard, so if you make a melodramatic flop onto what looks like a fluffy bed, you WILL get a concussion. But at least it’s good for your back.

2.Don’t drink the water, unless the purifier is visible. Stick to bottled water. And don't feel too guilty about hurting the environment with throw away plastic bottles. If you fail to heed this advice, you will find flushing the toilet a gazillion times a day and hundreds of empty Pepto Bismol bottles are also bad for the environment. Plus, Beijing is great about recycling. And remember, China’s water isn’t necessarily bad water, we just aren’t used to it. So, really, it’s our fault.

3. As long as we’re on this topic, when it comes to China’s public restrooms, it’s BYOTP. Bring your own toilet paper. It is also BYOHS. Bring your own hand sanitizer. It is also WBLHTUWICASP. Women better learn how to use what I call “squatty potty.” Closed-toed shoes are recommended for beginners.

4. You can travel anywhere by cab in Beijing for less than 10 dollars. It’s awesome. The cab drivers usually do not take you directly to your destination, so bring an adventuresome attitude and you’re hiking boots.

5. There is not as much written English here as you may expect. Many menus and signs are not translated. Though when they are, it can lead to a few comic situations. Some signs inform you about things such as “Forbid the Bowel Movement” or “Careful Hit Head” or “The Tourist Halts.” One nearby Chinese restaurant serves Jew’s ear and rape meat, which I have yet to try. When confronted with a lack of an English translated menu, you have several options:
a. Point at other people’s food that looks tasty.
b. Bring a translation of popular Chinese dishes, or even a translated menu from another restaurant.
c. Order the Kung Pao Chicken, which is pronounced something like “Kuung Pow Tseeekin.”
d. Cluck like a chicken and see what happens.

6. Cell phones are everywhere here. They are relatively cheap (around 70 bucks) and calling cards are easy to use (they cost about 10 big ones.) If you are staying for a couple of weeks, it is recommended, as hotel phones cost you major buckaroos.

7. Go shopping at one of Beijing’s fantastic markets (pearls, silk, great knock-off purses, shoes, jade, digital cameras, Chairman Mao playing cards.) Even if you’re not a shopper, it’s still an experience. Get ready to haggle, haggle, haggle, as you shouldn’t buy anything for more than a 1/3 of the original price. I bought a short brown wig that I absolutely had to have for only $10!! You can really get some great bargains. However, if you plan to buy shoes and your feet are larger than size seven for women and size 10 men for men, you ain’t got a chance. Lucky for me, my feet are about the size of a hobbit’s. My parent’s are thrilled to hear this. (Not that my feet are hobbit-sized, but that I have an unlimited selection of shoes.)


8. Beijingers are, by and large, uninterested in us. They’ve seen Americans before. Big whoop. But there is an inclusive population as well. So inclusive, in fact, that, you will likely have your picture taken. Permission or not. (And often by the aforementioned cell phones.) Heck, I’ve even held a couple babies.

9. There is something in China called “The Inexplicable Factor”. Actually, I just made that term up because, well, there are many things here that are just inexplicable. Things so far lost in translation, that they are not only in a different country or hemisphere, but a different universe. For example, I went to the same dining hall over 15 times and each time I struggled with ordering (though I used my aforementioned tips like clucking like a chicken and pointing at other people’s food.) Then, one day, the fellow standing next to me simply asks for an English menu, and the same counter lady who has served me for weeks, reaches under the counter and hands him one. She had it the whole time. Inexplicable. Maybe she just like my chicken imitation.

10. When asked a question that you don’t understand—whether it’s from a waitress or a person on the street--your best bet is to just smile and nod. “Yes” leads to more adventures than “No”.

11.Embrace it. China is a strange and fun and fascinating country, one I may not ever completely understand. Just remember: When it comes to understanding this place, you’re just as confused as I am.

Beach Volleyball

Today my Mizzou comrades and I managed to snag tickets to Beach Volleyball. i'll be sure to let you know how the day goes. The first game begins at 9 a.m. and the last begins at 10 p.m. I doubt I can watch ALL day long but I'll watch quite a few. I'm very excited to see Olympic Volleyball, as hopefully it will redeem me from my D Team Volleyball days in middle school. As for now, here's me with brown hair, which has nothing at all to do with sports:



No, it's not real. This is the brown wig of which I spoke in my last column.

Road Cycling Race 1

I am now a real live sports fan. I know, I can't believe it either. Not just any sport, however. I am a fan of competitive cycling (Tour de France, Giro di Italia type cycling). This is the sport that I have been reporting on for the past couple of weeks and yesterday was one of our main events: The Men's Road Cycling Race. My day started at 6 a.m. when I had a catch a group bus to the Finish Line of the course: The Great Wall of China. Yes, I go to the Great Wall every day. Man, it's getting old. (Just kidding.) I spent the day watching the 6 1/2 hour race, a 140 some kilmoeter course that began in the center of Beijing and then lapped around a portion of the wall 7 times. At the end of the race it was my job to get Flash Quotes, brief catchy quotes, from the athletes In particular, I was assinged to the Italians because of my knowledge of the language. Lucky for me, an Italian won the Silver medal: Davide Rebellin. A Spainard, Samual Sanchez, won the Gold. And the lone Swiss rider, Fabian Cancellera, won the bronze.

I will go in to this more later on, but I have to go to McDonald's now. Today is the Women's Road Race and I need my breakfast sandwich for energy. As for now, here are some pictures from last Tuesday of the rehearsal for the Road Race.


The entire Colombian team. They are not that famous, or that good, but they were fun to talk to.

Chinese dancers at the start point at the Temple of Heaven.

This Polish man rode his bicycle from Poland to Bejing. He has gone over 10,000 kilometers in the past couple months. He was riding the Olympic course a few days before just for fun.

Staring Line.

Finish Line.

NEWS STORY FROM VELONEWS.COM, a competitive cycling magazine and website.

The hardest Olympics ever?
Posted Aug. 9, 2008
George Hincapie is one cool character, but before starting his fifth Olympic Games on Saturday in Beijing, the veteran American broke into a sweat ahead of what’s being hailed as the hardest Olympic race ever.

Why? Torrid is one word to describe conditions for what was, at 245km, the longest road race in Olympic Games history. Some were quickly calling it the most demanding as well.

“It was the hardest Olympics I’ve ever ridden. It was a race of attrition,” said Hincapie, who made his Olympic debut in 1992. “I can count on the back of my hand how many races I’ve started to sweat before the race started.”

Temperatures nudged only into the mid 80s, but humidity was at a sopping 94 percent and the air was heavy with the urban detritus of Beijing’s 14 million inhabitants.

Hardly ideal conditions for one of cycling’s most important one-day races.

“It feels like you have a hot cream all over your body,” Haedo said. “Once you go full gas, you cannot breathe.”

A grey sludge hung over Beijing. Rumors were flying that someone – whether it was NBC television or Olympic officials, no one seemed to know – wanted to delay the start of the race because visibility was severely reduced.

While TV brass might have been worried about the fogged out panorama money shots along the Great Wall at the finish line, riders were forced to ride through severe conditions in a grueling six-hour race.

“It was like riding at 3,000 meter elevation. You couldn’t breath,” said pre-race favorite Stefan Schumacher, who abandoned. “I have a pounding headache now.”

Scores of big-name riders abandoned, foiled by heat, humidity and dehydration.

Alberto Contador, 2007 winner of the Tour de France, was a shadow of his typically dominant style as he wilted under the extreme conditions and pulled out with three laps to go.

Karsten Kroon fancied himself as an outsider for gold, but he abandoned with four laps to go on the 23.8km finish circuit.

“I am a wreck,” the Dutchman said. “I fooled myself in thinking I could win here. The humidity and the heat were too much for me. My head is about to explode.”

Incredibly, 90 riders did manage to finish.

Among those in the hunt for a medal were Christian Vande Velde and Levi Leipheimer, who both rode wonderfully to finish within shot of the podium in the hotly contested final lap.

When Leipheimer came through the final bend, visibility wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t see what was happening up the road.

“I came around that last corner and I could see the gold medal race just 300 meters up the road,” he said. “It was so close, yet so far.”

That sums up the feeling of just about everyone Saturday except Samuel Sanchez, Davide Rebellin and Fabian Cancellara. For those three, haze, heat and humidity were just fine.

Here's What's Up

It's been a couple of days since my last post, so I thought I'd let you know what I was up to. My Olympic training (okay, my Olympic NEWS Service training) over the past few days has intensified--and gotten way more fun. I am at the route for road cycling which ends at the Great Wall. There, I am interviewing the cyclists during their practice runs. It's very fun and I can't wait to tell you more about it...

A Day at Dak Shanghai

One of the highlights of my trip to Shangai, besides the food, was a trip to the Daktronics office, which has been in place for the past three years. I don't work at Dak, have never worked at Dak, but I have many friends who do, so I thought it would be worth checking out. Plus, I kind of wanted to show off to my friends.

Dan Chase, regional manager and a former Brookings resident, served as our host for the day. He gave us a tour of the building, which is nice but not especially striking, and showed us the plans for the new building, which are especially striking. AWhy does Daktronics Shanghai need a new building, you might ask? Probably because of its rapid growth, growth neccessary to keep up with the quickly changing and increasing Chinese market. While it's not US scale, Dan said, it is definitely seeing a growing market share.

While the office has established signs all over China and Hong Kong, I was happy to learn of their signs in Beijing, signs at the Forbidden City, Wangfujing street (where I had my cupping experience, and CCTV building (the primary news station in China.)


Daktronics Shanghai


A Keyframe designer working on a dragon for one of the signs.


Emily Minor, the manager of Keyframe, gave us a basic lesson about how Keyframe works.


Dan Chase giving us a a little demostration.


A woman repairing part of the LED screen. Chase said the repair capabilities is a strong points of Daktronics in China.




It felt strange to stand in front of a Daktronics screen, with video of an SDSU football game!


The small manufacturing room at the office (Daktronics Shanghai doesn't have a manufacturing plant). This room is used when there's an overflow of orders.