It's the last day of the Olympic games. This is sad. I love watching all the athletes compete and I have watched more of these games than any other games. I watched all the sports I wanted to, but so much more - water polo, equestrian, mountain bike, BMX, rhythmic gymnastics, table tennis (ping pong), rowing, kayaking. It is amazing what are Olympic sports.
The US has done well, leading the medal count throughout the Olympics. Though early on the Chinese had a few days of leading. I will admit, it's pretty easy to lead the medal count when you send hundreds of athletes.
What are my highlights? In no particular order:
1. Oscar Pistorius competing in the 400m and the 4 X 400m relay. Why is he a highlight?
Yea. He's missing the lower half of both legs and is the first double-amputee to compete in the regular Olympics. He did not qualify for the finals in the 400m and his relay team came in last in the 4 X 400m, but who cares??? This man is inspiring. He will now compete in the Paraolympics.
2. Usain Bolt winning gold in the 100m, 200m, and the 4 X 100m relay. Some people say he's cocky and dislike his posturing. I love it! I normally don't, but there is just something about him that makes me smile and laugh when he says how great he is. Maybe it's because I've been to Jamaica and love the people. They are so friendly and happy. They really are. And it doesn't hurt that Bolt is phenomenal on the track. He really is electric to watch.
3. Missy May-Treaner and Kerry Walsh-Jennings winning gold in women's beach volleyball. I just love watching beach volleyball. I like playing it even if I'm not that great at it and I am so impressed with how two people cover an entire court and play like they do! It is obvious these women love each other and it's fun to watch them. Of course, the gold medal match featured two teams from USA and I was dually impressed with Jen Kessy and April Ross. I'm looking forward to the 2016 Olympics in Rio to see them go for the gold!
4. Kayla Harrison winning the US's first judo medal in history...she won gold. Nothing like starting at the top! If you haven't seen the footage of her on the medal stand it is worth googling. She understands what her medal means to her sport and she just sobs on the stand. I choke up every time I see it. She is truly an inspiring example of what these medals mean to the athletes.
5. Missy Franklin in the pool. What impresses me about her is not just how great she is, but how humble. She is still in high school and had opportunities for sponsorship to help cover the costs of training. She has turned them all down so she can continue to compete on her high school swim team. She knows what she wants and is willing to sacrifice in order to have a somewhat normal life - though after these Olympic games that's going to be hard to do!
6. The British medal count. NBC did a feature on the British medal count which stated they have more medals this Olympics since they hosted the 1908 Olympics. I'm partial to Team GB as my Grandmom is British and I'm a bit of an Anglophile. LOL! I was so happy to hear how well Team GB did this Olympics. I know statistically the host country does get a boost in their medal count, but this seems more than that. The athletes seemed to really have upped their game and the British people have come out to support their athletes, as well as all the athletes.
Did you watch the Olympics? What was your favorite moment? Who was your favorite Olympian? Did the games make you want to try a new sport?
