Approximately four years down, less than one day to go. 8-8-08 is nearly upon us (actually it already is upon the athletes and spectators in Beijing). Yes, the Summer Olympics are here, and I hope you're pumped. I love the Olympics. It is sports' biggest stage. It only comes around once every four years. And, the showcase sports are swimming, track, and gymnastics, three great sports that don't get nearly the attention they deserve (outside of Olympic competition) here in the good ole USofA.
Regarding the swimming action, there are some great story lines in Beijing. Can Michael Phelps one-up Mark Spitz and win eight golds in one Olympiad? What is 41 year old Dara Torres capable of doing in the 50 and sprint relays? Just how dominant will Team USA be on the men's side? It's going to be a great show, and after the excellent coverage NBC had for Olympic Trials, I can't wait for what's in store.
Finally, I want to talk about Lopez Lomong, who I'm sure will get plenty of press during the opening ceremonies tomorrow. He's been selected as the flag bearer for Team USA. He'll be running the 1500m on the track in the Games, and his life story is pretty amazing. He's originally from Sudan, and basically spent his entire childhood in a refugee camp after escaping a militia camp where young boys were abducted and brainwashed/trained to become soldiers. Well in 2001, he was brought over to the United States and adopted by a family not too far from where I grew up in NY. He became a star pretty quickly, winning state titles in high school and a couple NCAA titles in college. He gained his citizenship and is now representing the United States in the Olympics and carrying the flag at the opening ceremonies. Pretty cool.
