Tuesday, August 12, 2008

An Addiction of Olympic Proportions

Last night, I crouched in our living room at 11:45, tense, coiled and watched Jason Lezak start to overtake Alain Borden. And then I leapt into the air and whisper screamed, “Go! Go! Go!” Lezak touched the wall just eight hundredths of a second ahead of Borden, who had bragged earlier in the day that the French team would “smash the Americans.” Michael Phelps let out what could only be described as a barbaric yelp – and took home his second gold of the ’08 summer Olympics in Beijing.

This is the confession of an Olympic junkie. So far, I have watched men’s and women’s gymnastics, beach volleyball, water polo, double scull rowing, badminton, weightlifting, swimming, synchronized diving – need I go on? Events I haven’t yet watched likely just haven’t happened yet. If it’s Olympic competition, I will watch it. (With one exception – I don’t enjoy watching Kobe rock his NBA star attitude during the Olympics, so I don’t watch men’s basketball…but that’s another story.)

I love the stories – the journeys from humble beginnings to greatness. I love the unbelievable feats – 41-year-old Dara Torres already taking silver; a 33-year-old woman competing on Germany’s gymnastics team. Michael Phelps and his quest for record gold. It makes me scream and cry and jump up and down. I want to hug someone. I want to call them heroes. I want to give the world a Coke. Go World!

P.S. I'm posting this in between watching the men's gymnastics finals - at quarter past midnight!

6 cat calls:

Ruby said...

I agree, I love watching the Olympics! I *may* have called someone unpatriotic for not watching... (I don't really mean that, but then again I kind of do.)

sarawr said...

Oh, I know exactly what you mean, and in the last few nights, from eight until way too late, I've become a permanent fixture in front of the screen. And how about our men's high bar last night =) ?

mendacious said...

but it's all propaganda. ;P

(don't disown me.)

jenn said...

I just did a post this morning about my Olympics obsession. Love, love, love it, even though I am already starting to feel sleep deprived.

Niki said...

Finally found the clip! This race was almost as exciting to me as Wimbledon!

Jessica said...

just realized you must have some sort of fancy cable. gareth was just complaining last night that they don't show the badminton. but you are watching it. And you saw German gymnasts!

Suddenly very jealous of superior Olympic coverage.

We need cable.