Thoughts on the Olympics: week 2

1. Much has been said about Liu Xiang's pulling out of the 110m hurdles in the preliminary round due to injuries. There are those who said he disappointed a proud, glory-hungry nation of 1.3 billion. There are those who sympathize with the tremendous pressure and superman expectations a 25-year-old has bore the past 4 years. (Supposedly, when Houston Rockets center Yao Ming relayed the Olympic torch to Liu, he whispered to him, "Now you know how I feel".) I fall in the second camp. A well-written NY Times article argued that China, a nation of engineers, with its thousands-year-long history but a short track record of sports excellence, must learn that sports is full of unexpected events, contains no certainties, and that is what makes it intriguing, riveting, and keeps competitors coming back for more. 110m hurdles is a race of inches; to expect an Olympian effort is human, to expect a guaranteed victory is ludicrous.

2. The biggest upset in the Olympics is the Japanese women's softball team beating US 3-1 in the final. US has won every Olympic women's softball title. Their score total in this Olympics prior this game was 57-4. Yet the short Japanese women, whose ceaseless chatters projected an image of boisterous kids next to the big stocky Americans, fearlessly slayed the American dragon one inning at a time. Pitcher Ueno Yukiko calmly shut down the American bats after going 21 innings and 320 pitches(!) in two games the day before, even with the bases loaded with one out in two innings. ("That's for the A-bombs, ya bastards!" I screamed at the TV as Nina cried in the background. Rinko narrowed her eyes. My sense of humor is under-appreciated in my household ...) I hope members of the IOC will take a good look at the competitiveness of this passionately played game and put softball back into Olympics in 2016.

3. The failure in the US sprint team is spectacular and comprehensive. The Americans were upstaged by Jamaica, a tiny island nation of 2.5 million people, in all sprint races: 100m, 200m, 4x100m. Tyson Gay, who won all three events a year ago in Osaka world championship, failed to make the 100m final, did not qualify for 200m in the US trials, and dropped the baton in the 4x100m preliminary round. For a country of 300 million and a history of track legends like Jesse Owens, Edwin Moses and Carl Lewis, this is a new low after the BALCO drug scandal. In light of G.W.'s unpopular wars and slumping US economy due to mis-management and irresponsible legislation, perhaps by acts of Providence, sports does reflect politics after all.

4. Usain Bolt, winner and world record holder of 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, is a freak of nature. During my internship in Dallas, I remember watching Michael Johnson winning 200m and 400m in Atlanta 1996. Michael Johnson is a mini-god in native Dallas (they erected a statue of him in the city center), and the way he crushed his competition in the 200m final in golden spikes by many body lengths, I didn't think the world record set then can be broken in my lifetime. And the record stood for 12 years, the longest sprint record to date, and then came Bolt. "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen," Hillary would say; the jovial, dance-crazed Bolt sure has a unique way of handling the pressure of being the fastest man on earth. ("Drinks on me! Drinks on me!" Bolk called out to the Trinadad's relay team after the race.) The 6'5'' bean-pole is brimming with talent and only 22 years old. Stay tuned for better things to come.

5. Dara Torres, age 41, won silver in 50m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay. When she competed in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, Michael Phelps wasn't even born yet. She has given hope to all sunset warriors around the globe to keep the competitive fire burning just a little longer. I am looking for my swimming goggles as I type ...