A Great Start

The Olympics got off to a great start this weekend. I knew I loved watching them, I just forgot how intense it can be. And it is so hard to pull myself away from them.

The highlights this weekend:



USA over China
"The Redeem Team" put it on against China in the opener. When Yao Ming started the game with a three, I was worried. But once everything settled down in the second quarter, the USA took control and lead the way, finishing with a 31 point victory. Not the hardest team ever, but the home team nonetheless. Starting out on the right foot.


Men's 4X100 Relay

After the third leg, I turned and walked away, seeing as the US team was behind the world-record holding Frenchman by a half second. Nevermind that three teams were ahead of the world record by four full seconds. But when Jason Leezak made his historic comeback and won the race by .08 seconds....WOW!!! Absolutely unbelievalbe and what the Olympics are about, what competitive sports are about. It was absolutely shocking!

"By a fingertip, Michael Phelps is still on course for eight gold medals. He can thank Jason Lezak for getting him No. 2. The oldest man on the U.S. swimming team pulled off one of the great comebacks in Olympic history Monday morning, lunging to the wall just ahead of France's Alain Bernard in a race so fast it actually erased two world records. Wow!



Few sporting events live up the hype -- this one exceeded it. The 32-year-old Lezak was nearly a body length behind the massive Bernard, who not only holds the 100 free record but also announced his relay team would "smash" the Americans, as they made the final turn, but the American hugged the lane rope, drafting off the Frenchman and stunningly overtaking him on the very last stroke."



So Michael Phelps has his two hardest events out of the way (especially since the 4x100 was only 1/4 his doing), both world-records and gold medals. He may just be able to do it - the unimaginable eight golds in a single games. Here's to hoping.



Update: Watch the race here - http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=0811_HD_SWB_HL_L0194