London Olympics!

I am enjoying the Olympics! A week into the Summer Games, here are some highlights and favorite moments:

Opening Ceremony

Chariots of Fire is one of my favorite movies, so it was wonderful to hear the theme song at the ceremony (and it looks like that's the music they use at the medal ceremonies!). I wouldn't say Mr. Bean's bit was among my favorite moments, but he didn't take anything away. :)

The most poignant moment was probably the passing of the torch to the young athletes at the end. They were not world famous yet, but it was a very nice touch that the torch was passed to them, both literally and figuratively.

Swimming

Michael Phelps placed fourth in his first event, a horrific result by his golden standard. His team then lost the 4x100 freestyle relay and came in second, before he was out touched in his next individual event. But he turned things around nicely and won gold in his next three events, setting more records along the way. A sign of a true champion who does not dwell on setbacks but meets challenges head-on with determination, courage and expectation.

Gymnastics 

Wonderful performance (and smile!) by Gabby Douglas in the all-around competition!

And wonderful sportsmanship by teammate Jordyn Wieber, world champion and heavy gold medal favorite who had heartbreakingly missed the cut to the all-around competition but came back the next day to help win the team gold medal. The following day, she was in the audience to cheer on her teammates at the all-around final and sent this classy tweet after the competition.

Judo

I don't usually follow this sport, but just heard about this triumphant story of Kayla Harrison both in her career and in life.


How about you? Which event or Olympian stands out for you so far?