8. Women's Gymnastics Team Finals

Finalists: CHN USA ROU RUS AUS JAP FRA BRA

GOLD: CHINA
SILVER: USA
BRONZE: ROMANIA

Team USA was the leading team here. They were consistent; they were terrific. However, Alicia SACRAMONE of the team fell on both the beam and the floor. Somehow that feeling of helpless defeat is something I can relate to. SACRAMONE was really badly affected by her performance on the beam, which caused her team to lose out a good 3 points, which is what they need to surpass China to get that gold. She was in great pressure to perform on the floor, and yet she fell again. When she got up, the look appeared on her face again, reckless helpless defeat, it’s the worst feeling in the world. There she crouched on the stairwell, buried her face inside her hands. She had not only let herself down, but her team, and her country as well. The very cute Shawn JOHNSON was consoling her but the commentators sarcastically spoofed her words:

“JOHNSON said to SACRAMONE, ‘It’s ok, don’t worry, its only the Olympics Final, it’s only the Gold Medal,’”

Shawn JOHNSON on the other hand, was absolutely brilliant. She’s so small and cute but she is also the most powerful female gymnast on this year’s Olympics. Sporting a similarly adorable red ribbon when the other members were donning white rubber bands. She’s like a little red riding hood when the camera caught her practicing by herself in a corner. She really could do no wrong. No mistakes. She delivered attacks instead of steps. She is the highest all-round qualifier and has the highest all-around score. She was the savior of the team whenever someone falls because she 100% of delivering perfect scores. No wobbles, not a slightest hint of adjustments, flawless dismounts. And the look on her face after every apparatus says it all. She always gives her signature megawatt smile. This is the winning smile.
Anastasia LUIKIN made no mistakes this time round. She was elegant in all her routines. She’s a superstar in the gymnastic world and everybody wanted to take a picture with her while waiting for the awards ceremony.

CHENG Fei wrapped up China’s first gold medal in this event. China roped in a “Romania choreographer who lives in France” for their floor routine. They’re taking no chances and their floor routines were the most entertaining. As CHENG finished her routine, she punches her fist out in victory. It’s a historical moment for team China, an emotional one. I felt their pride and glory with the amazing feat, just like how their tears glistened under the camera-clicking frenzy surrounding them.

My afternoon ended with the awards ceremony, the microphone picking up the Chinese gymnast reminding her teammate to “raise the bouquet with the left hand and medal with the right” (which was rather cute actually) and my cute little JOHNSON again, sportingly marching across the podiums, leading her team to congratulate the Romanians.They really marched.
I can’t wait for the Individuals. Go JOHNSON!!!

7. 4x200m Freestyle Relay Men's Finals

USA holds the 2007 WR & 2008 OR (created at semifinals yesterday)

Finalists: CAN JAP USA RUS ITA AUS RSA GBR

USA was dominant from the gun, thanks to fish, who started his team off. He gave his team a 5m lead, which was maintained throughout the whole course of the race. They are having a race of their own, a nice 2 body lengths ahead of all the other teams. The other teams were fighting for the second and third places. Team USA is the only team under WR. All swimmers are wearing full body swimsuit in this event, with USA donning their signature stars and stripes swimsuit.

Peter VANDERKAY wraps up USA’s WR relay. The commentators quoted teammate RICKY: “RICKY is always the bridesmaid of Michael Phelps, he may not get (gold) individually but he will get (gold) this time in the relay” Fish brought chances to his teammates too!

GOLD: USA WR 6:58:56
SILVER: RUSSIA 7:03:70
BRONZE: AUSTRALIA

“…Think about the time you take to walk and these guys are swimming 6 minutes plus!”

(fish, LOCHTE, RICKY, VANDERKAY)

6. 200m Individual Medley Women's Finals

GOLD: Stephanie RICE (AUS) WR
SILVER: Kirsty CONVENTRY (ZIM)
BRONZE: Natalie COUGHLIN (USA)

HOFF was out of the top 3 again! That’s 2 medal chances down the drain. L I only know today that RICE is only 20 years old. She’s a veteran in the water, very experienced. She retained her WR of 2:08.45 however during the last 5m, she was neck-to-neck with CONVENTRY; both of them were well under WR pace.

5. 200m Breaststroke Men's Semifinals

KIITAJIMA WR/OR

(1)
5 out of 8 swimmers from EACH of the groups opted for pants instead of the full body swimsuit. I took the liberty of observing KITAJIMA instead of cheering him on and he is indeed unique and different. KITAJIMA led from the beginning – a lead that he sustained till the end. He’s a beautiful swimmer with timely strokes. Like an artist at work, you’ll think he’s taking his time, enjoying his art, but actually whilst doing all that, he is actually first. There is absolutely no hint that he is rushing or desperately to win.

SNYDERS (NZL) knocked 2s off from the NZL-R just to get this far in the race. “That’s the kind of swim that makes you feel good” Also in the race is Frenchmen DUBOSCQ, another busy swimmer indeed; he won Bronze earlier with KITAJIMA at gold in the 100m Breaststrokes.

1.KITAJIMA (JPN) OR
2.SNYDERS (NZL)
3.BOSSINI (ITA)

(2)
1.BROWN (CAN)
2.RICKARD (AUS)
3.GYURTA (HUN)

BROWN knocked out 1s from his PB in this race to emerge tops; third place GYURTA won Silver in Athens. Also in the race is VERSFELD (RSA) who was the Commonwealth Champion in this event. The man who generated much controversy before the Olympics - SHANTHEU (USA) was in the race as well. He discovered that he had contracted cancer right before the games but go ahead with competing anyway.

4. 200m Butterfly Women's Semifinals

Jessicah SCHIPPER (AUS) held the WR in 2006.

(1)
1. JIAO Liuyang (CHN)
2. Aurore MOGEL (FRA)
3. Gemma LOWE (GBR)

Like most Chinese swimmers, JIAO started off by leading the race. But unlike most Chinese swimmers, she had a different strategy. She led, than fell back, and then emerged again at the lead in the last 50m. LOWE lead in the middle by about 2 body lengths. She’s nice and consistent at the top. “She’s given them work to do…a good sign she’s not desperate yet (looking at the kicks)” Given that she’s placed 6th at the Commonwealth Games and that she performed so well in this race, she’s definitely improved a lot: “she’s comfortable in the first place, comfortable under WR timing”

(2)
1. LIU Zige (CHN)
2.Jessicah SCHIPPER (AUS)
3.JEDRZEJCAK (POL) ER

Kinda sad actually, I hope SCHIPPER remains her own WR holder. She was under her own WR time for 150M of the race.

3. 200m Butterfly Men's Finals

GOLD: FISH WR
SILVER: CSEH (HUN)
BRONZE: MATSUDA (JPN)

FISH didn’t wear his swimsuit today, just the pants. Although FISH won the race today, BURMESTER from New Zealand was the star of the race. He led for 175m of the race until fish furiously regained his title. Fish holds the WR and OR for this event, before and after the race. When fish finished the race, he stared furiously at BURMESTER from lane 1, “WHO WAS THAT GUY THAT TOOK ME OUT SO QUICKLY?!”

BURMESTER had the race of his life. He’s up against fish, was quicker than fish for more than half of the race, was consistent and under WR for that duration but “NO he doesn’t hold on”, even the commentators were feeling the pity of it all. But with this race, he made a significant entrance; he’s done enough for other, like fish, to take notice of him, to respect him. He’s achieved a NZL-R for that race and after the race, many swimmers actually walked up to him, shook his hand and said “nice race”. He’s got a smile on his face.

*On a press conference later that afternoon, Fish told the press of the world that he couldn’t see during this event because his goggles were filled with water. He had actually wanted to go faster but he thought when he got up: 1:51 was not bad. He had become the greatest Olympian of all time, achieving 11 gold medals so far, with more to come later in the games and 2012.

2. 200m Freestyle Women's Finals

GOLD: FEDERICA PELLEGRINI (ITA) WR
SILVER: ISAKOVIC (SLO)
BRONZE: PANG (CHN)

PELLEGRINI led from the start to finish, broken her own WR set in the heats. When the Italy national anthem was played during the awards ceremony, PELLEGRINI led the crowd clapping to the anthem, bringing up the atmosphere. I also noticed a certain stiff Chinese supporter in the crowd, frowning at an Italian who was bouncing up and down at his seat. POTEC (ROU), the gold medalist four years ago in Athens, was in the race as well. HOFF fought all she could but still fell short. Go HOFF!

PELLEGRINI is also the first Italian to win at a swimming event.