The Winter Olympics don’t even start for another six hours, and things are already going wrong. The weather is causing major problems for the alpine skiing events – both downhill training runs had to be canceled today – and even though that’s good news for Lindsey Vonn’s healing shin, they do eventually need to run [...]
The final RealSports Medal Standings for the 2008 Summer Olympics:
1) United States 34 gold, 30 silver, 32 bronze = 292 points (1st in 2004)
2) China 29-18-19=218 (3rd in 2004)
3) Russia 18-16-21=159 (2nd in 2004)
4) Great Britain 17-13-9=133 (8th in 2004)
5) Australia 12-13-17=116 (4th in 2004)
6) Germany 13-7-12=98 (5th in 2004)
7) France 7-13-13=87 (7th in 2004)
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Let me get this straight. The IOC is ditching softball, because the Americans are too dominant, even though Japan just won the gold medal, but they are keeping women’s basketball? The US just won their fourth straight gold, routing Australia 92-65 in the final game.
On paper, the Americans shouldn’t be this far ahead of [...]
When did the decathlon lose its luster? As late as the 1980s, it was the second most important track & field event of the Olympics, next to the 100-meter dash. These days, though, it just seems like another event.
That’s not fair, though. These guys go through hell for two days – 10 events that go [...]
There is one day late in each Olympiad that shows why the United States is unique among the world’s sporting nations. It is the day that we show that no one else can match us when it comes to women’s team sports.
In Beijing, that day came on Thursday.
It started on the beach, when Misty May-Treanor [...]
Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in Beijing. I wouldn’t have believed that there could have been a serious discussion about whether he has been the star of the Olympics, but Usain Bolt has made that happen.
After his victory in the 100-meter dash, where he broke the world record despite celebrating for the last 10 [...]
If you’ve wondered why the United States is winning my RealSports medal standings but are so far behind China in the “real” standings, keep this in mind. As of Wednesday morning in Beijing, China has 18 non-sport gold medals. Germany is second with three – all in dressage. The United States has two – one [...]
In Athens, it was Perdita Felicien. In Beijing, it was Lolo Jones.
The 100-meter hurdles is a tough race.
Four years ago, Canada’s Felicien was a big favorite going into the race, but crashed into the first hurdle and didn’t finish. This morning, Iowa’s Jones was the favorite, and was in control of the race until she [...]
No one came into the Beijing Olympics under more pressure than Lu Xiang.
Yes, a lot of Americans wanted to see Michael Phelps win eight gold medals, and there are other athletes like Kirsty Coventry who were their nation’s only real chance at a medal.
But Lu Xiang was China’s face of the Olympics. He shocked [...]
So swimming is over – well, except the crazy 10k open-water races being held at the rowing venue later this week.
To review the events at the Water Cube, Michael Phelps won every race, and was the only swimmer entered in all of them except the dude with the short fingers.
No, not really. Did you [...]