Olympic: China
For years, my interest in the Olympics has been tangential: I’ve been excited to hear about world records and great achievements, but haven’t actually been interested in watching the Games themselves.
This year, I’m completely entranced by the Olympics in Beijing.
I’m not quite sure what caused this shift, but rarely have I been so enthralled by a major sporting event that wasn’t the Super Bowl or the World Cup. Over the next few days, I’ll be looking at some of the things that really caught my eye at the Olympics in 2008.
First up: China.
Apart from the fact that they are completely dominating the medal standings, there has a lot been said about the host country this year. The protests at the torch relays were the first events that piqued my interest in the Games.
China rebounded from all the protest talk to host one of the most beautiful Opening Ceremonies I’ve ever seen, albeit one marred with controversy about faked fireworks and a girl not pretty enough to sing.
The sporting venues and other support structures around Beijing and other parts of the country are being praised as being architecturally stunning — and it helps that the Chinese athletes that have been competing in those venues are exceeding all expectations. All in all, China has been a wonderful host for the Olympics, able to temper controversy with beauty and elegance.
The only major concern I’ve had (and this may have been a concern at other Olympics, but I’m not aware as none of the previous ones have been as captivating as these Beijing Games) revolves around the empty seats I’ve seen at venues on the television broadcasts. The reason for the empty seats baffles me: perhaps China has done a better job of marketing the Olympics to the international television audience than it has inside its own country?
What do you think of the job China has done in hosting the Olympics?