I don’t have a whole lot to say tonight. Yes, I’m fine!! HAHA It’s just Friday!! TGIF
Since the Olympics are winding down, there wasn’t much action today. There were some major advances to gold medal finals though. Our men’s basketball, water polo and volleyball are all headed to the gold medal round. Women’s softball ended up with a silver and women’s soccer got gold. Bryan Clay of the U.S. also got gold in the decathlon. There’s some new countries on the podium too. Not that might not have ever won in previous Olympics, but new to the medal count in Beijing. Mauritius, an island off Africa has a bronze. Moldova and Panama both have a medal along with Ireland having 2 medals now. Might I also add that Belgium has entered the medal count with a silver for the women’s 4 x 100m relay. With that, tonight’s medal count is:
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 31 | 36 | 35 | 102 |
| China | 47 | 17 | 25 | 89 |
| Russia | 17 | 18 | 23 | 58 |
| Britain | 18 | 13 | 13 | 44 |
| Australia | 12 | 14 | 16 | 42 |
| Germany | 15 | 9 | 13 | 37 |
| France | 5 | 13 | 16 | 34 |
| South Korea | 11 | 10 | 7 | 28 |
| Japan | 9 | 6 | 10 | 25 |
| Italy | 7 | 8 | 10 | 25 |
| Ukraine | 5 | 4 | 12 | 21 |
| Cuba | 2 | 6 | 11 | 19 |
| Canada | 3 | 8 | 6 | 17 |
| Netherlands | 7 | 5 | 4 | 16 |
| Belarus | 4 | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| Spain | 4 | 6 | 2 | 12 |
| Brazil | 2 | 3 | 7 | 12 |
| Kazakhstan | 1 | 4 | 6 | 11 |
| Jamaica | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| Poland | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 |
| Romania | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Kenya | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Hungary | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Turkey | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Denmark | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| Norway | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Slovakia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Georgia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| North Korea | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Uzbekistan | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Armenia | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Ethiopia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Switzerland | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Slovenia | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Indonesia | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Sweden | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Lithuania | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Argentina | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Croatia | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Taiwan | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Finland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| India | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Austria | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Greece | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Estonia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Mongolia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Portugal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Thailand | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| I.R.Iran | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Latvia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Mexico | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Algeria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Colombia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Serbia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Tajikistan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ireland | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Nigeria | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Bahrain | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cameroon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Panama | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tunisia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Belgium | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Chile | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Dominican Republic | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ecuador | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Malaysia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Netherlands Antilles | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Singapore | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| South Africa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Vietnam | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Afghanistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Bahamas | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Egypt | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Israel | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mauritius | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Morocco | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Moldova | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Togo | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Venezuela | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
In China, they wouldn’t have had a choice. A sports star, like the property a house is built on, is owned by the government. The pursuit of sport is for national pride. The motivation is societal, as opposed to capitalistic in the United States.
China selects athletes at young ages and pushes them into sports in which their expected body types might thrive. In the U.S., an athlete is allowed to follow his own path to success or failure.
The results are dramatic. In an effort to bolster its Olympic standing – the total medal count – China embarked on a program in which it placed particular emphasis in competitions that awarded many medals and where world competition wasn’t particularly robust. As recently as 1988, China won just five golds.
That’s an interesting quote and view on China. One I hadn’t really thought of. So a bit like the USSR of old? I must admit that I do have rather a lot of sceptism as to the validity of all of China’s ‘claims’. All really expected, really. Thanks for keeping up such a ready reference to the games – its about as much as I tend to hear about them!
By: annettepiper on 23 August 08
at 02:50
What a shock! No proof! It’s a shame they can’t toss them just for being suspect. And that last bit was very interesting too.
But hey, Belgium finally medalled!
By: Debbie on 23 August 08
at 05:36
They caught some country cheating on little league baseball one year. I bet they get China for this too! Yeah!!!!
By: Laura on 23 August 08
at 09:42
A new baby is like the beginning of all things–wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.EdaJ.LeShanEda J. Le Shan
By: Pakistani ISI on 23 August 08
at 11:26
Quite interesting, Annette!! Its a shame and I know in the end, probably nothing will come of it. A country like that can make false documents so easily. It’s disgraceful to HAVE to win that way. Very much like the Soviets of old!!
Thanks for stopping by!!
By: Elaine on 24 August 08
at 00:06
Laura and Debbie, by reports I heard and read tonight, nothing is going to be done. China had birth certificates and some sort of family documents to prove the ages. Like that can’t be forged!! Come on, look at who we’re dealing with. I’d expect ANY country doing this to be removed and lose the medals, but it won’t happen.
Go Belgium!! LOL
By: Elaine on 24 August 08
at 00:08