Its hard to buy Phelps’ sincerity when he looks borderline stoned in this video:
The men’s relay team failed to reach the Olympic final for the first time since 1912. The women missed for the first time since 1948.
What were you doing last week?
Michael Phelps, golden boy in more ways than one:
The business decisions Phelps makes over the next two years — if not the next two weeks — will be critical. Appearances and endorsement possibilities will be flying from every direction, and he and his longtime agent, Peter Carlisle of Octagon, will have to be careful about their decisions.
Entering the Beijing Games, Phelps was reportedly earning an estimated $5 million annually from corporate endorsements, with deals from companies like AT&T, Visa, PowerBar, Omega and Speedo. Now that he’s won eight gold medals, breaking Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old record of seven in one Olympic Games, many in the sports marketing industry believe Phelps’ corporate income could set new records.
(…)
Octagon’s Carlisle told The Wall Street Journal on Monday that he expects Phelps’ current annual earnings to at least double.
“What is the value of eight golds in Beijing before a prime-time audience in the U.S?” Carlisle told the newspaper. “I’d say $100 million over the course of his lifetime.”
Speedo has already paid him a $1 million bonus for breaking Spitz’s record. Just as records can be broken in the pool, so can contracts on land. According to The Wall Street Journal on Monday, Phelps’ worth to Nike could be $40 million.
As athletes from all over the world arrive in Beijing ahead of the start of the Olympics some members of the U.S. cycling team arrive wearing anti-pollution masks.
A U.S. team official said members of the cycling squad were wearing the respiratory masks but declined further comment.
One man wore a mask that covered the nose and mouth while also wearing a white T-shirt with ‘BEIJING’ in black letters across the chest.
Beijing’s pollution problem has been a major cause for concern for athletes who fear it may impact their health and sporting performance.
A cycling official later tried to play down the incident. “I don’t believe there was any statement trying to be made”, said Andrea Smith, spokeswoman for USA cycling.
Cautious? Crazy? Excessive? You be the judge:
It was the mindset that would, in three years time, help trigger World War II. In 1936, Adolf Hitler boasted of Aryan supremacy and predicted their success at the Berlin Olympics. He wanted to show the world that the German “master race” would excel in the Olympic events, to the detriment of the other races.
African-American, Jesse Owens was what Hitler would have considered part of a weaker race. He was the son of a poor sharecropper and the grandson of a slave. To Hitler, Owens would be no competition to his Aryan athletes.
Yet during the events, and in spite of the constant psychological pressure Owens did, what many considered, the impossible. He became the fastest human being on earth- and proved it by winning the 100-meter sprint, the 200-meter dash, the 400-meter relay team and the long jump!
Jesse Owens left holding four gold medals and had achieved a feat that was unequaled for 48 years until Carl Lewis.
True courage, when exhibited at a critical moment, a time when there seems to be no hope, is transcendent. Although, those who witness the moment may not understand its significance until later, they understand that it will be a moment to remember.
In 1976, in Montreal, Canada the men’s gymnastic competition was a close contest between the Soviet and Japanese teams. It was down to the last day and last score, and it would be the highest score of the day would take home the gold!
Then disaster struck the Japanese team. Shun Fujimoto, one of the key gymnasts, shattered his kneecap during the floor competition. Although the pain was excruciating, taking any form of pain medication would disqualify him. He could not be replaced, and withdrawing would most likely mean a loss, so he went ahead and took one for the team.
The injured gymnast continued on to the pommel horse routine, miraculously scoring a 9.5 out of 10. He then faced the rings, which would be his final event of the day.
As he was helped up to reach the rings, Fujimoto thought only of his team and ignored the potential consequences of the eight-feet dismount that would complete his routine.
After a beautifully executed triple-somersault dismount, Fujimoto gritted his teeth and raised his arms in a perfect finish, before collapsing from the pain.
Not only did his team win the gold, but Fujimoto was awarded a 9.7, his personal best on the rings! The Japanese team took home the gold that year largely due to Fujimoto’s courage and strength in the face of seemingly unbearable pain.
These are just two examples of courageous moments in Olympic history, but with the 2008 Summer Olympics only days away the world will surely be the witness to more courageous and memorable moments.
To read more about Jesse Ownen’s achievements click here.
To read more about Shun Fujimoto’s courage click here.
For a complete list of memorable moments in Olympic history, such as the “Miracle on Ice” and the Jamaican bobsled event continue to read here.
Forbes Traveler has come up with their own list of incredible Olympic moments. Check out the videos:
Greg Louganis, 1988 Olympics, Seoul
Lighting of the Olympic Torch, 1992 Olympics, Barcelona
Kerri Strug, 1996 Olympics, Atlanta
Eric “the Eel” Moussambani, 2000 Olympics, Sydney
Derek Redmond, 1992 Olympics, Barcelona
Mary Decker, 1984 Olympics, Los Angeles
Dream Team, 1992 Olympics, Barcelona
Bob Beamon, 1968 Olympics, Mexico
Ben Johnson, 1988 Olympics, Seoul
Michael Johnson, 1996 Olympics, Atlanta
Read more here…
This is an interesting development with far reaching repercussions:
World soccer’s governing body FIFA has told clubs they must release any players aged under 23 selected for next month’s Beijing Olympics after rejecting a protest by three European teams.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, FIFA said Players’ Status Committee member Slim Aloulou had ruled as a single judge that the release of players was mandatory for all clubs.
German Bundesliga sides Werder Bremen and Schalke, and Spain’s Barcelona had argued against the need to release players because the Olympics were not included on FIFA’s international match calendar.
“The single judge determined that the international match calendar is not of relevance in establishing whether clubs are obliged to release players,” FIFA said in its statement.
“In view of the longstanding and undisputed practice (since 1988, clubs have always accepted the release of Under-23 players for the competition), he deemed that recourse to customary law is justified.”
The statement added that the Olympic Games was a “unique opportunity” for all athletes “and that it would not be justifiable to prevent any player younger than 23 from participating in such an event”.
Werder and Schalke have already filed complaints with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following the call-ups of Schalke defender Rafinha and Werder playmaker Diego into Brazil’s Olympic squad.
Read more.
SI.com has a nice rundown.
Check it out here.
NBC will be airing 2,200 hours of the Olympics online… watch the guide here.
Chicago was among the four cities picked as finalists Wednesday for the 2016 Summer Olympics, setting the stage for a high-profile bidding contest between candidates from the United States, Europe and Asia.Also making the IOC shortlist were Madrid, Spain; Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Eliminated from the race were Doha, Qatar; Prague, Czech Republic, and Baku, Azerbaijan.
The final field was selected by the International Olympic Commit The big four — Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio — all had been virtually assured of advancing to the final stage. The main issue had been whether Doha also would make the cut.
The finalists now advance to a 16-month race that will culminate on Oct. 2, 2009, with a secret ballot by the full IOC at its session in Copenhagen, Denmark.
PLAY
