Shawn Johnson

So, I've kind of been following the women's gymnastics during the olympics. It's been kind of interesting to learn all the names of the "celebrity" gymnasts for this time around. It's been awhile. The first time I really followed gymnastics was in 1992 when Kim Zmeskal hit the world stage with her amazing tumbling pass that I still haven't seen repeated since.

Who could forget Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, and Keri Strug? They were all members of the 1996 olympics team that took gold for the first time ever...and one with a hurt ankle...like bad hurt ankle. Who could forget that image?

For me, its almost like the gymnastics world...among other things has kind of...well, things just aren't the same. Big powerhouse teams like Russia and Romania aren't really even an threat...and China, they are the best I guess. The floor routines aren't like they used to be, and most of the other events aren't either. Course, I have to think that some of that is because of the crazy life they had to live to be a gymnast. They had no life. They lived at the gym...that was IT. I don't think it's that way now...except in China. I guess in the USA you don't become an "elite" gymnast until you are 11-12...now anyway.

Anyway, I noticed something as I started watching Shawn Johnson perform...she looks a lot like an American Girl doll. I thought it was only fitting, I mean, she IS an American Girl. :)




Cute right? Anyway, I'm glad that she was able to get silver in the all around, and that Nastia Liukin was able to get gold. They are both far better gymnasts than I could ever dream of being! I can't even do a cartwheel!

Beijing Olympics

So, I have been following the olympics...for the most part. I don't get tv, so I have to do all my viewing from the NBC olympics website. It is pretty good. I guess my biggest complaint would be that the sports I really want to watch "live" aren't posted until later.

Take gymnastics for example. I wanted to watch the women's gymnastics competition "live." So, I go onto the site...and look...and look...sure, they had fencing and archery, and some other sports "live" because, I don't know about you, but those are definitely a higher priority for me than gymnastics! (I'm trying to be sarcastic and funny here, so don't get offended if those sports really ARE a higher priority for you!)

Anyway, enough of that. It HAS been really neat to be able to watch a full-length competition if I want. Men's gymnastics usually gets shafted and hardly any coverage at all, and I was able to watch as much as I wanted to. They had it ALL there! And, after I already knew what the women gymnastics team had won, they had their video all there too. :)

I'm glad they created the site because of all the additional things that you can watch. I'm sure I'll watch the rythmic gymnastics, syncronized swimming, diving, and...well, whatever catches my fancy, and I'll be able to watch the WHOLE coverage! The other bonus? Only 1-2 commercials for every full-length video (we're talking 2 hours worth), AND NO COMMENTATORS! I don't know about you, but they can really get on my nerves sometimes...a lot of times. So, it takes a little to get used to the silence...just hearing the sound of the athletes and all the spectators cheering, but it is SO nice!

Anyway, just in case you are living in a cocoon (which is fine, I know not everybody is INTO the olympics), The USA men's gymnastics team took BRONZE! (SWEET!) and the USA women's gymnastics team took SILVER. Now I'll go climb back into my cocoon and not tell you about all the other medals that USA has won. ;)