Well, the 2008 Olympics are almost here, and who doesn't love a great Olympic story? A great underdog, a dominant wunderkid, or a great comeback are all instant-interest stories. Luckly for you, ole DC has a little bit of time on his hands (at work), and has scoured the interweb for some of the best things to watch out for this Summer's Games. Hopefully, not things you already know about....so here goes.
(In no particular order)
-Dominating US swimmer: I bet you're thinking about Michael Phelps, right? Wrong. Well, not wrong, because we'll ALL be watching him. I am talking about 19 year-old American Katie Hoff, who will be competing in five different swimming events. This will also be her second Olys, after debuting in 2004 as a 15 year-old. Look for her in the 200m IM, 400m IM, 200m Free, 400m Free, and the 800m Free. I wouldn't be suprised to see her in the next 2-3 Games, as well.
-The World's Fastest Man: Well, second fastest behind yours truly. The US' Tyson Gay will be battling World Record holder, Jamaica's Asafa Powell in the 100m dash. Both guys are coming off hammy and groin injuries suffered this summer; however, Powell has broken the 100m WR twice this year. As much as I'd like to see an American take home the Gold, I think Powell will come out the Victor.
-US Mens Hoops team: I know it's already a huge story, but C'mon...LeBron james is a Cleveland Cavalier! Roll King James, Roll to Gold!
-Swim Cougar: Dara Torres, at age 41, is still a favorite to medal in the 50m Free. She's been under ridiculous scrutiny by the Anti-Doping agencies, and for good reason. 41 year-old women should not be spanking Olympic-level athletes half her age, but she's doing it. BTW Florida Gator swimming is NO JOKE.
-US Triathlon Team: This is my favorite Olympic event, even though I haven't been staying on my tri training. I remember last year, waking up at 3:30AM to watch the Men's triathlon, and loving it. Now we have DVR, so I won't be pulling that stunt this time. One of the US Men's athletes is Orlando, Florida's own Hunter Kemper. This dude can flat-out fly, I think he finished 9th in the 2004 Olympics. I've bumped into him a couple of times, and he's never come off as any other than a well-rounded, nice guy, so I wish him the best of luck.
-Sheila T: I posted about her in my "Who's The Best Athlete?" blog. She will be representing the US in Modern Pentathlon, which will be her third different Olympic sport. IIRC she has/had a place over in the outskirts of Orlando, so yet another Central Florida connection.
-Andrejs Duda: Keep an eye out for this Latvian in the men's 100m butterfly swim event. He trains in Georgia, and is uses CrossFit for his training. He swims less than half the yardage of his competitors, so this will be a good means to gauge how my new favorite workout compares to hours in the pool.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
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