Day 16 Beijing Olympics 2008

Wow already day 16, time is moving really fast we have already been here for over two weeks. The first week went really slowly while we were staying in the villa by the rowing course. Since we have moved into the village it seems we have moved into the fast lane. It is really important for the athletes to stay focused on the job at hand, as you can now see why it is so easy to get distracted. Ramon has been an inspiration to the rest of the team on how it should be done, it is great for the athletes to be learning from him. For some athletes it is a case of rabbit in the headlights, just trying to take in to much from the word go, discipline is so important on this. I have been reading some athletes blogs who are still competing and I just don't know how they are doing all the tourist stuff, while still focusing on their race.

Anyway enough of that, it is an awesome day here in Beijing blue skies and you can see for miles over the horizon. The mountain range is now visible at the end of the course, this is only the 3rd time that we have been able to see it. The Great Wall of China goes through there. There was a slight tail wind on the course, but perfect rowing conditions temperature around 32 degrees and 55% humidity. The pair did a light 8km row focusing on preparation and keeping length in the water. They did a 500meter and a 250 to keep them sharp. The girls did 12km, it is important to keep the distance up for the girls to ensure that weight is kept under control. They did a few starts and a 250 meter. The team is feeling upbeat and ready to take on finals day here at the Olympics.

Maradona wants to go to Beijing to watch finals of soccer, basketball

FIFA player of the century Diego Maradona has said that he wished to go to Beijing to watch the finals of men's soccer and basketball, in case Argentine teams in both sports advance in the Olympic competition.
"Argentina has few possibilities of medals" in other sports, Maradona told reporters in San Juan, where he will play a show ball match against Chile.
Maradona also said that he is in great health after overcoming difficult times due to his addiction for drugs and alcohol.
"I had very hard moments, but now I wakeup every morning lucid and willing to call my daughters. I'm great," Maradona said.
"When I was bad, I was ashamed of going out to the street; but today I'm fine and is thanks to them," he said referring to his daughters Dalma Nerea and Giannina Dinorah.
Maradona also said that he wishes his grandchild to be a boy and confirmed that his daughter Giannina will have a baby soon.

Behind the Olympics, a paralyzing fall

A Chinese dancer had prepared for a starring role at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies but after a fall in rehearsals now just seeks to walk again.
Liu Yan, 26, considered one of China's top classical dancers, suffered nerve and spinal injuries when a malfunctioning platform sent her plunging about 10 feet down a shaft during a rehearsal 12 days before the Games opened.
She was to have had the only solo number in the spectacular opening ceremony.Instead, her fall left her paralyzed from the chest down. Doctors who took part in six hours of surgery on Liu said it was doubtful she would walk again.
Liu, who was recently married, has returned to her home in Inner Mongolia where she and her family are seeking a specialist to help determine whether she can walk again.

Abhinav Bindra: ends 108 year WAIT

Abhinav Bindra Wins first individual Olympics gold for India
Abhinav Bindra won India's first ever individual Olympic gold medal on Monday with a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the men's 10m air rifle.Bindra had been fourth after qualifying but had a brilliant final round and even hit a near perfect 10.8 on his last shot to pull in front of Henri Hakkinen of Finland, who dropped to bronze with a poor final shot of 9.7.Abhinav Bindra's solitary gold medal at Beijing has ended 108 YEAR Olympic gold-medal drought for India. He is the only Indian to win an individual gold—the last time India brought home a gold was for field hockey in 1980, before Bindra was born.

Governor of Chandigarh Gen (Retd) S F Rodrigues handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to a relative Teji Bains in Bindra's absence during the Independence Day celebrations here.

Abhinav Bindra has something more to cheer about as all cash rewards announced for him by several state governments, PSUs and sports bodies will get exempted from Income Tax

TOP GUN
1.he was born on sept 28,1982 in dehradun,stays in chandigarh.
2.hold MBA degee and is a CEO of bindra futuries,a PC game distributor.His first coach Lt. Col. JS Dhillon.
3.had a indoor shooting range backyard and at 15 was the youngest participant at 1998 CommonWealth Games.
4.The youngest to represent India in Olympics at Sydney 2000
5.won bronze in 2001 Munich world cup with a new junior world record of 597/600
6.Become first Indian shooter to win a world championship gold
7.won six medals at various international meets in European circuit in 2001
8.received Rajive Gandhi khel ratna in 2001
9.won gold medal in 2002 Manchester commonwealth games
broke olympics record in athens olympics but fail to get medal
first indian shooter to win a world champianship gold in zagreb in july 2006

Michael Phelps..........I'm not unbeatable

Shortly after crushing the opposition in the 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay, American swimming superstar Michael Phelps said he did not regard himself as unbeatable.Phelps, who had earlier won his fourth and fifth gold medals of the Beijing Games to take his overall tally to 11 - two more than any other athlete in Olympic history - is going for an unprecedented eight gold medals in the Beijing Water Cube."There are still three races to go and I am not unbeatable. No swimmer is unbeatable," he said. The US head coach Eddie Reese might well disagree with his star attraction, who he said was riding a wave of success."He is just sailing along this week. He's unstoppable." The 23-year-old said the last message he received by text before he entered the water was from a friend in America."He said: 'Dude it is ridiculous how many times each day I have to see your ugly face. Keep up the good work. It is time to be the best-ever'."Phelps took him by his word and made history with a men's 200m butterfly world record time of 1 minute 52.03 seconds, which was six hundredths faster than his record established at the world championships in Melbourne last year. Yet he still said he was disappointed with his time.

Crocker is last hurdle
American Ian Crocker has a habit of messing things up for Michael Phelps and will have the whole of the Olympics world riding against him doing it again to the greatest Olympian at the Beijing Olympics.The 25-year-old two-time Olympic gold medallist is the world record holder in the 100-metres butterfly and it is one of the remaining three gold medals Phelps needs to create Olympic history.Phelps heads into the opening heats of the event on Thursday needing to repeat his 2007 world championship and 2004 Olympics win over event specialist Crocker to continue his world-record breaking march to glory.Phelps has dominated in the Beijing Games capturing his fourth and fifth golds in the 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay finals on Wednesday.If he can win all eight of his Beijing events, he will surpass the record of seven gold at one Games set by US swimmer Mark Spitz.