Olympic athletes/stories in the news.

[RICHARD]

ON September 8th the Paralympics will begin in Beijing.

Those athletes will not get the recognition of the able bodied Olympians but they deserve a look see.

During the Barcelona opening does anyone remember the ABSOLUTE BEST torch lighting?

I seem to remember that the archer who lit the torch had polio.

That a great honor....anyway, remember and give them a little of your time.
The do more with alot less-Gold bless them!

[Grace]

Oh boy - never mind the LES. I was flat out bawling when the women won the gold today in basketball. There stood Lisa Leslie, with her previous 3 Gold Medals around her neck - waiting for the 4th.


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On another subject - in my next life I want a job like that of Mary Carillo. What an interesting time she has had. I could pass on the scorpions on a stick, but the rest of the venues have been fascinating. This afternoon she did one on Eric Liddell, Gold Medal winner in the 400m in Paris, 1924. His story was chronicled in the movie Chariots of Fire.

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Bryan Clay, Japanese-African-American. Gold Medal in the Decathlon. There used to be so much attention paid to this competition - now not so much. Too bad, this is one very nice guy.

[RICHARD]

I have stopped watching the closing ceremonies for the Olympics....They are sad because I have to wait four years to have fun watching, If you go to any event on the Saturday before you can feel the party starting to slow down.

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I like the fact that the official flag is the same one that flies over every city....

I look forward to seeing it in Vancouver!

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Despite all of the 'problems' it was a great 17 days......but, where did they go?

Now it's back to baseball, football and car racing.......

[RICHARD]

I was watching a bit of the closing ceremonies and the camera caught the Lopez kids who all won medals in the judo competition.

THe announcer then stated that they were coached by their former brother.

Hmmmmmm.

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Do the closing ceremonies look more like a Disneyland Main Street parade more and more?

[Logan]

I still stand by my original thought, that the whole thing was exceptional! Of course, I say that every 4 years. Just to be there for a little of it makes me envious. And I agree, Mary Carillo did some really neat things in her reporting. I like the way she and Bob Costas mesh, as if they are really good friends. They may be for all I know!

18 months until we get to see the Olympics again, winter sports, in Vancouver!

Richard, it is good that you took advatage of having the Olympics in LA and took in some of the events. I wish I had tried harder to attend some in Atlanta in 1996. I was there the weekend after they ended, just to enjoy some of the sights, but of course, it wasn't the same.