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NEWS ABOUT: 2008 Beijing Olympics

US Men Sweep 400

Merritt shocks Wariner to take gold

(Newser) - LaShawn Merritt stunned teammate and rival Jeremy Wariner in the men's 400-meter race today, eclipsing the favorite by nearly a full second to take gold in the US medals sweep. Wariner, the defending champion, turned the final corner to find Merritt far in front of him, reports the Los Angeles ... More »

How the Decathlon Got Stuck in the Mud

Drugs, fan demand for broken records to blame of 10-discipline event

(Newser) - Once upon a time, the decathlon was it: The king of Sweden called 1912 Olympic champ Jim Thorpe “the world’s greatest athlete, and gold medalists such as Bruce Jenner became superstars. So what happened? Drugs, Robert Weintraub writes in Slate: Track events occupy the same space as the... More »

China Blocks iTunes Over Pro-Tibet Album

Compilation was offered free to Olympians

(Newser) - The Chinese government has blocked access to Apple’s iTunes music store for providing free downloads of a pro-Tibet compilation to Olympic athletes, the Telegraph reports. Users reported a blackout Monday, shortly after the Campaign for Tibet notes that 40 Olympians had downloaded the record. Only the Chinese iTunes store... More »

US Relay Teams Drop Batons

Hand-off gaffes disqualify both men and women

(Newser) - US track and field was hit by two nearly identical disasters today, when both the men’s and women’s teams flubbed the last handoff of the preliminary 400-meter relay, the Los Angeles Times reports. A wet, slippery night in the Bird’s Nest proved tough for the relay squads,... More »

US Women's Soccer Claims Gold

Team beats Brazil 1-0 in extra time

(Newser) - The US women’s soccer team claimed Olympic gold today, besting Brazil 1-0 with a goal scored in extra time, the AP reports. Carli Lloyd scored the crucial goal, but goalkeeper Hope Solo was the star of the game, shutting down shot after shot from Brazil’s unrelenting offense. It... More »

Japan Upsets US for Softball Gold

Americans denied top prize for first time since sport's Olympic debut in 1996

(AP) - The US softball team was denied a chance for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal today, beaten 3-1 by Japan in the sport's last appearance in the Olympics for at least 8 years. Japanese pitcher Yukiko Ueno shut down an American squad that ruled the sport since its Olympic debut... More »

Speedy, but Disrespectful: IOC Chief

IOC chief criticizes sprinter's winning attitude

(Newser) - Usain Bolt has reached the level of track great Jesse Owens, but the 22-year-old Jamaican needs to show more respect to fellow competitors, says the head of the IOC. Although Jacques Rogge expects more amazing feats from Bolt, whom he calls "another dimension in sprint," he censured the... More »

Spitz Starts Life as Second-Greatest

1972 Olympic champ stays gracious after record falls to Phelps

(Newser) - Outspoken and prickly in the best of times, Mark Spitz is slowly adjusting to being the second-greatest Olympian of all time, the Wall Street Journal reports. Mustering a little grace for the occasion, Spitz says he's relieved at the downgrade. "He's got the burden of inspiring the youth as... More »

BMX Olympic Debut Sees 4 US Riders Advance

Super sweep remains possible as men survive flashy crashes

(Newser) - BMX proved that it deserves its debut as an Olympic sport, with an exciting day full of crashes and injuries. All three American men made it through their qualifying heats, some more battered than others. On the women's side, Jill Kintner won the right to represent the US in the... More »

Gold Medal Is Priceless, But Metal Is Worth $215

(Newser) - Michael Phelps’ eight Olympic golds may be priceless, but they're not worth that much to a commodities trader, MarketWatch notes. This year's gold medals are made mostly of silver and coated with less than a quarter-ounce of gold, putting their value around $215. But people are, of course, willing to... More »

Phelps' Ties to Timekeeper Raise Doubts

Sponsor Omega won't release images of race No. 7 finish

(Newser) - Michael Phelps' razor-thin victory in his seventh race is raising sticky ethical questions because the Olympics' official timekeeper is also one of Phelps' sponsors, the New York Times reports. Making matters worse, the timekeeper, Omega, and swimming's governing body won't break with protocol and release underwater images of the finish.... More »

Phelps' Bond With Dad Hardly Golden

Pop a Beijing no-show; Mike's also getting no love from Beard

(Newser) - Michael Phelps’ estranged dad, who’s had a peripheral role in the swimming sensation’s life since divorcing his mom when the boy was 9, has not contacted his son once during the Olympics, Fred Phelps tells the New York Post. "He's so busy, I'm sure not even his... More »

NBC's Olympic Ratings: Gold

Phelps' record-breaking swim is highlight of network's bonanza

(Newser) - NBC’s Olympic coverage smashed the competition last week, in what Variety suggests could be the most decisive rout in television history. Viewership was buoyed by Michael Phelps’ record-breaking gold-medal performance Saturday; in addition, NBC’s various networks reached a staggering 83% of the US. The margins were the biggest... More »

Golden Bolt Breaks 200 Record

Jamaican sprinter first since Carl Lewis to win 100 and 200 meters

(AP) - Usain Bolt of Jamaica raced to a gold medal and a world record of 19.30 seconds today in the 200 meters, becoming the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 gold medals at an Olympics—and the first to ever break world records... More »

Britain Bumps Medal Count on Day 11

3 more golds give 2012 host nation total of 16, best haul since 1908

(Newser) - Britain’s Olympic team added a 16th gold medal today, a total not seen since the 1908 Games, Reuters reports. Christine Ohuruogu took first in the women’s 400 meters—the country’s first track victory in Beijing. Bahrain’s Rashid Ramzi won the men’s 1,500 meters, giving... More »

Public Recreation Suffers as China Pays Olympic Bills

Exercise options include illegal swims in a frozen lake

(Newser) - While elite athletes reap the benefits of Beijing’s lavish Olympic spending, Chinese citizens complain that public recreation programs are suffering, reports NPR. The government has directed $430 million to public sports facilities since 2000, but that’s only half its annual budget for training athletes. “Government resources aren't... More »

Jamaicans Spell Speed 'D-N-A'

Sprinters' success a combination of nature and nurture

(Newser) - Jamaicans sprinters are cleaning up in Beijing, thanks to both biology and their backgrounds. Runners of West African descent—including Jamaicans—have more "fast-twitch" muscle fibers, the kind that generate quick bursts of energy, Slate explains. But nature alone didn't propel 100-meter champ Usain Bolt to his record-breaking, chest-thumping... More »

Phelps Pulls a Spitz on Sports Illustrated Cover

Swimmer mimics iconic shot of Olympian whose record he broke

(Newser) - Michael Phelps now has "the picture" to match his record Olympic medal haul, the New York Daily News reports. Sports Illustrated features a grinning, medal-clad, bare-chested Phelps on the cover of its issue out tomorrow, a shot that mimics the mag's iconic 1972 photo of Mark Spitz. "This... More »

US Wrestling Prodigy Wins Gold

21-year-old is youngest American to win wrestling gold

(AP) - Henry Cejudo, the 21-year-old US prodigy who had competed in only one world-level senior tournament before Beijing, won gold today in Olympic freestyle 55-kilogram wrestling. Cejudo, crying the moment the match ended and wrapping himself in an American flag, defeated Tomohiro Matsunaga of Japan in the best-of-three match. Cejudo is... More »

Johnson Nabs Gold on Beam

Wins in last women's gymnastics event

(AP) - Shawn Johnson finally got her Olympic gold medal in the last event of the women's gymnastics competition today on the balance beam. When her routine, chock-full of difficult tricks, earned a 16.225, Johnson's grin was a thousand times wider than the 4-inch-wide beam she had just conquered.  More »

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