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NEWS ABOUT: 2008 Beijing Olympics

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US Sweeps 400m Hurdles

Jackson clears his own hurdles for bronze

(Newser) - US men swept the 400-meter hurdle competition at the Olympics yesterday, but bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson covered the longest distance—all the way from a rugged Florida neighborhood, reports the Miami Herald. Cheering him inside Bird's Nest stadium was the childhood coach who remembered he "hated to lose just... More »

Disappointment Has a Silver (Medal) Lining

As gymnast beats herself up, American fans go wild

(Newser) - Despite failing to win an individual medal, and her tearful insistence that she cost the US the team gold, gymnast Alicia Sacramone is enjoying wild popularity among fans across the world, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. "I guess it's kind of surprising,” said Sacramone, who has climbed as... More »

Hostesses Wow after Grueling Preparation

Stand-and-smile boot camp preceded duty at medal ceremonies

(Newser) - The hostesses helping to hand out medals at the Beijing Olympics are earning high praise for their glamor and grace. But while they make their jobs look simple, a whopping amount of training and a meticulous selection process brought the women to the world stage. Candidates were chosen using precise... More »

An Olympic Medal, but Then What?

Many athletes experience a vacuum when they withdraw competition

(Newser) - When Olympic careers end, many athletes endure emotional stress or cope with the comedown by turning to drugs, the New York Times reports. Few can expect the multi-million-dollar endorsement deals that await Michael Phelps, and many fail to redirect their focus. The fix, says one sports psychologist, is to identify... More »

'Supermom' Torres Won't Rule Out 2012 Games

3 Beijing silvers—and close call with gold— may push swimmer to try for London

(Newser) - Though Dara Torres says she’s looking forward to hanging with her 2-year-old, the US swimmer’s three silver medals in Beijing have some asking if she’ll aim to compete in the 2012 Olympics—when she’ll be 45. "I don't know," Torres told the Philadelphia Inquirer.... More »

Obscure Tiebreaker Gives China's He Gold Over Liukin

0.033 margin on deductions puts American in second place in uneven bars

(Newser) - Chinese gymnast He Kexin won a gold medal on the women’s uneven bars today, despite exactly same score as American Nastia Liukin, the New York Times reports. Liukin and He each scored 16.725, but since gymnastics no longer gives out dual medals, He was awarded the gold, thanks... More »

Phelps' Quest for the Gold Is Just Beginning

Marketing the Olympic swimming star could bring $100M

(Newser) - Even before Michael Phelps dove into the pool in pursuit of his eighth gold medal, another epic task had begun: Turning the swimming star into a marketing icon. By the time he’d collected his final piece of gold—along with a $1 million bonus from Speedo—the 23-year-old was... More »

Laid-Back Bush Enrages Neocon Base

Sportsfan prez made even the French look sharp, Journal snipes

(Newser) - The administration’s slow response to the Russia-Georgia conflict has conservatives fuming, with onetime true believers openly questioning President Bush's commitment to the foreign policy of the first 7 years of his term. And they're not keeping their dissatisfaction quiet, reports the Washington Post. The latest blast from a once-unexpected... More »

China Seizes US Missionaries' Bibles

Christian group refuses to leave airport without their books

(AP) - Four American Christians whose Bibles were confiscated by authorities are refusing to leave a Chinese airport until the books are returned. The Vision Beyond Borders group had planned to distribute 315 Chinese-language Bibles during the Olympics, but religious proselytizing is banned in China, reports AP. Bibles in China are legally... More »

How Phelps Saved the Games

Swimmer inspired America to love the games again

(Newser) - If the Chinese invented organized sports 6,000 years ago, writes Pat Forde on ESPN.com, then how appropriate that Michael Phelps came to Beijing to prove he was “the apotheosis of the athlete.” And America knows it. In a year when the Olympics had become “passe,... More »

Hurdler Drops Out, Stunning China

Liu had been one of China's favorite storylines

(Newser) - Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, whose rock-star status had made him his nation's favorite Olympic storyline, dropped out of his first race today after just two painful steps, the Washington Post reports. Liu had recovered from a hamstring injury since pulling out of a May 31 meet in New York, but... More »

Shawn Grabs Third Silver

Luikin wins bronze, one medal short of her dad's 1988 take

(Newser) - US gymnasts Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin were edged out of a gold medal yesterday in the floor exercise competition by Romania's Sandra Izbasa—but Johnson took the silver and Liukin the bronze. It was the third silver for Johnson who has one last chance for Olympic gold tomorrow on... More »

Phelps' Quest Perfectly American

Swimmer balanced domination with near-misses

(Newser) - Michael Phelps’ quest for eight gold medals was a perfect sports story for America: we like our athletes to either dominate or come from behind at the last minute, and Phelps delivered on both counts. He was both “the juggernaut and the ninth-inning home run with two outs and... More »

Nadal Captures Gold, No. 1 Rank

Williams sisters take doubles title; 10-0 Olympic record

(AP) - Rafael Nadal won the Olympic men's singles gold medal today, overcoming two set points in the second set and holding every service game to beat Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3. The gold medal was the first for Spain in Olympic tennis, and Nadal became the first top-five... More »

Bolt: 'A Sprinting Prodigy From Another Planet'

Usain Bolt is a delightful mystery

(Newser) - Usain Bolt became the fastest man in the world, ever, yesterday—without even appearing to try. “His run was mind-boggling. Freakish. Revolutionary,” writes Joe Posnanski in the Kansas City Star. “He coasted his last seven strides, and all day he’d only eaten chicken nuggets, and his... More »

8 Golds: Phelps Makes History

(Newser) - Michael Phelps swam into history today by picking up his 8th gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, NBC reports. Phelps swam the third leg of the men's 4x100 medley—yes, another world record—to trump Mark Spitz's record of 7 medals set more than three decades ago. "I'm more... More »

High-Tech Gear Floods Olympic Games

Maker of spring-soled shoe challenges the rules

(Newser) - The Michael Phelps-endorsed body suit is only one of the high-tech inventions at this year's Olympic Games, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. NASA-designed shoes, 3D motion-capture-designed bicycles, and a Nike PreCool vest have all garnered attention. But the most controversial is a spring-enhanced shoe that track and field athletes will... More »

US Water Polo Bests Top-Ranked Croatia

Ninth-ranked Americans hope for medal

(Newser) - The ninth-ranked US water polo team took down top-ranked Croatia in a surprise 7-5 Olympic victory today, the New York Times reports. The victory was thanks in large part to the defensive work of goalie Merrill Moses, who had 11 saves. “What better place to take down the best... More »

Defining Olympic Moment? Phelps By a Hair

(Newser) - Sure, if Michael Phelps wins his eighth Olympic gold, as he’s expected to do in the men’s relay, all eyes will be on him. And we’ll wonder (even more) if he’s all human or part-fish. But the Olympics' "defining fabulous moment" has already passed, writes... More »

Why China's Rooting for Us

(Newser) - China hopes that its Olympic team will do the country proud—but many Chinese are openly rooting for US athletes. Why the love? Francesco Sisci, an Italian diplomat who lives there and whose wife is Chinese, writes in the Washington Post that the idea of "America," even with... More »

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