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NEWS ABOUT: 2008 Beijing Olympics

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The Greatest Athlete of His Generation?

Phelps' sport is underappreciated

(Newser) - With his 10th and 11th gold medals making him the most decorated Olympian in history, Michael Phelps is also arguably the greatest American athlete of his generation, writes Alan Abrahamson of NBC. And despite the Olympic hype, he’s underappreciated. That's because his sport is not, say, golf, but swimming,... More »

China Arrests Free Tibet Demonstrators

Authorities take away American protesters in Beijing park

(Newser) - Chinese police arrested five American protesters who blocked the entrance to a park in Beijing while shouting "Free Tibet!", Reuters reports. The demonstrators were associated with Students for a Free Tibet, who said there were eight in total. It remains unknown where the protesters have been taken. More »

China Gymnasts Golden Amid Age Accusations

Second-place US thinks Chinese girls too young

(Newser) - China’s women bested the defending champion US women to take their first gymnastics gold medal today, as the Americans stumbled and the younger, smaller Chinese gymasts won a comfortable lead. But the victory came amid continuing charges that the Chinese competitors—who average 4 foot 9 and 77 pounds—... More »

Phelps Makes History: 11 Golds

(AP) - Michael Phelps now has more gold medals than any athlete who's ever competed in the Olympics. The 23-year-old American swimmer won his fourth and fifth golds of the Beijing Games with world-record victories in the 200 butterfly and the 4x200 relay. He now has 11 gold medals in his career,... More »

Games Give Sap-O-Meter a Workout

Viewers can track 'adversity,' 'miracles,' and NBC schmaltz

(Newser) - NBC is known for laying it on a little thick in the heart-tugging category of its Olympic coverage, so Slate thinks it's about time we quantified things. Its new Sap-O-Meter will keep track of sentimental buzzwords such as "adversity," journey," "sacrifice," and  "miracle,"... More »

Phelps' Victory Dance: It's Evolutionary

All primates share body language of pride, shame: researchers

(Newser) - The classic chest-out, arms-outstretched victory dance Olympic champ Michael Phelps performed after Sunday's 4-x-100 relay final is older than humanity, the LA Times reports. The same display of pride is instinctive to all primates, researchers say, and the body language of victory and defeat is rooted in the age-old need... More »

China's Anthem Star a Fake

China replaces buck-toothed girl to craft 'perfect image'

(Newser) - Nine-year-old Lin Miaoke became a sensation after performing the Chinese anthem at the Olympics opening ceremony, and has been busily doing interviews and accepting praise ever since. There’s just one problem: The voice billions around the world actually heard was a 7-year-old with crooked teeth who was replaced after... More »

Are Swimmers or Technology Swamping Speed Records?

Cascade of new world records sparks debate

(Newser) - Swimming world records are going under so fast at this Olympics that some officials are questioning what's going on, the New York Times writes. Ten records have fallen in Beijing so far—four in the space of 80 minutes yesterday—causing controversy over concerns that advances in swimsuit and pool... More »

First Gold Medal Thrills India

Olympic fever grips nation as local boy makes gold in marksmanship

(Newser) - A 25-year-old marksman became the first Indian ever to win a gold medal in an individual event yesterday, setting off an Olympic zeal rarely seen before in his country, the New York Times reports. By besting his Chinese and Finnish rivals in the nail-biting 10-meter air rifle finals, Abhinav Bindra... More »

Phelps Nails 3rd Gold, New Record

Swimmer smashes 200-meter freestyle record, matches Spitz in career medals

(Newser) - Michael Phelps racked a third gold medal today, this one in the 200-meter freestyle, and obliterated another world record in the process. His time of 1:42.96 seconds shaved nearly a full second off his previous best, reports the Baltimore Sun. The gold, his ninth overall, ties him with... More »

Phelps Seeks Redemption for '04 Athens Loss

Olympian favored in 200-meter freestyle, on track for 8 medals

(Newser) - Michael Phelps is gunning for a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, but the one that would mean the most is in the 200-meter freestyle, his hometown Baltimore Sun reports. He insisted on competing in the event at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and it was the only individual... More »

Gourmet Writer a Threat to Beijing?

Baffled food journalist denied Olympic visa

(Newser) - She's not a Tibetan activist, a human-rights watchdog, or a political correspondent. So why couldn't Karen Coates, a food writer for Gourmet, get a visa to cover the Beijing Olympics? She recounts the mind-numbing bureaucratic hoops she jumped through to submit her application, which seems to have vanished into a... More »

US Volleyball Coach's Family Pulls Together After Stabbing

McCutcheon 'not indulging in anger'

(Newser) - Though his heart is broken, Hugh McCutcheon won’t indulge in anger as he grieves for his father-in-law, Todd Bachman, brutally stabbed to death in Beijing on Saturday. "It hurts. I think it's something no one should have to go through,'' the US Olympic men’s volleyball coach... More »

New Media Thwart Edwards, Olympics

Masses now the arbiter of news

(Newser) - The mainstream media aren't the arbiter of news anymore—every man, woman, and child with a mouse is, according to David Carr of the New York Times. For proof, look no further than the Olympics opening ceremonies or the John Edwards scandal. No matter how hard it tried, NBC couldn’... More »

Beijing Pulled Fireworks Fake Out

Marching 'footprints' in the sky were computer effect

(Newser) - One of the most spectacular elements of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics was actually a special effect created for television viewers around the world. Giant marching aerial footprints outlined by fireworks were created by sophisticated computer graphics digitally inserted into the live coverage, reports the Daily Telegraph. More »

Bush's Brush With Olympic History

Bush nearly pats gold medalist's backside after making good play

(Newser) - President Bush's visit to the US women’s volleyball team sparked a quirky photo and Internet sensation today, Andrew Malcolm blogs in the Los Angeles Times. After Bush took tips from two gold medalist players, he made a fine play—and volleyballer Misty May-Treanor bent over to let him slap... More »

US Tops China in Hoops Opener

Dream Team wins Beijing preliminary game

(AP) - The United States opened its campaign for Olympic basketball redemption today with a 101-70 rout of host China that had even the home crowd oohing and aahing. And fans including President Bush got what they came to see."I had five dunks in one game. That's because of the... More »

Blake Wins Rainy Debut Olympic Match

Tennis star admitted feeling nerves; got match point on ace

(Newser) - American James Blake took the first step toward his goal of an Olympic gold in tennis today, beating Australia's Chris Guccione 6-3, 7-6 (3). Blake scored the final point of the tiebreak with an ace. He held service in every game, and only once broke Guccione. Heavy rain delayed many... More »

Phelps Captures First Gold In Quest for History

(Newser) - Michael Phelps won his first gold medal of the Summer Olympics with a decisive victory in the 400-meters individual medley, Reuters reports. Phelps, who has a chance to win a record 8 golds in the Games, smashed his own world record—it lasted less than a day—with a time... More »

Bush Watches US Top Czechs in Basketball

Taurasi layup sparks surge to 97-57 victory

(AP) - With President Bush and the first family looking on, the United States women's basketball team began its quest for a fourth-straight gold medal with a rout of the Czech Republic. Diana Taurasi scored 13 of her 17 points in the first half to lead the US to the 97-57 victory... More »

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