Gymnastics

Gymnastics is my favorite - a sport I never could do myself but love to watch.  This girl from UCLA is amazing!!  Anyone else ready for the next Olympics?  

Olympics Link Love - Part 2

So excited for Nathan Adrian, gold medalist in the 100 meter freestyle, representing Washington state, the unofficial hometown hero!  Adrian hails from Bremerton, Washington (a short ferry ride outside of Seattle), so he's definitely representing our fair state at the Olympics!

I know you're probably sick of my Olympic posts, but in light of emotion, energy, and enthusiasm surrounding the games, I simply couldn't resist!

+ Love Samsung's pass the torch via phone - can someone please make this a real app??

+ Everything you ever wanted to know about team USA's gymnastic leotards

+ Meet the athletes without a country

+ Kate and Will show their spirit by doing the wave during tennis match

+ Olympic entertaining - edible flaming torch veggie appetizer

+ The inside scoop on Olympic trampolining

+ Very cool "Fab Five" time lapse photo

+ A peek at Horse Guards Beach (Olympic beach volleyball arena) - check out the skyline!  (Also, did you hear, apparently the rowdy crowd at the Olympic beach volleyball match was asked to "keep the noise down" during the Prime Minister's nap!)

+ Spice Girls to perform at closing ceremonies?

Olympics Link Love

+ The *coolest* Olympics party for kids (I will definitely want to host this for my kids someday)

+ Ever wonder where the athletes live during the games?  Take a peek!

+ "Call Me Maybe" a la the Olympic swim team

+ Did you see Aly Raisman's parents during her routine?  It's like an SNL skit waiting to happen!

+ Olympic body match - what event are you physically cut out for?  (My stats have me as a female boxer or a male football {soccer} player) 


+ Olympians diets aren't as healthy as you'd think...


+ The 411 on sex in the Olympic village

+ Royal silver: the queen's granddaughter medals in equestrian 

+ Top 10 Olympics movies

+ Don't you just love Missy Franklin?

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Synchronized Diving

So you already know I am an Olympics enthusiast (to say the least), but seriously, can we talk about synchronized diving...  WHOA! AMAZING!  Did you watch it?  It is just crazy how synchronized these divers are, down to the last spin, turn, tuck, pike...you name it!  I mean, diving off a diving board, somersaulting 4-5 times in the air before seamlessly breaking the water is hard enough, but doing it in sync with another person, phenomenal!  I can barely manage an ordinary dive off the low board...

I saw a friend comment on facebook, something to the likes of "I wish the commentators would explain how these athlete got into synchronized diving!"  AGREED!  I just simply can't imagine my parents suggesting, "Okay kids, after soccer practice, we're heading to the diving boards, ready to hit the water?!"  

This event was fascinating to watch, and I was especially impressed with the Mexican team (who earned silver), their form was literally breathtaking!

Did you watch?

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Olympic Memories

Happy Olympics everyone.  The summer Olympics may be one of my FAVORITE things ever, specifically track & field, swimming, diving, and of course, every girl's favorite event...gymnastics!  

I have vivid memories of watching Olympic gymnastics, perhaps since I have am fascinated by the sport and the physical strength and flexibility of these athletes!  I fondly remember the pizazz of the "Dominique duo" from the '96 Olympic team (Dawes and Monceanu).  And you can't forget Kerri Strug's amazing clincher of a vault, with the dramatic limp to the gold medal platform.  Seriously, we can always count on the Americans to pull off a show-stopping finale!  

I also remember watching the gymnastics overall competition from the '04 Athens games with my sorority sisters in their room at a UW fraternity, where they were living for the summer.  We were decked out in our party attire, as it was about 10 pm, ready to go out, but unable to peel ourselves away from the live gymnastics coverage.  I have this visual of us sitting huddled around a smallish TV, nursing strong vodka-somethings, while cheering on our girl, Carly Patterson to the victory.  I remember leaping up, cheering, and hugging one another other excitedly as Carly was crowned the individual all-around champion, narrowly beating our Svetlana Khorkina.  

There's just something about the Olympics that brings out that national pride in me, and I'm sure in others too.  So I ask: Do you have any memorable memories from Olympics past?  

Are you planning on watching the Olympics?  What is your favorite summer Olympic event? 

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Oh Oh Olympics!

I am obsessed! The Olympics are taking over my life. Today I watched Misty May-Treanor & Kerry Walsh in women's volleyball, Michael Phelps earn his 10th medal in swimming, the American's just miss out on the medal competition in synchronized diving, and then...my all-time favorite, women's gymnastics!

I can remember watching gymnastics since the 1992 Barcelona games, where Shannon Miller shone as the stand-out American, barely missing the gold. And of course, who can forget the white knuckle moment when Kerri Strug landed the vault with a dramatic wrenched ankle, hobbling to the start line and continuing through the pain to save the day with a team gold at the '96 Atlanta games.

I love gymnastics! Of course, I can't even do a cartwheel, but that doesn't stop me from cheering our girls on! At the last Olympics, my friends and I sat glued to the TV on a Friday night, awaiting the declaration of Carly Patterson as individual all-around winner. Hoping for the best this year with our newcomers Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, and Bridget Sloan. U-S-A! U-S-A!

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08.08.08

It's a big day! Not only is it Friday, but it's the luckiest day of the century, 08-08-08, as well as the official kick off to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, at exactly 8:08 am. Spend your time wisely and make sure you make the best of this auspicious day!

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