Shreaded up in a power sauce bar.

I really don't think it's sour grapes though. Your points are very valid. The US could have fielded a stronger team but stuck to the rules. It seems likely the Chinese did not and they won. It's no better than doping and even worse than countries that buy citizenships to build stronger teams.

I seriously doubt there will be any mention of this before the closing of the games though, if at all. The IOC is not going to embarrass the host country with a cheating scandal.

Egad...Tom Hammond as the announcer for Track and Field. T&F fans, I sympathize, truly I do. As a figure skating fan, he's ruined that as an announcer. I swear I want to tear my hair out whenever I see him near a mic.

I also think he wears eye liner and mascara. Just look at his eyes!! No man has eyes that feminine without a little help!!

Yeah, Liukin and Johnson! Suck on that, third-graders!

(I do feel sorry for the little girls pushed by their coaches into dishonesty.)

That's actually one reason why I believed at first that the Chinese gymnasts really were of age. The Beijing Olympics are China's big debutante moment to show its good side to the world--with their honor on the line, I assumed they'd want to play totally clean to avoid the humiliation of a cheating scandal.

Those screenshots of old rosters have swayed me to "disgusted," though, and breaking the rules in one event makes all China's achievements at these games suspect. Was the equipment designed slightly off-standard to disorient foreign gymnasts who weren't accustomed to it? Is the pool equipped with hidden water jets that can be activated in certain lanes? Are the synchronized divers actually cyborgs? (Okay, I don't know how you could cheat in synchronized diving.)

Anyway, congrats to the of-age medalists!

Apparently the Chinese girls have ID cards that have their birthdates imbedded in there as 1994. There's no way they're not cheating.

We were watching the team event at work and my boss (who was coming over to yell at us) made a comment about how its a shame that 12 year olds were allowed to compete at the Olympics. This is a man who has no intrest whatsoever.

I think Bela Karoyli (sp?) is a fucking hypocrite though. Isn't this the man who's admitted to doing this in the past? Its a different story when its done to you, isn't it?

It's a real shame that the IOC can't or won't crack down on this sort of stuff. I've completely soured on watching women's gymnastics because it seems like just such a sick environment that I can't get any enjoyment out of it. It's really bringing the sport into disrepute.

In other words, just another ordinary day in the gymnastics hall.

I did get a kick out of the Chief Judge - Something Kim? - storming down to the table a couple of times looking like the Wrath of God. I would have loved for NBC's sound guy to have picked up some of those discussions.

Yay for Nastia and Shawn! And it looked like the women had finally figured out the floor's hardness, or whatever it was that had so many of the gymnasts going out of bounds all week.

It was sweet at the end when the American and Chinese women and their coaches were shaking hands with and hugging each other.

I'm right there with you. I love watching the men- because they're actually *men*, and therefore they should have a fairly good understanding of what they're doing to their bodies. I'm pretty sure that a 12 year old doesn't quite understand what "arthritis and chronic lower back pain" really means.

I couldn't help rooting for Shawn last night, though- mostly because she looks so much like my good friend Ryan (also a female with a boy name)- but Nastia did amazing on the beam, so yay for her!

And as much as I hate the swimming commentators and their Phelps obsession- I want him to get all 8 golds, and I hope he does it with world records in every one. The guy has swam 15 times in these Olympics so far- he deserves it. I actually think I'd cry if he lost it now (especially to Ian Crocker, considering Athens).

And I can't really stand beach volleyball, but that first game between the US and Belgium was really, really, really exciting to watch. Not so much the second one- but the first was awesome.

I love Beach Volleyball because it has a cheesy DJ, does any other Olympic sport have that?

I thought EXACTLY the same thing. Maybe he put his makeup on himself, because I know it's not unheard of for male television anchors to wear makeup, but generally they have someone competent doing it. Budget cuts at NBC, perhaps? "Uhh, we don't have a makeup artists, but we got you some Great Lash and a stick of Wet 'n Wild eyeliner. Here you are!"

Nellie Kim, who was one of the top Olympic gymnast for the Soviet Union back in the day (mid-70s). I would have been interesting to hear what she said because it looked like "I don't like that score, judges. Change it."

I'm really happy for Nastia and Shawn though. They seem like such great kids. I prefer Nastia's style, but my god Shawn Johnson's got some monster physical strength.

Congrats to Nastia and Shawn for doing the medal double (taking gold and silver) at the individual all-around. I just saw the interview on Today and they seem to be good sports about it.

And further congrats to Ryan Lochte (who is adorable, but the video that katesi linked makes me think he's too much of a dork), Michael Phelps, Rebecca Soni (!), and Natalie Coughlin for their swimming events last night.

An interesting Olympics story that doesn't involve Michael Phelps. I know there was one other incident in which an athlete threw away his medal, but the other guy ended up earning a lifetime ban from the Olympics.

There's a theory developing that Britain can only win medals when the sport involves sitting down, and seeing as we're likely to kick butt in cycling, rowing and sailing, there just might be some credence to that...

Just watched the Nadal v Djokovic - or more accurately, Spain v Serbia semi final, and it was cool to see just how much representing their countries meant to both guys - Rafa seemed more excited to make the final than he's done winning all the Grand Slams, and Djokovic was actually in tears as he walked off the court.

Thank you for reminding me who she is! I remember her now, from when I first started watching gymnastics.

I don't remember which rotation it was, but there was one shot where the table judges looked at each other with, "Well, I guess we do what she says" expressions on their faces, then posted the score.