Sunday, August 22, 2004

Fading stars

If there is a suitable title episode for this entry of my blog, the title would be "fading stars".
Well, it is because of what's happening in Olympics after a beautiful opening ceremony last week. My last entry here was last week which is the update about the opening of Athens games and which is also quite long. Anyway, here's my update in Olympics...

The so-called 'fading stars' is team Philippines. Our medal hopes are fading... yes we improve records in swimming but no athlete made it to the medal rounds and in boxing we lost in the first two boxer athletes and have a good start with other two, I'm talking about Brin and Tanamor but in their next bout they lost, fading our campaign for the gold.

The surprise in the Philippine team is Jasmine Figueroa's 'miracle tale' who beat world champion and medalists Natalia Valeeva of Italy in Archery. However, the 'miracle stale' was short when she was edged by Spain's Almudena Gallardo by two points in the next round. By the way, Jasmine was also 2-point lead against Valeeva. Though she didn't make it to the finals she made a breaking record to be the highest ranking Filipino in Archery, she place 27th in the field of 64 athletes. Now, that was a good improvement but I'm still hoping for the gold medal. I've seen awarding ceremonies and I think I'll feel good and proud if a Filipino athlete would be standing there, receive the gold and the national anthem would be play as the national flag is being raised. I think if that would happen I might cry. I hope our athletes in taekwondo and athletics will bring home the gold or any medal in the coming weeks of competition, there are the only Filipino athletes left for the gold medal and glory campaign.

Things really change after 4 years... I don't know what's happening to team Russia... they're not dominating the medal tallies and they were left behind by China and Australia. I think they're not prepared for this Olympics, but I hope they will improved, anyway there still one week left for them to dominate the medal tallies. They are 'fading stars' right now... in the gymnastics they were over-thrown by US! They only got silver for individual and team performance. I don't know what happened to them, they are the best in gymnastics both men and women esp. Svetlana Khorkina, my fave gymnastic athlete. I can't believe she just bag the silver and the gold went to US athlete. Romania proved again its reputation as best in gymnastics when they won the golds inthe events and China was also 'fading stars' in gymnastics I don't know what happen to China they are best in gymnastics last Olympics and now they just place a mediocre.

China is really prepared in this games, look at the medal tallies they are at the top 1. Last two days they were overthrown by US in medals because of Micheal Phelps who won many golds in swimming but right now I check in the site, China is in the top again. Japan is a surprise in the medal board, they are third in the tally and one of the first country to win gold in this year's Olympics along with China. Japanese are really prepared for this Olympics!

Actually Asians rule the top three, China, follwed by USA and then Japan which is surprising because in Sydney 2000 they are rank below. USA is really monster in the medals as they attempt to become number one again like what they did in Sydney 4 years ago but China is more prepared from them that still rule in the tally board as rank no. 1.

About the athletes in the swimming... Austalia's Ian Thorpe and USA's Micheal Phelps are the stars of the swimming event. Phelps is attention grabbing in the games with an ambition to bag 7 golds in one Olympic game to equal Mark Spitz in Munich 1976 but actually that ambition ended as Ian Thorpe didn't allow him to get the gold in other events, Phelps only manage to get five... one of the medals he dream to win were snatch by Thorpe. I think this is Phelps first time in Olympics as his name didn't sound in Sydney. By the way Ian Thorpe also managed to depend his swimming title and manage also snatch the gold from Netherlands' Pieter van den Hoogenband, my favorite swimmer, in the 200m freestyle that Pieter won in Sydney. Meanwhile, Pieter managed to depend his title in 100m freestyle and took the gold. Hehe... he proved again that he is one of the star of Olympic games after Thorpe and Phelps.

It's also another "hehe" for USA team basketball as yesterday they were defeated by Lithuania in their match. This was their second loss after Puerto Rico who beat them in the early preliminaries. Lithuania retained its position as unbeaten team in basketball. I hate them... they thought they'll gonna win again like in the Sydney where they bag the gold, well they're wrong! They were dubbed as "Dream Team" which I think for me they're not!!! Their dream is over for the gold, its time to give way for the other countries! So I'm so happy that even Philippines have not yet won any medal at least China is dominating. I hate them when they beat Greece and Australia... but they struggle to past Greece as their final scores were neck-to-neck and though they won the cheers comes from the hometown crowd for team Greece. Meanwhile in China, Yao Ming even he is now playing for China and the tallest I think he wasn't able to do something to uplift their team in their pool group. They were beaten 2 times but who knows more games will come this week. But for the meantime my cheer goes to Lithuania for beating USA!

The tennis event this year's games is I think the star-studded! Venus Williams is present without her sister Serena who cited that she has knee injury. USA's Andy Roddick and Swiss Roger Federer was also present to add more stars in the court. But infortunately they didn't fit for the world athletes match as all of them were eliminated in their seeds. Federer was eliminated first putting shame in his title as depending champion in the event in Sydney 200 and Roddick after 2 or 3 seed loss to Chilean and put shame to his title as champion. Venus was also a shame when Mary Pierce of France beat her and made her eliminated in the tennis court. What a sad tale fortune for the stars of the tennis...

I'm glad that I able to watch Olympic games (fully without interruption from my other 'businesses') fed by NBN4 this weekend. I also finally decided to continue my picture and article compilation in Olympics for this year after Sydney 2000. So I already started collecting newpapers since last week. Actually I already made the first five page of the compilation.

I remember last Saturday that I'm going to have a reunion with my close friends in hschool - Joy Anne and Jewelyn, as we've plan with Joy Anne because it is her birthday the next day and she is going blowout us. We've talk about it when we saw each other in SM Manila. But too bad it was cancelled and I feel disappointed afterwards, because I'm hoping to see them. And it is going to be our reunion because we haven't saw each other since I went to college. Jewelyn backout first because of her ailing grandfather so Joy Anne cancelled it bec. we were not complete. I really felt disapponted! And sad too... A good in the afternoon while I watch Olympic games Gnes txt me and says that let's see each other with my other friends in Arthur's house. Well I feel relief that I will see my other friends despite of Joy Anne's cancelled birthday blowout. We went to E and then to McDo with Ariane. We share stories as usual but it was fun and I enjoy hanging out with them becuase we relief again the good old times.

At Sunday 6 p.m. I've listened to home radio as they played James Bond theme songs which I crave to listened to since last Friday when I heard its announcement in bus radio. Too bad that I wasn't able to listen to all the songs but those I've heard were good even those I've don't know. Those favorites of mine played were 'For Your Eyes Only'by Sheena Easton, Madonna's 'Die Another Day' Shirley Bassey's 'Goldfinger' and 'Tomorrow Never Dies performed by Sheryl Crow. I hope they continue featuring James Bonds' themes next Sunday

This entry is quite long too like my last entry last week. But I'll try to minimize this... this just because of my updates and craze in Olympics. I am also happy that many visitors were keep on viewing my blog... the counter reach to 300 plus visits!!! A big thank you from me!

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