There is no better advert for the capabilities of mankind than the Olympics, the biggest, most intense sporting showcase on the planet. For those two short weeks in August, elite sportsmen and women congregated in Beijing, the hub of the world’s fastest growing nation, to perform at the highest level.
The attraction of the Olympics comes from its variety in sport and diversity in nations. It features so many exciting sports that, unless you are a devout follower, are rarely talked about, publicised or broadcast through mainstream mediums.
Whereas football, tennis, basketball and other high-profile commercial sports dominate in the years preceding an Olympic Games, they are ceremoniously pushed aside as sports such as gymnastics, cycling and all manner of aquatics share the stage.
Fortunately for the Chinese government, and for the event as a whole, there were no high-profile political protests from Tibetan separatists. Olympic history is littered with political outbursts and so it was, to some extent, a relief to see the Games pass without much incident.
The opening ceremony was a jaw-dropping carnival, emphasising the cultural and historical aspects of China rather than, thankfully, its controversial political elements. The lighting of the torch oozed style and creativity, and it certainly set the bar high for London in four years time.
As for the sport, the Games were almost certainly the best event of recent memory. Although this summer also witnessed a very competitive Euro 2008 and a highly dramatic Wimbledon, neither could quite match up to the magic, for want of a better word, of that fortnight in Beijing.
Of course, it is not just because of Team GB’s incredible success, achieving the highest gold medal tally since the 1908 Games in London that made this particular Olympics so significant.
Obviously, Michael Phelps’ achievements will be remembered for years to come, and it is doubtful whether it will ever be surpassed. Also, Usain Bolt and his phenomenal double world record victories at both 100m and 200m will still be fresh in the memory come 2012.
But although Phelps and Bolt became the faces of Beijing 2008, they were not the only athletes to excel beyond expectations. A staggering total of 43 world records and 132 Olympic records were broken in Beijing this summer.
Better. Faster. Stronger. Everything that had gone before wiped away in a matter of seconds. The simultaneous feelings of jubilation and disappointment were written all over Michael Johnson’s facial expression after Bolt shaved two-hundredths of a second off Johnson’s own 12 year strong 200m World record time of 19.32 seconds.
The British cycling team proved that they were top of their sport, while Ben Ainslie, Bryony Shaw and the yngling team showed that even with barely any wind, Brits can still sail a boat better than anyone.
Of this year’s Games, however, the most entertaining sports did not take place on the track nor in the pool. The addition of a BMX discipline, although questionable, seemed to be a huge success. Extreme sports have often been rejected, but BMX provided some spectacular crashes and exhilarating action. When British rider Shanaze Reade fell in qualifying and left a chunk of elbow behind on the gravel, she duly picked herself up and carried on, albeit only to fall again in the semi and final. Yet it is hard to imagine a footballer doing the same.
Beach volleyball, a relatively new entrant to the Olympic schedule, would also rate highly in terms of spectacle. A particular highlight was the women’s match between Georgia and Russia, just days after the conflict between the two nations broke out. The tension was tangible as the two stern faced Russian women were clearly overcome with the pressure of an expecting nation, eventually losing and finishing bottom of their pool.
However, probably the most exciting of them all was the gymnastics, which, although dominated by the Chinese, was still very competitive and visually spectacular. All manner of flips, tricks and dismounts on the high bars, pummel horse and vault, were performed faultlessly by most competitors. But one simple mistake and their face would be introducing itself to the canvas. Not many other sports offer this intensive atmosphere and often if you took the lid off the National Indoor Stadium, it would have been near boiling point.
It was also relatively refreshing that there was a lack of drugs scandals, which have often plagued big events such as the Olympics. The organisers managed to run a tight ship throughout and this ensured that the focus was firmly on the sport. Hopefully, London can use Beijing as a model for how Olympic Games should be handled: with efficiency and flair.
