Home-Cooked Chinese?

Believe it or not, I was actually in bed last night throughly engrossed in a book when Michael Phelps won gold medals #4 and #5 and the “16-year-old” Chinese pixies with the oh-so-straight teeth won the women’s gymnastics team title. I figured all those outcomes were fait accomplis anyway and that I might as well read, rest and catch up on the video and stories in the morning.

Now U.S. women’s gymnastics Head Coach Martha Karoyli is calling out meet officials and implying that they might possibly have mixed up a little, as we say in the South, “home cooking.”

Karoyli was steamed over the officials’ “holding” of gymnast Alicia Sacramone just prior to her balance beam routine.… Read the rest

From Budweiser Man to Olympic Boxer

Not to be overlooked in all the Hoelzer hullabaloo is another remarkable Alabama athlete, Deontay Wilder.

He’s the U.S. heavyweight boxer who hails from Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Roll Tide!). His is one of those classic Olympic stories that always has Eyegal reaching for the Kleenix; one moment he’s working at Red Lobster and driving a Budweiser truck to help support his young daughter born with spina bifida, and in the next, he’s gunning for gold in Beijing.

THT’s Mark McCarter is johnny-on-the-spot per usual with a nice profile, and Alabama Public Radio has done a good piece as well.

Deontay got off to a good start today winning his first match, and at 6’7” with a body covered in tattoos, he’s having the time of his life in Beijing–people think he’s LeBron James.… Read the rest

Huntsville’s Hoelzer Captures Bronze

Huntsville’s Margaret Hoelzer finished third in the finals of the women’s 100 meter backstroke competition today, capturing her first Olympic  medal.

Well done, Marge. All of Alabama, even the Roll Tide types, are rejoicing.

Now it’s on to the 200 meter backstroke later this week (she’s the current world record holder) where she will be the favorite.… Read the rest

March On, Sarge Marge

Huntsville’s Margaret “You Can’t Holz ‘er Back” Hoelzer kept her cards close to her chest yesterday and cagily made her way into tonight’s 100 meter backstroke final (9:23 pm Central).

This is not her best race (she is one of the favorites and the current world record-holder in the 200 meter back, however), so gold-medaling is still somewhat of a longshot, especially with teammate Natalie Coughlin and Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry in the race too.

Speaking of Coventry, she set a new world’s record in her heat last night, and there’s an interesting side story developing there. Even though Hoelzer and Coventry raced side-by-side last night, there seemed to be little of the usual inter-lane congratulations between the two after the heat was over.… Read the rest

Old Olympic Dreams Never Die–They Just Go Slower

Ah yes, the ol’ missing first paragraph is back:

My Olympic dream died sometime around 1978. The reality was that I could barely crack the top 10 of an average high school cross country race, so there was little hope of me ever mounting the winner’s platform and hearing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in my lifetime.

And here’s the rest.

BONUS:
Here’s some footage of me running the last lap in that charity fundraiser at Harding University in 1983.

And here I am today with my Sunday morning running buddies, “Team Wannabe” (that’s actual speed, not slow-mo).

Old Olympic dreams never die–they just go slower.… Read the rest

Abileners–Be On the Lookout For This Man

I’m taking time out from our regular Olympic programming for a special bulletin to my Abilene readers. Please be on the lookout for this man:

col_doug_mendenhall.gif

He was last spotted headed west “on the road to Abilene” with his wife Janet and a van full of kids. But don’t worry, he’s not dangerous; he’s just a little wordy sometimes.

You see, Doug is headed there to fulfill a lifetime dream of teaching in the journalism department at his alma mater, Abilene Christian University. For years, he’s been working at The Huntsville Times and writing a regular column “Soul Food,” which he also turned into a book, How Jesus Ended Up in the Food Court: Seventy-seven Devotional Thoughts You Never Thought About Before.… Read the rest

“One World One Dream”…and Tanks Too

I was out soccering last night with Numbers Two and Three and their teams in the opening tournament of the year, so I haven’t caught much of the opening ceremonies yet. Scrolling through the 4-plus hours of recording on my DVR and hitting the highlights is on my to-do list today, after more soccer matches, mowing the lawn, my weekly elliptical trainer workout at the gym…phew, I should get a gold medal for doing all that.

Number One, who was watching at home, called during the soccer matches and said it all seemed a little “creepy,” in a “if 1.3 billion people are capable of putting on this kind of show, what else are they capable of doing?”… Read the rest

My Olympic Dream Dead? Not So Fast!

For Jim Ryun, his Olympic dream of winning a gold medal went unfulfilled. He failed to qualify for the 1500 meter final in 1964 (he was still in high school, though) and then finished second to Kip Keino in the high altitude air at Mexico City in 1968.

But the most bitter disappointment came in 1972 when he was tripped by another runner in a qualifying heat. Although the judges ruled that he was fouled, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), for reasons still not understood, didn’t reinstate him. Dream over.

Still, an Olympic Silver Medal, a world record in the mile and a high school mile record (3:55.3) set in 1965 that stood for 36 years–not too shabby if you ask me.… Read the rest