CHRIS YODER
Gargoyle news co-editor
Posted Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2008

ON THE FRONT page of the Online Gargoyle, there is a poll listing options for the "the most exciting moment of the 2008 Summer Olympics."

That poll fascinates me in a good way: How — after watching one of the most spectacular two-week shows ever held — can one choose merely one of the options? That's the kind of power that these Olympic Games had.

The first day of the Games set the tone. A former gold medalist running in midair around a stadium filled with 90,000 spectators would seem hard to top, and he didn't even win a medal for doing that. And yet, the most memorable moments of the Olympic Games came on the courts, tracks, pools, fields, and stadiums, in the time between the opening and closing ceremonies.

Where to begin, where to begin …

Let's start with Michael Phelps, shall we? During your average Olympics, eight gold medals in eight events would be rather hard to top. Perspective: A gold medal in any event means that the competitor is better than the best from scores of countries from around the world.

Now consider that Phelps is the best in eight events. And of his eight events, he set seven world records. That's better than 6.6 billion people have ever done in seven events. And a hundredth of a second better at the seventh event than the runner-up — Milorad Cavic. Talk about drama. Talk about accomplishments — rather, eight of them.

Yet someone may have beat Phelps with regard to shocking the world: Usain Bolt. Bolt bolted 100 meters in a record 9.69 seconds, then 200 meters in a record 19.3 seconds, and finally, to top things off, set — ho hum — another world record in the 4x100 relay. Three world records. Before Bolt crossed the finish line in the 100, he pumped his chest, meaning his time of 9.69 probably could have been faster. And he had an untied shoelace as well.

THE CHRIS YODER GUIDE TO OLYMPIC MEDALS
Though the U.S. won the most medals in Beijing, the Chinese came out on top, according to Chris Yoder's weighting system. Each gold = 3 points, silver 2, bronze 1. Gargoyle graphic by Isaac Chambers (click to enlarge)

The USA men's basketball team only won one gold medal, but the members deserved more. Coming off a disappointing bronze medal at the 2004 Games, the "Redeem Team" set out to reclaim the gold medal and did just that — without losing a single game.

Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, and former Illini Deron Williams were all the best players on their NBA teams, but they were merely cogs in the wheel of the USA basketball machine. It may not have been the most unexpected performance of the Games, but there is no doubt it was inspiring.

Everywhere you looked during the Beijing Games, something spectacular was happening. Both American and Chinese gymnasts were putting in solid performances in nearly every event, whether the athletes were of age or not. The USA won gold in four team sports: men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, and men's volleyball. The Chinese divers won all but one of their events, and all but one of their competitors (Huo Liang, who finished fourth) won a medal. Over the course of the games, 37 world records were broken.

The biggest disappointments for Team USA came in the color of the medals. Despite throwing two no-hitters in nine games, the softball team's only defeat came in the final, a 3-1 loss to Japan — the first time an American softball squad did not win a gold medal at the Olympic Games.

Both the men's and women's 4x100-relay track teams dropped batons in the semifinals. The women's gymnastics all-around team won "only" a silver medal, falling to China.

Is the fact that China had more gold medals (51) than the USA (36) a disappointment? No.

Yes, China has more elite athletes, and using a simple quantitative method, Team China had the best individual performances at these games. But among team sports (requiring three or more people per team), China only won five golds, as opposed to the 11 team gold medals for the USA. The kind of medals that were won speak volumes about the athletic programs of each country.

On the courts and tracks and pools and fields and stadiums, the athletes failed to disappoint. It was away from the medal podium that most of the scandal took place. For instance, the weather in Beijing seemed excellent (at least on TV), but — odd as it seems — the lack of smog seemed unnatural. The opening ceremony was stunning, to say the least, but doesn't lip-synching hurt the host country's credibility? And is there enough evidence to show that all the Chinese female gymnasts are 16 years old?

In spite of controversy, or perhaps because of it, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will not be forgotten. Who can forget eight gold medals? Or the Redeem Team? Or 9.69 and 19.3? Or 51 Chinese gold medals? These games were arguably the most memorable ever, no matter what your favorite moment was.