2008
31
Dec
THE past year will be remembered as the year of the “Lightning” Bolt that struck at the Beijing Olympic Games. Usain Bolt certainly stunned the world with his world record-breaking performances in the 100 and 200 metre sprints. Next year‘s world championship meeting in August in Berlin will be the highlight of the world [...]
2008
28
Dec
IT’s a strange world in which Michael Phelps can win a record eight Olympic gold medals and still be challenged for pre-eminence in the year of the Beijing Games.
But a bolt from the blue Caribbean, in the shape of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, managed to drag the spotlight from the Water Cube to the [...]
2008
23
Dec
Usain Bolt let those long legs loose at the Bird’s Nest, and he left Beijing with three Olympic gold medals, three world records and hundreds of millions of new fans around the world.
Virtually unknown at the start of the year, the Jamaican sprinter was the star of the track in 2008, first setting a world [...]
2008
9
Aug
Filed under: Africa, China, USA
Eight years ago, Lopez Lomong had escaped the Sudan and was living in a refugee camp in Kenya when he heard about the Olympic Games. Wanting to see the Games, he walked five miles to the nearest television, where he saw American Michael Johnson win the 400-meter dash. He tells his story:
“I want to be as fast as that guy,” Lomong recalled thinking upon seeing the Olympics. “And that’s what inspired me from that point on. I want to run as fast as that guy and I want to run for that country.”
Lomong later left the refugee camp, came to America, became an American citizen and began running for Team USA. He was chosen as the American flag bearer for yesterday’s opening ceremony.
While host country China’s support of the Sudanese government is shameful, Americans can be proud that our country has welcomed Lomong.
“I am so happy,” Lomong said. “I’m so proud to be an American.”