2004 Summer Olympics

Only 25 more days before the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. I love the olympics. It's the one time when the world can truly come together and put aside its differences.

I haven't missed an olympics opening ceremony since I first started watching them in 1972 when that handsome Mark Spitz won 7 gold medals. :D

Anyone else out there an avid olympics fan?


http://www.canadiansportcentre.com/Communications/SportPerformanceWeekly/2004%20SPW%20Images/ATHENS_LOGO_200W.gif



Here's a link with more information:


2004 Athens Olympics (http://www.athens2004.com/athens2004//)

I found this picture of Mark Spitz. Who doesn't remember this pose?

http://old.clarin.com.ar/diario/2000/08/23/t056dh02.jpg

I also love it. I am too lazy for sports but I love watching every modality (except boxing, I really don't like that, is it also part of the event?).

I especially like female gymnastics! It's really my favorite!

Yes, boxing is an event.

I love gymnastics, too! and all the swimming and diving competitions.

I've never much been into the track and field events, even though I used to compete in track in junior high school.

I never got into greco-roman wrestling, either until the last olympics when that American wrestler beat that Russian guy who had been champ for so long. I'm hoping he'll be returning.

I told my daughter that this year I'll have to be rooting for both the U.S. and the Romanians. :D

Yes, Olga Korbut! I believe she was competing the same year Mark Spitz was winning in swimming.

And, yes, I know he's jewish. :p

Oh yes, Bruce Jenner. I remember him. :)

I think the hands-down coolest opening ceremonies was the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.

A skier whisked down a mountain at night, came to a picture-perfect stop, removed the archery bow strapped to his back, shot a flaming arrow into the air -- and that's what lit the Olympic torch!

How cool was that? WAAYYYY COOL!!!

:cool:

Some of ya'll might know that I am a Home School Mom so I am always having to get info about various things - thank the Creator for the computer when we can't make it to the library. Here is a site my 12 year-old is taking a look at. You can even hear the Olympic theme song:

www.greecetravel.com/2004olympics

Anyone remember Carl Lewis???

OH hey, I welcome ANY olympic discussion here.. winter or summer. I loved that opening ceremony, too, Scarlet. I also loved the one in Sydney where the little girl flew across the crowd. What a brave kid. Her parents had no idea she was going to do that either. :eek:

I also loved it when our own "Louisville Lip", Muhammad Ali, surprised everyone at the Atlanta games and lit the torch.

Hey, here's a question for everyone... does your home town have any olympic champions?

Here are a couple I can think of from the Louisville area here where I live:

Muhammad Ali -- He won in boxing in 1968 in Mexico. There's a myth that he threw his medal off the 2nd Street bridge in Louisville in protest, but he says that's not true.

Mary T. Meagher (http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/heroes/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=35194) -- She won 3 gold medals in swimming in 1984, then earned a silver and bronze in 1988.

There's also a guy from right here in the small town in Indiana where I now live, right across the river from Louisville, who participated in the last winter olympics in bobsledding. I can't remember if his team won in bronze or silver. And, sorry, can't recall his name.

Whiterose said "avid Olympics fan" in her first post -- no qualification that it was "summer" Olympics -- so Nessa, nyah nyah nyah on you! Lillehammer still counts! ;)

Hrm, that means last winter Olympics counts too, where Canada beat the planet in Olympic hockey -- TWICE! (Women's and men's.)

Man, I think the entire country went crazy for a week after that happened. It was great! Guess that loonie buried in centre ice worked. :D

I just wish I had tickets! Soccer, Basketball, Wrestling, Judo, Taekwando and Karate are the olympic events I'm willing to get tickets for. If not, then I'll go to the more obscure sports like shooting, because they need fans rooting for them damnit!