Michael Phelps has his gold medal. The rest of his teammates in the water? Well, they'll have to wait still.
Larsen Jensen took bronze in the 400m freestyle. Katie Hoff lost her world record in the 400m IM and also lost the gold, also taking bronze. The heralded Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin couldn't do enough for the women's 400m relay team to reclaim the gold medal they lost in 2004. They took silver for the second consecutive Olympics to the Dutch. (Ryan Lochte had no other choice but to take something no better than silver in the 400 IM. He was swimming against Phelps).
Now, these results aren't bad, per se. Hoff was a disappointment for sure. Jensen and the relay team? Probably not.
But it does say one thing: in the world of (American) swimming, there's Phelps and then there's his teammates. There was a time when I thought someone like Coughlin or Hoff could be the Phelps of the women's world. However, I think there's too much parity. And, Phelps is just that awesome.
If anyone wants to break out of that huge shadow that Phelps is casting, then someone is going to have to win some gold. My gut says that Hoff, Torres and Coughlin aren't finished yet, especially Coughlin. She looked so pissed that her relay team took silver for the second consecutive Olympiad.
And right now, I wouldn't mind a little anger from the rest of this American swimming squad.
Showing posts with label Dara Torres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dara Torres. Show all posts
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
My Top 10 Things to Watch at the Games
The opening ceremonies are Friday. Olympic football starts a few days earlier. Beijing is ready to "let the world in" as those really stupid NBC commercials say.
Here are 10 things to lookout for at the Games this year (and of course there's a little bit of an American slant to this).
10. Chinese Regatta: Okay, maybe this one isn't so American. China has been excited for this for seven years, and trust me, they've been breeding their Olympians ever since they won the right to host. One of the more interesting tales of this comes in the world of rowing, where China hasn't done anything. That might all change this year. If there's a Chinese wave in the rowing waters this year, don't be surprised.
9. U.S. Versus China: Continuing on this Chinese versus the world theme, this might be the first time since the end of the Cold War that the United States might be challenged in the medal count. It's those breeding programs in China, trust me.
8. USA Basketball: The women will be a lock for the gold. I'll guarantee that. But the U.S. men, that's a whole different story. The Americans haven't won a major international tournament since 2000. Is the United States' monopoly on global domination waning? With a team full of uber-stars like Lebron and Kobe, anything but gold will be a disaster.
7. Swan Song for Softball and Baseball: The USA dominates softball. Since its inception in the Games in 1996, no one else as tasted gold. It's different for the USA Baseball, which has only won one gold medal since 1992. With baseball gone for the 2012 Games in London, can the Americans capture the gold for their national pastime?
6. Women's Soccer Rivalries: Brazil left a bad taste in the Americans mouth after last year's World Cup. Team USA is ready for a rematch. But the Games are in China, and ever since that 1999 World Cup, China and the USA haven't been the best of friends.
5. How's Tyson Gay's Leg: Gay is the track star for the Americans. But after injuring his hamstring in Eugene, Ore., during Olympic Qualifying, can he still be the fastest American alive, or will Team USA have to look to someone else for Olympic gold?
4. The Next Great American Gymnast: The Hamm brothers are back and are likely to strike gold again. But the women always steal the show. Sixteen-year-old Shawn Johnson now has the chance to put her name along side the likes of Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug and Carly Patterson.
3. The Wise Old Master: Can Dara Torres be the 41-year-old sensation and one of the oldest athletes to ever touch Olympic gold? She only has two events to do it in, which is just fine for that body that has to be massaged after every race.
2. Argentina's March to the World Cup: I'm going to make it official right now: Argentina is going to win the World Cup in 2010. The gold medalists from 2004 return with a star-studded side and play with a fierce aggression and creativity that scares the shit out of me. They play fast and any time they touch the ball, they can score. But of course, the Olympics have always been a place for upsets, so I wouldn't be too surprised if someone either than Brazil, Italy or the Albicelestes wins the thing.
1. Believe the Hype: Michael Phelps wants eight gold medals. He can get eight gold medals. Anything else for the American swimmer, then there's goes that title of "best ever."
Here are 10 things to lookout for at the Games this year (and of course there's a little bit of an American slant to this).
10. Chinese Regatta: Okay, maybe this one isn't so American. China has been excited for this for seven years, and trust me, they've been breeding their Olympians ever since they won the right to host. One of the more interesting tales of this comes in the world of rowing, where China hasn't done anything. That might all change this year. If there's a Chinese wave in the rowing waters this year, don't be surprised.
9. U.S. Versus China: Continuing on this Chinese versus the world theme, this might be the first time since the end of the Cold War that the United States might be challenged in the medal count. It's those breeding programs in China, trust me.
8. USA Basketball: The women will be a lock for the gold. I'll guarantee that. But the U.S. men, that's a whole different story. The Americans haven't won a major international tournament since 2000. Is the United States' monopoly on global domination waning? With a team full of uber-stars like Lebron and Kobe, anything but gold will be a disaster.
7. Swan Song for Softball and Baseball: The USA dominates softball. Since its inception in the Games in 1996, no one else as tasted gold. It's different for the USA Baseball, which has only won one gold medal since 1992. With baseball gone for the 2012 Games in London, can the Americans capture the gold for their national pastime?
6. Women's Soccer Rivalries: Brazil left a bad taste in the Americans mouth after last year's World Cup. Team USA is ready for a rematch. But the Games are in China, and ever since that 1999 World Cup, China and the USA haven't been the best of friends.
5. How's Tyson Gay's Leg: Gay is the track star for the Americans. But after injuring his hamstring in Eugene, Ore., during Olympic Qualifying, can he still be the fastest American alive, or will Team USA have to look to someone else for Olympic gold?
4. The Next Great American Gymnast: The Hamm brothers are back and are likely to strike gold again. But the women always steal the show. Sixteen-year-old Shawn Johnson now has the chance to put her name along side the likes of Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug and Carly Patterson.
3. The Wise Old Master: Can Dara Torres be the 41-year-old sensation and one of the oldest athletes to ever touch Olympic gold? She only has two events to do it in, which is just fine for that body that has to be massaged after every race.
2. Argentina's March to the World Cup: I'm going to make it official right now: Argentina is going to win the World Cup in 2010. The gold medalists from 2004 return with a star-studded side and play with a fierce aggression and creativity that scares the shit out of me. They play fast and any time they touch the ball, they can score. But of course, the Olympics have always been a place for upsets, so I wouldn't be too surprised if someone either than Brazil, Italy or the Albicelestes wins the thing.
1. Believe the Hype: Michael Phelps wants eight gold medals. He can get eight gold medals. Anything else for the American swimmer, then there's goes that title of "best ever."
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