(1) Fencing
I have finally found a sport that I cannot comment on. There is a suit, a mask, a sword, and French. That is all I get out of it. I know when a point happens thanks to the electronic touch monitor, but I never *see* it happen. The good news is that I never used to actually see the puck during hockey either and now more often than not I can even anticipate a score so there is hope for me at Rio 2016.
(2) Wojdan Shaherkani
At 16 and only a blue belt, she spent just 82 seconds in a judo match before her Olympic appearance was over. In those seconds, she became the first Saudi woman to compete in the Olympics. For safety reasons, she was not allowed to compete in an abaya, but did have a sort of a hijab. It might not have broken down all barriers for women in sports in Saudi Arabia, as this news piece indicates...not everyone was thrilled, but it sure is newsworthy.
(3) Kayla Harrison
Also from judo, Kayla won gold for the USA in the 78kg class. It was the first gold for US women in judo. That's always a story in and of itself. Then there is the fact that she is a survivor of sexual abuse, from her first judo coach.
(4) Shin A-Lam
Back to fencing and a ruling that led to a challenge that led to the fencer in question sitting on the piste for almost an hour in tears waiting for the final decision to be made. Apparently some part of the fancy electronic touch monitoring system mentioned above got stuck, which gave the eventual winner time to get one last point. Shin A-Lam from South Korea should have moved through to the gold medal round. She sat on the piste in tears waiting for the decision because to have left would have been admitting defeat. As it was, she had to come back out moments later where she then lost the bronze medal.
(5) Men's basketball: USA v Nigeria 156-73
I am so not impressed. I adore Coach K, but there is no way to deny that the USA ran up the score on them. If the team was so hot that they couldn't miss a thing, then make them take *all* 3-point shots.
(6) Ye Shiwen
Wow...what a 400 individual medley she had...and 200 for that matter! Honestly, I want to believe it was insanely hard work. There is this little part of me (still reeling from finally having to admit that Lance Armstrong probably really was a cheat) that thinks it unfathomably that she could pull out a faster finishing split in the event than Ryan Lochte. Then again, I have seen plenty of swimmers go to a major meet and drop insane amounts of time off their personal best. There seems to be no proof of doping, so I am going to stick with being amazed.
(7) Ryan Lochte
He had a great meet, but I don't think he had the amazing meet he was hoping for and he knows it. I look forward to Rio when he can swim without being compared to Phelps. I don't know if his dry land training was overboard or not. He doesn't think so. But for someone who did so much outside of the pool there were many events where he just looked tired in the pool.
(8) Michael Phelps
I can't not talk about him. He didn't have an amazing meet either. Still, he came away as the most decorated Olympian ever and the first to three-peat in events. Make no mistake about it, regardless of overall results, he knew about those records and they are what he was gunning for all along.
(9) Missy Franklin and Rebecca Soni
I don't lump these two together out of disrespect. I do so because these two...now they both had *amazing* meets. I still have goosebumps thinking about Soni's sub-2:20 200m breast. And Missy...I'm not sure what was more fun, watching her swims or soaking up her smile and spirit.
(10) Oscar Pistorius
Track and field has just started and regardless of any future results, I think this is the best story. Why there was such a "controversy" made of his participation is beyond me. The simple fact is he is an athlete who has the skills to run with able-bodied competitors. Let it be.