Thanks for the memories

Tonight I can write the saddest lines. This Pablo Neruda line so truly describes the feeling of every heart that beat in China last night.

Even the skies couldn't hold back their tears - but they made sure to cry in silence as the last dawn broke over the Beijing Games. They realized immediately, though, that it's not in the right spirit to say goodbye with tears in the eyes, and saved the rest for some other day.

Fireworks explode during the closing ceremony in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 24, 2008.

Tears are natural at the end of a grand get-together. But the people who have gathered in Beijing from all over the world to enjoy the 17 days deserved to be seen off with a smile.

That is exactly what the closing ceremony, with its bright fireworks display and mixture of Eastern and Western elements, did. It brought to an end what a journalist who spent the past 17 days in the Olympics Village described as "a party that took a long time coming but was over in a jiffy".

The village was still bubbling with faces, of athletes and officials and journalists before the closing ceremony. Jerseys and country colors were exchanged, messages of love and affection shared and goodbyes said with the hope of meeting again.

The footfalls on the Olympic Green and in the Olympic Village will not cease, but sadly something will be missing. The ground, the stadiums and the buildings, nevertheless, will keep singing the song of the Olympic spirit, the spirit of participation, the spirit to help improve people's lives, the spirit to make a difference to the world.

The Games also leaves behind memories of packed stadiums, world class performances, human endurance and triumph of the human spirit.

The Olympic flame is extinguished during the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest" on August 24, 2008.

The Games is usually celebrated for the triumphs, but is as much about failures, for as John Milton says: They also serve who only stand and wait. So this is the time to hail the spectators and the viewers across the world whose enthusiasm made this a "truly exceptional Games", as IOC President Jacques Rogge put it last night.

This is also the time to salute the workers and officials who sweated it out for seven years to give the world this 17-day wonder.

This is also the time to honor the volunteers who worked day and night to make the Games a grand success, and the torchbearers who carried the flame as much in their hands as they did in their hearts. And this is also the time to thank the athletes, sports officials and journalists for making China's dream come true.

Salute is also due to the thousands of performers who gave shape to the dazzling opening and closing ceremonies, under the direction of Zhang Yimou, and to all the artists from home and abroad who contributed to its success.

Fireworks explode during the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium August 24, 2008.

But the highest tribute is due to the human spirit, so beautifully presented in the opening and closing ceremonies. The human element was everywhere: in the typefaces and painting scrolls and canvases on the opening day, and in the colorful, myriad geometric formations at the closing ceremony.

This is the time to remember, too, that Beijing had Tianjin, Shenyang, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai and Hong Kong to share the Olympic glory.

Beijing has done everything it could to enrich the spirit of the Olympics. It passed on the Olympic torch to London last night, with hope that the legacy will be carried forward.

And it is with this spirit that the sacred flame seemed to say: "So long, Bird's Nest, Water Cube, Chaoyang Park and Tian'anmen Square. Hello, Wembley, Wimbledon, Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square."

Jamaica sets 4x100m relay record at Beijing Olympics

Usain Bolt capped his spectacular Summer Games by tearing through his portion of the 400-meter relay Friday, setting up Jamaica's victory in 37.10 seconds to break a 16-year-old world record.

Lightning Usain Bolt strikes thrice

You see him run a sprint only on camera. Try catching him with your naked eyes in the stadium, and chances are you will not realize what passed by.

The phenomenon called Usain Bolt did it again, albeit this time with the help of three Jamaican teammates.

Spectators in the packed Bird's Nest got what they had been waiting for the whole of Friday evening: Bolt doing his signature sprint and setting another world record.

Bolt ran the third leg, handing the baton to former 100m world record-holder Asafa Powell, yelled and pointed as Powell began the anchor leg.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt (front) starts to run as teammate Michael Frater (back-R) arrives with the baton during the men's 4?00m relay final at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 22, 2008. Jamaica broke the men's 4x100m relay world record in the Olympic final timing 37.10seconds.

And within seconds, just past 10 pm, the 4x100m men's relay record of 37.40 seconds lay shattered. Nesta Carter had started the amazing run, passing the baton to Michael Frater. The new record: 37.10 seconds.

Such was their dominance that the Jamaicans were almost a full second faster than silver medallists Trinidad and Tobago, which finished in 38.06 seconds. Japan took the bronze in 38.15.
The applause for the winners was deafening, with the Mexican wave in the stands accompanying the Jamaican team's victory lap on the tracks.

Men's 4x100m relay Asafa Powell, Usain Bolt, Michael Frater, Nesta Carter of Jamaica celebrate after winning the final of the athletics competition in the National Stadium during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 22, 2008.

It was Bolt's third gold. The first two, 100m (9.69 seconds) and 200m (19.30 seconds), came in world record times, too.

But it was a sad day for Jamaica's women sprinters. The favorites failed in passing the baton (in the third leg) in the 4x100 relay, allowing Russian women to run home with the gold.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt (L) celebrates next to teammate Asafa Powell after they won the men's 4x100m relay final at the National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 22, 2008. Jamaica won the men's 4x100 metres Olympic title timing a new world record of 37.10 seconds.

Beijing 2008 Wushu Competition

Evgeniya Ragulina of Kazakhstan performs during women's Qiangshu (spear play) of the Beijing 2008 Wushu Competition in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Evgeniya Ragulina ranked 5th in women's Qiangshu competition with a score of 9.44.

Zhao Qingjian of China performs during men's Daoshu (broadsword play) of the Beijing 2008 Wushu Competition in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Zhao Qingjian ranked first in men's Daoshu competition with a score of 9.85.

Hsiao Yung-Sheng of Chinese Taipei performs during men's Daoshu (broadsword play) of the Beijing 2008 Wushu Competition in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Hsiao Yung-Sheng ranked 7th in men's Daoshu competition with a score of 9.50.

Andrzej Topczewski of Poland performs during men's Daoshu (broadsword play) of the Beijing 2008 Wushu Competition in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Andrzej Topczewski ranked 9th in men's Daoshu competition with a score of 9.25.

Andrii Koval of Ukraine performs during men's Daoshu (broadsword play) of the Beijing 2008 Wushu Competition in Beijing, China, Aug. 21, 2008. Andrii Koval ranked 8th in men's Daoshu competition with a score of 9.35.

Synchro swimming: a feast for the eyes

Chinese JiangTingting and Jiang Wenwen perform in the synchronized swimming duet free routine final event at the National Aquatics Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 20, 2008. Russia won gold. China placed fourth.

Christina Jones and Andrea Nott of the U.S. perform in the synchronised swimming duet free routine final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 20, 2008.

Andrea Fuentes and Gemma Mengual of Spain perform in the synchronised swimming duet free routine final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 20, 2008.

Tingting Jiang and Wenwen Jiang of China perform in the duet technical Routine synchronised swimming event at the National Aquatics Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 18, 2008.. The Chinese pair finished the technical routine in fourth place.

The world gasps as Liu walks away from Men's 110m Hurdles

China's Liu Xiang reacts after getting injured.

In the biggest upset of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games for host country China, world and Olympic champion Liu Xiang stumbled at the start of his qualifying heat in round one of the Men's 110m Hurdles on Monday morning. He later withdrew entirely from the event.

After Mohammed Issa Al-Thawadi of Qatar in lane three made a false start, Liu slipped off the blocks himself. When the athletes gathered at the start to get set a second time, Liu was conspicuously absent.

"A 110m Hurdles race without Liu is such a pity," Al-Thawadi said after the race. "I really wanted to be just next to Liu's lane because he's such a big champion. It's a great pity I lost an occasion to race with him. I hope he will come back soon."

At a press conference following the event, Liu's coach confirmed that the star's withdrawal was as a result of an injury to his right take-off foot, which has been affecting him for about six years. Liu reported on his own website Sunday that he was suffering from a sore Achilles tendon.

Liu's showdown with Dayron Robles, the Cuban who took away his world record earlier this summer, was one of the most eagerly-anticipated events of the Games.

During his warm-up, Liu grimaced as he attempted to stride over a set of two hurdles. He stepped onto the track with the other runners in his heat and warmed up in his start lane. In one practice run, he fell to his knees and held his leg.

After the false start, he attempted a run several times, but eventually shook his head, removed his race numbers and began to repeatedly kick a wall.

Liu took first place at the world championships in Osaka, Japan, last year with a time of 12.95 seconds, but has yet to break 13 seconds this year or even turn in a top 10 performance.

Robles overtook Liu's world record in April 2008 when he ran 12.87 at the Ostrava Grand Prix in Czech Republic. The Cuban just missed out on a medal at the 2007 World Championships when he finished fourth. So far in 2008, he has run 13.01s at the Shanghai Grand Prix and 13.20s at the Berlin Golden League meet.

Terrence Trammell of the United States was also disappointed after failing to finish his race due to an injury. He was looking to finally win a gold medal after earning four major silver medals in his career.

The 29 year-old took silver at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games. He has twice finished second at the World Championships, in 2003 in Paris, and 2007 in Osaka when he ran 12.99, the first time he went under 13 seconds in a major final.

In the same lane Liu was assigned to run in one heat later, Trammell fell dramatically after hurting his hamstring.

"He's a veteran in hurdles for the United States, and we're going to have to pick it up and make sure we represent the US," said David Payne, after seeing his teammate fail to finish his race.

David Oliver of the United States enters round two as the fastest qualifier, after running a time of 13.30 seconds, putting him ahead of Colombia's Paulo Villar in 13.87s and Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados, who ran 13.38s.

Cuba's Dayron Robles clears a hurdle.

Robles moves on after running a relaxed 13.39s to win the first heat.

Round two will be held tomorrow night, August 19, at the National Stadium.

Epic eight golds for phenomenal Phelps

With eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps has ascended to the top of the world.

"This is a dream come true for me," the swimmer said. He not only accomplished his goal of breaking the seven-gold mark of his countryman Mark Spitz in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, but also went well beyond that.

Michael Phelps of the United States gestures after his team winning the men's 4x100m medley relay final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Phelps won his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics swimming events on Sunday, breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals won at a single Games in 1972.

"I want to be the first Michael Phelps, not the second Mark Spitz," he said.

"Being able to have something like that to shoot for made those days when you were tired and didn't want to be there, when you just wanted to go home and sleep, not work out," he added.

In Beijing, Phelps swam 17 races, totaling an unmatched length of 3,200 meters in the water. He swept the golds in his pet events, overpowered competitors in his weak races and still managed to win when his goggle malfunctioned.

Michael Phelps of the United States smiles during the awarding ceremony of the Men's 4X100M Medlay Relay final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Phelps won his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics swimming events on Sunday, breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals won at a single Games in 1972.

"I went from hitting my head on the wall to win by one hundredth of a second to doing my best time in every event. It's been nothing but an upwards roller coaster. It's been nothing but fun," he said.

Phelps now has 14 Olympic gold medals around his neck, making him the greatest Olympian of all time. At the award ceremony for the 4X100 medley relay, Phelps was given a special certificate by swimming governing body FINA to acknowledge his achievements.

U.S. swimmers Michael Phelps (R) and Aaron Peirsol celebrate after their team winning the men's 4x100m medley relay final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. U.S. swimmers set a new world record of the event in a time of 3 minutes 29.34 seconds and won the gold medal.

The golds were hard work paying off, Phelps said. "My coach Bob always said to me that it was like putting money in the bank. I guess I put a lot of money in the bank for the last four years, and we withdrew pretty much every penny of it."

With stunning races in the Beijing's Water Cube, Phelps has turned the competition into a one-man show. Many superlatives were piled on the 23-year-old American. Online, he was called the Poseidon, the half-man half-fish, and the extra-terrestrial. Netizens attempted to decipher his success by analyzing the picture of his body, digging out what he eats and even what music he listens to.

Phelps has conquered almost everyone, his teammates, competitors, coaches, swimming officials and of course the spectators.

Australian swim coach Alan Thompson said the presence of Phelps "made a field of great swimmers look ordinary." His teammate Aaron Peirsol said it might be once in a century you see something like Phelps races. "He's not just winning, he's absolutely destroying everything. It's awesome to watch," Peirsol said.

Family members of US swimmer Michael Phelps react after his team winning the men's 4x100m medley relay final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Phelps won his eighth gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with the help of his teammates with 3 minutes 29.34 seconds.

His rival Park Tae-hwan said it was both an honour and a tragic thing to compete with Phelps, because he could only swim for the second. Three-time Olympian Australian Grant Hackett said there are no words to describe Phelps' level of achievement. "In my opinion we'll never ever see it again, it will never be emulated," Hackett said on Sunday.

"I said he could win six or seven, with a little luck maybe eight. That 100 butterfly race, the way he got on that wall, everything lined up for him perfectly. He is an incredible racer," Hackett said.

Phelps won that 100 fly race by the smallest margin -- 0.01 seconds over the runner-up Serbian swimmer. The Serbian team filed an official protest, but had to settle for a silver when the timing system also seemed to be with the phenom.

Michael Phelps of the United States kisses his sister after his team winning the men's 4x100m medley relay final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Phelps won his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics swimming events on Sunday, breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals won at a single Games in 1972.

"Michael Phelps is the greatest ever. He was always first in the race. It was a question to share or not to share first place. Everything we saw, the first arrival was Michael Phelps," said FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu, when explaining the 100m fly race dispute.

Looking back, Phelps admitted there was a bit of luck.

"I guess eight is a lucky number for me, too, now. Seeing 8/8/08 and the opening ceremony started at 8/8/08. Maybe it was meant to be," he said.

Starting swimming at the age of five, Phelps built up from his perfect physique, with an armspan longer than his height, to be the best swimmer in the world.

Michael Phelps of the United States hugs his mother and sister after his team winning the men's 4x100m medley relay final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the National Aquatics Center, also known as the Water Cube in Beijing, China, Aug. 17, 2008. Phelps won his eighth gold medal at Beijing Olympics with 3 minutes 29.34 seconds in the event.

"I think I'm lucky to have everything I have. I'm lucky to have the talent, the drive and the excitement about the sport. I'm fortunate for every quality that I have," he said.

In 2000, Phelps made his Olympic debut as the youngest athlete on the U.S. team and placed fifth in the 200m butterfly. Months later, he set a new best in the event as the youngest man to break a world record. He won six gold medals and two bronzes in Athens, and seven golds in the Melbourne World Championships last year.

In Beijing, the swimming icon rocketed to another career peak and he was filled with emotions when he looked back at what he has done.

"I've dreamed of a lot of things, and written down a lot of goals. And this one (eight golds) was the biggest one I had ever written down," he said.

"My Mom and I still joked that in the middle school, I had an English teacher saying I'd never be successful. It's from little things like that," he said, elaborating his thoughts when he savored the golds.

The past week has been one of the most emotional one for Phelps. "I just wanted to make sure I took every single moment in, every single swim in, and every moment I had with my team-mates in, so I could remember that. I've had so many great moments here in China," he said.

Wrapping up his Beijing trip, Phelps planned to have the break that he always wanted.

"One of the things I'm looking forward to is going back to the States. I just want to lay in my own bed for five minutes at least and just relax."

"I woke up this morning and saw two of my friends with some fake gold medals around their neck and everyone has gone crazy. I'm excited to seeing them and I look forward not doing anything, just sitting," he said.

Looking into future goals, Phelps said he wanted to keep racing.

"I like to try some other events, maybe not do some of the events I did here. My coach Bob (Bowman) said he wants to start fresh, do things he hasn't done before, trying new training methods," he said.

In the long term, he wants to continue to raise the bar for swimming.

"The goal that I have and working towards is in progress, (but) it's going to take some time to really be where I wanted to be," he said. Phelps' sensational swimming races have skyrocketed the TV ratings in his country.

"I don't want the sport to be an every-four-year sport. We are given much attention every four years, but there isn't really as much exposure for us," he said.

"I want to get people involved in the sport and be aware of what we're doing. In the upcoming years we will see it happen more and more," he said.

"Swimming has changed my life and allowed me to do so many things. To enable the next generation to do more, I can't even imagine what it will be like. I'm excited to watch it change," he said.

Michael Phelps: Life in the fast lane

The deep gulps of air and fighting back of tears as Michael Phelps stood proudly upon the podium as US anthem the Star Spangled Banner rang around the Water Cube said it all.

It is a sound the 23-year-old American swimmer knows all too well. After winning the Men's 200 meters Butterfly final -- Phelps's fourth gold medal of the Beijing Olympic Games, each on a world record time -- another superlative can justifiably be added to the growing list of adjectives used to describe this amazing athlete: legend.

Phelps powered his way into Olympic history at Beijing 2008 to become the first person to ever win 10 Olympic gold medals. "I just kept thinking wow, I'm the greatest Olympian of all time, It's a pretty great title. It's pretty neat, I'm definitely honored."

"Listening to the anthem, with the medal around your neck is an amazing feeling," said Phelps, after his tenth record medal. "I am almost at a loss for words. Growing up I always wanted to be an Olympian."

He is the classic wholesome all-American boy who, for an added twist of tension, even had the audacity to win the 200 meters Butterfly despite a goggle malfunction which affected his vision.

"When my goggles filled up there was nothing I could do. All I could do at that point was swim. I tried to see something at the 150 wall. I tried to see the T on the bottom to judge my turn. I was more or less trying to count my strokes, hoping I was dead on. I'm just disappointed because I know I can go faster than that."

Faster was precisely what Phelps and his colleagues in the USA Men's 4 x 200 Freestyle team did to add an 11th gold to his list an hour after clinching the all-important tenth. They shattered another world record – Michael's 30th - by slashing an amazing 4.68 seconds off their own previous world record.

His 11 gold medals in total stand two clear of the previous best – the nine-gold-medal club consisting of four athletes: Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, Ukrainian gymnast Larysa Latynina, US swimmer Mark Spitz and sprinter Carl Lewis.

"When you have an Olympic Gold medal, it stays with you forever. You're always an Olympic gold medalist. It's amazing and it definitely never gets old."

Indeed by the time the Beijing 2008 swimming competition concludes Phelps could also become the first person ever to win eight gold medals at a single Olympic Games, surpassing Mark Spitz's seven at Munich in 1972 and ratcheting up his overall tally to 14 gold medals.

Small wonder one of his friends sent him a cheeky text message after seeing Phelps step onto the podium for the tenth time: "Dude, how many times a day do I have to see your ugly face?"

At Athens 2004 Phelps took eight medals -- a feat only achieved by one other athlete, Russian gymnast Alexander Dityatin, in Moscow in 1980.

Perhaps the most staggering thing is that, at 23 years old, Phelps is feasibly young enough to add more Olympic medals to his collection should he decide to carry on until London 2012.


So who is Michael Fred Phelps and what makes him the greatest Olympian in history?

Born in Baltimore in the US state of Maryland, Phelps – known as the Baltimore Bullet -- suffered Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a teenager and trained at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman, who was later an assistant coach to the US swimming team at Athens 2004.

He was a talented junior swimmer who became the youngest-ever US swimmer to compete in the Olympic Games when he represented his country at the age of 15 at the Sydney 2000 Games in the Men's 200 meters Butterfly. A few months later, at 15 years and nine months, he became the youngest man to set a swimming world record, again in the 200 meters Butterfly.

His first World Championship gold medal came in 2001, but the big breakthrough year was 2003, when Phelps won four gold medals and two silver at the World Championships in Barcelona.

At Athens 2004, Phelps extended that to six gold medals and two bronze (swimwear manufacturers Speedo offered Phelps one million dollars if he won all eight medals – an offer which has stayed on the table for Beijing 2008).

Indeed a succession of lucrative sponsorship deals meant Phelps could no longer train as an amateur, so when Bowman moved to coach at the University of Michigan in 2004, Phelps followed too and trained at a local swimming club in Ann Arbor called Club Wolverine.

Phelps has vowed not to work under any other coach than Bowman. "I don't think I would be where I am today with any other coach. He's always on top of things. We've been through a lot."
He maintained his grip as the world's No. 1 swimmer by winning four gold and two silver at the 2005 World Championships and then six gold medals at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. Then came this week's incredible record-breaking feats.

The bad news for Phelps's rivals is that he hasn't lost his thirst for more titles.

"This is something we've been preparing for over the past four years. The hard work is paying off and it's starting to show."

That is surely the understatement of Beijing 2008. Debate among sports columnists will rage about whether Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time. Conjecture, of course ... but the record book is firmly on his side.


The Phelps Fact File

Full name: Michael Fred Phelps

Date of birth: June 30, 1985 (age 23)

Place of birth: Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Strokes: Butterfly, Individual Medley, Freestyle, Backstroke

Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Weight: 195 pounds (88 kg)

Club: Wolverine, University of Michigan