And oh the medals ceremonies! From Chariots of Fire intros to the playing of the national anthem. I can hardly stand that the games are over.
Here are some of my favorite things about the London games:
The Fab Five
Who could help but fall in love with these mousy-voiced bitty girls that do the most Ah-mazing things with their bodies? They were awesome. So awesome. I think watching my two daughters work so hard to learn the most basic of their skills gives a whole new appreciation for the difficulty of what these athletes do. It was so exciting to watch them win gold!
And McKayla's perfect, and I mean perfect, vault in the team final? Are you kidding me? You can look past an ugly hair do when the girl can vault like that!
Gabby Gold
We first became Gabby fans when we saw her compete live at the Pac Rim Championships which were held in Everett last March. We were wowed by her high-flying bars back then but she hadn't yet peaked, having falls on both vault and beam and was still very much in Jordyn Wieber's shadow. Girl pulled out all the stops at just the right time!
Most Decorated
Lochte's constant smack talk was off-putting to me so I decided early on in the Olympics that I was pulling for Phelps. This was the Olympics where the "Best Olympian of All Time" was made. Unbelievable.
Blade Runner
How charming is Oscar Pistorius? To say nothing of his amazing athletic ability and can-do attitude, I was smitten by his adorable accent and overall good-guy demeanor. What an inspiration!
Aly Raisman and her parents
Aly landed that final tumbling pass and I started jumping around the living room shouting, "She nailed it! She nailed it!" And she did it while wearing that modern version of the old Mary Lou Retton leotard. I loved it!
So I've never had a daughter in the Olympics but I do have a couple of competitive gymnasts so I can, in a very small way, empathize with the Raismans. I can only imagine their nerves! Did you see that guy behind them tell them to sit down after they stood up to cheer their daughter's gold medal performance? Really?
Olympic Bodies
They're works of art and wonders to behold! Lean, mean, gold-medal-winning machines. Those chiseled muscles are awe-inspiring to me.
Danell Leyva's Dad
Jon and I decided we're going to use his trademark forehead-kiss, ear-swipe, snap, clap for our usual greeting now. His exuberance was delightful to watch, every bit as entertaining as Danell's amazing high bar routine. But Danell's ugly towel? I'm not a fan.
Tom Hammond's Tracksuit
Something about Tom Hammond in an ultra bright blue tracksuit with his over exaggerated body turn and too-close lean in to his co-commentator makes me laugh. I have to do a double take to make sure I'm not watching an SNL sketch. Elfie doesn't commentate in a leotard and Rowdy's not in swim trunks, so why are Tom and his cohorts in tracksuits? Just sayin'.
The Today Show
Speaking of tracksuits, I loved the Today show's segment on speed walking. So funny. And didn't you love NBC's addition of Ryan Seacrest to the team?
As if I wasn't watching enough TV already, I fell in love with the Today show and all of their stories of London glory. Matt and Savannah had a way of asking the ridiculous how-does-it-feel-to-win-an-Olympic-medal question in a slightly more interesting way.
David Boudia
He barely qualified into the finals, the crowd was rooting for the hometown favorite and it was the Chinese that was supposed to win, but it was the American that walked away with the gold. A classic Olympic story. I'm left with just one question: do divers really need their suits to be that tiny?
I already feel the post-Olympic depression coming on. Way to make us proud Team USA! You've inspired my children who are now holding their own make-believe Olympics.
7 comments:
Great recap Tara! I puddled up, I laughed out, I said, " Hey, that's what I said.". Loved it! Good job!
I, too, am sad to see the Olympics end. But, it will be good to get to bed before 1:00 am with school starting tomorrow.
I'm actually still very much on the fence about the whole Ryan Seacrest addition. Sometimes he just flat out bugged!
And I think you forgot someone on your list...Missy Franklin!! What an adorable, humble, talented athlete!
Loved your recap! I am also sad to see the games come to an end. But winter 2014 will be here before you know it!! And I agree... Missy Franklin was also an Olympic favorite of mine to add to your list!
Loved your Olympic post. I too LOVED the Fab 5 gymnastic team. I could not get enough. And I felt so bad for Jordan when she didn't make the all around finals. Heartbreaking for her!
I'm with Erin- I was kind of bothered to see so much Ryan Seacrest, myself. He is already everywhere, doing everything. I was not that excited to see him at the Olympics, too.
I love being an American. So fun to all root for the same team. And I love that the Olympics (primarily) are all about ordinary, everyday people who work hard at what they love. I love watching those people better than the already famous athletes/celebrities (Kobe Bryant, etc). Love, love, love the Olympics.
But now I can start getting to bed on time and not have to constantly worry/wonder about what great game/event I am missing. My DVR was working over time for the past 2 weeks!
We LOVED the Olympics at our house! Mike and I fell asleep watching it every night. We also recorded it with Ti-Vo and every morning Carson would watch highlights. So much fun and so much more TV than we usually watch!
I loved the gymnastics also (we thought of your girls :) and watching the parents was sweet and painful at the same time. I have a hard time watching my little brother run in his races, I can't imagine watching my child in the Olympics!
Amen and amen!!
I'm going to wish i had done a recap like this because the Olympics have consumed me for the past 17 days but I am so behind that I think I'll have to rely on your memories of the olympics instead of my own. I agree with all of it except for the great addition Ryan Seacrest made. Every time he was on screen or did an interview, I felt annoyed at him. He just didn't belong there. These people are serious athletes and all he knows is entertainment.
I love the Olympics. Now it's time to get off of the couch!
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