Olympics

Writing this post after having drunk two bottles of beer. As I was drinking beer in Mandarin court ( a hotel opposite ISI) ,I was watching some olympic highlights. I thought of writing this post about some of my memories from watching olympics. I was born in the year 1984 an olympic year. But I could not have remembered anything that happened in my life in the year 1984 let alone olympics. I don't remember anything from 1988 olympics either. The only rememberance that I have of the 1988 olympics in Seoul is that my brother Walters broke the " manual remote"( the channel turning device ) in our television while swithing from some channel( must be Rupawahini, a srilankan channel as DD and rupawahini are the only two channels available in Tuticorin in 80's and the early 90's) to DD to watch some football match. So let us start with the 1992 Barcelona olympics.
1992 Barcelona: Can not remember much. I can remember sergie Bubka running for some pole vault event. Did he win that olympics ? Some random gymnasits doing some bars, some diving that's all.

1996 Atlanta: I watched the 200m and 400m men's competition in atheletics when Michael Johnson set the world record. I still can remember the huge margin that he had over the silver medalists in those events. Agassi, silver medalist ( I don't know his name) and Leander Paes in the medal ceromony, some gymnasts and some diving and Carl lewis doing longjump. That's all

2000 sydney: Can remember a little more. Thorpe losing the 200m freestyle to Van der Hoogenband, Inde jui bruin ( a dutch swimmer ) winning her freestyle event, Thorpe anchoring Australia to the relay gold overcoming the US and ofcourse the Cathy Freeman's 400m run. I also remember Marion Jones winning her 100m gold with a huge margin. Some Srilankan sprinter came second, I beleive. Who can forget the 10K run when Haile Gerbaissle won the gold medal. I also watched the hockey finals but I don't remember who won. Is it spain or Netherlands ? I think it is spain.

2004 Athens : I was in my second year B.Sc in my college. That was the only other time except now when I used to run regularly in the morning. I can remember a day when my friend Thiruviyaraj and I was discussing how India lost to some team at the last few minutes in a preliminary round. I distinctly remember watching the 200m freestyle swim tagged the battle of titans by the Hindu which was won by Ian thorpe followed by van der Hoogenband and Michael Phelps. Also can remember telling Thiruviayraj about Phelps' exploits. El Gourrej winning 1500m and 5000m, Australia winning the hockey gold and more gymnasts are my remembrance from 2004.

2008 Beijing: I haven't watched anything live. I have wathced all the events only in Youtube. This is alos the first olympics when I was away from my home. The only live events that I have watched are Federer losing to Blake, 100m ( Some style) where liesel Jones won her gold medal and ofcourse Usain bolt's 100m run. I missed Phelps' swimming and Bolt's 200m. But thanks to youtube I had watched all of them.

ssundar