The Women's Games

I looooove the Olympics. Love them. It's just upsetting that they're only every two years (Summer and Winter are both the best.) These Olympics were particularly excellent:

• The Games took place in the greatest city in the world!
• U.S.A. rocked the Medal Count--104 (46 gold, 29 silver, 29 bronze). China was next with 88 (38, 27, 23). Essentially, we smoked the competition.
• I reconnected with my heroes: Serena Williams--that girl was on fire! And she's the best female tennis player without being a stick. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh--greatest beach volleyball players ever!!!!!!!!! And Kerri had two kids between Beijing and London!
• And found some new ones: Oscar Pistorius--he's kinda fast for some dude with no legs. Sanya Richards-Ross--learning from and improving on Beijing results, and her parents crack me up.

Not everything was fantastic. Ralph Lauren totally blew it with U.S.A.'s opening ceremony uniforms. Why must they always wear such stupid hats? Every year!

But, back to more stellar things:

• U.S.A. women's soccer. Amazing.
• Usain Bolt is hilarious
• Guatemala and Grenada got their first medals ever. And I watched it happen! (Guatemala got Silver in men's race walking--very hard to watch with a straight face. but it's a medal. And Grenada got Gold in men's 400m race)
• Michael Phelps. 22 medals. 
• U.S.A. gymnastics, men's basketball, women's baskteball...
• the music of the Opening and Closing ceremonies. Literally in Heaven.
• Nike's ad campaign:

 

 

But I think my favorite thing was how the women dominated! More U.S.A. medals came from women than the men: swimming, fencing, boxing, gymnastics, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, soccer, tennis, track and field, water polo... The women of other countries were also fantastic. Every country at the Olympics this year was represented by at least one woman. Even Saudi Arabia! Two women that really touched me were Jessica Ennis of Great Britain winning the women's heptathlon by leaps and bounds and Kristyna Kolocova, a Czech beach volleyball player who is only 5' 7" and yet beat a Brazilian team to make it to the quarterfinals, where the Czechs lost to an American team. 5' 7" and playing volleyball. Love it. Girl Power!

 This video is just awesome.

And this video makes me cry every time. No joke.

Theme Song: This One's For the Girls, Martina McBride

Alternative Theme Song: Olympic Fanfare and Theme, John Williams