8/8/08 - The Olympics is here. The Olympics, the greatest show on earth and the true embodiment of human achievement and spirit, and in China. Hmm. We don't have a tele' at home in Bermuda, well we do, but they're not plugged in so it's quite a result that I can watch the first couple of days here in Eastbourne.

I love the Olympics. Coe and Ovett, Derek Redmond, Steve Redgrave, Daley Thompson, Ben Johnson (oh I felt so bloody cheated), Olga Korbett, Michael Johnson, Ed Moses, Zola Budd and sports I'd would never give two hoots about such as hockey, shooting and gymnastics. What they're British.... Come on.

From what I've read there appears to be high hopes for the British in Beijing, but perhaps not from Bermuda's team of just six that I will try to follow as well. Each one of them will be just as proud though as one of them tries to emulate the achievment of Clarence Hill, who won a boxing bronze in 1976, Bermuda's only Olympic medal.

Some of the events and Olympians I'm looking forward to seeing are Usian Bolt, Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell in the ultimate race, the 100m, triple jumper Phillips Idowu, ZZ in the much higher profile Olympic football, the USA basketball team out for revenge plus the world's most recognisable Chinese man Yao Ming. The Murray brothers in the tennis doubles, the unlucky but inspirational Paula Radcliffe, superhuman Michael Phelps aiming for 7 golds, BMX racer (see the two-hoots bit above) Shaneze Reade, hurdler Liu Xiang who could achieve immortality in his home country, the rather attractive Victoria Pendleton on her bike and the amazing 14-year old Tom Daly in the diving, who will flutter many a mother's heart.  ¶ 08:08