Beijing Correspondent - Reporting Asia

If you are lucky you live in a country of winners which means you will see the true Olympic Athletes - the best in the world. Not that there is anything demeaning about the many hundreds who do not receive Olympic gold, silver or bronze. They are still a force to be reckoned with.

Olympic coverage is such that each country feed obtains feeds specific to their own country. If that country such as Iraq does not have a winning athlete then the viewers are unable to see te actual best athlete in the world perform to achieve a gold medal.

Actually Iraq is a poor example as the country only fielded 7 athletes, no one of whom won anyhing so Olympic coverage in Iraq would be quite good in that the winners would be shown.

Naturally viewing in China and the USA would be quite excellent in that those countries field the most winning athletes. Naturally enough there are too many events happening simultaneously to allow viewing of every heat in every event.

After the Olympics there should be a segment called “Go For Gold” showing athletes competing in the finals of all events. In this way viewers from around the world would be able to see the best athletes taking gold in their sport.

There would be little need to show all the medal ceremonies.

Bird's Nest Stadium

The Olympics of today are more of a clinical exercise than a display of basic human skills in a particular sport. The lengths to which competitors go to win a medal is an incredible lifetime’s journey of training and discipline. No singular athlete could ever hope to compete without an incredibly experienced back up team comprising: physiotherapist; motivational coach; manager; agent; sponsor; equipment manager; equipment manufacturer’s representative etc.

Not so long ago the Olympics included events such as tug-o-war where the losers were drenched as they were pulled over the firing line of a high powered water hose. Now that would be interesting. Imagine watching athletes simply climb ropes. It used to happen. Not surprisingly in our politically correct world the Olympic event of pigeon shooting was replaced by other shooting events such as skeet shooting - similar but not as blood thirsty.

After the Beijing Olympics will there be the 100 metres smog mask dash? The smog jump? Fitting and taking off the masks in the quickest time. How much of the smog is real and how much is really there to impair the competitors ability. Will the winners wear their masks during the presentation of flowers and medals? rope climbing pigeon shooting tug of war