Living in the Great White North: August 2008

Handball was the last Olympic event I attended this August.

The sport is hardly known in the US but I really enjoyed it.

It is kind of like water polo with out water. There are fouls, penalties, free throws, etc.

So you have a small ball that you can palm and you can dribble but mostly they pass it.

The court isn't very big compared to other sports.

When they go to score they usually jump up like you can see here and then try and through the ball down so that is bounces and goes in the net past the goalie.

This is Sweden and China women playing for the 5th and 6th place positions.

Don't be fooled by the women, this is a seriously rough sport. I saw two bloody noses and a dislocated shoulder during this game!

Here Sweden is going for a score as China's goalie attempts to block. It was a very close scoring game.

There hands, elbows, and hips were always all over everybody for good defense.

Here Sweden is winding up for a penalty or free throw shot.

China jumping up to try and score over Sweden's defensive line.

Sweden shoots.

Reaching for a pass.

Team China huddles up during a time out.

China breaks free and goes for a score.

Looking for an open hand to pass.

China wins!!! They were ecstatic!

It was a close game with China winning by just one point there in the end.

Here is what it looks like inside the Bird's Nest.

Pretty much your regular track and field stadium.

Took this shot from the first level but don't be fooled my seats were no where near here!

Perhaps I am just new to this whole track and field thing since I didn't run in high school or college but I thought the little carts that brought out the hurdles were neat. I didn't know they did that.

The flame was burning brightly even in the day time.

It was big and I was seated in the third row down from the very top but really you could still see everything.

This is men's pole vault qualifying. Jumping right now is USA.

Me inside the nest.

I was there like 2hrs before it started!

Our vaulter makes it over.

Here are the medals for men's 2000m I think, I am typing this several weeks after the fact. But I do know that Kenya got gold and Morocco silver.

Here is Kenya getting the gold.

The medal platforms were actually facing my side of the stadium so that was cool.

These fun little cars were taken the hammers and chalk back and forth across the field to the hammer throw participants. I thought they were fun.

Here we have men's running- I don't know which, we saw a lot of qualifying and semi-final heats.

I was seating straight up from the finish line which for this race also happened to be the starting line.

My own photo finishing pictures!

It was a packed house that is for sure.

USA is in lane 7.

Round and round they run.

USA just barely made first in their heat as you can see here.

So while this running is going on the Women's Hammer Throw is also taking place in the middle of the field. This is the Silver medalist from Cuba doing her victory lap after the finals were over.

China took the bronze in the Hammer Throw - nice flag in the bag victory lap going on here.