Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Inside the Nest- Track and Field


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.

Don't forget this whole time we still have pole vaulters jumping.


This guy made it over with room to spare.

On his way up...


over...


...and back down.

Men's hurdles.


I believe that is USA in lane 4.


Pushing towards the finish.


Here are the women getting their medals for the Hammer Throw.

More medal ceremony- don't forget people are still pole vaulting in the background!

Women running!


Here you can see in lane 6 the women from Bahrain is running fully covered like a good Muslim.


Men's discus throw medal ceremony. We didn't see this event it happened the night before.


This is the Men's 200m- we have three Americans racing and Ussian Bolt is in the yellow.

Ussian Bolt breaks the World Record!!! Look how far he is ahead! It was amazing!

That is Bolt's new world record. 19.30!


The victory lap!


Nice flag waving going on.


Bolt doing his famous lightening move.

There he is! I can't believe I was sitting right there in the stadium!


Here are the women's 400m hurdles.

Jamacia crossing the finish line first with USA behind coming in second.

The Jamacian girl broke an Oylmpic record in the hurdles that night.

Here is her victory lap.


USA makes her rounds. It was an awesome night.