Beijing Games Inspire Mixed Emotions (Olympics wrap-up)

So that was Beijing 2008. The Games where the host nation dominated the medals table while Michael Phelps swam, Usain Bolt ran and Chris Hoy pedalled into the record books.

Hoy’s three golds in track cycling were the pinnacle of a marvellous Olympics for Great Britain.

The team claimed 47 medals including 19 golds, in cycling, rowing, athletics, sailing, canoeing, swimming and boxing.

That represents a huge achievement for a relatively small nation and bodes well for the next Games, in London four years from now.

Despite the rich entertainment and sporting excellence, however, nobody could remain cocooned from the ugly side of the Games.

It was particularly hard to stomach the use of Tiananmen Square, with all its grim associations, as part of a showcase of Beijing and a celebration of athletic endeavour.

China underlined its status as a sporting superpower with a huge haul of 51 golds, 15 more than the US.

But, not for the first time in Olympic history, a worrying level of pro-host nation bias could be detected among the judges in certain competitions.

Anybody who saw Britain’s Sarah Stevenson and Aaron Cook fight Chinese opponents in the taekwondo will know what I mean.

Pity the poor Chinese competitors who were just trying to be the pride of their nation.

Men’s football still seems a little out of place as an Olympic event, perhaps because of the involvement of privileged multimillionaires like Brazil’s Ronaldinho, whose lives are so different to those of other athletes.

The male and female finals were both decided by a single goal as the holders retained their titles.

In the women’s final, Carli Lloyd’s injury-time strike gave the US victory over Brazil as grit and organisation triumphed over flair and technique.

Argentina’s men beat Nigeria thanks to Angel Di María’s cute finish.

It was a disappointing final – inevitably so because of the crazy decision to play it at midday, in searing temperatures of up to 42°C.

Nevertheless, Argentina seem to have discovered another golden generation of talent, and Lionel Messi cemented his reputation as one of the world’s finest attackers.

All the brilliant Barcelona forward need now do is cast off the shackles of being labelled the ‘new Maradona’ and inspire Argentina to glory at the 2010 World Cup.

–Rob Wightman, RED U.K. Sport Writer.