Henry To Miss Beijing Olympics

Henry To Miss Beijing Olympics

ATHENS triple gold medal winner Jodie Henry is expected to announce this morning that she will not defend her Olympic titles in Beijing.

Henry has struggled with motivational and physical problems in recent times, and met national head coach Alan Thompson yesterday to discuss whether she would be ready to compete at next month's Olympic selection trials in Sydney.

While Thompson confirmed that he told Henry to "sleep on" a few questions he posed, he added she had not told him her decision yet, and that she was scheduled to do so today.

But late yesterday Henry's management company issued a statement saying that the 24-year-old would make an announcement in Brisbane this morning regarding her future. It is believed the announcement would not be a retirement one, but instead would say that due to her illness and the resulting impact it has had on limiting her training, she would not be ready to compete at the trials, and as such cannot make the team to Beijing.

Henry, who won gold in the 100 metres freestyle and anchored two relays to gold in Greece in 2004, has been plagued with problems in recent times.

The first were motivational, and saw her move late last year from long-time coach Shannon Rollason in Canberra to her home city of Brisbane. She first joined Simon Cusack at Indooroopilly, only to discover he trained in a 25m pool, which led her to swap coaches again, this time joining Rollason's former assistant Drew McGregor, at her old pool, Chandler.

But following her return north, Henry began suffering from a debilitating "mystery illness" which was only recently diagnosed as an imbalance in the muscle group around her pelvis.

"Let me first say that this is not the end of Jodie Henry," Thompson said. "She is definitely not retiring from swimming."

. She would inform him today whether or not she would compete at the Sydney trials.

"I think the emotions that I see in Jodie are frustration but also relief," he continued. "She's frustrated that this has happened in an Olympic year and so close to the trials. But what is a great relief to her is that they have finally found an answer.

"They went through a raft of doctors and specialists, and underwent so many tests, all trying to find out what the problem exactly was, and to now finally know, and start treating the problem, it is a great relief for her.

"She has still been able to train each day, but with varying degrees of pain, ranging from being an annoyance to unbearable pain. I don't know which way she will go, that is for Jodie to decide."

Polyakov Has High Hope Hor Beijing Olympics

Kazakhstan's Vladislav Polyakov poses with his gold medal following the award ceremony for the men's 50m breaststroke swimming finals at the 15th Asian Games in Doha December 3, 2006.

Athens Olympian Vladislav Polyakov said he would like a podium finish in the Beijing Olympic Games less than two years away after he overcame Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima to win the 50m breaststroke in Asiad here on Sunday.

Polyakov brought Kazakhstan the only second swimming gold in Asian Games history and the first here, pulling off the 50m breaststroke title in 28.29 seconds before Kitajima, who bagged silver with nine hundredths of a second behind.

The 23-year-old marketing major from the University of Alabama said he was proud to win for his country and has planned to do well in the Beijing Olympics.

"In Athens I was new and nobody knew me. I was surprised that I was qualified for the final and finished fifth," said the 23-year- old Polyakov, who came fifth in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke in the 2004 Olympics when Kitajima triumphed in both events.

"In Beijing, I will try to win a medal but the competition is very tough with Brendan Hanson, the world record holder in 100m and 200m," he said. "But I look forward to a podium finish."

"Everyone knows that it will be a high competition," he added.

OLYMPICS 2008: Lin Dan Outclasses Chong Wei For Badminton Gold

BEIJING, Aug 17:

The much-coveted Olympics gold eluded Malaysia's reach again after Lee Choong Wei was left clutching the silver from a sound thrashing by China's Lin Dan in the showdown for the badminton men's singles crown.

The entire nation was riveted on the match waiting to celebrate finally a gold but the 41-minute bout was such an anti-climax.

Chong Wei was outclassed by the reigning two-time world champion who was in superb control all the way and led from start to finish to wrap the gold medal for his first time at 21-12, 21-8.

Lin Dan is the first world champion to be crowned Olympic champion.

Chong Wei conceded that it was his easiest defeat ever to Lin Dan after more than a dozen meetings.
"I felt some pressure but that was not a factor. I lost and I have no excuses. Lin Dan played very well tonight," said the 26-year-old Chong Wei, who is the first Malaysian singles to enter the Olympics final.

"I could not match his speed and I could not get around him no matter how. Coach asked to me speed up the game but I just couldn't," he said when asked what instructions he got from coach Misbun Sidek during the break.

Chong Wei's second finishing raises Malaysia's Olympic medal tally to two silvers and two bronzes.

In 1992, brothers Razif and Jalani Sidek clinched a bronze. In 1996, Cheah Soon Kit and partner, Yap Kim Hock -- now national head coach, got a silver, and Rashid Sidek added a single's bronze.

Asked if he will stay on for a third Olympics, Chong Wei said he will look to the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou for now.

"Though we didn't win gold, national badminton has achieved the pinnacle at this prestigious games. We will try again at London Olympics," said Badminton Association of Malaysia president Datuk Nadzmi Salleh.

Lin Dan delighted the home crowd with his sharp smashes that sent Chong Wei diving to the left and right and he was preening with confidence from easily reeling off point after point to stretch the gap from 7-1 to 13-5 to reach game point in the first at 20-10.

In the second, Lin Dan whipped up an 8-0 lead before he sent a hasty backhand into the net to break the duck for Chong Wei but he never lost his domination one bit and cried as he hugged his coaches and saluted the crowds after the victory.

The only thing he lost tonight were his shoes which he threw joyfully to the home fans.

"It was the best match I have played in my career," said Lin Dan, adding that he was mentally prepared to be satisfied with a silver because his Malaysian rival was currently among the world's best.

His win marks the second time China lifted the men's singles crown after Ji Xinpeng in Sydney in 2000 and erases Lin Dan's embarrassing first round exit from the Athens Games four years ago where he was also the favourites.

The victory also gave China a repeat of their three gold haul from Athens. Besides the men's singles, China won the women's singles and women's doubles.

Indonesia took the men's doubles title and South Korea the mixed double gold.

Nobody Could Protest The Lego Olympics

HKLUG Big Fans of Mini Sport City 2008

LEGO Sport City.
HKLUG presents LEGO Sport City. It is currently one of the most amazing LEGO productions ever in China. The theme of this city is the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Swimming Cube, Nest Sports Ground and Sport Village were built as a landmark of this LEGO city. 300,000 bricks and 4,500 mini-figures are used to construct a 3m x 8m artistic show. HKLUG would like to promote LEGO creative culture to local public as well as promote China to international by LEGO.

HKLUG – Hong Kong LEGO User Group
HKLUG was founded in 2007 with “Play Well; Play Pro” as the origin and the cornerstone for all its creativities promotions.

Supporting Casts
Coordinator: Hot
City Planner: Simon
Nest Sports Ground Designer: BreadMing
Swimming Cube Designer: Vincent
Sport Village Designer: ChiuKeung
Residence Building Designer: AndyBear
Equestrianism Designer: Hudson
Ancient Greek Designer: WaiKee
Helpers: Raymond, Kenny, Rex, Patrick, Mr. On, Mr. T, Boey, Hazel, SuperB, Vegeta, AntonyTam, BadLeo, DogJumpJump, Ivan, Schfio, Phantom, Habour, MingMing, Mic, AntonyLau, Queenie, Roni, Sabina, Rosanna, Iki, BoKingWan, Junnie, Yvonne, LHK

Nest Sports Ground

Swimming Cube

Sport Village

Residence Buildings

Equestrianism

Ancient Greek

Obama Endorses Beijing Olympics

Obama Endorses Beijing Olympics

Well, sort of. The seemingly ubiquitous presidential candidate has shelled out $5 million to join McDonalds and Anheuser-Busch as major advertiser during NBC's coverage of next month's Olympics.

The ad buy is the largest by any presidential candidate on network television in the last 16 years, AdAge reports:

While Rudy Giuliani's campaign did a tiny buy to air political ads on "Fox News Sunday" in consecutive weeks, the Obama campaign's spending on the high-rated and expensive Olympics top anything that has been done on network TV by presidential candidates in years

That's why many athletes are staying in South Korea and Japan for as long as possible to avoid Beijing's smog. The U.S. Olympic Committee is even providing protective masks for American athletes. And where does the IOC stand on ozone and particulate levels that might interfere with some of the outdoor events? Here's Gunilla Lindberg, an IOC vice president: Traditionally, campaigns target cheaper cable ads in crucial swing states. The last candidate to buck the trend was Bob Dole in 1996. Flush with youthful exuberance and record-breaking cash on hand, the Obama team thinks its campaign will meet a different fate than Dole's.