The Olympics

The Irish Challange.

Ah yes, here we are into the second week of the Olympic Games in China. No Gold medals as yet for the Irish team, and not a sniff of a pro Tibeten protest. Whats the world coming to?

No big drug scandels as yet, altough one feels that if there was a major postive test of a medal winner, it would probably be hushed up. The Chinese would see to that.Now they wouldn't want anything to spoil their party, or their efforts at staging the most impressive ever games.

It was bad enough that there was that issue with the young girl singer at the opening cermoney who was only miming to the voice of an older girl, but who had crooked teeth, and thus wouldn't represent what is good about the country.

It's no suprise that Shane McGowan wasn't invited to sing at the event.



So anyway from early morning, miday to late in the evening it's a constant fest of sport and the olympics. You get to see sports that you wouldn't normally see on TV, like shooting.Ireland had a a representative in that event, but as usual he didn't do so well. Not sure where he finished but it was close to last I'm sure. There you also have it, some expert in the studio on shooting, explaining why our guy didn't do better.

Anfd God knows we should be better at shooting, as we have plenty of practise at it in this country.However, perhaps we are better at hiiting human targets rather than the circular boards that them games uses.

Now fair play to the boxers, they look like being our best hope of a medal. Again another thing we are good at, fighting. We do plenty of it. Fighting and shooting.

But leaving all joking aside we do have a good record in the sport, from Jack Doyle, Barry McGuigen, Michael Carruth who won an Olympic gold back in the 90's. In the present day there is Bernard Dunne who can bet the best in the world. The young lads in China are progressing and should bring home a medal of some colour, and not forgetting Jimmy Magee's great ringside commentry's

Ah but it's the athletics which seems to be our achilles heel,pardon the pun. Now ok one guy today, Hessian lived up to his claim of being the fastest man in Ireland and won his heat, I think it was in the 400 meters, but the runners competiting yesterday really bottled it I think two of them came in last, failing to even equal their PB records. Complaints about being tired and heavy legged were nput foreward. Earlier to bed might help in that department.

Even the great Sonia O Sullivan had one Olympics too far in 2004, and managed to come in last in her race. It's just something we do well at the Olympics on the athletics track is coming in last. Some of our athletes have it down to a fine art.

But is it not all about the joy of entering, having made it there, the spirit of them games etc. After all Ireland is a small country, dosen't have the facilities or the funding that our best sports people need to be competative on the world stage.In a nation of couch potatoes thats no real suprise.