Bring home the gold

I think I've mentioned this already, but it's worth saying again: I love the Olympics. I think it's cool to see how the different host countries add their own flair to the games. The little touches here and there to make them uniquely theirs.

One of the most obvious places they do this is with the Opening Ceremony. Though I think they can go a bit overboard, they are usually pretty darn cool. I loved the Beijing Opening Ceremony. Almost all of it. The part where they lost me was when hundreds of Chinese men were wearing neon green bodysuits and climbing all over each other to create a representation of the Bird's Nest Stadium. It was okay, but then, their suits lit up and I started laughing. Can you imagine how many people tried out for that performance and then found out they'd be wearing stupid outfits that lit up? I wonder how many backed out...

Another place host countries add their unique touch is with the medals and during the medal ceremony. Beijing has taken this very seriously. I've heard varying reports about whether or not people like the medals. I think you either like them a LOT or hate them. I don't know if there's really an in between. Anyway, there are 34 girls who have been training for more than a year to present awards to the athletes. Seriously. They had to try out, and then went through some intense training. Including watching videos of past presenters, studying their outfits and their movements. Google it if you don't believe me.

Back to the medals. I liked the Athens medals a whole lot. I like how the ribbon is multi-colored. For some reason I really liked the laurel wreaths placed on their heads, rather than the bouquets of flowers in their arms. Here are two pictures of medals in Athens. The first is from 1896. The second is from 2004. Pretty cool, huh?

In Beijing, I LOVE the back of the medals. They are so unique! I suppose it helps that J is a geologist, so I've been forced to be around rocks for a long time, but the jade on the back is pretty cool. They just look nice.

Front of the current medals.

Back of the current medals. The different colors of jade are pretty cool in my own humble opinion.

This is the medal from the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City just a few years ago. I think it's neat how the Roman numerals are what hold the medal to the ribbon. And the shape is different. It gets old seeing the same thing year after year after year...

This medal is from the Sapporo, Japan games in 1972. This medal was very simple. It's shape was unique, too. I like the simplicity. When things are way overdone and busy, I tend not to like them. Though I would never turn down the opportunity to win an Olympic medal...it'll never happen, I'm just talking.

This next one is from the Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984. Again, a unique shape and pretty simple medal. Plus, it's from the "land of my people." Well, not really as I'm Croatian, but close enough. Yugoslavia used to be one country, so this'll have to do.

This next one is obviously from Sydney in 2000. This one is a bit more traditional, but I liked it anyway. I'm really not sure why. Probably because it is a nod to the traditional, but it's still very clean lines and pretty simple. Some of the other medals are way too busy.

Talk about unique. Turin, Italy games, in 2006. I've heard these referred to as scratched dvd/cd medals. I sort of go back and forth with these. I love them then I'm not so sure. Then I love them, then I'm not so sure. Right now I am leaning towards loving them. They are very different and recognizable. They don't blend into the crowd of medals throughout history.

Now, if I could just figure out a way to win one of these things, I'd be a happy camper. My SIL, C, is looking for a crazy weird event that nobody really knows about or participates in. She figures on training like mad, and then winning a gold. If I coach her, do I get a medal, too? Maybe she'll share it with me?? We're not sure what event it will be yet, but I'll keep you posted.