Best Olympian Ever

Michael Phelps is a phenonmenon. But is he the best Olympian ever? As many have pointed out, in swimming there are many ways to get up that pool, and thus obviously far more chances of winning a medal. There is no backwards running - or sideways for that matter.

The best Olympian ever? It is a daft question. It's comparing apples with durian. Al Oerter won 4 consecutive discus golds over a period of four olympics setting new Olympic records each time.

Paavo Nurmi? Carl Lewis? You add your favourites .... Let's stop asking dumb questions - there are a few - in their respective events - of calibre and achievement that leave us gob-smacked. To compare is to insult.

Turns out we do

Yes Indeed... Valerie Vili was totally in control. Magnificent concentration and a superlative putt.

It is times like these we need to avoid the cliches.

Yet cliches are what our Olympic commentators feed upon.

I jotted down a few in the space of ten minutes:

this is the business end of the race.
this is where the going gets tough.
digging deep and taking up the gauntlet.
someone has to do something.
the race is her's to loose.
it's difficult to hang in there and maintain your composure.
it will come down to a sprint finish.
she'll hear the roar of the crowd any minute.
giving it a go.
giving it everything she's got
to get the job done
this is an example of what not to do
they have to get it together
you've hit the nail on the head
as things stand
starting to tie up a little

Master these phrases and you could be another Toni Street!

Nick Willis could well be in the medals. Or now that medal is becoming a verb. Nick Willis could well medal in the 1500 final.

1500 finals are notorious for slow starts. I suspect this one will be no expception. The best 800 metre runner should win it. The most masterly 1500 ever was Rome, 1960. Herb Elliott took control with about 600 m to go and ran a time of 3:35.6 which is still very respectable these days.

Rising to the occasion

One of the concerns after the 2004 Athen’s Olympics was that many Kiwi competitors were unable to cope with the stress and demands of the occasion. It was a criticism too of the All Blacks after the world cup.

Are the wheels coming off the NZ team’s performance at Beijing? Too often the expression “heart-break for so-and-so in the pool" or whatever event is becoming a frequent refrain by the broadcasters.

The question is: Have our Kiwis got the intellectual and emotional merchandise to hit pay-dirt or will it be a case of fade-out, let down and wipe-out when things matter most?

Let’s hope we have some in Beijing who have a little of that magnificent control of Snell at the Tokyo Olympics in 64. Watching reruns of his 800 and 1500 metres, one can only marvel at his masterly domination in both finals.

Measure that pool again

The americans including boy-wonder Phelps did the 400 free relay in a time of 3:08.24, smashing four seconds off the previous world record.
How can that be? Astonishing.

Years ago they had an international marathon here in Nu Zulun - the notorious Choysa marathon of November 13, 1977. Some Australian dude, Dave Chettle, won it in an a time of 2:02:24 which was minutes under the world record. - Suspicion was aroused and the course remeasured - it was a short course.

Home can be a dangerous place

In was a glorious though chilly Sunday morning in Auckland town in old Nu Zulun. I took a long steady walk with friends around the beach and rocks between Milford and Takapuna. The rocks require a certain dexterity to avoid injury. We negotiated them without misfortunate. Later in the morning I fell down some stairs-come-ladder at home and sustained some nasty grazes. The rest of the day was spent on the couch tending wounds, sipping ale and watching the Olympics.

falling in love is so hard on the knees ....

Holdin hands at midnight waiting for the games

With bated breathe and eager anticipation I await the opening ceremony. However, I know when the hours cometh in Nu Zulun (2:08 am on the 9th of August) I will probably have slunk off to bed.
We are not that former strength which moved heaven and earth …

They’ll play the highlights at a more Godly hour. Tis then I shall watch









And I'll have a little refreshment as I do.

TVNZ have a great Olympic site and so far … great coverage. Indeed they were one of the first overseas TV crews to set up in Beijing.

Who’s gonna win what? My interest is the track and field. I shall make my prediction before the final. See how many I get.

Get a grip of yourself Nu ZULUN

Well, it’s official Nu Zulun is in recession. Or at least we have talked ourselves into a recession. A few days ago we were “slipping into recession”.

Who's gonna help us!

And before that “the economy was softening”.

It’s hardly a hard science. But they give so-called empirical evidence using the language of science. It is now a “technical” recession. (ie. Two consecutive three months periods of contraction (sounds like a long hard labour!). And admittedly we’ve been had by labour for a long time.


So now we are “in the grip of a recession.” This recession folks has got us by the short and curlies! We have “to tighten our belts.”

Even the BBC says so … we are in contraction.

What is contraction? Negative growth folks. - 0.3% the quarter before this and probably something similar this last June quarter.

So the lolly scramble is over! But on the bright side the dollar is heading down and overseas students are heading our way agin!

The auspicious opening ceremony

666 is not a popular number among Christians but 888 is most auspicious (the number of resurrection they say). Likewise the old 8 appears auspicious for the opening ceremony. 8:08 on the 8 of the 8th, 2008. That's 88888!!

Free Photo Bank
Trouble is:
A smoggy day in Beijing town
had me up and it had me down
viewed the games with much alarm
the Birds Nest might loose its charm

How long I wondered would this smog last

but the age of miracles had not passed ....


Suddenly you were standing right there and in old Beijing town the sun was shining shining shining everywhere!!

I was in Beijing back in 1984. My, things were different then. Shops for foreign visitors were called souvenir shops. There were no great shopping centres and the Mao suit (in blue or green) was ubiquitous.

The Forbidden City was mindblowing - the Emperor's Place likewise. We lined up to see the Great Helmsman lying in state. It was great to see something of the old China before the vast changes.

The Olympics Draweth Nigh

Let the curtains be drawn, the cellphone switched off, and fast food meals be stacked up frozen in the fridge. The Olympics is (not are - it is a singular like maths and physics) upon us. I admit I can't wait. Sadly, I suspect Nu Zulun will not win that many medals.

I do suspect China will spring many surprises - even in track and field - which is not their strong point.

I hope the bad ghosts of Olympics past (Munich, Montreal) stay away.


Sadly. my own form

as you can see is

not quite up to Olympic Standard


Run rabbit, run rabbit run, run, run .....

Attack is the best means of defence

Nu Zulun liked most countries is blighted and benighted by an infestation called politicians. These creatures who plague is particularly acute in our capital, Wullungtun, are often overwhelmed by their own sense of self importance.

Chief among them is one Winnie Petus, who, when questioned by the media about donations to his party, gives the most incomprehensibly incoherent replies that make lewis Carrol's "brilig and the slithy tove" emminently reasonable.

He is the kind of guy who might well think the sun only rises in the morning to hear him crow.