Beijing 2008 Olympics

This is not the end and in-fact the beginning.

Watching the final moments of the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics reminded me of a time long ago now, the final moments of another Olympics that I watched in my youth. The joy, the celebration and the true spirit of the sport and the Olympics. It fueled my earliest goals in sport and in many ways gave me direction in life. Amongst the many lessons of sport is the role of preparation and to dedicate yourself to goals, to do, what you do, with all your might as a man of honor and integrity.

Hopefully through these Olympics and even through my coverage of sports that you rarely hear-of, you share my rather dated vision of the beauty of sport and the blessing to compete for your homeland. With that in mind, London awaits; July 27, 2012.

You have 1,431 days to prepare, to train hard, to sweat and toil and become the best you can be and just maybe, earn the right to represent your country is London.

London, are you ready?

With the Beijing Olympics now complete, I have to wonder how they will be remembered and whether there will be a general consensus on the favorite moment.

There will be some disparity of course and much will be decided on upon national allegiances but how will you remember it? Will you remember it for Michael Phelps surpassing Mark Spitz’s Munich 1972 triumph and becoming the most decorated gold-medal performer in the Olympics, American women triumphing over Brazil in Football, the stunning ease of Jamaica’s Usain Bolt being crowned as histories greatest sprinter, the United States return to dominance in Basketball or still the magnificent artistry and passion of Argentina on pitch in winning Men’s Football?

It’s a challenge for me to corner one particular moment and beyond those brilliant performances, as well as showing my sympathetic side a bit, the real joy of the Games is the spirit of competition. I’ll never quite forget watching the interview of Ian Millar, who after nine Olympics won his first medal and talked of “the angel” with him during his performance. That special “angel” being his dearly departed wife of nearly forty years who passed away this spring and his dedication of the medal to her. I can’t help set aside some time in the next four years to watch and see if his children are able to make the Canadian so they can compete with Dad in the London Games as they hope. It likely won’t get a great deal of international coverage but the legacy of forty plus years in Olympics is an extraordinary commentary of the Olympic spirit burning on. There are many others of course, the heartfelt story of Germany’s Matthias Steiner winning weightlifting Gold is certainly one, as the image of his beaming face holding the picture of his wife is impossible to forget. And still I feel an enormous appreciation of world-champion Shanaze Reade going for broke to win Gold and while coming up short, the nineteen year-old ‘Brit showed a sense of determination and guile rarely seen. I appreciate those who challenge destiny, put it all on the line and know champions get off the canvas in life. Shanaze bruised but not beaten, will pick herself up and return as a champion because that’s the mettle she’s made up.

Unfortunately one the last memories I wish was different had to do with media coverage which for the most part was horrible. The days of rotating through coverage has gone and broadcasts are fixated on time-slots and advertising space. It was maddening to see network television focus upon one sport for hours upon hours without ever switching coverage and virtually eliminating coverage of classical events. Field events steeped in Olympic history were barely, if at all covered and its a stunning commentary to say that these Games had less live coverage of many top sports than forty years ago. Unfortunately this was very obvious as nations that focus purely upon “sport” dominated competition but received little recognition in the media. Yet while these events fell victim to marketing and programming “experts”, none was more obvious that Mens Decathlon winner Bryan Clay. The “World’s Greatest Athlete” joined the ranks of luminaries such Jim Thorpe, Bob Mathias, Rafer Johnson, Bruce Jenner, Daley Thompson, Dan O’Brien and Roman Šebrle, yet barely was more than a human interest story. I’m shocked, no, dismayed to report that I believe I posted results well before a few short repeats of his performance were televised. For the record Bryan Clay is a hero that transcends sport and should be acknowledged not simply for his athleticism but the type of leader he is. Future Olympics and all broadcast contracts need to recognize this problem or we’ll see the scope of the Games narrow to those that are only deemed "marketable."

So what was your favorite moment?

The Mayor of London receives the Olympic flag Photo credit Xinhua

Closing ceremony (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Fireworks of the closing ceremony in the National Stadium Photo credit Xinhua

Closing Ceremony of Olympics (Photo credit Xinhua)

(Photo credit: Guang Niu/Getty Images)

(Photo credit: Guang Niu/Getty Images)

(Photo credit: Guang Niu/Getty Images)

Closing Ceremony of the Olympics 2 (Photo credit: Guang Niu/Getty Images)

Team Redeem wins Gold for USA in Men’s Basketball with a hard-fought 118-107 victory over Spain. Dwayne Wade led scorers with 27 points while Kobe Bryant dropped-in 20 points, six assists and three rebounds. A great victory for the USA and Team Redeem.

United States win Gold in Basketball (Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Team USA win GOLD (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

In an epic battle of the sports titans, USA defeated Brazil 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 in a heart-pounding Men’s Volleyball final. Brazil will take home the Silver while Russia won the Bronze.

I hope some of you had a chance to watch some of the Volleyball matches. While I know coverage was rare, this sport is the domain of some of the world’s most powerful athletes and deserving of significantly greater media respect. Hopefully by London 2012, this will change.

Clayton Stanley of USA on the way to winning GOLD (Photo credit:Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Lloy Ball  and Ryan Millar Photo credit Jonathan Ferrey Getty Images

USA Volleyball winning Gold (Photo credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Uzbekistan hero, Artur Taymazov successfully defended his Gold medal triumph in the 120kg Wrestling final defeating Russia’s Bakhtiyar Akhmedov, who takes home the Silver.

Slovakia’s David Musulbes won the Bronze, the very first for his homeland as did Kazakhstan’s Marid Mutalimov.

Uzbekistan Artur Taymazov winning Gold (Photo credit Getty Images)

Georgia’s George Gogshelidze won the Gold medal in the 84kg Wrestling final defeating Tajikistan’s Yusup Abdusalomov in a powerful contest, who will take home the Silver. Ukraine’s Taras Danko and Russia’s Georgy Ketoev each won Bronze

Taimuraz Tigiyev Shirvani Muradov George Gogshelidze  Khetag Gazyumov (Photo credit: Getty Images)

The Modern Pentathlon is one of the most interesting and fascinating tests of athleticism. It involves five highly unique classical demands;epee fencing, pistol shooting, 200 m freestyle swimming, a show jumping course on horseback and a 3 km cross-country run.

Russia’s Andrei Moiseev became only the second man in history to repeat a Gold medal performance with a remarkable performance. Lithuania’s Edvinas Krungolcas and Andrejus Zadneprovskis can proudly can home the Silver and Bronze respectively.

Andrei Moiseev wins gold for Russia in Modern Pentathlon Photo credit Luo Xiaoguang Xinhua

Norway defeated Russia 34-27 in an extremely tough final in Women’s Handball to win the Gold medal. Russia will take home the Silver while the Republic of Korea earned the Silver.

Norway wins Gold in Women’s Handball (Photo credit:Lars Baron Getty Images)

Norway wins Gold in Women’s Handball (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Norways GroHammerseng  (Photo credit: Xinhua)

In a great technical exhibition Italy’s Roberto Cammarelle defeated China’s Zhang Zhilei to win the Gold. A truly brilliant example of the sweet science and the classic style of Boxing taught within Italy.

Super-heavyweight Roberto Cammarelle wins the Gold for Italy (Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images)

The USA Men’s 4 x 400 team of Angelo Taylor, Jeremy Wariner, Lashawn Merritt and David Neville won the Gold with a Olympic record of 2:55.39 while the Bahamas earned the Silver and Russia took home the bronze.

Angelo Taylor passes the baton to David Neville of USA 4×400 in route to winning the Gold Medal (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen successfully defended his Athens Gold medal with an Olympic record throw of 90.57 meters. Latvia’s Ainars Kovals wins Silver while Finland’s Tero Pitkamaki earns the Bronze.

Norway Andreas Thorkildsen wins the Gold in the Javelin (Photo credit: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

Norway Andreas Thorkildsen after winning Javelin Gold (Photo credit: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

In a typical highly-physical match Hungary defeated the United States 14-10 to win Gold in Men’s Water Polo. The United States earns Silver while Serbia bested Montenegro for the Bronze.

Tony Azevedo of USA Water Polo in front of the Hungary team (Photo credit:Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Looking for an incredible sport of power, speed and technical guile? In what is surely one of the most exciting sports in the world, France defeated Iceland to win the Men’s Handball Gold. Iceland earns the Silver while Spain will take home the Bronze.

For more information on this remarkable sport please visit the International Handball Federation.

Olivier Girault  of France (Photo credit:Xinhua)

Luc Abalo of France (Photo credit Vladimir Rys/Getty Images)

Argentina defended their Gold medal in Football with a solid 1-0 victory of a tremendous Nigerian squad on the strength of a brilliant Angel Di Maria chip over the ‘keeper. It was a great victory for the Albicelestes who on the strength of this victory and many others are well prepared for South Africa 2010!!!

Congratulations Argentina

Argentinian wins Gold (Photo credit Mark Dadswell Getty Images)

Lionel Messi leading Argentina to Gold (Photo credit Alexander Hassenstein Getty Images)

Lionel Messi leading Argentina to Gold (Photo credit Mark Dadswell/ Getty Images)

Angel Di Maria scores in Argentina’s Gold medal winning match (Photo credit Li Gang Xinhu)

Sergio Aguero in Argentina’s Gold Medal triumph (Photo credit Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)