I wasn't bothered about not being able to watch any with the unsociable hours, but I first saw some on what I think was Tuesday and I've been watching the 7pm reports since. There was an amazing swimming relay where the US came from miles behind to beat France, with the top 5 teams inside the world record! I've never been into swimming but it was a great race.

I've watched most of it today. There was a cracking feature on Redgrave and Pinsent at 8ish this morning, just showing how hard your life is if you're gunning for Olympic Gold, how single-minded you have to be and the sacrifices you have to make, but how it's worth the reward. The rowing teams are with each other 7 days a week, 364 days a year. :blink:

I've enjoyed watching the build-up to events today as you get to know a bit about the competitors, like the rower who was in a hospital bed two months ago and on crutches more recently. He still managed to reach the final and finish 5th.

I was disappointed to see Kelly Sotherton finish outside the medals in the Pentathlon. I thought she was a definite to win one, and she was on Question of Sport when I was in the crowd. :D

Usain Bolt was unbeatable, slowing down, still breaking the world record...and to think the 100m is his second event. Goodbye Michael Johnson's 200m world record I think...

Inspirational stuff to see certain competitors, it makes me wish I had half the drive of some of them!

I absolutely love watching the Olympics. Which isn't to say I'm not troubled by the background to this particular one, but the sport itself... I could sit and watch it all day, and I normally hardly watch any TV at all.

Britain has been giving an amazing account of itself. Third in the medal table? Madness!

You're right about Usain Bolt too. Got to be the highlight so far.

I missed the whole shebang taking the annual vacation in Cuba. Which is a story in itself!

Cheap holidays in other people's misery? You bet. Communism really doesn't work, ideallists - people are poor, and kept in squalid conditions, and I could go on, and if anyone wants to, I'll give a description, but until then I'll keep it to myself!

However, we received regular updates from Alex, who's been working out there. And, yes, he has an access all areas pass, and saw some amazing stuff while he was out there. Long hours though, but hey........

He's posted his photos on his Facebook site if anyone fancies a gander. <_<

A friend who went to the Dominican Republic gave a similar account. It reminds me of the families who were thrown out of their homes in Beijing to make way for high-rise tower-blocks that will be largely unused now the Olympics have finished. The Chinese apparently wanted to give the west a good impression by doing this. I remember a woman being interview 2 or 3 years ago; her home was only 1 room, she'd lived there for over 70 years and brought her children up there, but she was happy. Thousands of people like that were kicked out for this reason.

How amazing to finish fourth overall, I can't see us topping that in 2012. I missed the last 2 days so need to check how we did in the relays.

I wondered what a population adjusted medal table would look like and Google gave me some sort of answer, with Great Britain in 15th place:
http://www.andrewstarr.co.uk/

The author notes China would need to win nearly 2000 medals to finish above Jamaica. Obviously not possible with only 300 events...

Due to China’s barbaric tyranny/human rights, I watched not even 5 mins of the Olympics as it bared no interest & I’m ecstatic it’s all over.

My criticism on China:

China is well known to torture there team members in terms of training & preparation for the games, also known to enter under aged entrants. The Chinese didn’t allow ethnic Tibetans to work during the games. Hotel prices during the games were hiked from £60 a night to £610 a night.

During the opening ceremony computer animation was used for certain parts for the fireworks display plus the song ‘Ode to the Motherland’ was recorded by Yang Peiyi, who was replaced by Lin Miaoke who lip-synched it at the ceremony.

$50 million circulation of fake tickets (intenet sales) was sold during the games but the person who was responsible was a British ticket tout. The tickets were being sold through a professionally-designed website, "Beijing 2008 Ticketing" at www.beijingticketing.com (now closed).

1.5 million Beijing residents were displaced from their homes for the games, the Chinese governments deny this & say the actual figure was about 7,000.

For people who didn’t know the aim for GB’s team was to get 12 Gold, so they did it (hats off) but it’s not like it was exceeded by even 10, plus the competition couldn’t have been so strong for team GB to win so many medals in certain areas as most of them were won in cycling, rowing & sailing some of truly well known greatest sports in the world!

OK Aussies don't like us Brits & said most of our Gold medals were won sitting down but this was only in spite of their lack of Gold on the whole.

I mean people will question teams GB’s efforts in other areas but its easy to please the British media compared to Russia, USA & China who do well in many areas even though there teams are much bigger doesn’t mean GB’s team can grow.

A hero’s welcome, how pathetic & dehumanizing! I’m not one for wars though do the soldiers who come back from Afghanistan/Iraq dead or the dead get any welcoming? No. it’s shameful I’m ashamed.

Consistency would be justifiable for a ‘Heroes Welcome’ if it was done during the last 2/3 Olympic Games but a record only eclipsed since 1908 makes you wonder? Also it is not interesting to know how many gold team GB got in Beijing considering the next venue of Olympics?

I think the reaction in the UK has been so over the top with the success I’m sure they’ll all be knighted like the England’s cricketers & then fail miserably in 2012. Already the aim is 3rd place that’s setting your heights very high.

Oh how nice for team GB to be allowed to be sneaked into the airport avoiding fans/public when they arrived a week ago on a private jet, so much for sharing success for the fans/country

As for Boris he may not even be Major of London but the time it commences? What a prize idiot.

well i had a wicked time.

china was very welcoming to me. even when i wandered away from the beaten track and into the rundown hutongs people were still smiling and "communicating" (i won't say talking!) with me.

i've not been on this site for ages. i'm back now. i'll make the effort again.