The fastest man to overshadow all

Michael Phelps gold winning streak will be out of limelight for a while as Men's 100 meters sprint is about to take place. He will be the most talked about person and admired,too. After all this might,arguably, be the oldest game of the world.

This is not to undermine the effort and the triumphs of the other champions, "but the fastest man in the world" is a breed apart evoking shock and awe and admiration.

The 100 m race not just symbolises love for sport but also the acme of achievement in sport. Nothing can quite capture the magic and meaning of human endeavour than this race where athletes train for 10 years while the result is out in less than 10 seconds.

After Ben Johnson was stripped of the gold he won after he finished first at Seoul olympics 1988 , the 100 meter athletes have been on the radar of the anti-doping officials.

But the 100m sprint has never lost it's appeal. This year we have got the most anticipated games in our hand. It will be Powell vs Bolt vs Gay and of course there can be an upset.

Final four cities in race to host 2016 Summer Olympics

Chicago was among the four cities picked as finalists Wednesday for the 2016 Summer Olympics, setting the stage for a high-profile bidding contest between candidates from the United States, Europe and Asia.

Also making the IOC shortlist were Madrid, Spain; Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Eliminated from the race were Doha, Qatar; Prague, Czech Republic, and Baku, Azerbaijan.

The final field was selected by the International Olympic Committee executive board.

The big four -- Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio -- all had been virtually assured of advancing to the final stage. The main issue had been whether Doha also would make the cut.

The finalists now advance to a 16-month race that will culminate on Oct. 2, 2009, with a secret ballot by the full IOC at its session in Copenhagen, Denmark.

An IOC evaluation report assessing the technical merits of each bid ranked Tokyo with the top overall marks, followed closely by Madrid. Chicago and Doha were tied for third, with Rio fourth. Prague and Baku were sixth and seventh.

Google Olympic Torch relay route map error

In google olympic's torch relay map there is a glaring error. The torch is scheduled to pass through Delhi, India on 17, April. The map shows it but instead of indicating Delhi, where it is actually is, in central India- it is shown in the place of coastal city of mumbai. Such a big error where two of the biggest cities places of India been swapped is a blot on Google Maps.
Hope, google corrects it.

Olympics torch touches down in Beijing amid tight security

The Olympic flame arrived in Beijing for a torch re-lighting ceremony Monday, signaling the start of a round-the-world relay that is expected to be a lightning rod for protests against China's policies and human rights practices.

The flame's arrival in Beijing was shown live on state television, and comes a week after the lighting ceremony for the Olympic torch in Greece was marred by protests. There also were protests Sunday by a pro-Tibetan group when Greek officials handed over the flame to organizers of the Beijing Games in Athens.

Tibetan and rights groups have said they will stage protests along the torch route, which includes stops in London, Paris and San Francisco over the next 10 days.

The relay has especially focused attention on recent unrest in Tibet, the worst in the Chinese-controlled region since 1989.

Dozens of Tibetan exiles burned an effigy of China President Hu Jintao as they reached the Indian capital of New Delhi on Sunday, carrying a symbolic flame which they said was running parallel to the official torch for the Beijing Olympic games.

Beijing's relay was tarnished before it even began when a demonstrator protesting Chinese media curbs grabbed headlines last week by disrupting a Chinese official's opening address at the lighting ceremony in Greece.

That was followed across Greece by a smattering of protests by activists protesting a crackdown on dissent in Tibet and members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, which is banned in China.

On Sunday, some two dozen activists in Athens chanted "Save Tibet!" and unfurled a banner reading "Stop Genocide in Tibet" before police intervened, detaining 21 protesters outside the Panathenian Stadium. Most were later freed.

But their main problem will come in India, the last destination before it goes to Beijing. India has many Tibetian refugees. They reportedly are in talks with celebrities who are going take part in carrying the torch to boycott the relay. They are conspiring to prevent the relay. Chinese diplomats have held several talks with the Home Minister to provide adequate security to the torch.

Why Olympics should not be boycotted

With more and more countries joining the banter to boycott the olympics, it seems imminent that this Beijing olympics will be as controversial as the Berlin olympics in 1936. But complete boycott of the olympics is not the solution. Chinese pride would be hurt but they will not in any circumstances withdraw from Tibet. Worse they might intensify their atrocious army actions in Tibet.

Hundreds of years ago Olympics was one of the four sporting festivals of Greece. The kingdoms of Greece would stop all wars and put off their differences during these festivals. Same should happen now. Tibet issue is a blot on the 21st century humanitarian efforts.

But instead of complete boycott, what the countries should do is to boycott the opening ceremony, ask the athletes to wear black arm band,etc.