Olympics

I am an Olympic Nut! I don't know what it is- but I just LOVE the Olympics. I'm not a huge sports fan in between time- I can watch a game of football and such, but its not precursed by anxiousness and checking to make sure I have enough DVD-R's in the house!

I think it all started back in 1992 when I remember seeing gymnastics for the first time. I loved it! I wanted to be an olympic gymnast so bad! Of course by that time I was 9 years old and well past training prime!!! I remember seeing Kim Zmeskel fall off the beam and seeing Shannon Miller step up and win medals. I remember the young Dominique Dawes with her back to back floor passes and whips.

Then in 1994 the infamous Nancy vs. Tonya scandal and then an obscure Oksana Baiul coming into the picture. That year in Norway was when I started liking other events like ski jumping.

In 1996- the year the addiction began. I was 13. You couldn't pull me away from the T.V. I watched Michael Johnson win gold- twice. I watched the sychronized swimming girls from the USA win Gold. I loved the diving event. Nothing beat the gymnastics that year. The team event was amazing- USA TEAM GOLD!!! Lilia Pokyapayeva won all around in an event where both Shannon and Dominique fell (I cried). Shannon won gold on beam. The gala was awesome. I even enjoyed the opening and closing ceremonies and Dad would quiz me on the countries' flags. I wanted to hightail it to Atlanta!

1998- Michelle Kwan WINS silver. Tara happens to jump into the Gold. Don't get me started on this event!

2000- Sydney. I missed so much of this since it was the summer time and I was working. I loved the Cathy Freeman storyline. Gymnastics was mainly a flop- a vault fiasco in the All Around.

2002- Oh, how I wished to be in Salt Lake. I remember sitting on my dorm room bed watching the ladies final free skate. My roommates were mocking my Michelle addiction and laughed and said she would fall and lose again- then when it happened, they avoided me like the plague! Oh, so many tears were cried over the ups and downs of that games. New favorite events were the snowboarding and ski ariels.

2004- Athens. Another college days olympics, again, not able to be glued to my television. But enjoyed it nonetheless.

2006- Torino. Michelle get's injured. I cried. Weirdest women's free skate ever. Lots of cool, new hip events that made it interesting. I was pregnant with Izzy- so Paul let me watch as much olympics as I wanted!

Now to 2008- I hope this will be an olympics to remember. I'm excited for the diving, swimming, gymnastics, and well everything else in between. I love beach volleyball (but only watch it when the hubby isn't around- how do they move and play in such tiny bikinis?). I enjoy synchro swimming. Track and field is fun- as long it isn't like the half marathon runs or prelims.

So, over the next 10 days or so, you know where to find me. Either by my computer ready to find the latest winners and video feed and photos, or watching the thousands of hours of NBC coverage- too bad we don't get cable....

What are your favorite olympic events?