Less than a week before the Games of the 29th Olympiad, most athletes are on their way to Beijing while others are using this last weekend for final, terminal, last-chance tune-up events. Let's check in on how things are going.
BASKETBALL: It's still odd seeing all-American girl Becky Hammon (right) in Russia's colors, but stranger still to see her listed with the Russian spelling of "Rebekka" on the team roster. She had a rough first game with her new team yesterday, going 0-for-6 from the floor in 23 minutes during a 75-69 loss to Latvia at the Diamond Ball warm-up tournament.
This blog has followed the exploits of Angola's men's team in the past month. The African champions have come a long way since being Dream Team cannon fodder in 1992 at Barcelona. The team overcame Yao Ming and China in the Stankovic Cup last month, and they are impressive in their exhibitions so far. On Wednesday, they came within a buzzer-beating three-pointer of beating Australia. If you don't know what Angolan basketball in 2008 is all about, here's an exhaustive breakdown.
ATHLETICS: Just a day after the United States' track federation began an examination into the country's 1998 national (and world) record in the men's 4x400m relay, the IOC swiped the gold medals away from the 2000 4x4 U.S. team that includes three runners with recently-revealed doping ties. What will likely happen is that the second-place Nigerian team, which finished less than two seconds behind, will receive those medals. That country hasn't heard its anthem played at the Olympics since 1996.
London Marathon champion Irinia Mikitenko of Germany pulled out of the Olympic women's 26.2 after an injury chain reaction spread throughout her lower body.
Mystery surrounds the Russian track team; it was revealed that the seven athletes dropped for doping offenses had been surprisingly available every time the testers wanted a sample. This punctuality ended up as their undoing. Had the athletes been tipped off? How?
Ever felt the weight of 1.3 billion people on your shoulders? That's what Chinese track star Liu Xiang will face in two weeks when he begins defense of his 110m hurdle gold medal.
FOOTBALL: The Brazil men's team, featuring newly-minted AC Milan millionaire Ronaldinho, warmed up for Olympic competition in Hanoi, Vietnam yesterday, beating the hosts 2-0 in a friendly match. Vietnam, the No. 115 team in the FIFA rankings, will not be in Beijing.
Also in friendly football, the Netherlands and Ivory Coast drew in Hong Kong, and Cameroon slipped a single goal past the United States at the same venue.
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In Sweden, there's been considerable controversy over a documentary broadcast on Sveriges Television called "Open the gates to the East," which was slammed for taking an uncritical look at Olympic preparations, specifically for calling the Beijing Olympics "the green games" despite heavy pea-soup pollution in the city.
"It is such an obvious propaganda film. Pure marketing for China and the Olympic Games. We are not used to seeing this type of thing from public service, nor on any other channel for that matter. This had nothing to do with journalism," [journalists' union chair Agneta Lindblom Hulthén] said to (news agency) TT.
And in China...
A week before the Games, the country was thrown into darkness with a total solar eclipse. It was labellbed by many as the "Olympics eclipse."
Eclipses were considered dark omens by ancient astronomers. But, many Chinese view this one as particularly fortunate, since it comes just before the torch is lit in Beijing for the Games, designed to restore China's pride and showcase its achievements.
This blog supposes that even the hackiest journalism hack could draw a parallel between an eclipse and internet censorship. Yesterday, IOC president Jacques Rogge adamantly rejected the notion that the Games' governors had reached a secret deal to allow the Chinese government to block politically sensitive websites at the Olympic press center.
"Let me be very clear on this," said Rogge, speaking publicly for the first time since arriving in Beijing on Thursday. "We require that different media have the fullest access possible to report on the Olympic Games. And I'm adamant in saying there has been no deal whatsoever to accept restrictions. Our requirements are the same from host city to host city and remain unchanged since the IOC entered into a host city contract with Beijing in 2001."
Rogge, a self-proclaimed naive idealist, believes the controversies will be forgotten and that "magic of the Games will take over" on Friday. It tends to.
Another dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony was held yesterday. Here's what you can expect: lots of fireworks.
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Sportswriter 
