After the medal ceremony, the entire Chinese badminton team came out of the tunnel to embrace and congratulate the new champion. Dan's odds-overcoming gold medal erased a passionless first-round exit at Athens 2004 and capstoned the career of a true badminton legend.

When Lin Dan was 5 years old, his mother brought him an electronic organ. But Lin Dan hated it. The young Lin Dan liked to play with his boy friends especially acting as a policeman. To cast off the boring training of electronic organ, Lin Dan gave his mother an excuse of showing around the stadium nearby. By chance he met his favorite of his life----badminton. From then on he began his badminton road to success.

And he could very well be back to defend his title, as he indicated to his adoring fans that he might compete until 2012. In London, he could attempt to match Zhang Ning's feat of two straight singles titles; she's the one who defeated Lin's girlfriend Xie Xingfang, the No. 1 women's player, yesterday. Xie, Lin's most passionate defender, was in the crowd cheering on her man, and rumors persist that they'll be married soon. Juicy badminton gossip!

WATER POLO: A stunning result in the quarterfinals of the women's tournament, as the Netherlands ended Italy's Olympic title defense with a 13-11 victory on penalty shots. The two best teams in the world, Australia and the United States, will meet in the semifinals, while either the surprising Dutch or Hungarians -- two national teams that have not yet medaled in women's water polo -- will play for an assured medal in the other semi.

Earlier at the water polo venue, the first team sport classification match at Beijing 2008. Russia and Greece, which finished last in their pools, fought for seventh place. The Greeks played like an eighth place team, listlessly allowing 38 shots on goal as the Russians won 12-6. Greece lost all four of its matches and ended with a -17 goal differential.

Greece, as everybody knows, invented this thing called the Olympics. In recent years, the country's athletes have done everything in their power to kill them. Eighteen Greek athletes have tested positive for banned substances, including the country's first since the IOC took over doping controls at Beijing. The IOC nabbed Athens gold medal hurdler Fani Halkia for a R1881 steroids violation, despite a negative result before the Games. The country's Olympic Committee chief Minos Kyriakou is sick of it.

"If you want to commit suicide it is up to you but you do not have the right to kill your country. It is so sad the Athens Games golden girl was caught doping... I don't believe they put something in her drink or vitamins. They always have the same excuse."

You may remember the official, state-sponsored cheer that the Chinese government adopted before the Games. Fans at the badminton venue haven't been able to keep themselves composed enough to perform such a lockstep cheer when Lin Dan has been in action, choosing instead to scream their lungs out, tear at their own garments, and bang thundersticks like their lives depended on it. For more civilized gatherings, the Two Chinese Characters remind you how to cheer the state-approved way.

Lin Dan Jiayou!