End of the week

So, the first week is done and time for a short rest from Olympic madness, from rowing and swimming and the Michael Phelps will-he, won’t-he (he did!). Time to graze on the sporting banquet rather than gorge myself silly. That said, I thought it was just ‘fletics this week, but had forgotten about the other treats in store: triathlon, synchronised swimming, the end of the showjumping today, flatwater canoeing (surprisingly exciting) and everything else. I’ll still be staying up too late watching Beijing Express.

I don’t think I was alone in thinking that the results of the rowing finals were nowhere near as expected, but I wasn’t the worst of Row2k’s pundits, many of whom may well have made the error of going on past form … I finished well below halfway in the points standings, but not last.

The final reckoning: three correct. I wonder if I redeemed myself a little by getting the country but not the right colour medal (as in the men’s eights) – nineteen of those were right.

In the kit medals, gold goes to the USA by a country mile. Loving the pale blue straps with silver detail, the very flattering shallow v-neck for women, and the sublimated Olympic flame design in grey on the back. Silver to the Netherlands, and bronze to Australia. Also in the final: Italy, Estonia and China (the latter two both with the Nike suits of the US in their respective colourways), with New Zealand winning the B final.

I’ve lost track of the medals totaliser, but the Brits are doing rather well. We even won a medal in gymnastics. Gymnastics!

LW2x 1. Australia 2. China 3. United States
1: Netherlands, 2: Finland, 3: Canada
LM2x 1. Great Britain 2. Denmark 3. France
1: Great Britain, 2: Greece, 3: Denmark
LM4- 1. Great Britain 2. France 3. Australia
1: Denmark, 2: Poland, 3: Canada
W4x 1. Great Britain 2. Russia 3. United States
1: China, 2: Great Britain, 3: Germany
M4x 1. Russia 2. France 3. United States
1: Poland, 2: Italy, 3: France
W8+ 1. United States 2. Romania 3. Canada
1: United States, 2: Netherlands, 3: Romania
M8+ 1. United States 2. Canada 3. Great Britain
1: Canada, 2: Great Britain, 3: United States