Some random news about the Beijing Olympics…
Liu Yan the injured dancer
26-year-old Liu Yan, a renowned Chinese classical dancers, was supposed to be one of the stars at the Olympics opening cerremony… but lady luck was not on her side, as she was badly injured during a rehearsal on July 27.
Liu was rushed to the hospital after falling from a three metre stage. Her spine was badly injured, and her lower body paralysed. It’s feared that she might not be able to walk again without assistance. Best wishes from us here.
The unstoppable Michael Phelps
American swimmer Michael Phelps won his 10th and 11th career’s gold medals on August 13, a record for winning the most gold medals in the Olympic Games. Phelps is still on target for his quest to beat Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals at one Olympics.
Sarah Brightman and Liu Huan
Liu Huan’s RMB1200 T-shirt
Chinese singer Liu Huan, who sang the official theme song during the opening ceremony, was heavily criticised for his over-casual attire for the occasion.
He later defended himself saying that it was a joint decision with the directors that he should dress more casual because he is pop star, and that his body doesn’t look nice in formal suits anyway.
Liu Huan also stated that the ‘casual’ T-shirt he wore during the show actually cost him RMB1200 (~USD176) and was carefully picked… I think I have a few similar T-shirts in my wardrobe, which probably cost me around $5-7 each.
The hopeless
Chinese gold medal hopeful rower Zhang Liang missed a heat on Saturday and was disqualified from the game. Zhang apparently thought that he was in the third heat of the single sculls but was actually in the second. [more on ABC]
It’s uncertain whether the coaches and supporting team or Zhang himself are to be blamed for… but heads will certainly roll after the Games, especially IF China loses the overall title by just a single medal.
The hopefuls
Eight babies were born at a Beijing hospital during the opening day of Beijing Olympics on August 8. Just wanted to share this cute pic (via Xinhuanet)…
