Chinese fall hard for sportsmanship, heroism at Olympics

Source: Xinhua | 08-21-2008 20:02

BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- For host China, the Beijing Olympic Games are more than a sports rally -- it is rather a grand gathering of the world's most-loved heroes who, with or without a medal, have made the Games so much better with their unyielding will.

Never before have the 1.3 billion Chinese been so wild with excitement, to watch worldwide athletes play at the Games so close to their home.

The domestic crowd have gone wild with American superfish Michael Phelps throughout his way to all-eight Olympic golds and seven new world records, and with Jamaica's double gold sprinter Usain Bolt.

Sad as they are without their national icon Liu Xiang in the 110m hurdles final, the Chinese are waiting to witness Cuban hurdler Dayron Robles making history on Thursday night.

Thirty years after China's reform and opening up to the outside world, the Chinese have merged into the world, by hosting the Games with all their heart, cheering for all the players, sharing their laughters and tears and idolizing the world's common heroes.

The Games feel so much better and the world so much smaller, as the whole world watched Phelps and Bolt making history in Beijing.

While Chinese youngsters openly voice admiration for Phelps on the Internet, many others are pondering over what Chinese athletes should learn from Bolt, the naughty 22-year-old who grimaces at TV cameras and prefers sleeping late and chewing chocolate nuggets to training.