Word: medaling
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Meanwhile, Chinese athletes - who in Beijing garnered a record 51 gold medals, 15 more then the U.S. - had selflessly trained in sports that much of the local populace hardly knew anything about before the Games. No discipline was too esoteric in the pursuit of national pride. A gold medal in women's quadruple sculls rowing? Check. Men's 50m air rifle three positions? Check. Women's 75kg weightlifting? Check...
...days wore on and the number of gold medals won by China's army of athletes piled up, the approval of outsiders seemed to become less important. The Olympics became a show for the locals. It helped, too, that stringent visa regulations had limited the influx of foreign tourists. The foreign press could be annoying and Beijing residents, who were always up to date with the medal count, were slightly miffed when question arose whether several medal-winning Chinese gymnasts might be underage. Polite applause for foreign competitors occasionally degenerated into boos or, just as bad, half-empty stadiums - this...
...supposed to be the face of China's Olympics turned his back to the crowds and limped off the track. After a shocked silence, the weeping announcers on Chinese TV intoned that it was acceptable to continue idolizing Liu because he had done his best. Very quickly, however, gold-medal fever returned, with by-the-minute updates on just how many victories the host nation had tallied...
...Games are moving on. And Britain, which scored its best medal haul in a century, is a counterpoint to China. London has far less to prove than Beijing. It may have plenty of troubles: a congested city center, topsy-turvy real-estate prices. But lack of confidence is not one of London's problems. The Closing Ceremony's eight-minute preview spot for the upcoming host featured a charming double-decker bus loaded with a small cast of characters that included rocker Jimmy Page. The organizers of London 2012 said they didn't want to compete with the Closing Ceremony...
...repressive, closed political system. The enduring legacy of Beijing 2008 won't be known for some time. For now, we can celebrate the accomplishments of swift Jamaicans and amphibious Americans and, most of all, a battalion of Chinese athletes who resoundingly displaced the U.S. atop the gold-medal count. These really were China's Olympics. With reporting by Alice Park/Beijing