The Summer Olympics in Beijing are only a few days old, but already some athletes have clearly stood out. Here's just a few who have caught our eye:
Ara Abrahamian (above): This Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler refused his bronze medal in protest of what he thought was "corrupt" officiating. Contrary to what the US media has been reporting, he did not throw down his medal, but laid it gently on the ground, as can be seen from this photo. He also has promised to quit the sport. For more:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2559292/Swedish-wrestler-Ara-Abrahamian-vows-to-quit-after-throwing-away-Olympic-medal.htmlEjegayehu Dibaba (below left) finished 14th in the women's 10,000 meters. Her sister, Tirunesh (right), finished first. She also has another sister and a cousin who race.
Kayoko Fukushi (below) finished 11th in the women's 10,000 meters. She appeared to be trying very hard. Earlier this year, in the Osaka marathon, she set out on a blistering pace only to completely collapse at the end. For more information on that race, click here:
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/01/sports-news-addition.htmlNote: The picture below is not from the Olympics - she didn'y come close to winning a medal.
Lovieanne Jung plays for the US women's softball team. She won a gold medal in softball at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and her boyfriend, Jon Garland, currently pitches for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
