Why eight, you ask? Well, the number is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture, so therefore it was no coincidence that the 2008 Olympic Games began on August 8, 2008 - 8 p.m. to be precise.
And while the Games may have come and gone, left in their wake rests a myriad of memories for many Americans to fondly recall during their two-week summer sojourn in Beijing. Here is a look at the top eight American moments of the 2008 Olympic Games:
No. 8FRENCH KISS-OFF: Jason Lezaks feverish finish in the 400 freestyle relay.
Reason: Without Lezaks heroics, a certain someone (who shall go nameless for the time being) wouldnt have secured his second gold medal in Beijing. Fueled by Frenchman Alain Bernards boast - The Americans? Were going to smash them. Thats what we came here for. - Lezak responded to the challenge. The three-time Olympian notched the fastest relay split in history, touching in at 46.06 on the anchor leg to cap a miraculous comeback as he chased down Bernard. Lezaks triumphant finish not only brought tears to the eyes of the American faithful, but also Bernard - who openly wept after failing to secure the gold.
Medal count: Gold (mens 400-meter freestyle relay, 3:08.24); Bronze (mens 100-meter freestyle, 47.67); Gold (mens 400-meter medley relay, 3:29.34).
Did you know: At 32 years of age, Lezak was the oldest male on the United States swim team (Note: the oldest member of the American swim team appears later on this list). Also, means lounge/lawn chair in Polish. Not sure if we can print what it means in French, according to Bernard.
He said it: I knew I was going to have to swim out of my mind. I had more adrenaline going than Ive ever had in my life. - Lezak, on his finish in the 400 freestyle relay
No. 7NOTHING BUT(T) THE TRUTH: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh still queens of the beach.
Reason: After making a good-natured point during a practice session with the defending beach volleyball champions, President Bush was presented with an unusual proposal. May-Treanor promptly bent over and presented her bikini-clad posterior to the president. Want to? she asked. While its a time-honored tradition for players to slap one anothers backside after a successful point, Bush opted for a different attack and targeted her lower back. The exchange caused quite the stir, but in the end did nothing to deter May-Treanor and Walsh from running their win streak to 108 consecutive matches - and another gold medal to boot. Not to be outdone, the mens beach volleyball team of Todd Rogers and Philip Dalhausser also claimed gold, besting Fabio Magalhaes and Marcio Araujo of Brazil in the final to join May-Treanor and Walsh as the first male-female compatriots to earn top honors in the same Games.
Medal count: Gold (defeated Mika Saiki and Chiaki Kusuhara of Japan, 21-12, 21-15; defeated Tamara Larrea and Dalixia Fernandez of Cuba, 21-15, 21-16; defeated Nila Haakedal and Ingrid Toerlen of Norway, 21-12, 21-15; defeated Liesbeth Mouha and Liesbet van Breedam of Belgium, 24-22, 21-10 in the Round of 16; defeated Larissa Franca and Ana Paula Connelly of Brazil, 21-18, 21-15, in the quarterfinals; defeated Renata Ribeiro and Talita Rocha of Brazil, 21-12, 21-14, in the semifinals; defeated Tian Jia and Wang Jie of China, 21-18, 21-18 in the championship match)
Did you know: May-Treanors tattoo on her lower back is of a Roman numeral . It is a tribute to Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd, who wore No. 5 on his jersey for the majority of his NBA career.
She said it: This is just another reason why we play in bathing suits - May-Treanor, on playing the final in a downpour.
No. 6NOT TOO SHABBY WITHOUT ABBY: Without its leader, the United States womens soccer team repeats as gold-medal champion.
Reason: With prolific scorer Abby Wambach sustaining a broken leg during the teams final friendly, the Americans were merely supposed to give a good showing before bowing out gracefully at the Games. Guess again. Angela Hucles picked up the slack with a team-high four goals, Carli Lloyd netted the lone tally in the gold-medal game and Hope Solo came up big when it counted as the Americans reeled in their third gold in four Olympic Games.
Medal count: Gold (lost to Norway, 2-0; defeated Japan, 1-0; defeated New Zealand, 4-0; defeated Canada, 2-1 (OT), in the quarterfinals; defeated Japan, 4-2, in the semifinals; defeated Brazil, 1-0, in the gold-medal match).
Did you know: Nobody on the team played for the United States when it won its first gold medal at the 1996 Olympics. In addition, Kate Markgraf and Christie Pearce were the only representatives on the 1999 World Cup championship side.
She said it: I have to say that after the first game (a 2-0 loss to Norway), I didnt know the gold medal would be possible. But, we took it one game at a time and kept believing in ourselves. My focus this whole tournament was just to work hard and things will come. - Lloyd.
No. 5.TURNING TRIUMPH INTO TRAGEDY: Americans claim gold, honor coach who lost father-in-law to stabbing death.
Reason: Prior to the start of the Olympics, an unspeakable tragedy befell the family of Hugh McCutcheon, the United States mens indoor volleyball coach. A lone assailant killed McCutcheons father-in-law and badly wounded his mother-in-law before taking his own life. Back on the court, the team competed without McHutcheons guidance for the its first three matches, before the coach bravely returned to the sideline. The Americans outlasted their foes in a pair of five-set thrillers in the knockout round before besting the top-ranked Brazilians in the final.
Medal count: Gold (defeated Venezuela, 25-18, 25-18, 22-25, 21-25, 15-10; defeated Italy, 24-26, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21; defeated Bulgaria, 27-29, 25-21, 25-14, 26-24; defeated China, 25-22, 25-12, 25-18; defeated Japan, 25-18, 25-12, 25-21; defeated Serbia, 20-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-18, 15-12, in the quarterfinals; defeated Russia, 25-22, 25-21, 25-27, 22-25, 15-13; defeated Brazil, 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23, in the championship match).
Did you know: The members of the team marked their shoes with the initials of Todd and Barbara Bachman during the Games. Also, McCutcheon is a native of Christchurch, New Zealand, and represented his home countrys national team in 1996 and on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour in 1997.
He said it: I mourn the loss of my father-in-law, greatly. My heart aches for my wife and for our family for their loss. On the other hand, I am extremely proud and happy for my team. Those are the two emotions I have and they are a little bit conflicted, obviously. I cannot change what happened in either sphere, I can just embrace whats occurred and try to deal with it accordingly. - McCutcheon.
No. 4ONE FOR THE AGES: Dara Torres claims three silvers, bests swimmers half her age
Reason: Participating in her fifth Olympic Games, what more did the ageless wonder have to prove? As it turned out, Torres gave Father Time a run for his money while defeating the majority of the field in her events. Torres personal best time netted her a silver in the womens 50-meter.freestyle - just .01 seconds short of German Britta Steffen. The oldest swimming medalist in Olympic history, Torres also swam the anchor leg in the relay, finishing second only to Australia. Quite the finish considering she has twice retired and has a 2-year-old daughter.
Medal count: Silver (womens 50-meter freestyle, 24.07); Silver (womens 400 freestyle relay, 3:43.33); Silver (400 medley relay, 3:53.30).
Did you know: When shes not in the pool, Torres has worked as reporter and announcer on NBC, ESPN, TNT, OLN and Fox News Channel. She now hosts the golf show The Clubhouse, which can be found on the Resort Sports Network.
She said it: I guess I shouldnt have clipped my fingernails. - Torres on falling shy of the gold in the 50-meter freestyle.
No. 3HOOP DREAMS: Redeem Team makes amends after 2004 flop; women claim fourth consecutive gold
Reason: Considering that the members of the mens basketball team have had as much air time as Seinfeld re-runs, youd wonder if ESPN actually realized there were any other sports in the Olympics. In retrospect, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and company could have played without the constant glare of the spotlight - after all, their opponents hardly seemed worthy of the attention. The Americans breezed through their first seven contests - with their 20-point victory over Argentina in the semifinals being their slimmest margin of victory - before surviving a scare from Spain in the finals. Not to be outdone, the United States womens basketball team was never seriously challenged as it cruised to its fourth consecutive gold medal by downing Australia. No reason to , Lisa Leslie captured her fourth Olympic title while the women upped their winning streak in the Games to 32 in a row.
Medal count: Gold (defeated China, 101-70; defeated Angola, 97-76; defeated Greece, 92-69; defeated Spain, 119-82; defeated Germany, 106-57; defeated Australia, 116-85, in the quarterfinals; defeated Argentina, 101-81, in the semifinals; defeated Spain, 118-107, in the championship game).
Did you know: Ever the philanthropist, Kidd will not hold on to his well-earned gold medal. Instead, he will do what all millionaires do - give away one of their most-prized possessions to the wife of a billionaire. Kidd, who stayed with Team USA at the Wynn Resort and Casino in Las Vegas for three weeks last summer, told the Arizona Republic that he will pay back the establishments owner, Steve Wynn, by bestowing his wife, Elaine, with the golden medallion. According to Kidd in the newspaper, he and Elaine met at a banquet, got to talking and she really understands the game. Besides, he already has a gold - from the Sydney Games in 2000 - anything extra would just be clutter.
He said it: They say NBA players cant play together. They can its not about the name on the back of the jersey - its the three letters on the front. - Dwyane Wade.
No. 2GYM DANDIES: Roommates Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson claim nine medals at Games.
Reason: A product of two championship-caliber gymnasts, Liukin certainly lived up to her lofty expectations. The daughter of Olympic gold medalist Valeri Liukin and world champion rhythmic gymnast Anna Kotchneva, Nastia struck gold in the womens all-around. By virtue of her triumph, Liukin became the third American woman - joining Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson - to win the gold medal in the event in the Olympics. Johnson, who had recorded three silver medals heading into the event, earned her gold medal after her stunning effort on the womens balance beam.
Medal count: Liukin - Gold (womens all-around); Silver (womens uneven bars); Silver (womens balance beam); Silver (womens uneven bars); Bronze (womens floor); Johnson - Gold (womens balance beam); Silver (womens all-around); Silver (womens all-around); Silver (womens floor).
Did you know: At 4-9, Johnson is the same height as American gymnast Kerri Strug, who captured both the gold and the nations attention with her courageous performance in the vault in the womens team competition during the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
She said it: I couldnt have been here without my parents. Both of my parents have been a big influence on my life. My dad is in the gym with me every day. Hes the reason I am an Olympic champion. My mom is on my side, providing emotional support. Its an equal effort. I couldnt have achieved this without either of them, so Im very thankful and I give them a lot of credit. - Liukin
No. 1EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD: Michael Phelps captures unprecedented eight gold medals.
Reason: Were you watching the Olympics? Was your television on the fritz? Did you spill coffee on your newspaper for two weeks straight? Sarcastic answers aside, the American phenom claimed eight gold medals in as many events in Beijing to pass countryman Mark Spitz for the most in a single Olympiad. The 23-year-old Phelps also extended his record of career gold medals to 14, easily surpassing the nine won by Spitz, Carl Lewis, Paavo Nurmi and Larissa Latvnina. Any questions? We did think so.
Medal count: Gold (mens 400-meter individual medley, 4:03.84); Gold (mens 400-meter freestyle relay, 3:08.24); Gold (mens 200-meter freestyle, 1:42.96); Gold (mens 200-meter butterfly, 1:52.03); Gold (mens 800-meter freestyle relay, 6:58.56); Gold (mens 200-meter individual medley, 1:54.23); Gold (mens 100-meter butterfly, 50.58); Gold (mens 400-meter medley relay, 3:29.34).
Did you know: In his youth, Phelps was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). With the influence of his sisters, Phelps elected to put his toe in the water and try swimming as an outlet for his energy. The rest is history.
He said it: I guess its a lucky number for me now, too. Seeing eight in 08, and opening ceremonies starting at 8:08, I guess it was maybe meant to be. - Phelps.

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Get free volleyball team coaching and training by discovering the secret coaching technique, strategies and skills of Olympic volleyball players and their coaches. The fastest way for you to do that is to sign up for the FREE Volleyball Voices Newsletter so you can get the inside track on coaching, training and improving all your volleyball skills, fast! Just fill out that box in the upper right hand corner to receive today's volleyball news you can use.

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On July 6th, 2008, we had an Ultimate Frisbee tournament between Bangalore and Chennai. The venue was Camp Shisti (100 km west of Blore). Arunesh and I biked down there and it was a very hilarious ride.
The tournament was great fun. We played a lot of hat games on 5th evening and on 6th morning we played the finals between Blore and Chennai. We lost 14-16 in a race to 15 game. But we had our moments. We were down 9-13 and got back 14-13 five straight points. That is as good as winning for me, especially since more than one third of our players were injured and we didnt have any substitutes. The game lasted about 2.5 hours and was a test of mental strength.
Here is a comic strip. This is a lighter take on the tourney, so chillax and dont get worked up. Click on image to enlarge.

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Similar posts: volleyball tournament

The AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour is at Coney Island in Brooklyn this Friday thru Sunday. Be sure to stop by at least 1 day to see the best players in the world including our Olympic teams. The mens division will feature Phil Dalhausser who won 9 EEVB tournaments on his climb to the top of the Pro Beach Volleyball world, and Nick Lucena, who won 12 EEVB tournaments before moving on to the AVP Pro Tour.

You can see an order form online at http://www.eevb.net/bva.htm, click on #4

Holly McPeak Clinic: Thursday July 17 (yes, this upcoming Thursday)
Junior clinic from 3-5 pm
Adult clinic 4-6 pm
Advanced doubles for female players 4-6 pm
AVP Coaches: Holly McPeak, Carrie Dodd, Tatiana Minello
Fee $60

Tournament this weekend at Long Beach: Saturday Only for Mens Womens Doubles, NO COED SUNDAY (we are all going to the AVP finals)

Dont forget to do your AVPNext Membership before you get to the beach and save $5. See below for info

Mens Open: $520

Womens Open: $520

MAA WAA: $200

League Players that compete in any B Division: $10/player



MA, WA, MB, WB, CA, CB: Merchandise prizes such as EEVB backpacks, Native Eyewear and so forth

Location: Riverside Blvd

Check in: Saturday 8-8:30 am

Divisions (doubles): Sat.

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Largest free amateur beach volleyball competition on the East Coast, from one of New Yorks most exciting locationsConey Island. Sponsored by the NYC Parks Department, this citywide championship gives both experienced players and casual novices the opportunity to play in a competitive tournament at a world-famous venue.

Over 150 teams of volleyball enthusiasts compete in preliminary rounds on Saturday, July 12th, with the best teams advancing to the finals on Sunday, July 13th, to vie for bragging rights and great cash prizes.

Saturday, July 12th Sunday, July 13th:
Check-in 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Play 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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I checked out most of online newspapers today just to see whats under the Sports sections. Its pretty obvious that everyone is still savoring Pacquiaos ninth round TKO victory over David Diaz. The match was entitled Lethal Combination and it took place last June 28, 2008 at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino. I was able to watch the delayed telecast last Sunday (already knowing that the Pacman won over the radio coverage). It was a great fight every Filipino boxing fanatic is bound to remember. I also noticed Pacmans English skills are getting better every time!
Going to back to Sports news, I was actually hoping to get some news about the PVF National Volleyball Open 2008. Sadly (and unfortunately expected), there werent too many newspapers covering the event.

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Austin Juniors 17 Mizuno pulled away for a 25-22, 20-25, 26-24, 25-21 victory against Skyline Juniors 17 RoShamBo Jason in the finals of the 17-and-under Open division at the U.S. Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships at Dallas Convention Center. Skyline was bidding to become the first Dallas-area school to win an Open division national title. Austin Juniors is only the second team from Texas to ever win an Open division national title.
The third game was particularly heartbreaking for Skyline, which couldn't convert four game points. Austin Juniors rallied for six straight points to secure the game after trailing 24-20. Amber Tatsch had three kills during the rally.
Austin Juniors' Sara Shaw took over in the fourth game with six kills. Skyline made a late charge in the fourth game after Austin Juniors led 23-17. Skyline staved off four championship points behind the serving of Lake Highlands' Tori Mellinger. But, Austin Junior secured the game on the fifth championship point when Skyline committed a hitting error. Highland Park's Katherine Culwell and Plano West's Maddie Jones were solid all the way through.

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10 weeks, 5 days post-op

I saw my ortho for the last time today. He entrusted me to the capable hands of my physical therapists. I can remove the heel lift entirely this week. I can walk around barefoot! Still no explosive movements for a couple of months. I can do stationary bike and walk on flat ground. I can wear whatever shoes feel comfortable (I didn't ask if that included flip flops). I can stop taking Aspirin for the blood clot. The scar is still adhered a little bit at the top, so hopefully that will get worked out soon.

Physical Therapy
First, the massage. Ouch! She took what looked like a knife and rubbed it on the back of my leg - supposedly lengthening out the gastroc. It hurt! Then I did some calf raises, with about 50% of my weight on each leg. I did the total gym, this time with one leg. Some 'prancing' on the trampoline to get ready for walking on uneven ground. She added another exercise: the gastroc stretch. She had me try doing a calf raise with all my weight on my bad foot - I tried and I tried but I didn't move anywhere, which is what she expected (I was a little surprised though).

We had some discussion about which shoes I could wear (definitely not flip flops) but she said Chacos were ok. I have been wearing my running shoes 24/7 but they started irritating the bottom of my scar. Uggh! I just get to where I can walk almost normal, and now I don't have any shoes I can walk in! (I tried my Chacos but they are the old Chong style and my feet get pushed off the back which is too much of a stretch in my tendon for me right now). I wear my Crocs around the house but they aren't sturdy enough for going out and about. I found that my volleyball shoes don't go as high as my running shoes so I've been wearing those. It's good I'm not superstitious, because those are the shoes I tore my Achilles in (knock on wood).

I go down stairs with the bad foot first. I don't have the flexibility or the strength in my calf to step down with my good foot. I go up stairs alternating feet. When I got home from the surgeon appointment I started walking around barefoot. It felt OK on the carpet but it hurt quite a bit on the hard floor. I asked my PT about this, she said I had lost the fat on the bottom of my foot from not using it. Amazing what happens to your body!

Ok, I hope that wasn't too boring but that is what's going on right now.

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June 24, 2008 Adult Tournament(s) Grass No Comments Its getting that time of year again, registration is now open for
the 2008 Waupacaboatride Volleyball tourney. Here are some details;
Friday July 11th 6pm to ???? Registration cocktail party sponsored by Jose Cuervo at the Chula Vista wavepool lagoon and tiki bar. Once you are set up camping or checked into your room come and enjoy the evening with the
volleyball family. There will be a DJ all night long and prize
drawings.
Friday July 11th there is also a AVPnext volleyball tourney, mens
sand doubles.
Saturday July 12th is the tourney!
Mens Womens 3s
Grass
5 Divisions
Over $13,000 in prize money for championship brackets
Prizes for consulation divisions
$30 is the cost again this year per player
Beverages will start at 10am and go until 10:30pm
The post tourney party will begin at 8pm and go until ????
The band will start right after the finals
So grab two or three of your buddies and plan on experiencing the
Waupacaboatride Volleyball Tourney whether your playing or just
enjoy volleyball this is the place to be if you love volleyball. We
are looking at over 600 teams this year. Please check out the
website for registration or more details at waupacaboatride.com.
Looking forward to seeing everyone there!!
Tom Galecke
Waupacaboatride@ yahoo.

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Americano top 10 >>> volleyball tournament

Okay, so I made a gamble when I ordered 3 Rachel Ann Daquis and 3 Charo Soriano authentic Shakeys V-League Accel jerseys from Jersey Haven before V-League Season 5 started. I just thought of buying jerseys to raffle it off over here at Spikeithard just in time for the Finals. So back then I was hoping for an Ateneo-FEU finals. I guess well have to hold onto the Daquis jerseys for now.
Will think of a raffle-gimmick first then blog about it maybe by tonight. So check back again here at Spikeithard.com blog soon. Will really, really also try my best to have the jerseys autographed by Ms. Charo Soriano herself first before we raffle it off. So who wants a Charo Soriano authentic Shakeys V-League jersey courtesy of Spikeithard.com blog?
As most of you guys know, Jersey Haven is where you can get authentic Accel jerseys. Theyve got all the sports covered from PBA, UAAP basketball and volleyball, Shakeys V-League, RP Team, and practically all other local tournament where Accel is the official outfitter. They have this Hoopla event for basketball aficionados.

Americano news >>> volleyball tournament

Americano news >>> volleyball tournament

, USA - 21 hours ago But when it was win or go home, the Mount Madonna School boys volleyball players came together. Soquel pushed the Hawks to extra points in each game of Local report: Mount Madonna advances in SCCAL volleyball tournament Santa Cruz Sentinel Local report: Aptos Casterson posts fast times at SCCAL track and - San Jose Mercury News Jim Seimas, Out of Left Field: Playoff picture takes shape for San Jose Mercury News San Jose Mercury News all 9 news articles
mercurynews.

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The University of Texas-Pan American women's volleyball team hosted the 4-on-4 volleyball tournament on Saturday (Apr. 26) at the UTPA Fieldhouse where three teams were selected as winners of the tournament. In the gold bracket, collecting first place laurels was Club Santos, coming in second place was Team Toddy and finishing in third place was the Scorpions. In the silver bracket, Marci's Team recorded a first place finish in pool one, the RGV Juniors collected second place honors in pool two and team Tonka finished third in pool three. In the bronze bracket, Team Jordan finished first in pool one while Slim Slow came in second place in pool two and The Outlaws collected a third place finish in pool three. The women's volleyball program would like to send special thanks to Wendy's for supplying lunch for all the participants, Miracle Medical Equipment and Supplies for providing tournament t-shirts and to all the teams that participated in the event.

Americano new top 10 >>> volleyball tournament

A few day ago the HES Amsterdam Volleyball Tournament was played in The Sand. Teams formed by HES students from different classes played against each other for the glory of the victory. I dont really know who won, but since the level is not prowho cares? The idea is always to have a nice time, know new people and overall, to have fun.
If you know something else about what happened, leave a comment!
Thanks Romy for the photos!.

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Date: Sunday, April 27, 2008

Time: 11:30am

Location: Cousens Cage

Description: Come out and join us in our annual volleyball tournament. This year's theme is Luau party. A great way to have fun after Spring Fling. This annual tournament is always a great success and this year should be no exception!

If you are interested in participating but do not have a team,or would be interested in refereeing, contact robert.siy@tufts.edu.

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