At the beginning of the Games, I made a prediction that China would surprise with medals in newer sports to them, to be followed with the most gold and overall medals in Beijing in 2008. The first part of the prediction came through with gold medals in nontraditional Chinese sports such as Track and Field, Tennis, Swimming and Canoeing, for a total of 32, second only to the US number of 35 gold medals. They were also the only major power to not have any drug problems. Over the next four years, they will put much effort into developing athletes in all sports, with the advantage of being able to qualify them as the host country, as Greece did such as with Baseball.

When I was in Beijing before the Sydney Olympics, I interviewed a top official of their Olympic Committee for my Olympic Newsletter. At that time they were having drug testing problems and he stated flatly that there would be none in Sydney. With their determination, and at the cost of dropping 27 promising athletes before the Games, there were no Chinese drug failures. He also indicated that they would be getting more medals by fair means in ensuing Games. Well, when hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens can be moved from their homes and businesses to clear the way for new venues, and related civic and environmental improvements costing over 60 billion dollars, they probably have the determination to be able to increase their medal count as well. We should get used to not having the most successful athletes for many Olympic Games to come.

However, hopefully more of the Olsen/Russ family will be in Beijing to still enjoy the greatest international gathering of athletes and ordinary citizens of any kind in the world. In spite of the nationalistic overlays, the Olympic spirit prevails among the athletes and the spectators. The Greek people certainly felt it. Ask any of the athletes while tears are streaming down their faces on the podiums or when they and their fans are cheering for the other teams at the medal ceremonies. Or more important, see the spirit of the thousands of athletes who come to Athens knowing that they will not be a medal winner, but after all their sacrifices and postponing of family and careers, know that for the rest of their lives they had been an Olympian.

You can feel the spirit when the crowd stays and cheers every Marathon runner, for over an hour after the winner has crossed the line. Where else can you look at a field during the Opening or Closing Ceremonies, and see people literally from every country on earth at one time and in one place; as well as run into and interact with them, their friends and their supporters throughout the 16 days. I don't think I have ever talked to people from Bangladesh or Nigeria before, as well as families from all over Greece.