Topic: Beijing Summer Olympics | VivirLatino

Paralympics Begin in Beijing

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:40:41 -0500

Like most U.S. citizens, you probably weren't aware that the Paralympics began this past Saturday in Beijing, China. What are the Paralympics? Originally billed as the "Parallel Olympics" to signify the fact that they ran "parallel" to the Olympics, the Paralympics is a two week long sporting event that centers disabled athletes. Modifications are made in different sports to accommodate the needs of physically, mentally and learning disabled athletes, including lowering nets in volleyball, and using bells to guide blind athletes.

Cuban Athlete Ousted for Kicking Referee

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:43:46 -0500

Taekwondo isn't a sport for the faint of heart, but the violence needs to be kept in the ring and the kicks directed at your opponent. But Cuban martial artist Ángel Matos apparently doesn't see it that way. When Matos was down for count during yesterday's finals match due to an injury, the ref called time, giving the win to opponent Arman Chilmanov of Kazakhstan. As Chilmanov celebrated jumping up and down, Matos jumped up himself and began screaming at the referee. His trainer joined in in the belaboring of the ref. Then the stadium went still as Matos delivered a huge kick to the referee's unexpecting face.

Both Matos and his trainer, Leudis González, have been banned from ever participating in the Olympics again as a result of the attack. According to Spain's El País, González insists that Kazakhstan "bought" the judges, bribing them into ruling in favor of their team.

Via / El País

Image via Reuters/El Pais

U.S. Defeats Spain for Basketball Gold, Argentina Takes Bronze

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:07:40 -0500

Not too many of us will have had the energy to stay up all night to watch the game, but I'm here to tell you that the U.S. men's Olympic team was unstoppable in the final match-up with current world champion, Spain. I was only able to catch the last quarter, and it was a super tight game. Spain and the U.S. were both at the top of their game (Spain was down an average of only 6 points) and it was disputable whether or not The Dream Team would actually win this one up until about 2 minutes before the final buzzer. In the end, the stars of the NBA triumphed over the Spaniards 118-107.

Spanish media is calling Spain's loss a win, referring to the game as "the most dignified defeat" and "a golden silver medal", given the fact that they were so very close to winning against the world's most storied basketball team.

Argentina is also celebrating its triumph as bronze medal winners in basketball, stepping up to the podium in third place. An excellent representation for Latin America in one of the Olympics' most watched sports.

Via / El Pais

Image via El Mundo

Argentina's Olympic Women's Soccer Team Gets on the Hate Bandwagon

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:32:29 -0500

When the Spanish sports teams did their offensive eye posing, it was easy to dismiss the racism as coming from Europeans with their own history of conquest. But now the women's Olympic soccer team from Argentina has been caught doing the same exact "slant-eye" pose, we have to wonder just what the hell is going on that makes people think that this is ok?

Besides the gesture being obviously offensive, there is the dismissal that all three teams have made: that they didn't mean to offend. Which begs the question, what exactly did they intend? To make us laugh with their antics? To get us excited about China? To reveal a deep desire to be Chinese that they all have? To show us how stupid they are?

In this case payback is a bitch, as they say because Argentina's women lost 2-0 to China. In fact, they lost all three of their matches.

Via / Who Ate All the Pie

Spanish Olympic Tennis Team "Winks" in China Too

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:00:34 -0500

Seriously, Spanish Olympic sports teams, cut it the f out! Now the Spanish Olympic Women's Tennis team poses making "slant eyes" for a camera. Well actually it's not a new pic, but one that is a few months old.

The latest photo to emerge shows Spanish women tennis players pulling the pose, apparently in anticipation of their Federation Cup match against China in April…

It was apparently taken after the team defeated Italy in the quarter-finals of the competition - the premier team contest for women tennis players - in February. Wine glasses are visible on the table in front of the party…

The photo is still visible on the official website of the Spanish Tennis Federation, where it was spotted.

The original is captioned “Estamos preparados para China”, which translates as “We are prepared for China”.

Via / The Latin Americanist

Olympic Updates

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:43:02 -0500

In case you haven't heard, Michael Phelps is apparently some sort of God, and the U.S. media is going to urinate on themselves if they don't get to touch him some time soon.

In other news, resident Latina BadAss, Brenda Villa is kicking some water polo butt and Mexican synchronized divers, Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortiz, managed to face down a competitive field to pull in a lovely bronze medal.

Fidel Castro made it to another birthday, on the same day that his baseball team and volleyball team won some great games (the volleyball team subsequently lost to the U.S.). On a more important note, volleyball women are amongst the hottest women at the Olympics. But even as I say that, I must admit to such a strong sense of feminist outrage when watching beach volleyball, I can't even make it through a match. Please, compare the women's uniforms (and subsequent media pictures) to the men's. Can we all do a collective feminist vomit?

And finally, in a move to show it's continuing brilliance, the U.S. Congress has decided to try to strip the Russian Olympians of their medals as a way to protest the Russian government's invasion of Georgia. I tend to think that oh, I don't know, diplomacy with an actual government works better than punishing a few citizens of said government, but what the hell, we have to pay taxes for some reason, I guess.

Until the next update,
La Macha

This is Why I Don't Follow the Olympics : Spanish Basketball Team "Winks" Offensive

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:54:30 -0500

No, no according to the Spanish Basketball team, they aren't making an offensive, stereotype promoting gesture in that team photo. Your eyes and sensibilities are wrong. They are not making "slant eyes" they are "winking" and felt it was an appropriate gesture and felt that it was "somewhat loving".

Someone needs to smack the Spanish basketball team with a serrano ham.