olympic sports

It was all just an innocent mistake, just some botched reporting that resulted in the dispensing of incorrect information, not any premeditated move to circumvent the rules.That's what the Chinese want everyone to believe.

The scene initially was niggling, troubling, then so much worse than that. Frankly, it was outrageous, with minimal cover provided by the flags and the uniforms and the procession of beaming, glistening faces.All those nations.All those men.

BEIJING, China -- Catch the greatest women's beach volleyball team of all time while you can.For Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, biological clocks are ticking, louder than the rock music at the beach volleyball stadium.Walsh/May-Treanor rolled along ruthlessly Monday, pounding the Cuban duo of Tamara Larrea and Dalaxia Fernandez, 21-15 and 21-16, to go 2-0.

BEIJING -- Michael Phelps' historic quest for eight gold medals at these Olympics remained alive Monday. Barely.

BEIJING -- President Bush had barely found his seat when Yao Ming dropped in a three-pointer and commenced pumping his fist. Woo-hoo. Or however you say that in Mandarin. A three-pointer! From Yao Ming! In six NBA seasons, Yao had made exactly one three-pointer. Now he had made one to score the first points of this historic game.

BEIJING -- The idea is to make each little victory add up to something much bigger.The U.S. men's water polo team claimed the first such win Sunday -- and so, to a degree, did the host team.

Beijing -- For four years, they had looked forward to this day. Four years of practice and work and dreams. Four years inspired by the glory days of the 1980s, when American men's volleyball ruled the Olympic Games.

At one end of the Olympic spectrum -- measured in terms of fame and fortune -- you have the U.S. men's basketball team, swimmer Michael Phelps and handful of others across a range of sports.At the other end you have people like Tim Morehouse.

BEIJING -- It's hard to believe a pitcher with 20 collegiate no-hitters and 10 perfect games being a little-used spare part on anybody's softball team.But that was exactly what Cat Osterman was four years ago.

BEIJING -- Pre-race wipe down of the starting block. Check.Headphones secured poolside. Check. Double-arm wraparound back slap. Check. Gold medal. World record. One-eighth of the way to immortality. Check. Check. Check.