By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net

OLYMPIC medalist and American swimmer Michael Phelps hates getting out of a warm bed every morning to jump into a cold pool.

Michael Phelps from Oracle WebVideo on Vimeo.

(Video courtesy of OracleWebVideo)

Speaking briefly during the opening day here at Oracle World, Phelps who won a world-record eight gold medals revealed that he wakes up early in the morning — around 7 a.m.– swims, then eats lots of breakfast before he sleeps again at around 10 a.m.

This was his daily regimen that made him an outstanding athlete, he said as he quickly warmed up to a group of about 40,000 people attending Oracle Open World here in San Francisco.

Phelps wowed the world when he broke the world record, winning eight gold medals in various men’s swimming competition during the Beijing Summer Olympics. He surpassed an earlier record set by fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz who won 7 Olympic golds.

Yup, like most Filipinos watching the Beijing 2000 Olympics, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is also disappointed.

Marc Anthony Reyes of the Philippine Daily Inquirer writes:

MANILA, Philippines—He has not talked to her yet, but Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Butch Ramirez yesterday said that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is “not happy” because of the country’s Olympic medal shutout in Beijing.

The PSC head said he heard from very reliable sources of the President’s reaction after the athletes fell, one by one, by the wayside of the road to what was expected to the first ever Olympic gold medal.

The President personally rooted from the sidelines for the 15-member Olympic delegation during the opening ceremony.

US President George W. Bush who was watching the games in Beijing said China should not fear religion.

Bush who was next to a Chinese pastor talked about worshiping in China and how “God is universal” while underscoring that “God is love,” a recent Agence France-Presse (AFP) video report showed.

He said that “no state, man or woman should fear the influence of loving religion.”

Catch the latest news and video reports from the Beijing 2008 Olympics website of INQUIRER.net and Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Apart from the usual news about the games, you can also read the latest “Word on the Street,” the fresh “Competition News” and reports from the INQUIRER Group.

THE US Dream Team was unstoppable, as they dominated the game against China, 101-70.

China and the US were tied at 29 during the second quarter. But the US Team, led by Dwyane Wade, was just too fast for the Chinese team, which was missing baskets during the third and fourth quarters. Almost all US players were in double figures.

The US team’s fast transition, numerous steals, and defense proved a one-two-three punch against the host country China. Lebron James was just too awesome, as he exploded in the game, blocking and shooting over China’s tough players. Kobe Bryant also contributed points, but his steals led to crucial fastbreaks in the game.

US and China belong to Group B, which includes Spain, Greece, Germany and Angola.

Catch more news about the Beijing 2008 Olympics at the INQUIRER.net and Agence France-Presse special website.

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net

BEIJING, China — Fifteen Filipino athletes will strive to get the first Olympic gold for the Philippines in the 29th Olympics here, an official said.

Joey Romasanta, press officer of the Philippine sports delegation, said the country’s hopes were pinned on boxer Harry Tanamor, shooter Eric Ang, female diver Sheila Mae Perez, and the two tae-kwondo jins.

“Here in the Olympic Village, you will see, literally, a sea of the world’s best athletic specimens and it’s easy to be intimidated just by how they look. We just ask [the Filipino Olympians] to do their best,” Romasanta said in an interview over the phone.

“Sila naman, fight [And they are raring to fight]. They did not come here unprepared. They went through a series of tournaments,” he said, noting that shooter Ang is one of the world’s 33 top shooters.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

AS the countdown to the 2008 Olympics hosted by Beijing begins, INQUIRER.net has launched a special site that will gather all our Olympics-related content and provide in-depth coverage once the competitions are underway.

Check out the site today.

By Associated Press

BEIJING–A Filipino marketing manager and an American who works with Chinese orphans are among eight foreigners living in China who have been picked to join in the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch run across the country, organizers said Friday.

Marcos Antonio Torres was picked from among 262 applicants in a contest organized by Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group, an Olympic sponsor, and the government newspaper China Daily. Each will carry the torch for 200 meters on Chinese soil.

Torres is a marketing manager in Beijing who launched an online campaign to appeal for votes. He said it made him a celebrity in his homeland.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

By Lester Cavestany, Contributor
INQUIRER.net

Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger).
– Olympic motto

THERE is a growing online movement to support Marco Torres in his goal of being chosen as one of eight foreigners/expatriates in China who will carry the torch for the Olympic torch relay. I think that with the growing number of bloggers and Internet users in the Philippines, we can all help make this happen. Click here to vote for him.

If you didn’t click the link above, you’re probably wondering why we should support Marco Torres. You’re probably asking, “I don’t know him so why should I support him?”

Good question!

For most of us, the simple answer, “Because our countryman needs our support so that he can best all the other hopeful expatriates in China,” would suffice. But there are those who need more explanations before they give their support. So read on and I hope that after reading this post, you would be more than willing to support Marco Torres.

[Read the rest of this entry »]