Awkward Olympic Moments

Japan won the men's 100m backstroke just now. NBC showed the medal ceremony and I heard the announcer telling everyone in Mandarin to stand up for the Japanese national anthem. Hmm, if WWII turned out differently in the Pacific 60 years ago, China would probably be a colony of Japan, and that phrase would have a totally different meaning.

I wonder what anthem they would play if Taiwan Chinese Taipei won a gold medal.

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The US 4x100m freestyle relay team also just won the gold medal, beating France by 0.08 seconds. This is awkward because France promised to smash the American team in the event.

The Americans' relay victory was all the more sweet considering the way France declared itself the favorite prior to the Olympics. The Frenchmen weren't shy about repeating it either. In a news conference prior to the start of the Games, Bernard, who boasts a tattoo of a shark on his abdomen, was asked what he thought about his country's chances against the United States.

"The Americans?" Bernard said. "We will smash them."

Several of Bernard's teammates followed his lead, even going to far as to suggest that the Americans were scared of the French.

Awesome.