Going for the Gold: 2008 Beijing Olympics By Ashley Schwarzer   The Olympics are a huge opportunity for many athletes. They are the beginning of some professional careers and the end of others. They are a time for people to make history. Every four years athletes from all over the world come together and represent their home countries. There were many American stars in this year’s Olympics, and almost every day it seemed someone broke a world record. The star of the show was of course Michael Phelps. Competing in eight swimming finals, he had a chance to make history; and he succeeded. Phelps broke the record of most Olympic gold medals ever in his fourth final. He surpassed the famous American swimmer Mark Spitz in his last race for the most gold medals in a single Olympics. This extraordinary swimmer now has two coveted titles that are not soon to be taken away from him. In gymnastics the U.S. men’s team won a bronze, while the women’s team came away with silver. In the women’s all-around final, two U.S. athletes made history. Mastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson went one-two in the finals, Nastia edging out Shawn for the gold. On the basketball court, the U.S. men’s team – renamed the “redeem team” because of their failure to capture gold in the 2004 Olympics – ended up winning the gold medal.  The women’s basketball team received the gold as well. Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh became the first ever to win back-to-back gold medals in beach volleyball with their defeat of China in the final. Also, the American men’s beach volleyball and indoor volleyball teams both captured Olympic gold. The 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China, were incredible. Records were set, and dreams became reality. The U.S. won the medal count with 110 total. China won the most gold medals with a staggering 51. The Chinese really outdid themselves in these Olympics. The stadium and other arenas where the action was held were amazing. The opening and closing ceremonies were monumental. Interestingly enough, the opening ceremony began at 8:00 p.m. on August 8, 2008 (08/08/08). The number eight in Chinese culture is associated with confidence and prosperity. This is just one example of how the people of China incorporated their culture into the games. The effort really paid off, as no one will forget watching these Olympics. I can’t wait to see if the 2012 Olympics in London can top this year’s performance.