Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Injuries to Athletes

More than 50 percent of sports related injuries can be avoided, according to Olympic coach, Bruce Thomas II, who specializes in sports medicine. He is currently the consulting physician to the People's Republic of China national baseball team. Dr. Thomas also consults with the LPGA and PGA players in the states on a regular basis.
In most sports, timing is everything, (especially in the Olympics). "Sometimes they push too hard both internally and externally; both the coaches and intrinsically, from the athlete. There's a fine line when an athlete peaks in their performance," said Dr. Thomas. 
Athletes do not allow enough time for their injuries to heal properly, nor enough time for the body to heal and rest between training and injuries.
"Lance Armstrong has both the ideal training, ideal mind, ideal body, which brought him incredible success," says Dr. Jeffrey Spencer, cyclist and Olympic coach, eight times on the Tour de France. "You have to have confidence in yourself. You have to have a positive mental attitude every day," said Dr. Spencer. "You have to have the freedom, the mindset to embrace change immediately. You can have a longer athletic career. It doesn't have to be finite."

Opening Ceremony-Olympics

 A dazzling display of imagery, a rainbow of colors and elegant dance. The choreography was spectacular. The symbolism; ethnicity, cultures and environmentalism is welcoming an breathtaking. The elegant moving scroll on the floor, flanked by ships of open trade to the scrim of hospitality s awesome. More than 10,500 elite athletes, some for the first time, others returning for another opportunity to earn the title, "Best Athlete in the World".
Tremendous pride is in one country, around the globe. Hope. Faith. Trust, Friendships, Ethos.
 Eight months of training for the opening night, men dancing and doing flip on an elegant globe as it personifies coming together, individuals who can become one.
Images of the world, dancers, singers bringing us together; One World, One Dream! a stunning opening for the Parade of Nations at the Birds Nest stadium.
A beautiful tapestry of countries, represented by dedicated, appreciative citizens who are outstanding athletes. The countries were actually entering the stadium, not by size or alphabetically, but by the number of stroke i Chinese each countries' name took. The announcers did a wonderful job with the geography for those of us watching the Olympics at home. We were given some interesting tips about the participating countries; the average income for some, notes about some of the athlete and their history, Vanuata (where a soldier wrote, Tales of the South Pacific) Japan's delegate will ride again this year, 44 years after his first event, in 1964, his horse, Whisper, is a chestnut mare in the equestrian event. 
Sometimes I root for the underdog. I'd love to see a country who has yet to win a medal in the Olympics bring one home for their deserving country. Especially those in turmoil. Some countries have only one or two athletes and others have several hundred representing their home country.
The athletes, as they walk through the arena are leaving their footprints on the scroll, adding detail. Eligibility of athletes in different countries in order to make the Olympic team, is interesting in which the athlete can shop around sometimes for another country to represent. 
many countries have turmoil, political issues, threats and clans being disruptive prior to the Olympic Games, causing more unease on the government as well as the athlete. 
Some countries are offering cash for medals as an incentive for their athletes.