The Americans Arrive
by Josh Gerstein
Fri, 8 Aug 2008 at 10:40 AM
Team USA just entered the stadium to a big roar, though the first announcement, in French, didn't elicit any noticeable reaction. President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were shown on the Jumbotrons waving. While the Bushes would probably elicit some booing almost anywhere in America these days, I heard none here. The Chinese are delighted Mr. Bush came and didn't join the boycott Polish and Czech and (arguably) German leaders undertook over Tibet and other issues. One old China hand told me Mr. Bush is probably more popular in China at the moment than he is at home.
The TV screens also showed a good shot of the refugee from Sudan and immigrant to America, Lomong Lopez. He's running in the 1500 meter race and was picked by his teammates to carry the American flag.
One other note: the American team is huge. The almost 600 athletes streched from one end of the stadium floor to the other.
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