The Olympics in Beijing is arguably the biggest of its kind, funded by a staggering $40 Billion budget from the Beijing/Chinese government. It is the first time for China to host this historical event. Of course it is the most important thing for China on so many levels. So much so, the Chinese attendees of the games are instructed/encouraged to cheer for foreign athletes, even if they are playing against the host team. This is even more evident when the foreign team is one of the powerful nations such as the USA.
For example, I was watching the final between China and USA in women’s beach volleyball game. The chanting of “USA” from the energized Chinese DJ is unbelievable! US teams throughout the games have admitted that they feel like host nation in this Beijing Olympics games. And this beach volleyball game is no exception, the #2 seeded team from US beat the #1 seeded Chinese team in two closely fought games, thanking partially I’m sure to their “homefield” advantage.
Now you may ask, as a gold medal crazed host nation, why would the Chinese do that??? The answer in my mind is that there are things more important than gold medals. After learning from previous diplomatic PR stumbles, and most recently happened in the Olympics torch relay around the world, the Beijing government is becoming smarter. The cost of a few medals are nothing compared to the improved xoxo relationships with the most powerful nations in the world. The gushing praise from the NBC broadcasters alone is worthy of a gold medal!
As for the beach volleyball match, I shouted my voice out and cursed “traitors” throughout the game. But in the end, I have to salute the Beijing government for an attempt to get the ultimate PR gold medal. Very well done indeed.