This week at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was simply exciting. So many world records were set that perhaps someone should begin to look into the calibration records of those instruments.

Just kidding. Ha-ha. The world record lightning literally struck in many instances during the week. You know about Phelps of the USA, Dibaba of Ethiopia or Kenya, and Bolt of Jamaica by now.

If those three were to be reincarnated as animals, Phelps would certainly be a splendid game fish, Dibaba a beautiful savanna gazelle, and Bolt a thoroughbred horse.

Phelps, of course set a record in all events he participated in at the Beijing Water Cube, including the 50.58 seconds Olympic record he set in the only race he did not set a world record and nearly lost - the record seventh gold medal he won in the 100-meter butterfly swimming event today.

He got a million-dollar bonus for that achievement from Speedo, the swimming trunks designers and makers. That should certainly remove a few butterflies from his stomach.

Tomorrow in the 4 x 400 medley team event, Michael Phelps should win his all-time-world-record eighth gold medal, if and only if luck, Lochte, and the rest of the field bow fatefully under pressure from his immense providential gift.

Yesterday was certainly Tirunesh Dibaba's day. This lovely lady raced to a fabulous long distance race win.

I must admit that I do not know much about her but watching a replay of her world record win told me that she is somebody to watch in the future.

When I heard that she was Kenyan, I was surprised because Dibaba had that aquiline Ethiopian look on a Kenyan frame - a devastating form to have as she proved in the 10,000-meter race in which she ran 29:54:66 minutes to break the Olympic record. She is Ethiopian, by the way.

Usain Bolt! What else can I say but ask, "What does this guy eat?" I was a 100-meter champion in High School with 13.8 seconds as the fastest for a thirteen-year old in my school then.

So, I know a thoroughbred when I see one. Did you see the gap he placed between himself and the field as he erased the old world record effortlessly?

He definitely came to roost at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing! That was simply phenomenal!

I had seen one particular Olympic Games sponsor's advertisement in which it was stated that for a man to be crowned the fastest man over 100 meters, he had to take SIX steps every SECOND in order to win a race.

That mark has been surpassed. The new human bullet on the block probably does 9 steps per second with a very well hidden reservoir of energy that seems to explode right out of the starting blocks.

A new world record in 100-meters track athletics has been set at an awesome 9.69 seconds by the young man whose name is Mr. Bolt, Usain Bolt. James Bond, 007, couldn't have done that introduction better than that.

In other events today, Brazil beat Cameroun 2 - 0 after extra time in the Olympic soccer event, while Nigeria beat Cote D'Ivoire by the same margin. Both go into the semi-finals.

A wonderful British swimmer called Rebecca Adlington has swept the gold in the ladies events in world record times, while the ladies of the US water polo team has beaten the Croatians to dethrone the reigning Olympic champions.

Finally, it is so sad to note that there are still those who would want to put a damper on things and people regarded as great by others.

Luckily, Mrs. Bachman has survived her stabbing ordeal and is back at home from China.

So, even if an athlete with a few world records is not the greatest, can it be rightly said that he or she should vacate the high perestal reserved for him or her?

Related post:

A few Beijing 2008 Olympics updates

More updates:

"Lightning" Bolt smashes record

Jamaica's Bolt wins men's 100 meters in stunning style

Bolt surges to gold in new record

UPDATE - Saturday, August 16, 2008 @ 9:00 PM:

Breaking News -- Michael Phelps Wins Record-Breaking 8th Gold Medal at Beijing Games !

UPDATE #2 - With Help, Phelps Surpasses Spitz - By KAREN CROUSE 12:45 AM ET

UPDATE #3 - Saturday, August 16, 2008 -- 11:12 PM ET

Teammates Lift Phelps to Record 8th Gold

With the help of his teammates on Sunday, Michael Phelps
surpassed Mark Spitz, 36 years after Spitz's record haul of
seven gold medals at the Munich Games. The United States won
the 4x100-meter medley relay in 3:29:34, for Phelps's eighth
gold medal of the Beijing Games.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na