What to watch for - Day 16.

This is my second-to-last daily Olympic email. Either you’re happy to know you won’t be getting this every day or sad because you know the Olympics are almost over. I’m feeling the latter.

The U.S. women’s volleyball team has never won the gold medal. They played in the final match in Beijing but came up short, 3-1, to the Brazilians. Since so many things in the Olympics are about redemption, what team do you think they are playing in the final? That’s right, Brazil. Both teams swept their opponents in the semifinals and have some heavy hitters on their respective sides of the net. American (and Texas Longhorn) Destinee Hooker is second in the tournament in scoring with 147 points, while Brazil’s Sheilla Castro is fourth with 125 points. The U.S. is ranked first in hitting efficiency and better than Brazil in blocking. However, Brazil is the stronger receiving team and is just behind the USA in hitting.

If the volleyball team wins gold, it will be the second team head coach Hugh McCutcheon leads to an Olympic championship. He was the head coach of the U.S. men’s Olympic championship team in 2008. You may remember the tragedy McCutcheon went through at the beginning of the games in Beijing when his in-laws were assaulted and his father-in-law killed on the opening day of the Olympics.

The U.S. women’s basketball team came into London a heavier favorite to win the gold than their male counterparts. The USA is looking to win its fifth-straight gold medal and its 41^st straight Olympic game. They will face France who is looking to win its first medal in women’s basketball. Both teams are undefeated in the tournament and it’s the first time since 1996 that the final game isn’t between the U.S. and Australia.

The women’s 4x100m team was absolutely amazing last night, winning the gold and setting a new world record. Tonight it’s the men’s turn and is sure to be another exciting relay. The Jamaicans own the world record, set last September, but qualified second behind the Americans by 0.01. Of course the Jamaicans have the two fastest men in the world on their relay team in Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake and did not race Bolt yesterday. The U.S. posted an American record of 37.38 in the heats and looked great with Justin Gatlin running anchor. Tonight, Team USA will run Trell Kimmons, Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey in the final. Gatlin, Gay and Bailey all ran in the final of the men’s 100m on Sunday, while only two of Jamaica’s relay team (Blake and Bolt) were in that final.

While the U.S. men took silver last night in the 4x400m with a rookie team, the women will have some experience on their side. The team qualified first out of all the heats and is looking to defend its title from Beijing. Sanya Richards-Ross won it for the USA in the anchor leg in 2008 and will run in the race again, along with 200m champion Allyson Felix.

The men will run the 5000m tonight and Team GB’s Mo Farah will look to follow his gold in the 10000m with a gold in this event. Anyone else see the 10000m last week? The scene was incredible with a Brit winning. The place will be cheering heavily for this guy tonight. The silver medalist in the 10000m was American, and Farah’s training partner, Galen Rupp, who will run in the final along with 2007 champion Bernard Lagat and Lopez Lomong. All three make a strong contingent for the U.S. There will be the typical challenges with the Kenyans and Ethiopians because none of them raced in the 10000m. I can assure you that if Farah wins, Olympic Stadium will be going crazy.

Also being raced tonight is the always-entertaining men’s 50km and women’s 20 km walk. You’ve probably made fun of these events at some point in the past, but watch how fast they go. It’s not easy.

Other final track and field events include the women’s 800m, women’s high jump and women’s 800m.

Future Olympian?

My dreamlike state with the Olympics gave way to reality today when I found out that one of my best friends had an emergency c-section this morning. Harper Kathryn Shaw was born just over five weeks early at 8:59 a.m. (est) today, weighing in around 4.5 pounds.

First of all, I'm so thankful to say that both mommy and baby are doing well. Praise the Lord! The proud parents, Kristin and Chris, did not find out the sex before hand and I don't know what they were thinking or hoping for, but I have to admit that I think I was hoping for a girl. Just so that I could start thinking of her as a future Pi Phi.

Since she was born premature and during the Olympics, I am going to go ahead and say future Olympian as well. She's clearly strong minded, determined and a fighter. I think we should set our sites on 2028, 2030 or 2032 (depending on what sport she picks up).

So many congratulations to my dear friend. I can't wait to met Ms. Harper!

You go, girl.

There was a lot of talk leading up to the games about how influential women were going to be in these Olympics. First time there were more women delegates than men for the U.S., first time every host nation had women delegates, etc.

However, there has also been criticism that since this is 2012 it should be commonplace that women do all these things. We are 92 years past suffrage, women should be celebrated for the accomplishments of winning and not just for getting to the Olympics, etc.

I see both sides. But I'm just proud that women are winning medals and responsible for a large part of the USA's medal count. The Olympics always produce a whole slew of new names and these games will prove to be no different. But the great thing is that it puts a new group of women for girls to look up to. I remember looking up to so many Olympic athletes as a kid and I still do today.

Here is yet another news piece for you about the influence of women in these Olympics.

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What to watch for - Day 15.

Yesterday was big for Team USA as we now have a 10-medal lead over China with hopefully more to come.

Anyone else wondering when BMX became an Olympic sport? Yeah, I did too. I didn’t even know it was in the games until Wednesday, but apparently this is its second appearance. Anyways, moving on…

Tonight begins the relay finals for men’s and women’s track with the men’s 4x400m and the women’s 4x100m.

The U.S. has won 16 of 22 Olympic titles in the men’s 4x400m and the dynasty has never been at risk more than it will be tonight. Team USA is without its two best runners in this race with 2008 champion LaShawn Merritt and 2004 champion Jeremy Wariner out with injuries. The team had four Olympic rookies run the semifinal, who did great, coming in second to the Bahamas with an identical time. It was looking like the red, white and blue could defend its title. However, AFTER the race they figured out that Manteo Mitchell, who ran the first leg, had a fractured his fibula. Can we just stop and marvel at the fact that this guy ran a 400m sprint on a broken leg. Wow. But the U.S. is the long-time defending champion and still has some other great runners and we certainly can’t count them out.

The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago and Great Britain are looking to take the top spot now. South Africa is now in the final as well after falling and failing to finish in the heats. However, they won their appeal and now Oscar Pistorius will run the anchor leg. Can you imagine what a scene it would be if they won or even medaled? The South Africans did win the silver medal at the world championships last year, but they are now without their fastest runner of the race, who suffered a separated shoulder in the fall during the heats.

The women’s 4x100m will probably be between the U.S. and Jamaica. Team USA qualified first after coming within 0.04 of the Olympic record in the semifinals. This was also without two of its fastest runners in Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix. Jamaica finished second in its semifinal but did not race Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce or Veronica Campbell-Brown. So it seems the best was left for last and we can only wait to find out what will happen. It is another “redemption” race for the U.S. since the baton was dropped during the race in 2008.

The women’s 1500m and 5000m will be run tonight, while the men’s pole vault and women’s hammer throw will also be completed.

The U.S. women’s basketball team advanced to the gold medal game after a win against Australia yesterday and the men look to do the same today. They face Argentina for the third straight Olympic semifinal game today at 4 p.m. Argentina won in 2004 and went on to win the gold, while the U.S. did the same four years ago. The red, white and blue defeated the Argentinians 126-97 on Monday. If the U.S. advances, they will face the winner of the other semifinal between Spain and Russia.

You’ll rarely hear me talking about the men’s welterweight Taekwondo competition. But American Steven Lopez is chasing his fourth Olympic medal and hails from my hometown of Sugar Land, Texas. I know nothing about the sport and can’t give you any insight. But I’m cheering for Lopez to bring another medal home to the SL.

Oscar.

I realize that if I was a really good blogger, I would have made some of these posts before this athletes started competing in their respective events. But I was busy and unfortunately can't spend all day writing about the olympics. However, to be fair, I mentioned Oscar Pistorius in my Day 1 update.

By now you know who this guy is. Born without full legs and then had them amputated to the knee when he was 13-months-old. He has been a successful para-athlete and has now worked his way from the Paralympics to the Olympics.

There has been a lot of controversy on whether or not his carbon prostethics give him an added advantage over other competitiors. Some say he can't become injured as easily or tire out as quickly. But I think that he can still get injured and doctors say that the spring in his prostetics don't give any more of a bounce than the ligaments we able-bodied people have in our legs. My point is that if it did give him or other amputees and advantage, why wouldn't they all be qualifying for the Olympics?

Either way you want to look at it, it's incredible to look at what obsitcales he has put behind him and what he has accomplished. The spirit and fight that someone like him has just amazes me.

I think it was very powerful and moving to watch him compete in the 400m. I will never forget it. But what I certainly will never forget was Kirani James, the Grenadian and eventual winner of the 400m, asking to trade bibs with Pistorius after the race. James is someone that has overcome a lot and is an inspiration in his own right. Not only won the first ever Olympic medal for Grenada, but he won it in gold. Yet it was James who was inspired by Pistorius and wanted something to remember that ground-breaking moment. I cry just thinking about it.

Here is Pistorius on the Today show talking about that race and what happened with James afterwards. THIS is why I love the Olympics.

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Google doodle.

Anyone else been playing the daily Olympic game on the Google Doodle? I have for the past few days and some of them are hard!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, just go to the Google homepage and play the game above the search box. Today was canoe and it is definitely challenging. My favorite has been the hurdles. My best time is 13.1 seconds.

If you want to find a way to waste some time, I recommend giving it a look every day.

What to watch for - Day 14.

Lots of great finishes by the Americans last night and there a lot of important medals up for grabs today.

Usain “Lightning” Bolt returns to the track tonight to defend Olympic title No. 2 in the 200m. He crushed everyone in 2008 and almost walked across the finish line in the semifinals last night. Another story of “redemption” makes an appearance in this race in Team USA’s Wallace Spearmon, Jr. He thought he had finished third in Beijing and was in the middle of his victory lap when he was told he had been disqualified for a lane violation. Yohan Blake is also in the mix in this race (of course). The real question is probably how much Bolt will best the rest of the field by?

In the men’s 800m, Kenya’s David Rudisha is the favorite to win the gold as the reigning world champion and world record holder. Ethopia’s Mohamed Aman has provided some challenges for Rudisha in the past, as has the Sudan’s Abubaker Kaki. The Americans have two runners in the final in Duane Solomon and Nick Symmonds.

On the field, the men’s triple jump will be contested and it has been 20 years since the U.S. has claimed two medals in this event. Team USA’s Christian Taylor and Will Claye are the two favorites heading into the final. Taylor is the reigning world outdoor champion and Claye the 2011 world indoor champion.

The final events of the decathlon will happen today to determine the “best male athlete in the world.” American Bryan Clay won the event in Beijing and there is a pretty good chance the U.S. could go one-two this time around. World record holder Ashton Eaton leads Trey Hardee by 99 points with three events to go (pole vault, javelin and 1500m), while the athlete in third place is 199 points behind Hardee.

The Olympics have been dubbed the “girls’ games” and today marks three big games/matches for U.S. women’s teams. Prior to primetime, the U.S. women’s soccer team looks to win its third straight gold and defeat world champion Japan in a rematch of last year’s World Cup final. The USA ended up losing in PKs in a very close match a year ago.

The U.S. women’s basketball team is currently on a 39-game winning streak and looks to defeat Australia to make it into the championship game for their fifth straight gold medal.

In the pool, the U.S. women’s water polo team looks to better its silver in Beijing with a gold in London. The Americans will take on Spain in the final this afternoon.