The alpha and beta of the Olympics

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">A for Acropolis</span>: The Olympics'' favourite photo-prop. We saw pictures of Carl Lewis at the Acropolis, Naomi Campbell at the Acropolis, blimp over the Acropolis, Acropolis at sunset, Acropolis brushing its teeth. Given the premium publicity, the Blairs were left wishing they were the Acro.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">B for Bakwaas</span>: Which came in plenty from Indian administrators. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">C for China</span>: These guys steamed or stir-fried their opposition, then gobbled it up to finish second behind the US. Watch out Bald Eagles, the Dragon snaps at your wing. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">D for doping</span>: The influence of The Syringes, the bad-ass band in Gamesville, continues to grow. Athens 2004 opened with a drugs controversy (Kenteris and Thanou) and saw more along the way. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">E for endorsements</span>: The real Olympic motto is faster, richer, stronger. So sponsors have to protect their endorsements. That means, you have only the official burger and use only the official digesting methods afterwards. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">F for Freak Moments</span>: A serial intruder, Cornelius Horan, grabbed then marathon leader Vanderlei de Lima of Brazil while judges'' errors saw the men''s allround gymnastics gold around Paul Hamm''s neck instead of Yang Tae-young''s. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">G for George... Anju George</span>: The long-jumper, India''s first track and field superstar since P.T. Usha, may not have won a medal but remains a barrier leaper. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">H for Hicham el Guerrouj</span>: Boyish with a toothy grin, El Guerrouj could pass off as a salesman in an attar shop in homeland Morocco. But the middle-distance star prefers the scent of victory and won a historic 1500m and 5000m double in Athens. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section3"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">I for Isinbayeva... Yelena Isinbayeva</span>: The lady stole the gold in the vault, and the hearts in the stadium. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">J for Justin Gatlin</span>: Typically for a man ‘lazy around the house'', the Brooklyn Bomber took time to get off the blocks in the 100m final. But the 22-year-old saved the best thrust for last and won what is rated the best 100m Olympic final ever. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">K for Carolina Kluft</span>: If Kluft made toothpaste, it would guarantee fresh breath. Unadulterated by disenchantment, the 21-year-old heptathlon gold medallist was the happy, wholesome, successful face of the Games. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">L for Long jump</span>: Want to courier something? Just it send it with the Russian long jumpers. They travel far and quick. Tatyana Lebedeva, Irina Simagina and Tatyana Kotova cleaned up the top three spots in the long jump final with whopping 7 metre-plus jumps. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section4"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">M for Malleswari</span>: Hey Lifter Lady, thanks for giving the Games its most curious moment. You came on the floor, raised that metal beast a bit, grunted and left. Just like that. Not a problem. These were only the Olympic Games, why Malles-worry? <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">N for Names</span>: Miao Miao, a table tennis player from Australia, was just one of the memorable names across scoreboards during the Games. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">O for Olive-branch crowns</span>: A nice touch that. A tradition dating back years and one as old as Merlene Ottey. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">P for Phelps</span>: The hero of Athens. The six feet four inch Phelps'' phenomenal wingspan swathed through water and won him six golds, as many as Argentina, Chile, Kazakhstan and Kenya combined. Off the field, he was like any other 19-year-old, except that under the goofy-grin was the trauma of being part of a troubled family. The guy, by the way, could pass off as John Kerry''s son. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section5"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Q for quartet</span>: The 4X400m foursome of Rajinder Kaur, K Beenamol, Chitra Soman and Manjit Kaur, which reached the final, was one of India''s better performances in Athens. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">R for Rathore</span>: Aim bole to... Major Saab. The quintessential army man — ramrod straight posture, measured tone, disciplined moustache — was India''s top gun with a silver in shooting. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">S for security</span>: With the world hostile, millions were spent on safety measures. Athena and Phevos, the mascots, wore bullet-proof vests and the main stadium was always surrounded by bodyguard stadiums. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">T for Taranenko</span>: The Belarussian coach reportedly responsible for the positive dope tests of lifters Sanamacha Chanu and Pratima Devi. <br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section6"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">U for US basketball</span>: Once a Dream Team, the Americans were more like a Bad Dream Team this time around, managing only a bronze. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">V for Volleyball, Beach volleyball</span>: Thanks to the event, spectators did not miss Baywatch. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">W for wrestlers</span>: These guys have a streak of matness. Murad Gaidarov and Bouvaissa Saitiev are cases in point. They continued to fight even after their bout had ended. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">X for Xiang</span>: Ferrari may want to adopt Liu Xiang, who won the 110m hurdles gold in a display of power-sprinting not seen before from an Asian. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Y for Yuliya Nesterenko</span>: Nesterenko or Fasterenko? That was what everyone wanted to know after the Belarussian''s surprising triumph in the 100m. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">ZZZZZZ</span>: What the judges were doing when they awarded Paul Hamm the gold instead of Yang Tae-young in the allround gymnastics event. </div> </div>