14 DAY TRIAL // The athletes who are attending this year's summer Olympic Games in Beijing are the first people to be allowed to write about their experiences while competing. The Olympic Games in China are a premiere, as the International Olympic Committee agreed to give the athletes the possibility to post on their dedicated blogs the most interesting aspects about the competition.
Lenovo, a company whose implication in the Olympic business dates from the 2006 Torino Winter Games, will provide the athletes laptops and video cameras, to make their work a little easier. In order to give credit to the company that offers the gadgets, all the athletes (whose number exceeds 100) from 25 country, competing for the first place in 26 sports, tallied with their notes being put on the especially designed webpage of the company.
"The humidity is really something here, you are dripping of sweat in a few minutes, got to watch for our hydration. I guess I should not be complaining at all about humidity, being from Delhi, India," wrote one of the Indian contestants in shooting. As we can see, until the actual games begin, athletes have the opportunity to share the Beijing experience with the world.
Another circumstantial blogger, the American Margaux Isaksen, underscored the high spirits her blog brings to her, as people show their interest in what she is doing by sending heartening comments. "I enjoy the encouragement and excitement I feel coming from others. To think that my sport inspires interest and produces feedback from fans of Modern Pentathlon makes me feel great," she said.
If, for the moment, the sole utility of the blogs is the possibility to get to know the athletes better, 11 days from now, we will start receiving fresh news on the Olympics from the competitors' point of view.