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Photo: Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated
Photo: Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated
SPOILER ALERT
***Today’s post features photos and editorial copy of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Closing Ceremonies***
SPOILER ALERT
Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters
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Photo: EPA/Nick Bothma
Photo: EPA/Nick Bothma
AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan
Hello-Hello! We hope everyone is enjoying themselves this day, where here in the Great Midwest the beastly humidity has left us after providing a welcome downpour for the gardens and grounds. With the Olympic Closing Ceremonies over and done (not counting tonight’s taped broadcast on NBC) we thought it might be a good time to do a few updates.
But first, a few more of the spectacular images from the Closing Ceremonies of the Beijing Summer Games.
Aren’t they just fabulous? The photos actually make us want to watch even more than originally planned this evening. There may be no spontaneity in these ceremonies as produced by the Chinese, but we have also previously noted they do pageantry on a grand scale, resulting in remarkable spectaculars that leave one breathless.
It seems Team USA’s Official Polo Ralph Lauren Closing Ceremony Parade uniforms worked out just fine, a great look for the athletes and officials. We share a few photos of them below.
Photo: A Tielemans/Sports Illustrated
Photo: A Tielemans/Sports Illustrated
Of course if you are looking for your own piece of the Olympic Polo pony, here are a few of the items waiting for you at the Polo Ralph Lauren website, starting with the Men’s Closing Ceremony Sneaker, described by the company as “classic canvas sneakers in white with red and blue lateral stripes.”
PRL Men's Closing Ceremony Sneaker
As the company wrote in their news release about the uniforms:
“Reflecting Ralph Lauren’s trademark sporty sophistication and refined sensibility, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Closing Ceremony outfits feature timeless Polo knits tipped in bright red and royal blue piping and chino Bermudas in crisp white, all adorned with the iconic Polo pony and the 2008 U.S. Look of the Team logo.”
Now if you are looking for one of the shirts, here is a sample, the Ladies’ Olympic Closing Ceremony Polo.
Perhaps you prefer a look at the entire Ladies Olympic Games Collection, with a little time to peruse things at your own pace. Of course, there are identical items for your future Olympians, like a pair of the Olympic Games Shorts for Sizes 2T to Boys 7.
With the seasons changing, snuggly clothing can suddenly become appealing, like the Olympic Games Fleece Hoodie in Girls Sizes S-XL.
Overall a very nice presentation for Team USA by the Polo Ralph Lauren folks, classic and elegant with a timeless ease that is tough to replicate. The Princess thinks it was a smash hit almost across the board, with the exception of the Logo from H***, but we’ll actually behave ourselves this evening and leave it at that. (We know, you are stunned and amazed…it’s fun being a good Princess once in a while!)
A short paragraph in one of the NYTimes online stories wrapping up the Beijing Summer Games grabbed our attention, enough to make us stop, pause, re-read, pause again and reflect for a moment before going back to the rest of David Barboza’s story .
“India, a country of one billion, won its first gold medal. And Togo, a West African nation of 6 million people, won its very first Olympic medal, a bronze in the kayak.”
That made us think for a few minutes; we like this, especially when it nudges us to perhaps contemplate re-adjusting our perspective on the world just a bit.
We’ll close with a few more photos, including Team USA Basketball and their Gold Medal moment.
Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
AP/Charlie Riedel
Kobe Bryant gets a kiss from his daughter Gianna Maria-Onore as his wife Vanessa watches.
Photo: AP/Dusan Vranic
Photo: AP/Eric Gay
Rehearsals for the Closing Ceremony…
Photo: REUTERS/Donald Chan
Photo: AP/Oded Balilty
Below we see soccer great David Beckham, singer Leona Lewis and guitarist Jimmy Page (you remember…Led Zeppelin) posing before they take part in the Closing Ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Clive Rose/Getty Images for London 2012
Yao Ming walks toward the stadium to attend the Closing Ceremony.
Photo: REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
Photo: REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
Photo: REUTERS/Ruben Sprich
Photo: Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated
Photo: Bill Frakes/Sports Illustrated
Simultaneous to the ceremonies in Beijing, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps greets a crowd of 40,000 at a party in London; people are watching those same closing ceremonies on a massive screen erected outside Buckingham Palace. The party celebrates London’s role as host city for the 2012 Games.
Photo: AP/Akira Suemori-Pool
Below, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai among the heads of state attending the ceremonies, followed by Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf (R) and Queen Silvia.
Photo: REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
Photo: REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
There were any number of images from the Ceremonies….
Photo: AP/David Guttenfelder
Guitarist Jimmy Page, front, soccer star David Beckham, back left, and British pop singer Leona Lew.
AP Photo/Matt Dunham
Photo: Getty Images
Phil Walter/Getty Images
Paul Gilham/Getty Images
Julian Finney/Getty
REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Al Tielemans/SI
Team Canada’s group is in a celebratory mood in their ahhhh…vivid uniforms.
Below, Belgian athletes with some of the performers and volunteers at the Closing Ceremony.
REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Team Canada is still in a party mood!
AP/Luca Bruno
The Polish team is clearly having a good time….
REUTERS/Issei Kato
AP Photo/Kevin Frayer
Above we see USA’s Andra Manson (holding the flag) and Canada’s Karina LeBlanc. Below Yao appears wistful…
AP/Luca Bruno
AP/Luca Bruno
AP Photo/Luca Bruno
- AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty
AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty
AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan
REUTERS/Dylan Martinezpreppy clothing, preppy clothes
The Preppy Princess 