Cycling, gymnastics (both genders, though 'rhythmic' is total bollocks), tennis, baseball (if I can find it), swimming (though not the heats), diving, some of the athletics especially the mens 100m and 110 hurdles, table tennis, caber tossing and water divining.

Not bothered about the football. The rowing is ok. And if they can have snowboarding in the winter version, why is there no skateboarding? Not that I would watch it anyway, just curious.

*edit and after a quick shufti at the TV/online listings, the BBC in their infinite fucking wisdom, are only showing the baseball from the semis onwards.

The opening 20 minutes of the ceremony were fantastic, the rest so far has been dull, but apparently worthy.

and some Dundee pipe band is playing 'Scotland the Brave' as part of the ceremony.

Teams now arriving, in Chinese alphabetical order:

Guinea
Guinea-Bisseau
Turkey
Yemen
Maldives

This won't do, bring back the days when you knew you didn't have to look up from your book until Ghana came in, and the Brits were on the way.

teerex wrote:

QUOTE:
Teams now arriving, in Chinese alphabetical order:

Guinea
Guinea-Bisseau
Turkey
Yemen
Maldives

This won't do, bring back the days when you knew you didn't have to look up from your book until Ghana came in, and the Brits were on the way.

The hot Jordanian table tennis player who was their flag bearer was a total babe.

What country preceded Anglola just now with what looked like a Sumo wrestler bearing the flag?

Guam I think

I wouldn't mind seeing this part because of the US selection of flag bearer.

The full order of march and list of flagbearers.

Interestingly, no country have chosen a footballer (of either gender) to carry their flag. It may be the only such sport in the whole thing.

But a big reason for that must be that the football's already in progress.

But no one is playing today, and all of the matches over the last two days were either in Beijing or close enough that someone could get there easily. I bet that there are footballers marching.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think it reflects the belief of many IOC types that football isn't a "proper" Olympic sport.

I've heard it all now. The commentator we're having on here, possibly British, intoned: "There has been much criticism of China's human rights records in recent months, but you can't help being impressed with what we've seen tonight etc". I'd have loved to hear that clown commentating on the opening ceremony of the 1936 Olympics.

Oh God. How the fuck is London supposed to come anywhere near that in 2012?

By keeping it simple I think, which is probably just as well, as the money will have run out by then.

My word, the Chinese know their way around a firework.

I think it'd be fair to say that the opening ceremony was pretty spectacular.

It's taking a while for the smoke to clear after the opening ceremony fireworks