We went out into Olympic Park and went to see tennis. We had no idea who was competing so we were glad to see that Andy Murray was playing on center court vs Fabio Fognini. It was the first tennis match I have seen live, so it was really fun to see. These guys such fantastic players! We were bad luck for Andy because he lost every game while we were there but came back to win the match.
After tennis we moved on to see the women's all around gymnastics final. It was something that I normally wouldn't go to but the gymnasts from Team USA are so dominant that we really wanted to see it. They did not disappoint as they Simone Biles and Aly Raisman took the Gold and Silver. The talent that these athletes have is just outstanding and to watch them perform these moves on the apparatus is really impressive.
Following the gymnastics, we went to the velodrome and saw the team pursuit qualifications and sprint final. We were unsure of what the rules are but the crowd told us with their cheering that we were seeing something good. The high bank turns of the track make you wonder how they don't fall over. They are moving so quickly and move very gracefully on the wooden surface. It was very cool for us to experience it. By the way, the Brits and Kiwi's dominated.
The Olympic park is full of crowds and it was great to see the enthusiasm people had for their country's athletes. There is a lot of Brazilian pride but one of the most vocal groups are from Argentina. We walked past a huge group that we cheering just getting to the venue to see them compete on the basketball court. The Brazilians weren't too excited about it and were chanting a response. It was fun to see the passion of the crowds.
To top off the evening we headed to the swimming venue. We work on swimming events all year and really enjoy the sport. We wanted to see the final Michael Phelps/Ryan Lochte 200 IM race ever. We were not disappointed! Phelps made it look so easy in a comfortable margin of victory while Lochte faded to fifth. Just seeing the emotion on Phelps' face during the medal ceremony told us that he achieved his goal of winning that event for the fourth straight Olympics. Of course it wasn't the only exciting race of the night but it was the one that everyone wanted to witness. Simone Manuel winning the 100 free was another fantastic story. She is the first African American woman to win and individual medal! What an accomplishment.
I would say yesterday was my top sporting event day of my life. Such wonderful events and storylines that developed into championship moments. Thanks for the day off, Johnny and Carol!