RIO DE JANEIRO -- These hardly could be called the Surprise Olympics.
I mean, sure, the Australian basketball team took the NBA guys deep into the fourth quarter, but Carmelo Anthony and the Americans prevailed. Everywhere you look, the overdogs are overwhelming the underdogs, whether it's more magic from Michael Phelps, the elegant dominance of Simone Biles, or China meeting China in table tennis.
(Seriously, do they even let other countries in that thing?)
In the broader scene, too, I've seen almost nothing that surprises me. The venues are somewhat secure, somewhat full and only really enthusiastic when Brazilians are competing. The surroundings are somewhat developed, somewhat safe and only really striking in the many areas of abject poverty.
But this, man, now this has been a surprise ...
https://vimeo.com/178549480
That's downtown Rio, or the center, as they call it. And you'd be able to mistake it for pretty much any downtown in North America or Europe, as I hope is illustrated by that video I shot for you today. There are well maintained historical structures, gleaming new skyscrapers, well maintained roads, tree-lined sidewalks, outdoor cafes, performances, vendors, people everywhere and barely a problem in sight.
Now, this isn't particularly close to the actual Olympic Park, which is 18 miles southwest in the Barra district, so I'm guessing NBC isn't showing much from here. But when Rio is just Rio, rather than host to the Games, this is where it happens.
And no, I absolutely did not see this coming. The image in my head -- and yeah, I'm guilty of doing very little advance work on this -- was of a more traditional Western European-type cityscape with smaller, older buildings and an old infrastructure. That's not what this is at all.
GLOBAL HEADLINE
Sorry, Simone, but there's only one Michael.
Phelps' resounding triumph in the 200-meter individual medley late Thursday night brought the usual avalanche of achievements, not least of which was that he became the first Olympian to win four consecutive golds in the same event, the first to win at least three golds in four consecutive Games, the first to 15 individual golds in breaking a tie with Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina and ... we could do this all day.
He's got at least two more races, including the men's 100-meter butterfly Friday night at 9:12 p.m., so the coronation continues.
THE LOCALS
Ginny Thrasher, the West Virginia sophomore won these Games' first gold in the 10-meter air rifle, couldn't come close in her only other Olympic event Thursday morning, failing to escape the preliminary heat of the three-position event.
That's her strong suit, too, but she finished 11th of 12.
“It was a difficult match," Thrasher said. "There were some tough conditions out there with the wind when standing. I’m a little disappointed not to make the final but, in the end, I shot the best I could. It’s been a great week, but I’m excited to come back and try again.”
She's expected back in Morgantown this weekend, then it's back to the classroom.
In the pool, Leah Smith of Mt. Lebanon qualified for the 800-meter freestyle in swimming Thursday, finishing fourth in her heat and fourth among all entries at 8:21.43 in the event that’s expected to be her last of these Olympics. The buzzer goes on the final at 9:20 p.m., right after Phelps in the fly.
LET'S GET PERSONAL
The print industry is dying in the U.S., but not so in other parts of the world, certainly not in Brazil, where a newsstand -- remember those? -- can be found every 50 meters or so through town.
They even sell Portuguese-language editions of 'Green Lantern,' I'm delighted to say:
MORE OLYMPICS
• LOCAL • MEDALS • SCHEDULE/RESULTS
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Column: Phelps vs. Bolt
Column: Leah should look ahead
Column: Ginny's golden bull's-eye
Column: A stark, spectacular start