American Chinese LIANG Chaw, coach of the US women's gymnastics team, said he felt welcomed in his home city Beijing while leading the US side competing in the Olympic Games. Repeatedly questioned whether he felt strange as a Chinese guiding the American team to compete against China, Chaw told a press conference that he "never felt that way." "I feel very comfortable coming back to my home city. I feel like I'm warmly welcomed to come back," he said. "Representing the US, and as the head coach of the women's team, I feel honoured." "I feel great about the accomplishment for the athletes and for me. It's been 14 years I haven't been here. It's definitely a great honour to come back as the head coach of the US women's team. I'm really excited," added Chaw, who is also the personal coach to new beam Olympic champion Shawn Johnson. The American women were deemed as biggest opponents to the hosts, who were looking to a medal haul to erase memories of their Athens failure. While the Chinese women were crowned team's event and uneven bars, the Americans harvested eight medals including two golds thanks to Nastia Liukin and Johnson, who also struck two silvers in all-around and floor. Ronaldinho disappoints SOCCER fans were excited by the inclusion of the veteran superstar Ronaldinho on the Brazilian men�s team, which, per Olympic rules, is mostly under 23. Once considered the best player in the world, Ronaldinho showed just how out of shape he is and looked a shell of his former self in a sad vision of how far and fast he has fallen. Biggest choke job AMERICAN shooter Matthew Emmons was one shot away from a gold medal. He badly missed and plummeted to fourth in the 50-metre three positions. Four years earlier, in exactly the same position, he shot at the wrong target. However, he stuck around and answered endless questions from the media. Worst trash talker JENNIFER Stuczynski, a US pole vaulter, entered the Olympics saying she was "going to kick some Russian [butt]." But Russian Elena Isinbaeva wound up breaking her own world record and winning the gold. Isinbaeva commented: "She is talking too much." Greatest inspiration AFTER winning the gold in super heavyweight, Matthias Stein, a German weightlifter wept, then held up a picture of his wife, Susann. Susann died in a car accident in July 2007. Most expensive souvenir A CHINA-based online store called People Yuan is selling Michael Phelps's autograph for 12,000 yuan (about $1,750). Statistics CHINA won the most gold medals at the Beijing Games with 51. They become the first country to crack the 50-gold mark since the Soviet Union in 1988. The most golds ever won in a single Olympics is 83 (United States, the boycotted 1984 Los Angeles Olympics). - It's the first time since 1936 that a country other than the United States or the Soviet Union has led the medal count. - China won more golds in Beijing (51) than they did total medals in Atlanta (50). - 'Project 119' was a Chinese initiative designed toward winning golds in the medal-rich sports of swimming, track, rowing, kayaking and sailing. Reports are already crediting Project 119 with China's dominance in the gold medal count, but Chinese athletes won just four golds in those sports. Their total was instead augmented by even better performances in Chinese-dominated events like diving, gymnastics and table tennis. - The United States won the same amount of golds (36) that they did in Athens. - Greece won 16 medals as the host country in 2004. Four years later, the founders of the Olympics managed just four -- their lowest total since 1992. - African countries won a total of 40 medals, the highest total in history for the continent. - Six countries won their first ever Olympic medals: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Mauritius, Sudan, Tajikistan and Togo. - Great Britain won 47 medals, the most in their history and a 17-medal increase from Athens. Expect an even higher total in 2012, when the Games will be held in London for the first time in 68 years. The last time Great Britain competed in a Summer Olympics on its home turf, they earned a disappointing three golds. - Iceland was the least populous country to win an Olympic medal. - Pakistan was the most populous country not to win an Olympic medal (164 million residents, sixth largest nation in the world). - Michael Phelps would have finished tied for 9th in the gold medal count, ahead of countries including France, Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Switzerland, Brazil and Mexico. - The rest of the world won seven golds in men's swimming events. Phelps, of course, won eight. - More proof that boxing is dead in the United States: the country earned just one medal (a bronze) in the 12 boxing events. Even after three straight disappointing boxing performances at the Summer Games, the US has still won the most Olympic boxing medals (109) in history. - China won 8 out of 12 possible medals in table tennis and 7 of 8 possible golds in diving. - Great Britain won 7 of 10 golds in track cycling and won 12 medals overall. The rest of the world earned 18 medals in the sport. - National gold-medal sweeps: Basketball (USA), Beach Volleyball (USA), Rhythmic Gymnastics (RUS), Synchronized Swimming (RUS), Table Tennis (CHN) and Trampoline (CHN). - Sweden had the best medal tally (4 silver, 1 bronze) without winning a gold. - Armenia won six bronze medals, but no gold or silver ones. - Speaking of former Soviet states, members of the former Soviet Union won a total of 173 medals in Beijing. - In 1992, Cuba finished 5th in the gold medal count. In 2008, the nation finished 28th. - From 1980 to 2008, Jamaica won three Olympic golds. In a span of six days in Beijing, Usain Bolt won three. - Sweden was a fixture in the top-three of the overall medal count for the early part of the 20th century. In Beijing, the Scandinavian country finished 38th and was shut-out in golds for just the second time in history. - Panama and Mongolia won the first gold medals in their respective histories. - In all, 958 medals were handed out to athletes from 87 countries, the most medals and medal recipients in Olympic history.
