![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9hIaRvRjwaiNZAwrHjmxsQl5OVOiV3kexIVjKvO1A3b3TyGeDrrkiBzIYRHfb1fLuNgSDeiX0GaEy1bktgG94q8Cxw1H1om5m30VsFa5xIT9Yva3fpZwEUciYwEOgvBSTVRLWuA5fRFF/s400/SGALGG_1.jpg)
What I love, among many things, about the Olympics is the sheer, unfiltered joy on the faces of the women as they reach their goals. It may be a gold medal. It may be a personal best. It may just be having made it to the grandest stage of her sport. But in that moment of supreme accomplishment, she has a beauty that transcends simple victory. This is not about bragging. This is about happiness. Of course, I also love that in their jubilant moments of triumph these women tend to look super, duper gay.
Kerri Walsh & Misty May-Treanor , USA, beach volleyball![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7z8VrzGsyBiV8tr9Lia40DMtMsOpX8MuFkU425QMEMp8033uVbZzSL3AHYFxmxGV5wXOuq_cZBseCwkAvIzd2zUlgQboPMSRb8gAdaDQqf7AOJYQY_zPioems5OywOSYCwG8fihtnpzwk/s400/SGALGG_2.jpg)
Great sport or greatest sport ever?
Tamsin Barnett & Natalie Cook, Australia, beach volleyball![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQk_AjPqpRpuVBTmGMZ730uKBpZL6Z_A-czzfhVuJCF7CIMDU_MZf9p3G5ksoulRIX32mK5kFT0U1WknFiqGD4lxkDbCGxLd_n-SlXphCpgWY_m76WMURrmh2504TTVPmA9giEjIGEDDl/s400/SGALGG_3.jpg)
Closer, closer, closer...
Luiza Almeida & friend, Brazil, dressage![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqAGViA4wQsv8DYSvl503cYqyNDgDZw5oEHxsrdJWRqt9NrknrJPwQXBB8Evv8h_yNHhbELxxBp6icQEREDHuVNKKsrjnkbEDCPsgRrHwTytPz1r_dRHPm_30oT_2Y31B752gkltwhcR3/s400/SGALGG_4.jpg)
She is 16, so behave.
Keri-Anne Payne & Cassandra Patten, Great Britain, women's marathon swimming![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqNcMT3bWYVvZ1skofa540UCSOSErvzS-mbBmfcQjuasOPSBqwp2OUkVvbFcGGGLOC8cJospRU7UaaNMB7DMWGDVtfpSy5SPVog49yeAPe3RaanGOhGyV71MCY56dGptzukW5p9EaMGCr/s400/SGALGG_5.jpg)
All that swimming deserves a kiss.
Hanna Thompson & Emily Cross, USA, fencing![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-v2BB87qin_c9QhZAvm7gvqEiMqnUyE2qXE8mOylm4mu60oJyGfGtlzHigWwrVP1Pg3Bbfl1hD6_MWJK4IDUopW0nZ6aJjyvOPytChM__ALagcI6XpeNfO7eFBsQy6BJbYW26tdldhuL/s400/SGALGG_6.jpg)
Parry, parry, thrust
Women's Eight, USA, rowing![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPe6qYXm-1tfnBIuaD_bXRrzAIwxQuz48hzbMsqPENb3arNxGRuLZ1h96Ss6ukHrotWQThOLEMrZtzyscZ_9t8jZDaFgm-A-eBceft5Pblvj2JHQSlcDvHjdTT37j1iOr3p8nCJQ7fG0JN/s400/SGALGG_7.jpg)
Oh, to be the ninth.
Nicole Hudson & Sarah Young, Australia, field hockey![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7RBZVzJWTrFY0MD795RdinT9vALnfgQrrWoJWVtpDEa1EwVo4KAgtTEuT25tcFrdNF0vv-a0DpxnjPSa6sQgN-F5YK_yejC82cq0kd4KIMzmp95IqUQSLwpawAef_OijjcAFx26Y5FFB/s400/SGALGG_8.jpg)
Sticks, tattoos, muscles, dresses...where was I?
Rebecca Adlington & Cassandra Patten, Great Britain, swimming![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm82z_rgKN1FeXTQHvrgir85rbxflZaZ2ihi8Ppr4KTqYWEMQJO80U8SvX6tg8wztknam-nX0EMYNLfmxWhWYqKyVm7IqaOmpXBpK4qUyLKwShFD5LwtHkuApFjiso_vgow5LFs0JNtCIa/s400/SGALGG_9.jpg)
Public pool, private moment.
Xue Chen & Zhang Xi, China, beach volleyball![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzO3GNdPrePv3Bdj1t6DGB4xidblBXOuCMAwz_T6EjBYuCwws6cjjA_NF8j6bBi0ZPSTn_-TLGtwlR_QgPoIN57KzjSszVleYb0MO4KGtJn-sFbnz5ACqUDqip1kLh8CsBq7qMKh63M9BL/s400/SGALGG_10.jpg)
Hands, hands!
Li Jia Wei & Feng Tianwei, Singapore, table tennis![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjot73xVrmjBiMBiEVHCkalfE5NSuIWbVO-MG3paSsDBHKBe5K8R0KDgsPmrJtXg-QKPm0BMweRJt4xdQe6HNF6NkXreCfMt4ONFCarBMr6YPzSNuRQqa3zm-DbsXJW_si0hzGUQr9aeTlU/s400/SGALGG_11.jpg)
I watched table tennis all last night. It. Was. Awesome.
Anastasia Davydova & Anastasia Ermakova, Russia, synchronized swimming![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiZ2-IPO7uP3PySY4tP4MpnTPo_Fllkp1jEnGg3L-dYEIQuj5gpNIy7b1OToM1jSxXRyhzb_tcD60tsj6Iltb5tqO6AwWNpII3S7UeTx3zG5Js0nzGsnGz_H5YizF3uC214Cg-geFOZkx/s400/SGALGG_12.jpg)
Clearly too much eyeshadow to actually be gay, and yet...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpMk-P00o9LicdnKzH0T-6owPL5gqlWI04UIYqq3HRf2MO4fuae0VwzoRQ8g8MFzFwVn-RQIxkr6ZSBjv3kApKbsBfrbS6JmJtKPiTOEXdjbX44dxUERqV_yjjWtwQN5NBUvQampWVhq1/s400/SGALGG_13.jpg)
...this is how they celebrated their 2004 gold medal in Athens.
Dara Torres, USA, hottie![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBi3hv2RmF22Uv7MsqDj7mVOk11-5qXmbH-h3UDbxHmXoJ-Jp9zVvf5g1jTISPWMhlUtrWtiVOaMsRTtRVxq7gvA5Ny5YPtmZPUC-kQ5qV4xexrbRH7Ky19mWE6TQAUadMB8XFjgXy300/s400/SGALGG_14.jpg)
This one is for the ladies of Shakesville, you know who you are. Sorry I couldn't bring along Tina, too. Sadly, they still haven't officially recognized “awesome” as an Olympic sport. Bastards.