17 August 2008 :Without the fans, Olympic athletes would just be performing for rows of stadium seats. So needless to say, the spectators are a big part of the Summer Games. Fans come from around the world to watch their home team go for the gold.
And when they’re not cheering in the crowd, you can find them walking around the Olympic Green. We met Flavia Fonseca and her friend Mardonildo Olimpio Fo from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and asked her a few questions about herself.
What event did you see today?
Artistic gymnastics for the women’s team final. We saw Brazil play: very bad, but it was important because it was the first time Brazil’s team was in the final for artistic gymnastics. Afterwards we lunched in McDonald’s, took some photos in front of the Water Cube and Bird’s Nest, and then went down to the Kodak Zone and Coca-Cola and all the partners before stopping in the official shop of the Olympics.
What brought you to Beijing?
The major reason was the Olympics. If it were not for the Games we would never have had a reason to come here. But we are very impressed about the people’s behaviour in Beijing. They are totally friendly and open to help. Every time we asked for some information in the street it was a pleasurable experience; and not just the volunteers, but also the citizens.
Why do you think the Olympics are so important?
I think the Olympics are such a big deal because of the unity of the countries. I think sport means everything that’s good. When you win, you learn something and when you lose, you also learn a lot of things. The power of sport is something you cannot measure.
How much longer are you in Beijing for?
Tomorrow we leave for Japan for a week. We’re just finishing one week here, where we had five days of sporting events and two days of sightseeing. It was perfect.