The Beijing Olympics will be remembered for many reasons, not all of them good. But the spectacle of sport and accomplishment stand out above the controversy and failure.

The two most dominating performances of the Games came in the pool and on the track. Michael Phelps broke 4 world records, and was part of relay teams that broke three more, on his way to an unprecedented 8 gold medals in the Olympics. Phelps was definitely the story of the Games until Usain Bolt broke both the 100-meter and 200-meter world records on the track. Many people thought that the 200-meter record, set by Michael Johnson, was unbreakable.

China’s gymnasts and divers dominated, giving the host country reason to celebrate. Barring a gold rush by the US in the last two days of competition, China will take home more gold medals than any other nation. The US is ahead in the total medal tally. With the men’s 10-meter platform diving finals, China has a chance to go 8-for-8 in diving. That is an unprecedented feat.

There were a few upsets, the most surprising being the Japanese win over the US in women’s softball. The dominant US couldn’t get it done and there will be no “next time” for them either since softball is out of the Games in 2012.

After disappointing silver in the team competition, the US women dominated in gymnastics thanks to Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin. Liukin won gold and Johnson silver in the all around. The US was on the podium for every medal ceremony except for the vault.

Beijing’s pollution came into play a couple of times, but was vastly improved from earlier in the year. Heavy rains brought relief from the smog and heat on multiple occasions.

Surprisingly, there were few doping controversies, with most medal winners able to stay out of trouble, at least for the time being.

Jamaica continued to dominate the sprints. The men’s 4×100-meter relay team, featuring Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt, broke the world record by 0.3 of a second (an eternity in sprinting) on their way to the gold. It is the third record and third gold for Bolt during the Games. The Jamaican women faired less well. They dropped the baton and failed to finish the women’s 4×100, which was won by Russia.

Brian Clay dominated the decathlon event, cruising to a gold medal and the title of world’s greatest athlete. Clay was favored coming into the Games after a strong performance earned him silver four years ago in Athens.

The US will have a couple more chances to gain relay gold and make up for the disappointment of the 4×100. Both the men and women are favored in the 4×400 meter relay, though a third place finish by American Sanya Richards in the 400 puts the women’s chances in doubt, slightly.

Cuba slammed the door shut on any US hopes for a gold in baseball. A 10-2 loss means that the US will play Japan for the bronze while a surprise South Korean squad will battle Cuba for the gold.

Rodgers and Dalhauseer cruised to an easy victory in men’s beach volleyball. That puts the US 2-for-2 in terms of gold medals on the beach. The indoor volleyball teams will also go for gold today.

Team USA’s men’s basketball squad has gone from being called “The Redeem Team” to the “Dream Team.” Many people expected a struggle for the US in this tournament, but so far they have come away with a series of easy, dominating wins like the 1992 team that dominated opponents. There is just one more battle, versus Spain, before they claim gold. It should be their toughest game to date, but thus far, their play has suggested nothing but victory.

Though Usain Bolt came away from the Olympics with 2 gold medals and two world records, he did not come away with the respect of IOC president Jacques Rogge. Rogge complained about Bolt’s antics and dancing after his wins, saying he showed a lack of sportsmanship.

LaShawn Merritt beat defending gold medalist Jeremy Wariner in the 400-meter sprint. It was the only success for the US on a night that saw both the men and women of the US 4×100 meter relay team drop their batons and fail to advance out of the early round heats.

The US women were successful on the sand where the team of Walsh and May-Treanor took gold as expected. The US women also scored a major win when they ousted Brazil 1-0 in the gold medal soccer match.

However, things did not go as well on the softball field where Japan upset the US and left the Americans shrugging their shoulders. The US also did not manage to turn their favored status into a gold medal in water polo. The Netherlands upset them 9-8 in a hard fought match with a last second goal.

Veronica Campbell-Brown capped Jamaica’s sprint domination with a win in the 200-meter women’s final. American Allyson Felix finished second earning silver, the same color medal that she took home in Athens.

There was no drama for Usain Bolt in the aftermath of his 200-meter win, save the criticism from Rogge. However, the silver and bronze changed hands twice. First, American Wallace Spearmon was disqualified for stepping on the lane line several times during the race. A closer look also exposed a similar set of mistakes by silver medalist Churandy Martina. That left fourth place finished Shawn Crawford with a silver to go with his 2004 gold and fifth place Walter Dix with his second bronze of the Games.

It seems like the Beijing Olympics are winding down. Most of the medals have been handed out and all but a few of the glamour events are in the books. But the Games still have some drama to offer.

The men’s basketball gold is still up for grabs. Though the US is heavily favored, they are not immune to upsets. Lithuania and Spain are also still in the hunt.

The men’s marathon and decathlon are still yet to be concluded. The marathon is traditionally the final event of the Olympics, with the medals being awarded at the closing ceremonies.

Argentina and Nigeria will play in the men’s gold medal soccer match at the Bird’s Nest. Argentina is heavily favored to repeat their 2004 medal winning performance, but Nigeria has looked quite good throughout the Olympic tournament.

A gold medalist will come from the baseball tournament. Cuba has looked dominant, but the US has struggled. This will be the final baseball gold handed out in the Olympics. It will not be an Olympic sport in 2012.

Bernard Lagat has one more chance at Olympic glory when he competes in the men’s 5,000 meters. He disappointed himself and the US by not even advancing out of the semifinal heat in the 1,500-meters, despite being heavily favored for gold.

The US has had a terrible boxing tournament. All but one of the US’s pugilists failed to advance to the medal round. The team complained about a faulty scoring system and favoritism, but these things did not stop Cuba, which sent 8 boxers into the medal rounds and is favored to take home 5 golds or more.

Volleyball and handball medals will also be awarded over the weekend. The drama for team sports is heightened because they have been playing for the entire length of the Olympics.

The fast-paced sport of Taekwondo is underway in Beijing with the first gold medals being awarded yesterday. China’s Wu Jingyu scored a victory in the women’s 49 KG weight class. Mexican Perez Guillermo grabbed gold in the men’s 58 KG weight class. Afghanistan won its first-ever Olympic medal when Rohullah Nikpai earned the bronze in the 58 KG men’s.

The US is two games away from the gold in men’s basketball. They cruised past Australia today but may have a harder time against the Greece-Argentina winner in the semifinals. Analysts, however, are comparing this squad to the 1992 Dream Team that dominated opponents on the way to the gold.

After winning both the men’s and women’s team events, South Korean archers have not been able to earn any individual gold. China’s Zhang Juanjuan beat Korean star Park Sun Hyun in the women’s final by a mere 1 point while Ukrainian Viktor Ruban ousted men’s stand-out Kyung Mo Park. Silver is still good, but it is a let down for South Korea, which has dominated the sport in the past.

China continues to cruise in the diving competition. Guo Jingjing earned gold in the 3-meter springboard competition while He Chong made it a double delight for China by capturing the men’s version of the event. China has now won all 6 golds up for grabs thus far in diving. Only the men’s and women’s platform competition remains.

The first ever BMX competition is underway at the Olympics. The fast and rough sport earned fans at the track, but there were some anxious moments. Kyle Bennett of the US fell and dislocated his shoulder in a semifinal heat. He will race in the final after gaining enough points to qualify. Medalists are expected to come from the US, Australia, and Latvia.

Usain Bolt has just broken the world record in the 200-meters. He topped Michael Johnson’s 1996 mark by .02 of a second.

After blowing the competition out of the Water Cube, the US has faltered at the Bird’s Nest. Next to swimming, track and field has yielded the most gold medals for US athletes. However, this year things got off to a rocky start. Walter Dix was able to earn a bronze in the men’s 100-meter dash, but despite three entrants in the women’s final, the US came away empty handed. 400-meter favorite Sanya Richards faded to third after she didn’t have enough left for the home stretch. In the 100-meter hurdles, favorite Lolo Jones of the US tripped over a hurdle and fell out of the medals. However, Dawn Harper saved that one for the US, turning what would have been a second place finish into a gold medal.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Bernard Lagat. The 2004 gold medalist in the 1,500 meters failed to even qualify for the final this time around. It appeared that Lagat was trying to save some energy for the next race, but, in doing so, he did not assure himself a place in the final.

The biggest US success was a 1-2-3 finish in the men’s 400-meter hurdles. Angelo Taylor took the top spot on the podium.

Things may get better for the US. The men’s and women’s 200-meters offer a chance to go up against the Jamaican team that dominated them in the 100-meters. Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt are set for a US 1-2 finish in the men’s 400-meters. The main question: who will be one and who will be two?

Bernard Lagat will get another chance at gold in the men’s 5,000-meters. Some people think that he was saving himself for the 5,000-meters when he failed to qualify for the 1,500 final.

And then there are the relays, with the US coming up against Jamaica and Great Britain.

There were a few surprises today at the Olympics.

Nigeria handled Belgium quite easily, advancing to the gold medal match in soccer with a 4-1 win. Brazil, primed to finally break their Olympic gold medal drought, once again ran into Argentina. The defending Olympic champs came out on top, sending Brazil home frustrated once again.

Shawn Johnson was finally able to overcome her Chinese competition and win gold on the balance beam. It was the first gold for the 16-year-old who was the most promising gymnast coming into the Games. Johnson also won silver three times, once in the team competition, once in the all-around, and once on the floor exercise.

The US’s best hope in the women’s 400-meters blamed her third place finish on a cramp that hit her leg in the final 100-meters of the race. Sanya Richards finished third, a disappointment since she was favored to win gold and was leading until the very end of the race.

Lolo Jones faltered in the women’s 100-meter hurdles. She tripped over the final hurdle and fell to seventh. Fellow US team member Dawn Harper took advantage of the trip and went on to win gold.

American David Zhuang, the only US player in the men’s table tennis draw, lost his opening round match in 7 sets to Nigeria’s Segun Toriola.

The US beach volleyball dream team of May-Treanor and Walsh is only one match away from defending their gold medal from 4 years ago. They cruised past Brazil and will play hometown favorites Tian Jia and Wang Jie in the final. The Americans will be huge favorites, but China will have the crowd on their side.

The heavyweights took to the weightlifting stage yesterday. Andrei Aramnau, a 20-year-old from Belarus broke the world record with a total sum of 423 kg (932.6 pounds) on his two lifts.

Athletes have pedaled through the roads of Beijing and on the track. Now the stage is set for the first-time Olympic event of BMX. Here is a recap of the cycling events that have already happened and a look at what’s ahead.

Samuel Sanchez of Spain opened the Games in style by winning a grueling men’s road race in intense heat. The race passed many of Beijing’s best landmarks, but most were shrouded in haze. The race also featured multiple grueling climbs.

The women’s road race was drenched by downpours. These heavy rains made for tough going and numerous crashes, but the cool and fresh air was a welcome change from the previous day’s heat. The UK’s Nicole Cooke managed to stay upright and lead a pack of three riders across the finish line.

Kristen Armstrong of the US managed to pull out a win in the women’s time trial while Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland earned a gold in the men’s time trial to go along with the bronze he earned in the road race.

A lackluster performance on the track meant that the American track cycling team will be remembered only for the controversy they caused when the arrived in Beijing wearing masks. They cited worries about pollution as the reason for the masks, but were roundly criticized for their actions. British cyclists dominated on the track, taking home 7 of the 10 golds available.

BMX makes its Olympic debut tomorrow. Like snowboarding at the Winter Games, the sport is populated by X-Games superstars. Mike Day, Kyle Bennett and Donny Robinson will make up the US men’s squad, while Jill Kintner is the lone female rider for the Americans. The inclusion of BMX and snowboarding makes one wonder how long it will be before skateboarding and rollerblading make the transition from X-Games to Olympic Games.

China was once again golden in gymnastics. Yang Wei did what he was expected to do in the men’s individual all around competition. He cruised to victory, performing routines so difficult that it would have taken a truly special performance to beat him. The Americans, Jonathan Horton and Alexander Artimev finished out of the medals. Japan’s up and coming star, nineteen-year-old Kohei Uchimura, took silver. Uchimura will be looking to dominate in London 2012 the way Yang dominated this year.

The women get their turn in the all around today.

The United States basketball team rolled over Greece, the team that beat them in the 2006 men’s basketball world championships.

James Blake and Rodger Federer battled on the courts at the Olympic Green. To many people’s surprise, Blake came out on top, ending Federer’s bid for his first gold medal. It was a major upset, with many fans, and perhaps Federer himself, looking past Blake to a final between Federer and Rafael Nadal. If Nadal advances to the final, he will take over Federer’s number one ranking.

After disappointment in the men’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay, Frenchman Alain Bernard earned some redemption with a gold medal in the individual 100-meter freestyle. The hulking Frenchman muscled his way to victory while American Jason Lezak, the man who overtook him on the final leg of the relay, was third.

The Australian women are carrying their country’s hopes during the Games. The men from Down Under have struggled in the pool. Stephanie Rice led the women’s 4×200 meter relay team to gold yesterday, smashing to world record in the process. The Chinese team, in the midst of their most impressive meet ever, earned the silver, while Natalie Coughlin and the US earned the bronze.

Kosuke Kitajima of Japan completed a sweep of breaststroke events, winning the 200 breaststroke but falling just short of breaking his own world record.

The swimming competition ended over the weekend. Michael Phelps earned a majority of the media’s attention by winning his 8th gold medal as part of the 4×100-meter medley relay. However, others were also successful. Natalie Coughlin won a medal in each of her six races, making for a career total of 11 Olympic medals. Cesar Cielo Filho won the first swimming gold medal for Brazil, touching the wall first in the 50-meter freestyle. Australian star Grant Hackett was trying for his third consecutive gold in the men’s 1500-meter freestyle. A surprising Tunisian swimmer, Ous Melloui, stole the gold with a dominating performance in the race.

Things kicked off with a bang on the track. Usain Bolt won the men’s 100-meter dash. The race was anticlimactic, with Tyson Gay not qualifying for the final and Asafa Powell finishing 5th. American Walter Dix claimed the bronze. The Jamaicans had a good women’s 100-meter race as well, finishing 1,2,3. 21-year-old Shelly-Ann Fraser crossed the line first. Though three Americans made it to the final, none made it to the podium.

The US fared better in the men’s 400-meter hurdles. Angelo Taylor led a sweep of the medals for the red-white-and-blue.

Russian Yelena Isinbayeva won the women’s pole vaulting gold, setting a world record of 5.05 meters in the process. Jenn Stuczynski of the US settled for silver, jumping 4.75 meters.

Gymnastics stars Shawn Johnson and Natsia Luikin both scored medals in the women’s events finals, but none were gold. Johnson finished second in the floor exercise. Luikin finished third and then barely missed gold on the parallel bars. Alicia Sacramone tried for a bit of redemption on the vault, but finished 4th, despite two strong jumps.

On the men’s pommel horse, Alexander Artemev, the hero from the men’s team competition, fell off near the end of what would have been a medal winning routine.