Only a slight Olympic fever

Jeff Walker
Published: August 19, 2008

Now that the Olympics are winding down, I have moved on.

Don’t get me wrong: Since the opening ceremony, I had Olympic fever like many of you.

I am not quite as feverous as my wife. I’m pretty sure she has seen Michael Phelps in a swimsuit more times than she has seen me in one.

I like the Olympics, but my fever is mild. Lately, I have cruised the Internet to find other information relating to the Olympic Games. I enjoy reading about the athletes, their training and even what a whiny butt Mark Spitz is over not being at the 2008 Olympics.

What I really love is a show business scandal, and I found one involving the Olympics.

I thought the opening for the Athens games was spectacular, but the Chinese may have trumped the Greeks as far as sheer spectacle is concerned. During the Beijing opening, the world watched as an angelic little girl stepped forward to sing the Chinese equivalent to “God Bless America.”

Lin Miaoke was a little darling in her red dress as she performed “Ode to the Motherland.” She won the hearts of more than 90,000 spectators in the Bird’s Nest and the entire planet (which happened to be watching right then).

But Beijing organizers drew some Olympic-sized flames due to the fact that cute little Lin was revealed to be a Chinese Milli-Vanilli. (For those of you under 30, let’s say she is a Chinese Ashlee Simpson; same reference, different era.)

Officials deemed her to be perfect — for the camera. Her singing was said to be unsuitable, so 7-year-old Yang Peiyi was selected for her perfect voice.

The worldwide press had a field day revealing the subterfuge shortly after the opening.

“The national interest requires that the girl should have good looks and a good grasp of the song and look good on screen,” said musical director Chen Qigang. “Lin Miaoke was the best in this. And Yang Peiyi’s voice was the most outstanding.”

And apparently, the Chinese were just following in what could be a new tradition.

Remember the 2006 Winter Olympics from Turin, Italy? Word got out that when the late, great tenor Luciano Pavarotti performed one of his signature arias at the opening of the Turin Games, he had been lip-synching to his own voice. (Yang would have been only five at that time.)

Pavarotti had been diagnosed with cancer earlier that year and had been cancelling performing engagements. His performance of “Nessun Dorma” had been recorded in a studio days before the Olympic performance.

The tenor’s management said it was too dangerous for Pavarotti to perform live in such frigid conditions in light of his declining health.

The bottom line seems to be that, even in the Olympics, the show must go on.

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SKATEPARK FOLLOWUP: After last week’s column on the skatepark, I followed up with the Culpeper Town Council to see what’s going on.

And the council is doing its part.

It is seeking new bids for repair work and has charged the Parks and Recreation Commission to look into rules and options for management.

It is clear that council feels strongly that the park is important and solutions for all users need to be found.

In my opinion, it is now up to the users of the skatepark to demonstrate their passion for not only catching air, but also taking responsibility.

I want to applaud and thank Mayor Pranas Rimeikis and all members of council for responding to me.

Jeff Walker is an independent columnist who lives in Culpeper. He appears Wednesdays in the Star-Exponent. E-mail