Some Olympians watched Opening Ceremony on TV

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With the U.S. women’s soccer team stuck in Qinhuangdo, China, ahead of its match there on Saturday against Japan, the players were forced to improvise when it came to Friday’s opening ceremony in Beijing.

According to Jillian Ellis, assistant coach of the U.S. team and head coach at UCLA, they did just that.

“Tonight our GM, Cheryl Bailey, organized a sundae bar for the players and staff so we could sit around and be together for the Opening Ceremony,” Ellis wrote on UCLA’s ‘Bruins in Beijing’ news blog.

“We had a big projection screen in our meal room and sat and soaked in the Olympic festivities. Not quite the same thing as being there, but some of the players dressed up in their Ralph Lauren ‘Opening Ceremony’ outfits and got into the spirit.

“It was a spectacular opening and there was plenty of clapping and oohs and aahs from the team. As our broadcast was all in Chinese, our liaison, Sherry, gave us a loose translation and we sat and waited until the U.S. team marched in.”

The American women will have to reach at least the semifinals to get to Beijing.

-- Grahame L. Jones