Australian sheet metal fabricator, Bevan George, is off to the 2008 China Olympics - Erm…Ripper!

Ah, the Olympics; the time when a whole country rallies its xenophobic tendencies while its subjects become experts/fans/screaming loons about sports that your average Joe was genuinely crap at even though it only ever amounted to the basics of chucking, running or jumping.

I do remember one inter-form school sports day that our form tutor had allowed to bypass his attention entirely. Hastily, to prevent utter class 4d humiliation, I was scuttled off to do the shot, triple and long jumps, 400, 800 and 1,500 metres, and the discus; all in my school uniform including doc martins.

Not bad for the shot - not so good for middle distance.

It was the worst morning of sciving ever.

Since then I’ve really hated most track and field events - in fact, the only Olympics I remember truly enjoying was when ITV showed ‘V’ during some sort of boycott (or tv rights nonsense) instead.

So, 94.7% of the entire planet watches the Olympics for every and any other reason than the sport itself. And the other 5.3% don’t have a telly. Subsequently, The Tinbasher is offering you an alternative guide to the Beijing Olympics by lamely pointing out that there’s some Australian hockey geezer who also happens to be a sheet metal fabricator. I know you’re desperate for this kind of stuff.

You can read all about Bevan George going to the China Olympics here.