Pretend for a moment you're not a pessimist and tell me what Olympic athlete most inspired you?

Why do you assume that I am a pessimist? Perhaps in relation to the Olympics, you mean “cynic”?

I found the story of the double amputee, Oscar Pastorius, from S. Africa, truly inspirational.

@gailcalled I wasn’t assuming everyone is a pessimist, of course, I was just trying to pre-empt all the naysayers

There was an Egyptian or Ethiopian woman who won a foot race today, coming from behind at the last second, and I got all choked up.

Michael Phelps. He showed incredible will-power. (Why the pre-empt ‘pessimist’ warning? You could always just flag off topic answers :D

Christine Sinclair (Canadian women’s soccer captain). I truly want to take up soccer now.

Tonya Harding.

Yes, Tonya Harding & her crew were pretty badass

The two Saudi Arabian female athletes, Sarah Attar and .Wojdan Shaherkani and Tahmina Kohistani from Afghanistan. They are standing up for the rights of women to compete at events such as the Olympics and the Saudi women have faced hatred and sexism as a reward. They were forced to walk behind the male Saudi Arabian competitors and have faced a hate campaign through Twitter. They are brave women and while their actions may not make a great difference to the rights of women in their home countries, the change has to start with someone.

I was really moved watching Chocolate Lightning (Allyson Felix, Carmelita Jeter, Tianna Madison, and Bianca Knight) win the 4X100 women’s relay in world record time.

I am with @Bellatrix – I just hope they don’t get killed by a madman for dishonoring their family or some crazy reason when they get home.

Personally I love the olympics, some of the individual events leave me cold, (I don’t get the women who twirl ribbons on sticks) but all in all it’s great. Usain Bolt is superhuman as is the USA basketball team, an absolute thrill to watch. I get a kick out of the neurotic triple jumpers and pole vaulters, they have too much time to think about their 10 second appearance and then screw it up after years and years of practice. And I agree with @Brian1946, there are so many magic moments, it is hard to remember them all.

Oscar Pistorus. Okay he didn’t make it to the final in his event but I still think it’s amazing that a man with no feet can compete on equal terms with able-bodied athletes.

Liu Xiang and Balazs Baji along with Jackson Quinonez, Andy Turnerand, and, while they’re not olympic athletes, every person who cheered.

Jess Ennis who won the gold for the Heptathlon. I think she is a wonderful role model to young women and I am hoping that teenage girls will aspire to be more like her than the likes of Katie Price or the cast of The Only Way Is Essex!!!

I am really looking forward to the Paralympics. They’re incredibly inspiring.

Samuel Mikulak of the USA Gymnastics team. Placed 5th in the Men’s Vault, Individual Event yet he demonstrated enthusiasm for his opponents efforts, something I didn’t see other participants doing.

Oscar Pistorius, who changed the whole meaning of what it is to be able-bodied.

Jesse Owens, Oscar Pistorius, the Israeli Olympic team in Munich 1972, Nadia’s seven perfect 10’s in 1976, Greg Louganis, Kerri Strug after the vault in Atlanta, and Dan Jansen skating after learning his sister had died.

The 1980 US/Soviet game in Lake Placid, where most of us did believe in miracles for a few brief moments.

When I was a kid Seb Coe & Steve Ovett made me want to be a middle distance runner, I won races & collected trophies at school & county level, although football was/is more my game.
As for the current olympics, the entire Team GB contingent are truly inspiring, fantastic job guys, you did yourselves & our country proud.

Tom Daly from GB lost his father right before the Olympics. He is diving in the platform final, as I type. I’m rootin’ for the kid!

Ahem, that’s Daley ;¬}
Some sick fuck on twitter sent Tom a tweet saying he’d let his father down after he failed to medal in the synchronised diving final last week.
Rise above the haters young man!!

The Sudanese refugee Guor Marial. Since he is not a US citizen and cannot bring himself run under the Sudanese flag, he is flying under the International Olympic Committee flag. His story of survival is amazing. That people have gone out of their way to make sure this man could compete is heartwarming. Guor Marial is everything the Olympics should be about.

I’m totally with @Bellatrix! It’s time for these supremacist Muslim fascist men to disappear into history’s dust bin. Go Sarah Attar, Wojdan Shaherkani and Tahmina Kohistani! The free world is proud of you.

The competition is over. All of the medals have given out. I’m a bit bummed. I hate when they end.

It’s been a wonderful Olympics and I’m looking forward to the Closing Ceremonies. GB did it up well, I must say.

Woot! Woot!

@Mama_Cakes – I’m with you, I asked my husband what we can watch now that they are over. It is the same with the grand slams of tennis, I watch nothing but while they are on and then have withdrawal when they end. Oh well the US Open will be starting soon!

@rooeytoo Don’t forget the Paralympics start in a couple of weeks. I think I have only coped with the end of the Olympics because I know the Paralympics follow and so I only have to go a couple of weeks without watching and supporting exciting sports and inspiring athletes.

@Leanne1986 – I don’t think they get the tv coverage that the regular olympics do. And as I said the US Open is starting soon and that will consume me for the duration. But I will keep an eye out.