Journalists don’t generally address politicians by their first name, they tend to ask them searching questions and it’s rare to see them fawning. Not so, sports reporters.

For the vacuous, how about this, heard in the handball mixed zone at the Beijing Games: “Congratulations, Anita. Fantastic match. How did you feel in the last 10 minutes?”

(Who are these people who seem to be on first-name terms with athletes of second-tier sports anyway)?

Or take the killer question thrown at the men’s kayak bronze medallist this week: “Benjamin, I saw you go over and hug your mum. What did you say to her?”
 
Imagine if the rest of the journalistic fraternity adopted the same fascination with touchy-feely trivia I’ve found while covering the Games. The White House press corps, for example:

“Hey, George, great speech! How did you feel as the applause went up at the end?”

And let’s imagine the U.S. president gets with the programme.

Question: “Are you looking forward to your encounter with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing?

Answer: “Well, it’s going to be a discussion of two-sides, Randy. He’s a very good politician, but I’ve been preparing for this meeting for months and as long as I keep my concentration I should be able to come out on top.”

John Chalmers is Reuters editor for political and general news, Asia. He is on first name terms with very few world leaders.

PHOTO: U.S. President George W. Bush throws out the first pitch to U.S. team catcher Lou Marson before practice while visiting the U.S. Olympic baseball team at the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center in Beijing August 11, 2008. REUTERS/Larry Downing

You don’t often wonder, in all seriousness, whether opening a packet of crisps will result in instant death.

But there I was, not 10 metres from President George W. Bush, his father, former President George H.W. Bush and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger covering the blockbuster United States v China Olympic men’s basketball game.

I was struggling mightily with a packet of crisps (”potato flavour” no less!). It simply wouldn’t open and I feared a Del Boy moment, where the packet bursts suddenly and the crisps fly everywhere, in this case over news agency reporters from Xinhua, AP and AFP just below me on the press tribune.

It was at this moment that a Reuters technician usefully informed me that if the offending bag were to burst with a loud bang, I could get shot.

Good point. Hadn’t even crossed my mind. I went hungry.

PHOTO: U.S. President George W. Bush watches as his father and former president George H.W. Bush (R) shakes hands with China’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (L) at the Group B men’s basketball game between China and the U.S. during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 10, 2008. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

When beach volleyball joined the Olympics in 1996, it was ridiculed in some circles as being an unashamed ploy to boost viewing figures with hotties in bikinis and beach dudes in bermudas.

Roll on 12 years and you could argue beach volleyball is the perfect modern Olympic sport.

With the International Olympic Committee worrying its audience is getting older, the pumped-up atmosphere of beach volleyball with its rock music and cheerleaders is much more interesting to younger watchers than, say, fencing.

Bare flesh might annoy the puritans but it shows just how muscular and fit the athletes are and sells a fun, outdoor lifestyle that is more than welcome in a world of Wii sports.

Beach volleyball is easy on joints, has no history of doping, is simple to learn and all you need is a ball, a net and a beach. And not even really a beach. In landlocked, snowy Switzerland, several schools have built their own courts because they are enamoured of the sport. The bet is paying off — they have sent three teams to Beijing.

Beach volleyball, along with new arrival BMX biking, might not have graced the olive groves of Ancient Olympia but they should be here to stay.

After yesterday, you could even say it has a presidential seal of approval…

PHOTO: Kerry Walsh of the U.S. hits the ball against Japan during their women’s preliminary beach volleyball match at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 10, 2008. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

U.S. President George W. Bush did what most people would do on a sticky day and took some time out at the beach on Saturday. The beach volleyball, that is.

The United States are favourite in both the men’s and women’s tournament and the president popped by to wish them good luck. He was not expecting to be made to actually play, nor to be proffered a pert buttock to pat.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh are feared as almost superhuman by their opponents so pity the president when Misty took him on to the sand for a spin, showing him how to hold his arms straight out for the ball and “playing some pepper” with him, batting the ball back and forth a few times.

Hard though that was, it was easier than the other dilemma May-Treanor gave him by offering him her bottom to pat in encouragement as the players often do on court. Bush nervously smiled and tapped her on the small of her back with the back of his hand.

Over with the boys, he posed more comfortably despite being missed by Jake Gibb who turned up on the court for practice visibly annoyed at how many people were there.

When another player nodded the president’s way, Gibb took it in typically chilled-out beach-dude style.

“Hey! Who’s that guy?” he grinned, backslapping the president.

Reuters pictures by Carlos Barria