Georgia v Russia on the beaches....

The fighting between Russia and Georgia is ceding as I write; tomorrow it is due to move from the familiar territory of Georgian blocks of flats to the less familiar territory of the beaches. Not in true D-Day style but on the manufactured pitches of the volleyball arena in Beijing. In scenes reminiscent of the 1956 Melbourne games when Russia invaded Hungary hours before their water-polo match, their men's volleyball teams will face each other.

The last match ended with Turkey victorious but with one player seriously injured in the bloodiest Olympic contest ever, (discounting the Ancient Greek games littered with lion mauled slaves, but you see the point), monikered the, 'Blood in the Water match.'

So tune in on the 13th August, my money's on Georgia, I never could resist an underdog. Unless of course the Russian withdrawal is on the condition of Georgia taking a fall, they wouldn't, would they? Imagine cheating at the Olympics, who'd have thought it! Franklin