Top Chinese athlete shrugs off anthem snafu

Here’s a tip for Olympic organizers in Beijing: Double-check which national anthem you play at each medal ceremony.

Last Sunday, Chinese track star Liu Xiang, whom FP listed as one of the “Four to Watch in 2008,” won a gold medal in the 60-meter hurdles at the world indoor athletic championships in Valencia, Spain. At the medal ceremony, though, organizers accidentally played Chile’s national anthem, not China’s! (It’s hard to tell apart those five-letter countries beginning with “Chi,” isn’t it?) Liu displayed good sportsmanship during the ceremony, however, and afterward told organizers about the mix-up. Ten minutes later, they redid the ceremony, this time with the correct song.

It reminds me of when a color guard from the U.S. Marines accidentally displayed the Canadian flag upside down before Game 2 of the 1992 World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves. So add another tip for Olympic organizers: Double-check flag orientation.