First things first: a raspberry to all those media outlets who went for "Golden Rice" as their headline in honour of Australia's first gold medallist of Beijing 2008, and in particular to those who went for "Golden Steph", and then changed their minds - hello BrisbaneTimes.com.au. Just check the URL of this page to see what their heading for that story was prior to "Gold for Wow! factor girl". Wimps.

As Stephanie Rice won the 400 IM for Australia, runner-up was Kirsty Coventry, who in 2004 became the only Zimbabwean to win an individual Olympic gold medal. Coventry, of course, stills calls Austin, Texas home. Phelpmeister won his first gold of 2008, they'll love that back at the United States of NBC.

And speaking of The Peacock Channel, I can (reluctantly) understand why they've despatched all their brekkie chat show people to China for the fortnight, but what on Earth was Tom Brokaw doing in Beijing for "Meet The Press" interviewing Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson?

Play of the Day, and an early candidate for Play of the Games: the medal ceremony for the women's 10 metre air pistol, with silver medallist Natalia Paderina of Russia embracing third-placed Nino Salukvadze of Georgia in an emotional show of international fraternity at a time when their two countries were laying waste to South Ossetia.

Guo Wenjun won the gold, probably wondering where she could find the nearest Tibetan.