I Only Got The Bronze In Comparative Anatomy

I didn't catch the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Olympics yesterday. I did watch some of the events, including that swimmer, Phelps, win his first gold medal (and set a new record) in whatever-swimming-event that was. The thing that stuck with me the most about the event was how the swimmers looked almost like flat-fish - their chests aren't particularly muscular in the stereotypical way, but more streamlined. They seemed almost boneless as they loosened up before the start of the race, and when they got into the water, they undulated up and down in the manner of aquatic mammals (as opposedto fish, which move side-to-side).

Same for the men on the bars (whatever those are called). They all had huge arms and shoulders, but their legs weren't nearly as over-developed. If the morphological changes were genetic, the Olympic athletes would be exquisite examples of evolution in action. But such is not the case - these are all human beings at their base, and the specific musculature and skills they develop are not due to random mutations, but to purposeful training.

Still, isn't it amazing how a competitive swimmer mimics the physical characteristics of sea creatures? And doesn't that answer much of the question of why, for example, a seal looks the way it does? Or a whale?

Yes, these are the things that interest me about watching the Olympics. I mean, the events themselves aren't really all that interesting... but the science! The sociology! The politics! Now, that's entertainment.