Vatican paper recalls tale of 'Chariots of Fire' runner - Tulsa Planet

---

Find complete coverage of all the games, including stories, photo galleries and videos. Also find a Twitter feed of all Olympic-related tweets.

---

L'Osservatore Romano ran an op-ed piece by the British ambassador to the Holy See on his family connection to Eric Liddell, an Olympian famously depicted in the 1981 film "Chariots of Fire."

Ambassador Nigel Baker recalled how his great uncle Noel was serving in China in the Welsh Regiment of the British Army in the 1930s when he met Liddell, then working for the London Missionary Society.

As Baker recounted it, Great Uncle Noel - an accomplished runner - was preparing for a race when an "ungainly redheaded man joined him and asked in a broad Scottish accent if he might run alongside."

The two did a few laps together. "You're not bad," the redhead said. "Tomorrow I'll be first and you'll be second."

Great Uncle Noel was a bit put off by the remark. He realized the following day that he would be competing against Liddell.

"Liddell smiled, and acknowledged my great uncle," Baker wrote. "The gun fired. The athletes set off. Eric Liddell finished first. Great Uncle Noel second."

---

Today's TV highlights

8:30 a.m.: The U.S. men's basketball team opens the Olympic tournament against France. (NBC Sports)

10:45 a.m.: The U.S. men's volleyball team faces Serbia in an opening-round match. (NBC)

1 p.m.: The women's gymnastics team competition begins. (NBC)

6 p.m.: Women's gymnastics and Michael Phelps' quest for gold occupy prime time. (NBC)

All about London

Big time: London is the largest city in Europe. It stretches more than 620 square miles and houses 8 million people, according to the U.K. Office of National Statistics. London previously hosted the 1908 and 1948 Olympics, the latter taking place about three years after World War II.

Olympians to watch today

U.S. basketball tips off; Phelps goes for more gold: Kevin Durant and the U.S. men's basketball team face France on Sunday. After having his first chance for a medal Saturday, Michael Phelps swims again Sunday as part of the U.S. 400-meter freestyle relay team.

The time difference: When it's noon in London, it's 6 a.m. in Tulsa. There is a 6-hour difference between the cities.

---

U.S. Medal count

Gold: 1
Silver: 2
Bronze: 2
Total: 5Source : Vatican paper recalls tale of 'Chariots of Fire' runner - Tulsa Planet