Adam Duvendeck, 26, two-time US Olympic track cyclist, shared with China Daily his experience of competing in the 2008 Olympic Games, starting with the opening ceremony on August 8.

“I think for any Olympic athlete, the opening ceremony is something powerful and moving,” said Duvendeck. “I thought it was great! It was a little bit hot though.Our uniforms were definitely not cool but it was a great experience.”

Adam Duvendeck

He said the most memorable moment of the opening ceremony came when the airborne Olympic champion, Li Ning, lit the Olympic cauldron.

“I thought it was very well done and pretty cutting-edge,” said Duvendeck.

He has only one regret, that he was unable to watch the live performance in its entirety.

“I was a little bit disappointed, because in Athens they showed the entire thing on the TV inside. You got to see everything happening. This time, it was a little bit different. The coverage was turned on and off and they used the monitor to announce which team needed to leave for staging. So we didn't get the chance to see everything.”

His plan is to revisit the show when he gets back home. “When I get home, I will check it out and see the thing from the start to finish.”

As a track cyclist, Duvendeck competes in a three-member relay team. Together with his teammates, he finished in 11th place in Athens. This time around, facing the traditional powers of the sport including Great Britain, France and the Netherlands, Duvendeck's team has set a feasible goal of reaching the top 5 or 6. However, like any other sport, the beauty of the game lies in its unpredictability.

“Once we pass the semi-finals, anything is possible, you know,” he said.

Duvendeck's cycling career started at the age of 13 when his coach, a 1984 Olympian, discovered his talent for the sport. “I tried out when I was 17. It just clicked and everything went very well. My family completely supports me.” He started competing at national level aged 18.

When asked the reason for his devotion to the sport, he said, “I love it. I think every Olympian has to love what they do.”

He has long been interested in China. His love of the country springs from a long friendship.

“I have a friend from Santa Barbara whom I grew up with. He moved to China and he really likes it. He works for Shanghai Organics- it's a big organic company in Shanghai. Our friendship makes me love China more.”

Although he has been focused on training and competition so far, the Olympic Village has given him an interesting exposure to China. For instance, he made a big gourmet discovery in the village: the Peking Duck.

“Inside the Olympic Village, I really love Peking Duck. It's awesome. I get it every time.”

Intrigued by the Chinese language, he also plans to learn Chinese calligraphy as a new pastime.

“I"ve learnt "Hello" and "Thank you" in Chinese. I surely want to learn more. I'm going to check out the place in the village where I can learn calligraphy. I"d like to translate my name into Chinese characters.”

Besides food and culture, he says the Chinese people have really made a difference to his Olympic experience.

“Local people are very hospitable. We haven't been outside the village much but we were here last December for our test event. I think the Chinese people are very welcoming. I've been enjoying every minute so far.”