SIDEBAR: Flag waving, cheering Bush cheers on US swim team

By Peter Auf der Heyde Aug 10, 2008, 3:09 GMT

Beijing - A smiling, flag-waving and cheering United States President George W Bush was on hand to cheer on Michael Phelps and the rest of the US team at the first finals of the Olympic swimming competition on Sunday.

Phelps said after his 400m medley win in world record time that the first thing he saw as he put his head out of the water was the president waving a flag.

'That was a very emotional moment,' the seven-time Olympic champion said.

Bush was expected to watch the basketball match between the US and China, but also paid the Olympic competition a morning visit in Beijing's impressive Water Cube.

Surrounded by a group of bodyguards, the US president sat amongst a host of other dignitaries. He soon took his jacket off and opened the top buttons of his shirt to feel more at ease in the hot arena.

Bush was then given an American flag, which he soon started waving as Phelps set a world record in the irst final of the morning.

When the American anthem abruptly ended during the flag raising ceremony for the 400m medley Bush was the first to start waving his flag and became involved in his own personal 'flag-waving-contest' with American fans sitting in the stands opposite him.

Bush got off his chair and cheered for American swimmer Larsen Jensen in the men's 400m freestyle, who was pushing Park Tae-Hwan for the gold medal but lost out in the end and had to settle for bronze.

The president was joined in the Water Cube by his father, the former US president George Bush, his wife Laura and one of his daughters.

Bush came to China on Thursday night. He held political talks but the Olympics were the main reason of his visit. He attended Friday's opening ceremony and was due to see several sports events.