(I have been told that gold medal tally was actually higher, as the boxer who won silver was injured and a Mongolian born woman representing Germany also won a medal).
When I arrived (16th August) I was told stories of the mad celebrations that follwed in UB and all of Mongolia. The main square in the city, Sukbaatar, was packed full of people waiving flags and singing, while the president sand a kareoke version of the national anthem p*ssed as a fart while someone had to hold him upright! I was watching the boxing with interest, hoping for a repeat.
Sunday came and while missing out in one final, they did win their second gold. The city went crazy - before even venturing out I could here thousands of car horns enveloping the city in noise.
So I wondered into town, and sat in a bar balcony as the street erupted before me. So many cars, horns honking, people hanging out of windows and sitting on roofs, shouting and screaming and waving flags. It was a real spontaneous, joyous (and quite drunken) outpouring of national pride. A real privilege to see.
Every now and then an over ambitious ( and frankly disillussioned) policeman would come along and try to persuade people to get back inside their cars. No chance!
Later on I wondered down to Sukbaatar Square. I have never been so popular in my life! People running up to me to tell me that they had 2 golds, giving me high fives, waving flags in my face. The centre of the Square was packed with people chanting "Mongol, Mongol" and the sound of vodka bottles smashing creating a noisy couldron. There must been some sore heads on Monday morning.
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