Bring on the bling and do your thing

By Paul Majendie

BEIJING (Reuters) - The youngest athlete at the Olympic Games fiddles nervously with the green, red and yellow-beaded "Africa" necklace she wears as a lucky charm.

"It is a bit overwhelming. I am little," says Cameroonian freestyle swimmer Antoinette Guedia, clutching her talisman and reflecting on life as an Olympian at the tender age of 12 years and 10 months.

Australian swimmer Meagen Nay borrowed a pair of earrings off her teammate, triple gold medalist Stephanie Rice, and she qualified for the final of the 200m backstroke.

"She said 'you can have them for good luck' and obviously it's working," a delighted Nay said.

At the greatest sporting show on earth, athletes can be a superstitious bunch and if bling is your thing, then why not wear some lucky jewelry if you feel it gives you an extra edge.

A common sight on the blocks is sprinters kissing their gold chain necklaces for luck before exploding into action.

It also helps if you look sharp when the eyes of the world are on you.

U.S. men's doubles badminton player Howard Bach sported a thick gold earring in his left ear.

Asked about his flashy extras, Bach said: "I wanted to look good out here because I'm going to be on camera."

China is also getting in on the act and what better symbol of good luck than the country's most famous emblem.

Zhang Ning, the Olympic badminton champion in women's singles, wore panda earrings for one of her matches.

It is intriguing how the athletes manage to convince themselves that a chunk of jewelry can make the difference between gold and silver.

U.S. beach volleyball players Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh sported "energy" necklaces for the competition.

Branagh said she believed the necklaces boosted their energy as they flung themselves around the sand: "You know we're all wearing them and we're all together. That gives us strength."

But the ultimate bling, which all 10,500 athletes are chasing, is a medal, whether it be gold, silver or bronze.