There is no shortage of enthusiasm here in Beijing, from the massive crowds that cheered the Olympic torch into the city's heart, Tiananmen Square, yesterday and from the international athletes who continued arriving in the city last night.
The competition venues look spectacular, and blossoms are out on trees lining the avenue between the Bird's Nest stadium and the similarly impressive Water Cube. Competition in the host city is just two days away and nervous excitement is peaking.
But, as has been the case throughout its incident-plagued world tour including its Canberra leg in April the Olympic torch reached the final city on its journey yesterday shrouded in controversy.
The torch's final leg, opened by towering basketball star Yao Ming, was interrupted by a dramatic Tibet protest. Four activists staged a dare-devil protest near the Bird's Nest early yesterday by climbing a pole and, once aloft, unfurling two huge banners.
The banners stayed up for an hour before police ripped them down and detained the protesters two Americans and two British citizens, the activists' group said.
Away from the torch-fired dramas, Canberra athletes are focused on the thrill of Olympic competition.
Among the many who arrived in Beijing yesterday were cycling road race and time-trial medal hope Michael Rogers and Boomers basketballer Patrick Mills, his team's top-scorer in a warm-up match against the US in Shanghai on Tuesday.
Most Australian athletes have now set up camp in the 66ha Olympic village, a group of tower buildings now draped with hundreds of national flags. In a show of Aussie pride, boxing kangaroos hang alongside the national flag over our athletes' balconies.
Rower Sarah Cook, who will compete with Kim Crow in the women's pair heats on Saturday, said the atmosphere was building by the day and with each new arrival.
Cook said, ''It's totally unreal and the venues are just absolutely incredible. These are my first Games, but I can't imagine what they have done here being rivalled.''
Judo competitor Matt D'Aquino has spent his time between training sessions meeting athletes from around the world.
He had photos taken with the athletes, who included ''humungous'' shot-putters and big-name swimmers.
''The only things I carry with me are my accreditation and my camera,'' he said.
''I'm not getting swept up in it but I think it's good to hang out and chat with people because if I keep my mind on judo all the time I'll get too nervous.''
Former Canberra Capitals basketballer Tully Bevilaqua excitedly picked up her team kit yesterday afternoon after the Lauren Jackson-led Opals arrived in Beijing.
A first-time Olympian at 36, Bevilaqua said picking up her uniform ''sent chills down my spine''.
''I love the uniforms: they're wonderful. I could wear a hessian bag with an Aussie logo and it wouldn't bother me.''
One thing that could damp spirits between now and tomorrow night's opening ceremony is the heavy pollution hanging over the city and threatening its prospects of hosting a great Olympics.
Leaving the filtered air of the terminal late on Tuesday night was an eerie experience.
Lleyton Hewitt and John Eales were just two famous Australians who pushed their bags out into a combination of fog and smog that cloaked everything in grey.
Even the main Games precinct has a slightly foreboding look at night, despite the venues' extraordinary architecture and colourful banners lining every street.
America's track cyclists treated the city like an alien planet when they arrived on Tuesday, wearing black face masks to keep their airways clear as they disembarked from their plane.
The official grading of the air quality as stated by the Beijing Organisation Committee of the Olympic Games was ''very good'', which makes the prospect of ever experiencing the lower gradings of ''poor'' or ''hazardous'' quite frightening.
Hope that grey might give way to some blue faded as yesterday wore on. In fact the smog was so thick it was impossible even to know where in the sky the sun should be.
Generally, though, athletes are not letting the conditions worry them. Although visibility on the rowing course was as low as 100m, Cook said, ''I'm not too fazed by it. We're gradually getting used to it, as we are with the heat and humidity. The course is fair across all of the lanes and the only problem is visibility.''
Chinese weather bureau chiefs have said clear weather is vital to a successful Olympics. Having spent just one day in this smog, it's hard to disagree with them. Hopefully, some clearing winds are on the way.