39–37) The Gregor Mendel Award goes to: DAVIS PHINNEY, former Olympic cyclist and Tour de France stage winner, and his wife, CONNIE CARPENTER, former Olympic speed skater and cycling gold medalist. Their 18-year-old son, TAYLOR "MINI" PHINNEY, turned pro, won World Cup races, and went to the Olympics just 18 months after taking up competitive cycling.

36) Running out of water with the AQUADUCT MOBILE FILTRATION VEHICLE wouldn't be an issue. The concept tricycle, winner of the Innovate or Die Pedal-Powered Machine Contest from Google and Specialized, is aimed at providing clean drinking water in developing nations. Users fill a built-in five-gallon tank and pedal home or disengage the wheels and spin in place. The cranks power a filtration pump and channel drinkable water into a removable jug.

35–34) Alpine skiers LINDSEY VONN, 24, and BODE MILLER, 31, didn't just win the 2008 World Cup overall titles; they crushed the runners-up by an average of 165 points. Last time a pair of Yanks lifted the crystal globes? 1983.

33) India's Tata Corporation announced the NANO. At around $2,500, it's the world's cheapest car, targeted at people currently rickshawing around the subcontinent. That means a lot more people with access to motorized transportation—and a whole lot more pollution. Thanks for the moral dilemma.

32) China's OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONY. Note to London: Good Luck.

31) Hip-hop mogul and track-bike collector Kanye West got CUSTOM BAR ENDS on his Brooklyn Machine Works single-speed that play off his infamous quote about the president: GEORGE BUSH HATES TRACK PEOPLE.

30) A quick thank-you to REUTERS, for reporting that French swimmer Alain Bernard promised his heavily favored team would "smash" the U.S. in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay in Beijing, spurring American Jason Lezak to race the best anchor leg ever. Merci pour la victoire.