Doing The Beijing Shuffle

CBC reports a little bit of last-minute talent shuffling on the eve of the beginning of its massive Beijing Olympics coverage.
With Bruce Rainnie — originally scheduled to host the rowing and canoe-kayak events — on the mend from surgery and unable to make the trip to China, some bodies had to be moved around to fill the void.
Now it's Scott Oake, who was originally posted to the swimming and track and field venues (arguably two of any Summer Games' most glamorous), taking over Rainnie's duties alongside analysts Barney Williams and Scott Logan.
The versatile Elliotte Friedman, a perennial Games standout since joining the CBC, becomes the host with the most, so to speak. He'll work the swimming and diving events at the "Water Cube" with play-by-play man Steve Armitage and analysts Byron MacDonald, Anne Montminy, Mark Tewksbury and Marianne Limpert.
Friedman also gets the call for track and field events at National Stadium (the "Bird's Nest"), where he'll work with an analyst team that includes hurdler Perdita Felicien, who was forced out of these Olympics by injury. That group also includes Games veteran Michael Smith, David Moorcroft, Donovan Bailey and Rosey Edeh.
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CBC sets the table for this latest five-ring circus with Beijing 2008 Preview, set for 9 p.m. local time on Thursday.
Olympic Prime host Ron MacLean fronts this effort and he'll be joined by Olympic Morning hosts Scott Russell and Diana Swain, along with Olympic Pacific Prime host Ian Hanomansing.