Yeah, after hours of trying (starting the wee hours of the morning here in Beijing), I was finally able to get a couple of ticket orders successfully purchased on the US site--one in my name, and one for a friend who mistimed her travel. First few attempts, I also got dumped and the cart emptied before I could check out. I did manage to get some Athletics finals (including the one on the 16th), the 5th or 6th try, after the tickets got recycled back around from somebody else's dumped cart. Maddening--I hope Cosport comes up with a better system before 2010 & 2012.

I now get to wait and try my luck in China's Phase 3 ticket sale, which is supposed to start in April but who knows? BOCOG has been quiet on exactly how they are going to sell these puppies, as the previous Phase 2 (attempts A and B) didn't exactly go as planned. Not sure whether they will try yet another lottery, or just let buyers duke it out via hand-to-hand combat at the venues or centralized ticket offices.