The thousands of foreign journalists in China for the Olympics aren't just writing about medals, athletes and censorship controversies – they're also giving a voice to ordinary Chinese citizens.

Like double amputee Fang Zhen who once dreamed of being a great athlete, but is now barred by government order from competing. And like Gao Wenjuan, whose former police officer husband was detained for months without reason or charge.

The Independent has Fang Zhen's story:

" …His Olympic story is about politics, not sport. It was not so much the loss of his legs which cost him his career as an international athlete ...

" …It was the manner in which he became disabled, losing his legs during modern China's most serious political crisis, which ruled Fang out of international competition ... "

Radio Free Asia writes about Gao Wenjuan who travelled to Beijing during the Games to try to use the special protest zones. She is trying to find justice after her husband's unexplained detention:

" … "By the time he was released, one of his hands had become disabled because he had been handcuffed so long ... I don't know what to do, and we are bullied in our hometown. They [the government] push us too hard. We were watched…24 hours a day …" …

" … "I have been dealing with local Procuratorate, but they have been all along playing bureaucrat with me. My case was treated like a game of ping-pong. I don’t know what to do. I wish the media could uphold justice for me. There is no justice, no human rights. We are crushed to death by the bureaucrats." …"

Check out their stories and tell us what you think.