London 2012 Olympics Thread

[Platypus]

Make that two world and one olympic record, from three continents. Here's hoping to add a fourth in the mens 4x100 relay, the Aussie team looks pretty strong, but serious challenges from France and, of course, the USA.

Edit: Hubris gets you nowhere. France-USA-Russia.

[Platypus]

Aka Aerial skiing in Australia :/

Currently watching the slalom canoeing. Excellent course this year.

I'm house sitting for my auntie and uncle, who have pay tv, which is usuallypretty much a waste of money but for the olympics is excellent, because it means I have 9 channels of coverage. At the moment there's the Canoeing on free-to-air channel 9, and on the foxtel stations, the weightlifting, canoeing, equestrian eventing, boxing, tennis, table tennis, hockey, and beach volleyball. They claim that every gold medal will be shown live and in full in 'the world's best coverage'. It's certainly pretty handy.

[Platypus]

Half a second to go in the women's basketball match between France and Australia, Aussies down by three after a big comeback, take the lead when the French miss a shot from the line and Belinda Snell takes a three pointer from the other side of tge court. The olympics have arrived!

edit: France win in overtime

[Platypus]

Men's Team gymnastics sees gold to China, despite only just qualifying for the final, a silver to Great Britain, who haven't won a medal in the event for a century, and bronze to Ukraine, who push Japan out of the medals on the last apparatus. USA, top qualifiers, came 5th.

[Platypus]

Japan launch a protest, an element gets bumped up in difficulty score, and they end up in second. Britain still medal, Ukraine pushed out, and stoically filthy about it.

[Platypus]

Point of interest, 37 countries have already medalled, which is a great start for this games' aim to have the most ever medalling nations. Point of nyah nyah, no British golds. Point of frump: Australia is either third or fourth in the pool, depending on how you count.

[Platypus]

The poor Korean girl in the Epée (fencing) semi-final drama is surely the image of Day III.
A second can last forever...

Unlike in the gymnastics, I suspect it was the right decision.

So many swimming upsets. BBC commentators wondering how Missy Franklin was going in this race, and she wins it.

Apparently she is 100% ethnically Canadian. That is, both of her parents were born here.

The 'colour' about her in our coverage is that she's from Aurora, CO and had the hopes of her whole community on her, hoping for some good news after the movie shootings.

[Platypus]

http://www.lostateminor.com/2012/07/26/the-hipster-olympic-games-held-in-berlin/?utm_source=outbrn&utm_medium=images&utm_campaign=trial

[Platypus]

Currently choosing Aus v Spain in men's basketball, over Poland v Bulgaria in Men's volleyball; Women's Table Tennis quarter finals in the singles; Sth Africa v NZ in women   s hockey; Croatia v Spain in men's water polo; Eventing show jumping; Rowing repecharges; the Sailing regatta, and on the free to air channel, the equestrian. Everything but the Table Tennis is live.

[Platypus]

We're up to 40 medalling countries with a bronze to Qatari royalty, in the Men's skeet, after a silver to British royalty in the team eventing. The silver went to a Danish carpenter, their first medal, gold to the US. That's half of Beijing's number, so London could be on track to break the record.

[Platypus]

Insane final of the men's 200m butterfly, Chad le Clos juuuuust edges out Phelps for gold with a massive final 15. Stunning race, and Phelps now equals the highest total medal count with a couple of events left.

[Platypus]

And Phelps becomes the most awarded Olympian in history with the US relay gold in the 4 by 2.

[Platypus]

The view in Australia about Ye Shiwen seems to be this:

1. She's swimming exceptionally well.

2. China has a history of systematic doping, and in the past all Chinese swimmers were assumed by the Australian public to be cheats.

3. Over the years we've seen plenty of teenagers come from nowhere to win medals, including plenty of Australians.

4. It's fair for people to have an asterisk next to her name in their minds, because of the past, but it's deeply unfortunate because she is a new star of swimming who has questions raised because of people who were swimming when she was 4 years old. If she's doping, Chinese swimming's reputation will never ever recover. If she's clean, they've come back in to the swimming fold and they'll be a welcome challenger.

(There are actually a few more eyebrows being raised very, very quietly, about the French...)

[Platypus]

About to get the regatta in a golden mood in the rowing. Britain looks like they'll get their first gold in th women's pair, with Australia tge most-likely-but-not-likely to take the gold off them. Fingers crossed Britain avoids gold for another day, if only for the British press's headlines tomorrow. I tip 'Mediocre Britain' for the Mail.

[Platypus]

The Brits smash it for their first gold. Silver to the aussies, and bronze to the kiwis who look like they'll have an excellent regatta. Congrats to the Brits, who look like they've emptied the wmergency fuel tank and will be absolute legends at home. Yanks fourth.

[Platypus]

As much as I think it's time we change our flag, there's something beautiful about seeing the Aussie and Kiwi flags flanking the Union flag. Maybe it's a war thing.

Now for the men's 8, unlikely to see another Commonwealth podium, but the Aussies, Canadians and Brits are there, even if all the action looks to be with Germany, the US, and the Dutch.

Edit: As expected, Germany win, but the Canadians and Brits surprise for silver and bronze in an exceptional race, lead switching, late charging, and plenty of grimaceing.

[Platypus]

My Olympic connection, Abby Bishop, who was the first person in Canberra I came out to, is having a blinder as Australia lead Brazil halfway through the second quarter of the basketball 23-16.

Anyone else know an Olympian? I also know a couple of Paralympians as friebds, but no Olympians beyond very casual acquaintances. With the AIS in Canberra, it's not so unusual to know or even be mates with some of the elite, so I suspect Polnut may know a few

[Platypus]

I'd suspect Earl woyld know qyite a few winter Olympians, right?

[Platypus]

Good day for Australia. The dickhead won silver, some good results in qualifiers and team events, and capping off with a relay silver behind a brilliant swim by the US. I always love an Aussie gold, but I'm sooooo glad Magnussen wasn't one of them... I just wish he hadn't lost to a Yank. Can't wait for the rowing tomorrow.

[Platypus]

Ernest, it'd be the same as having 4 running styles. 'Freestyle', as now, hurdles, backwards, and with your hands tied behind your back. Being good at one means you'd almost certainly be good at the others, but to be a world beater at more than one style is truly exceptional, and very very few actually do it - Phelps is good enough to have done so, though, and deserves appreciation for it; It's as difficult a task as anything Carl Lewis did.

[Platypus]

Huge upset win for the kiwis in the rowing, spectacular to watch. Second Italy, and the three favourites, Slovenia, Argentina, and Britain, in 3rd, 4th and 5th. Lithuania last. Kiwis thrilled, in a stunning race. In other events, Aussies have made it through in every boat, so things are going well.

[Platypus]

Another great race sees the Saffies and Brits move up in the last 300m to take gold and silver, as the Danes and Aussies, who battled it out for the first 1700, come 3rd & 4th.

Four years ago Sth Africa only got one silver at the Olympics, so far this year they have three golds, having an excellent year.

Fast race in the women's 8, US leads all the way to claim gold, Canadians edge a fast-finishing Netherlands for silver, then a big gap to Romania, Britain, and Australia

[Platypus]

Jessica Fox wins a silver for Australia in the slalom! She's only 18 in a sport where the medallists are usually in their late 30s or so, so lots to come from her in the future. In the men's double, Britain quinellaed, and women's archery saw a great final for Korea gold, Mexico silver and Bronze.

[Platypus]

High drama at the velodrome, heartbreaking but correct decisions see the Brits and Dutch knocked out of the medal rides, and China knocked from gold to silver, with incorrect changeovers. China look like they   might refuse the silver, which would pop Ukraine in to Bronze, despite having the 6th best heat time.

Men's team pursuit also looking like it will live up to the buildup as Britain set a World record in their heat, and Australia cruise with three in to second fastest.

Edit: China accept their silver.

[Platypus]

Acceptable day for Australia, but I'm starting to get sick of hearing other nation   s anthems. Unlikely to get a gold tonight in the pool, but tomorrow looks like it has potential, in the pool, at the velodrome, but especially in the rowing.

John Howard was the Bronze Horseman in Sydney. Whenever he was in attendance, we won unexpected bronzes, either in a positive or negative way.