London 2012 Olympics Thread

[patrick1]

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

BUMP.

I didn't think that I would anymore but just tuned into steeplechase feed and see that fellow Friar Stephanie Reilly of Ireland was running.  I didnt know her well but used to hang out (and ruin the training) with many of her teammates.  There are also alumni from after I graduated competing in the marathon for NZ and Canada.



 

[Platypus]

Great women's triathlon.

Men's four...the Brits were better.

Another silver to Australia, along with a nice bronze.

Australia have medals in 5 disciplines. If you work up the table only Japan has as many medals in as many disciplines until you hit the top 10. So in terms of winning medals you have a good spread. It just so happens that other nations are excelling in specific sports. Those nations will stay stagnant as their sports finish and if Australia bag a a few golds you start moving up.

Yeah, it's hard to complain. In tge rowing, we've made the vast majority of finals, which is excellent. In the sailing, things are looking very, very good for a clutch of medals. Doing acceptably in quite a few team sports, and should progress through in just about all of them, especially on the women's side. But the swimming has been below expectations, and we're not looking great in the fight sports.

As for the cycling... Still plenty to come, but we were fully intending to be toe to toe with the Brits and we simply aren't.

We're doing very, very well...but we're accustomed to doing incredibly well. We still might, but top 5 is gone and top 10 difficult. Should get there in total medals though, which really is welcome news, and nothing to be disappointed in.

[Simfan34]

Is just me, or are South Korea having a really good Games?

The North is, too!

[Sbane]

It is a travesty how terrible the Indian sub continent does in the Olympics.

It basically comes down to money, doesn't it? Basically 90% of the population is locked out of participating in most of these sports due to lack of resources. Even for those who do have the chance, can they really spend 4 years training when they cannot get proper sponsorships? Cricket being so popular is an issue, and sponsors just focus on that with cricketers making millions of dollars a year in sponsorships, and with other sportsmen being left with a pittance. I'm more bothered by India's failure at soccer, for which there is decent interest, than the more obscure Olympics sports.

BTW, why isn't cricket an Olympic sport? Dressage, whatever the fukc that is, is an Olympic sport but cricket isn't? Seriously?

[dead0man]

This Senegal v Mexico match has been very entertaining.

[Platypus]

Women's trap was good, we came equal last but finally made a shooting final, and the winner set a new world record off 99/100. She'll be on a lot of newspapers tomorrow, she's very very good looking and her rendition of the anthem was great to watch.

Oh, and Canada grabbed it's gold in the women's trampoline.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Gee wasn't expecting Dalhauser/Rogers to crash out of the beach volleyball. Who's gonna win it now? My gut says the other US pairing.

That surprised me as well. It was really close in that second set and they were tied at 19.

[MaxQue]

Well, either we or us will win a bronze medal on track cycling (women team pursuit).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

BTW, why isn't cricket an Olympic sport?

It's a bit of a scandal magnet, isn't it? IOC probably want as little additional issues in that general direction as can be helped.

Though it's probably more due to time constraints.

[Sbane]

BTW, why isn't cricket an Olympic sport?

It's a bit of a scandal magnet, isn't it? IOC probably want as little additional issues in that general direction as can be helped.

Though it's probably more due to time constraints.

Might be the lack of stadiums in most places actually.

[patrick1]

BTW, why isn't cricket an Olympic sport?

It's a bit of a scandal magnet, isn't it? IOC probably want as little additional issues in that general direction as can be helped.

Though it's probably more due to time constraints.

Might be the lack of stadiums in most places actually.

I actually think that it might be the same dumb reason that they got rid of baseball and softball- supposedly it lacks universality.  For cricket you have billions that consider it a pastime in the Indian sub., the commonwealth nations and West Indies. Baseball has US, Japan, the Caribbean, parts of Mexico, Canada, Central and South America- even a niche sport in Australia.   How many people jump on a trampoline competitively? Are table tennis, badminton and equestrian really universal?

[danny]

I think Cricket was just too long to be included in the Olympics.

[Beet]

I hear they're thinking of making pole dancing an Olympic sport.

[patrick1]

I hear they're thinking of making pole dancing an Olympic sport.

Who knew BRTD would be an Olympic judge one day....

[Platypus]

One sport that truly deserves inclusion is Squash, and it's one of a few sports up for inclusion, alongside, iirc, rock climbing and wakeboarding.

I'd love to see Netball at the games, but the medallists would almost always be Australia, New Zealand, and one of Jamaica, South Africa, and Great Britain. It's a better sport than basketball, but less universal. Although if you look at the regularity of medallists in that sport... Particularly for women...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

One sport that truly deserves inclusion is Squash

Awful telly sport though. Of course they include sailing...

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No.

[Platypus]

Currently forced to decide between Channel 9's all-Aussie, all the time delayed/live mix, along with live weightlifting mens 94kg, with an Iranian with an impossible name on London 8; the boxing delayed on london 7; the men's long jump live on london 6, the women's discus live on london 5, the track programme live on london 4,; the team fencing final on london 3; Britain v Australia live in the men's basketball on london 2, and the swimming live on london 1.

I reckon we definitely win the olympics coverage gold medal, especially given the time zones.... I've been running on four hours sleep for the whole thing

Al: the finals of the netball at the world champs and commonwealth games were both in my all-time top 10 sport events, with the kiwis winning in Delhi in double overtime and us winning the cup in single overtime. No glitz, no cheats, just great athletes and incredible competition.

[Platypus]

The problem with the londons is that they don't keep you ipdated on the other events; the problem with 9 is that they do...but only if there's an Aussie.

[Tender Branson]

Yay !

Halfway through and still no medal.

Well, at least Finland and Portugal also have no medals yet ...

[Platypus]

So much silver. Which is lovely, of course. Mitch Watt gets silver in the long jump, behind a pom and above a yank  Great day for Britain, looking strong for third on the medal tally, because Russia are in the same position as us, but three times better.

Gold to Mo Farah... great day to be a British olympian.

[Platypus]

I just came across this:

http://www.afterellen.com/content/2012/07/london-olympics-opening-ceremony-includes-lesbian-kiss-seen-around-world

First same-sex kiss on TV in maybe 50? 80? 120 countries? Noice.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

During the Gibb/Rosenthal  match against the Russian team, there were several calls that were obviously incorrect. All were beneficial to the American team.



At the end of the clip, one of the NBC reporters covering the event said "...have beat the 'Ruskins".

[Andrea]

San Marino almost won a medal today!

Great night for UK in the track and field.

Happy for the Guatemala guy in race walking. I hope Borchin is well after his collapsed 2 KM away from the finish line.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

That was all so oddly pleasant.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

At the end of the clip, one of the NBC reporters covering the event said "...have beat the 'Ruskins".

But were presumably only awarded derisory damages.