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Thought we should have a thread for all things Olympic. Can't wait.

Although I admit I'm starting this thread with a negative.

Can you believe Putin has the gumption to say that the medallists in Rio will be devalued because of the ban on Russian athletes.
Actually, I can believe a cretin like him would say such things.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/36902917

Kinda bummed for this Olympics. Both sprint hurdle Olympic champions and the WR holders are injured (in Sally Pearson's case), or didn't get picked for the Olympic team (Kendra Harrison and Aries Merritt). 110/100m hurdles are my favourite events, and it sucks to not have the best hurdlers present to battle.

Then, there is the fact that after all the campaigning to get golf on the Olympic bill, all of the top golfers are dropping out with flimsy excuses. It's very likely it will be dropped before 2020 (hopefully for Jousting).

Also, there are real issues with the state of the Olympic Park, which confuses me because they tore up the Autodromo Nelson Piquet to build it years ago, and it looks in worse shape than Athens did (which famously had still setting concrete when the opening ceremony was going on).

Then, there is the whole doping issue. Russia have been banned by the IAAF and ICF, but the IOC has refused to ban the federation despite evidence of state sponsored doping across multiple sports (this morning FINA banned some Russian swimmers).
It's just a mess, because the IOC's stance is that they can't ban athletes from a country with sponsored doping unless they've already failed a drugs test. It sounds reasonable, until you factor in that they don't ban athletes normally for failing doping tests.
If they followed the same procedure for bog standard personal doping, they lose Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin, Mike Rodgers, Lashawn Merritt, Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Christine Ohuruogu, Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, and Michael Phelps right off the bat (ignoring the 45 athletes they've had to ban already -including 23 medalists- for failing tests on retested samples from 2012). It's all so broken.

That being said, I am, as always looking forward to the gymnastics. I'm always blown away by how strong they all are, but manage to display their strength in a graceful way.

They should bring back the Tug of War instead of introducing boring golf.

I'm in my 50's and this is the first time I've ever not been excited about the Olympics.

Awarding the games to a poor country puts a huge financial burden on it which will never see a return on that investment. While I'm not a cycling guy I read recently that while there was a perfectly good velodrome already there but they decided to tear it down and put a new venue which is only just now being completed.

Even if the Zika virus is put aside the astonishingly bad water quality is a tremendous health risk and reports from a couple of days ago says that the athlete housing isn't much better.

I'll admit though that I will still watch as much of the track & field, swimming, and gymnastics as I can while hoping that nobody gets severely ill.

If they're going with golf then they should definitely have darts.

ALESI wrote:If they're going with golf then they should definitely have darts.

How about an Olympic Grand Prix?!

ALESI wrote:If they're going with golf then they should definitely have darts.

On the PGA Tour, they do not allow golf karts so as to include the walking bit as part of the endurance. (Not disagreeing with your sentiment, I don't get golf at all, I just thought it was a nice bit of trivia).


As every Olympics I'll watch the 100m final. I'll probably watch the downhill BMX as I find it interesting. I might watch watch some of the big British names like Jessica Ennis and Mo Farrah in their sports.


Then, as a guy with frequent issues getting to sleep, I'll end up watching powerlifting or canoeing or whatever is on at silly o'clock.


First Olympics I remember: 1996 Atlanta.

RaggedMan wrote:I'm in my 50's and this is the first time I've ever not been excited about the Olympics.

Awarding the games to a poor country puts a huge financial burden on it which will never see a return on that investment. While I'm not a cycling guy I read recently that while there was a perfectly good velodrome already there but they decided to tear it down and put a new venue which is only just now being completed.

Even if the Zika virus is put aside the astonishingly bad water quality is a tremendous health risk and reports from a couple of days ago says that the athlete housing isn't much better.

I'll admit though that I will still watch as much of the track & field, swimming, and gymnastics as I can while hoping that nobody gets severely ill.

The Olympics have become advertisement for host country, not event where young people compete in various disciplines.

There is no need for all new superb sports areas. It all should be more flexible. It's all about athletes, not countries or cites.

RaggedMan wrote:I'm in my 50's and this is the first time I've ever not been excited about the Olympics.

Awarding the games to a poor country puts a huge financial burden on it which will never see a return on that investment. While I'm not a cycling guy I read recently that while there was a perfectly good velodrome already there but they decided to tear it down and put a new venue which is only just now being completed.

Even if the Zika virus is put aside the astonishingly bad water quality is a tremendous health risk and reports from a couple of days ago says that the athlete housing isn't much better.

I'll admit though that I will still watch as much of the track & field, swimming, and gymnastics as I can while hoping that nobody gets severely ill.

I am slightly older, and had no interest at all in the last 2. It went down hill when they changed the amateurism rules, and it became a professional world championship, and got even worse when only the competitor with the links to the right collage/lab is even in with a shout.

Zero interest

mac_d wrote:

ALESI wrote:If they're going with golf then they should definitely have darts.

On the PGA Tour, they do not allow golf karts so as to include the walking bit as part of the endurance. (Not disagreeing with your sentiment, I don't get golf at all, I just thought it was a nice bit of trivia).


As every Olympics I'll watch the 100m final. I'll probably watch the downhill BMX as I find it interesting. I might watch watch some of the big British names like Jessica Ennis and Mo Farrah in their sports.


Then, as a guy with frequent issues getting to sleep, I'll end up watching powerlifting or canoeing or whatever is on at silly o'clock.


First Olympics I remember: 1996 Atlanta.

I find power lifting fascinating since Coleman said he was watching the Korean girl practice and she has an incredible snatch for her size.

RaggedMan wrote:I'm in my 50's and this is the first time I've ever not been excited about the Olympics.

Awarding the games to a poor country puts a huge financial burden on it which will never see a return on that investment. While I'm not a cycling guy I read recently that while there was a perfectly good velodrome already there but they decided to tear it down and put a new venue which is only just now being completed.

Even if the Zika virus is put aside the astonishingly bad water quality is a tremendous health risk and reports from a couple of days ago says that the athlete housing isn't much better.

I'll admit though that I will still watch as much of the track & field, swimming, and gymnastics as I can while hoping that nobody gets severely ill.

The original velodrome was nowhere near up to the standards required for an Olympics. They were going to modify it but the costs were practically the same as building a new one.

moby wrote:

mac_d wrote:

ALESI wrote:If they're going with golf then they should definitely have darts.

On the PGA Tour, they do not allow golf karts so as to include the walking bit as part of the endurance. (Not disagreeing with your sentiment, I don't get golf at all, I just thought it was a nice bit of trivia).


As every Olympics I'll watch the 100m final. I'll probably watch the downhill BMX as I find it interesting. I might watch watch some of the big British names like Jessica Ennis and Mo Farrah in their sports.


Then, as a guy with frequent issues getting to sleep, I'll end up watching powerlifting or canoeing or whatever is on at silly o'clock.


First Olympics I remember: 1996 Atlanta.

I find power lifting fascinating since Coleman said he was watching the Korean girl practice and she has an incredible snatch for her size.

Well then I guess it's time to clean and jerk.

specdecible wrote:

moby wrote:

mac_d wrote:

ALESI wrote:If they're going with golf then they should definitely have darts.

On the PGA Tour, they do not allow golf karts so as to include the walking bit as part of the endurance. (Not disagreeing with your sentiment, I don't get golf at all, I just thought it was a nice bit of trivia).


As every Olympics I'll watch the 100m final. I'll probably watch the downhill BMX as I find it interesting. I might watch watch some of the big British names like Jessica Ennis and Mo Farrah in their sports.


Then, as a guy with frequent issues getting to sleep, I'll end up watching powerlifting or canoeing or whatever is on at silly o'clock.


First Olympics I remember: 1996 Atlanta.

I find power lifting fascinating since Coleman said he was watching the Korean girl practice and she has an incredible snatch for her size.

Well then I guess it's time to clean and jerk.

That did actually happen. It is what he is famous for in UK (that and being a sports commentator for about 50 years)

moby wrote:

RaggedMan wrote:I'm in my 50's and this is the first time I've ever not been excited about the Olympics.

Awarding the games to a poor country puts a huge financial burden on it which will never see a return on that investment. While I'm not a cycling guy I read recently that while there was a perfectly good velodrome already there but they decided to tear it down and put a new venue which is only just now being completed.

Even if the Zika virus is put aside the astonishingly bad water quality is a tremendous health risk and reports from a couple of days ago says that the athlete housing isn't much better.

I'll admit though that I will still watch as much of the track & field, swimming, and gymnastics as I can while hoping that nobody gets severely ill.

I am slightly older, and had no interest at all in the last 2. It went down hill when they changed the amateurism rules, and it became a professional world championship, and got even worse when only the competitor with the links to the right collage/lab is even in with a shout.

Zero interest

I agree with you about the change to allowing pro athletes and PED's. What's even worse is, for track athletes at least, they have to be professionals in order to be competitive but if they're sponsored by a company that isn't an official sponsor of "The Games" there is a black out period from just before it starts until after it ends where that can't mention their sponsors and their sponsors can't mention them. They can't even use words like gold, silver, bronze, medal, Rio, games. It's ridiculous.

RaggedMan wrote: I agree with you about the change to allowing pro athletes and PED's. What's even worse is, for track athletes at least, they have to be professionals in order to be competitive but if they're sponsored by a company that isn't an official sponsor of "The Games" there is a black out period from just before it starts until after it ends where that can't mention their sponsors and their sponsors can't mention them. They can't even use words like gold, silver, bronze, medal, Rio, games. It's ridiculous.

That is pretty ridiculous, but it's the same for a lot of sports. Football teams have to change their stadium names if their sponsor isn't a champions league sponsor, and have to cover up all sponsor branding for every champions league game.

RaggedMan wrote:

moby wrote:

RaggedMan wrote:I'm in my 50's and this is the first time I've ever not been excited about the Olympics.

Awarding the games to a poor country puts a huge financial burden on it which will never see a return on that investment. While I'm not a cycling guy I read recently that while there was a perfectly good velodrome already there but they decided to tear it down and put a new venue which is only just now being completed.

Even if the Zika virus is put aside the astonishingly bad water quality is a tremendous health risk and reports from a couple of days ago says that the athlete housing isn't much better.

I'll admit though that I will still watch as much of the track & field, swimming, and gymnastics as I can while hoping that nobody gets severely ill.

I am slightly older, and had no interest at all in the last 2. It went down hill when they changed the amateurism rules, and it became a professional world championship, and got even worse when only the competitor with the links to the right collage/lab is even in with a shout.

Zero interest

I agree with you about the change to allowing pro athletes and PED's. What's even worse is, for track athletes at least, they have to be professionals in order to be competitive but if they're sponsored by a company that isn't an official sponsor of "The Games" there is a black out period from just before it starts until after it ends where that can't mention their sponsors and their sponsors can't mention them. They can't even use words like gold, silver, bronze, medal, Rio, games. It's ridiculous.

I personally think the time has gone. It is muscle flexing by big companies and countries now, and I doubt there will be another 5 in the current form

I guess I look at it a bit differently. I tend to ignore the events where big money pros compete. I could care less about bias know netball and the "dream" teams. I did not watch a sing tennis match when the pros were invited,and golf disbelieving space on my recorder for other events as well. While Swimming, Gymnastics, wrestling, volleyball... May well pay their athletes something, there is still a hint if amaturism in them.

I have been an avid follower of the Olympic Games since I was a young child and will this one as well. Swimming is my l articular favorite, even lucky enough to personally attend some of the Olympic trials... including Dara Torres last race 4 years ago and Michael Phelps last race on US soil last month.

With apologies to no one, I say, "Go Team USA!"

RaggedMan wrote:... can't mention their sponsors and their sponsors can't mention them. They can't even use words like gold, silver, bronze, medal, Rio, games. It's ridiculous.

That's Spandau Ballet out of any opening ceremonies for the immediate future then
The first Olympics I recall watching was the last one the Russians didn't attend. I've been a bit of a fan since but, whilst I know that I will be watching this one, I can't seem to generate the same excitement that I did for previous Games. Why golf? What's next, Call of Duty?

Blake wrote:...
With apologies to no one, I say, "Go Team USA!"

Go team Tuvalu!



Go Etimoni Timuani !

I'm more excited about the Paralympics. At the very least, half the events in that are much more interesting. I definitely mean no disrespect for any of the people who compete, but in all honesty watching a guy with no arms swim really fast is genuinely more impressive and inspiring than a guy with 2 arms and 2 legs... for my money at least.

I also miss the days when you'd have a guy from some tropical country who had never seen snow turn up to do the downhill-big-ski-jump event (I doubt that's the official name, and probably a winter Olympics sport) or guys who had to practice swimming without water. There was always something special about that kind of spirit, and everyone gets behind them etc.

mac_d wrote:I'm more excited about the Paralympics. At the very least, half the events in that are much more interesting. I definitely mean no disrespect for any of the people who compete, but in all honesty watching a guy with no arms swim really fast is genuinely more impressive and inspiring than a guy with 2 arms and 2 legs... for my money at least.

I also miss the days when you'd have a guy from some tropical country who had never seen snow turn up to do the downhill-big-ski-jump event (I doubt that's the official name, and probably a winter Olympics sport) or guys who had to practice swimming without water. There was always something special about that kind of spirit, and everyone gets behind them etc.

Google Yusra Mardini

Now that's a story.

mac_d wrote:I'm more excited about the Paralympics. At the very least, half the events in that are much more interesting. I definitely mean no disrespect for any of the people who compete, but in all honesty watching a guy with no arms swim really fast is genuinely more impressive and inspiring than a guy with 2 arms and 2 legs... for my money at least.

I also miss the days when you'd have a guy from some tropical country who had never seen snow turn up to do the downhill-big-ski-jump event (I doubt that's the official name, and probably a winter Olympics sport) or guys who had to practice swimming without water. There was always something special about that kind of spirit, and everyone gets behind them etc.

Wheelchair rugby being a contact sport might be the most amazing thing in the world to watch. It's so incredibly brutal.

I also love the random dudes that show up and are terrible at their sports compared to the best in the world, but they give not one single care about that and just enjoy themselves.
Like Eric Moussambani who did the 100m freestyle in about twice the world leading time at that point, but got 17 thousand people on their feet cheering for him, or that shot putter who was a last minute replacement for Tonga in the 100m

mac_d wrote:I'm more excited about the Paralympics. At the very least, half the events in that are much more interesting. I definitely mean no disrespect for any of the people who compete, but in all honesty watching a guy with no arms swim really fast is genuinely more impressive and inspiring than a guy with 2 arms and 2 legs... for my money at least.

I also miss the days when you'd have a guy from some tropical country who had never seen snow turn up to do the downhill-big-ski-jump event (I doubt that's the official name, and probably a winter Olympics sport) or guys who had to practice swimming without water. There was always something special about that kind of spirit, and everyone gets behind them etc.

This still happens. Every nation is allowed 3 entries no matter how awful they are. I remember a guy almost drowning in the pool a few years ago but still getting through because two other competitors false started.

I simply refuse to let all the negativity, problems & politics surrounding these games dampen my enthusiasm. I usually enjoy all aspects of an Olympic games—the build-up, the opening ceremony, the actual games, the closing ceremony. I’m very much looking forward to it all.

It’s been such a fantastic summer for British sport in general—Murray, Watson, Whiley & Reid all lording it over Wimbledon; Our Rugby Union boys bossing them Aussies in their own backyard; Chris Froome winning the Tour de France for the umpteenth time; Wales excelling at the Euros; Hamilton back on top . I’m just hoping our boys and girls in Rio can continue with this positive momentum. I can’t wait.

Go Team GB !

mikeyg123 wrote: This still happens. Every nation is allowed 3 entries no matter how awful they are. I remember a guy almost drowning in the pool a few years ago but still getting through because two other competitors false started.

That was Eric Moussambani. Shockingly that was 16 years ago now.

I think the fact that there is a refugee team is a great thing and very much the Olympic spirit.

huggybear wrote:

mikeyg123 wrote: This still happens. Every nation is allowed 3 entries no matter how awful they are. I remember a guy almost drowning in the pool a few years ago but still getting through because two other competitors false started.

That was Eric Moussambani. Shockingly that was 16 years ago now.

I remember that guy.

I thought they changed the rules so that every competitor had to have beaten a set time/score/whatever in order to be able to enter these days? Wiki links for Athletics and Swimming seem to suggest this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics ... lification
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_ ... lification

Oooo, I like the Olympic torch.

This Olympics has been crazy. On the first day, we've had all kinds of crazy happen.

We've had:

2 world records broken
1 Olympic record broken
1 gymnast leg broken
A kayak capsizing in the rowing
A bunch of injuries in the cycling
A bomb squad carrying out a controlled explosion at the finish of the cycling, while the race carried on.
2 people shot by police close to the Olympic stadium.

And that's just what I've seen myself. Might be more stuff going on.

Worryingly, a stray bullet was shot through the roof of the Equestrian Media Centre. The police say it had nothing to do with the Olympics, (I find that odd as why would a bullet be shot through the roof as part of the Olympics?), but they do not know where it came from!

Slightly alarming.

Although it may make me tune in to watch prancing ponies in action as nothing else would.

huggybear wrote:This Olympics has been crazy. On the first day, we've had all kinds of crazy happen.

We've had:

2 world records broken
1 Olympic record broken
1 gymnast leg broken
A kayak capsizing in the rowing
A bunch of injuries in the cycling
A bomb squad carrying out a controlled explosion at the finish of the cycling, while the race carried on.
2 people shot by police close to the Olympic stadium.

And that's just what I've seen myself. Might be more stuff going on.

Cycling was pretty normal, but as this was just one day event they mostly just abandon when they crash.

Oh that was painful to watch. I was just telling friend how bad are these roads and suddenly saw that crash.

I hope she is fine.

Yeah it was pretty scary stuff, hope she's alright.

Nasty crash. Hope she is no worse than KO'd / winded...

16:10:03 BRT
Reports coming through that Van Vleuten is ok and on her way to hospital. No confirmation, but that is some good news.

http://live.cyclingnews.com

dizlexik wrote:

16:10:03 BRT
Reports coming through that Van Vleuten is ok and on her way to hospital. No confirmation, but that is some good news.

http://live.cyclingnews.com

Relief!

Reaction on seeing the thumbnail of her lying over the heavy paving stones that stick up a fair bit above the road and forest floor 0 that's not good.

The crash itself, I'm surprised she didn't break her neck. Damn, that was nasty. I don't know much about cycling at high levels - did she hit her front brake causing the flip after the slide has begun or is it the slide and the way she had to turn her front wheel that caused the issue?

mac_d wrote:Reaction on seeing the thumbnail of her lying over the heavy paving stones that stick up a fair bit above the road and forest floor 0 that's not good.

The crash itself, I'm surprised she didn't break her neck. Damn, that was nasty. I don't know much about cycling at high levels - did she hit her front brake causing the flip after the slide has begun or is it the slide and the way she had to turn her front wheel that caused the issue?

Usually riders choose wrong line and then try braking while turning. The trouble with that Rio descent was that there were curbs everywhere so there no place for mistakes and hitting such a high curb is instant fall. Really really poor organization of the race.

I disagree vehemently that Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time. Dude is good, no doubt. But he has a lot of events to compete in. If I'm a pole vaulter I get one event. You can't compare that with the 8 or so Phelps can compete in. And I feel like the physical attributes of those events are similar. It's not like the equivalent of Usian Bolt or Mo Farrah winning the 100m and the 10000m.

I mean no disrespect to the guy. But I actually think it is a huge disrespect to many other athletes to label him the greatest because of the number of medals alone.

Further, I think you could make an argument that someone like Usain Bolt, who has currently entered 6 Olympic Events (I think - 100m, 200m, 4x100m at Beijing and London) and won 6 compares favourably to Phelps who has 21 golds from 25 medals. I'm not making that argument, but I think someone could give it a shot if they wanted. There could be better candidates than Bolt, he just happened to be an easy target.


Rant over. Like I said, no disrespect to Phelps. I don't know if he calls himself the greatest ever. And I don't blame him for competing in every event he thinks he can win in. But it's not a level playing field if medal numbers is the criteria.



And, imo, swimming has too many events anyway.