Rio 2016 (The Olympic Games)

[7om]

World record you Georgian beast!

[ItalAussie]

Epke Zonderland was the defending champion on the high bar. He generally does much higher difficulty routines than anyone else, but they're also fantastic to watch. The other side of that is that when he messes up, it's spectacular.

He turned in an absolutely amazing routine in the final, let down only by his champion face-plant when he missed a connection. Got back up and nailed the rest of the routine, just for kicks. Hero.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lavillenie booed on the podium and reduced to tears.

Brazilian crowds (well the half that are there seeing as they can't get fuckers into arenas) really are the pits. They were booing people in the weightlifting too.

[ItalAussie]

He shouldn't have said what he said after the pole vault, but you can understand why he was angry as well. Perils of taking on a home competitor, I guess.

Also, they should always put the high jump before the pole vault. I've been watching the final, and all I can think is "well, it's high, but not as high as yesterday". Despite the fact that they're jumping high enough to clear my head comfortably.

[Luca]

Drouin :cool:

[ItalAussie]

Good high jump competition. Good women's 1500m. Good 110m hurdles. Good 200m semifinals.

Enjoyable athletics evening so far.

[bruhnaldo]

These fucking Chinese broads are trying to beat Brazilian women's volleyball :(

God damnit.

[Jimmy Floyd]

lol at the Chinese media seething.

[Byron]

I've just read, it's absolutely spectacular.

Veering from lamenting through to blaming too many 'Western Sports' and general discrimination against China and then back round to 'well we don't need medals anyway we're too big for that'

[Magic]

They need to lobby and try and get elevators and lifts involved in the olympic games.

[Kikó]

They need more marginal gains.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If only they had legends like Sir Clive Woodward, Sir Dave Brailsford, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Sebastian, The Lord Coe in their Olympic setup.

[Yevrah]

It's amazing how much emphasis the Chinese place on this as driving their status in the World. As if anyone gives a shit.

[7om]

I've been hearing the mutterings of referee unfairness and the Olympics being 'anti-China'. The tears are delicious.

[Yevrah]

Given Mandarin is almost impenetrable, how/where are you hearing these mutterings?

[Magic]

From his athletically shit wife, who isn't impenetrable. :eyemouth:

[7om]

Given Mandarin is almost impenetrable, how/where are you hearing these mutterings?

I speak mandarin.

[Byron]

The French seethe is just as glorious mind you.

[Lewis]

If only they had legends like Sir Clive Woodward, Sir Dave Brailsford, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Sebastian, The Lord Coe in their Olympic setup.

It must be waxwork central. Speaking of national stereotypes, lol at the German officials hammering those marathon runners for not taking it seriously enough.

[niko_cee]

Brazil are bumming Honduras in the football.

[Disco]

Do the Irish get a medal for corruption?

[Yevrah]

I speak mandarin.

That's pretty cool.

[John Arne]

Is it me or was the men's boxing 3 rounds, and the women's 5 rounds? Or did I only catch the early rounds of mens?

[Shindig]

Is this whole professional angle why they ditched the cech helmets?

[Kikó]

Fewer concussions according to studies without.

[niko_cee]

They must make Hoy commentate on the BMX for badness. I mean, making him analyse that shite whilst track events like the kilo and 4k individual pursuit have been binned must be slightly galling. Would be like losing the 200m for a bit of urban free-running. Only going to get worse with some of the garbage they're introducing in Tokoyo as well.

[Magic]

Only basketball and volleyball on with Australian commentators. Now I know why I don't give a fuck about the Olympics now.

[7om]

The coverage on BBC4 is pretty mental.

They are showing live coverage on the binmen going up and down the beach and waving to them every time they pass. There's a geezer they've been following all night who is working out on the beach and nicknamed him Anthony Worrall-Thompson and they now have a section called 'Copa Cabanter' where he sings poems to the tune of Barry Manilow's song.

I don't know if they're bored or don't give a shit this late at night but it's fascinating viewing. It's like a circus.

[7om]

Bolt runs 19.79 in the 200m and he was slowing down with about 40m to go. I'm getting really tired of his shit. What kind of sportsman deliberately slows down consistently in every race just to look over his shoulder?

Run as fast as you can and do justice to the competition and the arseholes who have spent money on a ticket. I'm sick of him, the prick.

[-james-]

Gatlin. :lol:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Gatlin :harold:

Yohan Blake looked absolutely shagged too.

[ItalAussie]

Bolt runs 19.79 in the 200m and he was slowing down with about 40m to go. I'm getting really tired of his shit. What kind of sportsman deliberately slows down consistently in every race just to look over his shoulder?

Run as fast as you can and do justice to the competition and the arseholes who have spent money on a ticket. I'm sick of him, the prick.

Presumably there's energy saving involved. He didn't slow down in the 100m final, but he was a bit exhausted.

He did say he was more tired after the 100m semifinal than he'd hoped to be, so maybe he wants to save everything for a serious crack at the world record in the final.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's not going to go full out in a fucking semi final you nutcase.

Look at him degrading 'western sports', fuck off back to China.

[ItalAussie]

There's really not that many events left that I'm particularly excited to see. :moop:

10m platform diving. Men's 1500m and 200m. Football final. Wherever Australia gets to in the basketball. I could give the BMX a watch, I suppose.

EDIT: I'll probably watch the handball out of curiosity, but nothing could get me to watch water polo.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Water polo is absolute bollocks to watch which is pretty strange as it's fucking brilliant to play.

Handball is damn good though and Taekwondo can be good when the two competing are desperately trying not to lose.

Oh and hockey brings back too many bad memories from school, what a shit sport that was to play.

[7om]

He's not going to go full out in a fucking semi final you nutcase.

Look at him degrading 'western sports', fuck off back to China.

Okay Mr 'I only support my home country when we perform well'. Hairy twat.

[ItalAussie]

I do actually enjoy watching handball, to be honest.

[Baz]

I read that Bolt was tired in the 100m final cos it was too soon after the semi. He went on to say there's a whole day between the semi and final for 200m so he'll be in top shape, and vowed to no ease off as he had 19.19 seconds in sight. What're the chances of him going sub-19? :drool:

Even 18.99 would be phenomenal to see.

[Kikó]

More chance of Dave voting Trump than that happening.

[Shindig]

Bolt going flat out would probably marmalise his hamstrings.

[ItalAussie]

Some very interesting statistics on the swimming pool used in these games (and the 2013 world championships):

https://swimswam.com/problem-rio-pool/

https://cdn.swimswam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/all_distance-768x539.png

There seems to be a weird discrepancy due to the side of the pool the swimmer was swimming in. The more detailed statistics indicate that the swimmers are getting a bit of a push to the turn end in lanes 1-4, and back to the start end in lanes 5-8.

It doesn't really matter over the longer distances (although it's interesting to see how it produced really jagged split times, shown in the article), but in something like the 50m freestyle, it very much does matter. Given that the women's 50m had a difference of 0.1s between 2nd (lane 7) and 6th (lane 3), it may have even affected the medal outcomes.

Very curious.

[Pepe]

Take all of Phelps medals back!

[Andy]

Really looking forward to a GB 1-2 in the triathlon. The cycle route in particular looks awesome. Massive descent to end it.

[Baz]

Same. Even put a fiver on the unfancied Johnny "JBL" Brownlee to add to the excitement.

[John Arne]

Some commentator watching a Brit in the taekwondo just said "I know I have to be impartial but...".

No, no you don't. Support the Brits, you muppet.

[Mazuuurk]

Some very interesting statistics on the swimming pool used in these games (and the 2013 world championships):

https://swimswam.com/problem-rio-pool/

https://cdn.swimswam.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/all_distance-768x539.png

There seems to be a weird discrepancy due to the side of the pool the swimmer was swimming in. The more detailed statistics indicate that the swimmers are getting a bit of a push to the turn end in lanes 1-4, and back to the start end in lanes 5-8.

It doesn't really matter over the longer distances (although it's interesting to see how it produced really jagged split times, shown in the article), but in something like the 50m freestyle, it very much does matter. Given that the women's 50m had a difference of 0.1s between 2nd (lane 7) and 6th (lane 3), it may have even affected the medal outcomes.

Very curious.


Maybe it's just psychology - people in the No1 starting block feel like winners and swim faster. Sounds super plausible.

[ItalAussie]

Maybe it's just psychology - people in the No1 starting block feel like winners and swim faster. Sounds super plausible.

If that were true, you'd expect it to apply consistently, rather than in two specific competitions and no others.

Also, they don't swim faster. They swim faster one way (towards the turn). The other lanes swim faster the other way (towards the start). The discrepancy shows up clearly in the splits in the longer events. It's just that the 50m only goes one way.

[ItalAussie]

I think everyone with a sibling will agree that there is probably nothing worse than losing in the Olympics to your own brother.

[Lewis]

I wonder what makes him better. What would be worse, being a nobody athlete whilst your brother kills it (like Paulp Ogba's brothers), being up there in your own right but not quite, or being Matty Johns?

[niko_cee]

Being Matty Johns.

[Disco]

The other (third) Brownlee has a dim view of triathlon, called it 'running around in yer pants'.

[Magic]

Nicola Adams has dropped every single cliche going in that clip.

[John Arne]

Apparently she is a women. She only mentioned it 12 times.

Alistair Brownlee also appears to be a bit of a gimp.

[Magic]

This BMX shit is hilarious. :D

Olympic sport? Aye.

[Lewis]

Isn't Ryan Lochte notoriously thick? Imagine letting him come up with the cover story.

[Magic]

Tonia Couch and Chris Language vying for the worst name award. :sick:

[niko_cee]

Do they ever use any of the other diving boards (other than the 10m platform and the 3m spring board)?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Jade Jones in the final :cool:

[Yevrah]

Anyone watching Bolt tonight in the 200m?

[Magic]

Recording it.

[Lewis]

The BBC sez half-two, which after the bollocks the other day must mean three. Fortunately I'm off tomorrow, so I might stay up.

[7om]

Did you get a job, Lewis?

[Lewis]

Obviously not.

[7om]

Tax dodger.

[ItalAussie]

Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav has been given a four-year doping ban after the World Anti-Doping Agency won its appeal against his earlier exoneration.

An Indian anti-doping disciplinary panel had ruled earlier this month that Yadav was a victim of “sabotage”, and cleared him to compete in Rio. Freestyle wrestling starts on Friday.

Wada filed an urgent application before Cas to challenge the decision to exonerate Yadav following two positive anti-doping tests in June and July.

“The Cas panel did not accept the argument of the athlete that he was the victim of sabotage and noted that there was no evidence that he bore no fault, nor that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional,” Cas said on Thursday.This is why doping happens. :D

"Our guy wouldn't do it. Must be sabotage."

[Lewis]

Taekwondo is easily the worst martial art. Then again, it's Korean, so it's the fighting equivalent of the Moonies.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's not the greatest.

Better live though, I remember going along to see my older brother don some dickheads.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Jade Jones though :cool:

[ItalAussie]

This handball semifinal has been amazing. Russia were so much stronger, but Norway just kept clawing their way back into it. Ended up losing in extra time after their final shot went agonisingly wide of the goal.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Also, I reckon Aikido, Capoeira (can it even be included, it's pretty much dancing) and Wing Chun are worse.

This video is amazing:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1F-vXRFgyM

Berry simple.

[7om]

Great, let's all watch Bolt run 20secs plus and slowing down halfway. Can't wait.

[ItalAussie]

Given that they're including surfing, rock-climbing, and skateboarding in the next Olympics (and while I have no feelings about skateboarding, the first two are actually quite fun to watch), you'd have to think that MMA is only a few olympiads away.

[Lewis]

I can't see it. It's not a pure discipline in itself, and how would they do it in vests and helmets?

[7om]

I'd like to see Brock take gold and then F5 the official who hands him his medal.

[Yevrah]

He's going for the WR here.

[Yevrah]

And got nowhere near it.

[7om]

Crap.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lemaitre grabbing bronze? :cab:

[Lewis]

lol at all the empty seats, and well done to that white lad.

[Yevrah]

The standard in the 100m and 200m this year has been absolute arse.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'd rather he celebrate than go for it and get nowhere near.

[Lewis]

There's another young Muslim radicalised.

[Yevrah]

Is it me or is he looking a bit tubby?

[7om]

The standard in the 100m and 200m this year has been absolute arse.

Yeah, its been crap. The depth of talent just isn't there anymore.

[ItalAussie]

The thing about Bolt's showboating is that as long as his feet are still going at full pace, I don't think it significantly slows him down more than maybe a few hundredths of a second. His time here was basically the same as his semifinal, when there was a shared grin. I mean, obviously a few hundredths can make a difference, but not when you're that far ahead of the pack.

[Pepe]

I really don't know why we (as in everyone) care so much about the hundred meters. Truth be told it is a shit event. It's over in ten seconds ffs.

[Vim]

Fastest men alive and all.

[Lewis]

It's going to be genuinely embarrassing when there are about six people watching the Paralympic events.

[Lewis]

Stick your 'Lightning Bolt'. We want dabs.

[Pepe]

If it's only worth watching once every four years then it is not worth watching.

[Pepe]

It's going to be genuinely embarrassing when there are about six people watching the Paralympic events.

Lol at the Russians getting banned.

EDIT: As for the empty stadiums, I'm assuming the prices were astronomical.

[Lewis]

There are probably a few reasons (that included), but do Brazilians even like that many sports?

[Pepe]

Does anyone? No one would go watch the javelin throw if it weren't THE OLYMPICS.

[Pepe]

Football
Motorsports
Basketball
MMA-style shit

I'd say they do better than many.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I believe the judo was always packed out, the weightlifting was for sure.

[Lewis]

Countries with any sort of sporting culture (rather than just a football/beach-based gayness culture) can find enough people to pretend to be interested in the crapper events. London seemed to pack everything out, but then we're the best sporting nation in the world, so...

[Pepe]

Are there countries with 'sporting culture' but no money?

[Pepe]

My physical education classes involved running around the block where the school was located.

[elth]

5 aside football and indoor cricket should be Olympic sports.

I've changed my mind about athletics being all about drugs, they wouldn't be so hopeless behind Bolt if they were on anything good.

[John]

Given that they're including surfing, rock-climbing, and skateboarding in the next Olympics (and while I have no feelings about skateboarding, the first two are actually quite fun to watch), you'd have to think that MMA is only a few olympiads away.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu should already be in, despite basically being an offshoot of Judo, but MMA is unlikely to get in.

[7om]

I always wonder where the limit for the 100m will be. At some point we're going to get to a position where the human body just can't get the time any lower aren't we?

Or at that point do we just let all the athletes juice themselves up to their eyeballs to keep the event interesting?

[Luca]

This (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/j.1740-9713.2012.00552.x/asset/j.1740-9713.2012.00552.x.pdf;jsessionid=B18EC1095CA5A3445 BA9D635EA1BD3CC.f03t04?v=1&t=is1b2c5q&14cea409) is a pretty good read. Basically, by just improving his time off the gun and taking advantage of favourable environmental conditions (high altitude, maximum allowable tailwind), Bolt himself could theoretically hit a sub 9.50 time. It's a bit of a thin article, I admit, but John Barrow is no chump.

[Ian]

Aren't there claims based on fossilised footprints and such that the likes of ancient aborigines were doing faster top speeds than Bolt? Dunno if that's accepted fac(h)t or just speculation.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Bolt trying to win Mastercard Olympic Gold is one thing, but surely Bolt running away from a hungry sabre toothed tiger would be quicker.

[John Arne]

Aren't there claims based on fossilised footprints and such that the likes of ancient aborigines were doing faster top speeds than Bolt? Dunno if that's accepted fac(h)t or just speculation.

Genuine question... how on earth can you tell from fossilised footprints how fast something was capable of moving? Also, Abo's were a lot shorter weren't they, so I'd be surprised if they could run that fast.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Presumably by comparing the nature of the imprint to the nature of the feet/bodies in question, and then comparing that to the modern day footprints produced by modern day sprinters.

[Baz]

If he was allowed to start when he wanted, and the clock started when he did, do you think Bolt would smash his record times?

[Shindig]

Presumably by comparing the nature of the imprint to the nature of the feet/bodies in question, and then comparing that to the modern day footprints produced by modern day sprinters.

Yup, although smaller feet will create bigger imprints so I'll hazard a guess and say margin for error is wild. Not unreasonable, though. You ran in prehistoric times for survival.

[ItalAussie]

If he was allowed to start when he wanted, and the clock started when he did, do you think Bolt would smash his record times?

I've often thought they should do long jump this way. As long as you're behind the line, they ought to measure from where you take off, rather than the line. The problem is that you'd need technology to sort it out.

It does mean you don't get half the jumps being ruled out, and the other half being 20cm shorter than they might otherwise have been.

[Disco]

Apparently long jumpers have developed a new technique involving a somersault but the IOC (or whoever) deemed it illegal and said it would need to be a different discipline.

I can see their point but surely it's just a different tactic, I don't see them dictating posture for runners or how pole vaulters should hold the pole. What's the difference?

[Baz]

I bet Dick Fosbury's having a good laugh about it.

[ItalAussie]

If it has a somersault involved, presumably there's going to be an element of danger. You go upside-down headfirst into the ground and you could very seriously snap something.

[phonics]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ6ySgqjONI

That's pretty boss actually

[Baz]

If it has a somersault involved, presumably there's going to be an element of danger. You go upside-down headfirst into the ground and you could very seriously snap something.http://m.liveleak.com/view?i=eb6_1470245230

[Mazuuurk]

If that were true, you'd expect it to apply consistently, rather than in two specific competitions and no others.

Also, they don't swim faster. They swim faster one way (towards the turn). The other lanes swim faster the other way (towards the start). The discrepancy shows up clearly in the splits in the longer events. It's just that the 50m only goes one way.

Yeah I wasn't actually serious.

But then, ugh...

Gravity?

[ItalAussie]

Yeah I wasn't actually serious.

But then, ugh...

Gravity?

Apologies. Hard to tell. :nodd:

[ItalAussie]

The 50km walk is heading to a hell of a finish.

[Disco]

If it has a somersault involved, presumably there's going to be an element of danger. You go upside-down headfirst into the ground and you could very seriously snap something.

You just banned all gymnastics ever.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Rhythmic is still good, Disco.

[Disco]

How that shit survives yet things like squash and netball (yes I do know the reason it's not in but still...) aren't in. The IOC really are shite.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37111934

That's shocking.

[John]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/disability-sport/37135083

I was coming in to post that one. They're a fucking shambles. All future Olympics should be held in London.

[Lewis]

You would think all of their lepers would turn out.

[GS]

This is what happens when you let shit countries host major events.

[randomlegend]

If anyone is remotely interested in badminton, the semi-final between Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei was incredible.

[Spikey M]

Short sighted from the Brazilians. Their Zika contingent is going to boss the Paralympics in 2036

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

How that shit survives yet things like squash and netball (yes I do know the reason it's not in but still...) aren't in. The IOC really are shite.

I'd also advocate dropping the entire Equestrian program, even though GB always does well in it.

[Spikey M]

I'd go one step forward and eliminate Horses as a species. Showy cunts. Worse than Dolphins.

[Spikey M]

https://twitter.com/JeremyPalmer7/status/766029035537215488

[Jimmy Floyd]

Equestrian stuff is quality, and an actual sport rather than some of the absolute nonsense guff like BMX and beach volleyball.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Show jumping, fine but dressage is not a sport. It's just a posh Crufts.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's no less of a sport than diving, or the entire gymnastics programme.

[randomlegend]

How the fuck is dressage more of a sport than BMX?

[Ian]

Genuine question... how on earth can you tell from fossilised footprints how fast something was capable of moving? Also, Abo's were a lot shorter weren't they, so I'd be surprised if they could run that fast.

As others have added: the thing I read was based on footprint size and distance between the steps.

[Jimmy Floyd]

How the fuck is dressage more of a sport than BMX?

What's BMX, riding round some made up track on rubbish bikes? Why not do it on pogo sticks, or space hoppers. Beach volleyball? Why not forest volleyball.

Dressage demonstrates a much greater fumdamental skill, the ability to ride and control an animal to absolute precision. I'm not saying it's box office entertainment, but saying it isn't a sport is just pure ignorance.

[randomlegend]

Why not do Llama dancing? What the fuck are you even on about.

[Shindig]

Bull fighting.

[-james-]

Why not have six stumps instead of three? Why are rugby balls not round? What the fuck is pole vaulting?

[randomlegend]

The 100m is just running fast, hardly any fumdamental skill to be honest.

[mugbull]

Jimmy's stuck in the Victorian era as always. Beach volleyball is completely legitimate by the way, it's a very different sport to indoor volleyball.

[Pepe]

BMX riders put out higher power numbers than road sprinters, in case anyone was wondering.

[Jimmy Floyd]

So if you can reduce any sport to being a pointless activity, why are you all so adamant that dressage isn't one?

[mugbull]

So if you can reduce any sport to being a pointless activity, why are you all so adamant that dressage isn't one?

The fact that they combine genders for equestrian says everything you need to know about its status as a display of athletic ability.

[Pepe]

They could easily combine genders in the archery or any of the shooting events too.

[mugbull]

I doubt that.

[randomlegend]

Ital's gonna have an aneurysm when he sees that.

[Kikó]

They've combined genders in the womans 800m.

[ItalAussie]

I'd be interested to see if they could combine genders in shooting events. I honestly don't know if you could or couldn't.

Also, everything I personally enjoy watching is clearly a sport that deserves to be in the Olympics. But everything I don't enjoy watching is a waste of time that shouldn't be near it. Obviously.

[mugbull]

I think for a sport to be in the Olympics it has to fundamentally and primarily an exercise whose goal is the accomplishment of some physical feat. A display of precision and skill isn't enough to make something a valid sport, otherwise you'd have violin solos and League of Legends making their way into the Olympics.

And I definitely think that at the highest levels you wouldn't be able to have mixed gender shooting. Male archers use heavier bows than women archers because they are able to. I wouldn't be surprised if (gun) shooting had a similar draining effect.

[ItalAussie]

Yeah, I knew it wouldn't be possible in archery. I wonder about things like pistol shooting.

[randomlegend]

I can't see any reason why women would be disadvantaged in something like pistol-shooting.

Seems men and women do compete against each other in shooting events outside the Olympics.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The skeet was mixed from 72 to 92 and only one woman medalled, Zhang Shan who won gold in 92.

Oh and Margaret Murdock tied a man for gold in 76 for the 50m rifle (3 positions) but lost in the shootout so took silver.

It's mixed in the collegiate system as far as I know and I've seen shooting competitions before that are mixed (America also do a reality TV show which is called Top Shot which is mixed but no woman has ever won it, although there haven't been that many) and women are competitive against them.

I've heard that they might have mixed competitions at Tokyo.

[-james-]

Britain disqualified from the 4x400 relay for what appears to be nothing. Brazil now qualify as second fastest loser :^)

[ItalAussie]

Australia won a gold in the modern pentathlon. That came out of nowhere, and it's a nice story.

[-james-]

Biggest shock of the games in the women's 5000m there?

http://i.imgur.com/mPmDkqX.png

[ItalAussie]

The women's pole vault final is really shaping up to an exciting finish, and the handball semifinal is into extra time.

Sneaky good events going on at the moment.

[ItalAussie]

Caught the end of the taekwondo. It's not a sport that interests me, but there's something really nice about seeing delighted competitors in minor sports, who worked for their entire lives and will probably never have any kind of serious fame or recognition outside of these four year intervals.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Got a little bit on Jamaica double in the 4x100m relays.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Poland should get a special medal because Bielecki had his left eye pretty much poked out in 2010.

Justice for the Polish disableds.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Jamaica should cull all the females after that.

Shambles.

[ItalAussie]

I like that the pole vault judges raise a red flag when the vaulter misses. Thanks for that guys.

[ItalAussie]

The American couldn't have come closer to clearing her last jump - one tiny brush away from gold.

That was a really fantastic final.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What a dick.

1 second on the clock, ref restarts and the Brit goes in, drops his guard and gets done by a turning head kick :face:

[ItalAussie]

Bolt. That's how you do it.

[-james-]

What a dick.

1 second on the clock, ref restarts and the Brit goes in, drops his guard and gets done by a turning head kick :face:

Yep. He's going to hate himself forever.

[7om]

Feel desperately sorry for Muhammad but why didn't he just back out with one second left? It was a miracle kick but he should have never even got the chance.

[niko_cee]

What's that Cooke (?) chap who we never allow to compete up to these days?

I bet 'British Taekwondo' had all the we told you so press releases primed and ready to go. Back on the shelf lads.

[Samadini]

Cook now competes for Moldova and lost 14-2 in the round of 16.

[niko_cee]

Also, despite being a long term and decent level hockey player as a youth, it's just such a boring sport to watch. Even the penalty shoot-outs are horrendously dull. Dutch were properly robbed, bet Uto was absolutely beside himself.

[Giggles]

Just caught some highlight thing there, why is the running track blue?

[Baz]

Just seen the women's hockey team in the paper. Sam Quek is something special. :wub:

[Shindig]

I don't think I like this 'Married Baz'.

[Spikey M]

I think for a sport to be in the Olympics it has to fundamentally and primarily an exercise whose goal is the accomplishment of some physical feat. A display of precision and skill isn't enough to make something a valid sport, otherwise you'd have violin solos and League of Legends making their way into the Olympics.

And I definitely think that at the highest levels you wouldn't be able to have mixed gender shooting. Male archers use heavier bows than women archers because they are able to. I wouldn't be surprised if (gun) shooting had a similar draining effect.

Could you not split into weight catagories rather than gender? Not that I see much of a problem with a gender split. I doubt the male archers are pulling in th big bucks

[Shindig]

I would like to see a combined set of times, mind. Something tells me women of today can smash some poor sod from the 70s-80s. And I hate when Women's football gets ridiculed.

[ItalAussie]

The final round of the modern pentathlon is absolutely worth watching. It's combined shooting-running, kind of like the winter biathlon except on a cross country track.

There's not really anything else like it, and I'm looking forward to watching the men's version.

[Ian]

I still love that the guy who invented the modern pentathlon based it around some sort of action-adventure fantasy.

[Pepe]

Triathletes are a bit shit at cycling.

[Pepe]

Can't be too comfortable doing it on a swimming suit to be fair.

[Lewis]

Big Man does a couple of little races and thinks he's Eddy Merckx.

[Pepe]

:cool:

I look even shitter of course.

The MTB course looks like fun.

[Lewis]

My old man is currently exploring whether he could break the 55-59 year olds world hour record. He's off to see an aerodynamics expert next week to get an idea of the pressures involved. Why not just buy a sports car, mate, like the rest of the sad old cunts?

[Pepe]

Will he attempt it in baggy shorts and Hawaiian shirt?

The lad that beasts me every Sunday up the hills has to be at least sixty, the old cunt. Probably weights 50 kilos, mind.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://www.medalspercapita.com/#medals-per-capita:all-time

Finland still technically rule the world. Although Grenada have SMASHED it by winning one a medal this year.

[Lewis]

Will he attempt it in baggy shorts and Hawaiian shirt?

The lad that beasts me every Sunday up the hills has to be at least sixty, the old cunt. Probably weights 50 kilos, mind.

He takes it seriously. He used to hammer all the rich people round his way on his shit, home-made bike because he was willing to throw up on the finish line.

[Pepe]

Pics of the home-made bike. :D

The focus on the bicycle is definitely overdone. Past the Walmart ones any of them will do.

[ItalAussie]

Glad Brazil won that. Good for the games, and they were the better team.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Martyn Rooney is such a dick.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Get him fucking knighted.

Sir Mobot :cool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

One more gold than 2012 and tied for total medals at 2012.

Fucking hell, that's insane.

Apparently the first nation to improve 5 Olympics in a row.

Champions, bar Murray ofc he can still go fuck himself.

[Waffdon]

Yer a belter, son.

[Lewis]

Pics of the home-made bike. :D

The focus on the bicycle is definitely overdone. Past the Walmart ones any of them will do.

This was a couple of years ago. He's started earning decent money again recently (after about ten years of being post-divorce poor), so he's gone mental and spent thousands on one.

[Reg]

Mo! What a dude. Loved the end. Amazing he can up the intensity after all of that.

[Pepe]

This was a couple of years ago. He's started earning decent money again recently (after about ten years of being post-divorce poor), so he's gone mental and spent thousands on one.

Still cheaper than most of the other mid-life crisis wanker sports/hobbies, mind.

[niko_cee]

I dunno. Road bikes have very much become the new golf (I'm sure this is Jimmy's theory). The scope for pointless and excessive spending are fairly limitless.

Mine came out of a dump in Sydney. I think it's fairly decent, although it has a massive ding in the frame/seat post. Rock Machine Race Ride 900 or something. The internet seems to know of it, but beyond that information is scant.

Quite fancy getting a speedometer type thing for it as the one on it is dead, but I'm not sure I can be bothered with the expense.

[Pepe]

The scope for pointless and excessive spending are fairly limitless.

It is, but you'll still end up spending less than what a Miata would cost you, plus you don't need to pay for the country club membership. Of course many still manage to spend a fortune on $300 bibs and whatnot.


Quite fancy getting a speedometer type thing for it as the one on it is dead, but I'm not sure I can be bothered with the expense.

You can get those for like $10.

[Lewis]

Why have the Chinese been so shit this year?

[niko_cee]

I was a bit stumped on Miata there.

Anyway, bit of a nonsense in the boxing there. Does amateur boxing ever take place over a meaningful number of rounds or is it just run and hide for 9 minutes all the time? I've not seen much of it this year but it has looked very scrappy from what I have. The 'Azeri' (I assume Cuban) who lost the bought before looked like he got a bit of a doing as well.

[Spikey M]

The boxing is clearly bent as fuck. Robbed.

[Lewis]

I've seen a fair bit of amateur boxing this year (albeit at a local level), and unless somebody is clearly getting battered then you might as well toss a coin.

[Spikey M]

I mean, the majority of Joyces shots were hitting the arms, but that's kind of a given when you're fighting someone who has their arms glued to the side of their face.

He had him swaying from body shots alone in then end.

[niko_cee]

Joyce wasn't exactly Ali, but he did do enough to win the fight. Thought that action-man (twist at the waist) thing the commentator said was quite good. He did look like that. Not much foot movement, head stayed still but he just whirled his arms back and forth. The other guy was probably the better fighter 'technically' but he landed about 7 shots in the whole fight and if it had gone a few more rounds he was toast. He was out on his arse after about a round and a half.

[Davgooner]

Fucking robbery that was. The first round in particular, that French shite barely threw a punch.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I thought the old Olympic scoring system for boxing worked a lot better than this. Three rounds is too few for 10-9 decisions and most of the ones I saw were just total bollocks. That Frenchman got battered by a Croat in his semi-final and yet the judges loaded on him for reasons unknown.

[Shindig]

I'm convinced the Cech helmets made it easier for the judges to identify scoring hits.

[Reg]

I think the Olympics as a whole should have a 'proper' scoring system. 3 points for a gold, 2 for a silver and 1 for a bronze. I know the idea is really about seeing who's the best in each discipline, but everyones looking at medal tables so they might as well regulate it.

[Baz]

Did anyone watch the soccer final? Why were the Brazil players so emotional? It almost looked put-on, like a spoof because we all know the olympic football tournament is on-par with the community shield and goal of the month. Neymar was hysterical. Bloody footballers.

[Pepe]

The old boxing scoring system was complete bollocks. Go ahead by a couple of points, spend the rest of the bout running.

[Pepe]

Did anyone watch the soccer final? Why were the Brazil players so emotional? It almost looked put-on, like a spoof because we all know the olympic football tournament is on-par with the community shield and goal of the month. Neymar was hysterical. Bloody footballers.

If by 'we all' you mean people in this forum, then sure.

[ItalAussie]

Did anyone watch the soccer final? Why were the Brazil players so emotional? It almost looked put-on, like a spoof because we all know the olympic football tournament is on-par with the community shield and goal of the month. Neymar was hysterical. Bloody footballers.

Brazil have a particular thing about Olympic football. They've lost in the final three times before, and never won it.

They wanted it really, really bad. Like, as much as a World Cup. I remember the "Brazil and Olympic Football" thing being reported during the Sydney Olympics, and it's only gotten bigger since then.

[-james-]

I've said it before but the football has been brilliant. I think Brazil's reaction is fairly understandable after Belo Horizonte. They do like being good at football.

[ItalAussie]

I think the Olympics as a whole should have a 'proper' scoring system. 3 points for a gold, 2 for a silver and 1 for a bronze. I know the idea is really about seeing who's the best in each discipline, but everyones looking at medal tables so they might as well regulate it.

How many silvers would it take for you to trade away one gold?

Golds > everything. The table works sensibly as it is.

[Reg]

That's why they get 3 points. ;) My point really was that as it stands, with media ranking nations by gold medals, it means that somebody could have 7 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze, and be ranked higher than somebody with 6 golds, 15 silvers and 15 bronzes.

It's not a big deal, especially as like I said it's about seeing who's the best in each individual competition.

[ItalAussie]

That's why they get 3 points. ;) My point really was that as it stands, with media ranking nations by gold medals, it means that somebody could have 7 golds, 1 silver and 1 bronze, and be ranked higher than somebody with 6 golds, 15 silvers and 15 bronzes.
I totally think that's how it should be ranked in that situation. Phelps would never trade two of his golds for three silvers, despite them having the same valuation in your system. Or even ten silvers.

I remember once, one country (Hungary? Spain? Brazil?) ended up with something like 13 or 14 medals, of which one was gold. They sat below a nation with two golds and nothing else. And that's exactly the right ranking order, I reckon.



EDIT: I found it. I'm thinking of Brazil in 2000, who got 0-6-6. They're sitting just below Mozambique, Cameroon, and Colombia, who each got one gold and nothing else. As they should be.

EDIT: I went digging around to find other fun examples. Cuba went 2-11-11 in Athens, slotting in just under Georgia with 3-0-3.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The medals table is, as its name suggests, a table indicating medals. It's also completely unofficial.

Lol as it is that we got more golds than China, I really dislike the medals table.

[Shindig]

Yahoo rank theirs on total medals won.

[Spikey M]

1 gold should outweigh 100 silvers. Silver is for the least bad loser.

[niko_cee]

The EU claimed Olympic victory vis-à-vis the medals table the other day.

1000 points for [beautiful] gold, 2 points for [so-so] silver and -15 for [shameful] bronze?

[ItalAussie]

Yahoo rank theirs on total medals won.

All American sources do for some reason.

[niko_cee]

Usually because they always win the most and could therefore claim victory in 2008.

[elth]

Assigning a points value to the minor medals is getting dangerously close to Wengerian justifications for not winning the title.

Gold or STFU.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I also like some sections of our overthinking-everything media suggesting that we only got more golds than China because of lottery funding / taxpayer's money / state support. Erm, chaps...

[Shindig]

The club of No Russians.

[bruhnaldo]

Thanks everyone for your congratulations on winning the Olympics.

I'd like to say we tried hard but we didn't, we're just naturally the best.

'Murica.

/jingoism

[John Arne]

You lot were 30th, pal....

https://gyazo.com/996d9450603a03516ee395f4bc4684f1.png

[John Arne]

Medals per athlete's sent is also a good measure...

https://gyazo.com/f8ac89d0632db45400869cc22586830f.png

[bruhnaldo]

Is this the Olympic version of "net-spend" or something? Lmao.

It's not as if we have to individually qualify for each event or something. Everyone else was free to qualify and beat us in each event. Sorry you didn't :(

[Lewis]

Remember we've got hardly any black people.

[bruhnaldo]

Well considering you lot were the pioneers of African slave trade I guess you should've planned your route to gold better.

[Lewis]

I think you would have to say it worked out overall.

[bruhnaldo]

Lol what a guy.

[Pepe]

Just realized today that we won a medal in the modern pentathlon. How does that even happen?

[Disco]

Well...

[Giggles]

Two rowers that apparently won a silver medal are on a talk show here tonight. They better hope there's money in rowing because I've never seen two thicker cunts in my life.

[Shindig]

I like the idea of our nation's elite having a scummy undercrust that studies nothing but rowing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That's pretty much how it is, to be honest. I went to a massive rowing school, and the rowers are basically drawn from anyone who's a) crap at ball sports, and b) thick enough that they don't realise how terrible rowing is.

They also do mega drugs because they aren't allowed to drink.

[niko_cee]

I know it's terribly unenlightened, but some of these Paralympians are just taking the piss. One of our chaps just mullered a (one armed) Chinese chap in some swimming whilst appearing to be almost completely able-bodied (I think he had something wrong with one of his hands) and an Aussie has just done the same against a yank with no legs below the knee. There must be so much gaming of the classification system even before you get into the likes of the Spanish and their learning difficulties.

Sarah Storey annihilating the other Brit (who had about 10 days notice that she was competing) in the gold medal 3km pursuit race makes you wonder why they even bothered holding the event.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

We could have quite a few competing from TTH.

[John]

Sounds like you could be a swimmer.

[Shindig]

Archery, man. Keep up.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I could double up like a hero.

I'll be a spastic Michael Phelps during hunting season.

[mugbull]

Yeah, how do the paralympics work? Obviously some people are more fucked up than others, so how is it normalized?

[Disco]

There's a fairly complicated classification system but seeing as there are fucking loads of potential disabilities (just think of how many different types of just amputees there could conceivably be) some of them have to be lumped together. Inevitably some people are at the 'bottom' of their bracket and therefore at a disadvantage but it's either that or have 8 bajillion events.

[Disco]

Is Jonathan Edwards turning into Gary Lineker?

[Spikey M]

Could you not compare one athlete being less spazy than another to one boxer having a longer reach than another? Genetic good/bad luck isn't unique to the paralympics.

[Giggles]

Seen the medal table for this this morning and was surprised to see China so far ahead. I always presumed they just threw disabled people out to sea.

[niko_cee]

They probably do, and then 'disable' the athletes who don't quite make the able-bodied grade.

[Disco]

They probably do, and then 'disable' the athletes who don't quite make the able-bodied grade.

That was exactly my thought. Ukraine being in the mix was the one that surprised me, ahead of the US too.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was exactly my thought. Ukraine being in the mix was the one that surprised me, ahead of the US too.

Chernobyl is the gift that keeps on giving.

[Disco]

1d8oV3v

[Magic]

I love how he angled his hand to shake the stump rather than pull out of it straight away.