The Olympics thread

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PsychoSerenity
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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by PsychoSerenity » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:26 pm

klr wrote:On the flip side, it's always good to countries winning their first ever medal - like Cyprus, Botswana and Grenada at these games. You can bet winning even one medal is a huge deal in those countries.
Yeah I can see that, but once it gets to the stage of America vs China, it's just tedious.
[Disclaimer - if this is comes across like I think I know what I'm talking about, I want to make it clear that I don't. I'm just trying to get my thoughts down]

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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by klr » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:29 pm

PsychoSerenity wrote:
klr wrote:On the flip side, it's always good to countries winning their first ever medal - like Cyprus, Botswana and Grenada at these games. You can bet winning even one medal is a huge deal in those countries.
Yeah I can see that, but once it gets to the stage of America vs China, it's just tedious.
I'm more interested in where certain countries tend to win their medals. The Chinese seem almost unbeatable in table tennis, squash and diving, but don't really seem to figure in the decadent capitalist equestrian arena. Although they seem to be making inroads in sailing. :what:

EDIT: I forgot Guatemala won a first medal these games as well, in the men's 20k walk.
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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by Coito ergo sum » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:31 pm

Equestrianism is now "decadent capitalist?" It always used to be aristocratic.

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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by Mallardz » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:32 pm

I have a more question I consider valid.
Why are China and America so dominant?
Is it because their larger populations proportionately produce more high class athletes?
Because they have larger teams and participate is every event sometimes with multiple athletes?
Do they just inject more funding?
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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by klr » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:37 pm

Mallardz wrote:I have a more question I consider valid.
Why are China and America so dominant?
Is it because their larger populations proportionately produce more high class athletes?
Because they have larger teams and participate is every event sometimes with multiple athletes?
Do they just inject more funding?
Actually, the USA seems to do itself out of a lot of medals, because its' college system often produces medal-winning foreigners who beat USA competitors. That's capitalism, baby!

Anyway, it's all wealth, organization ... and some amount of political motivation. The Chinese have many times more medals than the Indians, and I'd say the gap is only going to grow.
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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by Coito ergo sum » Thu Aug 09, 2012 9:38 pm

Mallardz wrote:I have a more question I consider valid.
Why are China and America so dominant?
Is it because their larger populations proportionately produce more high class athletes?
Because they have larger teams and participate is every event sometimes with multiple athletes?
Do they just inject more funding?
Well, the US probably steals the training secrets of other countries when it invades them in its myriad wars of imperial conquest. We bring home the training methods and use them to bolster our athletes, who are all on average from 1 to 5 generations away from being from another country anyway, so they hardly count as American. :tut:

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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by Coito ergo sum » Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:00 pm

US now with 39 golds, to China's 37 -- 90 total medals for the Merkins and 80 for the Chinamen.

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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by Twoflower » Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:03 pm

I have noticed that I am feeling a little more patriotic this Olympics than I ever have before. I have never cared about which country is winning or anything but this year I feel a little smug when I see the Americans winning. Maybe it's because I'm living in a different country and it gives me some sort of connection to the states.
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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by redunderthebed » Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:42 pm

klr wrote:
PsychoSerenity wrote:
klr wrote:On the flip side, it's always good to countries winning their first ever medal - like Cyprus, Botswana and Grenada at these games. You can bet winning even one medal is a huge deal in those countries.
Yeah I can see that, but once it gets to the stage of America vs China, it's just tedious.
I'm more interested in where certain countries tend to win their medals. The Chinese seem almost unbeatable in table tennis, squash and diving, but don't really seem to figure in the decadent capitalist equestrian arena. Although they seem to be making inroads in sailing. :what:

EDIT: I forgot Guatemala won a first medal these games as well, in the men's 20k walk.
Well considering the size of china's coast and the unlimited $$$$$$ they can throw at any sport they want this isn't surprising.

The great Satan Venezuela won its first gold medal and medal in 44 years. :D

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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by Gawdzilla Sama » Fri Aug 10, 2012 12:37 am

Next week this time no fucks will have been given.
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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by Ian » Fri Aug 10, 2012 12:40 am

I was happy to see that the musical montage during the opening ceremony's fireworks was capped off by Pink Floyd. :biggrin:

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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by macdoc » Fri Aug 10, 2012 2:43 am

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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by PsychoSerenity » Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:34 am

Twoflower wrote:I have noticed that I am feeling a little more patriotic this Olympics than I ever have before. I have never cared about which country is winning or anything but this year I feel a little smug when I see the Americans winning. Maybe it's because I'm living in a different country and it gives me some sort of connection to the states.
Yeah I can understand that too. The more people I speak to about this, the more I realise I'm actually quite extreme in how unnationalist I am.
[Disclaimer - if this is comes across like I think I know what I'm talking about, I want to make it clear that I don't. I'm just trying to get my thoughts down]

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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by Clinton Huxley » Fri Aug 10, 2012 6:39 am

I enjoyed watching the Taekwondo last night, another Gold for Blighty. I'll never watch or care about Taekwondo again, until the next Olympics though. I'm pleased to see Britain getting more than 3 times as many golds as France, obviously but I'm equally thrilled to see Bolt retain his 100m and 200m titles and the 800m record broken.

It's easy to sneer if you don't like sport but these athletes have worked like dogs to get where they are and good luck to 'em.
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Re: The Olympics thread

Post by Pensioner » Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:29 am

Clinton Huxley wrote:I enjoyed watching the Taekwondo last night, another Gold for Blighty. I'll never watch or care about Taekwondo again, until the next Olympics though. I'm pleased to see Britain getting more than 3 times as many golds as France, obviously but I'm equally thrilled to see Bolt retain his 100m and 200m titles and the 800m record broken.

It's easy to sneer if you don't like sport but these athletes have worked like dogs to get where they are and good luck to 'em.
I agree but did you know Yorkshire has won 12 medals. :biggrin:
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