The Olympics thread

[klr]

Damn, 4th place for Ireland in the 50k walk, although there was a good 30 seconds to the 3rd place. Oh well ...

[mistermack]

I think synchronised swimming is kept in the olympics to do a job.

It takes all the flak that other sports might otherwise get. When people point out that dressage is a ludicrous joke, they can just say, "Well, it's not as bad as synchronised swimming".

Same with the rythmic gymnastics prancing about with streamers and a ball. "well, it's not as silly as synchro".

Keep up the good work girls. I want to see a male team.

I do. I do, I really do !! Even if I have to watch through a gap my fingers covering my eyes.

[klr]

Here's another in the short-list of bizarre sports: The Modern Pentathlon

Why, why on earth why?

[mistermack]

Because it's like the James Bond films. After all, synchronised swimming came from a film.

They should have the gold medal car chase, and the razor-sharp bowler hat event.
And unarmed combat, while skydiving from 30,000 feet.

It could catch on.

[klr]

Because it's like the James Bond films. After all, synchronised swimming came from a film.

They should have the gold medal car chase, and the razor-sharp bowler hat event.
And unarmed combat, while skydiving from 30,000 feet.

It could catch on.

... or they could update it to reflect what a modern soldier has to do, instead of the 19th equivalent that the current is format is based on. But it could be tricky: Event #1: Find and defuse an IED ...

[mistermack]

Because it's like the James Bond films. After all, synchronised swimming came from a film.

They should have the gold medal car chase, and the razor-sharp bowler hat event.
And unarmed combat, while skydiving from 30,000 feet.

It could catch on.

... or they could update it to reflect what a modern soldier has to do, instead of the 19th equivalent that the current is format is based on. But it could be tricky: Event #1: Find and defuse an IED ...

Or learn how to say "how much your sister ?" in 25 different languages.

[klr]

Well, well, well ... Mexico 2, Brazil 1. Brazil's long wait for an Olympic football title goes on and on. All Brazil's faults were there today: Unorganised in defence and attack, obsessed with their own individual ability, arrogant and tactically naive. At this rate, Brazil won't have a prayer when they host the World Cup in 2014. Brazil need to play like Spain, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

[Pensioner]

Well, well, well ... Mexico 2, Brazil 1. Brazil's long wait for an Olympic football title goes on and on. All Brazil's faults were there today: Unorganised in defence and attack, obsessed with their own individual ability, arrogant and tactically naive. At this rate, Brazil won't have a prayer when they host the World Cup in 2014. Brazil need to play like Spain, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

Brizil thought all they had to do was turn up and they would win, I love it when the underdogs win. Well done the Mexico team.

[klr]

Well, well, well ... Mexico 2, Brazil 1. Brazil's long wait for an Olympic football title goes on and on. All Brazil's faults were there today: Unorganised in defence and attack, obsessed with their own individual ability, arrogant and tactically naive. At this rate, Brazil won't have a prayer when they host the World Cup in 2014. Brazil need to play like Spain, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

Brizil thought all they had to do was turn up and they would win, I love it when the underdogs win. Well done the Mexico team.

It's Mexico's first gold medal of the games as well. Cue the Tequila!

[Pensioner]

Well, well, well ... Mexico 2, Brazil 1. Brazil's long wait for an Olympic football title goes on and on. All Brazil's faults were there today: Unorganised in defence and attack, obsessed with their own individual ability, arrogant and tactically naive. At this rate, Brazil won't have a prayer when they host the World Cup in 2014. Brazil need to play like Spain, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

Brizil thought all they had to do was turn up and they would win, I love it when the underdogs win. Well done the Mexico team.

It's Mexico's first gold medal of the games as well. Cue the Tequila!

You do not drink, you strange Irish man.

[klr]

Well, well, well ... Mexico 2, Brazil 1. Brazil's long wait for an Olympic football title goes on and on. All Brazil's faults were there today: Unorganised in defence and attack, obsessed with their own individual ability, arrogant and tactically naive. At this rate, Brazil won't have a prayer when they host the World Cup in 2014. Brazil need to play like Spain, but that's not going to happen any time soon.

Brizil thought all they had to do was turn up and they would win, I love it when the underdogs win. Well done the Mexico team.

It's Mexico's first gold medal of the games as well. Cue the Tequila!

You do not drink, you strange Irish man.

Someone has to keep the place going while everyone else gets rat-arsed.

[klr]

Last day of the games.

The men's marathon is on, watched by ginormous crowds.

Apparently, over 120 Kenyans have met the qualifying standard this year alone - the qualifying period extends back into 2011. That's several times more than all of Europe combined.

[mistermack]

Won by a Ugandan.
It's not surprising that Africans win the distance events.

British kids never even WALK anywhere these days, let alone run. They get driven to school, and then carried to the gates.
African kids often RUN miles and miles to school, and then home again. And hardly ever get carried, except as babies.

Even in my lifetime, things have changed enormously in Britain. When I was little, I used to leave the house and wander wherever I felt like it, and just go home when I was hungry. No parents allow that now.

It's surprising that any British kids can run at all.

[klr]

Won by a Ugandan.
It's not surprising that Africans win the distance events.

British kids never even WALK anywhere these days, let alone run. They get driven to school, and then carried to the gates.
African kids often RUN miles and miles to school, and then home again. And hardly ever get carried, except as babies.

Even in my lifetime, things have changed enormously in Britain. When I was little, I used to leave the house and wander wherever I felt like it, and just go home when I was hungry. No parents allow that now.

It's surprising that any British kids can run at all.

Maybe, but that's only the second ever gold medal won by Uganda, only the third ever in track and field, and the first at a distance longer than 400m. That said, the winner is from the same ethnic group as the Keynan runners, and made a decision to go and live and train in Kenya some years ago.

Maybe when economic circumstances improve in East Africa, they won't be so good at running.

[Rum]

Anyone watching the closing ceremony?