The Olympic Games 2008 (sport topic)

Forostar

Forostar

Ancient Mariner
Will you follow the Games? Any sports that you're interested in? I thought a topic might be handy.

Actually today the whole thing started yesterday already. I don't know the whole program, all I know that today there will be some football again. Some matches:

Netherlands - Nigeria
Brazil - Belgium
Ivory Coast - Argentina

More: http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/Schedule/FB.shtml

Further I am interested to follow the swimming and of course all events in which my own country will take part. It won't be able to see it all this live, because of the time difference.
 
As always, I'll only be interested in what some smaller nations do- Nauru, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and their likes. Basically, the reason for that is that the Olympics are the only occasion you only ever get to hear something from them at all. I'm particularly cheering for Nauru. Last time they only had one weightlifter, let's see if they have anyone at all this time.
I'm really not interested in any of the big nations, because they always dominate anyway. The only big nation I pay some attention to is Iran, because they had a really good weightlifter a while back, and he was a joy to watch.
As for sports in general, apart from the mentioned, I guess I'm interested in swimming and the tossing and throwing of various stuff, as well as the obligatory running.
 
As usual, I will follow the Olympics - but I only really pay attention to Track & Field. By all accounts, Team GB is supposed to be in good shape leading into the games - especially the cycling. I guess time will tell if they do get the medals they are promising.

As a point of interest, what are your most memorable Olympic moments? One of mine would have to be Derek Redmond running in the 400 semi's Barcelona '92. The man was tipped for a medal and was in good form...until he pulled up with around 250 metres to go clutching his thigh. What had happened is that he tore a hamstring and, obviously, had to stop. Now, apparently what went through his mind, after the initial shock of the injury, is that he was determined not to get a DNF against his name in the results, so he carried on, limping to the finish. Just as he came into the back straight, his Dad came from the crowd to help him and almost carried him down the last 100 meters. It must have been sheer agony, as seen on his face, but he was adamant that he would finish - no matter what. Click here for a YouTube piece about it.

Other ones would be Carl Lewis getting his four Gold medals Los Angeles '84, or Steve Redgrave getting his fifth consecutive Gold in five consecutive games in Sydney 2000.
 
Netherlands - Nigeria: 0-0
I just witnessed the most UNDESERVED red card I have EVER seen in my life. Damned referee!  :mad:
 
I did watch some of the Womens soccer last night. 

I think there is going to be overkill on coverage for it this year, but I'll try to watch what I can:  Soccer, baseball, softball, swimming, some gymnastics, and the like.  Its all good fun, and something good to watch as a family.
 
To summate: nope, not interested in the Summer Olympics so much.  I'm not watching it on purpose; call it my own Beijing Boycott.

Though I expect I will watch the boxing.

Which leads me to my most memorable moment: watching David Defiagbon come in second in 1996.  My uncle trained David when he came over from Nigeria and helped him get his citizenship.  Also seeing Donovan Bailey break the 100m record back then.
 
You aren't even going to watch Amanda Beard swim?  I saw some pics of her yesterday that were stunning!

Seriously, I am interested to see how Phelps does.
 
Wasted155 said:
You aren't even going to watch Amanda Beard swim?  I saw some pics of her yesterday that were stunning!
Click to expand...

Man, how can you expect to see anything on TV through the smog!
 
Forostar said:
I hope he won't win on the 100.
Click to expand...

For a particular reason, or just for the sake of competition?

LooseCannon said:
Man, how can you expect to see anything on TV through the smog!
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Ha!!  did you see the Cyclists that showed up in masks, cause of the pollution?  They had to apologize for being smart asses that wanted to breathe  clean air!
 
They put something like half a million people out of work in Beijing by forcing factories to close, threw millions of cars off the road, and it's BARELY WORKED.  Gross air.
 
Wasted155 said:
For a particular reason, or just for the sake of competition?
Click to expand...

For a very, very particular reason mate.

In the 100 m the world record holder Pieter van den Hoogenband (guess where he's from? ;) ) won gold at the last two Olympics. Three in a row would be legendary and with that victory he would join these two people:

Krisztina Egerszegi
Between 1988 and 1996 she won 5 Olympic gold medals (record) in backstroke races, with the exception of 400m individual medley at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

She is the second of only two swimmers in Olympic history (Dawn Fraser being the other) to win gold for the same event at three successive Olympics (200 m backstroke: 1988, 1992, 1996).

So let Phelps win it all, but not the 100. :)

I also expect a lot from Marleen Veldhuis.

edit:
I heard on TV that the smog seriously has an advantage: it gets less hot. It is already terribly hot, but without the smog it would be way more unbearable.
 
That is cool, and I do dig it!  Good luck with him winning!

I also heard something interesting on the radio:  it was reported that 70%  of the athelets in the Olympic Villiage are smokers.

Here is the pic of Amanda Beard.  She did this to voice against wearing fur.  I'll never wear it again!

41445662.jpg


(I found this on MSN, so I hope its not too tastless-- if so, PM me and I'll remove it)
On a sporting note, I see the US women lost their soccer match, however the men won theirs.  I'm not a basketball fan, but I'll be curious to see if the US men are all that they think they are.  Those 'Dream Teams' don't always work so well.
 
Jenny Finch and Amanda Beard (both from my University) are sadly prime examples of, "who cares how good you are at your sport, you're fucking hot!" They are both good at what they do, (Softball and swimming respectively), but the publicity they get is for their looks, not their skill.

As for the Olympics. I like the traditional sports aka Track and Field. Outside of that the football matches, sometimes gymnastics.  I do keep a close watch as to how well my country does in every sport it is in. We usually do well in boxing and tae kwan do.
 
I'm surprised you guys haven't gotten better at the high jump, all things considered.

I guess I'll keep track of the medal counts, but I'm just not...excited for the Olympics.
 
Because of travel commitments, I will miss the whole first week of the games. This doesn't break my heart (especially because of the fiasco it's been so far), but I will miss seeing that portion of it.

Laff-a-Lympics.jpg


Swimming and football should be good. I'll hope for some updates.
 
LooseCannon said:
I'm surprised you guys haven't gotten better at the high jump, all things considered.

I guess I'll keep track of the medal counts, but I'm just not...excited for the Olympics.
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That's because our High Jumpers are "nation hoppers" :p
 
I'm waiting for the day when chess boxing enters the Olympics.  (He'll checkmate me in two moves, but not if I knock his teeth out first).  :D
 
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