London 2012 Olympics Thread

Jalap · Mon Aug 06, 2012 10:06 pm

Belgium had a historical day today with the Borlee twins both running the final of the 400m. Unfortunately they stranded at 5th and 6th position. A shame since Jonathan's time in the 1st round would have been silver today. We're a bit disappointed but a great achievement nonetheless. Who knows, maybe we can be in for a surprise at the 4x400m where they recently became Europan champions. They really deserve a medal!

Overall, Belgium was expecting about 3 medals and we already have those now (bronze in judo and sailing, silver in shooting). My guess is that we'll end at 4 with one for Tia in the female high jump. Gold in Peking but now 2 children older... . And who knows, that shooting silver was a complete surprise, there may be more surprises like that

BMI727 · Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:10 am

USA Basketball just gave put the world on notice when they decided to start playing in the second half. After holding a one point lead at the half, they outscored Argentina 42-17 in the third to blow them away by 29 points. Kevin Durant was off the hook, and despite the silliness with which the game is sometimes played, there is still some fundamental value in how the US plays. Their outlet passing and ability to play in transition is rather solid.

http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2...asketball/men/boxscore?gameId=1074

Also, a champion race walker was banned for doping today.

And in other news, race walking is a real thing. I'm sure that a forgettable Will Ferrell movie is just a matter of time.

Kiwirob · Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:28 am

Quoting BMI727 (Reply 251):
USA Basketball just gave put the world on notice

I don't think many in the world care.

QFA380 · Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:41 am

Finally Australia has been able to get another Gold. Japan and ourselves seem to be the perpetual runners up.

Quoting BMI727 (Reply 251):
fundamental value in how the US plays

Fundamental value to the tune of ~$250 million worth of players. Anything less than a whitewash would be disappointing.

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 252):
I don't think many in the world care

This.

scbriml · Tue Aug 07, 2012 7:28 am

Quoting QFA380 (Reply 253):
Finally Australia has been able to get another Gold.

Australia's position in the table and lack of Golds has been something of a shock. Ian Thorpe is a pundit on the BBC here and he's taken some serious stick about the situation.

Quoting BMI727 (Reply 251):
USA Basketball just gave put the world on notice

Seriously? The only news worth reporting from this event would be if USA managed to lose. '72, '80, '88 & 2004, were the best years for Olympic basketball.

kiwiinoz · Tue Aug 07, 2012 7:42 am

Quoting scbriml (Reply 254):
Australia's position in the table and lack of Golds has been something of a shock. Ian Thorpe is a pundit on the BBC here and he's taken some serious stick about the situation

The swim team have definitely coppoed most of the blame, and rightfully so. 2/3 of the Aussie swimmers did not improve on their qualifying times from 4 months ago. If they had developed as swim teams normally develop leading into a major event like this, all would have been fine.

Velodrome cycling also not a happy hunting ground for the Aussies

But the sailors will save the team! Apart from last night's Lser gold, I reckon the Aussies have at least 4 more golds coming from the sailing. Quite a dominant performance.

Bongodog1964 · Tue Aug 07, 2012 8:52 am

Quoting par13del (Reply 249):
I'm saying that the BBC is a middle man who the Olympics should cut out, all we are talking about are TV Camera's, camera men, satellite trucks and associated production personnel, there are enough Olympic sanctioned events and they have made so much money that they should by now afford to have their own TV network.

Ridiculous idea; to have a dedicated broadcast team who only wholly work for two weeks every 4 years, with a winter Olympics every other two years, who then have to create their own infrastructure each time. What other "Olympic sanctioned events" are there ? none that I can think of, they all fall under their respective governing bodies who look after theor own media rights. The problem isn't with the filming end, as shown by the number of channels the BBC is providing here in the UK, and by the excellent coverage we have had here in the UK for previous Olympics where the BBC has taken the feeds available from the host broadcaster. Its just a case of National broadcasters choosing not to use the material at their disposal.

Kiwirob · Tue Aug 07, 2012 9:33 am

Quoting scbriml (Reply 254):
Australia's position in the table and lack of Golds has been something of a shock

So much so that they have to include NZ as part of Australia to make them feel better.

Not happy that big Valeri didn't defend her shotput title, I find it somewhat suspicious that the winner had 4 shots over 21 meters, that's unheard off in this day and age, although it was pretty common back in the 80's with the drugged up girls from East Germany and Russia.

bjorn14 · Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:20 pm

Team GB just added two medals in the Men's Triathalon, a Gold and a Bronze from the Brownlee Brothers.

zckls04 · Tue Aug 07, 2012 4:09 pm

Quoting QFA380 (Reply 253):
Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 252):I don't think many in the world care
This.

I'm in America and even I don't care. Nobody I know does actually. Of the three major sports which predominate in the US, it's a distant third behind football and baseball.

I want to see cricket in the Olympics. In terms of sheer numbers it's one of the most played sports on the planet, and definitely deserves to be in. Of course it would have to be 20/20 or the cricket portion of the games would have to start in January.

Gingersnap · Tue Aug 07, 2012 4:54 pm

Well done to Anna Meares on winning the Gold medal in the cycling. Shame she had to cheat to get it, but well done all the same.

GrahamHill · Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:00 pm

Quoting gingersnap (Reply 260):
Shame she had to cheat to get it, but well done all the same.

What happened?

Gingersnap · Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:15 pm

Quoting GrahamHill (Reply 261):
What happened?

She elbowed Vicky Pendleton coming into the final straight causing her to lose balance and move out of the sprinters lane in the Velodrome.
Even though Vicky won the race, she was relegated so lost the first round.

Then in the second Meares won the sprint itself, even though you could tell Pendleton was just disheartened.

Sure if you get away with it, then you get away with it. I just find it very unprofessional.

[Edited 2012-08-07 10:18:16]

U2380 · Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:47 pm

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 252):
I don't think many in the world care.

Well said.

I haven't watched much of the Olympics, I'm only really interested in the swimming and diving. I'm pleasantly surprised at how well GB are doing but to be fair that's what a massive cash injection will do for you.

GDB · Tue Aug 07, 2012 7:16 pm

Quoting U2380 (Reply 263):
I haven't watched much of the Olympics, I'm only really interested in the swimming and diving. I'm pleasantly surprised at how well GB are doing but to be fair that's what a massive cash injection will do for you.

Perhaps, though in context, the team (with one gold to their name) of the 1996 games had shoe-string funding levels, that you'd associate with a impoverished 3rd world country.
Team GB took a hard look at what many others had been doing, notably Australia and started to act accordingly.

Kiwirob · Tue Aug 07, 2012 7:40 pm

Quoting zckls04 (Reply 259):
Of course it would have to be 20/20 or the cricket portion of the games would have to start in January.

You could play an ODI tournament.

Quoting zckls04 (Reply 259):

I'm in America and even I don't care. Nobody I know does actually

It'll be like rugby sevens from 2016, it's a gold which will belong to NZ for as long as rugby is played in the games, most won't be interested apart from us kiwis, some yarpies, the odd aussie and some other assorted folk.

par13del · Tue Aug 07, 2012 7:58 pm

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 252):
I don't think many in the world care.

Essentially the problem with the modern day Olympics, a number of nations could care less about a large number of the sports involved, perhaps it is time to look at reducing the number of sports, or creating another like the Winter Olympics which has more targeted events?

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 265):
It'll be like rugby sevens from 2016, it's a gold which will belong to NZ for as long as rugby is played in the games, most won't be interested apart from us kiwis, some yarpies, the odd aussie and some other assorted folk.

You might be shocked with the amount of interest, Rugby is played a lot, just at school level and not much beyond in a number of the former colonies.

RussianJet · Tue Aug 07, 2012 8:18 pm

Seems that one US rower showed an extraordinary level of 'pride' over his medal win.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-...ower-shows-rather-too-much-1231796

Mir · Tue Aug 07, 2012 11:46 pm

Quoting par13del (Reply 266):
Essentially the problem with the modern day Olympics, a number of nations could care less about a large number of the sports involved, perhaps it is time to look at reducing the number of sports

Why do we need Olympic soccer, and why do we need Olympic tennis? I'm not saying those sports aren't popular, but what I like about the Olympics is that it gives coverage to sports that don't normally get it, either in international play or just in general. Soccer already has its big televised international tournament. Tennis has several big televised tournaments, and by the very nature of the game all of them are international. I give basketball a pass because the Olympics are their one major international competition, even though the field isn't all that competitive.

But other than that, I can't think of any sports I'd want to see dropped from the summer games.

-Mir

par13del · Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:16 am

Quoting Mir (Reply 268):
But other than that, I can't think of any sports I'd want to see dropped from the summer games.

In a big country with a large population you will have all the sports and be able to support them via private funding, in smaller countires where government tax dollars have to be used "create" the athletes it's a different story, it comes down to sports that can be afforded.

The Olympics as you say is the pinacle for a number of sports which to a large degree are the exclusive domain of major nations.

BMI727 · Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:41 am

Quoting QFA380 (Reply 253):
Fundamental value to the tune of ~$250 million worth of players. Anything less than a whitewash would be disappointing.

It's silly to enjoy a game any less because of how much the players got paid. But it's impossible not to enjoy seeing the best in the world all playing on one team, including one of the all time greats in LeBron James. When it comes to pure physical ability (and I'm a Bulls fan by the way), LeBron is better than Michael Jordan.

But that game the other day was cool for another reason too. Sometimes you see a transcendent talent just take over a game. But in the third quarter, the whole team did that. They just decided they were done screwing around and it was time to seize control and dominate. It's quite something to see, and it isn't as common in other sports as it is in basketball.

Quoting Mir (Reply 268):
Why do we need Olympic soccer, and why do we need Olympic tennis?

We don't. Really we don't need basketball either, but after those NBA playoffs I can't help but want more. And as an NBA fan I really don't care to see players from my favorite team putting extra wear and tear on themselves during the summer. Luol Deng could have had surgery but insisted on playing in the Olympics and now won't have surgery at all. It could be a problem, but he was banged up all of last season and he doesn't need the extra minutes.

scbriml · Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:43 am

Quoting Mir (Reply 268):
But other than that, I can't think of any sports I'd want to see dropped from the summer games.

I would agree pretty much - even though I personally fail to be impressed by synchronised swimming and rhythmic gymnastics.

bjorn14 · Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:53 am

Quoting Mir (Reply 268):
But other than that, I can't think of any sports I'd want to see dropped from the summer games.

Table tennis (ping pong) and rhythmic gymnastics.

CXfirst · Wed Aug 08, 2012 9:52 am

Quoting Mir (Reply 268):
Why do we need Olympic soccer, and why do we need Olympic tennis?

I agree. Not only that, but for football there is a requirement for multiple large stadiums, which is fine in locations like Britain, but difficult and expensive for many regions, and could be a major deterrent for many bids.

Building one large stadium for opening/athletics, plus some smaller ones (basketball/handball, swimming, velodrome, hockey) is expensive enough, but add the expense of 3-4 football stadiums, very difficult.

There are some sports that also require dedicated stadiums, but for the most part, only one is needed with perhaps a smaller secondary one for qualifications (like a tennis stadium, plus a couple showcourts).

Therefore, I was initially against Rugby Sevens becoming an olympic sport, unless they keep football (as the same stadiums can be used). If football becomes dropped, then suddenly rugby becomes and expensive sport to have. As for golf, I'm a bit torn, most places have a golf course that can be used, but it might be a major deterrent for places without one, as it takes a huuuuuge amount of space. Also, golf is like tennis and football, already a widely televised sport that doesn't need the olympics.

I'm all for the other sports currently in the olympics, especially for the ones where the event that the athletes look forward to the most is the olympics, which is not the case for football (however, womens football deserves to be there, but will be an expensive thing to keep), tennis, golf. As for basketball, it is one of the bigger events for everyone but North America.

Anyway, I would also like to congratulate Eirik Veraas Larsen for Norway's first Gold medal! (About time)

-CXfirst

Kiwirob · Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:10 am

Quoting Mir (Reply 268):
But other than that, I can't think of any sports I'd want to see dropped from the summer games.

You must be the only man alive who like synchronised swimming, that should be kicked from the games ASAP.

Golf along with football and tennis are the three major sports which shouldn't be in the Olympics.

melpax · Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:57 am

One of the papers here in Melbourne (the Mx) has copped it from North Korea over calling them 'Naughty Korea' & South Korea 'Nice Korea' in their medal tally. The paper responded today by running a photo of a clapping Kim Jong Un on the cover with the headline 'N. Korea launches missive'.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/08/wo...hty-newspaper/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

LX138 · Wed Aug 08, 2012 11:37 am

Quoting RussianJet (Reply 267):
Seems that one US rower showed an extraordinary level of 'pride' over his medal win.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-...31796

That is hilarious. I was thinking the same when I saw it live myself.

Quoting CXfirst (Reply 273):
I agree. Not only that, but for football there is a requirement for multiple large stadiums, which is fine in locations like Britain, but difficult and expensive for many regions, and could be a major deterrent for many bids.

Building one large stadium for opening/athletics, plus some smaller ones (basketball/handball, swimming, velodrome, hockey) is expensive enough, but add the expense of 3-4 football stadiums, very difficult.

I don't know why people are so against the Football - it should stay! The competition facilities are only as good as the vision you want the game to be - any host country has football pitches - and using smaller ones is perfectly fine - even a 3000 seater would be fine. But because the UK has enormous 60-75 thousand seater stadiums, everyone thinks thats the norm!

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 274):
Golf along with football and tennis are the three major sports which shouldn't be in the Olympics.

What's the issue with Tennis?!? Tennis should and is one of the core sports now.

Quoting U2380 (Reply 263):
that's what a massive cash injection will do for you.

As well as a long thought out, well planned development programme to bring young talent though and get them to the top.

Kiwirob · Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:06 pm

Quoting LX138 (Reply 276):
What's the issue with Tennis?!? Tennis should and is one of the core sports now.

They already have 4 major championships, like golf and football they don't need the exposure the Olympics will bring to their sport.

LX138 · Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:16 pm

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 277):
They already have 4 major championships, like golf and football they don't need the exposure the Olympics will bring to their sport.

About half of the sports have the same exposure, that doesn't mean it shouldn't be in the Olympics.

JJJ · Wed Aug 08, 2012 2:16 pm

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 277):
They already have 4 major championships

Plus Davis/Fed cup.

OA260 · Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:27 pm

Quoting GDB (Reply 234):
But a negative is that some of them were just back from Afghanistan and would have had plans for their leave, holidays, for some even marriage. Instead, they had to bail out the government - all the while with uncertainty due to cuts about the future for some of them too - who ideologically as well as practically, had relied on G4S.
But yes, a lot of reports in the media about their efficiency and good attitude in their last minute added Olympic role.

Indeed they have been doing a fantastic job and the visitors have been posing for photos with them and being the characters they are they seem to be enjoying the event despite them being drafted in . I think alot of them are happy to be part of the whole London 2012 atmosphere. The bus drivers and the like were getting £500 bonus payments . I cant help think that the Army should be recognised by the government. If G4S had any decency they would offer to give their fee to facilitate this gesture . They should get alot more respect then they currently do.

.

canoecarrier · Wed Aug 08, 2012 5:17 pm

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 274):

You must be the only man alive who like synchronised swimming, that should be kicked from the games ASAP.

Golf along with football and tennis are the three major sports which shouldn't be in the Olympics.

I agree. None of them really belong. Women's soccer/football might be able to make a case for being in the Olympics over men's but I don't think any of them should be. I'm really glad they got rid of women's softball.

Quoting CXfirst (Reply 273):

Anyway, I would also like to congratulate Eirik Veraas Larsen for Norway's first Gold medal! (About time)

You Norwegians make up for it in spades during the Winter Olympics. You own the Nordic events, including the biathlon.

Quoting bjorn14 (Reply 272):
Table tennis (ping pong) and rhythmic gymnastics.

Table tennis should be in the Olympics. Just like badminton. IMO even if a sport isn't popular in Europe or North/South America we shouldn't exclude it from the Asian countries that truly enjoy the sport(s). If we did that they could make a case that sports that they don't care about should be excluded as well.

edit: for those of you wondering why American's are mad about NBC's coverage of the Olympics. Yesterday I woke up at 6:30 am PST and saw who won the medal for the US on the women's gymnastics beam and floor exercises on USA Today's website. My wife waited 15 hours to see that on TV here. 15 hours. That's completely unacceptable.

[Edited 2012-08-08 11:10:58]

Aleksandar · Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:00 pm

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 277):
They already have 4 major championships, like golf and football they don't need the exposure the Olympics will bring to their sport.

Well, golf is becoming an Olympic sport in Rio.

Speaking of venues and its costs...it all depends how you plan the future Games and the future of the venues after the athletes leave the city. London had a good plan, Beijing actually didn't need any plan and Athens spent money like a teenager girls in shopping mall and now we have completely deserted venues for beach volleyball, tennis (stadium for 10,000 spectators !!!), Aquatic Center too. Maybe, with some plan, those venues could earn some money even today, but nobody thought about it. My bottom line is that the issue is not in price of venues, but in planning further than Games.

As for strange sports...what to say about BMX bikes?

Kiwirob · Wed Aug 08, 2012 7:33 pm

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 282):
As for strange sports...what to say about BMX bikes?

What's strange about BMX racing, it's popular, and is about the only major form of cycling not covered in either the Olympics or the X games.

canoecarrier · Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:07 pm

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 283):
What's strange about BMX racing, it's popular, and is about the only major form of cycling not covered in either the Olympics or the X games.

It's really not that different from ski or snowboard cross in the winter Olympics.

canoecarrier · Thu Aug 09, 2012 3:17 am

Quoting RussianJet (Reply 267):
Seems that one US rower showed an extraordinary level of 'pride' over his medal win.

I'm friends with a lot of ex-national champion college rowers. I sent them that article today since they know a lot of people that rowed in Athens and Bejing. One of the women sent me back this message about that photo, "That looks like a shot of every Saturday morning in between practices for 4 years while sitting on the heater in the boat house and you would look up from your bagel and darn near get your eye poked out..."

Keep in mind the men and women share the same boat house.

rampart · Thu Aug 09, 2012 4:45 am

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 277):
They already have 4 major championships, like golf and football they don't need the exposure the Olympics will bring to their sport.

Yes, but the athletes probably enjoy the opportunity to participate in the Olympics. Major sports, international appreciation, why shouldn't they get that thrill? Even the superstars of the NBA or football (soccer), or hockey in the Winter games, talk about it.

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 283):
What's strange about BMX racing, it's popular, and is about the only major form of cycling not covered in either the Olympics or the X games.

Watching it now. I think it's great! Thrilling, fast, incredible skill. Sure, it's non-traditional, and I was skeptical at first, but I was the same with snowboarding, and now it's one of my favorite events to watch in the Winter games.

I sometimes debate the size of the games and number of sports. Such a huge event becomes a problem to accommodate everything, but I have nothing against any of the individual sports. I think they ALL have merit. Even synchronized swimming -- they burn more calories in one show than I do in a week. What MIGHT be a way to limit size is to have an upper limit on number of events fielded by a particular country. Pick -- or qualify for -- up to 50 events. Choose the best. You wouldn't see China or the US amassing 60+ medals in some ridiculous media-driven size-matters race. I'm just throwing ideas out there, no idea if they'd stick.

-Rampart

ltbewr · Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:53 am

As we approach the last days of these Summer Olympics, although the Paralympics are to be held, is that clearly one can say they have been emotionally successful. Financial 'success', defined by if there will be minimal short and long term losses or break-even, will take a while to be determined. For GB, they have done well in the medal count, a huge emotional boost for a country facing serious economic, political and social problems. So far no real complaints as to how the games are being run. This is critical for the Summer Olympics in the future as they will now go to Rio in 4 years.

There was the huge G4S security debacle, but as other posters noted, the military and police who should have been used initially has done an excellent and professional job. There were the usual amounts of debatable judging of events and competitors, a little too much of displays of nationalism, the conflicts of commercialism, the ecstasy of victory and the agony of defeat, good sportsmanship and a few sore losers, some caught with drugs and stories of athletes being human

As an American, we had a had a great Olympics so far with a number of surprising medals, only a very few disappointments.

Let us hope the next few days continue to be as good.

scbriml · Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:38 pm

Sadly, there has been some sniping at Team GB's cyclists by others who, presumably, are fed up with seeing the Golds end up in the same place time after time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19174302

Quote:
French newspaper L'Equipe had run a story based on claims of skulduggery from Isabelle Gautheron, the French team's boss. She said the British were supposed to be using the same wheels her team got from the French company Mavic, but they could not be the same because the Brits were going so much faster than her riders.

When asked about these "magic" wheels, Brailsford told L'Equipe they were "round".

and

Quote:
New Zealand's keirin bronze medallist Simon van Velthooven was full of praise for the man who had just beaten him, Sir Chris Hoy, but could not help wondering if the race might have turned out differently if they swapped bikes.

and

Quote:
And in the media conference after he had just been bested in a sprint by Britain's Jason Kenny for the first time, Gregory Bauge of France - a seven-time world track cycling champion - took the microphone to ask the British sprinter how he had prepared for the race. Kenny's answer was a masterpiece of understatement: "Erm, I don't know, hard work, I guess", was the gist of it. The Bolton-born lad would make a great spy.

Bauge would have been better off attending the final set of media conferences on Tuesday, because there he would have heard Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton talk about the enormous sacrifices and superhuman efforts that members of the British team are expected to make.

The good news for the others - Hoy, Pendleton and possibly Wiggins won't be seen in Rio on a bike.

The bad news - the rest of the GB cycling team are VERY young - Kenny is 24, King 21, Trott 20 and Hindes just 19. They should be good for another two or three Olympics!

bjorn14 · Thu Aug 09, 2012 1:40 pm

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 283):
What's strange about BMX racing, it's popular, and is about the only major form of cycling not covered in either the Olympics or the X games.

Well they do have a close cousin in Mountain Biking on the last day of the OL.

scbriml · Thu Aug 09, 2012 4:05 pm

Historic moment as GB's Nicola Adams becomes the first ever woman Olympic boxing champion.

shamrock350 · Thu Aug 09, 2012 4:58 pm

The Irish crowd at the Excel for the Women's Boxing has been amazing throughout these games, they were earlier recorded as the loudest crowd at an Olympic event but I think they may have just topped that with Katie Taylor's win and the first Gold for Ireland since Atlanta! You'd think it was the heart of Dublin and not East London.

Great performance by Nicola Adams for GB as well, congratulations to her!

Kiwirob · Thu Aug 09, 2012 5:17 pm

Quoting bjorn14 (Reply 289):

Well they do have a close cousin in Mountain Biking on the last day of the OL.

Hmm close I think not, I was a BMX kid when I was young and am getting back into mountain biking (after a 7 year break) apart from the bike bit they are pretty different sports.

OA260 · Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:17 pm

Quoting shamrock350 (Reply 291):
You'd think it was the heart of Dublin and not East London.

LOL... there is a huge ex pat community in that area of London anyway and also 2nd generation . Great to see Ireland get a Gold. Nothing like it to lift the spirits of a nation.

fruitbat · Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:41 pm

Quoting scbriml (Reply 288):

Sniff........sniff.....ah yes, definitely sour grapes!!!

Great work from Brailsford et al - respect!

eicvd · Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:10 pm

Quoting shamrock350 (Reply 291):

Quoting OA260 (Reply 293):

Delighted for her, possibly Ireland's best ever sportsperson. I dont think there was a dry eye in the country watching that. Good luck to Paddy Barnes, Michael Conlon & John Joe Nevin tomorrow, lets hope we hear Amhrán na bhFiann at least one more time

CaliAtenza · Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:26 pm

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012...-minute-of-silence-requests-racism

pretty rediculous stance by the palestinians..

bjorn14 · Thu Aug 09, 2012 8:08 pm

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 283):
What's strange about BMX racing, it's popular, and is about the only major form of cycling not covered in either the Olympics or the X games.

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 292):
Hmm close I think not, I was a BMX kid when I was young and am getting back into mountain biking (after a 7 year break) apart from the bike bit they are pretty different sports.

Much to my surprise they do have BMX in the OL.

http://www.london2012.com/cycling-bmx/index.html

David_itl · Thu Aug 09, 2012 8:44 pm

I think we can safely say Usain Bolt is a legend now. 1st person to defend 100m and 200m Olympic title. I'm sure he could have got in the high 19.1s or low 19.2s as we wasn't going full tilt for the last 20m or so.

Plus there was a an 11 goal thriller in the Men's Hockey semi-final between the Netherlands and GB. GB did well to get 2 of them!

randyh3253 · Thu Aug 09, 2012 8:59 pm

So far another great day for Team USA!

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