London 2012 Olympics Thread

StarAC17 · Sun Aug 12, 2012 4:42 pm

Quoting fruitbat (Reply 329):
What a way to finish the athletics - Jamaican WR in the 4 x 100m - will that be the last time we see Bolt on an Olympic track?

He's only 25 and barring an injury or a sudden decline to the point where he can't win we will see him in Rio in 4 years.

Also he only gave it his all in the relay, he wasn't giving 100% on the 100m or the 200m and won both of them handily. Bolt might infuriate some for his words in the past few days but he now has a chip on his shoulder to be there to win more medals than Carl Lewis.

Also on another note I do not think Michael Phelps is done either.

aznmadsci · Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:32 pm

Quoting OA260 (Reply 343):
Im looking forward to the closing ceremony tonight on BBC HD also available in 3D .

Closing Ceremony in 3D

NBC will actually be livestreaming the Closing Ceremony starting at 16:00EST in response to not showing the Opening Ceremony live.

http://nbcolympics.com

Gingersnap · Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:46 pm

Well that's the last event finished.

Quite appropriate that in the last medal ceremony of these games, we saw both the British and the Brazilian flag.

David_itl · Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:47 pm

Perhaps one of the best quotes from a competitor:

"Honestly, if you have a goal - if there's anything you want to achieve in life - don't let anybody get in your way. You can do it. If I can do it, and I'm a normal girl, anyone can do what they want to do."

Said by GB's Samantha Murray after her Silver medal performance in the Women's Modern Pentathlon.

The best British perfomance since 1908 in terms of boths gold medals (29) and total medals (65) but this is the greatest achievement at a multi-event sports meeting if only for the diverse number of nations and high global standards needed to garner a medal nowadays.

Kiwirob · Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:49 pm

Quoting fruitbat (Reply 329):
What a way to finish the athletics - Jamaican WR in the 4 x 100m - will that be the last time we see Bolt on an Olympic track?

He's only 25, there's a good number of years left in his career, I'll just about guarantee that he'll be back for another 3 in Rio.

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 331):

Well...I would love to have a chance to hear Sir Paul once live despite everything.

Saw him a few years ago, it was a good concert, well worth the money, the only chance I'll ever get to hear one of The Beatles play Beatles music live.

Aleksandar · Sun Aug 12, 2012 6:51 pm

I found this photo from London 2012 and it really touched me. I hope you will like it too

MadameConcorde · Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:20 pm

Quoting aznmadsci (Reply 351):
NBC will actually be livestreaming the Closing Ceremony starting at 16:00EST in response to not showing the Opening Ceremony live.

http://nbcolympics.com

oh good thanks for the link
the BBC stream is shut down in my country I don't know why they block it

apparently it's the same with NBC

NBC is only allowed to show Olympic competition video on the internet to users in the United States and U.S. Territories.

arghhh!!!!

Sad

[Edited 2012-08-12 12:42:04]

PHX787 · Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:45 pm

Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 356):
i was looking for a live stream for the closing ceremony tonight - they always do that

What time does it begin?

Klaus · Sun Aug 12, 2012 7:55 pm

The celebration is about to begin now.

PHX787 · Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:17 pm

Quoting Klaus (Reply 358):
The celebration is about to begin now.

Unfortunately I can't sign into the live cast unless I have some tv thing (and I use a third-party via my apartment building to get tv)

OA260 · Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:17 pm

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 355):

Very nice

Watching the ceremony now so far very good and iconic British music loved the Only Fools and Horses reference dressed as Batman and Robin just brilliant .

Klaus · Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:28 pm

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 355):
I found this photo from London 2012 and it really touched me. I hope you will like it too

Indeed. It reminds us that there are more important things than politics. And in their best moments the Olympics exemplify that.

Thanks!

Quoting PHX787 (Reply 359):
Unfortunately I can't sign into the live cast unless I have some tv thing (and I use a third-party via my apartment building to get tv)

That's a pity. But I think you'll still enjoy it later via time shift.

The britons seem determined to make this a big, happy party!

Aleksandar · Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:52 pm

Quoting Klaus (Reply 361):
Indeed. It reminds us that there are more important things than politics. And in their best moments the Olympics exemplify that.

That is what I like about Olympics! The idea that all can be friends despite everything.

Klaus · Sun Aug 12, 2012 8:56 pm

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 362):
That is what I like about Olympics! The idea that all can be friends despite everything.

Yes, and especially in the final celebration this spirit is particularly present.

Kiwirob · Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:12 pm

Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 356):
NBC is only allowed to show Olympic competition video on the internet to users in the United States and U.S. Territories.

Why should you care, you live in France don't you?

It's showing on three channels here in Norway.

Pretty impressive, it's the music that really makes it, does any other country have such an impressive catalogue of pop?

Kiwirob · Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:16 pm

George Michael can still sing, don't know what he's thinking with the Lemmy Kilmister like facial growth!! A career relaunch care of the Olympics?

[Edited 2012-08-12 14:18:11]

Kiwirob · Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:57 pm

Geri is still super hot!!! dang she's aged well, can't really say that for the rest of em!

CPH-R · Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:09 pm

A bit of a slow start for the closing ceremony, but it got there in the end.

Loved the Rio bit, see you in 2016!

MadameConcorde · Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:12 pm

Magnificent closing ceremony. What a happy spirit!!!

Congratulations and thank you to London for these 2012 Olympic games!

See you all in Rio de Janeiro in 4 years time

Let's live happy all together

Peace on Earth!

Dano1977 · Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:29 pm

Roger Daltry 1 - 0 Paul McCartney

What a way to close out the Olympic Ceremony with "The Who"

Bit of a slow start as people have said, but it was brilliant in the end.

Well done London!
Well done Great Britain!

[email protected] · Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:41 pm

Well that's that! The Opening/Closing ceremonies were spectacular. I had a slight doubt about London 2012 after the spectacle in Beijing. But boy did we deliver!

Klaus · Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:42 pm

Excellent games indeed, from beginning to end.

Thank you, Britain!

OA260 · Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:48 pm

WOW what a show and what an Olympic Games. Everyone in London and the UK can be so proud. They showed off their best and I have no doubt many lives with be changed and a legacy for the city will live on well after this event.

It really was one of the best games ever and uniquely British . It achieved everything a modern day Olympic's should.

Dano1977 · Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:58 pm

Quoting PHX787 (Reply 348):
Friend of mine saw a drum presentation by Ringo and he also is a drum teacher in NYC.

Ringo's son Zak was playing the drums tonight for "The Who"

OA260 · Mon Aug 13, 2012 12:22 am

Some images to look back on and uniquely London :

.

blink182 · Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:58 am

London, amazing job. I think LOCOG's secret to such a successful games was to predict gloom and doom ahead of time

. Seriously though, very, very well hosted.

NBC, on the other hand, really blew the closing ceremony in ways that I didn't think were even possible. The network decided to interrupt its tape-delayed broadcast to show network programming and local news.

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 355):
I found this photo from London 2012 and it really touched me. I hope you will like it too

Probably one of the few images that demonstrate sports being above politics, as the IOC likes to boast, but so seldom exemplifies. I remember the US and Iran played each other in the World Cup in '98 in France and after the match took a group photo. IIRC, a US player commented that the two teams did more to improve relations between the countries in ninety minutes than politics had in the previous twenty years.

Kiwirob · Mon Aug 13, 2012 6:12 am

Quoting Dano1977 (Reply 369):
Roger Daltry 1 - 0 Paul McCartney

Daltry didn't sing Pinball Wizzard, which was odd.

GDB · Mon Aug 13, 2012 6:19 am

Not seen the closing ceremony yet, I was in Hyde Park for the concert there - though as we entered the park Team GB had just got it's final Gold, Anthony Joshua in the boxing, to the delight of the crowd. We also saw the first 10 mins of the closing party on screens before the headline act came on.

Throughout the day you could still hear, feel the buzz, delight and immense pride that these Olympics have brought.
Everything worked at least as well as they do at these events generally, Team GB exceeded all expectations, so too I think, did the city and country itself.
For many, including some like me not generally into watching sport, Danny Boyle's unforgettable opening masterpiece set the tone.

There was a lot of humour in these games, as well as a sort of national pride that was genuinely inclusive, who'd have thought you'd get 70-80,000 belting out the National Anthem, the sheer roar of the crowd, not always just for British athletes either. Whether it be Mr Bolt or a female Saudi Athlete allowed to perform for the first time.

There is one other person perhaps who needs to maybe do a bit of training, the emergence of so many new British sporting stars, many not well known before, means there are going to be a lot of honours awarded, Sir's, Dames, other gongs, Her Majesty will need to get her sword arm limbered up.

kiwiinoz · Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:43 am

What a great Olympics. In my opinion, the Olympic spirit was prevalent at these games more than any that I can recall before this.

And I do put it down to the spirit of London and Londoners. It used to be a stidgy city, without much zest or enthusiasm. But this has really changed. I was there 2 weeks before the Olympics and it really is a great place. Fun, beautiful, and just packed with things to do. Yes, it can be a little on the expensive side but I beleieve it's better in this respect than it used to be.

Well done to London. Well done to Team GB. Well done to the IOC. Rio.....a hard act to follow.

Silver1SWA · Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:02 am

Despite the problems with NBC and their coverage and even though, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, the world insisted on spoiling the major prime time events for me, I still enjoyed these games very much. Well done, London. It always seems so far away at the end of an Olympics, but before we know it the Rio games will be upon us.

Aleksandar · Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:16 am

Goodbye, Wenlock !

Thank you London and the UK. I already miss the games

[Edited 2012-08-13 01:38:36]

MadameConcorde · Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:37 am

A great night for London and for the World

Let's keep the Olympic Spirit going!!!

Our house... in the middle of our street...
Our house... in the middle of our...

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

Well done London and the UK!!!!

Aleksandar · Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:43 am

Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 381):
Let's keep the Olympic Spirit going!!!

Speaking of Olympic Spirit, there is one thing that makes me wonder. Why the Olympic flame has to be extinguished? Why can't it be a living legacy of the Games for the host city?

MadameConcorde · Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:59 am

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 382):
Why the Olympic flame has to be extinguished? Why can't it be a living legacy of the Games for the host city?

Isn't there a permanent burning Olympic flame in Olympia, Greece, the original place of the Olympic Games?

I think Baron Pierre de Coubertin was happy to see last night's closing ceremony from his place somewhere up in the starrs.

Aleksandar · Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:29 am

Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 383):
Isn't there a permanent burning Olympic flame in Olympia, Greece, the original place of the Olympic Games?

Actually not. They are using Sun rays to lit the fire. My idea is simple. You can close the Game after 16 days but you don't extinguish Olympic spirit and flame. Maybe, if that flame was kept alive, we wouldn't see attrocities in such scale in Sarajevo...or Berlin. Or, maybe, I am just a damned idealist

Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 383):
I think Baron Pierre de Coubertin was happy to see last night's closing ceremony from his place somewhere up in the starrs.

NZ107 · Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:55 am

The first person to be stripped of their medal for drug cheating:

http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-with...t-athlete-nadzeya-ostapchuk/172684

Aleksandar · Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:05 am

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 385):
The first person to be stripped of their medal for drug cheating:

Unfortunately, there will always be someone who will cheat. Now, her result is more understandable.

Speaking of cheaters....do they really lose when they are discovered? Ever since the case of Marion Jones, this question is always in my mind. She was cheered as a winner, her national anthem was played, she stood on the podium. It happened so many times and the biggest injustice is done to those who were clean, like to Carl Lewis in Seoul 1988 or, in this case to Valerie Adams.

oldeuropean · Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:11 am

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 386):
Unfortunately, there will always be someone who will cheat. Now, her result is more understandable.

This won't be the last one.

I expect 40 - 50% of all gold medals as a result of doping. Some will be caught, but the others have used methods, which can't be detected.

That's the reason, I don't care for Olympic games.

[Edited 2012-08-13 04:19:22]

Kiwirob · Mon Aug 13, 2012 1:02 pm

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 385):
The first person to be stripped of their medal for drug cheating:

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 257):
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.

Did I call it or what, I never thought it was possible for a drug free athlete to throw like that.

zkojq · Mon Aug 13, 2012 1:37 pm

What a great Olympics, certainly the best of the ones I watched - though the being on the other side of the world, watching them was a bit difficult. I hope Rio does well in 2016. A big congratulations has to be said to the Olympic's organisers, volunteers, athletes, coaches, performers (from the opening and closing ceremonies) and of course to the british tax-payers for footing the bill.

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.

True, but Sevens generally has a wider appeal than normal Union Rugby.

Quoting Mir (Reply 268):
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.

Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 316):
Happy to see NZ won their 5th Gold today in the womans 470's.

That was a great race to watch. NZ won by a pretty decent margin.

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 355):
I found this photo from London 2012 and it really touched me. I hope you will like it too

Very much so.

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 385):
The first person to be stripped of their medal for drug cheating:

Congratulations to Valerie Adams. I remember how unhappy she was about not defending her medal from the 2008 games. Now that Nadzeya Ostapchuk's medal has gone to Valerie, New Zealand's medal tally is as high as it has ever been (equal with the 1988 Seoul games):
Gold: 6 Silver: 2 Bronze: 5 Total: 13

Additionally, New Zealand comes fourth in terms of medals-per-capita.

Rara · Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:52 pm

Quoting NZ107 (Reply 385):
The first person to be stripped of their medal for drug cheating:

Too bad it's her! Apparently along with her gold medal, some Belarussian sausage producer had promised to send her one sausage per day for the rest of her life. I was so happy for her.

Some day far ahead in the future, when the London Olympics would be all but forgotten, she would still receive her daily sausage. But alas - she didn't just lose her gold medal, she also lost a lifetime supply of wurst. Breaks my heart.

Stealthz · Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:08 pm

For some reason I was not that into these Olympics.

Didn't see much of them, have not yet watched the opening.

Currently watching a delayed replay of the closing and really liking it!

Have to hand it to the British, hard to imagine the conservative Americans or oh so politically correct Europeans.. or inscrutable Asians allowing a superannuated comedian to declare to the World.. " Life is a piece of shit" ..but 'look on the brighter side of life"

My Olympic regret, the Olympic Cauldron of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, now relocated in a park outside the stadium was lit each day of the London Olympics and I had intended to visit the park and see this but as for somany others these past 14 days passed so quickly and I missed the chance.

For the Aussies lurking here , how much better could these games be without Eddie Mcguire, The closing ceremony would have adequately "self narrated". Can't comment on the rest of the games as most of my London experience was on the large overhead screens in the Op Centre I work in .. vision, rarely any audio

us330 · Mon Aug 13, 2012 4:57 pm

Quoting oldeuropean (Reply 387):
This won't be the last one

A lot of speculation has centered around the Algerian 1500M men's gold medalist. Supposedly this guy's improvement rates were off the charts.

Kiwirob · Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:15 pm

Quoting us330 (Reply 392):

A lot of speculation has centered around the Algerian 1500M men's gold medalist. Supposedly this guy's improvement rates were off the charts.

Would also like to see them catch Phelps, I bet he's on the same juice Armstrong was, one that's so far evaded detection.

melpax · Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:15 am

Quoting stealthz (Reply 391):
Eddie Mcguire,

He was damn annoying commentating the Marathon as well, suprised Rob De Castella didn't whack him one on a few occaions.

Though, whould McAveney have been any better if Seven were doing the Olympics instead of Nine? He would have been on the verge of wanting to have Bolt's babies, lol.

melpax · Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:50 am

It had to happen sooner or later, Melbourne considering another Olympic Games bid.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vic...urvey/story-e6frf7kx-1226450004273

Kiwirob · Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:01 pm

Quoting Aleksandar (Reply 386):
It happened so many times and the biggest injustice is done to those who were clean, like to Carl Lewis in Seoul 1988 or, in this case to Valerie Adams.

Big difference here is that Carl Lewis wasn't clean either, he tested positive 3 times in 88 before the Olympics, which the US Olympic Committee covered up, he was just lucky that he was tested at the games, a glaring omission IMO.

kiwiinoz · Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:09 am

Quoting melpax (Reply 394):
Though, whould McAveney have been any better if Seven were doing the Olympics instead of Nine? He would have been on the verge of wanting to have Bolt's babies, lol.

Bruiser is a legend. Don't knock him

ltbewr · Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:26 am

I think one long-term affect of recent Summer Olympics in London, is that only the biggest cities/metro areas in the world in largest countries will be able to hold them (ie; 5 Million or more) as have the infrastructure necessary. That will probably leave out cities like Athens in the future.

While a few athletes have been caught with drugs, they have been caught with the easiest ones can be nailed on. Some may not be detectable with current methods, many not for years. Still I don't expect any more than in recent Olympics.

One problem with the Olympics in recent years that London also showed has been that a few well placed stores and vendors in close proximity to major event sites do exceptionally well, while some only a few blocks away face massive losses. In London, many tourist sites, The City and other business districts as well as major shopping districts did very poorly due to the distractions of the games and many usual customers not at their work places as told to stay away, take vacations.

Bongodog1964 · Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:16 am

Quoting stealthz (Reply 391):
For some reason I was not that into these Olympics.

Too many Australian gold medal winners ?

Quoting LTBEWR (Reply 398):
One problem with the Olympics in recent years that London also showed has been that a few well placed stores and vendors in close proximity to major event sites do exceptionally well, while some only a few blocks away face massive losses. In London, many tourist sites, The City and other business districts as well as major shopping districts did very poorly due to the distractions of the games and many usual customers not at their work places as told to stay away, take vacations.

Amply backed up by the passenger numbers for LHR released today, down 4.6% on July last year. The usual visitors were replaced by Olympic visitors, who appear to have stayed longer, but only spent their money cl;ose to the venues.

Quoting melpax (Reply 395):
It had to happen sooner or later, Melbourne considering another Olympic Games bid.

Though Melbourne would be looking at a similar gap between Olympics to Londons which was 64 years, the difference is that there have been no other Games in the UK in the intervening period. Remembering the outcry when the "Coca Cola" games took place only 12 years after Los Angeles, I can't see the Olympics heading back to Oz any time soon.

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