2016 Olympics - Opening Ceremony and beyond....

[StefCurry]

Michael Phelps with 23 gold medals.. this is historycal. I can't believe in this.
Andy Murray is Olympic champion.. I definitely wanted Del Potro to win yesterday

[polishgenius]

6 hours ago, Tempra said:

Van Nekerk shattered Michael Johnson's 400m WR...from lane 8.  Maybe the most impressive WR in the Games.  

It's between that and the women's 10k but that race was mindblowing. Put it this way, Usain Bolt had to strain every sinew to break Johnson's record in the 200m which he always claimed is his best event but wasn't really Johnson's, and Van Niekerk just smashed Johnson's mark in his specialty like it ain't no thing. He can go faster than that.

[Which Tyler]

12 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

^That's very shocking to me; especially since I heard that sevens rugby wasn't an event at the Olympics because the IRB didn't have a women's divisions. And ad soon as the women's was ready it was entered. (The source was my brother and he's never really reliable. So I could be wrong on that). But yeah, that's disappointing.

Shocking to me too - I'm sure I remember from London that there were no more men-only events (the addition of women's boxing - actually, maybe it was the first time all sports were available for both genders).

 

As for the rugby 7s thing - you're brother is wrong; it was accepted into the games at the first time of asking. When new sports were added for Sydney 2000, Rugby 7s wasn't really a thing as a sport at all*; by the 2012 when the expansion for now were decided, it was a thing (though only the men are fully professional).

 

 

*:

Hong Kong 7s established 1976 - only annual competition at the time, and was bassically a party with some drunk rugby players.

Mens Rugby 7s World Cup established 1993 - hadn't had it's second run by the time the Sydney expansion was decided - was a minor branch of 15s rugby, and largely seen as part of pre-season training.

Mens 7s World Series established 2000 - first attempt to take 7s seriously; initially seen as a place to send academy players to gain some experience, gradually developed to being a specialist sport in it's own right - these Olympics have shown that many unions still don't believe it's really specialised, as they try to bring in players from other codes - who utterly failed once face with a team of specialists.

 

Women's rugby 7s did come a little late... once the sport was proven to not be an abject failure; IIRC the first women's 7s world cup was 2009, and the World Series in 2011. This was always going to happen if the sport was seen as viable. Of course, no new sports were added between Sydney and Rio.

[Kyoshi]

Very happy for Van Niekerk. Running lane 8 is very difficult. You can't see what the other guys are doing, and it's always useful to have someone as a pacemaker. For him to do what he did, the way he did it, is truly magnificent. I think the guy who finished 4th would have broken Michael Johnson's record, so the top 3 finishers all set new records. This was right up there with the women's 10k for me.

I also got really attached to the women's heptathlon. It's like a series and you get attached to the characters. I was very happy when Thiam won the gold. She's really something with the field events. I don't think she was expected to medal here.

So far I've enjoyed this far more than London.

[DireWolfSpirit]

3 hours ago, Andriy Czarchenko said:

I´m sure the finnish TV-crew that once again handles track & field production is delighted.

Once again?  That doesn't surprize me if they have previous experience, they seem to be nailing it. The first rate delivery of the sight and sounds of the Rio Games has been especially inspiring after hearing months and months of negativity from detractors before the Games even began.

[Andriy Czarchenko]

Just now, DireWolfSpirit said:

Once again?  That doesn't surprize me if they have previous experience, they seem to be nailing it. The first rate delivery of the sight and sounds of the Rio Games has been especially inspiring after hearing months and months of negativity from detractors before the Games even began.

Finnish YLE has been responsible of track & field ( and cross-country skiing on winter olympics) at the least since Sydney 2000. Could be even longer for all I know.

I think they like to keep the crews from the same companies that have done specific disciplines before.

[Kyoshi]

For Bahrain, I haven't seen a single athlete that wasn't formerly from somewhere else (Kenya, Nigeria, Jamaica). I find it odd for some reason.

[BigFatCoward]

3 hours ago, Kyoshi said:

Very happy for Van Niekerk. Running lane 8 is very difficult. You can't see what the other guys are doing, and it's always useful to have someone as a pacemaker. For him to do what he did, the way he did it, is truly magnificent. I think the guy who finished 4th would have broken Michael Johnson's record, so the top 3 finishers all set new records. This was right up there with the women's 10k for me.

I also got really attached to the women's heptathlon. It's like a series and you get attached to the characters. I was very happy when Thiam won the gold. She's really something with the field events. I don't think she was expected to medal here.

So far I've enjoyed this far more than London.

the 2nd and 3rd place finishers were over half a second slower than the old world record. 

[BigFatCoward]

Andy Murray putting Inverdale in his sexist place.  Other people may get the benefit of the doubt for a misplaced word, but not him based on his history. 

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/15/andy-murray-john-inverdale-olympic-tennis-bbc-williams?CMP=fb_a-sport_b-gdnsport

i know nothing about horsey dancing but i reckon 93% must be a pretty good score?  another gold for team GB i reckon. 

[Arkash]

Aurelie Muller DQed in the 10 km swimming race after landing the silver medal... there will surely be a protest from her federation.

https://swimswam.com/aurelie-muller-dqed-after-winning-silver-medal-in-womens-10km-swim/

[Spockydog]

1 hour ago, BigFatCoward said:

Andy Murray putting Inverdale in his sexist place.  Other people may get the benefit of the doubt for a misplaced word, but not him based on his history. 

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/15/andy-murray-john-inverdale-olympic-tennis-bbc-williams?CMP=fb_a-sport_b-gdnsport

 

He's a proper horror. Frankly, I'm amazed he's still got a job at the BBC. The sooner he's shipped out to Qatar with Keys and Gray, the better for all of us. 

[Dr. Pepper]

I'll drop in my daily feminist commentary alongside this BBC commentator stuff.

So, diver He Zi wins a silver medal followed by her boyfriend's public proposal.  This just really ticks me off.  First that she's celebrating her amazing achievement and he goes and turns it into something all about him.  Second that the media is heavily reporting on the proposal at all when all discussion of He Zi should be about her silver medal.  

In Gabby Douglas news, she continues to be raked over the coals.  Where to start.  At the 2012 Olympics, a significant amount of public discussion centered around her hair.  Over the years since, she's received all sorts of backlash, everything from changing coaches to cashing in on her win has rattled the ire of internet trolls.  This Olympics, she's been outright bullied for not expressing emotions in a way that people find acceptable.  They're on her for not smiling enough, not acting happy enough for winning gold, not appearing patriotic enough, not cheering wildly enough for her teammates.  It's been pretty terrible to witness.  

[Unlady B]

1 hour ago, BigFatCoward said:

i know nothing about horsey dancing but i reckon 93% must be a pretty good score?  another gold for team GB i reckon. 

It's the first time I catch this event in a Game. Those horses have better ryhthm than me XD Beautiful although as the commentators went mute during the performances to allow the audience to enjoy the music I got lost when later they tried to explain what we have just seen (pace change, etc).

 

I was happy for Delpo winning any medal, so I barely watched the game.

Near the ending I googled (at last) the tennis rules to have an idea of what was going on and when it was finishing. Popular sports rules are not explained to the viewer, so if you just happen to live in a box you're screwed without Google.

In general I'm very happy with the Latinoamerican coverage and commentators. When they don't have a specialist in the room they warn the audience and try to explain as best as they can. And best of all, they highlight whenever there's a latinoamerican athlete competing.

So question to you all: who do you root for in each sport? Your national athletes? The favourites? the rising stars? If there's not a national athlete: the ones from your same continent?

[BigFatCoward]

27 minutes ago, Dr. Pepper said:

I'll drop in my daily feminist commentary alongside this BBC commentator stuff.

So, diver He Zi wins a silver medal followed by her boyfriend's public proposal.  This just really ticks me off.  First that she's celebrating her amazing achievement and he goes and turns it into something all about him.  Second that the media is heavily reporting on the proposal at all when all discussion of He Zi should be about her silver medal.  

 

Charlotte Dujardin's partner just did the same after her horsey dancing Gold.  Both recipients seemed very happy, i think you might be overthinking this a little bit.  As far as i'm aware proposals are rarely just about 'him'.

[polishgenius]

40 minutes ago, Arkash said:

Aurelie Muller DQed in the 10 km swimming race after landing the silver medal... there will surely be a protest from her federation.

https://swimswam.com/aurelie-muller-dqed-after-winning-silver-medal-in-womens-10km-swim/

 

In fairness though, if you don't want to be DQ'd, don't blatantly cheat with the eyes (and slo-motion-replay cameras) of the world on you.


 

On the proposals: imagine if she'd said 'no'? Tbh that's a reason why I'm not fond of the idea of public proposals, because (unless it's one of those situations where it's pretty much a given and the proposal is a romantic formality) it puts pressure on the recipient to say yes just to avoid embarrassment.

[BigFatCoward]

1 minute ago, polishgenius said:

 

On the proposals: imagine if she'd said 'no'? Tbh that's a reason why I'm not fond of the idea of public proposals, because (unless it's one of those situations where it's pretty much a given and the proposal is a romantic formality) it puts pressure on the recipient to say yes just to avoid embarrassment.

totally agree with the above, i've never understood people who propose without knowing their partner well enough to know they would say yes. if there is ever any intent to put someone under duress with the public nature of it then they deserve to be blown out and humiliated.  this includes smaller scale public proposals, not just the 2 discussed above. 

[Dr. Pepper]

4 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

Charlotte Dujardin's partner just did the same after her horsey dancing Gold.  Both recipients seemed very happy, i think you might be overthinking this a little bit.  As far as i'm aware proposals are rarely just about 'him'.

Neither of these are even remotely the same.  Charlotte's fiance (they were already engaged) didn't physically disrupt her medal ceremony and celebration to make a public spectacle.  He was wearing a t-shirt in the stands.

I'm certainly not over-thinking it, you are very likely under thinking this. Yes, he's turned the event into something about him.  HE'S the one controlling the situation and performing the action.  Whether or not the recipient appeared happy or was genuinely happy is sort of beside the point where the public is concerned.  She can hardly react in another way. 

If this asshole wanted a public proposal, there were plenty of opportunities to do so that wouldn't have detracted from his fiance's achievement.  

[BigFatCoward]

8 minutes ago, Dr. Pepper said:

 

If this asshole wanted a public proposal, there were plenty of opportunities to do so that wouldn't have detracted from his fiance's achievement.  

in your opinion.  maybe it enhanced it for her?  maybe the man knows his partner and the type of things she likes and doesn't a bit better than a stranger who has never met either of them, do you think?

and this is coming from someone who is totally the sort of the person who would hate this public sort of gesture, and would be furious if it was done to me. but my partner would know that and never dream of doing it.  until we know any better we should just assume it was received in the way i'd like to assume it was intended. 

[themerchant]

2 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

Andy Murray putting Inverdale in his sexist place.  Other people may get the benefit of the doubt for a misplaced word, but not him based on his history. 

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/aug/15/andy-murray-john-inverdale-olympic-tennis-bbc-williams?CMP=fb_a-sport_b-gdnsport

i know nothing about horsey dancing but i reckon 93% must be a pretty good score?  another gold for team GB i reckon. 

John Inverdale is a terrible commentator ,clueless.

Rafael Nadal and Nicolas Massu have also won multiple golds before Andy Murray.  4 folk have multiple golds, 2 men and 2 woman.

Murray was the first to retain a singles title, not the first to win multiple golds in the modern era. Venus was first i believe then Massu.

 

 

[Dr. Pepper]

5 minutes ago, BigFatCoward said:

in your opinion.  maybe it enhanced it for her?  maybe the man knows his partner and the type of things she likes and doesn't a bit better than a stranger who has never met either of them, do you think?  

Oh for fuck's sake.  And this defense of this man's behavior is exactly why so many men continue to behave this way.  

This isn't opinion.  It's a literal fact that this man disrupted this woman's achievement celebration and turned it into a focus on himself.  Whether or not they are privately happy about this doesn't change the fact that this is what he did and the news is now focused on HIS performance rather than HERS.  

But go ahead and applaud and defend it.  All the other sexists are.