The Official Rio Olympics 2016 thread
Discussion
have friends competing in the canoe slalom events and just love watching elite level sport, so will be glued to as much of the action as possible.
I know the canoe slalom course is up and running, they've had at least one test event and the top athletes have all been out on regular training camps.
I don't think it will be as bad as everyone thinks, but could definitely ruin rio's economy for the short/medium term! have a look at Athens and how many Olympic venues are now lying ruined, having been abandoned the day after games finished!
either way I'm excited, love the Olympics, my friends are in with a shout of medals, i'll be buzzing for it!!
I know the canoe slalom course is up and running, they've had at least one test event and the top athletes have all been out on regular training camps.
I don't think it will be as bad as everyone thinks, but could definitely ruin rio's economy for the short/medium term! have a look at Athens and how many Olympic venues are now lying ruined, having been abandoned the day after games finished!
either way I'm excited, love the Olympics, my friends are in with a shout of medals, i'll be buzzing for it!!
Rory Mcllory is not going because of Zika. Big Greg R has had his swimmers frozen too.
I am excited about it and I hope it isn't a disaster. I watched the canoes slalom at London, knew nothing about it but really enjoyed it.
I am looking forward to the swimming, think the GB team are going to be close but no cigar, the US team looks epic. Track and Field is going to be amazing as well.
I am excited about it and I hope it isn't a disaster. I watched the canoes slalom at London, knew nothing about it but really enjoyed it.
I am looking forward to the swimming, think the GB team are going to be close but no cigar, the US team looks epic. Track and Field is going to be amazing as well.
The lounge thread got moved and closed and so I am back to talking to myself here. The moderation on this place really is idiotic at time.
Anyone got any thoughts on the Olympics? Less than a month to go now.
The Euro atheltics championships started yesterday. Nothing of note happening there at the minute. Sophie Htichon in the hammer throw missed auto Q to the final but scrapped through. Greg Rutherford scrapped through to the long jump final.
Anyone want to call any predictions on golds? I am going to put a few down:
Swimming 200 IM - Phelps
Heptathlon - Jess Ennis-Hill
Decathlon - Ashton Eaton
Swimming 100m Breastroke - Peaty
Anyone got any thoughts on the Olympics? Less than a month to go now.
The Euro atheltics championships started yesterday. Nothing of note happening there at the minute. Sophie Htichon in the hammer throw missed auto Q to the final but scrapped through. Greg Rutherford scrapped through to the long jump final.
Anyone want to call any predictions on golds? I am going to put a few down:
Swimming 200 IM - Phelps
Heptathlon - Jess Ennis-Hill
Decathlon - Ashton Eaton
Swimming 100m Breastroke - Peaty
I reckon Rutherford will do his thing.
Britain isn't going to do so well on the track but Jason Kenny ought to lay down at least the one if he's riding. I'd love it if Cav got the omnium but really not convinced he will, although he's certainly capable.
Be interesting how things go with (nearly) no Russians.
Mo Farah is another pretty much sure thing.
Canoe, rowing, sailing??
Paralympics - for the Brits, Ellie Simmonds swimming, David Smith BC1 individuals boccia, Nigel Murray BC2 ditto, Johnnie Peacock, Hannah Cockroft and Dave Weir on the track.
Non–Brits, Tatyana McFad(y?)en is a shoo-in for anything/everything she enters.
Greeks, Koreans and Thais will battle it out for the boccia BC3 individual and pairs events.
Britain isn't going to do so well on the track but Jason Kenny ought to lay down at least the one if he's riding. I'd love it if Cav got the omnium but really not convinced he will, although he's certainly capable.
Be interesting how things go with (nearly) no Russians.
Mo Farah is another pretty much sure thing.
Canoe, rowing, sailing??
Paralympics - for the Brits, Ellie Simmonds swimming, David Smith BC1 individuals boccia, Nigel Murray BC2 ditto, Johnnie Peacock, Hannah Cockroft and Dave Weir on the track.
Non–Brits, Tatyana McFad(y?)en is a shoo-in for anything/everything she enters.
Greeks, Koreans and Thais will battle it out for the boccia BC3 individual and pairs events.
I don't know if you can read too much into the euro's results, I would have thought most serious rio medal contenders would still be in a different training cycle towards rio, and certainly not tapering down for the euros so close to the games.
I'd say the british canoe slalom team are medal contenders for K1 women, C1 men and C2 men. I don't think we will get a medal in K1 men though.
not really looked into other sports too much, but swimming will be interesting. I think phelps will come back big and get a few medals.
I'd say the british canoe slalom team are medal contenders for K1 women, C1 men and C2 men. I don't think we will get a medal in K1 men though.
not really looked into other sports too much, but swimming will be interesting. I think phelps will come back big and get a few medals.
Yes the swimming will be very interesting. Phelps is old for a swimmer and this will be his 5th Olympics, but his preparation and training seems to be spot on. Plus he has the huge mental edge over everyone, who wouldn't s
t themselves stepping on the to blocks next the greatest swimmer of all time.
t themselves stepping on the to blocks next the greatest swimmer of all time.FlyingMeeces said:
I reckon Rutherford will do his thing.
I like GR and he is good at doing what is needed at big events. He has also had a really good start to the season, although a couple of issues seem to have cropped up. Firstly he gave himself whiplash at the Diamond League meet in Brum and now this odd news story has appeared:http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/36721661
He has some inner ear problem which he hopes "won't affect my jumping".
I think it's a real shame the mods, despite my request, moved an Olympic thread from the lounge. Still.
What are peoples thoughts on competitors going to the Olympics who don't have a realistic chance of getting a medal or even getting into a final?
I'm not thinking of anyone in particular but there are an awful lot who attend it seems just for the experience.
Don't get me wrong, given the chance i'd be all over it but shouldn't the Olympics be better than that?
What are peoples thoughts on competitors going to the Olympics who don't have a realistic chance of getting a medal or even getting into a final?
I'm not thinking of anyone in particular but there are an awful lot who attend it seems just for the experience.
Don't get me wrong, given the chance i'd be all over it but shouldn't the Olympics be better than that?
Thankyou4calling said:
I think it's a real shame the mods, despite my request, moved an Olympic thread from the lounge. Still.
What are peoples thoughts on competitors going to the Olympics who don't have a realistic chance of getting a medal or even getting into a final?
I'm not thinking of anyone in particular but there are an awful lot who attend it seems just for the experience.
Don't get me wrong, given the chance i'd be all over it but shouldn't the Olympics be better than that?
I'm an aspiring, but still essentially only a few steps up from novice, boccia player. My sport is small so I've ended up in 1:1 matches with England and GB players a few times, with slightly embarrassing results.What are peoples thoughts on competitors going to the Olympics who don't have a realistic chance of getting a medal or even getting into a final?
I'm not thinking of anyone in particular but there are an awful lot who attend it seems just for the experience.
Don't get me wrong, given the chance i'd be all over it but shouldn't the Olympics be better than that?
You don't get better by only entering the tournament you know you can win.
I actually don't, at all, agree that there are an 'awful lot' of just-for-experience types going, but there will always be some, there have to be, the machine cannot produce serious medal hopes without developing that talent along the way.
You know that, in every sport, spots for athletes are allocated by the country's international performance? To 'earn' a women's road cycling individual time trial berth, or a boccia BC3 pairs entry, you need a female time triallist or a matched set of boccia players who are already among the best in the world, via a bit of a regional quota system so that people from not traditionally cycling or boccia-playing nations get something of a look in.
For boccia pairs (applies equally to the BC4 pairs), it's just 8 spots: one for the host nation, one each for the top ranked country in each of Europe, Asia/Oceania and Americas/Africa, and the remaining 4 for the 4 highest-ranked nations in the world, excluding whoever's already qualified from the above. A GB pair are going, and (forgive me lads), they're not going to win a medal. If they didn't take up their place, it'd be offered to the next highest ranked country, who would be *even less likely* to win. They're not taking the three (pairs entries are three players so there's a sub) athletes most in need of experience, they're taking the ones most likely to win a medal, and they still won't, but assuming all 3 are live and kicking by the time we reach Tokyo and 2020, their odds will be better than for a team who hadn't been at a Paralympic Games before.
Unless any of the countries decide they don't want to use their slots, the boccia pairs in Rio will be Brazil (hosts), Belgium, Korea and Canada (region top ranks), and then Greece, Portugal, Great Britain and Singapore. Final seems to always end up being Greece v Korea.
Thankyou4calling said:
I think it's a real shame the mods, despite my request, moved an Olympic thread from the lounge. Still.
What are peoples thoughts on competitors going to the Olympics who don't have a realistic chance of getting a medal or even getting into a final?
I'm not thinking of anyone in particular but there are an awful lot who attend it seems just for the experience.
Don't get me wrong, given the chance i'd be all over it but shouldn't the Olympics be better than that?
Yeah I even questioned it in Website Feedback but got the usual fob off:What are peoples thoughts on competitors going to the Olympics who don't have a realistic chance of getting a medal or even getting into a final?
I'm not thinking of anyone in particular but there are an awful lot who attend it seems just for the experience.
Don't get me wrong, given the chance i'd be all over it but shouldn't the Olympics be better than that?
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Its difficult with the medal hopes. If we only sent people who had a realistic chance of a medal then in the more main stream events (not knocking eventing / cannoes etc but I know nothing of them) we would only be sending a handful of people. You do need some people making up the numbers, especially in events like the sprints and swimming where there are heats, semis, and then finals. There is always the chance of one of them doing something special, or a big mistake by a major player - Bolt false starting at the worlds etc
On the other hand its a lot of money to spend on people who will achieve little. British Swimming is classic for this. We have done a lot better recently and won some medals at the Euros but I can't see us getting close when the big world players come in. Other than Adam Peaty. A fish with an outboard motor strapped to their arse aint catching him.
I think some of the athletes know this themselves. Martin Rooney won the 400m at the Euros last week and said in his interview that he unlikely to medal in the Olympics
this is a hard question, but one thing to remember is- everyone that is going to rio will have met necessary criteria to go. the Olympics only award places in events to countries that have athletes competing at the appropriate standard (eg: top 30/40 position at previous world/euro championships). so its not like you can look up the list of sports- then go- brilliant Britain doesn't have anyone competing at sport x, I'm off to represent us at rio.
now my sport is canoe slalom (we have been pretty successful winning medals every Olympics since Sydney) and I know how the Olympic process works and for canoeing its not actually that fair:
the british senior team consists of 3 members in each event (K1 man, K1 women, C1 men, C2 men) but for the Olympics we are only able to send 1 person per category. now I understand that you want to send the best to the games, so we select the best athlete and send them for each category, but within canoe slalom, we have at least 2 people, maybe even all 3, all capable of making finals or winning a medal in a major event.
so in the Olympics when all major canoeing nations (Czechs, Slovaks, French, german, Italian.......) have 3 team members capable of medalling/finalling, but only get to send 1 boat, it actually makes for a weaker competition. in the world championships you would be up against 30-40 people all with a shout of making a medal, in the Olympics that's reduced down to maybe only 10.
now my sport is canoe slalom (we have been pretty successful winning medals every Olympics since Sydney) and I know how the Olympic process works and for canoeing its not actually that fair:
the british senior team consists of 3 members in each event (K1 man, K1 women, C1 men, C2 men) but for the Olympics we are only able to send 1 person per category. now I understand that you want to send the best to the games, so we select the best athlete and send them for each category, but within canoe slalom, we have at least 2 people, maybe even all 3, all capable of making finals or winning a medal in a major event.
so in the Olympics when all major canoeing nations (Czechs, Slovaks, French, german, Italian.......) have 3 team members capable of medalling/finalling, but only get to send 1 boat, it actually makes for a weaker competition. in the world championships you would be up against 30-40 people all with a shout of making a medal, in the Olympics that's reduced down to maybe only 10.
That's a very good point about the canoeing/Kayaking and i'm surprised they can't accomodate more if there are that many people at a high level.
I also understand that competing against the best can improve performance so I randomly picked Shot putt.
The top GB competitor, who I presume will go to the Olympics is not ranked in the worlds top 80.
So is he a competitor or a participant?
I also understand that competing against the best can improve performance so I randomly picked Shot putt.
The top GB competitor, who I presume will go to the Olympics is not ranked in the worlds top 80.
So is he a competitor or a participant?
Thankyou4calling said:
That's a very good point about the canoeing/Kayaking and i'm surprised they can't accomodate more if there are that many people at a high level.
I also understand that competing against the best can improve performance so I randomly picked Shot putt.
The top GB competitor, who I presume will go to the Olympics is not ranked in the worlds top 80.
So is he a competitor or a participant?
Neither. He won't be going - won't have qualified. I also understand that competing against the best can improve performance so I randomly picked Shot putt.
The top GB competitor, who I presume will go to the Olympics is not ranked in the worlds top 80.
So is he a competitor or a participant?
Not even close.
We were represented in everything in London because the home nation gets an automatic spot. Not true this year.
The mens high jump competition start to hot up nicely then cam crashing down, almost literally at Monaco DL last night. Hugh field including Bondarenko, Barshim, Grabaz and Tamberi.
Bashim went out at 2.37, Bonderenko followed at 2.39. Tamberi cleared 2.39 on the 3rd attempt to set a new PB and National Record. He then decided to try 2.41, seemingly mostly fore sts and giggles for his fans. First attempt borked it and lay on the floor screaming and holding his ankle. Was last seen on a stretcher with an ice pack on his ankle.
Looks like he could be in a spot of bother for Rio.
Grabaz was 4th I think, he has never seemingly been able to get back to his 2012 form.
Bashim went out at 2.37, Bonderenko followed at 2.39. Tamberi cleared 2.39 on the 3rd attempt to set a new PB and National Record. He then decided to try 2.41, seemingly mostly fore s
ts and giggles for his fans. First attempt borked it and lay on the floor screaming and holding his ankle. Was last seen on a stretcher with an ice pack on his ankle.Looks like he could be in a spot of bother for Rio.
Grabaz was 4th I think, he has never seemingly been able to get back to his 2012 form.
Cannot for the life of me understand why they have brought in golf - the players don't even seem to want to go.
They are putting traditional Olympic sports under pressure to reduce events (e.g. rowing) and then they bring in flippin' golf and professional boxers.
If the Olympics isn't the pinnacle competition for a sport it shouldn't be there.
They are putting traditional Olympic sports under pressure to reduce events (e.g. rowing) and then they bring in flippin' golf and professional boxers.
If the Olympics isn't the pinnacle competition for a sport it shouldn't be there.
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