Re: Olympics 2012

**Thomas Clarke** Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:59 pm

OMAR wrote:
Thomas Clarke wrote:
It was tremendous Boxty. The whole Olympic Park is impressive, but the Aquatic Centre is something else. Lots of space with complex-length viewing galleries to amble around and take photos, and in-house commentary, presenters, interviews and screens to take spectators through the evening's action. I have to praise the organisation which was excellent, and particularly the huge number of volunteers, who were so upbeat and positive. Honestly, I've never been to an event (sporting or otherwise) that was remotely as friendly or welcoming. Throw in the thousands of people from all countries who were dressed up in their national colours (huge Dutch crowd for Ranomi Kromowidjojo), and it really was brilliant.

As for the swimming, some great performances in the pool, most notably Phelps and Rebecca Soni. The noise when Soni broke the world record was deafening, while Phelps' achievements just get more and more phenomenal. The third consecutive gold in the 200 IM demonstrates his longevity, and strengthens his case for being considered the greatest olympian of all time.

An army of dutch festooned head to toe in wiliiamite orange. Very cosmopolitan.

O

Homely!

**Thomas Clarke** Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:11 pm

Outstanding performance by Jessica Ennis in the Heptathlon. The gap between her points tally and the 2nd placed athlete was greater than the difference between 2nd and 10th.

Huge pressure given the media attention she generates, and she delivered brilliantly.

**Thomas Clarke** Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:15 pm

Men's 10,000 up next. Would love to see a Bekele victory, but he didn't look good when I saw him on the grand prix circuit a few weeks ago. Still, as Diababe showed, class is permanent.

**OMAR** Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:26 pm

Brits on a roll
Best head to head of the games in progress

For the love of fcku Bakele -one more time !!!

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:30 pm

Tadese moves to the front. Will we ever forget his effort in 2009 World Championships?

**Thomas Clarke** Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:44 pm

Farrah looking round him constantly. Either supremely confident, or very nervous.

**Thomas Clarke** Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:48 pm

Quote of the night from Steve Cram:

'Mo Farrah...took on the Africans, and showed them how to do it!'

Priceless!

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:06 pm

Bekele didn't position himself very well. Thought he might have raced with a bit more arrogance at that stage of the race.

Three golds for Team GB. Although I thought the long jumper didn't come across very well following his victory.

The womens 100m didn't get enough coverage with Farah winning - a lot of moments in quick sucession tonight. I like Shelly Ann Fraser though she has been involved in some scandals since Beijing.

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:14 pm

'Super Saturday' not enough to get Team GB over the line in a penalty shootout.

**OMAR** Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:15 pm

The atmosphere must have been something else. Nothing like be 10'000 to build the tension. I can,t see any other scenario where a home town runner wins the 10k for the next 50 years, unless Putin adopts a few africans and thinks ahead.

Agree with loyal re 100m. Its the blu riband female event and the Beeb narly apologised that it took away from mo,s celebration.
Hope the showed the penalty shoot out in the athletics stadium.
Ennis was superb by he way.

**Thomas Clarke** Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:16 pm

Team GB's soccer team out following a penalty shoot-out. Normal service has been restored!

(And, I should add: Stuart Pearce - what a loser.)

**Thomas Clarke** Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:21 pm

OMAR wrote:The atmosphere must have been something else. Nothing like be 10'000 to build the tension. I can,t see any other scenario where a home town runner wins the 10k for the next 50 years, unless Putin adopts a few africans and thinks ahead.

Yeah, the crowd noise coming through on the tv was tremendous. I hope it is similar next Saturday.

Women's 100m was very muted, and not helped by Fraser-Price not realising she had won upon crossing the line. I'd like to like her, but the drugs scandal casts a cloud.

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:38 pm

It's a great day for Team GB. It's wonderful to see the tears / joy at the end of some the events, and even the sportsmanship and comraderie on show is nice.

It's a pity Ireland don't have a real contender in the athletics to help sell the whole Olympics thing over here. I suppose we might pick some medals in the boxing and maybe one in the sailing but the athletics define the Olympics.

**Thomas Clarke** Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:41 pm

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:... but the athletics define the Olympics.

To a certain degree, but the enthusiasm and atmosphere at every single sport seems to be incredible. But I agree, Ennis and Farah tonight have ratcheted things up another few notches, and have set the scene for an incredible final week, in the stadium and all over the city.

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:58 pm

We don't have a marquee Olympian. Taylor, Barnes, Murphy all compete in what I would describe as minority sports. Womens boxing, men's amatuer boxing, sailing.

The track and to a lesser extent the pool is what the Olympics are all about. The indoor cycling, the rowing, the gymnastics, maybe the boxing have their moments.

I would say the opportunities for potential future Olympians are few and far between especially in rural areas of Ireland. If you're anyway athletic, you play Gaelic Football or Hurling in this country. There might be a soccer or rugby culture in some of the bigger towns. There should be a bigger effort to help create a culture for some sports. Maybe in athletics.

**Thomas Clarke** Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:08 pm

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:We don't have a marquee Olympian. Taylor, Barnes, Murphy all compete in what I would describe as minority sports. Womens boxing, men's amatuer boxing, sailing.

The track and to a lesser extent the pool is what the Olympics are all about. The indoor cycling, the rowing, the gymnastics, maybe the boxing have their moments.

I would say the opportunities for potential future Olympians are few and far between especially in rural areas of Ireland. If you're anyway athletic, you play Gaelic Football or Hurling in this country. There might be a soccer or rugby culture in some of the bigger towns. There should be a bigger effort to help create a culture for some sports. Maybe in athletics.

The track and the swimming are the highest profile sports, but they are certainly not what the olympics are all about. Anyone who immerses themselves in the entire thing will find something that appeals to them, if not in the sports themselves, then certainly in the personal triumphs and tragedies.

You are right when you say that Irelands best athletes are mainly playing GAA sports, and to a lesser degree soccer and rugby. The bigger nations have similar problems, but they have larger numbers to help them compensate.

**OMAR** Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:10 pm

Marty Morrissey out of his comfort zone with Paddy Barnes.
With the swimmers and some of the track athletes seeming to smother under tide of pressure great to see a man enjoying it[justify]

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sun Aug 05, 2012 10:44 am

Ireland does not even have a proper Olympic style/sized velodrome.

The analyst on RTE compared Martyn Irvine's participation in the ominium race to Jamacia competing in the bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics.

How much would it cost to build a proper velodrome? A half million or a million would surely build a proper one with proper surface and proper size. Ten million would build ten.

Irish people like to cycle. Team GB have targetted the track cycling in the last 20 years and continue to turn out the best track cyclists. Some of them have gone on to do very well in road racing (Wiggins, Cavendish, Thomas). Does nobody high up have the sense to pump some money into this discipline? As I say, Irish people like to cycle. Give them the opportunity to do this.

**Thomas Clarke** Sun Aug 05, 2012 11:04 am

Velodromes are expensive Loyal, with the estimated cost of the Olympic velodrome being £105m. Ireland simply can't afford that, nor can most countries, which is why it is the Britains, Germans and French who dominate in that sport.

But I do take your point about providing facilities, and the fact that Ireland have more golf courses per head of population than any other country, as well as having more top golfers p.h.p. than any other country, shows the direct correlation between investment and success.

You are right that cycling could be targeted, although the focus may have to be on road racing initially. Swimming too has strong appeals as a fairly high profile sport, and at least there are a few 50m pools already.

**Parouisa** Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:02 pm

Brits doing a great job but this constant referral to the medal table is getting to be a real fooking PITA at this stage.

**Thomas Clarke** Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:10 pm

Parouisa wrote:Brits doing a great job but this constant referral to the medal table is getting to be a real fooking PITA at this stage.

Agreed. I also think that it takes away a bit from the individual achievements of each of the medal winners, as the table seems to get more attention than they do.

**Parouisa** Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:07 pm

Thomas Clarke wrote:
Parouisa wrote:Brits doing a great job but this constant referral to the medal table is getting to be a real fooking PITA at this stage.

Agreed. I also think that it takes away a bit from the individual achievements of each of the medal winners, as the table seems to get more attention than they do.

Absolutely. And if you only win a silver you are a loser. The interviews with silver and bronze winners are making the athletes feel even worse. Typical media - fooking everything up. Humility and humour are whats making these Games very special - except among the TV and press people.

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:12 pm

Bolt looks good. My prediction for the final:

1st - Bolt
2nd - Blake
3rd - Powell
4th - Gatlin
5th - Gay
6th - Bailey
7th - Martina
8th - Thompson

Clean sweep for Jamaica.

Great clip of Denise Lewis cheering home Mo Farah. WHy Michael Johnson shouting for the Farah and a USA athlete a couple yards behind him?

**Thomas Clarke** Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:24 pm

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Bolt looks good. My prediction for the final:

1st - Bolt
2nd - Blake
3rd - Powell
4th - Gatlin
5th - Gay
6th - Bailey
7th - Martina
8th - Thompson

Clean sweep for Jamaica.

I think that Gatlin will be among the medals, and could beat out Blake for Silver. I'll go...

1st - Bolt
2nd - Gatlin
3rd - Blake

I also fancy Martina to beat at least one of the Jamaicans/Americans, thus making the top 6. Bolt looked fabulous and, with a good start, could get close to the world record.

**Parouisa** Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:10 am

Great great race - Bolt is a legend!

Poor Ohuruogu - great silver and they make her feel like a loser ..... Evil or Very Mad

John Joe was awesome - what a man! Annalise and Katie tomorrow - 2 golds, a sillver and 2 bronzes would be good!

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