Olympics

[Hesh1956]

So who else has been enjoying the Olympics?

I was just looking at the medal totals so far and Australia has done VERY well!!! Currently my M8s are ahead of the Russians and in 3rd place. This is an incredible effort and something to be very proud of.

So far my favorite sport to watch has been the women's beach volley ball...... Seriously.....

So let's hear your impressions of this Olympics?

[sebastiaan56]

I must admit that Ive become a bit of a tragic. The road races, the velodrome, the swimming, the womens marathon, and oh yeh that Phelps guy.... The only thing that breaks into it at our house is Dr Who. It is also a great opportunity to see sports we dont normally see here. Norway vs Romania in the handball yesterday, Hesh you would have enjoyed that game.

I know a few Olympians, for most of the people you see on the tele its been many, many years of hard work and sacrifice. Then there is the beaurocracy
to break through to make the team. It is a superhuman effort to get there let alone win.

I dont take to much out of the medal count, but statistically the Aussies are outperforming the rest of the world. But hey Im a couch potato, the athletes are the ones who have done the yards.

[Allen]

I only get to watch in the evenings, and I think channel 7's coverage has been pitiful. All they seem to show is a sport where Aussie's are going to have a chance at a medal, with very little comprehensive coverage of the competition. Hope that it improves.

As for medals, I could care less. I feel far too much emphasis is placed on it, and the inevitable marketing spin that a gold medal is going do for an athlete.

[kiwigeo]

I dont take to much out of the medal count, but statistically the Aussies are outperforming the rest of the world. But hey Im a couch potato, the athletes are the ones who have done the yards.

I'd hope the Aussies would be bring home a few medals.....youd want to see some return on the millions of dollars of taxpayers money that gets thrown at the AIS.

He who has the biggest pile of cash wins.......

[Paul B]

Hesh, we're not doing too badly for a country with a bit over half the population of California, huh?

But then we take our sport kinda seriously, especially when it comes to beating the poms or the kiwis

I can't believe that I'm seeing empty seats at these events though. Not as bad as the last games in Athens, but still. At the Sydney games every event was sold out, every seat had a bum in it. It wasn't just a matter of getting a seat at your favorite event, you just bought whatever was available for any event, everyone wanted to go and see something, anything - huge demand for tickets. We sat in 100C heat and watched a bunch of ponces prance around on horses for a couple hours, that was fun (not), but it was the Olympics!

[Bob Connor]

I've actually been in training for the Olympics for many years but they haven't yet included my sport.

When the do finally recognise Guinness Drinking as a competitive sport I'll ensure that it's located right next to the Beach Volleyball and I'll be competing in the endurance events.

[Paul B]

I dont take to much out of the medal count, but statistically the Aussies are outperforming the rest of the world. But hey Im a couch potato, the athletes are the ones who have done the yards.

I'd hope the Aussies would be bring home a few medals.....youd want to see some return on the millions of dollars of taxpayers money that gets thrown at the AIS.

He who has the biggest pile of cash wins.......

Sour grapes from a Kiwi? Never! You guys are doing pretty well for a country with the population of Sydney. 2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze!

Though that Phelps bloke has more medals than your whole country, huh?

[kiwigeo]

No sour grapes mate...I just dont have much time for a hyped up event thats nothing more than a political grandstand for the world's major powers.

Anybody who thinks the Olympics is all about fairness and competing on a level playing field is kidding themselves.

A countries medal haul is directly related to the size of their team and how much is spent training and equipping them.

What they should do is have a handicapping system that takes into account the above.

[Paul B]

I see your point, though I was making a joke.

Australia is doing really well 'cause we hosted an Olympics not too long ago and threw heaps of $$$ at sport so we wouldn't look silly by not winning any medals at our own Olympics.

China? Same boat at these games.

Britain? They're hosting the next ones. Same boat again, but blood 'em now!

The US? They just don't like to be seen to get beat under any circumstances. Don't really blame em, we don't like it one little bit either.

Russia? Bigger fish to fry at the moment...

[Arnt]

Summer Olympics, what's that? Too darn hot, that's what!!! Now, winter Olympics on the other hand... (this outburst has nothing, nothing I say, to with our meager 4 medals so far... )

[Kim]

Summer Olympics, what's that? Too darn hot, that's what!!! Now, winter Olympics on the other hand... (this outburst has nothing, nothing I say, to with our meager 4 medals so far... )

Ah Arnt my friend, don't let it get to you. The rest of the world can have all the medals they wish, but no one can cook a sheeps head on a pole like a true Viking. And other than running scared of the Nords obvious superiority, I could never understand why the IOC has failed to recognise longship rowing as an official Olympic event.

Cheers

Kim

[kiwigeo]

Hey Arnt,

Ive got a bunch of your country men out here on this oil rig Im working on at present. Theyre running our riserless mud return system. Nice bunch of guys but they keep to themselves and look very serious most of the time. They also seem to spend alot of time walking half naked around the heli-deck....guess they love the sun up here off Broome, Western Australia.

Cheers Martin

[kiwigeo]

[quote="KimI could never understand why the IOC has failed to recognise longship rowing as an official Olympic event.

Cheers

Kim[/quote]

Its probably not the boats that are the problem....more likely the horned helmets and pole axes.

[kiwigeo]

Now..if you want to talk about a REAL olympic event......Ive got two words for you

SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING

Dont know what it is..maybe its the nose plugs or the hair tied up in buns but synch swimming really gets me going

[Arnt]

Long ship rowing, now you're talking! No coincidence that our single gold medal is in rowing... single scull (funny word!), though.

Kiwi, yes I imagine they try to catch as much sun as they can, lots of folks up here will get a bit silly and run around in their shorts as soon as the snow disappears, I guess they can't get used to having nice weather more two days in a row. You can take a Norwegian away from Norway, but you can't take Norway away from a Norwegian

[sebastiaan56]

single scull (funny word!)

Actually here in Aus the word means the primary psyche out technique of Bob's sport.

Sebastiaan