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| 2012 Olympics; General discussion | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 28 2012, 01:01 PM (1,956 Views) | |
| Don Balon | Aug 1 2012, 09:31 PM Post #16 |
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A great summer for Bradley Wiggins, he adds the men's time trial title in cycling to his Tour de France win. germany's Tony Martin was 2nd and Britain's Christopher Froome, the runnerup to Wiggins at the Tour de France, was 3rd. The US' Kristi Armstrong won the women's time trial for the 2nd straight Olympics, Judith Arndt of Germany was 2nd and Russia's Olga Zabelinskaya was 3rd. Michael Phelps broke the all time record of Olympic medals won as he was part of a US swimming relay team. Phelps makes history even as his individual performances do not seem to be at the level of 4 or 8 years ago. But what a swimming career! |
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| Rufus T. Firefly | Aug 1 2012, 09:46 PM Post #17 |
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That was Wiggins 4th Oympic Gold, he'd won previously in track cycling events and he has 7 Olympic medals in total. Bronze medalist Froome races for Great Britain but was born in Kenya, he must be the first African born cycling medalist. Canada's Clara Hughes, who finished 5th in the women's race was a former Olympic speed skater. I can't ever recall reading of any other athlete doubling up quite like that before. Some big women's tennis matches on Thursday: Kim Clijsters vs Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams vs Caroline Wozniacki. |
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| Sporting | Aug 1 2012, 10:51 PM Post #18 |
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There's been a few, though many in long-since departed Olympic disciplines (eg tug of war) and many in sports which are closely related, as with swimming and water polo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_athle...ent_disciplines Rebecca Romero is a good example of someone who has done very well in two sports, cycling and rowing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Romero |
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| Dr. Z | Aug 2 2012, 09:54 AM Post #19 |
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Tug of war was an Olympic sport? My dog would do pretty well in that! ![]() I still find it bizarre that baseball and softball were dropped as Olympic sports. Each are widely played in the Americas and east Asia with Australia, Holland and Italy also being active participants. |
| Poniendo el pecho a las balas! | |
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| shelsoccer | Aug 2 2012, 10:10 AM Post #20 |
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I think the decision to drop baseball was a result of MLB's reluctance to release players mid-season. Softball, I'm not so sure; other than the IOC has attempted to limit the total numbers of athletes in the Olympics. When they add a sport, they inevitably eliminate a sport or reduce the squad size in others. You could make an argument for a lot of sports -- rugby (I believe sevens will be an exhibition sport in London), cricket, golf, probably others. But, there's just so much load you can place on a host city in terms of venues, staffing and housing. One thing I've wondered about to alleviate the problem is why not move some sports from summer to winter, primarily indoor sports. Why couldn't sports such as wrestling, boxing and indoor volleyball be in the Winter Olympics? Heck, maybe even swimming. Basketball is probably a non-starter. The NBA isn't likely to interupt their season for the Olympics, though there's sort of a (reluctant) example with ice hockey. |
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| libero | Aug 2 2012, 12:09 PM Post #21 |
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Talk of Michael Phelps demise was premature, he just won another gold in the 200 individual medley, defeating rival Ryan Lochte. Been a good day for US swimmers, again. I think it also is a question of facilities, baseball stadiums take up a lot of space and in cities like Athens, Beijing and London, the last 3 Olympic hosts, they won't or wouldn't be of much use post Olympics. In fact I saw photos just before these games started of the abandon field in Beijing where the now disassembled baseball stadium once stood. |
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| Merengue | Aug 2 2012, 01:42 PM Post #22 |
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Phelps became the first swimmer to ever win the gold medal in 3 consecutive Olympics. Now THAT is an incredible record. Speaking of records Wiggins with his 7th medal became Great Britain's most medaled athlete at an Olympics, passing the rower Steven Redgrave who was involved in the opening ceremony. I remember Wiggins being a good track cyclist but did not recall him being that successful in the velodromes. On the subject of doubling up in sports, while not uncommon to see track cyclists become road racers, it is rare to see one go on and become as successful as Wiggins has become in road cycling. Ranomi Kromowidjojo, that is the name of the Dutch woman who won the 100m freestyle today. The top sprinter in the pool. |
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| hobbes | Aug 2 2012, 02:53 PM Post #23 |
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I don't think many people understand how insane Clara Hughes' story is. She competed in six Olympics — three winters and three summers — and won medals at four of them. At 13 she was smoker, a drinker and she used drugs. She didn't start speed skating until 16 and didn't start cycling until she was 17. I look at her ever-present smile and freckled red haired face and can't imagine her as an adolescent runaway, but she was . . . Here's a great read on her past and her journey from a few years ago: http://veloptimum.net/courses/athletes/Hug...toStar29jan.htm cheers, hobbes |
| Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires | |
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| Yogi | Aug 2 2012, 03:03 PM Post #24 |
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Ranomi Kromowidjojo, that is the name of the Dutch woman who won the 100m freestyle today. The top sprinter in the pool. Now that is a name which just rolls off the lips! She makes my Olympic all best name team! :lol: Oh and yes she swims like a dolphin! Fascinating link hobbes on Hughes, that is some journey she has been on. Good to read of her overcoming her difficulties to become such a prolific Olympian. The US only beat Nigeria today in basketball 156-73. In other words Nigeria scores 73 points and still loses by 83! I guess the great Hakeem Olajuwon never taught defense to his countrymen! |
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| raconteur | Aug 2 2012, 07:00 PM Post #25 |
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How about this game winning 3 point shot by Russia to defeat Brazil in basketball? Great shot and as the article points out, the win may help Russia avoid a quarterfinal matchup with the heavily favored US, who as we saw in their rout of Nigeria are in very good form. Also note that Russia's coach is an American, David Blatt. |
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| Sammy Maudlin | Aug 3 2012, 07:22 AM Post #26 |
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An epic men's tennis semifinal going on now between Roger Federer and Argentina's Martin Del Potro. Olympic tennis is best of 3 sets, they are at 1 set apiece and it is now 14-14 in the 3rd set! Interestingly the great Federer who has dominated men's tennis for the past decade, and is tied with Pete Sampras for most Grand Slams titles in a career, has never won Olympic Gold. He is sort of the Brazil of men's tennis! And today Del Potro is giving him a real battle. Novak Djokovic faces GB's Andy Murray in the other semifinal. The women's semifinals are Sharapova-Kirilenko and Azarenka-S.Williams. Sharapova and Serena each won somewhat easily against their noted quarterfinal opponents. Sharapova-Kirilenko is a matchup of the two Russian Marias! Looks set for a Sharapova-Serena Williams final to me. And Serena, who just won Wimbledon a few weeks ago, is in great form now. It will take something special to defeat her. |
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| autogol | Aug 3 2012, 07:48 AM Post #27 |
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Federer just broke Del Potro's service and leads 18-17 but he did that before and Del Potro fought back and tied it. |
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| Sammy Maudlin | Aug 3 2012, 08:00 AM Post #28 |
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Federer pulls it out and wins 19-17 in the 3rd set. A very compelling match, great work by both. Question, do the losing semifinalists each get a bronze medal as in boxing or is there a 3rd place match? |
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| enganche | Aug 3 2012, 12:19 PM Post #29 |
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That was an incredible tennis match, Juan Martin Del Potro gave it his all but for the 6th time this year he lost to Federer. After playing a 4 1/2 hour match 90 minutes later he had to go out and play a quarterfinal in mixed doubles but he had nothing left in the tank and he and partner Gisela Dulko lost. Sammy, yes there are bronze medal matches in the Olympics tennis tournament so we will get the rarity of seeing a losing semifinalist return to the court. Wow, Michael Phelps won another gold, this time in the 100m butterfly. His 4th gold in London and 17th overall. That equals Argentina's all time summer Olympic gold medal totals! |
| Prefiero morir de pie que vivir arrodillado | |
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| Onslow | Aug 3 2012, 01:47 PM Post #30 |
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Chris Hoy goes one better and wins his 5th career gold in track cycling! Nice link about Hughes' story there hobbes. Actually competing in speed skating and track cycling is not uncommon. What is out of the ordinary is a speed skater going on to become a road racing cyclist. And athletics have started, Poland's Tomasz Majewski who looks like he just arrived from some backwoods cabin wins the gold in the shotput while Ethiopia's Dibaba beast two Kenyan women to win the 10,000m final. The first of many Ethiopia-Kenya battle sin distance racing for both sexes. British hopes are on Jessica Ennis the star of women's heptathlon, she leads the 2 day competition after the 1st day over Lithuania's Skujyte. Ennis is Britain's biggest star in athletics. Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the other men's tennis semifinal so now he plays Federer in a rematch of the Wimbledon final. |
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