Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Soccer Futbol Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
2012 Olympics; General discussion
Topic Started: Jul 28 2012, 01:01 PM (1,952 Views)
Sporting
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Merengue,Aug 8 2012
04:44 AM
Sporting,Aug 7 2012
07:19 AM
Spain has just picked up its first gold medal, a woman in one of the sailing events, which was greeted in my street at least by the sound of a hot wind and various old men slumbering after their after-lunch cognacs...

No disrepect to the woman concerned, by the way...her name is Marina Alabau, from Sevilla, who won at windsurfing. Spain has performed very disappointingly at these OG so far, though many of its teams still have chances of medals. The question is whether these disappointing performances are due to individuals doing badly on the day, poor planning, bad luck, or the economic crisis in general. Jury's out so far, I'd say.

Marina Alabau won her gold medal in windsurfing as she is from that windsurfing hotbed of inland Sevilla! :lol:

A couple of silvers on Tuesday for Spain too in triathlon (Javier Gomez Noya finished in between Great Britain's Brownleee brothers) and in synchronized swimming. Overall it has been a disappointing Olympics for Spain but perhaps some of the team sports, namely handball and basketball can provide some medals. I can't pinpoint a reason for this poor showing Sporting, but in addition to those you cited I would add the possibility of being cautious about doping in wake of the Operacion Galgo investigation and subsequent doping controversies involving Spanish athletes. Then there is the bad luck of nadal's injury, the poor performance from the football team and so far less than stellar play by the basketball squad (man do they miss the injured Ricky Rubio.)



So, the question was why Spain had done so badly in these OG. Well, here's a look at the medals they've won since 1992 when the Games took place in Barcelona. Numbers represent gold, silver and bronze; then total number of medals, then position in league table of nations:

1992: 13 - 7 - 2 - 22 (6th)
1996 : 5 - 6 - 6 - 19 (13th)
2000: 3 - 3 - 5 - 11 (25th)
2004: 3 - 11 - 5 - 19 (20th)
2008: 5 - 10 - 3 - 18 (15th)
2012: 3 - 10 - 4 - 17 (21st)

So: the nearly-always usual stream of winners at their home patch, a fair showing four years later at Atlanta, a disastrous 2000, then an improvement in 2004 which has more or less been maintained since then.

Perhaps we asked the wrong question?

It's true that in some disciplines there was very little to be happy about. Only four finalists, and no medallists, out of around 48 track and field athletes. A very poor showing in the football. A basketball team which came good in the end. But elsewhere, very much along the lines of recent competitions. Trundling along, really.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Don Balon
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Interesting to read your post Sporting, yes I guess the final medal numbers for Spain were about normal but I think the disappointment in athletics, football, cycling and tennis, 4 sports where Spain typically is strong is what made this seem like an overall disappointing Olympics for Spanish athletes. In football the results were I think something out of the ordinary, in tennis Nadal's injury is what effected those results but what of cycling and athletics, two sports which often are in the shadow of doping? Did the Operacion Puerta effect Spanish results in those sports? Only using this one Olympics is probably too small of a sample, let us see how Spain does in world championships in those sports and then 4 years from now in the Rio Olympics before determining whether this was a sign of decline or just an off year.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
shelsoccer
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Did I hear correctly that they're going to take away the head gear in Olympic boxing?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Martin
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
shelsoccer,Aug 14 2012
12:24 PM
Did I hear correctly that they're going to take away the head gear in Olympic boxing?

Apparently so.

Quote:
 
But changes in the worldwide amateur sport could be equally seismic before Olympic boxing returns in Rio in four years.

A pro-style scoring system is expected to be in place well before 2016 as the sport's governing body rids itself of the much-criticized computer scoring system. The move to a 10-point system would fundamentally change amateur boxing, which evolved into a distinct discipline from the pro sport with the computerized scoring that decided bouts on total punches landed, rather than style, power or defensive skill.

Men's boxers also will probably fight without headgear soon, another move by AIBA to make the amateur sport resemble professional boxing in almost everything but the length of bouts, which will still be shorter. AIBA President Wu Ching-Kuo said he is still gathering medical data before announcing the expected move.


Club Sportivo Desamparados
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
shelsoccer
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Thanks for that Martin. Just what amateur/Olympic boxing needs -- to resemble the pros.

You had a distinct product that was cleaner and safer than the pros. Now, you're going to copy a totally corrupt and arbitrary system? Why not just have multiple governing bodies too?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Martin
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
shelsoccer,Aug 14 2012
06:19 PM
Thanks for that Martin. Just what amateur/Olympic boxing needs -- to resemble the pros.

You had a distinct product that was cleaner and safer than the pros. Now, you're going to copy a totally corrupt and arbitrary system? Why not just have multiple governing bodies too?

haha, don't give them ideas shelsoccer!

I do think amateur boxing does need to change some aspects of its scoring, there is no reason that a light blow landed should count the same as a knockdown punch for example.
Club Sportivo Desamparados
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
hobbes
Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
Wasn't sure where to put this, but FIFA gave Christine Sinclair a four-match ban for her comments after the Olympic semifinal. The CSA said they're waiting to read the findings before appealing.

I believe she can serve the suspension over friendlies. Otherwise it might be tricky to get the four games in before the 2015 WWC.

cheers,
hobbes
Saskatchewan for the CPL: multis e gentibus vires
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · Olympics · Next Topic »
Add Reply