Olympics

[Risso]

That Greg Rutherfords from Milton Keynes, Brilliant

How many medals you Brummies won ? (genuine question)

Is he?  Brilliant!  Can I claim him as well John?  That's one IOM gold and one MK gold that I'll be proud of!

[LeeB]

That Greg Rutherfords from Milton Keynes, Brilliant

How many medals you Brummies won ? (genuine question)

I think it's great that he's allowed to compete with the able bodied athletes, let alone beat them.

[Risso]

Olympic caption competition time.

Chelmsley Wood man found dead, believed to have wanked himself to death.

[TopDeck113]

Brilliant tweet from Newsthump.

News Thump ‏@newsthump

Gold medals for a mixed race woman, and an African immigrant who thanked Allah. @AidanBurleyMP must be vomiting in the sink about now.

Love that!

Two things struck me yesterday.

Firstly, Mo, Jess et al are the best advocates of a multicultural country. Makes me so proud!

Secondly, sport is the only true meritocracy. Whether you go to a posh school or are the child of an immigrant might determine what sport you take up, but only talent and bloody hard work will get you to the top step of the podium.

[richard moore]

All great so far, well nearly all great except for

1. Colin Murray's inane wittering on Radio 5, that guy really is a tosser of the highest order
2. Victoria Darbyshire also on Radio 5 with her lack of perspective. It is only sport, try remembering that Victoria and don't try too hard to make it sound like life and death. Because it isn't
3. Lineker on BBC1 -  you need to try harder Gary to disguise the fact you know absolutely nothing about any Olympic sport

[SashasGrandad]

Was great to be there last night.

I checked in athletes in call room. Greg Rutherford such a polite young man - calls you Sir when you ask to check his kit! Pity his moment of triumph almost missed due to Jess and Mo hogging the spotlight.

Saw Jess in final call before she went out for 800m. Her lead was very comfortable so she looked quietly confident.

Went into stands to watch. First Jess, then Greg, then Mo. The 10000 takes a long time. The first 23 laps are just a procession but things gradually wound up in last 2 laps. Noise at the bell was terrific but the last 100m got loder and louder, I was in the athletes seating area so not all Brits, but all the Brits I saw were screaming and shouting him home.

It was as loud as any football match I've been to. On a par with the good old days of 20000+  on the Holte End.

Got the morning off then back for Mr Bolt et al this afternoon. Inside info - he doesn't look 100% put your money on Blake.

[Monty]

Brilliant tweet from Newsthump.

News Thump ‏@newsthump

Gold medals for a mixed race woman, and an African immigrant who thanked Allah. @AidanBurleyMP must be vomiting in the sink about now.

Love that!

Two things struck me yesterday.

Firstly, Mo, Jess et al are the best advocates of a multicultural country. Makes me so proud!

Secondly, sport is the only true meritocracy. Whether you go to a posh school or are the child of an immigrant might determine what sport you take up, but only talent and bloody hard work will get you to the top step of the podium.

Exactly. Whingers saying that we only have 'posh boy' winners - a tedious, ridiculous example of how some people just need to treat everything as class warfare in this country - forget that they are actually still winning. It doesn't matter where you come from, to be the best in the world at, say, rowing is quite difficult. I'd go so far as to say that it's not rowing etc which need to be more inclusive, as they're winning and competing at the top - perhaps the 'non-posh' sport of football could learn to be more inclusive and try and get people in from more diverse backgrounds. Just one small thing it could learn from our more successful sports.

Besides, last night disproved all that. Farah and Ennis are about as non-posh as you could hope to find, in events that couldn't be called posh and couldn't be said to be exclusive anywhere in the world. How posh are Wiggins and Sir Chris anyway, if it comes down to it? Just as Hitler's prejudices couldn't stop Jesse Owens eclipsing the field in front of his eyes, so being from a posh or poor background won't help you run faster or throw further.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Great reaction in the studio as Mo approached the finishing line, Colin Jackson and Denise Lewis were going loopy.

[LeeB]

Brilliant tweet from Newsthump.

News Thump ‏@newsthump

Gold medals for a mixed race woman, and an African immigrant who thanked Allah. @AidanBurleyMP must be vomiting in the sink about now.

Love that!

Two things struck me yesterday.

Firstly, Mo, Jess et al are the best advocates of a multicultural country. Makes me so proud!

Secondly, sport is the only true meritocracy. Whether you go to a posh school or are the child of an immigrant might determine what sport you take up, but only talent and bloody hard work will get you to the top step of the podium.

Exactly. Whingers saying that we only have 'posh boy' winners - a tedious, ridiculous example of how some people just need to treat everything as class warfare in this country - forget that they are actually still winning. It doesn't matter where you come from, to be the best in the world at, say, rowing is quite difficult. I'd go so far as to say that it's not rowing etc which need to be more inclusive, as they're winning and competing at the top - perhaps the 'non-posh' sport of football could learn to be more inclusive and try and get people in from more diverse backgrounds. Just one small thing it could learn from our more successful sports.

Besides, last night disproved all that. Farah and Ennis are about as non-posh as you could hope to find, in events that couldn't be called posh and couldn't be said to be exclusive anywhere in the world. How posh are Wiggins and Sir Chris anyway, if it comes down to it? Just as Hitler's prejudices couldn't stop Jesse Owens eclipsing the field in front of his eyes, so being from a posh or poor background won't help you run faster or throw further.

There's an argument to be had that the working class nature of football in this country, and with it the suspicion of anyone intelligent, is exactly what been holding our national game back.

[Chris Smith]

Brilliant tweet from Newsthump.

News Thump ‏@newsthump

Gold medals for a mixed race woman, and an African immigrant who thanked Allah. @AidanBurleyMP must be vomiting in the sink about now.

Love that!

Two things struck me yesterday.

Firstly, Mo, Jess et al are the best advocates of a multicultural country. Makes me so proud!

Secondly, sport is the only true meritocracy. Whether you go to a posh school or are the child of an immigrant might determine what sport you take up, but only talent and bloody hard work will get you to the top step of the podium.

Exactly. Whingers saying that we only have 'posh boy' winners - a tedious, ridiculous example of how some people just need to treat everything as class warfare in this country - forget that they are actually still winning. It doesn't matter where you come from, to be the best in the world at, say, rowing is quite difficult. I'd go so far as to say that it's not rowing etc which need to be more inclusive, as they're winning and competing at the top - perhaps the 'non-posh' sport of football could learn to be more inclusive and try and get people in from more diverse backgrounds. Just one small thing it could learn from our more successful sports.

Besides, last night disproved all that. Farah and Ennis are about as non-posh as you could hope to find, in events that couldn't be called posh and couldn't be said to be exclusive anywhere in the world. How posh are Wiggins and Sir Chris anyway, if it comes down to it? Just as Hitler's prejudices couldn't stop Jesse Owens eclipsing the field in front of his eyes, so being from a posh or poor background won't help you run faster or throw further.

Absolute nonsense, sport should be inclusive and open to all but it's a fact that  in many sports where you come from and which school you go to will have as much influence on  your opportunities as your innate ability.

[Monty]

There's an argument to be had that the working class nature of football in this country, and with it the suspicion of anyone intelligent, is exactly what been holding our national game back.

Well exactly. This isn't a majority working class nation anymore, and the idea that the most popular sport in the country is the preserve of one class is holding us back, no question.

Absolute nonsense, sport should be inclusive and open to all but it's a fact that  in many sports where you come from and which school you go to will have as much influence on  your opportunities as your innate ability.

Chris, I agree that they give you these chances within Britain, and I don't think we'd argue about the necessity to fund sport better in schools (it's pretty obvious - we have an youth obesity problem and every single study ever carried out on this subject has shown that kids - especially boys - learn better when they have regular exercise. A win-win).

However, my point was more to do with the fact that, irrespective of where they come from or what class or school or whatever, to go out there, against the best in the world, just you and them - no class membership is going to help you there. You just have to be the best.

[simboy]

That Greg Rutherfords from Milton Keynes, Brilliant

How many medals you Brummies won ? (genuine question)

Is he?  Brilliant!  Can I claim him as well John?  That's one IOM gold and one MK gold that I'll be proud of!

Can we claim Greg Rutherford as he had a trial at the Villa?

[Pat McMahon]

Sashas Grandad, am loving your updates. Please keep em coming.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

Sashas Grandad, am loving your updates. Please keep em coming.

Yes, please. Opportunity of a lifetime for you, and great vicarious experience for us.

[john e]

That Greg Rutherfords from Milton Keynes, Brilliant

How many medals you Brummies won ? (genuine question)

Is he?  Brilliant!  Can I claim him as well John?  That's one IOM gold and one MK gold that I'll be proud of!

No probs, those who have lived in MK post codes need to stick together