Olympics

[Dave Cooper please]

Well that was fun.

[lovejoy]

On reflection a great games but why so many swimming events?

[Dave Cooper please]

Summing events?
Competitive maths?

[RunRickyRun]

Apologies if this has already been posted, but I found this quite interesting.

Comparison of all 100m winners

That’s awesome.  It’s a shame that they did not try and put some sort of average line so you could see which runners were abnormal for their era.  With my mind’s eye it looks like Bolt, Hines and Owen appeared to be getting times ahead of their generation.

I'd say Bob Hayes was the outstanding sprinter of his generation rather than Jim Hines. Hayes ran the first 100m at the Olympics in under 10 seconds (9.91 - albeit wind assisted) in the semi finals. It was 32 years until anyone set a faster time

His anchor leg in the 4x100 is up there with any time set today. Some estimate the split was 8.5 seconds...and that was on a cinder track (with borrowed shoes!)

[olaftab]

Well it's clear that Rio will do dance and song better than London. Breast of luck to them.

[SashasGrandad]

Just back from my first pop concert.

George was crap - did 2 songs - 2 too many. But after that it got a lot better.

Had to look in programme to see who some of the younger acts were. Who the brierley hill is Tinnie Tempah? Beady Eye and Muse - never heard of them. Muse was just loud noise.

Spice Girls were OK, The Who not bad. Good pyrotechincs. But lots of athletes were sneeking out.

[AV1874]

Apologies if this has already been posted, but I found this quite interesting.

Comparison of all 100m winners

Apologies if this has already been posted, but I found this quite interesting.

Comparison of all 100m winners

Interesting indeed.
Also interesting was a stat on the BBC the other night - no white sprinter has *ever* run 100m in less than 10 seconds.

OK, so apart from that French bloke, no white sprinter has ever - officially - run a sub 10 seconds 100 metres.
I'm pretty sure that's what the BBC in fact said, and I was just talking bollocks.

With regards to Bolt, I would really like to see him crack his own world record. Looking at the final you can see he doesn't get a good start compared to others but the transition and mid run stage he literally is Bolting. Then he backs off at the end. Just imagine the time if he perfects his start and then blasts through to the end??? I am currently running in the Pose Running Method and in the book they talk about Bolt and applying their theory on running, it is thought that with a slight increase on his angle whilst running would assist him to possibly break the WR even further.
He frustrates me in that why does he back off right at the end, or is he playing us and waiting for his own peak? Either way he is truly an amazing athlete.

[fredm]

I think it has been stated elsewhere.  When the Grand Prix and suchlike events come round, where there is a magabucks bonus for breaking a WR, then we will see Usain busting a gut through the tape.  At the Olympics you just get the gold medal for finishing first, nothing else no matter how fast you run.

[Steve R]

It's the first time i have taken an interest in the Olympics since 1972. How tawdry it makes football in general and the World Cup in particular look.

Genuine joy at winning and heartfelt sorrow from he losers. No rehearsed celebrations, no shameless sense of entitlement. It genuinely seemed like they were there to enhance the event rather than the other way round.

The spontaneous joy from Jade Jones and Nicola Adams together with Anthony Joshua talking about being an amateur and wanting to stay an amateur to improve were the highlights for me.

On the final day a very promising young footballer decides to retire to Man City's bench for a contract or two and cry all the way to the bank. What a contrast.

It doesn't matter whether Joshua stays true to his word. His thoughts in victory were of wanting to improve, and not 'great, I'm rich' or 'I am now the centre of the universe'.

In order to get her gold Jones had to follow up years of dedicated training by producing excellence three times in a day. What a refreshing change from having to put up with serial big event bottlers like Rooney and Lampard.

What a contrast also with those who think 3 or 4 million a year is not enough to keep their waistline in check or take umbrage at being asked to move 70 miles or whatever so that they actually spend more time training than they do travelling.

Even the TV coverage was a comparative revelation. The presenters were on the whole good, the commentators did a fine job and with one or two exceptions (notably the footballers) the assorted ex-athlete studio guests were articulate and worth listening to.

Best of all, no Sky. Not a damp squib Super Grand Slam Sunday in sight.

If he ever loses the desire to run, Usain Bolt could always set up a charm school. 'How to have a massive ego and still be very likeable'. Essential learning for most top flight footballers, not to mention Kevin Pietersen.

It may take a while and is probably too much to hope for anyway, but maybe more events like this will put football in a position where it has to trade in the Ferraris and once more give us sportsmen who are worth cheering and believing in.

[SteveN]

Steve Rose's post sums up how I felt about the Olympics, and I was one off the doubters to start with.

Ther delight of the three young ladies when they won the women's pursuit in cycling was a joy to behold as was the rower who told the interviewer "We are going to be on a stamp". 

Wonderful, you hope that the spirit of these people won't ever be dampened or put out.
 

[arnie66]

It's the first time i have taken an interest in the Olympics since 1972. How tawdry it makes football in general and the World Cup in particular look.

Genuine joy at winning and heartfelt sorrow from he losers. No rehearsed celebrations, no shameless sense of entitlement. It genuinely seemed like they were there to enhance the event rather than the other way round.

The spontaneous joy from Jade Jones and Nicola Adams together with Anthony Joshua talking about being an amateur and wanting to stay an amateur to improve were the highlights for me.

On the final day a very promising young footballer decides to retire to Man City's bench for a contract or two and cry all the way to the bank. What a contrast.

It doesn't matter whether Joshua stays true to his word. His thoughts in victory were of wanting to improve, and not 'great, I'm rich' or 'I am now the centre of the universe'.

In order to get her gold Jones had to follow up years of dedicated training by producing excellence three times in a day. What a refreshing change from having to put up with serial big event bottlers like Rooney and Lampard.

What a contrast also with those who think 3 or 4 million a year is not enough to keep their waistline in check or take umbrage at being asked to move 70 miles or whatever so that they actually spend more time training than they do travelling.

Even the TV coverage was a comparative revelation. The presenters were on the whole good, the commentators did a fine job and with one or two exceptions (notably the footballers) the assorted ex-athlete studio guests were articulate and worth listening to.

Best of all, no Sky. Not a damp squib Super Grand Slam Sunday in sight.

If he ever loses the desire to run, Usain Bolt could always set up a charm school. 'How to have a massive ego and still be very likeable'. Essential learning for most top flight footballers, not to mention Kevin Pietersen.

It may take a while and is probably too much to hope for anyway, but maybe more events like this will put football in a position where it has to trade in the Ferraris and once more give us sportsmen who are worth cheering and believing in.

This

Fantastic post and highlights all the things wrong within our game

[UK Redsox]

Apparently, the luvverly young lady from Belarus that won the shotput has failed a drug test




Belarus ?!?...................... More like Bella Emberg


The Gold now goes to New Zealand

[john e]

i loved every second of the Olympics, i wasnt with the doubters anyway as i love all sports,
 but you cant compare the Olympics that take place every 4 years to premieship football which is every week.

we all know there is loads wrong with football,
but we still love it and will be fixed to it again come next week,

 but my facebook page is full of (mainly women) who are posting stuff about how football players have been humiliated by the Athletes, which i actually agree with, but they arnt interested in football anyway and are just using the Olympics as a stick to beat it with, so i wont be likeing it.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

Apparently, the luvverly young lady from Belarus that won the shotput has failed a drug test




Belarus ?!?...................... More like Bella Emberg


The Gold now goes to New Zealand

I saw some of this. The woman(?) from Belarus was throwing much further than the woman from NZ. Now we know why.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

I enjoyed it, but am now at a loss without it.

Even if I wasn't fully watching it, it was on in the background on the TV or radio.