The Olympics

[ainsworth74]

Blame the IOC! - the official "initials" are "GBR"

Actually according to wiki it seems that it's a BOC decision as Team GB is a brand name so if they wanted to they could rename it to Team UK (which would be logical to my mind).

 

[Oswyntail]

Actually according to wiki it seems that it's a BOC decision as Team GB is a brand name so if they wanted to they could rename it to Team UK (which would be logical to my mind).

Yes, but the "initials" appearing on TV and in official documents would still be the confusing "GBR" (At least the BBC medal table shows NI as well)

 

[Seacook]

I don't think Team UK is entirely accurate either. Mark Cavendish, for instance, is from the Isle of Man. There could be others from the Channel Islands. I'm not sure what the 'best' name would be.

 

[Johnuk123]

I was cringing watching Gary Lineker talking to Ian Thorpe last night before the start of the swimming.

I think that it is down to the shift away from formality in modern life, along with the broadcasters wanting to put young, attractive faces on viewers screens (though whether the viewers actually care is debatable).

Well Lineker certainly doesn't fit the young and attractive ideal.

He has just shown how he doesn't have a clue live on t.v.

He said "I expect the other riders will be helping the favourites in the cycling time trial"

 

[Greenback]

Well Lineker certainly doesn't fit the young and attractive ideal.

Well, I think he beats Frank Bough and David COleman on the appearance front!

He has just shown how he doesn't have a clue live on t.v.

He said "I expect the other riders will be helping the favourites in the cycling time trial"

I wasn't impressed with him at all yesterday.

 

[Johnuk123]

I find him boring and lacking in any charisma whatsoever.

 

[Greenback]

To be fair, I find him quite acceptable on Match of the Day, where he usually knows what he is doing and has a relaxed style with the pundits.

But he seems totally out of his depth with the Olympics.

 

[LE Greys]

Well done to the lady cyclist paving the way for Team GB.......

We're on the board! Congratulations to Lizzie Armitstead and Becky Adlington (who was very unlucky to be in such a slow heat).

 

[DarloRich]

Typical of our sporting mentality that we celebrate a bronze and a silver in two events we won in the last Olympics as something wonderful. We have done less well ffs!

If it were me i would bin a silver or bronze medal (or at least give them to charity!) as they merely reinforce the fact that you weren't good enough but were the least bad performer on the day. That would hurt me incredibly. I wouldn't want to see my failure mocking me everyday.


To me you either win or don't. Who came second in the 100m at the last Olympics? I don't know but I do know Usain Bolt won.

To me winning is all that matters. Win at all costs no matter who you have to crush to get there, not this taking part that counts rubbish. Win. Do anything you have to do to win (as long as it is in the rules) but don't celebrate mediocrity as if it is something wonderful!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Did you see the reporter who asked the road race winner questions though? More interested in how he felt about the GB racers. rubbish.

Errr... no... being cloth eared I was looking more at the subtitles! They also only showed a short bit on the News, mostly just that remark!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I take it this is the incident in question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXv3yA5k3i4

What a nice fella...

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Looks like it!

I maintain it was a perfectly reasonable question; I was wondering myself a week ago while watching the Tour de France finishing on the News whether it was wise to have only six days between that and the Olympic race.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Indeed, bear in mind that TDF cyclists are probably the fittest athletes in the world, and couple that with the cheer and celebration that comes with winning, and you do have to wonder if Mr Cavendish didn't answer because he was annoyed, or didn't answer because he knew that it's a good point and hard to defend..

 

[Mojo]

Feel very sorry for Paula Radcliffe. A world class athlete who has so many achievements to her name yet still missing that Olympic medal due to various factors.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Typical of our sporting mentality that we celebrate a bronze and a silver in two events we won in the last Olympics as something wonderful. We have done less well ffs!

...

I agree. Whilst I agree with the principle that it's the taking part that counts, I don't think that applies at this level; you go for it, and throw everything you have and more getting there. Some will not agree here, but personally I would rather finish fifth or sixth (or dead last) than second, it must be agonising knowing you were so, so near, or that you just weren't good enough despite being giving it everything.

Britain seems to have thrown millions at facilities in the last decade - velodromes, campaigns, new centres for this, that and the other - to breed a new generation of Olympians, and to an extent this has worked, see Tom Daley, Laura Robson (), and others, however if we're losing medals we held, or not improving significantly over time, you do have to ask what is going wrong and why it isn't being resolved, and why such financial investment in athletes isn't working. This applies to other sports too - the England national football team for example.
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Feel very sorry for Paula Radcliffe. A world class athlete who has so many achievements to her name yet still missing that Olympic medal due to various factors.

And a prime example of why you should quit whilst you're ahead, I'm amazed she's lasted this long when something always seems to go wrong for her.

 

[YorkshireBear]

MattE worth noting oasis no longer player as they fell out so that would have been hard :P

I am an olympic convert, ive gone from being un-interested to loving every minute i have sat and watched it all day (intermingled with some much needed ballasting of my model railway) and throroughly enjoyed it.
I mean i dont like the horses walking around as i dont see point but the rest i enjoyed a lot :P

 

[Oswyntail]

Typical of our sporting mentality that we celebrate a bronze and a silver in two events we won in the last Olympics as something wonderful. We have done less well ffs!

If it were me i would bin a silver or bronze medal (or at least give them to charity!) as they merely reinforce the fact that you weren't good enough but were the least bad performer on the day. That would hurt me incredibly. I wouldn't want to see my failure mocking me everyday.


To me you either win or don't. Who came second in the 100m at the last Olympics? I don't know but I do know Usain Bolt won.

To me winning is all that matters. Win at all costs no matter who you have to crush to get there, not this taking part that counts rubbish. Win. Do anything you have to do to win (as long as it is in the rules) but don't celebrate mediocrity as if it is something wonderful!

You are welcome to your opinion. But two aspects need comment. First, Adlington actually swam a faster time in coming third than when winning, so she has improved. It is impossible to compare times on the road race over a different course, so you cannot really say that there was or was not an improvement. In both those events, others were faster, and, as i wrote before, you cannot dictate what your competitors do. It is not really applicable to compare with previous games.
Secondly, why have silver and bronze? For a start, second place has beaten a hell of a lot of other competitors to get there. In the road race, the times for first and second were equal. And besides, it is a traditional part of the games. Or were you suggesting that only the British celebrate the "mediocrity" of being "first loser"? Try googling Brady Ellison, who was part of the USA archery team who took silver yesterday if you want to see the importance of silver outside this country.
As for this "taking part that counts rubbish", try telling that to the single sculler from Niger! And he certainly isn't British.
And one more thing (OK, so that now makes four!). Some people use the silver, sitting there mocking their failure as a powerful motivator to do better next time.
Funny people these sportsmen!

 

[trentside]

Feel very sorry for Paula Radcliffe. A world class athlete who has so many achievements to her name yet still missing that Olympic medal due to various factors.

Yes, I feel very sorry for Paula Radcliffe - it's such a shame that she won't be able to achieve the dream of an Olympic medal, as she's achieved so much elsewhere.

I must admit, as much as I enjoy certain Olympic events - I'm not a convert to watching all of them as of yet. I'm away from home at the moment though, and when I return tomorrow and have a television in the same room as my laptop this may change.

 

[Greenback]

To me winning is all that matters. Win at all costs no matter who you have to crush to get there, not this taking part that counts rubbish. Win. Do anything you have to do to win (as long as it is in the rules) but don't celebrate mediocrity as if it is something wonderful!

I don't agree that coming second or third is mediocre. It still means that your are one of the best in the world.

 

[marks87]

Indeed, bear in mind that TDF cyclists are probably the fittest athletes in the world, and couple that with the cheer and celebration that comes with winning, and you do have to wonder if Mr Cavendish didn't answer because he was annoyed, or didn't answer because he knew that it's a good point and hard to defend..

I'm 99% confident it's because he was annoyed.

Team GB did nothing wrong in that race. Their medal chances were scuppered by other teams scuppering theirs to stop Cavendish from winning. Up until the last stages, teams need to work together, to help each other in order to maximise their own chances. GB needed other teams to take control of the peloton to share out the effort, but it didn't happen.

You saw it today on a smaller scale in the women's race, when the three leaders kept switching at the front. That helped them stay there with a share of the effort (riding in someone's slipstream needs ~30% less effort); if they'd been competitive, the peloton would have caught up and the sprint finish would have been a free-for-all.

 

[YorkshireBear]

I don't agree that coming second or third is mediocre. It still means that your are one of the best in the world.

Couldnt agree more. I celebrated the medals today, its still an amazing achivement! I celebrated sheffield wednesday coming second in league1 this year just as i did in the womens road race and the swimming today.

The nigerian rower to me was to me amazing. Never give up, a mentality i think some other athletes should take note of!!!!!!!!

 

[Goldfish62]

They had that at the closing ceremony in China though. The new one that is - well a totally fake one in fact.

No it wasn't. That was an ADL Enviro 400 - a complete ordinary bus type.
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If Facebook is anything to go by then I'm glad I missed it - hasn't it just basically a massive history lesson via interpretive dance? Further, apparently there's not even been a note of Black Sabbath, The Who, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest or Oasis played (all defining bands in their genre who've changed the face of it worldwide), yet there's plenty of Dizzee Rascall and Rizzle Kicks, whose contribution to the industry is yet to be fully demonstrated, certainly I'm sure out of Iron Maiden and Rizzle Kicks, the former has made the biggest impact on the world and are more recognisable. Don't even get me started on every Tom, Dick and Harry stating that it makes them 'Proud to be British' - if it takes thousands of people prancing about like Ken Dodd on ecstasy to bring out that sort of emotion, then I really don't know what to say. Furthermore, how does it make you proud to be British - did everyone Brit personally have a part; surely pride largely stems from self-achievement, not from something greater than a person (i.e. a country) or someone else (i.e. Danny Boyle) put together?

The Who were in it. Baba O'Reilly for the initial 60 second countdown and a bit of My Generation in the musical part. Loved the inclusion of the Pistols, Frankie and The Prodigy - all previously banned by the BBC. Yes, Oasis weren't there, but Blur was.

 

[Clip]

Thats the trouble when you reach the top. People are always there to knock you down if you dont reach it again. Funny old Brits.



And not in the ha-ha sense

 

[Johnuk123]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...ghanistan-hero-and-brands-himBABY-KILLER.html

It will be interesting to see how much pressure will be put on the soldier from above to drop any complaint.

Had this been in reverse I think everybody knows how the usual suspects would have reacted.

 

[Butts]

To be fair, I find him quite acceptable on Match of the Day, where he usually knows what he is doing and has a relaxed style with the pundits.

But he seems totally out of his depth with the Olympics.

Unlike David Coleman who could anchor a programme containing any number of sports (Grandstand,Sportsnight With Coleman etal) plus commentate on Football, Athletics and many others.

 

[chris89]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...ghanistan-hero-and-brands-himBABY-KILLER.html

It will be interesting to see how much pressure will be put on the soldier from above to drop any complaint.

Had this been in reverse I think everybody knows how the usual suspects would have reacted.

Hopefully won't have any though. But bound to have groups that will pressure that.

Currently watching the Sailing currently looks like Denmark are leading.

Chris

 

[Oswyntail]

Terrific morning's archery from Lords, including two impressive matches from Im of Korea, who is technically blind! But for sheer enjoyment, Kanie of Japan - also fantastically accurate. Larry Godfrey of GB shoots this afternoon

 

[LE Greys]

Hopefully won't have any though. But bound to have groups that will pressure that.

Currently watching the Sailing currently looks like Denmark are leading.

Chris

People will probably be asking if Ben Ainslie is past it, but it looks like he's in a prime position to challenge as the week wears on. Am I the only one who thinks it should be run like a rally, with times counting rather than points (but still massed starts). The Whitbread was run like that when it was still called the Whitbread.

 

[DarloRich]

You are welcome to your opinion. But two aspects need comment. First, Adlington actually swam a faster time in coming third than when winning, so she has improved. It is impossible to compare times on the road race over a different course, so you cannot really say that there was or was not an improvement. In both those events, others were faster, and, as i wrote before, you cannot dictate what your competitors do. It is not really applicable to compare with previous games.
Secondly, why have silver and bronze? For a start, second place has beaten a hell of a lot of other competitors to get there. In the road race, the times for first and second were equal. And besides, it is a traditional part of the games. Or were you suggesting that only the British celebrate the "mediocrity" of being "first loser"? Try googling Brady Ellison, who was part of the USA archery team who took silver yesterday if you want to see the importance of silver outside this country.
As for this "taking part that counts rubbish", try telling that to the single sculler from Niger! And he certainly isn't British.
And one more thing (OK, so that now makes four!). Some people use the silver, sitting there mocking their failure as a powerful motivator to do better next time.
Funny people these sportsmen!

Sorry - I am not denigrating the athletes - they can only do as well as they can do. Plus they are about 10000000 to the power 400 better than I could ever dream of being!

What does annoy me is how we as a collective (Public, media and even some coaches and competitors) seem to accept second best as being good enough. I don’t.

We celebrate like we have won the event when we finish as runner up or second runner up. That is a good achievement but winning is more important. I will caveat that by saying if someone fights through to a final against the odds and there has the performance of a lifetime and comes home second or third in the final inches deserves all the glory. A defending champion finishing third isn’t good enough.

I don’t believe in the taking part is what counts. Not when it comes to "Team GB" in a home games. A home games which have had millions pumped into both the athletes and the facilities. A home games that may well never come again in our lifetimes and a home games that should inspire people to perform beyond what they think they are capable of.

If they want to "inspire a generation" then win. THAT inspires more than anything else. If kids see John Smith winning the 112 meters final they are going to want to be him and emulate him. If John Smith finishes third they won’t.

I understand and support the concept of the Olympics and fair play and decency and I love the Olympics and have done since I was a kid but I think in these special circumstances for us as a nation only Team GB winning a hatful of gold medals is good enough.

Perhaps I am just different to everyone else but I hate loosing with a passion and I hate settling for second best.

 

[LE Greys]

Sorry - I am not denigrating the athletes - they can only do as well as they can do. Plus they are about 10000000 to the power 400 better than I could ever dream of being!

What does annoy me is how we as a collective (Public, media and even some coaches and competitors) seem to accept second best as being good enough. I don’t.

We celebrate like we have won the event when we finish as runner up or second runner up. That is a good achievement but winning is more important. I will caveat that by saying if someone fights through to a final against the odds and there has the performance of a lifetime and comes home second or third in the final inches deserves all the glory. A defending champion finishing third isn’t good enough.

I don’t believe in the taking part is what counts. Not when it comes to "Team GB" in a home games. A home games which have had millions pumped into both the athletes and the facilities. A home games that may well never come again in our lifetimes and a home games that should inspire people to perform beyond what they think they are capable of.

If they want to "inspire a generation" then win. THAT inspires more than anything else. If kids see John Smith winning the 112 meters final they are going to want to be him and emulate him. If John Smith finishes third they won’t.

I understand and support the concept of the Olympics and fair play and decency and I love the Olympics and have done since I was a kid but I think in these special circumstances for us as a nation only Team GB winning a hatful of gold medals is good enough.

Perhaps I am just different to everyone else but I hate loosing with a passion and I hate settling for second best.

Well, so do I, but I'd still rather finish second than last (although finishing fourth must be really frustrating). It's better to leave with something than nothing. Thinking in terms of motor racing (as usual), one point was a big achievement for Minardi while Ferrari would want a one-two every race.