# 2024 Summer Olympics Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** olympic-sports-track\ **Created:** [July 10, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019 "2024-07-10T20:21:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/441 "2024-08-04T15:03:20Z")
And Djokovic does it! It was a victory of sheer will and mental strength, in all other aspects both were level, the highest level possible. Great great match. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/442 "2024-08-04T15:48:40Z")
Gold Medal singles Men’s Archery. One of the top moments of the tournament In the final and deciding set, both archers shot three consecutive 10’s, bullseyes. So, to decide the medal, they go to one arrow each. This time, closest to the bullseye wins. Korean athlete beats American athlete by 3 millimeters. Incredible. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/443 "2024-08-04T15:50:07Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > In the final and deciding set, both archers shot three consecutive 10’s, bullseyes. > > So, to decide the medal, they go to one arrow each. This time, closest to the bullseye wins. Oh, this is the part where Robin Hood’s disguise comes off! ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/444 "2024-08-04T15:59:20Z")
Women’s cycling street race on the last 8 kilometers now, as exciting as yesterday’s men’s race. ETA: and American Kristen Faulkner wins very very surprisingly! ETA2: photo finish for silver and bronze! ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/445 "2024-08-04T17:03:06Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > ETA: and American Kristen Faulkner wins very very surprisingly! That was a thrill! I used to ride road bikes, and once did a bike tour in Burgundy. Riding in France is a trip. Yay for Kristen Faulkner! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/446 "2024-08-04T17:05:18Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Women’s cycling street race on the last 8 kilometers now, as exciting as yesterday’s men’s race. I saw just the very tail end of that. I’m surprised the other three just seemed to let Faulkner go. Did they expect to catch her, or did they just know that they didn’t have the energy to keep up? Saw a highlight of the men’s road race, too. After Evenepoel’s flat tire, he got a new bike from the mechanic, and then a pretty long push. Isn’t there a limit on how much of a push the rider can get, or is that one of those things that’s routinely overlooked? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/447 "2024-08-04T17:15:28Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I saw just the very tail end of that. I’m surprised the other three just seemed to let Faulkner go. Did they expect to catch her, or did they just know that they didn’t have the energy to keep up? That happens quite often. The riders have to decide to either collaborate to catch up with the leader or play tactical games for second place (or in this Olympic race, for the medals). With two heavyweights and favorites like Lotte Kopecky and Marianne Voss on the chase, it was almost inevitable to take to tactical games at some point. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Saw a highlight of the men’s road race, too. After Evenepoel’s flat tire, he got a new bike from the mechanic, and then a pretty long push. Isn’t there a limit on how much of a push the rider can get, or is that one of those things that’s routinely overlooked? Pushing per se is allowed in such circumstances, but I’m sure there’s a limit, but I don’t know what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/448 "2024-08-04T17:28:14Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > That happens quite often. The riders have to decide to either collaborate to catch up with the leader or play tactical games for second place (or in this Olympic race, for the medals). With two heavyweights and favorites like Lotte Kopecky and Marianne Voss on the chase, it was almost inevitable to take to tactical games at some point. Oh, I know, I’ve seen enough bike racing to know how tactical it is. There are breakaways at the beginning of long stages that are almost always caught before the end. This wasn’t that, though; Faulkner got away only a few miles from the finish. It seemed strange that the other three all decided to have a tactical fight for the silver rather than get on Faulkner’s wheel and have a shot at gold. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/449 "2024-08-04T18:48:04Z")
Tawiwan vs. China in the male doubles badminton final. This rivals S. Korea facing N. Korea in terms of tensions. My main memory was back in 2008 when China hosted the Olympics. Being the host team, they got a team in everything. We had baseball back then, and Taiwan played China in baseball. No contest. China’s baseball team was not exactly a top team, barely trained compared to other nations. Taiwan killed them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/450 "2024-08-04T18:54:02Z")
I’m pretty sure the push is more moral support than anything practical. So I think your mechacien can push you as long as you like. Running speed is around 20km/h - for trained cyclists that is no speed at all. Nobody is winning races with that. There are strict rules on how “sticky” the bidons from the team car can be. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/451 "2024-08-04T19:59:58Z")
That men’s 100 meters final was epic. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/452 "2024-08-04T19:59:59Z")
Noah Lyles, you beauty!!! ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/453 "2024-08-04T20:22:10Z")
Generally I hate grandstanding but you always get a pass if you back it up and he definitely did. I am always amazed that the Americans seem to have slower starts but are so blazingly fast that they can catch up. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/454 "2024-08-04T20:35:35Z")
Is it just me or does NBC show a whole lot of beach volleyball, particularly women’s? ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/455 "2024-08-04T20:37:09Z")
The 100 m is such an extraordinary event: the biggest of the Olympics and one of the biggest in all sports and it’s over in 10 seconds. In real time, I thought Thompson had won but I was really focused on him and lanes 3/5 so didn’t see Lyles storming in on the outside; the way he closed the gap pace by pace pipping Thompson only at the very end was extraordinary. This race probably establishes Lyles as the best sprinter since Bolt and that will certainly be confirmed if he wins the 200. But it also underscores the gap between Bolt and everyone else in the 100. Breaking 9.8 is still an extraordinary achievement which can get you an Olympic gold. No one has broken 9.75 after 2015. Bolt’s 9.58 seems from another planet. I don’t think it will be broken in decades. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/456 "2024-08-04T21:06:38Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > does NBC show a whole lot of beach volleyball, particularly women’s? I don’t know, but that USA/Italy match was epic. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/457 "2024-08-04T21:14:36Z")
I agree, that was great. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/458 "2024-08-04T21:17:38Z")
And another question; where do colleges and high schools play beach volleyball? Do they cover a gym floor with beach sand? Seems messy. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/459 "2024-08-04T21:23:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > where do colleges and high schools play beach volleyball? I’m guessing that all beach volleyball courts are outside. [Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_volleyball) says it’s an outdoor sport. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/460 "2024-08-04T21:26:07Z")
Thanks though I thought one of the Olympic competition sites was indoors. Though what is impractical for a school is no big deal for this thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=24)