# 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:** 44
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/861 "2024-08-16T19:05:31Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > Wallaby - I remember Nike’s asinine “You don’t win the silver, you lose the gold.” ad in '96. It got _reamed_ by nearly everybody. Completely, totally, categorically **reamed.** (The response from the athletes themselves was varied, of course, but the general consensus seemed to be “Who the hell are _you_ to judge us?”) In any case, when it comes to deciding how “stupid” a silver or bronze is, I say only one person’s opinion matters, and amazingly enough, it’s not mine either. > > (Hasn’t Wimbledon always had runner-up trophies? Doesn’t cheerleading always have second _and_ third place trophies, and occasionally fourth as well? Nobody seems to have a problem with them.) Does Wimbledon have runner-up trophies? I know the U.S. Open does in tennis. On the other hand, there’s no “off-green jacket” for finishing second in the Masters golf tournament. In part, it depends on how the person/team was expected to do. The response to USA men’s basketball winning the bronze in 2004: “NBA - Not Best Anymore.” The response to USA men’s gymnastics winning the bronze in 2024: much more positive. ---
**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 16, 2024, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/862 "2024-08-16T19:22:38Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Does Wimbledon have runner-up trophies? I know the U.S. Open does in tennis. On the other hand, there’s no “off-green jacket” for finishing second in the Masters golf tournament. Yes, all the majors(grand slams) in tennis have a runners-up trophy of sorts. [![](https://assets.apnews.com/14/83/a89b4542bdcc18687cfee201d821/9a89a3f7ce4e412499fcef893315176d) ](https://assets.apnews.com/14/83/a89b4542bdcc18687cfee201d821/9a89a3f7ce4e412499fcef893315176d) ---
**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 16, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/863 "2024-08-16T19:23:24Z")
Oops, I meant to show Wimbledons: [![](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/08/20/05/7fb8de64d67bb866531353d5d5c293daY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjkyNTkxODI5-2.73024219.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&fit=crop) ](https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/08/20/05/7fb8de64d67bb866531353d5d5c293daY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNjkyNTkxODI5-2.73024219.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&fit=crop) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/864 "2024-08-16T19:39:34Z")
Why do countries want to host the Olympics? A few reasons. Prestige. They are athletic countries that seek to show off their prowess. Tourism. Allow politicians to grandstand and claim they are building public infrastructure or funding improvements. Tradition. Snobbery. A distraction. Bread and circuses. It is hard for me to envision India wanting the Games. But of course their decision is out of my hands. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/865 "2024-08-16T19:41:45Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > India’s big problem is temperature. Not just India but the rest of the world as well. Heat was already an issue in Paris and it’s not going to be much better in LA. Fortunately Melbourne is in the southern hemisphere. The IOC is already considering shifting the games by a few months. Having them in July/August is not sustainable ---
**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 16, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/866 "2024-08-16T19:59:31Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Heat was already an issue in Paris and it’s not going to be much better in LA. It was a bit paradoxical this year. Traditionally, almost all Parisians flee from the city heat during July and August _en vacances_, but this year the whole world came to Paris to celebrate the Olympics instead. ---
**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 16, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/867 "2024-08-16T21:03:08Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > Wallaby - I remember Nike’s asinine “You don’t win the silver, you lose the gold.” ad in '96. It got _reamed_ by nearly everybody. Completely, totally, categorically **reamed.** (The response from the athletes themselves was varied, of course, but the general consensus seemed to be “Who the hell are _you_ to judge us?”) In any case, when it comes to deciding how “stupid” a silver or bronze is, I say only one person’s opinion matters, and amazingly enough, it’s not mine either. Most sports have a championship every year; so four winners in four years. Any particular Olympic event awards three medals in four years. In that sense, a bronze medal is harder to get than a Super Bowl ring. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I don’t blame Rio, Athens or any other host city for that. The problem is the number of highly specialized facilities that are needed for the games but aren’t often needed otherwise. How often does one of these cities host a swimming competition requiring an Olympic-class pool or one for the high dive, or a velodrome or that water course used for the kayak and canoe competition? I remember when the long-track speed skating (winter olympics, obviously) were held outdoors. I think Calgary in '88 was the first to build an indoor stadium for that event. That’s the same size track as the summer games, with a lot fewer seats, but I’m sure it’s not cheap. I think every Winter Olympics since then has felt compelled to do the same. It’s interesting to see how host cities are trying to cope with that rising extravagence in hosting the Games. Paris created a temporary pool in an existing arena, and L.A. will do the same. I wouldn’t mind seeing the canoe and kayak events held on a natural river. ---
**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 16, 2024, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/868 "2024-08-16T21:11:28Z")
London also made a point of “sustainability” and using temporary facilities or ones that could be relocated after the games. I had a crazy idea of putting some of the more obscure venues on a converted cruise ship or a big barge so they could be moved from one country to another, as needed. This would work really only for cities near a harbor or navigable river. ---
**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 16, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/869 "2024-08-16T21:21:08Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I had a crazy idea of putting some of the more obscure venues on a converted cruise ship or a big barge so they could be moved from one country to another, as needed. This would work really only for cities near a harbor or navigable river. I had a similar idea for the athlete’s village for a Bosotn olympics. Mass produce blocks of rooms in a shipyard, somewhere; bring them to Boston, moor them in the harbor or the Charles River, and connect them. I was thinking partially of security; surrounded by water on three sides, with just one access point. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/870 "2024-08-16T21:21:27Z")
I remember reading that in team sports, the bronze medalist is usually much happier than the silver medalist. That’s because the bronze medalist just won its last game, whereas the silver medalist just lost. ---
**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 16, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/871 "2024-08-16T21:21:59Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > It’s interesting to see how host cities are trying to cope with that rising extravagence in hosting the Games. Paris created a temporary pool in an existing arena, and L.A. will do the same. I wouldn’t mind seeing the canoe and kayak events held on a natural river. By the way, Los Angeles is one of the few places where a temporary pool for the aquatic events would seem unnecessary since they have universities like UCLA and USC that compete at a very high level in these sports and could actually _use_ high level facilities. ---
**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 16, 2024, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/872 "2024-08-16T21:24:17Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > I had a crazy idea of putting some of the more obscure venues on a converted cruise ship or a big barge so they could be moved from one country to another, as needed. This would work really only for cities near a harbor or navigable river. > > I had a similar idea for the athlete’s village for a Bosotn olympics. Mass produce blocks of rooms in a shipyard, somewhere; bring them to Boston, moor them in the harbor or the Charles River, and connect them. I was thinking partially of security; surrounded by water on three sides, with just one access point. What they’ve done for some of these events is to moor cruise ships at the harbor to use as floating hotels for guests, press and other visitors. The athletes’ village seems ideal to be repurposed for college dormitories or apartments or such. ---
**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 16, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/873 "2024-08-16T21:32:08Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > By the way, Los Angeles is one of the few places where a temporary pool for the aquatic events would seem unnecessary since they have universities like UCLA and USC that compete at a very high level in these sports and could actually _use_ high level facilities. Those pools may not have enough seating for the Olympic swimming, though. L.A. is creating a pool in SoFi Stadium. I wonder how many pools are needed to host a Summer Olympics. There are the traditional swiming races, along with men’s and women’s water polo, and artisitic swimming. Diving is a different pool, usually in the same building, which I think has eight different events. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The athletes’ village seems ideal to be repurposed for college dormitories or apartments or such. I wouldn’t worry about it, though; Boston is not a big college town. ---
**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 16, 2024, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/874 "2024-08-16T22:33:32Z")
If even Los Angeles, where UCLA and USC compete at a very high level in college swimming, water polo and diving, don’t need Olympic-level facilities, then no city does. So does the IOC admit that they require cities to build facilities that they know will be needed only once? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/875 "2024-08-16T22:36:50Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So does the IOC admit that they require cities to build facilities that they know will be needed only once? I’m not sure about what cut of ticket sales go to the IOC, but cities have an incentive to use venues that hold a lot more spectators than any college event would attract. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/876 "2024-08-16T22:37:14Z")
An Olympic pool itself can be installed inside of a regular auditorium. That’s what they did in Paris. They built it on the floor of La Defense Arena. Here’s an article with a video: [https://www.fastcompany.com/91163841/paris-olympic-games-pools-swimming-sustainability](https://www.fastcompany.com/91163841/paris-olympic-games-pools-swimming-sustainability) They construct a big rectangle for the pool and build up a raised floor that is at the level of the pool. I assume that’s what LA is going to do in the SoFi stadium. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/877 "2024-08-16T23:41:01Z")
They are way ahead of you. [SoFi Stadium prepares for splashy debut in 2028 Olympics – NBC Los Angeles](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/sofi-stadium-prepares-splashy-debut-2028-olympics-los-angeles/3486654/#:~:text=The%20renderings%20of%20the%20venue,seating%20capacity%20for%20this%20competition). ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/878 "2024-08-17T07:56:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I wouldn’t mind seeing the canoe and kayak events held on a natural river. I assumed they were always held on manufactured courses for consistency, fairness, and safety. A large tree branch chasing a competitor down the course would add to the spectacle, but also the insurance costs. ---
**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 17, 2024, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/879 "2024-08-17T08:32:29Z")
If they did use a natural river, I assume the course would be downstream of a dam so they could guarantee the same flow rate for all of the competitors. And they could also filter out any floating debris before the start of the course. In that sense, it’s not purely natural, but it’s got to be cheaper than building a river from scratch. ---
**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 17, 2024, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/880 "2024-08-17T08:40:56Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > I remember reading that in team sports, the bronze medalist is usually much happier than the silver medalist. That’s because the bronze medalist just won its last game, whereas the silver medalist just lost Or: a silver medalist can keep thinking, _I could’ve been a gold medalist, if I’d done one thing differently_ — while a bronze medalist can easily think, _hey, if I’d done anything differently, I could’ve wound up with no medal at all!_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=43) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=45)