I know 
JK Rowling tweeted ‘Don’t You DARE Tell Me Quidditch Is Hard to Understand’. But nonetheless it was riveting, in a kind of family/friends sitting around trying to work out what the hell is happening way … In that sense it’s the perfect Olympic event!
From FINA’s summary of penalties
This is from the same penalty list as balking (though that’s a 2-point deduction, not a 2-point maximum, so being too close to the platform is a worse infraction).
Huh. I never realized it before, but, yeah, GB gets different-gold credit for a variety of boating events – but the US doesn’t get different-gold credit for winning the long jump and the shot put, because, hey, “track and field” is just one sport, right?
It’s a pretty arbitrary metric really because the “sports” are broken down by the governing rules bodies. Kayaking/canoeing by the ICF, rowing by FISA, sailing by World Sailing and track and field by the IAAF.
Also two medals (gold and silver) in dressage. Sitting down on horses.
That second semi in the 200m was pretty fun. Bolt and De Grasse have a fun big/little brother thing going.
And Gaitlin is out. I don’t think anyone’s beating Bolt in the 200 m, but it’s probably a slightly worse final coming up for it.
Gaitlin looked like he was letting up at the end, like he thought he had qualification wrapped up. Maybe he just ran out of gas.
Based on the semis there seem to be three clear favourites for the medals.
Bolt going “You should slow down dude, it’s only the semi-final”
In beach volleyball, when the fabric court marker lines are moved during normal play, do they still mark the boundary of the court where they lie? Or is their original position the boundary of the court? There were many cases where the players knocked the lines while trying to get to balls, and the lines would be curved in or out of the original position. If a ball lands inside the line, is it in even if the line got pushed out from it’s original position?
I like how NBC just said, “Fuck the beach volleyball final!”, because the Americans weren’t in it, and broadcast the bronze medal match, instead.
Cheese and cowardice are words used by whiney losers. The goal is to win not please your opponent.
The lines are under enough tension that they’re not going to stay moved any significant amount. So we’re talking fractions of an inch or so differences.
There’s no way you’re going to judge where the line “should” be in that case, things like instant replay would just be watching where the line is.
I’m okay with beach volleyball being a live stream but … really, arse shots aside, does anyone care …
It’s good old Fifa politics. Fifa would prefer the home nations (as we call them in the UK) to compete as GB/UK in all international tournaments. But the smaller home nations, in particular, are concerned that it would affect both their players ability to make the national team and that their own ‘national’ leagues might come into question by UEFA, which would in turn affect their ability to enter teams in the Champions League and the Euros.
There was a gentleman’s agreement to put all that aside for London 2012, so that the home nation could field a GB team, but that was a one off.
A lot of athletes are going home early. Michael Phelps tweeted photos of himself and the baby at home in the pool.
WTH is wrong with these people? It’s like going to a wedding and racing out the door the second they say “I do”.
What happened to savoring a once in a lifetime moment? Making friends in other sports and cheering them on? The comradeship is the most important aspect of sports.
They are cheating themselves of a lifetime’s memories. Foolish and very selfish attitude to say the least.
I guess it’s better the selfish ones leave early. The real amateurs can focus on having fun after they’ve competed.
Btw, do Olympic athletes get passes to all the events? I’m assuming they can drop in and cheer on friends in other sports.
At least here in the Netherlands you are required to come home within 48 hours if you have not scored a medal win in any of your events. About 50 sporters without medals came home yesterday (sorry, article in Dutch). The reason given was for keeping up the ‘training climate’ at the Olympic Village for those who still had to compete. This is a requirement of the NOC*NSF.
So it is not always up to the athletes.
I didn’t know that. Thank you for informing me.
Some of my best memories from high school track meets was cheering on my friends. I ran hurdles (badly) and always made a point to watch my friend’s events. I guess that was a simpler time.
I lettered in track and basketball. They didn’t hold it against me that I didn’t do that well in hurdles. There weren’t many other kids in my school interested in training.
Congratulations, you’ve topped “Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?”