# Some Olympic questions... **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 29, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797 "2012-07-29T21:33:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/101 "2012-08-07T11:24:02Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > They did indeed say that it was best-of-three races Maybe the Fench guy won the first one and they did not show that (I was watching the evening highlights/tape delay show), because they kept saying how difficult it would be to beat him two races in a row. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/102 "2012-08-07T11:39:10Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Maybe the Fench guy won the first one and they did not show that (I was watching the evening highlights/tape delay show), because they kept saying how difficult it would be to beat him two races in a row. No, the Brit won the first two races and got the gold. It was covered pretty clearly by the announcers during the broadcast. I’m not sure where the confusion is coming from. ---
**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 7, 2012, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/103 "2012-08-07T11:42:08Z")
No, the British cyclist won 2-0 - I haven’t read the wiki linked-to upthread, but it seems to me that it’s a disadvantage to lead off, so I assume Jason Kenny (GB) won the drawing of lots to decide who starts first. It can’t be that great an advantage, though, because he started the second race and won it anyway (if it were, they would have to do best of 9 or something to try to make it fair). Is the reason that lanes 2-9 are used for the 100m because lane 1 already gets the most wear (from all the distance running), so it is not used for the sprints? I can easily imagine that at this level, lane 1 having 30 people pounding round it 25 times (in the 10,000m) could affect the “springiness” of the track enough to disadvantage a 100m runner in lane 1. If lane 2 is used, that is not an issue. Or maybe it’s just to even out track wear in general, so it lasts a bit longer? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/104 "2012-08-07T11:46:50Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > No, the Brit won the first two races and got the gold. It was covered pretty clearly by the announcers during the broadcast. I’m not sure where the confusion is coming from. Well, I therefore missed it. Maybe I missed the intro because of fast-forwarding through beach volleyball or something. But they definitely more than once commented on the difficulty of beating him twice in a row, not two out of three. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/105 "2012-08-07T11:48:03Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > You have to be at the surface for the majority of the race. Part of your body in swimming has to be on the surface of the water at all times after 15 meters except when finishing. That’s to keep people from going back under after they get past the 15 meter mark. > [@](#): > > Different: > Swimming - all the same except: W: 800m, M: 1500m. Because women can’t swim that much. At least that’s what was believed before. Everywhere else both men and women swim the 800 and 1500. There’s been a push to add the 800 for men and 1500 for women for years now. ---
**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 7, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/106 "2012-08-07T15:41:26Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > No, the Brit won the first two races and got the gold. It was covered pretty clearly by the announcers during the broadcast. I’m not sure where the confusion is coming from. The confusion seems to be coming from a comment the announcers made after the first race about how hard it would be for the British cyclist to beat the French one two races in a row; somebody seems to have inferred that the British cyclist _had to_ win two in a row. Speaking of cycling…how much of the Men’s Omnium aired? I thought I saw one or two races from the 4K time trial, but that’s about it. You would think that they would show the top riders in the last event - the “killer kilo” (1K time trial). (Yes, I know it’s available online, at least in the USA; in fact, the elimination (devil take the hindmost) race was one of the few NBC online events with commentary.) ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/107 "2012-08-07T15:42:02Z")
The reason why using lanes 2-9 is an issue for me is that the announcers have been describing the runners by the lanes on which they’re running. So you’ll hear an announcer say something like: “Joe Smith, the top European, is making a move in Lane 4”. Since there are 8 runners, the natural inclination is to look for the 4th runner. It takes a second to then move to the next lane to find the 3rd runner, who it is they’re actually describing. I think that even if lanes 2-9 are being used, the lanes should still be called 1 through 8 during the race. This would be particularly beneficial for the casual sports viewer who may only watch a race or two, and not even realize that he/she is focusing on the wrong racer. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/108 "2012-08-07T16:21:46Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Because women can’t swim that much. At least that’s what was believed before. Everywhere else both men and women swim the 800 and 1500. There’s been a push to add the 800 for men and 1500 for women for years now. Really? 'cause the Olympics totally needs more swimming events… ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/109 "2012-08-07T18:07:56Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > Really? 'cause the Olympics totally needs more swimming events… I am so looking forward to the two swim marathon events. I will be on the edge of my seat for the whole 10 km :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/110 "2012-08-07T20:38:26Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > Really? 'cause the Olympics totally needs more swimming events… They should at least add one in which you’re allowed to swim under water as long as you like. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/111 "2012-08-07T21:23:35Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > It’s distinctly different than splashing themselves; they reach into the water, pull a cupped hand of water to their mouth and sip it. Their hand is in front of their face so I don’t know if they spit it out or not, but they definitely take a sip. Of course the swimming events are almost over, but watch for it when they’re getting ready to race. I did see this. Not sure what is going on. Drink the pool? > [@YogSosoth](#): > > I remember watching the first night of gymnastics and the announcer explaining them. I was under the impression that it was an NBC thing to make it easier for viewers I finally heard a comment last night from IIRC Tim Daggett that it was something that NBC was doing to help viewers. > [@](#): > > Another question. This year I’ve actually noticed some changes in the typical routines that the gymnasts do. And they’re all doing it. For years, one of the typical moves in the female floor routine was this weird landing where they’re tumbling and tumbling and right after they stop, they kind of crash to the floor like a belly flop and go into some on-the-ground routines. Nobody did that this year. What I have noticed instead is during the tumbling runs on the floor routine, instead of sticking the landing, the girls do a kind of split-legged jump into the air. > > Were these new moves just something someone added, then everyone started doing because it gave extra points? Or did the international gymnastics federation start mandating it? The international gymnastics federation does not dictate what moves the gymnasts use like that. Rather, they assign difficulty to whatever things the gymnasts try. Typically the men try something, then the women adapt it. The stop and then fall to the floor thing I did see once or twice, but the way the difficulty points are added, stacking elements gets more points. The quick jump on landing adds a difficulty bonus because it adds a jump combined on the end of the tumble. I thought it would be an easy way to cover being somewhat off balance, but one of the gymnasts demonstrated in the qualifications what happens if you are slightly off balance - your straight up hop becomes a leap out of bounds. Wasn’t it Gabby who took three steps because of that? > [@](#): > > Its not just women’s floor. In the past, the men’s pommel horse would never start with 2 handstands but now everyone starts that way. And different from Beijing and past years, the guys no longer do the split-legged breakdancing thing on the pommel horse either. I liked that move, it was fun to watch Handstands from the pommel horse are difficult, especially when you aren’t already in motion. They’re also harder to control - more momentum. I’m not sure if pommel horse is timed, but the action is supposed to be continuous motion, no stops. The high-legged swings were flashy, but it appears gymnasts have opted for handstands instead. The routines still require the detail work across the horse, from pommel to bench and back. But you are right, I did notice the lack of the high leg sweeps. > [@dzeiger](#): > > I recall them doing this at previous Olympics, and it only made it more confusing. Each of the events has different average scores, so with the rotation system, France might be on the one that averages 16 points per person, while the US is on the one that averages 14 points per person. I understand the complication of comparing, say, the American’s score on the vault vs the Russians’ score on the uneven bars. Each element has a different level of difficulty and scoring range. But this can be accommodated by using a _gasp_ _table_. > [@snowthx](#): > > OK, I am kind of stuck on the disparities between the men’s and women’s events, from my earlier post upthread. I can see the need for some things to be different, such as the equipment, but some of the differences are really not justified IMHO: > > … > Why the differences? There seems to be no justification for some of these things. Is it because women’s sports are seen as more of a sideshow than the mens events? Not that women are a sideshow to the men, but the premise is that women cannot equal men, either due to their average size disparity, or endurance, or whatever. Thus women’s events are on smaller venues, for shorter lengths or durations, etc. Some of this may be historical legacy of the Olympics, some may be built into current international sports standards. > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > I was surprised by how chunky the women’s water polo members were. Most were built like offensive linemen. Not what I would expect from a sport where they have to swim all the time. Water polo is half soccer, half wrestling. Being able to sink your opponent to take her ball is much more important than being able to breasstroke accross the length of the pool. > [@YogSosoth](#): > > A gymnastics question: > > Gabby Douglas screwed up on the women’s uneven bars. She went into a handstand and was supposed to fall one way, but didn’t have momentum and went the other way. She switched hands and pretty much completed the routine. The NBC commentator said that most people wouldn’t get that but in every Olympics I’ve seen, if a gymnast misses a routine, does it out of order, or whatever, everybody knows. How? Do the judges have a sheet of paper telling them what move is coming up next? Or maybe the gymnasts do the routine so much they have it down prior to the games, but then wouldn’t that make it impossible to change on the fly? Aren’t they allowed to improvise on the spot if they want to? There must be some coordination between the gymnasts because on TV they show the max score for the routine so they seem like they already know what it is Gymnastics routines are set in advance so that the judges can pre score to assign the difficulty of the routine, and verify it has the required elements. The gymnast has the flexibility to combine a variety of element types in whatever order, but once they have their routine, they practice it over and over to work out the kinks and get the connections and details right. The judges are probably like the commentators who have seen the gymnasts practicing their routines all week long prior to the event. They know what is coming. Improvising on the spot seems to be discouraged by the new system. ---
**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 7, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/112 "2012-08-07T21:24:15Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > I think that even if lanes 2-9 are being used, the lanes should still be called 1 through 8 during the race. This would be particularly beneficial for the casual sports viewer who may only watch a race or two, and not even realize that he/she is focusing on the wrong racer. The problem with that is, the lanes are clearly numbered 1-9 both at the start and at the finish line, and it could get confusing. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/113 "2012-08-07T21:25:25Z")
What’s going on with the 110m hurdles this year? I watched the heats and it seemed there was a DNF in every heat. In fact of the of the [53 entrants 8 didn’t](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_110_metres_hurdles)finish or were disqualified. The most dramatic race was the heat involving [Liu Xiang](http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/07/chinese-hurdler-liu-xiang-race) Of the eight starters, one (the Pole) pulled a hamstring out of the blocks, two failed to clear the first hurdle and one more took a massive tumble on the penultimate hurdle. It was extraordinary, especially as a distraught Liu was turned away from trying to leave the stadium through the entranceway and then proceeded to hop the length of the track to leave with his competitors. Looking back at the last two Olympics this year’s attrition rate (8/53 = 15%) is far greater than that of Beijing (3/43 = 7%) or Athens (1/48 = 2%). Does anyone know what’s going on? ---
**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 7, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/114 "2012-08-07T22:07:50Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > What’s going on with the 110m hurdles this year? I watched the heats and it seemed there was a DNF in every heat. In fact of the of the [53 entrants 8 didn’t](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_2012_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men%27s_110_metres_hurdles)finish or were disqualified. The most dramatic race was the heat involving [Liu Xiang](http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/07/chinese-hurdler-liu-xiang-race) Of the eight starters, one (the Pole) pulled a hamstring out of the blocks, two failed to clear the first hurdle and one more took a massive tumble on the penultimate hurdle. It was extraordinary, especially as a distraught Liu was turned away from trying to leave the stadium through the entranceway and then proceeded to hop the length of the track to leave with his competitors. > > Looking back at the last two Olympics this year’s attrition rate (8/53 = 15%) is far greater than that of Beijing (3/43 = 7%) or Athens (1/48 = 2%). Does anyone know what’s going on? My first guess: rain. Actually, at first, I thought most of the problems were being caused by “whoever came up with the bright idea of making the hurdles purple,” but then I noticed that the side that faces the runners is white. Speaking of track questions, here’s one: there is a curved line about 20m from the finish line - obviously it’s a starting line for something, but what? At first, I thought it might be if they were going to keep the track there after the Olympics and ever wanted to have a mile run, but a mile is 1609.344m, so the line would only be 10m from the finish line, not 20. It’s also not the start of the steeplechase, which is on the far side of the track. I am also assuming that it won’t be for the men’s marathon, which I would think would start at the same place as the women’s marathon, which was held entirely outside of the stadium. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/115 "2012-08-07T22:09:15Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > My first guess: rain. > > Actually, at first, I thought most of the problems were being caused by “whoever came up with the bright idea of making the hurdles purple,” but then I noticed that the side that faces the runners is white. > > Speaking of track questions, here’s one: there is a curved line about 20m from the finish line - obviously it’s a starting line for something, but what? At first, I thought it might be if they were going to keep the track there after the Olympics and ever wanted to have a mile run, but a mile is 1609.344m, so the line would only be 10m from the finish line, not 20. It’s also not the start of the steeplechase, which is on the far side of the track. I am also assuming that it won’t be for the men’s marathon, which I would think would start at the same place as the women’s marathon, which was held entirely outside of the stadium. Waterfall start line for the 2-mile, rarely run. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/116 "2012-08-07T22:20:52Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Speaking of track questions, here’s one: there is a curved line about 20m from the finish line - obviously it’s a starting line for something, but what? At first, I thought it might be if they were going to keep the track there after the Olympics and ever wanted to have a mile run, but a mile is 1609.344m, so the line would only be 10m from the finish line, not 20. It’s also not the start of the steeplechase, which is on the far side of the track. I am also assuming that it won’t be for the men’s marathon, which I would think would start at the same place as the women’s marathon, which was held entirely outside of the stadium. > [@runner pat](#): > > Waterfall start line for the 2-mile, rarely run. According to [this](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CHwQFjAG&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsitedesq.imgstg.com%2Fassets%2Fconsole%2Fcustomitem%2Fattachments%2FMarking%2520a%2520400mt%2520track.pdf&ei=bJMhUKy1LYfWqAHWuIGwBg&usg=AFQjCNFfbt5q4sl1ueWeB6ADO_kiCeZ5rg&sig2=AeUtG8X0hCz0m2Ung6Madw) (warning: PDF), it’s the start line for the 2000 meter steeplechase, which is apparently an experimental event. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/117 "2012-08-07T22:25:19Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > According to [this](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CHwQFjAG&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsitedesq.imgstg.com%2Fassets%2Fconsole%2Fcustomitem%2Fattachments%2FMarking%2520a%2520400mt%2520track.pdf&ei=bJMhUKy1LYfWqAHWuIGwBg&usg=AFQjCNFfbt5q4sl1ueWeB6ADO_kiCeZ5rg&sig2=AeUtG8X0hCz0m2Ung6Madw) (warning: PDF), it’s the start line for the 2000 meter steeplechase, which is apparently an experimental event. Didn’t know they were running that at the Games since both men and women ran the 3000 SC. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/118 "2012-08-07T22:27:18Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Didn’t know they were running that at the Games since both men and women ran the 3000 SC. I don’t think they are. They apparently just included the start line for it for potential future use. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/119 "2012-08-08T01:42:37Z")
Watching Misty May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh-Jennings on beach volleyball, Misty has a Nike swoosh on her uniform. Kerry has an oval (0?) in that location on her uniform. Top, pants, even glasses. I assume she isn’t sponsored by Nike, or has some other sponsor. Is that symbol a logo, or just a placeholder? ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797/120 "2012-08-08T01:44:30Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Watching Misty May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh-Jennings on beach volleyball, Misty has a Nike swoosh on her uniform. Kerry has an oval (0?) in that location on her uniform. Top, pants, even glasses. I assume she isn’t sponsored by Nike, or has some other sponsor. Is that symbol a logo, or just a placeholder? [**Oakley**](http://www.oakley.com/). Huge in beach sports. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-olympic-questions/629797.md?page=7)