2004 Olympic Games - Athens

[Radagast The Brown]

I remember Olsson... from the Golden.. something tournament a few years ago. He was always second though, there was a British guy that kept beating him. He retired since now, I think he was alreayd old back then.

USA is first right now, with 23 Gold medals - just as much as the Chinese - but with much more Silver and Bronze. (Israel is 59 )

I haven't seen any Olympics, nor heard any in the last few days - who won the 100m men?

I'm impressed of Spain in basketball. I did know they're very good... but I thought others are better. Lithuania has a 5-0 as well, btw, but I think it was rather expected. (thoguh I did think (like the rest of the world?) that the US will be first)
You heard China won Serbia?

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by Artanis

Hey Gordy! Spain has won their first gold medal! Gervasio Deferr won men's vault final, gymnastics. And Patricia Moreno got bronze medal in the women's floor exercise. Congrats!
And who knows what the Spanish beach volley team can do, they've reached the final.

Yay!! Thanks. It's Deferr's 2nd olimpic gold in Vault, since he was the champion in Sydney too. Did you see the competition? After Draculescu's first jump I thought he'd win the gold. It was an incredible jump , but then, he almost fall in his 2nd so the first place was to Deferr I can't help feeling a bit sorry for Draculescu though

Paticia's medal was unexpected, but not less welcome

Around here everybody thinks that it is a shame that Beach Volleybol be in the Olimpics... but hey! everybody was cheering today to our pair to get in the final I hope we'll get a shameful gold

[Mercutio]

Originally Posted by Radagast The Brown

I haven't seen any Olympics, nor heard any in the last few days - who won the 100m men?

Justin Gatlin. Here's the article.

[Radagast The Brown]

Originally Posted by Fat middle

Yay!! Thanks. It's Deferr's 2nd olimpic gold in Vault, since he was the champion in Sydney too. Did you see the competition? After Draculescu's first jump I thought he'd win the gold. It was an incredible jump , but then, he almost fall in his 2nd so the first place was to Deferr I can't help feeling a bit sorry for Draculescu though

I don't want to hurt any Spanish reading this, but I didn't liked Deferr's jumps as I the Romanian;s first one, which IMO was the best jump in there. I was sure he's going to win... unfortunately for him, he got the worst jump.... Congrats to Spain nonetheless! Because apparently, the Spanish deserved it.

[Jonathan]

Sweden lost to Brazil in the women's football. Now we'll face our worst rivals the Germans, who lost to the US, in the bronze match. Maybe it was worth losing a place in the final just to get a chance to beat the Germans

Swedish Ida-Theres Karlsson almost got a medal in the women 55kg wrestling. I didn't see that coming. She finished 4th.

Congratulations to Spain for their medals

Originally Posted by Radagast The Brown

I remember Olsson... from the Golden.. something tournament a few years ago. He was always second though, there was a British guy that kept beating him. He retired since now, I think he was already old back then.

Yep, the Golden League. The British guy in the triple jump, Jonathan Edwards, was phenomenal and as good as unbeatable. He's got the world record and is one of I think only two who has jumped more than 18 metres ( that's a lot!). Before retiring, Christian Olsson always finished second while Edwards always won 1st place except for once, in one of Edward's last championships. It felt so good to see Olsson finally beat him

[Artanis]

Originally Posted by Fat middle

Yay!! Thanks. It's Deferr's 2nd olimpic gold in Vault, since he was the champion in Sydney too. Did you see the competition? After Draculescu's first jump I thought he'd win the gold. It was an incredible jump , but then, he almost fall in his 2nd so the first place was to Deferr I can't help feeling a bit sorry for Draculescu though

Yeah I saw the competition, and I was sure Draculescu would win too after his first vault. It was the best performance in the competition, but the gymnasts must do 2 vaults, and they cannot afford to fail on one of them if they're going to win the gold. I feel sorry for Draculescu too, but the gold medal to Deferr was well deserved!

Originally Posted by Fat middle

Paticia's medal was unexpected, but not less welcome

She did a very good job on the floor.

Originally Posted by Fat middle

Around here everybody thinks that it is a shame that Beach Volleybol be in the Olimpics... but hey! everybody was cheering today to our pair to get in the final I hope we'll get a shameful gold

Haha!
Why do they think it's a shame?

[Fat middle]

Thank you everybody for your congratulations

Originally Posted by Artanis

Haha!
Why do they think it's a shame?

Most people don't think it should be an olimpic sport. Why not then including Beach Football or Indoor Football?

BTW, did you know that Croquet was olimpic in some of the first Olimpic Games?

[sun-star]

Originally Posted by Janny

On behalf of Great Britain, I would like to gloat about the success of Kelly Holmes in the 800m! Britain's 7th gold for women in track and field in 70 years... it doesn't happen often.

Yay, a local girl

[The Gaffer]

Originally Posted by sun-star

Yay, a local girl

But not like this local girl, presumably:


What a fantastic race! I was totally made up for her. She's had so many injuries and disappointments over the last ten years; it's a real testament to her guts and determination. Another metre and she would have lost it to the Slovenian or Ethiopian; five metres less and Mutola would have one.

And her expression of sheer joy and surprise when she crossed the line was totally priceless.

[sun-star]

What the - ?

[Elvengirl]

USA's going to play in the football/soccer finals tomorrow against Brazil.
Jon, sorry about the Sweden loss in football, but now you get your revenge
Ga Sverige!

Good luck to the Iraq team!

Congratulations to the Romanian woman, Catalina Ponor, on the gold wins in gym!

OK who saw that drama last night in the men's gymnastics. I couldn't believe it. Alexi Nemov's routine was amazing, with six releases! I'm no expert, but his routine at least looked amazing and I think deserved a better score and a medal, imo. And wow... the audience's response, booing for 5 min and I couldn't believe the judges actually changed their score. (it didn't make a difference though) When does that ever happen?
That is the only reason I don't like gymnastics, it's way too subjective.
This year has been unbelieveable with all the controversy.

It looks like Paul won't have to give up his gold. They were saying last night that the Korean's routine should have been scored lower, which would put him out of winning the gold medal anyways. Does anyone think Paul should give it up? I don't think it'd be fair to punish him for the judge's mistake (which seems to be occuring a lot this year ) If the Korean honestly deserved it, then I think they should award another medal, not take Paul's away.

I thought it was quite ironic how the same Korean totally fumbled in his high bar routine.
And good for Paul to come out winning in the end, only too bad Nemov wasn't able to.

Well anywho... the Gymnastics Gala is tonight! woohoo fun.....

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by Elvengirl

Congratulations to the Spanish woman, Catalina Ponor, on the gold wins in gym!

I regret to say that Ponor is not Spanish, she's from Rumania

Anyway, congrats to her

[Artanis]

Originally Posted by Fat middle

Most people don't think it should be an olimpic sport. Why not then including Beach Football or Indoor Football?

Indeed, why not? And what about paddle-tennis?

Originally Posted by Fat middle

BTW, did you know that Croquet was olimpic in some of the first Olimpic Games?

No I did not know. Must have been fun back then. I think you should agitate to get it back on the olympic agenda.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally Posted by Elvengirl

OK who saw that drama last night in the men's gymnastics. I couldn't believe it. Alexi Nemov's routine was amazing, with six releases! I'm no expert, but his routine at least looked amazing and I think deserved a better score and a medal, imo. And wow... the audience's response, booing for 5 min and I couldn't believe the judges actually changed their score. (it didn't make a difference though) When does that ever happen?
That is the only reason I don't like gymnastics, it's way too subjective.
This year has been unbelieveable with all the controversy.

yeah that was just an amazing display. i guarantee you some heads will roll after these olympics are over as far as the judging goes. and youll probably see some rules changes like you saw after the skating fiasco in Utah. But you gotta like Nemov's class to acknowledge the crowd for supporting him so fervently yet standing up and saying thank you but please quiet down so the next guy can go. a lot of folks wouldnt have been so nice.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Fat middle

Most people don't think it should be an olimpic sport. Why not then including Beach Football or Indoor Football?

Not to mention Karate, now there's a sport of which I don't understand why it isn't an Olympic sport already.

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by Artanis

And what about paddle-tennis?

You're right! Paddle-tennis should be Olympic too

I think I'm going to agitate on this besides croquet

[Fat middle]

Yesterday, we loose handball quaterfinals (men) versus Germany.

Two extra times (with two periods of 5 minutes each) were necessary, and since they couldn't break the draw, they passed to 5 shots from 7m...

The worst is that I was hearing the match by radio... I understood that after the first extra time they had to play another single period of 5 minutes. I stopped and went to a bar to see it. I arrived in minute 4 and 45 seconds and could see how Spain ended the extra time winning 30-28. I thought it had finished (and the barman too, who was crying loud "it's finished, we've won!!" ) so I went home, and only there I discovered that the result had been very different...

I still feel depressed

[Linaewen]

Congratulations Sweden!. Du gamla, du fria...

Congratulations, FM & Spain!

I watched that final between Wang Hao and Ryu Seung Min a few nights ago. Table tennis has got to be one of the funniest Olympic sports to watch.

I was also watching the diving. That Canadian, Alexandre Despatie, is amazing! No wonder he's such a champion.

The biggest thing in the news now, pertaining to the Olympics, is about a girl called Sally Robbins who stopped rowing near the finish line of her team sculling final. Her teammates were quite furious with her; it cost them a gold medal.

And our baseball team's playing Cuba for the gold medal, which is really strange because baseball is not popular at all here, not compared to America.

[Andúril]

That women's pole vaulting last night was pretty exciting. Finished after midnight in Greece.

[Elvengirl]

Originally Posted by Fat middle

I regret to say that Ponor is not Spanish, she's from Rumania
Anyway, congrats to her

err... you're right...*scratches head* I could have sworn I heard she was Spanish...er... sorry about that but congrats to her anyways
I will edit earlier post.

Originally Posted by Indsidious Rex

But you gotta like Nemov's class to acknowledge the crowd for supporting him so fervently yet standing up and saying thank you but please quiet down so the next guy can go. a lot of folks wouldnt have been so nice.

Oh definitely! That was very gracious of him.