2004 Olympic Games - Athens

[Rían]

Originally posted by Valandil
merged!

Azalea is Eastern US (Fla). (EDIT: so's SGH... little known fact about Ohio)

I ALMOST just deleted this... let's don't keep adding more 'lympic threads, K? (naughty Rian!) *menacingly waves inflatable hammer of wrath*

*wilts in terror before IHOW*

Whoops! I misread your previous post when you were talking about Jonathan starting an Olympic thread - I thought you wanted to merge some more threads!

I'll be good now 0:-)


Anyway, I also like gymnastics, but not as much as I used to - the guys/girls involved don't seem to have much of a life, and they just keep going in spite of major injuries that will affect them the rest of their lives...

Anyone heard anything about the archery team? The American Gold Medal archer lives in my neck of the woods, and I know there were some archers where my son and I used to shoot (haven't been able to get back there yet since the 2 surgeries) that had a "shot" at the Olympics.

Any good general webpages?

[Valandil]

Originally posted by RÃ*an
Whoops! I misread your previous post when you were talking about Jonathan starting an Olympic thread - I thought you wanted to merge some more threads!

Ah - understandable. I was thinking of THIS thread to discuss the REAL Olympics... with maybe some separate Wacky Entmoot Olympic thread(s)... sort of like the legendary 'Entmoot Mud Wrestling' which I've heard so much about.

I know what you're thinking of with the gymnasts. One reason I don't like it so much as an Olympic sport (along with Ice Skating) is that the judging can be subjective. Other sports have very objective performance standards... points scored, time achieved, etc. Not points awarded by judge.

Archery is certainly not one of those sports with the biggest following - but I'm sure it has its enthusiasts. Have you looked for a site?

[Rían]

No, I'm too lazy - I was hoping someone would provide one! But I'll go look ...

Yes I know what you mean about subjective, and that's REEELY frustrating! At least archery is one sport that isn't subjective!

[The Gaffer]

They should fully integrate the disabled olympics so that a gold medal in a disabled event counts the same as a gold medal in the able-bodied event. It was great that, at the Sydney games, these sports were happening at the same time. But why aren't they accorded the same status?

To my mind, while it's exciting to watch 8 evenly matched people running from one end of a track to another, it's far less impressive than watching 8 blind people do it, or watching a one-legged person do the high jump (have you seen how high these guys can jump?? ). And wheelchair basketball is far more exciting than normal backetball.

[Khamûl]

So what is everyone's opinion on the major power outage that hit Athens and the surrounding areas Monday? Apparently, it was a "mismanagement" of the electricity grid. I just hope they get everything straightened out before the games actually begin.

[mithrand1r]

Originally posted by Khamûl
So what is everyone's opinion on the major power outage that hit Athens and the surrounding areas Monday? Apparently, it was a "mismanagement" of the electricity grid. I just hope they get everything straightened out before the games actually begin.

It is all Enron's fault.


I think that it is something that can happen from time to time. Especially if "mismanagement" is involved.

Last year, large areas of the North East USA and parts of the Eastern Provinces of Canada were without electrical power.

IIRC, the cause of all the problems was one company in Ohio.

I am also hopeful everything will be straightened out before the games actually begin.

Here is a link about the NYC blackout
http://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/show...blackout+power

[Millane]

well ive just heard on the news that Australia has scrapped our crappy (and oh such lie infested) national anthem, and turned Manson, whenever we win a gold medal it will come to the sounds of I dont like the drugs (but the drugs like me)

[Valandil]

Michael Phelps update:

Haven't been following each day, but just read something current. He is trying out for spots in 6 events, but may not (probably won't) swim all six individual events at Athens... however, he can be on at least 2 relays, I believe.

So far, he has been in 5 finals, and has won 4 events - finishing 2nd in the other (which was the 200 backstroke - he swam it last night along with winning the 200 IM and swimming in the preliminaries for the 100 butterfly - all within one hour). His sixth event is the 100 butterfly - which he swims tonight.

You know, before he struck Olympic gold seven times in 1972, Mark Spitz fell far short of some major goals he had set for himself at the 1968 Olympics... he went there expecting to win 6 golds, but didn't win a single individual event - which even put him off some relay teams, I think. I forget what his medal count was, but you can read a cool account of it (and him at his younger age) in a book called Deep Water - by Don Schollander, who was a swimming wunderkind at the 1964 Olympics (winning 4 golds there) and still hanging around as an old salt in 1968.

I almost wonder if that will happen to Phelps this time around... if he's just taking on too much and will not meet his own expectations - but then may come back strong in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and dominate... and the advanced age of... 23!

[Valandil]

I believe I just saw that the Opening Ceremonies will be on Friday, August 13th... just 8 days away (oh-no... FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH!!! )

[Beruthiel's cat]

I'm sort of looking forward to the Games. In years past, I've tuned in for the highlights almost every evening. I like many of the events -- swimming is exciting. Much of the track and field doesn't interest me as much. It's interesting seeing how many different types of competitive sports are out there. Most of the emphasis is on professional sports like football and basketball, so it's nice to see coverage of things like fencing and rowing (very big in my neck of the woods, btw).

So I'll probably watch. If Athens can get it's act together, that is.

[Earniel]

So the opening ceremony is next friday? Thanks for mentioning it, Valandil. I loved the opening ceremony in Sydney 4 years ago! I hope this year will be good too.

The rest of the last olympics was a bit of a disappointment, they never showed any on TV, only in one measly sport talk show. But this year we'll have a whole spanking new sportchanel for it! It's always nice to watch other people exert themselves.

[Mercutio]

Originally Posted by Tessar

One word:


GYMNASTICS TIME BABY!!!!!!!

Okay make that three words.

Gymnastics ROCKS. Trust me you have no idea how hard that stuff is till you've taken it for a year or two .

My hero.


I enjoy watching rowing and archery (my brother in fact does some archery).

[Jonathan]

The women's football started yesterday, a couple of days before the opening ceremony. I was going to enjoy it and see the Swedish team beat the crap out of Japan. However, the Swedes lost. Shocking! That hasn't happened since the Olympics of 1936, when the men's team were defeated by the Japanese (one of the most humliating losses in Sweden's football history I might add. Some sports journalist summarized the game by simply saying "Japanese, japanese, japanese...", a summary that has become famous here).

But I still hope the women can win the gold medal. And their defeat wasn't as bad as when the poor Chinese lost 0-8 to the Germans yesterday

[Fat middle]

Well, it has begun.

I've been watching to the opening ceremony (well, I made a stop for dinner after the Spanish team entered the stadium). Not the best, but it hasn't been a bad ceremony.

The artificial lake in the center of the stadium was very nice and a very original idea. The firing of the cauldron has been also very original.

I haven't seen much sense in the election of the music. I didn't like the idea of getting a DJ for the music. Bjork has been sensational, but I think they should have given more importance to greek composers or singers. There was some music by Theodorakis but what about Vangelis and others?

[Jonathan]

I watched all of it. It was a very nice ceremony.

I didn't mind the DJ, I thought his music was quite good. Apparently he had been the best DJ in the world (maybe he still holds that title). And I liked Björks appearance very much. That 'ocean' around her was hypnotizing . There were still music by Greeks, so it didn't matter much to me that they had one Icelandic singer. They will probably save their most famous composers to the closing ceremony.

I liked how both Afghanistan and Iraq each got a big round of applause when they entered the Olympic stadium. And for the first time, Afghanistan had a woman carrying their flag.
North and South Korea came together, just like in Sydney, with a special Korean flag representing both countries.

[BeardofPants]

Damn, I would have loved to have seen it, but it was on too early for me. Way kewl that a woman carried the afghan flag though.

[Artanis]

I watched it last night too, and I understand why DJ Tiesto is said to be the best in the world, even though I don't prefer that kind of music myself. But Vangelis, that would have been great!

I liked the show at the beginning too. The history of Greece presented in a very modern, cool and stylish way.

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by Artanis

I watched it last night too, and I understand why DJ Tiesto is said to be the best in the world, even though I don't prefer that kind of music myself. But Vangelis, that would have been great!

I liked the show at the beginning too. The history of Greece presented in a very modern, cool and stylish way.

I agree he was a great the DJ and the music he chose was good, but I would have liked other style.

Another great point of the ceremony were the fireworks, especially at the end. Obviously they were Spanish fireworks

[Earniel]

It was a nice ceremony. It was fun trying to outsmart the commentator. (If both your sister and her boyfriend have studied archaeology then they're sure to recognize idols and statues a lot faster than a TV commentator who reads it from a piece of paper. We made a game of it. )

I had hoped for a wee bit more mythology to feature in the ceremony but it was a very stylish show. Apparently a Belgian firm helped with the cöordination of the floating statue-pieces.

I wasn't too keen on the DJ and Björk's singing didn't really enchant me but I liked the ocean theme. And it was a bit of a shock to see the atlete fall when they were reading the long list of Olympics.

Although I have to admit there were one or two countries participating that I had never heard of before.

[Linaewen]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

I had hoped for a wee bit more mythology to feature in the ceremony but it was a very stylish show.

Me too, but maybe more mythology may have been a cliché. But it would have been nice.

I think the whole thing was pretty spectacular and quite original. The costumes they had for the Greek history parade- they were breathtaking. I was just really impressed by the whole thing.