2004 Olympic Games - Athens

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Linaewen

Phelps actually strikes me as rather unassuming. Sure, he's got high goals and is trying to really make his mark, but he doesn't strike me as arrogant about it (though the hype surrounding him may make it seem that way).

I always thought I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't reach those lofty goals... see my post #28 in this thread, about Mark Spitz in the 1968 Olympics (four years before he won his seven).

[Andúril]

Shame, those poor Chinese synchronized divers...

[Fat middle]

I cannot understand how can NBC do that to all you...

Are we supposed to keep using the spoiler code or can we already congratulate Lin and rest of Aussies for Thorpe's triumph?

[Artanis]

Gymnastics is so cool!

Hamm & Hamm - how funny to have twins compete together in the gymnastics team. They both were great in the all-around competition, participating in 4 and 5 out of 6 events! When they did their vaults, they did exactly the same errors too!

The Japanese Tomasi did a impressing performance on the high bar, being the last competitor to finish, and knowing that he had to do this well if his team were to win the gold medal. Fantastic.

[Nerdanel]

congrats australia! i'm happy for you aussies!

(now i spoiled it, didn't i? )

[HOBBIT]

i see no reason to use the spoiler code. too bad we get a very delayed feed - but the results are all over the internet, even up instaneously after the events on NBC's OWN WEBSITES.


They think they will get more ratings in the evening i suppose, but i think they would get more if they actually aired the stuff live. Oh well.


It's not fair to the rest of the world to not be able to talk about results here :P
________________________

Who knows if Phelps actually wanted to break Spitz's record? His coach and others probably put that out there.

Hmm all these good atheletes get paid so much from sponsors!! What happened to true amateurs not being able to accept any money???

On the TV, it said that Phelps has been getting MILLIONS from sponsors for a couple years now. And he was offered 1 million dollars if he tied or broke Spitz's record.

He seems like he is otherwise a normal teenager and is in it for the love of swimming.

[BeardofPants]

A least you're getting a delayed feed. For some reason, we're not getting that much coverage. Only from around 7.30pm onwards, and we're only getting bits and pieces. I want the freakin' highlights like they've done at previous olympics. Stupid TVNZ.

[Radagast The Brown]

Originally Posted by Andúril

Shame, those poor Chinese synchronized divers...

Indeed. It seemed like they're going to easily win, until their last jump. And then the Russians and American did similar mistakes, it was kind of entertaining.

Originally Posted by Artanis

Gymnastics is so cool!

Hamm & Hamm - how funny to have twins compete together in the gymnastics team. They both were great in the all-around competition, participating in 4 and 5 out of 6 events! When they did their vaults, they did exactly the same errors too!

The Japanese Tomasi did a impressing performance on the high bar, being the last competitor to finish, and knowing that he had to do this well if his team were to win the gold medal. Fantastic.

Yeah... I think the Japanese deserved it, they were better. The Americans, though, IMO should've get more points from the judges.
I was sure the Romanian are going to take it. But the two last grades ruined all the work... I also didn't know the US and Japan awere good in gymnastics. I was surprised to see them there - and taking the first 2 places. I thought the Russians and Chinese were better.
Tomorrow is the women team in gymnastics, should be interesting.

And about the swimming... As I said, Van Den Hoogenban got the silver. Phelps looked very happy with the bronze. And he would probably get some gold medals, from the 8 he announced he'd get. In my opinion he's a bit disappointing, I expected for more - he even didn't win the semi-final in the butterfly 200m, losing to a British guy - and now it's everyone in headlines. *sigh*

The US seemed to be quite unsuccesful, with only 3 gold medals (China has 10!). Maybe when the Athletics start, they'd havwe more.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Radagast The Brown

The US seemed to be quite unsuccesful, with only 3 gold medals (China has 10!). Maybe when the Athletics start, they'd havwe more.

Only! three gold medals. Unsuccesful is a very relative word here....

[HOBBIT]

yes, although delayed - we are getting pretty extensive coverage


they have it on a great many channels here.


im watching the badmitton now.

[HOBBIT]

too bad, the USA badmitton team got creamed.


LoL, NBC is now at 8:45 PM showing the Phelps VS Thorpe thing.


And they are going on like they don't know whats going to happen.

[Fenir_LacDanan]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Only! three gold medals. Unsuccesful is a very relative word here....

well it is when you compare it to AUSTRALIA!!! 10 golds baby. And Thorpy wooped the much vanted Phelps. Thorpe has therefore won FIVE GOLD MEDALS!! Ohhh, we are getting drunk tonight.

[Linaewen]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

A least you're getting a delayed feed. For some reason, we're not getting that much coverage. Only from around 7.30pm onwards, and we're only getting bits and pieces. I want the freakin' highlights like they've done at previous olympics. Stupid TVNZ.

That's weird. We've got almost round-the-clock coverage on two channels, one commercial network and one not. Everytime we've won another gold they show it over and over and over. It seems as if everytime I turn on the TV, it's either Australia, Cuba or Germany playing some sport or other. I have no idea why we they show Cuba or Germany.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Fenir_LacDanan

well it is when you compare it to AUSTRALIA!!! 10 golds baby. And Thorpy wooped the much vanted Phelps. Thorpe has therefore won FIVE GOLD MEDALS!! Ohhh, we are getting drunk tonight.

As I said it's relative. Give us three golden medals and I'll think you'll have the rare spectacle of Belgium going quite completely, quite entirely, totally nuts with joy. Never mind what we'd do with five of them!

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Fenir_LacDanan

well it is when you compare it to AUSTRALIA!!! 10 golds baby. And Thorpy wooped the much vanted Phelps. Thorpe has therefore won FIVE GOLD MEDALS!! Ohhh, we are getting drunk tonight.

Thorpe is quite a talent himself... and is best in the 200 and 400 free. Phelps was crossing over into his turf to take him on. Thorpe tried Phelps in the 200 IM at last summer's World Championships and got beaten badly... so you note he's not swimming the IM's against Phelps at the Olympics. Phelps is strongest in butterfly, then backstroke - which makes him a great IMer* (since his freestyle is nothing to scoff at either).

BTW... the only Irish swimming gold medalist I can recall sort of 'got by with a little help from her friends' eh?

*EDIT: in this case, IM is not 'Instant Messaging' - but 'Individual Medley' - in which the race is swum in 4 different strokes in turn: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle.

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

He was told to pull out? This is getting stupider by the minute. Why even send atletes to the Games then? You're bound to come an Israeli opponent somewhere down the line.

Regarding the Iranian pulling out of the competition rather than face an Israeli... is it just me, or does anyone else think there would be 100 times the outrage if an Israeli athlete didn't want to compete against an opponent from an Islamic country? I think the world would go into shock!

[Elvengirl]

Wow did anyone see the men's gymnastics last night? Oh, it was soo close, too bad the Romanian fell .
But I'm happy for the Americans! They finally recieved a medal after so long.
And the Japanese were great, they deserved the gold. Their last rotation at the high bar was awesome to watch.

[Insidious Rex]

Originally Posted by Fenir_LacDanan

well it is when you compare it to AUSTRALIA!!! 10 golds baby. And Thorpy wooped the much vanted Phelps. Thorpe has therefore won FIVE GOLD MEDALS!! Ohhh, we are getting drunk tonight.

are the games over or something? talk to me after the track & field events.

[Jonathan]

Congrats Thorpe! Nice swum, van den Hoogenband! Better luck next time Phelps!

The Swedes in the women's football came back after a 0-1 loss against the Japan earlier and beat Nigeria 2-1 today. We get to face Australia in the quarter finals.

No Swedes are left in the tennis . But I guess it doesn't matter, Federer is in good shape and I think he'll beat anyone put up against him.

Originally Posted by Elvengirl

Wow did anyone see the men's gymnastics last night? Oh, it was soo close, too bad the Romanian fell .
But I'm happy for the Americans! They finally recieved a medal after so long.
And the Japanese were great, they deserved the gold. Their last rotation at the high bar was awesome to watch.

I watched it. The Romanians failed to win the gold but at least they got a medal. It's their first medal ever in men's gymnastics. It was a delight to watch the Japanese at the high bar.

Swimming, Aus vs. US:

The US just beat Australia in the men's 4x200 Freestyle Relay. Italy came 3rd.

[Radagast The Brown]

I saw the gymnastics today too. The women teams - too bad for the US, got silver medal again. The Romanian won second time in a row, which is quite surpring I think... they had a total new team from 4 years ago. I though the judges were very harsh there, comparing to the men's team last night, where many got a 9.7 and some even 9.8, while today the most I've seen is 9.75, and it seemed like the usual was more like 9.3. I thought the Americans deserved more, I don't know... I was very surprised with the judges' decisions.
I think the Japanese were amazing in the high bar! They without doubt deserved this win, after 25 years not winning the gymnastics, or so I've heard.

I saw the swimming today. The 200x4 was great, I was sure Thorpe would win it for Austrlia, they were so close... Still a good swim for them, but I think the US deserved it more, as they led most of the time, and much of it a few meters difference.

Federer lost, IIRC. By someone from the Czech Republic I think.. a shock for him, I suppose - that guy is like 500 in the world.

USA won Greece in basketball - but they still aren't very impressing, IMO. I assume it's because all the players who didn't show for the Olympics. Too bad... I barely recognised any names.

Originally Posted by Valandil

Regarding the Iranian pulling out of the competition rather than face an Israeli... is it just me, or does anyone else think there would be 100 times the outrage if an Israeli athlete didn't want to compete against an opponent from an Islamic country? I think the world would go into shock!

I don't know. Would it? Why is that?