The Sports Thread

Eh, China and the US invest so much in, "Look how good at sports we are, our citizens should believe this makes us the best in the world!!" and so there's so much hype and preparation as opposed to most other nations that aren't a tenth focused, from a government perspective?

It just seems like it's more a matter of national self-esteem or something with the US and China (And their racing each other to see who's best, just like the USSR/US during the Cold War) than it is with the other nations.

Mike` wrote:

Haha, it's cool the see countries like Jamaica and all those smaller countries that are so good at certain sports (Like Jamaica and the sprints). Just makes me want Winter Olympics so we can actually win stuff.

I love the accent of the Canadian womens' soccer team's coach.

Sanya Richards Ross is Jamaican-born. She came to the US when she was 12.

Eh, just be glad you're not from Bahrain. Something like 80% of their athletes at these Olympics aren't first-generation citizens who've taken said citizenship solely to compete in international athletics when they don't qualify for their home teams. The vast majority of their athletes, most of which compete in the track stuff, are born and raised in Africa, and who become "Bahrainis" AFTER the age of eighteen.

They called it country-shopping or something when they were talking about Bahrain in the opening ceremonies.

I'm watching Mens' 10K "Open-Water" Swim, SO INTENSE!!!! We just won a bronze in it though, 22 year old got it!!! They swam a lake/channel....

Mike` wrote:

Eh, China and the US invest so much in, "Look how good at sports we are, our citizens should believe this makes us the best in the world!!" and so there's so much hype and preparation as opposed to most other nations that aren't a tenth focused, from a government perspective?

It just seems like it's more a matter of national self-esteem or something with the US and China (And their racing each other to see who's best, just like the USSR/US during the Cold War) than it is with the other nations.

What's wrong with a country taking pride in their athletics programs? In the US they need to get more Americans interested in sports, with the obesity rate constantly rising like it is.

And China's not a immigrant nation like the US, they just have a lot more people than we do. I love it when first or second generation Americans compete in the Olympics.

Yes, I root for American athletes, but I also applaud and admire athletes from other countries when they kick ass at the Olympics. It just so happens that American athletes are kicking a lot of ass. I'm not fussed about China being slightly ahead of the US in the medal count.

I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying it's a ratcheted up form of it compared to other countries competing because there's the direct head-to-head and all the conflict (Which is a good thing, it drives to succeed even more) between the US and China, just like the US and USSR before it.

It's good, I mean, you should take pride in all the medals. The point I was trying to make was how the sports are so much more.... institutionalized (?) than countries that aren't the US or China. There's not as much governmental pressure on the athletes to succeed.

Tai Kwan Do is on, Canada vs Azerbaijan.

Just watching the diving. I wish I could do that stuff!

Same.

If you guys could choose to be an athlete, which kind would it be??

Triathlon... because they're well fit. Or a tennis player. Just because I love tennis.

If you hypothetically I could give myself instant talent probably heptathlon (although I really didn't excel at T&F at school), or swimming /football (because I was half decent at those)

voteforalice1 wrote:

Same.

If you guys could choose to be an athlete, which kind would it be??

Decathlon; it's two days and:

100M Sprint
Long Jump
Shot Put
High Jump
400M Run
110M Hurdles
Discus
Pole Vault
Javelin
1500M Run

To be able to win an event that you have to do ALL those things is insane!!! Easily more talented than any of the athletes who just specialize in one of those events.

(For the record, Jessica Ennis did Heptathlon, which is 7/10 of the above things, she didn't have to do discus, pole vault, or hurdles, and her races were only 100M, 200M, and 800M respectively)

Like.... I'd say Decathlon is the most talented sport at the Olympics, and it's not even a contest.

If I could magically grow four inches I would say basketball. I love team sports and since the games dropped softball I would want basketball.

Yeah to be able to do all that stuff is amazing.

Idk what i'd choose actually. I like some team sports but i'd also wanna be awesome all by myself haha.
I think the strength, balance and coordination that gymnasts have is pretty cool..... Also i think i'd make a good boxer because i often feel like punching people in the face ... And yeah i'm half decent at tennis now, so maybe that.

If i had to be realistic and think about my physiology, i think i'd be good at weightlifting because for some reason i build muscle ridiculously fast haha.
I've never been good at any kind of speed events though.

Was about to go on a rant about endurance and speed athletes and how certain types of muscle fibres help them excel at their sports.
I'm gonna sum up:
Endurance- muscles need to last longer - high % "slow-twitch" fibres - fatigue slowly.
Speed - muscles need to contract quickly - high & "fast-twitch" fibres - fatigue quickly but can produce a lot of power in that short time.

Beaten by Mexico in men's football. Tragedy...

DAMMMNNNN!!!!

New world record for Jamaica in the 4x100, and we got the bronze in it!!!

EDIT: WHATTTT, we got disqualified somehow???????? Like.... our guys are crying right now, they posted the times THEN announced we were disqualified but haven't told anyone why???

EDIT: FAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK, our runner JUST BARELY touched the edge of the line in his lane and we got disqualified for itttt. God damnnnn.

voteforalice1 wrote:

Same.

If you guys could choose to be an athlete, which kind would it be??

Volleyball player.

I am HORRIBLE at sports, I lack grace and hand-eye coordination. But I'd say basketball because it was the only sport I actually enjoyed playing back at school.

Anyone watching the closing ceremony for the olympics?

Span_ski wrote:

Anyone watching the closing ceremony for the olympics?

watching it, waiting for mah spice girls, but no luck so far

lol eli!! yeah, I'd be asleep by now if they'd already been on. I'm kinda nervous.... they haven't preformed in quite a while....

I get the not live version in a few hours. Give me some Spice Girls!!

well it's about 1.5 hrs in and no sign yet... right now we have russell brand singing / miming the beatles.... hmmm

Now we have Spice!!!

Aaaah they looked great! specially Mel and Mel.
But why the cabs, I was hoping for the spiceworld bus


Victoria looking like she didn't even want to be there. Like always.