London 2012 Megathread [Part 1]

keith16

My name is URL wrote: »

Was it as bad as this one? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1044258/Pictured-The-horrific-moment-Olympic-weightlifter-turns-elbow-front.html

:eek:

Elbows should not do that.

cgpg5

That badminton farce reminded me of this story!

The incident took place during a final group match between Barbados and Grenada for the Shell Caribbean Cup in February 1994. The Barbados team had to win the match by at least two goals in order to face Trinidad and Tobago in the finals; anything less and Grenada advanced to the next round instead. The rules in effect at the time specified that if the score were tied at the end of regulation play, the match would continue into sudden-death overtime (not a penalty kicks round, as stated above), and the first team to score during the overtime period would be considered a two-goal winner.

As detailed above, Barbados was leading 2-0 well into the second half of play, when Grenada finally managed to score a goal in the 83rd minute to make the score 2-1. Barbados realized with three minutes to play that they were unlikely to score again in the time remaining and deliberately kicked the ball into their own goal to tie the match at 2-2 and force an overtime period. Grenada then attempted to score on their own goal to prevent the match from going into overtime, but Barbados had already started defending Grenada's goal to prevent them from succeeding. The two teams then spent the remaining few minutes with Barbados defending both ends of the field as Grenada tried to put the ball into either goal, but time expired with the score still tied. Four minutes into overtime play, Barbados scored and advanced to the finals.

johnmcdnl

^^ I heard about that game before but never looked it up. May go digging on youtube for it because it sounds like it'd be hilarious to actually watch :P

fryup

My name is URL wrote: »

To be fair, he was holding a lot and had already been given a warning not to continue doing so.

but sure wasn't michael carruth holding alot when he won gold in Barcelona??

.E_C_K_S.

Barbados V granada 1994 Shell cup I think it was

Corruptedmorals

Gandhi wrote: »

One of the commentators over here (The States) was saying that Maroney gets about two feet (not inches, FEET) higher into the air on her vaults than any other gymnast.

Yeah, that's why the others should have gotten lower scores because they don't compare, even if they stuck. Dunno about 2 feet but she literally gets the best block off the vault anyone has ever seen.

Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-WmzZgKifA
Here's the girl who went before her, not the Olympics one but same height all the time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXWcydg2OlY
And the first girl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnrrWX7UKQI

All three stuck in the Olympics, but you can tell McKayla is way higher than the other two.

opinion guy

I missed some of the swimming.
Anyone have a link to the mens 100m freestyle final ?

RTE claim they are show stuff from the last 12hours on their website but I can never find the things I want:(

K-9

garv123 wrote: »

I dont think anyone can take up any sport and even qualify for the next Olympics not to mind get a medal.

Nearly sure one of the female British rowers qualified in a pair and only took up the sport 4 years ago, one of the commentators mentioned it.

K-9

Colmustard wrote: »

I heard some sportsman say what is wrong with playing strategically, it has happened in other sports, it happens a lot in football. Man U have been accused of it a few times.

Ireland vs. Holland in 1990 was strategic, both knew they were through along with England and Egypt out and just played out the draw. Common enough thing in World Cups then.

cgpg5

K-9 wrote: »

Ireland vs. Holland in 1990 was strategic, both knew they were through along with England and Egypt out and just played out the draw. Common enough thing in World Cups then.

They had to change the 3rd round of group games in major tournaments to be played simultaneously as a result. Think West Germany Austria played out a bore draw one year as both had advanced.

Senor Trap when in charge of Italy in 04 accused Denmark and Sweden of playing for a draw on purpose to eliminate the Italians and so both could progress.

johne30

bwatson wrote: »

Many Northern Irish athletes have competed, and won medals, for Great Britain. Many of us are British after all. We feel as much a part of the team as anyone else and the fact that its just Great Britain and not Great Britain and Northern Ireland is as a gesture of goodwill to the Irish team who were (I don't know why) offended at the British Olympic Association calling themseves GB and NI. I have absolutely no problem with that if it helps the Irish team feel appeased and keeps relations between the associations ok, which is what the olympics is about.

The issue is friend the fact that many of the sports are run and organised on an all-ireland basis 4 equal provinces and all that . Some Northern ireland athletes will take the funding when the are young and only starting out , and then the run off to compete for GBR in olympics . r mcillroy was backed by the golfing union of ireland , (all ireland) and heavly funded as an amateur but now he wants to compete for gbr in rio in 4 years time . Rugby ,Cricket and Hockey all work well because all the people involved in those sports buy in to the all-ireland system and there is rarely any controvesy.. Athletics and olympic sports people should do the same. p. s. north and south

Happyman42

Jeepers, they have issued commemerative stamps already of gold winners Wiggins and the rowers! :eek:
Bit premature before drug test results, potential for egg on face?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19083289

Diego Maradona

Fair play to Wiggins, great achievement but for the love of God please shave off them awful sideburns

johne30

Mars Bar wrote: »

Team GB beat Uruguay to knock Uruguay out. Delighted with that!

Team g b soccer is a good idea long term and will probably happen eventually. not in rugby though. Some of the Spanish regions like Catalonia , gallica . basque have more autonomy than scotland , wales and n ireland yet they don't get to have their own soccer team . So the u k provinces can't have it every way .

Pudsy33

Happyman42 wrote: »

Jeepers, they have issued commemerative stamps already of gold winners Wiggins and the rowers! :eek:
Bit premature before drug test results, potential for egg on face?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19083289

Let them enjoy it, I sincerely doubt they're on drugs!

bwatson

Happyman42 wrote: »

Jeepers, they have issued commemerative stamps already of gold winners Wiggins and the rowers! :eek:
Bit premature before drug test results, potential for egg on face?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19083289

Egg on their faces, why? You think we should treat all successful athletes as cheats until it is proven otherwise?

HazDanz

bwatson wrote: »

Egg on their faces, why? You think we should treat all successful athletes as cheats until it is proven otherwise?

Exactly. Treat the win as a win. The minute you start thinking everyone might be a cheat until a drugs test is finalized is a pity and only makes the cheats more relevant than they deserve.

I think the Olympics have slowly been clawing back the respect it deserves in terms of clean athletes at the games and hopefully will continue to improve this image over the next few games as well.

Happyman42

bwatson wrote: »

Egg on their faces, why?

Potentially any athlete could fail...yes? Just seems hasty to me.
The English rugby team got embarassed having made a video celebrating winning the Grand Slam, except they didn't, we upset their plans in Lansdowne.
Thought they might have learned a lesson from that.

bwatson

johne30 wrote: »

The issue is friend the fact that many of the sports are run and organised on an all-ireland basis 4 equal provinces and all that . Some Northern ireland athletes will take the funding when the are young and only starting out , and then the run off to compete for GBR in olympics . r mcillroy was backed by the golfing union of ireland , (all ireland) and heavly funded as an amateur but now he wants to compete for gbr in rio in 4 years time . Rugby ,Cricket and Hockey all work well because all the people involved in those sports buy in to the all-ireland system and there is rarely any controvesy.. Athletics and olympic sports people should do the same. p. s. north and south

I understand what you are saying and agree that it is a very complex issue.

However, the difference between competing as an all-Irish team in a sport such as cricket and competing in an all-Irish team at the Olympics would be huge. In cricket for example, there is a long history of international teams not actually representing a single nation - take the West Indies as the obvious example. As a result, the all-Ireland team doesn't really come up as too much of an issue and as a Northern Irishman I would be happy to play in it (chance would be a fine thing) because it represents both the British and Irish peoples of this island.

However, the Olympics are something very different. They are the greatest show on earth and all nations on the planet come together to show unity through sport but also to compete on the biggest of stages. The olympic games see competition between national groups for the ultimate prize once every four years, they do not see the competition between teams which represent "international" organisations which compete on a very regular basis. As such, it doesnt really get any bigger than wearing your nations colours and holding your nations flag at the games and I don't think any athlete should be denied the opportunity to do so as a result of financial or bureaucratic restrictions.

The fact that the British team compete simply as Great Britain is completely understandable in the interest of good international relations as I said earlier but I think it will be a sad day when British athletes from the north are unable to compete under their national flag at the Olympics. I would feel equally as disappointed for nationalists in the north if they were forced to row, sail, cycle or whatever under a flag which they didnt feel represented their identity and who they were as a person.

Just on the point on financing the development of youth, I certainly see why it is a sticking point but I think it is important to remember it works both ways. Just look at the number of footballers born in the North who have chosen to represent the Republic of Ireland football team. The scouting networks and training centres which found and developed them weren't funded by the FAI.

bwatson

Happyman42 wrote: »

Potentially any athlete could fail...yes? Just seems hasty to me.
The English rugby team got embarassed having made a video celebrating winning the Grand Slam, except they didn't, we upset their plans in Lansdowne.
Thought they might have learned a lesson from that.

I don't see any problem, I suppose you and I just retain different levels of faith in humanity!

With regards to the rugby video, it wasn't an England video - it was a nike advertisment in which England players had to take part for contractual reasons! It wasnt arrogance or premature gloating - it was an example of the way the world works. How would anything work if we didnt prepare for any eventuality?

johne30

bwatson wrote: »

The Eurosport commentators are right with what they say about the cycling crowds, they have been simply incredible. Cycling is clearly on the way up in Britain in terms of interest and exposure and there's very much a good chance that it will have a great effect on cycling in Ireland too. Good times for the sport on these islands ahead.

Agreed but when kelly and roche were winning all those races back in the 80 s and 90 s that was the time for irish cycling and as usual the people in charge blew it and the puplic eventually lost interest and probably will again . Its all fotball in britain and gaelic games in ireland , old habits die hard.

Happyman42

bwatson wrote: »

I don't see any problem, I suppose you and I just retain different levels of faith in humanity!

With regards to the rugby video, it wasn't an England video - it was a nike advertisment in which England players had to take part for contractual reasons! It wasnt arrogance or premature gloating - it was an example of the way the world works. How would anything work if we didnt prepare for any eventuality?

It's a bit premature. If they had to recall these stamps that would do more damage imo. Would have been wise for somebody like the Royal Mail to wait a week or so, especially with cycling's reputation.

G.A.Ay

The BBC coverage of the games compared to RTE highlights the gulf in class not just between the broadcasters, but between the nations.

Go Team GB!

nice_very

johne30 wrote: »

Team g b soccer is a good idea long term and will probably happen eventually. not in rugby though. Some of the Spanish regions like Catalonia , gallica . basque have more autonomy than scotland , wales and n ireland yet they don't get to have their own soccer team . So the u k provinces can't have it every way .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_Country_national_football_team

AlmightyCushion

nice_very wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_Country_national_football_team

"Officiality
The self-selection of Spain can not participate in official international competitions, only officially selected to compete in regional competitions within the Spanish Football Federation. The Basque Football Federation claims its officers, but not having permission from the Spanish, FIFA can not allow their participation."

nice_very

and so begins the political discussion of sports, again.

johne30

bwatson wrote: »

I understand what you are saying and agree that it is a very complex issue.

However, the difference between competing as an all-Irish team in a sport such as cricket and competing in an all-Irish team at the Olympics would be huge. In cricket for example, there is a long history of international teams not actually representing a single nation - take the West Indies as the obvious example. As a result, the all-Ireland team doesn't really come up as too much of an issue and as a Northern Irishman I would be happy to play in it (chance would be a fine thing) because it represents both the British and Irish peoples of this island.

However, the Olympics are something very different. They are the greatest show on earth and all nations on the planet come together to show unity through sport but also to compete on the biggest of stages. The olympic games see competition between national groups for the ultimate prize once every four years, they do not see the competition between teams which represent "international" organisations which compete on a very regular basis. As such, it doesnt really get any bigger than wearing your nations colours and holding your nations flag at the games and I don't think any athlete should be denied the opportunity to do so as a result of financial or bureaucratic restrictions.

The fact that the British team compete simply as Great Britain is completely understandable in the interest of good international relations as I said earlier but I think it will be a sad day when British athletes from the north are unable to compete under their national flag at the Olympics. I would feel equally as disappointed for nationalists in the north if they were forced to row, sail, cycle or whatever under a flag which they didnt feel represented their identity and who they were as a person.

Just on the point on financing the development of youth, I certainly see why it is a sticking point but I think it is important to remember it works both ways. Just look at the number of footballers born in the North who have chosen to represent the Republic of Ireland football team. The scouting networks and training centres which found and developed them were funded by the FAI.

Yes fair enough ,but the all ireland sports are usually far more successful on the international front i.e. rugby , cricket, boxing,motorsports , equestrian even golf and the n ireland competitors are often to the fore in these sports ahead of their southern counterparts l. Wayne mccullough and jessica kurten are two of irelands most popular ever sportspeople and they both were from a unionist tradition , but would they have got the same chances with a british team? . Your point on the soccer is a valid one ok, but surely we would be better of with an all ireland team as my point above illustrates. And in time the olympic sports would be similarly successful

Jimoslimos

G.A.Ay wrote: »

The BBC coverage of the games compared to RTE highlights the gulf in class not just between the broadcasters, but between the nations.

Go Team GB!

A little unfair, the BBC would put most national broadcasters in their shadow.

johne30

nice_very wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_Country_national_football_team

you know the point i am making. they don't play in w c or euros

johne30

what 4x4 . landrover racing

johne30

donfers wrote: »

interesting that jameson is the new sensation of uk swimming after making dramatic improvements in his time at the olympics - if he was Chinese i wonder would the bbc be saying he is a new sensation or would they instead ask other types of questions about his dramatic sudden improvements in time, in Jamesons cases at the age of 23 which is more unusual than at 15 or 16

well said . out with the hyprocits .

johne30

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

There seems to be a lot of upper classy rich sound names in Irish Olympics - if you look at the list of competetors a lot of the names seem well, protestanty! Do you remember this guy?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Wrottesley

Why is this do you think? Anglo-Irish money heritage or something for posh sports?

stop talking ****e u ignorant buffoon . what is a rich name ?, they are oviously able sports people to be at the olympics , would you rather send some gaa moron not able to put two words together or even kick a football. Go back to your little parish rivalry's and leave the real sport to the serious athletes who actually compete in real sports . p.s. make sure you get mass on sunday . RACIST FOOL

HazDanz

johne30 wrote: »

stop talking ****e u ignorant buffoon . what is a rich name ?, they are oviously able sports people to be at the olympics , would you rather send some gaa moron not able to put two words together or even kick a football. Go back to your little parish rivalry's and leave the real sport to the serious athletes who actually compete in real sports . p.s. make sure you get mass on sunday . RACIST FOOL

Just wondering was your post supposed to be posted like this:

"stop talking ****e u ignorant buffoon . what is a rich name ?, they are oviously able sports people to be at the olympics , would you rather send some gaa moron not able to put two words together or even kick a football. Go back to your little parish rivalry's and leave the real sport to the serious athletes who actually compete in real sports . p.s. make sure you get mass on sunday." - RACIST FOOL

J. Marston

johne30 wrote: »

stop talking ****e u ignorant buffoon . what is a rich name ?, they are oviously able sports people to be at the olympics , would you rather send some gaa moron not able to put two words together or even kick a football. Go back to your little parish rivalry's and leave the real sport to the serious athletes who actually compete in real sports . p.s. make sure you get mass on sunday . RACIST FOOL

Richie Rich?

johne30

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Sigh, do you think we'll get any medals at all? Ireland that is

No not really , well maybe one or two bronze in that awful boxing . We just have the wrong mentality for these big events . GAA is runing irish sport because we have the parish attitude and don't support other games . we are content to let our kids play these daft gaa sports with no real rules and some abject violence . and we have no real interest in developing a wide sporting culture . shameful

johne30

HazDanz wrote: »

Just wondering was your post supposed to be posted like this:

"stop talking ****e u ignorant buffoon . what is a rich name ?, they are oviously able sports people to be at the olympics , would you rather send some gaa moron not able to put two words together or even kick a football. Go back to your little parish rivalry's and leave the real sport to the serious athletes who actually compete in real sports . p.s. make sure you get mass on sunday." - RACIST FOOL

yes you like /?

Duckworth_Luas

johne30 wrote: »

stop talking ****e u ignorant buffoon . what is a rich name ?, they are oviously able sports people to be at the olympics , would you rather send some gaa moron not able to put two words together or even kick a football. Go back to your little parish rivalry's and leave the real sport to the serious athletes who actually compete in real sports . p.s. make sure you get mass on sunday . RACIST FOOL

Herp derp!

Guy:Incognito

Happyman42 wrote: »

Potentially any athlete could fail...yes? Just seems hasty to me.
The English rugby team got embarassed having made a video celebrating winning the Grand Slam, except they didn't, we upset their plans in Lansdowne.
Thought they might have learned a lesson from that.

The English rugby team isnt the only ones that do things like that. Every team that goes in to finals etc will have a certain amount of prep work done to deal with things if they win. They generally dont have some guy sitting there printing t-shirts as soon as they win so they have "winners" shirts to parade around in after the match , they are done well in advance. You just dont hear about things most of the time.

cricketfan

johne30 wrote: »

No not really , well maybe one or two bronze in that awful boxing . We just have the wrong mentality for these big events . GAA is runing irish sport because we have the parish attitude and don't support other games . we are content to let our kids play these daft gaa sports with no real rules and some abject violence . and we have no real interest in developing a wide sporting culture . shameful

Don't get me wrong, the GAA has played a prominent roles in many people's lives, particularly in rural areas but it has had a detrimental affect in how other sports here are supported and now ultimately funded. There is still plenty of time for other sports to rise but my doubts are that the GAA have such a stranglehold, they won't want to give that up and in the main the political class wanting to retain their support.

One thing I will say, is that it's stance on other sports historically has been noting short of plain old bigotry. At least it's moving away from those attitudes.

Like to see some GAA enthusiasts come here and defend their sport against the lack of investment for other disciplines.

Anyone

cricketfan wrote: »

Like to see some GAA enthusiasts come here and defend their sport against the lack of investment for other disciplines.

Maybe you and Johne30 could start a thread elsewhere as this is a thread about the Olympics?

cricketfan

Anyone wrote: »

Maybe you and Johne30 could start a thread elsewhere as this is a thread about the Olympics?

Fair enough, my last comment on it. This is why we struggle at each Olympics after Olympics. We will continue to do so, in 2016, 2020 and so on unless we support other sports seriously.

westendgirlie

god 135
nicevery 119
diegomaradonna 114
jesus shaves 103
irish stew 101
mynameisurl 99
tadghSk 98
pherekydes 93
samich 84
sparks 76
mars bar 74
deftlefthand 73
barney92 67
westendgirlie 62
kfallon 44

Ooohhh very close at the top half of the table. Could all change when track and field starts......

opinion guy

What the hell is going on in this thread now ??
Honestly you take a few hours sleep and the thread goes to ****e.


Anyhow.....back on topic - nice heat win by Becky Adlington there

Blisterman

I don't think we do struggle with medals. Our 3 medals at the last Olympics, put us at 29th in the per capita medal rankings, out of over 200 competing nations. That's better than France, Russia, Germany and the United States. Team GB came 27th.

That's actually fairly impressive, seeing as our small size disadvantages us in team sports.

Source:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/08/just-as-england.html

opinion guy

WOW
Mens 100m Fly heat - I thought Phelps was a goner and yet he comes from last to first in the last lap :eek:

Colmustard

I have a complaint,,to much bloody choice, what a great complaint. I am off the opinion that only the BBC should be allowed to cover sport the coverage overall is just excellent. That red button on the sky remote is brilliant, I am watching a great Judo match at the moment.

Colmustard

Blisterman wrote: »

I don't think we do struggle with medals. Our 3 medals at the last Olympics, put us at 29th in the per capita medal rankings, out of over 200 competing nations. That's better than France, Russia, Germany and the United States. Team GB came 27th.

That's actually fairly impressive, seeing as our small size disadvantages us in team sports.

Source:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/08/just-as-england.html

Yes we have a small pool of talent to draw from, but when you look at the figures we do punch above our weight.

I predict Ireland may get 2 golds and a silver at these Olympics, I wont post the events I think we will win out of superstition.

keith16

Disappointing swim from Nocher finishing 7th in her heat.

Colmustard

I am watching the Judo, I am enjoying it but I haven't a clue about the rules.

westendgirlie

Keep the commentary coming guys!

I'm at work and can't watch feeds.