Olympocalypse 2016

[Tom]

Where do you stand on boffins designing expensive bits of kit that let cyclists / rowers / swimmers go faster? Not exactly a level playing field if one country uses space-age super-bikes or symbiotic dolphin-skin swimsuits that cost £1million to develop and another gets their gear from Decathlon.

The gains are marginal. You could have a bike with an aero package that allows you to maintain a certain speed using a fraction of a watt less, but that has to be tested in a wind tunnel. So you ban aero bikes and wind tunnels, and a team simply moves their testing into a velodrome and uses averages to decide which bike is better. You can't ban that kind of testing since speed and time are integral to the sport. A lot of gains are made from rider position, training schedules, etc. It all comes down to money - find the most promising athletes, pay them a wage and train them to be the best they can. All you can do to level the playing field is insist that no performance enhancing drugs are used and the equipment conforms to minimum standards. The Olympic ideal is to be the best you can possibly be, so you can't place any constraints on personal training.

At the end of the day, money is very important. And it isn't a waste either, since these gains filter down to anyone interested in sport.

 

[Gwadien]

One thing I'd like to see though is more team games in traditionally solo sports. Such as Tennis and Golf.

If its going to be an international tournament with countries then it should be about the countries performance not just Andy Murray.

 

[Raven]

There are constraints of time to consider, you couldn't have 100 games of tennis at the Olympics to make it into a team event. Everyone has to attain a certain grade/time/win/whatever to compete, a lot of the Olympics happens long before the Olympics start.

 

[Gwadien]

There are constraints of time to consider, you couldn't have 100 games of tennis at the Olympics to make it into a team event. Everyone has to attain a certain grade/time/win/whatever to compete, a lot of the Olympics happens long before the Olympics start.

Them you knock out before the Olympics and then you only have a few nations at event.

 

[DaGaffer]

Them you knock out before the Olympics and then you only have a few nations at event.

Which already happens.

 

[DaGaffer]

I think there's a difference between a country putting money into it and having the capabilities to have some of the elitist engineers, nutritionalists etc and dragging kids away from their parents and forcing them through training at the age of 3 everday.

Sure the Olympics isn't socialist; it picks out the elites of the sporting world and that money could be better invested elsewhere, but a pseudo communist nation is the one who is third on the medal table and that isn't sheer talent.

I don't really understand why people are questioning the Olympics, people here don't seem to question Football, Rugby, cricket etc which are probably a lot less ethical than the Olympics and FIFA is no doubt far more corrupt than the Olympic dudes.

I mean, sure Brazil probably paid off both groups but atleast Brazil is still a far far logical choice over Qatar and the next being in Tokyo is excellent.

Sure some Athletes have an advantage over other Athletes due to our departments involved, but this is like questioning The Great Exhibition - I'd be intrigued to see British exports post Olympics, if we get some money selling our elite bikes to the likes of the Danes for instance then you can justify the investment as an economic argument (Population fitness aside) and perhaps you could go even further and see some tax payers money in there if it comes to it

Logically, China should be top. When we eventually get to a world that's more economically equal, its a fact of life that China (then India) should be top of everything. It doesn't mean they'll win every medal, but the proportions should start to reflect population size. Its actually India's complete disinterest in all international competition apart from Cricket (and weirdly, badminton) that seems to be the biggest outlier in world sport.

 

[Job]

Regardless of your colours, you have to admit that casually brexiting from the EU then cleaning up in the Olympics, puts good old Blighty right up on the world stage.

 

[Gwadien]

Regardless of your colours, you have to admit that casually brexiting from the EU then cleaning up in the Olympics, puts good old Blighty right up on the world stage.

Are you one of those people that think we're doing well due to Brexit too?

I quite like the tables with the EU in it - not necessarily as a political block but as a population comparison to the US.

 

[Gwadien]

This BBC4 presenter in the evening is fantastic.

 

[sayward]

I think they should bring in bull fighting and fox hunting........

 

[Anastasia]

Come on you hockey ladies! Unbelievable, battered for an hour, 3 chances 3 goals. Gold!

 

[Raven]

Should get at least another 2 gold now, maybe 3. just hope China run out of medals too.

 

[Moriath]

I think its shit that they put so much in to the able bodied games that the para lympics are getting fucked.

 

[Job]

Are you one of those people that think we're doing well due to Brexit too?

I quite like the tables with the EU in it - not necessarily as a political block but as a population comparison to the US.

Doing well?
We are doing fine, especially against other EU countries, but my post wasn't about that, though remainers live in a world where money is everything...sell their grandma an all that.
We beat most of the world in the Olympics, a tiny country that stood up to federalism from grass roots, then smashed it on the greatest world stage there is.
The pound is low...probably more like where it should be, the doomsters exist everywhere, read what the Italians think of their economy.

 

[Gwadien]

Doing well?
We are doing fine, especially against other EU countries, but my post wasn't about that, though remainers live in a world where money is everything...sell their grandma an all that.
We beat most of the world in the Olympics, a tiny country that stood up to federalism from grass roots, then smashed it on the greatest world stage there is.
The pound is low...probably more like where it should be, the doomsters exist everywhere, read what the Italians think of their economy.

Ah so you are deluded, I'm pretty sure all our athletes found that extra 10% of effort due to Brexit, am sure, am sure.

I mean, you post about that Egyptian guy refusing to shake that Israelis hand which is bad because politics shouldn't apply to the Olympics then you go and do stuff like this

 

[old.user4556]

I think they should bring in bull fighting and fox hunting........

Or bring in human hunting, seems to be a growing sport in Brazil.

 

[Gumbo]

I'd be intrigued to see British exports post Olympics, if we get some money selling our elite bikes to the likes of the Danes for instance then you can justify the investment as an economic argument (Population fitness aside) and perhaps you could go even further and see some tax payers money in there if it comes to it

Most of our track cyclists were on Colnago bikes. Italian made :/

 

[Raven]

Overall I am pleased, no matter where we finished. Its been tremendously fashionable to bash a bit of national pride over recent months.

 

[Job]

Ah so you are deluded, I'm pretty sure all our athletes found that extra 10% of effort due to Brexit, am sure, am sure.

I mean, you post about that Egyptian guy refusing to shake that Israelis hand which is bad because politics shouldn't apply to the Olympics then you go and do stuff like this

Are you reading my posts, or just replying to yourself.
There is no connection between brexit and Olympic success, it just shows the world we know how to win.

 

[Raven]

The per capita results are quite interesting. China, the so called factory isn't quite as successful as they first appear.

Olympic Medals per Capita

 

[Shagrat]

The per capita results are quite interesting. China, the so called factory isn't quite as successful as they first appear.

Olympic Medals per Capita

India's medal haul is astonishing considering the population of the place.

 

[caLLous]

They don't give much of a shit about 99% of international sport.

 

[Anastasia]

Anyone see the taekwondo? Made me quite emotional watching our man Mohammed being interviewed afterwards.

 

[Shagrat]

Anyone see the taekwondo? Made me quite emotional watching our man Mohammed being interviewed afterwards.

poor guy, to lose it like that must be so painful.

 

[sayward]

The men's relay disqualification was a travesty especially as that let in the Brazil team........

 

[Gwadien]

Are you reading my posts, or just replying to yourself.
There is no connection between brexit and Olympic success, it just shows the world we know how to win.

We beat most of the world in the Olympics, a tiny country that stood up to federalism from grass roots, then smashed it on the greatest world stage there is.

No attempt to link it, what so ever.

 

[Gwadien]

Sir Mohammed Farah

 

[Wij]

Sir Mohammed Farah

Has to be. Phenomenal athlete.

 

[Job]

No attempt to link it, what so ever.

No , you are right, two seperate events.

 

[Hawkwind]

One thing I'd like to see though is more team games in traditionally solo sports. Such as Tennis and Golf.

If its going to be an international tournament with countries then it should be about the countries performance not just Andy Murray.

Wine drive texas 4 ball would be awsome!