Summer Olympics 2020/1

[easysurfer]

She's a distance swimmer. It would be like Usain Bolt trying to run the steeplechase (well, the reverse of that).

Yeah, that is true. She's naturally a distance swimmer.

Happy she got gold in the 1500M.

 

[MichaelB]

My favorite Olympic moment so far is the Woman’s individual road race. It’s 137 km, and the projected, expected, and most hyped competitor was Annemiek van Vleuten of the Dutch team. In fact, when van Vleuten crossed the finish line she raised her arms in victory, thinking she had won, and her teammates joined her in celebration.

Only to be informed that Austrian cyclist Anna Kiesenhofer crossed the finish line 1 minute 15 seconds earlier. She was so far ahead that the other racers didn’t see her finish and, and since she burst out at the start of the race and never looked back, they lost sight and soon completely forgot about her.

Anna Kiesenhofer is a PhD mathematician who had no coach or contract, managed her own training, and didn’t have a team, which all the major competitors do have. More on this story here https://apnews.com/article/2020-tok...olympic-team-4b80096526a4273048ce3ba28a3b5007

 

[Gremlin]

I'm wondering if they'll rethink their approach of essentially anointing the winners ahead of time. They've had problems in the past where the expected successes aren't the most memorable ones. And this year in one sport (won't mention it now to avoid spoiling it for those who haven't seen the news yet) it has really turned out poorly.

I'd rather they just say something like "Watch the Olympics to see who wins"

(To be fair, they have guessed right sometimes, like Phelps' 8 gold medals in Beijing.)

My favorite Olympic moment so far is the Woman’s individual road race. It’s 137 km, and the projected, expected, and most hyped competitor was Annemiek van Vleuten of the Dutch team. In fact, when van Vleuten crossed the finish line she raised her arms in victory, thinking she had won, and her teammates joined her in celebration.

Only to be informed that Austrian cyclist Anna Kiesenhofer crossed the finish line 1 minute 15 seconds earlier. She was so far ahead that the other racers didn’t see her finish and, and since she burst out at the start of the race and never looked back, they lost sight and soon completely forgot about her.

Anna Kiesenhofer is a PhD mathematician who had no coach or contract, managed her own training, and didn’t have a team, which all the major competitors do have. More on this story here https://apnews.com/article/2020-tok...olympic-team-4b80096526a4273048ce3ba28a3b5007

Somehow I’d missed this. Thanks for the link. What a great story. The fact she had no team, no coach, managed her own training and nutritionist makes the story that much sweeter.

 

[snowboarder]

I'm a mountain biker so I enjoyed those races. The course was really tough and challenging. I also like the Rugby 7's. Games are 2x7 minute halves and 7 players on each team. It goes by fast. Looking forward to the new Olympic sport of speed climbing.

 

[eytonxav]

Bold by me.

You do realize that most of the athletes in the high profile sports ARE pro's, don't you? Basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc. These athletes are all paid fairly well, either by direct compensation or by endorsements. Heck, the women's soccer team is in court right now suing for comparable pay to the men.

And, with the recent supreme court ruling against the NCAA, college athletes are not far behind.

Not commenting about whether this is "right" or "wrong", just saying this IS where we are at.

Yes, I know that, but some of those sports also have true amateurs competing as well. This allowance to allow pros to join the ranks was due to several countries who had full time paid athletes competing in the olympics. The Russian hockey teams of yesteryear are probably behind the change to allow pros to compete. Nevertheless, they are not paid by the US Olympic Committee to do so.

 

[RunningBum]

Actually, the USOC does pay for medals earned, plus it seems they pay some athletes a living wage.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/olympics/do-olympic-athletes-get-paid/ar-AAMtqEV

 

[eytonxav]

Actually, the USOC does pay for medals earned, plus it seems they pay some athletes a living wage.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/olympics/do-olympic-athletes-get-paid/ar-AAMtqEV

Interesting, I had no idea they paid for medals.

 

[CardsFan]

Yes, I know that, but some of those sports also have true amateurs competing as well. This allowance to allow pros to join the ranks was due to several countries who had full time paid athletes competing in the olympics. The Russian hockey teams of yesteryear are probably behind the change to allow pros to compete. Nevertheless, they are not paid by the US Olympic Committee to do so.

I agree, and will back off. I feel sorry for the ones that try year after year, don't make the team, and have to foot their own bills.

A childhood friend of mine actually went on to win a bronze medal in gymnastics in 1976. At that time, they were truly amateurs. He worked his tail off. His parents footed all the costs for training. As we got older, into junior high and high school, we lost touch with one another. He was focused on his gymnastics and I on academics.

 

[stepford]

I'm a mountain biker so I enjoyed those races. The course was really tough and challenging...

Both the men's and women's MTB races had moments of high drama that made for great viewing (and re-viewing).

In the men's there was favorite Mathieu Van der Poel's tragic mistake of assuming the practice ramp remained on a big drop. Watch the replay and you can clearly see him push down into the drop as if there was still a ramp there while all the other competitors launch properly.

In the women's race there was Jolanda Neff forced into a near disastrous low speed drop - which she held on, rode through and won. Also a great moment to watch on replay. (Sorry, can't seem to embed just the video, but here's an article with the clip).

I agree Anna Kiesenhofer's road win was inspiring, but the MTB races were much more exciting to watch.

 

[Rocky mtn high]

ZERO interest. Have stopped watching almost all sports. Too much political stuff in sports for me..

 

[finnski1]

My favorite Olympic moment so far is the Woman’s individual road race. It’s 137 km, and the projected, expected, and most hyped competitor was Annemiek van Vleuten of the Dutch team. In fact, when van Vleuten crossed the finish line she raised her arms in victory, thinking she had won, and her teammates joined her in celebration.

Only to be informed that Austrian cyclist Anna Kiesenhofer crossed the finish line 1 minute 15 seconds earlier. She was so far ahead that the other racers didn’t see her finish and, and since she burst out at the start of the race and never looked back, they lost sight and soon completely forgot about her.

Anna Kiesenhofer is a PhD mathematician who had no coach or contract, managed her own training, and didn’t have a team, which all the major competitors do have. More on this story here https://apnews.com/article/2020-tok...olympic-team-4b80096526a4273048ce3ba28a3b5007

Wow that is an awesome story. Would loved top have watched it unfold. Thanks for that.

 

[easysurfer]

Simone Biles withdrawing not from being sad or depressed by scared of crash and burning from the "twisties". Both scary and fascinating.

She said in morning practice that she had a little bit of the twisties. The twisties are a mysterious phenomenon -- suddenly a gymnast is no longer able to do a twisting skill she's done thousands of times before. Your body just won't cooperate, your brain loses track of where you are in the air. You find out where the ground is when you slam into it.

Swiss gymnast Giulia Steingruber got the twisties in 2014. "When I wanted to twist, especially on vault ... I had no feeling where I am. I was really scared," Steingruber said in a 2016 documentary. "It was quite tough for me, because I didn't understand why it came, and I couldn't stop it. It was just strange for me, and it was horrible. The feeling was really horrible."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/us/simone-biles-olympics-gymnastics-physical-mental-health/index.html

 

[kgtest]

The olympic sports that always put me in awe... High Dive, Gymnastics freestyle, and Figure Skating Solo. Close second is the beach volleyball and alpine.

They really should bring back croquet... and Town Planning? Who would have thought it made an appearance as a sport in 2 Olympic Games.

 

[tmm99]

Simone Biles withdrawing not from being sad or depressed by scared of crash and burning from the "twisties". Both scary and fascinating.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/28/us/simone-biles-olympics-gymnastics-physical-mental-health/index.html

Thank you for the link. I'm glad she stopped when she couldn't trust her "air sense" any longer. People get paralyzed doing the kind of stuff they do.

 

[easysurfer]

Just watched the women's swimming 4 x 200 relay. Exciting. Katie Ledecky had the anchor position and almost pulled it off coming from behind from 3rd place. Short by 1/2 second and USA had to settle for silver.

 

[Sunset]

Just watched the women's swimming 4 x 200 relay. Exciting. Katie Ledecky had the anchor position and almost pulled it off coming from behind from 3rd place. Short by 1/2 second and USA had to settle for silver.

yes that was great of her, had it been 1 more length I think she would have captured the gold at the rate she was catching up

 

[easysurfer]

yes that was great of her, had it been 1 more length I think she would have captured the gold at the rate she was catching up

Yeah. I thought she was going to catch up. But the swimmer from China didn't fade the final 25 meters.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Thank you for the link. I'm glad she stopped when she couldn't trust her "air sense" any longer. People get paralyzed doing the kind of stuff they do.

It all seems odd to me. Why didn't she bring this up initially instead of the tearful "mental" issues she said she was struggling with? I understand she (and the others) are under a great deal of stress but it seems like the story keeps changing.

 

[ERD50]

It all seems odd to me. Why didn't she bring this up initially instead of the tearful "mental" issues she said she was struggling with? I understand she (and the others) are under a great deal of stress but it seems like the story keeps changing.

Haven't followed the whole story, but can't "air sense" be thought of as a mental thing?

I had a brief case of vertigo from an inner ear problem, and it was scary mentally - am I going to just fall down? Can I drive to the doctor? It was very unsettling.

So it is physical in nature, but affected me mentally.

-ERD50

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Haven't followed the whole story, but can't "air sense" be thought of as a mental thing?

I had a brief case of vertigo from an inner ear problem, and it was scary mentally - am I going to just fall down? Can I drive to the doctor? It was very unsettling.

So it is physical in nature, but affected me mentally.

-ERD50

Perhaps and admittedly, I don't know...especially in Simone's case. This could very well be a case of the media's incessant "BREAKING NEWS!!!" mantra where they get out something in the news, never mind if it's accurate or not.

I agree on the vertigo. I had it a couple of times last year (or the year prior?) and it's very unsettling.

 

[SecondCor521]

I've been trying to enjoy the Olympics and having a bit of a hard time, and I think I've figured out why: I feel like they're telling me what to think instead of just sharing what happened. It's predictive "analysis" rather than reporting.

For example, the story was supposed to be about Simone Biles the GOAT and how she was going to lead the USA to team gold and win the individual all around by a mile. The story was supposed to be about the Australian women crushing the world record and winning the 4x200 free relay. The story was supposed to be about that American skateboarder winning gold.

The real stories which have emerged are just as exciting. Maybe even more so because they're unscripted and unexpected. Jakoby's win in the 100 breast. USA gymnastics team silver (I think Miss Biles is the GOAT, in part because of what she did at the Tokyo Olympics, not in spite of what she did). The Chinese 4x200 free relay gold.

I think reporting on emerging stories was more prevalent when I was younger. I think there are reasons for the changing style that I understand but still dislike.

 

[Sue J]

I’ve been watching a few of the events. I’m always in awe of what these athletes can do.

I wish the coverage would include not just who NBC thinks is going to win but more athletes from more countries. It was one of the gymnastic events and they only showed the ROC and the USA teams. There must have been other teams involved but we never saw them.

I have DirecTV and there are 5 channels with Olympic coverage during some part of the day. You would think they could cover this better.

But overall, I’m enjoying the games.

 

[easysurfer]

It all seems odd to me. Why didn't she bring this up initially instead of the tearful "mental" issues she said she was struggling with? I understand she (and the others) are under a great deal of stress but it seems like the story keeps changing.

I have my own theory. Not a "why didn't she ..." theory as I give her the benefit of the doubt. My theory is because of no family and fans in attendance, to drown out her thoughts and let her perform in a zone at a subconscious level, the silence is probably deafening.

So, instead of just performing she's probably over thinking every move. Kind of like if you are on a roll in bowling. Then you start over thinking mechanics and then don't know what way the arm swing and mind aligns.

Or another explanation might be she suffers, in baseball terms, from the YIPs. Remember Steve Sax, infielder. At one point he had great defense, then had a mental block and couldn't accurately make a throw to 1st base. Same with Pitcher Jon Lester. He could make an accurate toss to the plate, but mentally can't throw to the infield. The Yips .

Must admit, must be the worst timing for Simone to suddenly have the mind/body not seeing straight together.

 

[snowboarder]

I’ve been watching a few of the events. I’m always in awe of what these athletes can do.

I wish the coverage would include not just who NBC thinks is going to win but more athletes from more countries. It was one of the gymnastic events and they only showed the ROC and the USA teams. There must have been other teams involved but we never saw them.

I have DirecTV and there are 5 channels with Olympic coverage during some part of the day. You would think they could cover this better.

But overall, I’m enjoying the games.

Simone Biles is getting spoiled now that her face is on every other TV commercial. I really enjoyed reading about this lady: Oksana Chusovitina 46 years old and still doing flips. Stories like these are more interesting than Simone's state of mind:


https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ol...st-competes-in-her-eighth-olympics/ar-AAMzqE2

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

...

I wish the coverage would include not just who NBC thinks is going to win but more athletes from more countries. It was one of the gymnastic events and they only showed the ROC and the USA teams. There must have been other teams involved but we never saw them.

This is my general complaint about broadcast sports: the commentary. I loathe it and don't really care about their opinions. I recall a couple years ago that an NFL game I was watching had audio issue where the commentators were silent. You only heard the crowd and the players and it was FABULOUS!

I am not a big sports fan but I would pay extra to be able to listen to the game/event without these blowhard's incessant opinions.