Author Topic: The Rio Olympics.  (Read 41472 times)

Wowbagger

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Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #50 on: 09 August, 2016, 04:12:11 pm »
My efforts at achieving something resembling front crawl invariably ended with me writhing around with my toes in a knot of cramp.

Besides, I like stroking breasts.
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Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #51 on: 09 August, 2016, 04:36:37 pm »
The fastest way to swim is the underwater "dolphin kick"; it is even faster than than front crawl but the rules limit how much it can be used.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #52 on: 09 August, 2016, 05:11:33 pm »
I once likened my swimming to something like a house brick crossed with an egg-whisk on speed
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #53 on: 09 August, 2016, 06:21:14 pm »
Quote from: BBC radio bod
She was expelled from school for fighting with boys until she found judo...
Quote from: Dez
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Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #54 on: 09 August, 2016, 07:08:50 pm »
Yebbut none of that addresses Lee's point, which is that whereas athletics simply has "run this distance as fast as you can", swimming has "swim this distance using your arms and legs in a certain way". The running equivalent of swimming events could be "the 100m with your arms by your sides", "the 200m with your arms above your head", "the 400m on tip toes", "the 800m starting on the left foot", etc.
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Jaded

  • The Codfather
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Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #55 on: 09 August, 2016, 07:15:48 pm »
Running 100m backwards.

Swimming is weird.

One bloke has 19 Gold Medals in four Olympic Games. He could have got more, he got a few bronzes and silvers.

Another has 5 Gold Medals in 5 games. He couldn't possibly have got any more.
It is simpler than it looks.

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #56 on: 09 August, 2016, 07:28:17 pm »
Dear British spectators. Plz to be having your Union flags/jacks teh right way up. Kthxbai.
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mattc

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Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #57 on: 09 August, 2016, 07:29:02 pm »
Running 100m backwards.

Swimming is weird.

One bloke has 19 Gold Medals in four Olympic Games. He could have got more, he got a few bronzes and silvers.

Another has 5 Gold Medals in 5 games. He couldn't possibly have got any more.
... is true, but would be true without swimming. e.g. the track sprinters can often grab 4+ medals (1/200 or 2/400, plus a relay-or-two, plus the long jump and/or hurdles).

It does seem harsh, but these inequalities will always crop-up.(Unless you impose a 1-medal-max rule ... )

(although I do find the gymnastics all-rounder contest a bit over-the-top )
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ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #58 on: 09 August, 2016, 10:25:22 pm »
Yebbut none of that addresses Lee's point, which is that whereas athletics simply has "run this distance as fast as you can", swimming has "swim this distance using your arms and legs in a certain way". The running equivalent of swimming events could be "the 100m with your arms by your sides", "the 200m with your arms above your head", "the 400m on tip toes", "the 800m starting on the left foot", etc.

Yebbut surely there's only really one way of running, one foot in front of the other as fast as you can to get to the end of the race? Unless you want three legged races.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Ruthie

  • Her Majester
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #59 on: 09 August, 2016, 10:27:09 pm »
The algae in the diving pool made the diving even much more entertaining. 
Milk please, no sugar.

LEE

  • "Shut Up Jens" - Legs.
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #60 on: 09 August, 2016, 10:35:15 pm »
I'm just as fast doing sidestroke as I am doing crawl - and I can do sidestroke as quick as many people can crawl. I think the only time I tried doing butterfly I actually went backwards.

The fastest, and the most efficient, stroke is front-crawl.  That's why it's used in "Freestyle" by every single swimmer.
All the other strokes are basically swimming with a handicap.  The awards for those events are basically "The fastest at the slow swimming".

The 50km walk can be run much faster and, since every walker cheats, and runs occasionally, it's fecking pointless.  It should be the 50km Freestyle (walk if you want to and meet us in the cafe when you get in).

You may be able to do "sidestroke" as quickly as others can do front crawl but that basically means they aren't very good at front crawl.
Some people say I'm self-obsessed but that's enough about them.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #61 on: 09 August, 2016, 10:42:17 pm »
Why not just make the marathon 50km?

There is an international ultra championship btw.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #62 on: 10 August, 2016, 09:17:22 am »
Rio Olympics: Why are there so many empty seats?

For some reason this story is available only in the UK:

Quote
The BBC's Wyre Davies looks at why there are so many empty seats at Rio 2016.
Available to UK users only.

So if you are in a foreign land what should you not be told?

(Make it up if you like, I won't know.  The most imaginative answer gets a Star Prize!)
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LEE

  • "Shut Up Jens" - Legs.
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #63 on: 10 August, 2016, 10:18:40 am »
Michael Phelps just won his 19th (NINETEENTH) Olympic Gold Medal (23 medals in all).

I don't want to jump to any conclusions but I reckon he's, potentially, a good swimmer.

I would suggest that he has little potential left!

You were wrong.. he had potential for another 2 Gold medals so he still had more potential than any British swimmer.

21 Golds and counting.
Some people say I'm self-obsessed but that's enough about them.

Mr Larrington

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Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #64 on: 10 August, 2016, 10:29:29 am »
Not empty seats, just spectators in fancy dress.  Odd that so many of them should be wearing the same costume, but hey.
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LEE

  • "Shut Up Jens" - Legs.
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #65 on: 10 August, 2016, 02:14:09 pm »
Watched the Gymnastics yesterday.  It's incredible.

The women now do more complex "tumbling" routines on the (3.9") Beam than Olga Korbut did on the floor.
Some people say I'm self-obsessed but that's enough about them.

LEE

  • "Shut Up Jens" - Legs.
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #66 on: 10 August, 2016, 02:22:52 pm »
Yebbut none of that addresses Lee's point, which is that whereas athletics simply has "run this distance as fast as you can", swimming has "swim this distance using your arms and legs in a certain way". The running equivalent of swimming events could be "the 100m with your arms by your sides", "the 200m with your arms above your head", "the 400m on tip toes", "the 800m starting on the left foot", etc.

Yebbut surely there's only really one way of running, one foot in front of the other as fast as you can to get to the end of the race? Unless you want three legged races.

Yes, but only in the same way there's only really one way of swimming, front-crawl, one arm in front of the other. 
All other types of swimming are designed to slow the competitors down.

Walking is the running equivalent of Breast-stroke.
The 50km walk is actually a silly running event, reverting to silly walking only when judges are in the viscinity. 
EVERY top competitor in the 50km walk "cheats" so they may as well scrap it or make it "freestyle". It's only 5 miles (25 mins) further than the Marathon.
Some people say I'm self-obsessed but that's enough about them.

Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #67 on: 10 August, 2016, 05:56:35 pm »
The algae in the diving pool made the diving even much more entertaining.

Lord Percy Percy:  That's not algae, that's a pool full of purest Green.
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Mr Larrington

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Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #68 on: 10 August, 2016, 07:50:25 pm »
Hurrah for BRITAIN's J Clarke, who has just pwned all teh FOREIGNS in the Chaps K1 slalom :thumbsup:
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Mr Larrington

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Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #69 on: 10 August, 2016, 09:15:46 pm »
I keep hearing the BRITISH contenders in the 3m springboard diving as "Laura Mears", which is an odd moniker for a pair of Chaps.  But it doesn't matter because they just pwned teh FOREIGNS for the Win :thumbsup:
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Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #70 on: 10 August, 2016, 09:41:24 pm »
Whilst all the media attention has been on Tom Daley, Jack and Chris have been quietly building to a gold medal.
IIRC Jack Laugher did quite well in last years World  Series Championships , which was almost unnoticed except in the small print of  some sports pages and the front page of our local rag.

My tenuous claim to fame here-Jack Laugher went to same school as my kids and  I once saw him shopping in the local Sainsbury's with his mum.

Eccentrica Gallumbits

  • Rock 'n' roll and brew, rock 'n' roll and brew...
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #71 on: 10 August, 2016, 09:54:12 pm »
I didn't recognise most of the forrin divers; I think some of them are relatively young and inexperienced. Messrs Laugher and Mears, however, have been around a while and have got better and better.

GB: best at jumping in the water together.  :thumbsup:
My feminist marxist dialectic brings all the boys to the yard.


simonp

Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #72 on: 10 August, 2016, 10:01:19 pm »
Apparently they were very good. I can spot a really bad dive but struggle to tell the good from the very good. This is why I'm not a diving judge.

I thought the Mexican pair were badly treated. The light coming on just as they started their move up the board could have distracted them.

Eccentrica Gallumbits

  • Rock 'n' roll and brew, rock 'n' roll and brew...
Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #73 on: 10 August, 2016, 10:27:05 pm »
Yeah, they should have had a redive for that.
My feminist marxist dialectic brings all the boys to the yard.


Re: The Rio Olympics.
« Reply #74 on: 11 August, 2016, 08:09:56 am »
Hurrah for BRITAIN's J Clarke, who has just pwned all teh FOREIGNS in the Chaps K1 slalom :thumbsup:
That should get more thumbs up. K1 slalom is immensely difficult, requiring huge fitness, skill and focus. The UK has some truly great training courses now (middlesborough of all places has a terrific course)
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