Olympics spoilers

[Jaded]

Well, what a mess in the TaeKwanDo.

[ChrisO]

It's a good illustration of what's wrong with it as an Olympic event.

But they'll never take out the martial arts, because the Asian federations want to win some medals.

It's the politics of sport.

Are they amateur, like the boxers ? I mean in the sense that they could be pros but retain amateur status, not in the sense that there is no professional circuit alternative.

[domesticated ape]

I think we're in agreement an all major points. The reason I think the open water swimming is "purer" than pool swimming is that is very close to what the ancient Greeks might have done themselves. The same is not quite true of, say, the marathon because of the existence of modern running shoes.

The ancient Greeks didn't have Speedos

I thought the open water swimming was a godd addition too, and not just because GB won medals. I reckon that in 2012 they should hold it in Weymouth though instead of at the rowing lake, which is basically an overgrown swimming pool anyway.

[dkahn400]

The ancient Greeks didn't have Speedos

No, they didn't. Nor did they have goggles. Frenchie may contradict me but I don't believe there's as much difference between swimming in speedos and swimming naked as there is between running in Nikes and running naked.

[andygates]

Swimming naked is fun.  But no goggles is not fun.

But that's not why it's purer.  It's not about trying to be ancient, it's about a simple competition.  The 4x100m medley is a fantastic spectacle, but it is pretty contrived.  "You lot, swim over there, first one wins" is an easy idea.

It's like the difference between the sprint and the Madison. 

[dkahn400]

Swimming naked is fun.  But no goggles is not fun.

But that's not why it's purer.  It's not about trying to be ancient, it's about a simple competition.  The 4x100m medley is a fantastic spectacle, but it is pretty contrived.  "You lot, swim over there, first one wins" is an easy idea.

It's like the difference between the sprint and the Madison. 

The open water swim is a form of competition that is both simple and robust. It's also closer to what the Greeks might have done than today's swimming galas in pools. Both these aspects make it a purer form of competition. Aiming for that Greek ideal of competition is not quite the same thing as trying to be an ancient Greek.

[Mr Larrington]

Incidentally, I like Hugh Porter's commentaries but I do wish he'd make a bit more of an effort to get foreign names approximately correct.

Phil Liggett is just as bad, though.  ISTR him pronouncing Andreas Klöden's name three different (and wrong) ways in the course of a single sentence.