Beijing Olympic Games 2008 Thread

[Larry]

bit of a quiet day today just 1 silver and 3 bronze medals won just had a look at the latest medal table on the BBC site and with the gauaranteed 3 medals to come from the boxing we have now hit the 40 medal mark..

[Captain Tancredi]

Yeah, not sure what to make of that one. I don't really agree with the habit we have of waiving our rules when it suits us. The GB rules are that anyone banned for doping offences (not failing a drugs test, but a violation of policy in any way) receives a lifetime Olympic ban. She missed 3 tests in 18 months... because it clashed with her training. To me that's very suspect. Athletes should know that if you are asked for a sample you drop everything and go. Maybe I'm too harsh, but I can only see one genuine reason to repeatedly miss tests.

Two if you're Rio Ferdinand (minus the "repeatedly", naturellement).

Far be it from me to suggest that in practice there might be one rule for a 24-year-old up-and-coming athlete with the potential to be an icon at London 2012 and another for someone coming to the end of their career- the legal worth of Chambers's argument was never tested in court, remember, his application to the courts was thrown out because the issues couldn't be worked through in the time available. We seem to have more stringent rules than other countries, and the IOC seem only to become concerned when the cheating actually takes place at the Olympics themselves, and it's the inconsistency which causes the trouble. I suppose in Ohuruogu's case you could argue that it was a technical offence rather than actual cheating, but where was she training that they couldn't do a test? I suppose all we can do for the moment is cross our fingers and hope that she's learned her lesson and stays on the right side of the rules.

[Milky Tears]

Davies would've won that 10K marathon if he'd stayed in a straight line (and wasn't delerious/knackered with 800m to go). Superb effort from the Welshman.

Those 10K swims are great to watch.

Currently perving on Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh v China in the Beach Volleyball final. It's wet out there!



If it's good enough for Bush!

Need to keep a close eye on that medal table.The Russians are coming!

ETA: USA retain their title.

[WhiteCrow]

I suppose in Ohuruogu's case you could argue that it was a technical offence rather than actual cheating.

Drugs tests are part of the modern sport - you don't miss 3 in 18 months unless you've got something to hide.

[Dave Tudor]

Don't talk to me about the Olympics! What are BBC playing at? I used to get News every morning with my breakfast - you know, financial news, local news, traffic news... useful stuff. What was on this morning? Bloody SAILING. Sailing ships move very slowly. Sometimes hardly at all. What tool had the idea of TELEVISING it, let alone putting it on instead of the morning news! Grrrraaaargggh!

But Adrian Chiles is a legend! He's right up there with Turnbull!

And I'm surely not the only man who's enjoyed waking up with Hazel Irvine every morning for the past two weeks.... am I.......?

[SiHart]

Si, you can catch proper BBC Breakfast on the BBC news channel.

I've seen some of the olympics this year for the first time since i was a kid. It was quite good. We're doing well, aren't we, which makes a nice change!

Si xx

[Kaybee Bailey]

So, is anyone daring to watch the modern pentathlon? I actually like this sport... it's an interesting and challenging combination. But the men are doing their showjumping phase, in which they pick a horse from several provided by the International Jockey Club, and try to jump a course. Now, the fences are up to 1.2m, so not small but really not that difficult if you have some experience. But so far I've seen numerous falls, horses rearing left, right and centre, and one bloke manage to fly three fences, knock all of them down, push the horse on until it tripped, fell on him, rolled, and finally kicked him in the face. He's a lucky man... that's how people get paralysed. Either these horses aren't capable of jumping at this level, or we should be questioning the practise of teaching triathlon competitors to ride, shoot and fence so that they can do this event, because it's terrifying to watch and it appears that both horses and riders are at risk. Not a great advert for the Olympics I'm afraid.

On the positive side... our modern pentathlon team are strong, particularly the women, so hopefully we'll do better in their event tomorrow.

[Milky Tears]

They're dropping like flies in the 4x100m relays. Both US teams are out and GB men disqualified!

Idowu looking good for a medal in the Triple Jump final.

ETA: GB women are still in there.

Jamaica looking good for gold in both 100m relays, but we need to watch the Russians. They're gunning for GB on that medal table. Probably need another three or four golds over the last few days to hold them off.*




* that would be crazy talk at any time in the last sixty years...

I'm off to watch that Beach Volleyball final replay on interactive.

[Dirk Gently]

Idowu looking good for a medal in the Triple Jump final.

Well he got silver in the end. His last jump was awful to watch.

[WhiteCrow]

Something to ponder - the Olympic tables,

(a) if we competed as the European Union



(b) if we competed as the British Empire

[Dirk Gently]

We also owned America before they got above themselves.

[WhiteCrow]

Been reading the BBC coverage of the drugs cheats - I'd like to see Blondska stripped of more than her medal!

He he he ...

[Captain Tancredi]

So, is anyone daring to watch the modern pentathlon?

You can't beat a really barmy local triathlon, like they have in one place I visited in New Zealand. First you cycle all the way around the local lake (about 10 miles long). Then you swim from one end to the other. Then you run back to your starting point (and these being Kiwis, they don't dry off in between events...). I was reliably informed it was a major local event, generally entered by 18-year-olds as a rite of passage and 40-year-old men who want to prove that they've still got it.

[WhiteCrow]

You can't beat a really barmy local triathlon, like they have in one place I visited in New Zealand. First you cycle all the way around the local lake (about 10 miles long). Then you swim from one end to the other. Then you run back to your starting point (and these being Kiwis, they don't dry off in between events...). I was reliably informed it was a major local event, generally entered by 18-year-olds as a rite of passage and 40-year-old men who want to prove that they've still got it.

Theres a girl at work who does Triathlon, I keep saying if she tells me when, I'll go along and support her. Anything to see her in a swim suit.

Mind you she did send me a picture of herself winning a silver medal in a rowing championship for Team GB (but not in the Olympics) ...

http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/De...2|0&id=2449805

[Milky Tears]

How many times is Shanaze Reade going to fall off her bike this week? That's twice now!!


I'll mostly be watching the Modern Pentathlon:

[Larry]

They're dropping like flies in the 4x100m relays. Both US teams are out

most hilarious thing in the games so far but team GB notched up our 18th gold medal with Tim Brabants winning gold in the 1000m K1.

plus we are now gauaranteed a silver from the the boxing.

[Larry]

I'll mostly be watching the Modern Pentathlon:

I can't honestly think why...

[Dirk Gently]

How many times is Shanaze Reade going to fall off her bike this week? That's twice now!!


I'll mostly be watching the Modern Pentathlon:

Didn't Shanaze Reade fall the second time in the final? Isn't that her one & only chance for medal?

And I did see the running from the pentathlon. Heather Fell bounced over the line in silver. Nice run.

[Milky Tears]

Didn't Shanaze Reade fall the second time in the final? Isn't that her one & only chance for medal?

Reade completed her hat-trick of falls on the final bend of the final final. At least she posted the fastest time at the Olympics (her final run in the semi) and is still the World BMX Champion.


Well done to Belgium on their women's 4x100m relay silver medal. They've had some decent athletics performances this week. GB and Jamaica p*ssed away their medals when the batons vanished!

THE RUSSIANS ARE STILL COMING!!

Will the Jamaican men manage to get the baton round?

[Milky Tears]

Jamaican men easily manage to get the baton round and smash the world record!

37.10!!

[Larry]

Jamaican men easily manage to get the baton round and smash the world record!

37.10!!

and our bloody woman 4x100m team not wanting to be out down by the clowns yesterday also dropped the batton in todays final.

[Ralph]

That Russian synchronised swimming well deserved perfect marks - it was amazing!

[stuartdg]

Controversy in the Taekwando but a very deserved bronze all the same

[Dirk Gently]

That Russian synchronised swimming well deserved perfect marks - it was amazing!

Totally agree. The pairs were brilliant but the team were just as good.

[Milky Tears]

Britain's bit of the closing ceremony sounds cool and awesome.

CONTAINS CLOSING CEREMONY SPOILERS!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/au....olympics20082


Page was spurting all over Leona Lewis on BBC1 earlier.