Tokyo Olympics - The Actual Sport

[diggedy derek]

I absolutely loved Kye White cheering Beth Shriever on. He seemed to be more chuffed for her than his own silver.

The BBC 'colour' commentator spent at least 80% of their time simply shouting "come on Beth!!!!". I hate that sort of commentary

I like this mixed relay stuff a lot.

[ad hoc]

The mixed relay allowed for experimentation with the order, but sadly the only team to go down this route were Nigeria, who had a man run the third leg (up against all women as every other team ran MWWM), and race into a reasonable lead, but the woman on the anchor leg got disappointingly hauled back by all the other teams. I guess it makes sense to go with the majority as that way you get the benefit of running with other athletes and them spurring you on in some way

[Janik]

Isn’t the order of the strokes fixed in a medley relay? It is probably that, i.e. where the time differential between male and female performance is the least, rather than tactics that defines the gender order.
Given the times from individual events it is pretty well a given that any woman swimming against mostly men is going to get hauled back. The winner of the Women’s 100m free would have finished dead last in 6 of the 9 men’s first round heats, and only just touched out for second last in heat 3 (she would have won heats 1 & 2, mind. The heat order was interesting with all the Eric the Eels du nos jours going against each other... but with still no chance of progress as that was on time alone).

[ursus arctos]

In swimming, yes

Though the stroke order for the individual medley is different from the relay in order to accommodate the entry of new swimmers

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

It's only just occurred to me that we're going to be spared the sight of a British athlete distraught at narrowly missing out on a bronze having a microphone shoved in their face straight after the race and someone shouting "congratulations you PB'd!! How are you feeling?"

Have to correct this, now I've seen some of the Athletics coverage they are indeed doing immediate post-race interviews (I assumed that would be off limits).

[Ray de Galles]

The BBC 'colour' commentator spent at least 80% of their time simply shouting "come on Beth!!!!". I hate that sort of commentary

That was Shanaze Reade, former GB Olympic BMX and Track cyclist. She only retired (for a second time and reluctantly) in the last couple of years and I would imagine is pretty close to Shriever and Whyte so her excitement was understandable if a little annoying.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

The BBC 'colour' commentator spent at least 80% of their time simply shouting "come on Beth!!!!". I hate that sort of commentary

I like this mixed relay stuff a lot.

That's not quite true, she spent at least 33% of it shouting "all the way". Though to be honest on this occasion I didn't mind.

[Hot Pepsi]

I thought it was back-butter-breast-free.
I remember that from my time in age-group swimming for the mighty Science Park Recreation Association.

[ursus arctos]

Individual: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle

Relay: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle (it being hard for the Backstroke swimmer to get into the water other than first)

[Janik]

In swimming, yes

I hadn’t clocked that they are doing mixed relays in the Athletics now. In fact I had barely registered that the Athletics had started. Presumably ad hoc was talking about that. Though the same observation about the time differential between male and female performance does apply to 400m running. Quite stark there as well.

[Satchmo Distel]

Djokovic still has to play the bronze medal matches in singles and mixed doubles. Croatia won gold and silver in men's doubles. I hadn't realized they were so big in this event.

[Janik]

Croatia have lots of top men’s doubles players. Including the current world no.1 pair. Who took the gold off the back of winning Wimbledon a few weeks ago.

[ad hoc]

Presumably ad hoc was talking about that.

Yes, hence the repetition of the verb "run" rather than "swim"

[Janik]

The last five minutes of the Belgium-Britain mens hockey game turned into Austria-West Germany ‘82. For some reason the BBC has opted to show the entire last quarter.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

I thought it was back-butter-breast-free.

Not going to lie but this confused the hell out of me until I twigged what you were talking about.

[Sam]

Individual: Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle

Relay: Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle (it being hard for the Backstroke swimmer to get into the water other than first)

The Olympics are supposed to be the pinnacle of the sport (apart from men's skateboarding, as discussed upthread), which is why they should oblige the backstrokers to dive backwards into the pool. That's the real test of skill.

[Simon G]

I've been thinking about the football in the Olympics and I think it would be much improved if they brought in 5-a-side for the men's at least. Proper rules as well:

Ball not allowed over head height
Only goalkeepers allowed in the areas
Ref on the side showing barely any interest

As with Rugby 7s, it could be done in a couple of days as well due to shorter matches.

[Ray de Galles]

There is 5 a side football for athletes with visual impairment in the Paralympics and it works very well. the competition lasts about a week.

[multipleman78]

I've been thinking about the football in the Olympics and I think it would be much improved if they brought in 5-a-side for the men's at least. Proper rules as well:

Ball not allowed over head height
Only goalkeepers allowed in the areas
Ref on the side showing barely any interest

As with Rugby 7s, it could be done in a couple of days as well due to shorter matches.

If they allowed the best players from Glasgow to play in 5-a-sides at the Olympics, their opponents would soon find out that our 5-a-sides is more like ice hockey/rugby than football.

Full checks against the boards are regularly met with the referee calling out, "shoulder to shoulder, play on," as you try to catch a breath through your shattered ribs.

If you get away from the boards and try and play with your back to goal, the opponents don't sit off and try and read what you might do. Any ball into feet is seen as a test of manliness and must be met with shirt pulling, knees up the arse and stamps down the achilles.

I presume that 5-a-side footy in the rest of the world is more cultured but will be happy to learn that it is just as brutal everywhere.

[Simon G]

It's very much the same down here in Gloucestershire.

[Ray de Galles]

This Triathlon Relay already seems pretty compelling, I remember it being enjoyable at the last two Commonwealths.

[ursus arctos]

Massive run from Brownlee

[ursus arctos]

Luis may have blown up with a huge turn in the bike

[Gangster Octopus]

I enjoyed that.

[ursus arctos]

Brilliant event