Monday Olympic Snippets
Yes, TS has become a part-time Olympics blog.
There’s a million great stories and side-stories at the Olympic games. I love every one of them. As the coverage we get here is from an Australian perspective, please feel free to add your country’s snippets in comments.
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Libby Trickett won the expected Gold Medal in the 100m Butterfly today, with another Aussie coming in third - Jess Schipper. I didn’t see the race, but from what I’ve heard, Schipper looked a little shaken up.
Apparently this was due to her swimsuit bursting a seam as they were in the marshalling area just before the race, so someone had to scamper off and get her another suit just before she swam.
Those suits are super-tight and can take up to 15 minutes to squeeze into.
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I’d love to know exactly how many police and soldiers were placed alongside the road cycling route yesterday (the women’s race).
I’d also love to know why some of the side-roads weren’t barricaded, or why there were very few sign posts showing which way to go when there was a fork in the road. I saw at least one Eastern European rider come very close to taking an incorrect route, and not one of the soldiers/police/guards lifted a hand to wave her in the right direction.
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Michael Phelps’ dream of (two thousand and) eight gold medals is still alive after the US 4×100m relay team won gold.
With the rate that world records are tumbling, though, I think someone ought to call a surveyor and verify that the pool is actually 50 meters in length. The Americans broke the world 4×100m relay record by a massive four seconds!
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It’s not often that an athlete finishes an event with a world record to his name but doesn’t win gold.
In that 4×100m freestyle relay that was won by the US, Aussie Eamon Sullivan swam first for Australia and set a new 100m freestyle world record in the process (only the first swimmers in the relay event can be timed for a record). He keeps the record beside his name, but Australia claimed the bronze.
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It must be noted that the British won their first swimming medals in 28 years today. And after such a long drought they took two medals in one race, with Rebecca Adlington taking gold and another pom taking bronze in the 400m freestyle race.
Insert standard jokes about the English aversion to water/bathing here.
Apparently the English have pinched a bunch of Australian coaches, hence their improvement in distance swimming events. Next they’ll be after our cricket coaches!
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Here in Australia, gold medallist Stephanie Rice is now officially known as “Our Steph”, one of the highest honors that can be paid to an Aussie, and one that generally precedes the recipient being trash talked for getting too big for their boots.
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A small indicator as to how popular the Olympics are here in Hobart/Australia:
There’s a public carpark near my office building here in Hobart and normally you’d expect there to be somewhere between 0 and 15 spots available at lunchtime.
Today: 171 spots available.
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yeah, the 400 im: fantastic!
Sweden got the first medal yesterday, a total surprise with a Silver medal in the womens bicycle race… *thumbs up*
And I think the Swedes qualified pretty well in one of the swimming relays, as well. I was surprised with that.
The Brits have got a Silver in the Whingeing Relay event- where you pass the buck.
America got the Gold.
France the Bronze.
As a part English, part Scots, part Canadian, part African, part Aussie, all I can say is, Go Iceland.
the womens cycling was exciting. a pack of five for the last 6 miles and then the sprint for the last few-hundred yards. the swede was oh-so close to taking gold. what a great effort!
Definitely enjoyed the men’s basketball yesterday and Lebron’s “guaranteed win.”
Kobe and Lebron definitely showed their stuff during the game. And certainly waking up this morning to the win for the US in swimming was something to feel good about. A lot of excitement is surrounding that one.
A lot of those athletes are going to come home to some nice endorsement deals.
Ted, Did LeBron guarantee the tournament, or just the win against China?
I’m currently mourning the loss of the Polish women’s volleyball team. They were great to watch while they lasted.
Go US!!! Gotta’ love the efforts put out by all countries and all athletes. Nothing like friendly competition to bring out the best in us all. Dona nobis pacum
Musa sapentium fixa est in aure
Swade, Lebron guaranteed the gold for the team so he clearly wants to see them go all the way.
One thing I will say about him is that he is not as egocentric as the press sometimes portrays him to be – he is a leader and is simply trying to keep the team focused and positive. We see him all the time here talking to local news media after Cavaliers games; he is professional and very direct in his answers to them.
His pragmatic approach to answering them is entertaining to watch, as they seem desperate in questioning him at times. One thing that is somewhat annoying about American media is their insatiable need to create a circus around just about anything, which is usually nothing.
I have been recording the events to avoid any drama so I can enjoy he competition. The DVR is a great thing.
How about those female Chinese gymnasts, huh? Yeah, they’re 16 all-right…
^–in some cases, on the team from china, age 14 would seem generous….
India just got their first ever individual gold medal. Abhinav Bindra took the Men’s ten metre air rifle with a bullseye on the last shot. And the buzz in the office canteen this lunchtime? Whether Tendulkar will be fit for the one dayers against Sri Lanka.
Independence Day on Friday though, so I expect to see quite a bit more of Mr. Bindra in the papers in the run up to the big day.
LOL @ Our Steph