Olympic 2020(1) Thread

I’ve never seen anyone with hairy palms, but plenty of people with poor eyesight.

So it must be true..

 

Whittaker has since apologised.
He’s always admired Lopez, the excellent Cuban boxer but was really disappointed not winning.

Nothing wrong with that but he went about his immediate disappointment the wrong way.
He’s leant his lesson in humility and respect, but he’s not a ‘Tozser.

And imo your political point scoring goes over the top.

 

Interesting article.

Funding based on expected performance and medal potential results.
IMO it’s all good investment for the nations health and feel good factor.

But Development Olympic Sports that are more readily accessible to kids of all backgrounds should receive more than they do, (and not by cutting other sports) as surely a strong secondary goal is to get kids off their backsides and fitter.

That can have long term national health benefits and NHS cost savings, as today’s kids won’t be so overweight and diabetic by 40.

(Diabetes costs the NHS £9.8 Billion pa and is growing fast. Only 10% is Type 1, and much of type 2 is preventable by weight, lifestyle, nutrition choices).

£345 million funding for Tokyo is very good value.

 

We should throwing money at BMX, skateboarding and break dancing for 2024 in Paris. Young sports, youth following relatively low investment.

 

Except there are only 2 medals of each colour available in hockey & the number of players in the squads are also much higher due to the fact it's 11 per starting line up.
A comparison of funding vs % medal success rate would be a better measure.

 

That's 11 on field players and 5 substitutes from a squad of 24 for this Olympics.

As I said before much of the finding come from box ticking: one of the boxes to be ticked (in the "Legacy" section) is "Engagement" - hockey scores very highly on this. Post Olympics clubs always experience a massive bump in membership numbers.

 

Another interesting article

GB 3rd on all time medals list

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/58109921

 

He felt like a failure because he WAS a failure. He lost. He might be sorry for his little paddy on the podium now, but it's a bit late. It's been seen by the world.

In general, this temper tantrum stuff won't do and it seems to be the preserve, in the main, of athletes from the richer nations. There is supposed to be an Olympic spirit of fellowship between athletes, not the US win at all costs, second is nowhere mentality. It seems to be becoming more prevalent with each games.

Another one was the US flyweight, Davis, who after getting comprehensively beaten on points in the final, strode up to a camera, shoved his ugly mug into it and bawled "I might not have won the gold, but I'm STILL the champion!"

No you're not. You're the sub-champion. The under-champion. The bridesmaid to the champion. The runner up.

 

Total overreaction. Boxers are generally hyper-confident winners and most of them think they've won a fight when they haven't. His reaction you see in boxers all over the world. Only problem was that he had to stand with a runners up medal and pretend to be happy about it.

His style will win fights over 12 rounds in the pro ranks but in a 3 round sprint, not so much.

Slate him all you want and call him a failure but I'd bet good money that Whittaker will be a world champion before the Cuban bloke.

 

An example of the Olympic Spirit of Fellowship from a Cuban loser, as boasted by Clive.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2008/08/24/2003421271

 

Cor dear, had to go back 13 years to find that one!

If you think I'm biased towards Cuba in the Olympics, you should hear Cifriana. She gets REALLY excited. She smashed her fan to pieces over her knee when a Cuban was fighting a yankee one time. She's so funny. I even thought of starting a thread with her nuggets of wisdom regarding the Cuban athletes in Tokyo. "When a Cuban athlete shake hands with his opponent, they're more sincere...." for example. Any time a Cuban loses at anything, it's a giant conspiracy.

 

I could probably have gone back 50 years, and this would be the only example of a loser kicking the referee in the face, and getting banned. And to make it worse, his coach refused to apologise, and he got banned too!

 

Interesting that you make sure you make it clear that anyone who doesn’t win is a failure with the 2 examples you quote.

Because Whittaker agrees 100% with you, as he says in a tweet after the bout..


He worked many years for those few minutes and he was emotional when he lost to the better opponent - and he felt a failure for himself, his family and all his supporters and his country. He had ADHD as a youngster which is why he got into boxing in the first place.

So for you not to cut a little slack when he lost when he agrees with you as he was, in your words a FAILURE, is a bit disingenuous.

And your comment ‘this temper tantrum stuff won’t do and it seems to be the preserve ... of athletes from the richer nations’ is quite frankly bo11ocks.
Why do you have to make a big political issue out of it?

Whittaker showed passion and was rightly peed off with himself.
He calmed down and apologised after. He was humbled by the criticism and I’m sure he’s learnt his lesson if it happens again. He’s only 24.

I’d much rather see that genuine passion, even if it was misdirected in the immediate aftermath, than the good old fashioned British attitude of ‘its the taking part that counts and winning is just a bonus.’

 

You do know he's from Wolverhampton, don't you?

 

I do.
He even wants to be mayor one day!

But what’s that got to do with the price of fish?

 

Well you know what they're like from Wolverhampton...

 

The worst act on the boxing canvas was that French boxer, Aleiv who got disqualified and then refused to leave for 30 minutes

Tokyo Olympics: Mourad Aliev in ring protest after Frazer Clarke defeat - BBC Sport

 

They love a strike, the French.

 

Yeah, they’re losers..

 

I assume as Paris is on the doorstep that the cost of sending the team to the Games will be cheaper, probably not by alot, but will mean more money spent on the athletes and their training facilities. It will certainly be alot cheaper for families and supporters to make their way over.

 

I believe the correct term for breakdancing is 'Breakin'. We should do well as we are good Breakin' things in this country at times.

 

The cuts Frazer Clarke got around the eyes from that fight weren't the best preparation for his SF against the Cuban. I thought the Super heavyweight final between the Cuban and American was excellent. Some explosive punching from both fighters.

 

I'd forgotten Gray was from Wolverhampton. It explains everything.



I also didn't realise that Troy Deeney has started a new career in Little Mix.

 

Missed that one, but loved the super heavyweight final. Lolapolapov (sp?) of Kazakhstan (?) against Rocky Balboa-lookalike (USA). Lolapolopov was a bloody giant! Enormous.

It worked out how you supposed Rocky would be in real life. Although he managed to pop one on Lolapalooza's nose during the first, later on he battered poor Rocky on the side of the head. I was amazed he stood up.

 

Agreed. Apart from the bit about break dancing. Nobody under 40 knows what it is

Invest in more accessible, less elitist sports.

 

Ironic. Seeing as they have an (unfair) reputation for being cowards.

 

Really enjoyed the Olympics- heroes made from all over the world and some real heart warming stories. Team GB did us proud.

Looking forward to Paralympics.

Reckon I'll try to get to Commonwealth Games next year and Paris in 2024

 

I love France, and I'm absolutely looking forward to attending the Olympic surfing competition in 2024

 

Tahiti?

Damn and blast it, thought it would be in Calais!

 

Shame it wasn't off the beaches in the south, for the errr, beautiful scenery of course.