Olympic 2020(1) Thread

Hopefully lots of young people from deprived areas will be inspired by the Olympics to take up modern pentathlon

 

As usual we’ve had a fine Olympics in posh and working class anger sports.

 

It’s interesting when you consider the Atlanta period, there are people out there wandering around none the wiser, who born 20 years later may have been Olympic champions. There are probably a number of people who never actually took up sports they could’ve been the best in the world at. I appreciate that is the case the world over, but just thinking of the U.K. specifically given the change in funding and coaching.

 

All Medals Matter.

But Great British Medals Matter the Mostest.

Seriously, well done to the Japanese for putting on the Olympics in the most trying and economically destructive of circumstances.
By all accounts the organisation, facilities etc have been excellent.

Thoroughly enjoyable all round, even the bizarre ‘sports’, like artistic swimming.
And Sky Brown, never stopped smiling and having fun as she did wonders for GB/USA/Japan relations.

 

Ha!
“Mum, I’ve brought a horse home to practice in the garden”
But hopefully inspired to take up BMX / skateboarding/ trampoline/ taekwando/boxing/running etc - more accessible to most kids..

 

Pentathalon includes shooting. Our urban kids would I imagine identify with this.

 

Only three years this time!

 

So that's it all over for another four/three years then. We got 65 medals, the same as in London and two less than in Rio. We came fourth in the medal table following on from third and second in the previous two. That speaks of a remarkable consistency to me. Personally I'd prefer a points based medal table - three for gold, two for silver and one for bronze. The Yanks would go for a total medal count (probably because that would put them first). No matter, we'd have finished fourth whichever way you cut it. Ahead of the host nation but behind the Russians on those other two calculations.

Earlier in this thread there were those who suggested cutting the rowing funding next time. Or rather for LA in 2028. The next round of funding for Paris has already been allocated. I fundamentally disagree. Sure the rowing was a bit disappointing this time whereas the swimming and a number of esoteric and new sports delivered big time. But, for me, that simply requires a detailed look at what swimming might have done right this time and what rowing MIGHT have got a bit wrong. Fine margins and all that. It's also entirely possible that we simply didn't have the rowing talent to be top of that particular tree this time. What isn't required is a whole lot of angst around a particular sport and wholesale funding changes on the back of what is probably a 'one off'.

We should be very proud of our aforementioned consistency and the fact that we've got a funding and coaching model which delivers regularly. In my yoof I remember being consistently stuffed by the Germans at the Olympics. That is no longer the case.

Finally, I wouldn't hold a competition for the 2036 event. I'd give it to Tokyo again right now. As a reward for delivering the best show they possibly could, in the most trying of circumstances, through no fault of their own. And give all the participating athletes a chance to attend other sports, cheer on their team and enjoy the unique and wacky Japanese culture, none of which they've been able to fully enjoy this time. And I'd invite all the athletes from this time around to attend 15 years down the line too. So they might enjoy all those aspects which they have been denied this time. They'll only be in their late 30s/early 40s by then.

This planet has got plenty of big issues coming up which will need to be solved collectively. And the 'feel good global factor' of the Olympics will have a big symbolic role to play in that. So thank you, thank you Japan. And I hope you get the opportunity for a proper re-run.

 

What happened to 'Good Morning, Tokyo'?

 

Good idea, except I think the Gold needs to be given more weighting, so award 4-2-1.

 

Ho-ho. But maybe more under-privileged kids will push on in the BMX and Skateboarding etc if such as the latter receive worthwhile funding.

 

The IOC wouldn’t agree to an automatic awarding of the games to Japan in 2036.

One of the perks of the job for IOC members is YEARS of endless First Class flights, luxury hotels and arse l£€¥$ng and kowtowing and sycophantic homage and expensive gifts.

What on earth would they do for 4 years if it was an advance done deal for Japan?

 

Didn’t Brisbane just get awarded it completely uncontested?

 

If it gets funding is due to a number of criteria I've previously posted. Next year's funding cycle is very skewed as Paris 2024 is only 3 years away.

 

Only the pistol shooting disciplines (due to UK legislation banning private ownership of the weapons). Team GBs training was done in Malta. Team GB has a very substantial presence on the world stage (Bisley being the recognised world centre).

 

I’ve always thought the current system is a bit odd. Silver and bronze medals have no weight except for breaking ties. If all 113 USA medals had been bronze, they would have been 66th in the table, which is ridiculous.

 

Ha! That wasn't my point which was around 'doing the right thing'. But I take your point too. However, I'm sure that endless Tokyo hospitality leading up to it would be a temptation for the suits too.

Anyway, things change and 'change' is a thing that'll be required over the next few decades.

 

I like it, silver and bronze are first and second losers, Olympic Gold should be the absolute be all and end all.

 

A fair formula too. But, on the grounds that it would have put us 5th behind both Japan and Russia, I'd prefer to discount it

 

Why? We're now going Europe, North America and Oz. So what would be wrong with Asia again? That is, after all, where the majority of the world's population live.

On that geographical argument S.Am. might have a shout too. Sao Paulo (Brazil twice in quick succession?) or Buenos Aires could be in contention of they put in a bid. Plus possibly Santiago. I doubt whether any other S.Am. nations/cities would really have the clout or wherewithal.

 

Sent packing with a boot up her ar$e. Quite right too.

 

None of this detracts from the fact that the German athlete, and her coach, were dealt a poor hand by lottery. Sure the rider and her coach may not be the best 'horse people' ever. But if the lottery had dealt her a more placid horse would we ever have noticed that?

 

I stayed up until 5 am to watch the cycling live. After the big crash in the omnium, it looked like it was going to be one of those nights. However, Jason Kenny demonstrates that having a brain and your wits about you can make up for advancing years and younger, fitter competitors. For me, this was the main stand out moment of the Olympics.

 

Yep, they had bad luck. Just like Laura Kenny did in that big crash in the omnium. Sometimes the Gods look elsewhere and it's not your day. It still doesn't excuse animal abuse.

 

A bicycle crash between humans is an entirely different thing to being 'saddled' with a nutcase of a horse. By lottery.

 

That's still leaves 9 classes they didn't win in

Seriously though, are Cuban women still not allowed to compete in boxing tournaments? Mind you it doesn't help when Joanna Lumley is fighting your corner darling: https://www.itv.com/hub/joanna-lumleys-hidden-caribbean-havana-to-haiti/2a7578

 

It's just 2 people cycling very fast while holding hands. Quite quaint really.

 

You beat me to it HighStreetHorn, I was going to air the idea of a points based Medal Table in exactly the way you suggest in your post above: -

Three points for a Gold, two for a Silver and one point for a bronze​

It has always seemed unfair to me that a team can have loads of medals but if none are Gold they still end up below any team who may only have one Gold and no other medals at all, it just does not make sense to me

While I'm about it, have you heard what they are doing to the "Modern Pentathlon" in Paris?

They are going to condense the whole event into just one day and only a few hours and they are going to eliminate athletes after every round, and to cap off the madness they are starting with the show jumping of all things, which we all know can be so hit and miss. This could mean that a lot of great athletes could be eliminated before they even get a chance to show off their real talents, which is crazy IMO

The whole point of the Modern Pentathlon is to showcase the diverse range of an athletes sporting prowess which should lead to the best all round athletes coming out on top.

What they are proposing will turn the whole thing into a complete farce IMO

 

He's a quick learner too. It didn't take him long to learn that Birming-ham was pronounced Birming-um. Amazing to thing he had a stroke in 2018: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...oke-i-did-feel-like-why-did-this-happen-to-me
Luckily, he made a full recovery.

 

Why do people care about how the medal table is worked out? There are no prizes for finishing top. I don’t suppose the athletes care much either.