The 2016 Olympic Games

[WaspInWales]

The top story on the Daily Mail website is about the BBC showing a couple having sex on the beach in the background on one of their Olympic programmes.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... mpics.html

Am I missing something here???

Apparently, social media has been in meltdown about this.

Quite a few other news sites are going with the same story and using the same words. The Telegraph refrained from describing it as sex and said the couple were amorous.

How on earth has a couple having a cuddle on the beach made headline news in a country several thousands of miles away?

[Which Tyler]

Really? the Dail Mail are criticising a media outlet for showing people getting close? the Daily Mail? with all those long-lense shots from different Islands to catch celebrities on the beach, and specifically trying to find this sort of thing?

[fivepointer]

Well this is all very enjoyable, isn't it? 56 medals with 3 more guaranteed. The Brownlees were sensationally good yesterday.

On the presenters/commentators. Balding is ace, a real pro. I'm missing Jim Neilly, Hugh Porter and the incomparable Barry Davies on the mic's. Mind you I still pine to hear the wonderful Ron Pickering on track and field. Steve Cram is bleedin' awful.

[WaspInWales]

I'm hoping this video stands the test of time:


Lochte's account starts at about 2:09 but the build up is equally good. I hope there's some red faces in the US media and Olympic team right now...not to mention the lying twat that is Lochte.

[Which Tyler]

I don't care if no-one likes it, that Russian synchro was amazing

[Eugene Wrayburn]

I don't care if no-one likes it, that Russian synchro was amazing

Synchro, rather like women's gymnastics, is a series of extraordinary athletic feats partially masked by sequin-y bullshit.

[belgarion]

Gold for Nick Skelton in individual show jumping. GBs 2nd oldest ever gold medal winner at 58
oldest 61yr old Joshua Milner in shooting 1908

[Galfon]

Higher, Faster, Stronger, Older!...another golden post-box for Alcester surely..Great stuff.
He even bust his neck about 10 years ago.
British horses can jump as well as dance with the best.

[Which Tyler]

I don't care if no-one likes it, that Russian synchro was amazing

Synchro, rather like women's gymnastics, is a series of extraordinary athletic feats partially masked by sequin-y bullshit.

Yes, and I hate all the preening bollox, but can really admire the underlying stuff.

[kk67]

If he'd called me over like he did to the Slovakian lad I'd have slapped him. He wasn't interested in what the guys had to say unless it was about the brownlees. Twat!

Varga is their training partner and effectively acts as a domestique to set such a high pace on the swim that they've got a chance to get away on the bike. The questions seemed reasonable to me and it was Varga that brought the brothers up, not Edwards, noting that working with them was to his benefit too.

Haven't seen the splits but no way that they'll be comparable for the 10k this time. Open water swim, hilly cycle course, hot day and some waving to the crowd at the end mean that it will be (relatively) slow.

You're right it was, however that doesn't give Edwards the right to call him over like an arrogant diner in a restaurant. And the other (2?) athlete he interviewed he didn't give a fuck about until he asked about the brothers.

I don't remember him calling to the Slovakian,...but I remember he used both Varga and Mola's first names when he was calling to them.
There's clearly a lot of elbows that have to be used in these situations. Even David Coultard can sometimes be a bit too feisty. It's why Invertwat is so popular in the biz. He just doesn't give a toss.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Meh, more interested in watching sport than listening to talking heads, so only really listen to the commentators and live pundits.

Up to 55 medals now, 10 shy of London, 7 up on Beijing.
Chances still to come (off the top of my head, I'll be missing plenty)
Women's hockey
Farah (5k)
Gemili (200m)
Adams (Boxing)
Jones (Taekwondo)
Walkden (Taekwondo)
Jenkins (Triathalon)
Men's 4x100 relay
Women's 4x100 relay
Daley (Diving)
Couch (Diving)
Hull (Not a Sport)

That's 11 viable opportunities, anyone care to add?
Didn't we do we'll in the cenutry-out-of-date Pentathlon last time? Any chances in BMX Bandits? Any more sail boats we can win? Any obvious track and field options I've forgotten?

So 57 medals now.

guaranteed at least silver in women's Hockey.
guaranteed at least silver in superheavy men boxing.
Guaranteed at least silver adams boxing

Strong medal chances:
Mo
Women's 4x100
Daley (diving)
Mohammed (taekwondo - he's in the semi)

We're looking like we'll get pretty close to London. That's extraordinary, but maybe not as extraordinary as if we finish 2nd in the medal table.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Liz et al, Can i turn this into a 'lympic thread and add Paralympic news or do we want to start anew?

[kk67]

I don't remember the medals table being particularly important in the 'limpics of my youff.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Thomas Barr really unlucky to miss out on medal for Ireland in the 400 hurdles.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

I don't remember the medals table being particularly important in the 'limpics of my youff.

probably because we were so far down it.

[kk67]

I don't remember the medals table being particularly important in the 'limpics of my youff.

probably because we were so far down it.

I'm not so sure.
I mean, yes....that's true. But I have a feeling that the Yanks promoted it more for the LA games.

[Which Tyler]

Nah, I think it was always important for those at the sharp end, which has only really included us for Beijing, London and now.

[kk67]

The vast majority of these people are individual athletes. It's nice for them to have a team event but I think we could certainly do with a bit less jingoism in regards to their collective effort.

It's easy to get the feeling that with so much lottery money funding this success, we are being sold some sort of jingoistic lie.
I don't actually do the lottery so I guess it's not for me to comment.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

The vast majority of these people are individual athletes. It's nice for them to have a team event but I think we could certainly do with a bit less jingoism in regards to their collective effort.

It's easy to get the feeling that with so much lottery money funding this success, we are being sold some sort of jingoistic lie.
I don't actually do the lottery so I guess it's not for me to comment.

What is the lie?

[Which Tyler]

I've posted these posts elsewhere (including one page ago); discussing the issue (though more in relation to improvements since Atlanta); also some people complaining that we spend too much on olympic sport, espeically the £ per medal table the Fail printed; which I believe assumed that 4 years worth of investment was the annual total; and was printed halfway through the olympics before the number of medals was known, but after the level of funding was (some were surprised that changing the number of medals won, whilst the amount already spent remained static would reduce the £ per medal - bloody idiots)

Listen to the interview with the hockey captain ahead of the SF. Comparing her Olympic debut in Sydney, to now. It is literally the difference between being a full time professional, versus being an amateur getting in some practice after work and no further support.

Surely we rugby fans should appreciate this difference.

Lottery funding means that our athletes are now full-time professionals, on £15k-£28k per year (+ private sponsorship, and depending on success), with professional support structures, coaches, nutritionists, phyio.s, analysts etc. Having hosted 2 commonwealths and an Olympics recently, they have access to elite facilities, Olympic sized swimming pools, velodromes etc.
For cycling, its also caught some media attention (off the back of Olympic succeeds) and Team Sky is now a thing, garnering external investment.

I didn't realise the athletes only received between £15k-£28k, they should be getting much more than this to increase our success even further.

it was in the BBC article I linked a couple of days ago [1], £15k for an up and comer, they mentioned Peaty with world record and an Olympic gild could get up to £28k. Of course, there's private sponsorship and places like Team Sky that can increase that, but lottery/central funding seems to top out at £28k.
Obviously, the extra cash is going to be limited by appeal, so Jess Ennis will get quite a bit beyond, whilst Laugher, whom we've never heard of before probably gets no extra. IIRC women's hockey is amateur, or semi-pro at best here, whilst Team Sky's riders probably draw a decent wage beyond the £28k

The amount is enough that you don't HAVE to hold down a full-time job, which I guess is the point, especially when funding however many hundreds, presumably thousands of individuals.

I can't find anything on funding for the coaches, support staff etc beyond the gross figures per sport. eg. [2] Athletics (track and field), got £6.7M p.a. since 01/01/13 and last year they funded 64 at "podium" level, and another 66 at "podium potential" level [3], with who-knows how many for future potential. That £6.7M will also take into account all the support staff, facilities etc.
So in rugby, our Salary cap is £6.5M + 2 marquees, for 40-odd players, Athletics gets £6.7M for 130 players, AND all their support.
Then, of course, you've got cycling, swimming, gymnastics, shooting, rowing, diving, hockey etc etc

And people complain that we invest far too much into elite sport; others complain that this level of funding is cheating, equating it to doping.

Links (can't hyperlink on the phone):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37085873
http://www.uksport.gov.uk/our-work/inve ... ng-figures
http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/worl ... -athletes/

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Muhammed guaranteed at least silver.

[Galfon]

Team-GB getting the run-around from Team-NL in the hockey final...3-2 into the final quarter.
GB need decent posession and terror-tory to enhance the prospect of any more goals that are crucial.Hyperboles & cliches not enough at the moment.

** update..GOAL from White from pen. corner!
3-3.

[Galfon]

SB time..penalty shoot-out..

[WaspInWales]

You beauties!

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[Galfon]

Another ballsy performance from the girls who really did believe..
special mention for the goalie Hinch who looks the real deal.