Beijing Olympics Thread

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by moon

I keep harping on the 25th finish as a Canadian record result because to me that is awful.

I don't suppose you recall what event this was in? I'm going through all the event records and I just can't find any instance like that... Here's all the Canadian records set at the Olympics this year:

Dylan Armstrong - shotput - finished 4th
Hayden - 200m freestyle - 3rd in qualifying, withdrew
Cochrane - 400m freestyle - 9th (missed finals by 1/10th)
Brown - 200m breaststroke - 4th
Johns - 400m medley - 7th
4*100 relay - 6th
4*200 relay - 5th
Wilkinson - 200m medley - 7th
Annamay Pierse - 200m breaststroke - 6th
Jillian Tyler - 100m breaststroke - 10th
4*100 - 7th
4*200 - 10th

Seems every Canadian record has equaled a top 10 result (except for Tyler, who set the record in the heats, but had a slower race in the semifinals and was actually 13th). Unless you can suggest what event it's in (and I'm not saying I'm infallible, but I think I've checked through pretty thoroughly), I've gotta think that either you misheard, or some announcers were screwing up their numbers as they were calling the race (most likely answer).

[moon]

Originally Posted by octothorp

I don't suppose you recall what event this was in? I'm going through all the event records and I just can't find any instance like that... Here's all the Canadian records set at the Olympics this year:

Dylan Armstrong - shotput - finished 4th
Hayden - 200m freestyle - 3rd in qualifying, withdrew
Cochrane - 400m freestyle - 9th (missed finals by 1/10th)
Brown - 200m breaststroke - 4th
Johns - 400m medley - 7th
4*100 relay - 6th
4*200 relay - 5th
Wilkinson - 200m medley - 7th
Annamay Pierse - 200m breaststroke - 6th
Jillian Tyler - 100m breaststroke - 10th
4*100 - 7th
4*200 - 10th

Seems every Canadian record has equaled a top 10 result (except for Tyler, who set the record in the heats, but had a slower race in the semifinals and was actually 13th). Unless you can suggest what event it's in (and I'm not saying I'm infallible, but I think I've checked through pretty thoroughly), I've gotta think that either you misheard, or some announcers were screwing up their numbers as they were calling the race (most likely answer).

They were talking about it on the Canadian Trail one day when listing off the other 30th place finishes. It may not have been in swimming.

I am sure they did say Canadian record and was sure that the women finished 25th. However, which event I am not sure as I didn't pay attention until i heard Canadian record and then heard 25th place. By that point they were already moving on.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by fotze

You're so polite. Ever thinking of running for office?

He's an Olympic version of Bingo!

Just caught (a rerun?) of the Russian gal setting a world record on the pole vault. Pretty impressive stuff. Great watching her celebrate on the way down.

[mmanzz]

The recent improvements of Australia, UK , and China have a lot to do with targeting of specific events that are winnable. For example Men's swimming seems to be dominated by the US and a couple of other countries, long distance and middle distances are won by Africans, soccer and basketball are a complete waste of time! Unless we plan to recruit specific people to win those events(it seemed like everyone in the middle to long distance races has their own group of Kenyon runners), its best to leave them aside.

Their are sports that are intrinsically Canadian like rowing and kayaking where we should pile in the money, and there are a pile of sports that are win-able and should be targeted for heavy funding. It seems like Australia and now GB decided to get good at the cycling events and did so, this appears to be just a matter of proper funding and training.

Finally we need an overall Olympic strategy that takes into consideration the Olympic timetable, we need to get really good at some of the events that occur early in the games. A win or two in the first two days could help the confidence of some of the other athletes. There is no reason why should not be getting 10 gold and 30 medals in the summer games.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by fotze

You're so polite. Ever thinking of running for office?

Thanks, just for that I'll send you a 5a street gift basket! Anticipate the possibilities of what it might contain!

[icarus]

Originally Posted by mmanzz

The recent improvements of Australia, UK , and China have a lot to do with targeting of specific events that are winnable. For example Men's swimming seems to be dominated by the US and a couple of other countries, long distance and middle distances are won by Africans, soccer and basketball are a complete waste of time! Unless we plan to recruit specific people to win those events(it seemed like everyone in the middle to long distance races has their own group of Kenyon runners), its best to leave them aside.

Their are sports that are intrinsically Canadian like rowing and kayaking where we should pile in the money, and there are a pile of sports that are win-able and should be targeted for heavy funding. It seems like Australia and now GB decided to get good at the cycling events and did so, this appears to be just a matter of proper funding and training.

Finally we need an overall Olympic strategy that takes into consideration the Olympic timetable, we need to get really good at some of the events that occur early in the games. A win or two in the first two days could help the confidence of some of the other athletes. There is no reason why should not be getting 10 gold and 30 medals in the summer games.

I don't like this approach. There are amateur athletes in all fields in Canada. Should we fund some more than others because their events are "more winnable"? All events are winnable if you have talented, driven individuals whose training is fostered by committed coaches, sporting bodies, and benefactors.

Re: Australians and swimming. Swimming in Australia is commonplace among young people. Kids growing up near the coast a members of surf clubs which all have swimming programs. It is like being in Scouting. All kids do it, so all kids growing up near a beach here can swim as well as they can walk. Australians do well in swimming not because they target it per se, but because it is part of the culture and so many people do it. My girlfriend used to swim competitively, not because she had any Olympic aspirations or was heavily funded, but just because it is a common thing to do and she had a lot of friends doing it. In an environment like that it is not hard to imagine a lot of Olympic-quality swimmers emerging; Australia doesn't necessarily need to target swimming as an area in which to rack up a bunch of medals.

It is like kids in Canada growing up playing hockey or figure skating at their local rinks or rec centres.

I can't comment on Australians targetting cycling medals though, I guess that could be the case.

[transplant99]

I think a great many Canadians view Canada as some sort of power among the worlds athletes, and it simply isnt so,and cannot happen, because of one big reason IMO...population. Of course climate certainly makes a difference as well...just look at the Cuban totals as an example.

I think when all is said and done though...the powerhouses also are the most populous and as such will have not only a bigger group of athletes to find the best from, but also better training facilities, backing from corporatations, etc etc. There is just a lot more money and opportunity in all phases of amateur athletics when you have more people. As an example...Bela Karoliy is revered in the gymnastcs world as a genius. He left Romania as a defector in the early 80's and opened a gymnastics business in Houston. Sure enough because he could do this, he was rewarded with finding dozens of young athletes that went on to international success....but only because he could earn a decent living at it after making it a business. Something he couldn't do in Romania at that time. That is the kind of advantage that popultion and wealth can give a country....more oportunity. That kind of story would almost be impossible to do in Canada to any degree of success.

Also...there is nothing wrong with sending the 25th best athlete in the World at a certain discipline to the Olympic Games. Its truly what the Olys are all about afterall. A chance to compete with the best and represent your country proudly...win or lose.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I think a great many Canadians view Canada as some sort of power among the worlds athletes, and it simply isnt so,and cannot happen, because of one big reason IMO...population. Of course climate certainly makes a difference as well...just look at the Cuban totals as an example.

I think when all is said and done though...the powerhouses also are the most populous and as such will have not only a bigger group of athletes to find the best from, but also better training facilities, backing from corporatations, etc etc. There is just a lot more money and opportunity in all phases of amateur athletics when you have more people. As an example...Bela Karoliy is revered in the gymnastcs world as a genius. He left Romania as a defector in the early 80's and opened a gymnastics business in Houston. Sure enough because he could do this, he was rewarded with finding dozens of young athletes that went on to international success....but only because he could earn a decent living at it after making it a business. Something he couldn't do in Romania at that time. That is the kind of advantage that popultion and wealth can give a country....more oportunity. That kind of story would almost be impossible to do in Canada to any degree of success.

Also...there is nothing wrong with sending the 25th best athlete in the World at a certain discipline to the Olympic Games. Its truly what the Olys are all about afterall. A chance to compete with the best and represent your country proudly...win or lose.

I was about the say pretty much the same thing, the vast majority of these events Canada does not care about 3.95 years out of every 4. Other parts of the world actually likes track, or weigthlifting, or triathalons, for whatever reason we don't. So we should have no expectation of being a 'powerhouse', at least in summer games anyway. People who are troubled by the results either are taking olympics a little to seriously and/or have an inflated view of what Canada should be.

I mean there is a thread on here about everyone melting because it is a whopping 32 degrees out, if that doesn't show we are a cold weather country I don't know what does. Pretty much the same as same as a guy I know from brazil who complained to me once because it was 12C out, had his hooded parka on and everything.

[SebC]

Okay, so one of these male gymnasts just went over the vault doing a straight front-flips then on the last one rotates a half twist to end up landing in a back-flip facing the vault. How on Earth do you do that without breaking the laws of physics?

Something like this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_righting_reflex

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Just caught (a rerun?) of the Russian gal setting a world record on the pole vault. Pretty impressive stuff. Great watching her celebrate on the way down.

That was actually great to see. She was so incredibly overjoyed.


I mean, she already had the gold medal... but she seemed far more determined to set the world record than anything else.

I did notice that a fan threw her two flags, one with the three strips that she wrapped around herself, and the other was fully red, which she threw back at the guy. I was thinking... did the guy toss a U.S.S.R. flag? I can't imagine....

[SebC]

Hehe, beach volleyball right now is China vs. China. You'd think they might have a provision that teams from the same country shouldn't be on the same side of the draw?

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by moon

They were talking about it on the Canadian Trail one day when listing off the other 30th place finishes. It may not have been in swimming.

I am sure they did say Canadian record and was sure that the women finished 25th. However, which event I am not sure as I didn't pay attention until i heard Canadian record and then heard 25th place. By that point they were already moving on.

The announcer wasn't holding an Orange Julius by any chance was he?

[SebC]

Wow, China's censoring athlete's blogs. Brutal.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by SebC

Wow, China's censoring athlete's blogs. Brutal.

which one? Liu Xiang's?

Originally Posted by SebC

Hehe, beach volleyball right now is China vs. China. You'd think they might have a provision that teams from the same country shouldn't be on the same side of the draw?

Nope that wouldn't be fair cause the draw was created based on group play rankings.
If you're a 'lucky loser' 3rd place team you have to face a 1st place team.

[FurnaceFace]

Is there any analysis of medals per population? I'd be curious to see where we'd rank (perhaps dropping all the countries which don't have more than 3 medals or something like that).

The censor story was Anna Rice one of our athletes and an Iranian athlete who has sponsorship money riding on him being able to send reports. I suspect they'll have access to their site now that the story is out.

[octothorp]

nm

[SebC]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

which one? Liu Xiang's?.

Anna Rice was one. CBC's talked to another guy who said he was concerned because he had told his sponsors he would blog everyday and can't access his site. From one of the former USSR states, I think.

On another note, I'm gonna miss the Serbian women's volleyball team. And go Simon Whitfield!

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

Is there any analysis of medals per population? I'd be curious to see where we'd rank (perhaps dropping all the countries which don't have more than 3 medals or something like that).

Don't know about this Olympics but troutman posted this link at the start of the thread.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/sp...ime-per-capita

[Kidder]

Whitfield is sticking with the lead pack! Under 5 km to go and Whitfield is part of a group of 6 that has seperated from the rest. Exciting to say the least.

Go Simon Go!

[FFR]

In men's 3m springboard semi-finals, Alexandre Despatie finished in 2nd place and qualifies for the finals. Reuben Ross finished 18th, unfortunately, and will not move to the finals, however he does dive still in the Mens 10m Platform