Beijing Olympics Thread - Page 18 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

octothorp · 08-15-2008, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayP

It's all about odds though.

Medal hopefuls are probably in that 5-8 range in the world. The chances of them winning a medal is maybe 25%. So really with 4 already competed Canada should probably expect 1 or 2 medals at most. But really, the odds are still likely that there's going to be that big fat zero in this case.

If Canada is still shut out after tonight's events and 4 more medal hopefuls then we're starting to lag behind.

Yeah, that's about what I calculated... my medal estimate is counting on 6 of my 8 'favorites' to medal, 5 of my 18 hopefuls, and then 1 more person either from my bubble or from completely off the radar.

Obviously, there's a bit of variation there. Hayden, for example, I never had rated as a favorite despite the fact that he's the reigning world champion, because there's about eight guys who could win that race on any given day. Someone like Marie Helen Premont, on the other hand, finished fourth at the last world championships, but has been in the top four in something like 28 of her last 29 races going back to 2006, so she's got a far better shot at a medal than someone like Hayden.
And then Fransden and Calder, on the other hand, are a newly formed team and don't have much of a history, but in the short time they've been together, they've been just destroying the other boats.

Speaking of which, they race tonight, which I missed in my morning update - I think that's a sure end to the medal dought.

GirlySports · 08-15-2008, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by octothorp

Tricky part of that is that the men's 8 doesn't race until Sunday (late Saturday night here). However, if you're advocating breaking into the medal storage compound somewhere in Beijing, overpowering the guards, locating the gold medal for the men's 8s, and absconding with it... well, I'm right behind you.

No thanks, I don't want to be thrown into a Chinese jail.
Tonight/Tomorrow morning... at least I don't have to go to work tomorrow and listen to another "We don't have a (censored) medal" speech.

FurnaceFace · 08-15-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OzSome

I am not ticked off at the swimmers at all, I just can't stand it when CBC and the swim coach (CBC especially) have to mention this so-and-so broke the Canadian record or beat the personal best. I don't know how good are the Canadian swimmers therefore I don't have any expectations. There are times that it is easier to watch the American cable channel when it comes to swimming competition. At least, they don't mention that freaking national or personal best record for Canadians.

The US commentators don't need to mention US or personal bests because their swimmers and other athletes are breaking world records and winning medals all over the place. Personal bests/country bests are meaningless as a result. Personally I like to know if an athlete (ignore the country) has scored a personal best. To me it means all their training and hardwork has paid off.

To expect every Canadian athlete to medal is to me ridiculous. To expect them to progress in their development is not. As others have said for the swim team to have picked themselves up from Athens and done what they have is excellent and shows that if the team - who I think will mostly be the same team in London - can continue to progress, SOME of them will be in the hunt for medals. Can can agree with those concerned over Hayden and some of the others who should be in the medal hunt now but are falling short.

ricoFlame · 08-15-2008, 04:58 PM

man, this equestrian coverage on cbc is what the olympics are all about. riveting stuff...

Devils'Advocate · 08-15-2008, 06:09 PM

Yes... there are some events which really, really, really need to be killed.

OzSome · 08-15-2008, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Its great to be happy with personal bests in the pool, however in an Olympic venue with what seems to be like a very fast pool, and a very fast new suit technology, where people are shaving two or three seconds or more off of a world record time, is beating a Canadian Record, or beating their best time an indicator of an improved swimmer, or an improved technology?

Put these Canadian swimmers into the environment where they posted their best previous time, and I bet they don't beat their best times or set their Canadian Records.

I am with you on this Capt Crunch. That's how I feel about the personal best and stuff. I don't see any improvement at all on the Canadian swimmers.

For me, when you go to Olympics the goal is to win medals. It don't matter if this is your first Olympic competition or not I won't be satisfied for just beating my personal best or beating the Canadian record. If a swimmer and the coach are just happy for being in 7th place then I don't think that's good. If I am the swimmer and I came in 7th place, I would throw a tantrum and not be happy about it. Some people says yeah but they did better than Athens. Who cares about Athens, that was the past and don't dwell on what happenned on that Olympic.

I am wondering if after a week of Olympics in 2012 London, we have the same NO MEDAL stuff. What kind of excuse is it going to be? Something needs to be change. The Canadians done it before with Alex Baumann, Mark Tewksbury and so on. I don't see why can't they do it again.

OzSome · 08-15-2008, 07:54 PM

It is a pleasure to watch these 2 Jamaican sprinters especially Bolt. Both guys makes things easy running while the others are pushing everything. I got the feeling Bolt will break world and olympic record. There is a possibility that he might get around 8.0 - 9.0 in the Finals. Can't wait to see the Finals.

LockedOut · 08-15-2008, 08:18 PM

Didn't think Phelps was gonna win that one after about half way down the last stretch but he somehow did just barely. Holy crap 1/100 of a sec.

Slava · 08-15-2008, 08:24 PM

^ That video of Phelps and the other swimmer touching the wall is crazy! It looks like that other swimmer touched the wall first...but I would assume that is because its under water and you just can't see very clearly.

GirlySports · 08-15-2008, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LockedOut

Didn't think Phelps was gonna win that one after about half way down the last stretch but he somehow did just barely. Holy crap 1/100 of a sec.

Watching the replay I'm still not sure how he did it. Did he really touch the wall first? The other guy must have pulled his hand back or something :P

OzSome · 08-15-2008, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Watching the replay I'm still not sure how he did it. Did he really touch the wall first? The other guy must have pulled his hand back or something :P

It looks like the other guy was not in a rush to touch the wall. I have doubts too on whether Phelps touched the wall first but the replay wasn't that clear. Oh well, good for him to win his 7th Gold Medal.

browna · 08-15-2008, 08:47 PM

Serbs aren't coming out for the medals, protesting the result.

Edit: The swimmer did, still protesting, although can't use replay anyways.

Looking at it again, certainly appears to be timing by Nike/Speedo/NBC, not Omega.

GirlySports · 08-15-2008, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by browna

Serbs aren't coming out for the medals, protesting the result.

Looking at it again, certainly appears to be timing by Nike/Speedo, not Omega.

If they take away this gold medal, the US might just invade Serbia.

JiriHrdina · 08-15-2008, 09:09 PM

Yikes this is a no-win situation - if they uphold the result questions will always surround Phelp's record achievement. If they take it away - well that one is pretty clear.

Pretty much the worst thing that could happen.

CrusaderPi · 08-15-2008, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

If they take away this gold medal, the US might just invade Serbia.

maybe they'll just bomb it again.

Slava · 08-15-2008, 09:22 PM

^The timing was by NBC? Man that would reek of problems...

GirlySports · 08-15-2008, 09:29 PM

I was looking at octothorp's list and Carol Huynh has made it to the semifinals

http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/EN...html#WRW248303

Shawnski · 08-15-2008, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I was looking at octothorp's list and Carol Huynh has made it to the semifinals

http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/EN...html#WRW248303

Her match is on right now. Winner is guaranteed gold or silver.

Now I though Ron indicated she was on her way to winning this match and that it is timeshifted.... so this could very well be our first "for sure" medal coming up.

Machiavelli · 08-15-2008, 09:33 PM

^ Yup, she's wrestling the Kazakhstani right now. If she wins she's in the final; guaranteed a medal!

Edit: Too slow...

Kidder · 08-15-2008, 09:33 PM

How would you even fudge those results??

It's not like some guy is standing there with a stopwatch, and decides to let his finger pause an extra split second.

If anything, it takes a certain amount of pressure on the wall to enact the stop timer, and while the Serb finger grazed the wall first, Phelps was the first to apply the needed pressure. But it's not like this thing can be rigged. So what exactly are they protesting?