[Repeat to Fade]

The British strategy is to excel in sports involving expensive equipment which most of the world can't afford.

Doesn't really explain why they still beat the rest of the world that can afford it though.

[Otebo]

We are God's Chosen People, obviously. Don't you know anything RtF?

[SpaciousBox]

Murray! Awful final, but he was also playing very well which made up for it. Shame about the doubles mind.

[Repeat to Fade]

It looks like the story of the medal table is indeed going to be the fall of Russia and the ascendancy of GB in it's place as the team to finish third if things continue as they are. Alot of money has been pumped into British sport and so that explains their climb but does anyone have a good explanation as to why Russia are just scraping into the top 10 when they have finished in the top 3 everytime since 1952?

[Prosthetic Conscience]

The Russians may make up a bit of ground - they've said they have big hopes for the wrestling, which only started yesterday, goes on till the 12th, and they already have a gold and a bronze from it (still another 16 classes to be decided).

[fuser]

Olympic is full of idiotic looking events, for example what's that stupid sport involving both cycling and swimming? I had never seen that one before.

[Rancid]

Biathlon?

[Repeat to Fade]

That would be the triathalon, it also involves running. It's not an unknown sport and is renowned for being particularly gruelling, even the olympic version which is the short course. It's a 1.5k swim 40k bike and a 10k run.

There has always been a very long and ongoing argument on what should and should not be in the olympics. Some belief football (soccer) shouldn't be there, neither tennis and a few others. There is an argument for other sports to be included too.

One of the most cited arguments by commentators (but obviously not by the people that matter) is that for an event to be at the olympics it should be the pinnacle competition for that sport. Thus ruling out notably football and tennis but also could be seen to impact other sports; is an olympic gold in baketball really better than an NBA championship? A road cycling gold in either event certainly isn't of the level of a grand tour. An olympic gold in boxing isn't a greater achievement than becoming world champion in your weight class.

Many sports have been dropped from the olympic schedule. Baseball and softball used to be olympic worthy and now aren't. Going further back the early olympics had some very unusual sports; croquet, roque, polo, tug-of-war cricket etc.

Two sports are going to be added in 4 year times, rugby and golf. Now it certainly can be argued that gold in either of those events will be the greatest acheivement one could hope for in those sports. The inclusion of gold could be controversial as many cities don't have a world class gold course (or the land to create one) nearby and so it may limit the potential hopefully applicants for future game hosting duties.

There are other sports that are part of other multisport events like the commonwealth games. Squash, netball and lawn bowls are competed at that event in particular.

We could go down the route of arguing what is and isn't a sport....... but that is an argument with no end.

Rancid it's triathlon, he obviously missed the end lol. A sport consisting of just cycling and swimming is called aquabike (i used to do it). Biathlon is a totally different winter olympics event

[fuser]

Of course I missed the end, I never intended to go through that ordeal. Nevertheless I found that event stupid but of course its a matter of personal taste though.

[Rugoz]

The ironman triathlon is well known I think, my girl cousin used to compete in ironman.

Triathlon is the only discipline where my country got a gold medal btw.

Its pathetic

[Magnetonium]

Triathlon is a very difficult sport that as you know requires strength and endurance in three different areas - swimming, biking and running. Now that is a quite an awesome combination, too bad it doesn't make it a good show to watch on television, because unfortunately its all about the 1 minute races that get all the attention. People like it short and quick, and right there in front of their eyes, not over hundreds of kilometers spread over a huge area. I know I am beating a dead horse here, but I highly doubt that Phelps would be able to win a medal in this one. Or 22 medals for that matter. Its a shame that this sport and its athletes are not well recognized.

Whats actually sad, is that I've been asking people about triathlon over the years, and a considerable number of the people in North America do not quite know what triathlon is. Which is why I ask if people know what triathlon is.

[Maas]

The men's high bar is some weird shit.
Ebke without a country did a gay lord 2.

I kid you not.

[Rancid]

Look up the German guy that fucked up a dive. It's the kind of shit I would do.

[Maas]

Look up the German guy that fucked up a dive. It's the kind of shit I would do. :lol:

dang, the olympics are really hawking youtube to erase all the footage that goes on there.
pitty

[Igor Antunov]

OMG this is hilarious:

Summary: A british man interviews a Japanese athlete, and for some reason they are using an American translator who happens to translate in Chinese but thats ok because she knows Chinese herself (trained for ping pong on the mainland). Except his Mandarin sucks ass, and she understands a little english so pretends to listen to her translator and answers by being able to hear the british guy in english first. It's all topped off @ 1:48 when the interviewer spits in her face while asking a question.

[youtube]-Z3vi6L2eoM[/youtube]

[Cartertonian]

The British strategy is to excel in sports involving expensive equipment which most of the world can't afford.

The British strategy is to excel in sports involving expensive equipment which most Britons can't afford.

My two fourteen year olds have been deeply inspired by the Games, but one wants to take up shooting and the other cycling. Now in the latter case I can spend a modest amount to get his pushbike up to scratch for some amateur practice, but if he wants to go competetive we're talking many hundreds, if not thousands. If t'other takes up shooting (outside of the Air Cadets, where he gets it for free, but on a very limited basis) the fees alone for membership of a half-decent club are crippling and I shudder to think how expensive it will get if he, too, becomes competitive and needs his own rifle and gear...

[Igor Antunov]

Give them a soccer ball and tell them to learn and love it.

[Cartertonian]

Actually, the budding cyclist is also an active Rugby Union player (he's a prop-forward, but nobody's perfect!) so maybe he's got an Olympic future playing with odd-shaped balls...?

[Repeat to Fade]

Yeah bikes for competition are expensive but you don't need to start there. If he has a bike already you could just look at changing the bars and tyres for a start and build it like that. You'll end up in a bit of a "if you replace a ships wheel is it still the same ship?" Scenario but as you go just keep the same bike and replace the parts until you finally get a nice shiny roadbike. Or just buy a roadbike at his level there isn't alot of need or benefit in splashing out. Bikes for competition can cost more than a small car so you don't want to go down that route.

If he has a fixie or BMX you could look at registering him for the minidrome when it comes to Glasgow in October. It's really really fun.

[Otebo]

Australia's sports minister, Kate Lundy, has said she would row along the Olympic course in Team GB kit after she lost a bet with her British counterpart.

Senator Lundy will race along the Eton Dorney course, near Windsor, Berks, in front of thousands of jeering fans after losing the bet with Hugh Robertson.

The pair had made the traditional Olympic bet between Britain and their Antipodean rivals over who would win the most gold medals during the Games.

The wager was made during a meeting in Melbourne earlier this year, with wearing team kit “part of the deal”.

But on Tuesday, Senator Lundy, who represents the Australian Capital Territory in the country’s Parliamentary Upper House, conceded the bet after it was clear her team would not catch Team GB in the medal table.

Senator Lundy, a former top rower who still rows to keep fit, added: "I cheerfully conceded I will be rowing out at Eton Dorney, we did have our medal bet on in our traditional wager. This time, you guys are on top.”

“Equally if it was the other way round, I’m sure Minister Robertson would have been cheerful enough to put on a Kookaburras' shirt and dribble that hockey ball around Australia House, but that won’t be happening.”

Senator Lundy, who was attending several Olympic events throughout the country, later posted a picture on her Twitter page receiving a Team GB shirt from Krishnan Guru-Murthy, the Channel 4 News presenter.

But she said she did not regret the bet, adding: "You guys are having a brilliant Games, your athletes have really responded to the challenge.

"It's a traditional wager that we have with the UK sports minister so I don't regret it, it was always going to be on, and I've already conceded I know I'm going to be rowing out of Eton."