America's performance in the relays...

[Sig Saucer]

What the hell happened?

Both the men AND the women couldn't make the finals, they dropped their batons on the last pass. Those were sure medals, too. And the women's softball team having their first loss in the gold medal match?

Blegh! I'm glad that I'm also Chinese, but I'd rather root for USA. The diving matches that I saw were awesome, especially with Guo Jingjing.

I know that I didn't see this live so this is probably old news if you saw it live.

[Tsal]

Originally Posted by Sig Saucer

Both the men AND the women couldn't make the finals, they dropped their batons on the last pass. Those were sure medals, too. And the women's softball team having their first loss in the gold medal match?

There's always the possibility it wasn't by accident..

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by Tsal

There's always the possibility it wasn't by accident..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw



GB buggered up the relay too

[TheDarkReaver]

But the woman made it.

[MakiSupaStar]

Did someone say Guo Jingjing?

[TheDarkReaver]

Originally Posted by TheDarkReaver

But the woman made it.

But then they messed up in the final.

[Blonde Bassist]

so the government has invested £26 million into Athletics, and something like £7 million into cycling, and less than that into swimming and sailing and som of the other sports. With performances like this how can they justify that? Better put things right for 2012 so we can have a better performance, make sure we can stay ahead of the Aussies, and maybe even take on the U.S. who knows??? Can't wait to see Boris receive the Olympic flag, brilliant character.

[Sig Saucer]

I'm sure that the Brits can stay ahead of the Aussies since London's hosting in 2012. I don't know if you can compare with USA or China now, but who knows?

I wonder if China can surpass the US in gold medals in 2012.

[TheDarkReaver]

Originally Posted by Blonde Bassist

so the government has invested £26 million into Athletics, and something like £7 million into cycling, and less than that into swimming and sailing and som of the other sports. With performances like this how can they justify that? Better put things right for 2012 so we can have a better performance, make sure we can stay ahead of the Aussies, and maybe even take on the U.S. who knows??? Can't wait to see Boris receive the Olympic flag, brilliant character.

Somethings just happen, but remember this has been the best games for Team GB for 100 years. We're well ahead of the Aussies and still have 3rd position on the table. I believe the team prediction was 7th place.

[TheDarkReaver]

Originally Posted by Sig Saucer

I wonder if China can surpass the US in gold medals in 2012.

Well they did it this year with ease, so I'm guessing probably.

[Blonde Bassist]

Originally Posted by TheDarkReaver

Well they did it this year with ease, so I'm guessing probably.

we're forgetting that team USA does their medal count differently to the rest of the Olympic world, where we judge on total Gold medals, the US judge on total medals, so technically according to that table the USA would be at the top, where in the normal medal table China are on top.

Nevertheless, should be a very interesting games in 2012, can we make it a clean sweep in the cycling, and sailing, and will we have some competative talent on the track as well as in the pool. We could also do with entering a few more athletes in the other sports, we don't have a football team, don't think we really have any wrestlers, don't have a baseball/softball team, don't think we had a water polo team. Looking forward to 2012 though, think a few of my friends will be competing (with any luck)

So hpefully we won't be making "collage mistakes" in the relay take-overs, as Micheal Johnson put it.

[Scarlet Fire]

To be fair, passing those batons is way more difficult than it looks, and even with a lot of practice, it's very easy to screw a pass up. Those batons are slick (especially when it's wet out), and they weigh next to nothing. The only way to ensure a good pass is to smack it into the other persons hand. It can't simply be placed in their hand, or it will drop.

[Sig Saucer]

You see the clean passes all include a smack and the person behind would hold on to the baton and help close it in with both hands before handing it off. May not be the fastest way, but the fastest team who drops the baton still gets disqualified.

[Blonde Bassist]

Originally Posted by Scarlet Fire

To be fair, passing those batons is way more difficult than it looks, and even with a lot of practice, it's very easy to screw a pass up. Those batons are slick (especially when it's wet out), and they weigh next to nothing. The only way to ensure a good pass is to smack it into the other persons hand. It can't simply be placed in their hand, or it will drop.

To be fair, this is the Olympic games we're talking about, these athletes are supposed to be the best of the best of the best. They should have had the take-over practised so they oculd do them with their eyes shut. I'd be totally ashamed of myself if I were their coach because someboday hasn't done their job there. If I can compare it to the swimming (because I'm a former swimmer myself) in those take-overs your feet halve to be touching the blocks as the incoming swimmer touches the wall, but you can have a 0.00 reaction time, so effectively you have already left the diving block before the incoming swimmer has finished his swim. If you mess it up, you get disqualified, as they have done in the athletics. Now I'm talking about both American and British teams cause they all messed it up. In the swimming they have practised those take-overs so much that they can make that 0.00 reaction time over and over again. It's a fundamental part of the sport, so they should have done it over and over again. It's like going to do a gig and not having practised any of the songs, or knowing the middles, but not knowing how any of the songs start or finish.

The coaches have got some serious work to do it would seem.

[Sig Saucer]

I agree with Blonde Bassist

If you get paid (especially if you get paid millions) to do what you do, then you better do it right. Michael Phelps didn't get $1 million bonus from Speedo for nothing, you know.

[ROON]

Originally Posted by Blonde Bassist

To be fair, this is the Olympic games we're talking about, these athletes are supposed to be the best of the best of the best. They should have had the take-over practised so they oculd do them with their eyes shut. I'd be totally ashamed of myself if I were their coach because someboday hasn't done their job there. If I can compare it to the swimming (because I'm a former swimmer myself) in those take-overs your feet halve to be touching the blocks as the incoming swimmer touches the wall, but you can have a 0.00 reaction time, so effectively you have already left the diving block before the incoming swimmer has finished his swim. If you mess it up, you get disqualified, as they have done in the athletics. Now I'm talking about both American and British teams cause they all messed it up. In the swimming they have practised those take-overs so much that they can make that 0.00 reaction time over and over again. It's a fundamental part of the sport, so they should have done it over and over again. It's like going to do a gig and not having practised any of the songs, or knowing the middles, but not knowing how any of the songs start or finish.

The coaches have got some serious work to do it would seem.

Yes, I'm sure in your swimming career you never made a single mistake.

Slip ups are a part of what makes sport interesting. If everyone was performing 100% every game there'd be no fun in watching it.

[Sig Saucer]

Originally Posted by ROON

Yes, I'm sure in your swimming career you never made a single mistake.

Slip ups are a part of what makes sport interesting. If everyone was performing 100% every game there'd be no fun in watching it.

I understand reacting a little late, not running as fast as possible, and a last .01 second beat. That's a whole lot different than dropping a baton. At least slow down so you can make it to the finish line!

I also heard that the U.S. Softball team screwed up for the first time, and that was in the gold medal match!

[ROON]

Originally Posted by Sig Saucer

I understand reacting a little late, not running as fast as possible, and a last .01 second beat. That's a whole lot different than dropping a baton. At least slow down so you can make it to the finish line!

I also heard that the U.S. Softball team screwed up for the first time, and that was in the gold medal match!

Relay runners drop batons all the time. It's very easy to sit at home and think "man you'd have to suck to drop that", but they are in front of hundreds of thousands of people, the pressure would be immense. It's dissapointing, yeah, but there is no need to put them down for it. And ever more stupidly, blame the coach for something which is out of his control. After all he's not the one exchanging the baton, it's up to the athletes.

[ThunderLizard]

We don't need to make an arms race out of the Olympics. Let's take the medal counting out and celebrate the athletes, no matter who wins.

[Sig Saucer]

Originally Posted by ThunderLizard

We don't need to make an arms race out of the Olympics. Let's take the medal counting out and celebrate the athletes, no matter who wins.

I agree

So should we count the medals with gold medals or total medals?