Are You Planning to Watch the Olympics?

[LauraGigs]

A live update from the '67 Summer Bro-lympics!*



"That victory scream ― that is the scream that rang in his ears 4 years ago not once but twice.

This is a very aggressive position. He likes to be in this position ― he doesn't go out that fast.

This is why he is so so good.  He knows how to do this just perfectly.  His real key is that pump.  It just blisters the field.  Looking very good and very much in control.

You see him right there . . .  a combination of speed off the blocks and that Greg Louganis-like entry.  Like I said, that low center of mass so he can get in and pop up right away.  He's quick off those blocks.  Watch him.  Just explodes ― he has that perfect entry.  You see that?

That's where he's so good.  Nice tight and low and then look.  Quick pop up there, you 'll see this, boom!  And then once he comes up he has a narrow stroke . . ."


*Actual NBC commentary from the Men's 100m Freestyle Competition August 14, 2008.

[Artiste]

Which persons are in that pic?

[optom3]

A live update from the '67 Summer Bro-lympics!*



"That victory scream ― that is the scream that rang in his ears 4 years ago not once but twice.

This is a very aggressive position. He likes to be in this position ― he doesn't go out that fast.

This is why he is so so good.  He knows how to do this just perfectly.  His real key is that pump.  It just blisters the field.  Looking very good and very much in control.

You see him right there . . .  a combination of speed off the blocks and that Greg Louganis-like entry.  Like I said, that low center of mass so he can get in and pop up right away.  He's quick off those blocks.  Watch him.  Just explodes ― he has that perfect entry.  You see that?

That's where he's so good.  Nice tight and low and then look.  Quick pop up there, you 'll see this, boom!  And then once he comes up he has a narrow stroke . . ."


*Actual NBC commentary from the Men's 100m Freestyle Competition August 14, 2008.

Your post made me chuckle, could you not have stopped the frame a few milliseconds earlier.It would have been good to judge the body angle as they hit the water.
Legs satright, and of course not too deep on entry.

[injest]

LOL!!

Good job, Laura!

[delalluvia]

I wish you yanks would get ahead of China in the medal tally. You're the only ones who can do it. Maybe in the track and field you will do it, I hope so. That would piss them right off.....

I don't care who does it as long as it's not the Chinese.  We're pretty good at track and field.  We'll see what happens.

I don't blame the Chinese girls for this debacle.  10-15 years from now, if China keeps getting Westernized, there will be - mark my words - some sad Sports Illustrated article about one of these girls who will confess how - as a child of 12-14 - she was made to lie about her age so she could compete.

She's in China!  What are they going to do?  Say no?  In one story, I guess was meant to be inspiring but sounded more like child abuse to me - one little gymnast wanted to quit.  She was a long way from home, away from her friends and family, subjected to a harsh disciplined athletic program day in day out and she finally broke down and called the people she thought she could rely on, who loved her and would help her.  Her parents.  She called and asked to come home.  They said no. 

She was a little girl.  Who was she going to turn to next?

And now?  So what if she's a champion?  She's a stranger now to the people who should have been the most important in her life and probably on some level feels betrayed by them.

Sad and tragic. 

What's worse is that the whole world is caught up in not saying anything bad about a 'host' while they are in their country, and so remain silent.  Luckily the journalists aren't as polite.

[Brown Eyes]

I agree that it's absolutely not the fault of those little Chinese girls.  How could it be?  I feel terribly sorry for them.  They thought they did their best and it becomes a big scandal.  And they're sooo young... it would be really hard to deal with this kind of scrutiny at that age.

It's the fault of the adults and the government who were using them.  Even if the girls are 16, they're still nothing but children really.  The scandal really should fall on the shoulders of the trainers, coaches and government that would manipulate them.

All the girls did was train really hard and become very good athletes just like they were supposed to.  Even if they're technically too young, they are very good athletes as individuals, and they really can't be faulted for that.

I do think it amounts to a form of child abuse to put children in a situation like this... where they're open to ridicule and international scrutiny (in addition to whatever training regimens might or might not be good for them physically and emotionally).

[optom3]

I don't care who does it as long as it's not the Chinese.  We're pretty good at track and field.  We'll see what happens.

I don't blame the Chinese girls for this debacle.  10-15 years from now, if China keeps getting Westernized, there will be - mark my words - some sad Sports Illustrated article about one of these girls who will confess how - as a child of 12-14 - she was made to lie about her age so she could compete.

She's in China!  What are they going to do?  Say no?  In one story, I guess was meant to be inspiring but sounded more like child abuse to me - one little gymnast wanted to quit.  She was a long way from home, away from her friends and family, subjected to a harsh disciplined athletic program day in day out and she finally broke down and called the people she thought she could rely on, who loved her and would help her.  Her parents.  She called and asked to come home.  They said no. 

She was a little girl.  Who was she going to turn to next?

And now?  So what if she's a champion?  She's a stranger now to the people who should have been the most important in her life and probably on some level feels betrayed by them.

Sad and tragic. 

What's worse is that the whole world is caught up in not saying anything bad about a 'host' while they are in their country, and so remain silent.  Luckily the journalists aren't as polite.

I heard that story about the little girl whose parents would not let her come home.She was portrayed as the hope for improving the whole families future.I could not supress a cynical quip, along the lines of what family, she hasn't had any real contact with them since she was 3.
We are however dealing with a country who decreed women were allowed to have only one child, and where accidental 2nd children were left in street gutters to die !

I have to keep a careful eye on my kids tennis and gymnastics  coaches to make sure they ar not piling too much pressure on.There is a fine line between encouragement and boot camp pressure.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Tell you what, that whole business of medal tally by country is another thing that pisses me off.

I realize it's unavoidable, and perhaps it's even human nature to do this sort of thing, so I can't even really blame the media for it, but I still think it's contrary to what I believe is supposed to be the spirit of the Olympics.

Like, what, Country A is better than Country B because Country A's athletes win more medals? Bullshit.

[LauraGigs]

I agree about the young gymnasts; they probably have some interesting tales to be told if the chance ever comes.

China must have some talented gymnasts 16 and over.  But they were passed over in favor of these young ones, losing their chance to represent on the world stage.  What were they — over the hill?  I feel the worst for them.

[injest]

Tell you what, that whole business of medal tally by country is another thing that pisses me off.

I realize it's unavoidable, and perhaps it's even human nature to do this sort of thing, so I can't even really blame the media for it, but I still think it's contrary to what I believe is supposed to be the spirit of the Olympics.

Like, what, Country A is better than Country B because Country A's athletes win more medals? Bullshit.

yeah and I always feel so BAD for the countries that have never won one...but they show up anyway..

one DID win this time though...(I dont remember which one though)