blonde poker forum

Is it just me, or does anyone else love the Olympics?  Two weeks of wall-to-wall sport.

I'm looking forward to all the athletics (which I enjoy outside the Olympics anyway), but it's the events I only watch when it's the Olympics, such as the weightlifting, gymnastics and cycling (we should win some medals in that as well) that make it special.  Won't be watching the sailing or the equestrian events, although I'll probably be watching most of the rest.

The Olympics are awesome, only time I get genuinely interested in swimming, the tiathlon and cycling amongst other things. Although that dressage semms pointless! I can remember as a seven year old during the Seoul Olympics in 88' getting up at 3a.m or there abouts to watch whatever they were showing. From memory my favourite has to be the 1992 Olympics purely for the success of GB.

If im being honest i much prefer the winter olympics.. none of the sports really excite me barring perhaps womens gymnastics and volleyball.

I watched some of the athletics from Crystal Palace on the telly on Friday night and thought the organisational skills shown were a vindication of the decision to award London the Olympics when they managed to put the hurdles in the wrong place for the first leg of the heptathlon. Eight athletes all coming to the third set of hurdles finding their stride patterns were completely out of sync - brilliant.

Athletics within the Olympics is good to watch, as it's what the sport is all about, but I just don't see the point of it outside the major championships. Essentially, the whole 'season' is just a warmup. It's like if football teams played nine months of pre-season friendlies to warmup for two league games in May which decide the champions.

I do think the British athletics squad for this year is the least obnoxious I can remember, seeing as we're rubbish at sprinting again.

And Kelly Sotherton, obv.

Also, don't the Olympics totally not work for people with jobs this year from a time difference perspective - all in the middle of the night and morning?

Yeah think the day finishes about 5pm GMT. So...

bbc steaming/iplayer/nightly highlights show at somwehere around 7pm-8pm ftw

Can't wait for the Olympics, I love it aswell. I'm a big athletics fan but I also love watching other random stuff that I would never normally watch, like Cycling, Gymnastics and the lovely Gail Emms in the Badminton ;kev;

I was chatting with a couple of mates the other day about it.  One said that he wasn't fussed so me and my other mate disowned him briefly!  Totally love it, I'll watch anything in it, it's a great opportunity to watch sports that you never otherwise see and I can't wait. 

The timings are ok for us here, we have a telebox so will have it on in the mornings :)

most of it's pretty good but they should definitely ditch the swimming, utterly boring and the coverage goes on for hours. or at least make the girls wear bikinis.

I'm hoping the baseball gets some decent coverage. also looking forward to footy, hockey, tennis, cycling (road, track, bmx and mountain), boxing and of course the beach volleyball.

Agree with you about the swimming totally

I love the swimming commentary  ''and its Van den Hoogenband approaching the line''...

I have never, ever, seen any Olympics baseball shown on British telly.

Even with all the extra interactive and streaming coverage this year I think you'll be lucky to see baseball.

My old housemate used to be a competitive swmmer and just missed out on the Olympics and I was force fed swimming during the Olympics, still not a big fan. You should have seen some of the women he invited to his wedding, stunning women with shoulders like Arnie.

I love the Olympics, Kelly Holmes and the sprint relay team last time round had me screaming as much as any footy match

Oh and watching America get spanked in the basketball was good too

after this years Olympics someone will be a houehold name,Victoria Pendleton should do very well,shes a very attractive intelligent girl with a lovely personality,
but Rebecca Romerro could be the 1 who has the glory for me, i have read she looks nailed on to win gold in the woman's individual persuit ,cycling,she had to retire from rowing because of a back injury after she won a silver in the rowing at the last olympics, to win a medal in 2 different sports at the olympics is a fantastic achievement,so i couldn't believe the odds of 40/1 for Rebecca to be sportsman of the year,littlie saver on Pendleton as well

I know, it sucks. that's why I'm merely hoping to see it rather than actually looking forward to it as with the other sports.

the coverage has been so bad since it became an olympic sport 16 years ago that I'd imagine most people wouldn't realise it is one. come on BBC, scrap a bit of swimming, show some baseball, you know it makes sense.

I bet softball gets more coverage though

Just about no one is interested in either baseball or softball at the Olympics - which is why they've been thrown out.

that's a really strange one as nothing ever gets voted out of the olympics and they'll probably both be back for 2016 so just missing London

It'll be interesting to see if China finally overtake America at the top of the medals leaderboard. I believe they're odds on (just) on Betfair. I read somewhere that they've only got one favourite in the track and field events (men's 110m hurdles) so they'll have to make that up somewhere. Where are their strengths then?

Btw does anyone else have the 2008 Olympics video game, I got it a few weeks agi and it's addictive and frustrating at the same time as some of the events are dman near impossible imo.

Yeah looking forward to it, esp Wheelchair Rugby aka Murderball http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436613/ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436613/)

I detest the swimming commentary with a passion.  Such a cliquey, sycophantic load of drivel.  

Compare that to the pure theatre that is the weightlifting and the commentary that goes with that.  To be honest, the football at the Olympics doesn't interest me that much.  It doesn't seem quite right.  I'll watch it though.

Looking forward to Usain Bolt doing a 100m/200m double - that's if he actually runs both.  Will Powell bottle it again in the final as he always does, or will it be a proper 100m final?  If they both perform the world record could certainly be smashed.  Also looking forward to seeing Kenenisa Bekele showing why he's one of the best track long-distance runners of all time.

Team GB isn't the strongest in the athletics.  Idowu in the triple jump is a favourite for the gold.  Hope he gets a decent first round jump in, otherwise he might bottle it (although he managed to pull out a good late jump at the weekend for a change).  Paula Radcliffe would have been a strong favourite for the marathon gold if she hadn't been injured.  I really hope she's fit and ready in time, but it's not looking promising.  

Kelly Sotherton is also a favourite, and I hope she doesn't balls it up.  No Kluft anymore, so it looks like it's Kelly's to lose.  She actually looks a woman as well, which is a bonus.

(http://www.yorkshiresoul.org/kelly%20sotherton.jpg)

This is part of the problem with the swimming.  It's easy for a team to have half a dozen swimmers who can easily get 20 medals between them.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese have focused on the swimming, gymnastics, and other such events that create lots of medals. 

In the athletics, it could be very interesting.  Like you said, they have the hurdler but no one else of note otherwise.  You wouldn't be surprised if they managed to suddenly produce some world class athletes in some of the events though.

What date is the darts being played?  ;whistle;

We should have brought darts and snooker into the 2012 games.

And take snooker back out by 2020 when it will be dominated by Asian countries!

there were 2 spare slots for sports in 2012 but for some reason thely were not filled, I assume no suitable sports applied. probably too late now though

Poker?

:D

Look out for the diving. The Chinese normally dominate this. Their divers are treated as super stars in China. GB has a young lad, Thomas Daley who could sneak a medal.

The GB cycling team should be real success.

We normally pick up medals in pigeon shooting!!

Is it still a primary goal for APAT?

No, a kindergarten goal.

(wishes he had proof read that section before launch..........)

I was watching the coverage of the CP grand prix on Saturday and both Roger Black and Colin Jackson were of the opinion that we'd win four track and field medals. Idowu, Sotherton, Women's 4x400 and a.n.other that I can't remember (perhaps women's 400m?).

Enjoy playing it on the playstation but it can be i do find it very boring on TV.
I enjoy watching the events we're expected to do well at (rowing, cycling, sailing) and enjoy a decent 4 x X00m relay but most of it doesn't bother me.
Shame that Zara Philips isn't going would have liked to see a Royal win Gold.

The BBC needs to get some decent presenters and pundits too. Johnson is usually alright and doesn't sit on the fence and just pat the athletes on the back.
Colin Jackson is a bore and that Scottish woman that presents it (Hazel?) makes me want to break my tv.

Must have been Ohuruogu in the 400m. 

Still, 4/5 medals isn't exactly brilliant.  Suppose if they manage to win 3 golds, then it'd be a very good result.

GB won 11 golds overall in 2000 -  we got two in the athletics (Edwards and Lewis). 
9 golds in 2004 - 3 in athletics (Two for Kelly Holmes and one for the 4x100m team).

So, if we can at least a couple of golds and a few more medals, then it'll be a success.  Again, it's a shame Radcliffe hasn't been fit to train 100% as well.

Looking forward to it, its sport after all.

Athletics, Swimming, Boxing, Football, Tennis and anything else that GB stand a chance of winning a medal in.

I will be giving the Gymnastics a miss, i don't why but the sports bores me senseless.

Frankie Gavin to be the star of the olympics (boxer)

I love it also. Cycling I've really gotten into as a spectator with little knowledge. It's just great to watch.

All I hope for in athletics is a fast 100m winner and no drugs tests being failed.

Oh an the footy looks like it could be very good!

It has the potential to be a belting 100m. Could be three or four guys well under 10secs. Surely Bolt will be running!! Surely!! Also no British sprinters to make the final.

Bit worried about the time of day they're all going to be on - I'd gues about 8am to 5pm?

2a.m-4pm most days. Schedule can be found on bbc and the official website. Luckily (or unlucky if you're at a football match) the men's 100m final is on a saturday afternoon

Isinbayeva has broken the pole vault world record again.  She has to be a huge favourite.

Its started!



.....so who do we fancy in the Ladies Footy ? ;)

The good-looking ones ldo...

Germany to win womens soccer. Boring but true as USA lost their best striker :(

bring on the swiming

(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44895000/jpg/_44895846_beard_ap.jpg)


And the beach volleyball

(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44895000/jpg/_44895847_cheerleaders_get.jpg)

...and the women's weightlifting.

(http://images.beijing2008.cn/20070925/Img214165841.jpg)

 

Clean and Jerk


Jerk and Clean

 ;tightend; ;tightend; ;tightend; rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao

So who do we think is the tottee in the British Team? I have to say I have a soft spot for the Gail Emms the badminton chick, also Kelly Sotherton has the potential the be the pin up girl for the British Team but she doesn'tmake the most of herself IMO, prefers to stay plain on the track. A few years ago when she was blonde she was way hotter, and I've seen her dressed up with some subtle make up on and she looked reaalllyyyy gooooooood.......

Victoria Pendleton

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/graphics/2008/05/03/sm_pendleton03.jpg)

Yeah shes pretty nice aswell, I'd say the same about her as Kelly Sotherton actually

Anyone of the penthaletes or show jumpers in jodphurs.

Female ones only, obv.

Rachel Holley ... ok she is only a groom, but check her out after about 1 minute on this clip

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/7545130.stm


Clare Balding need not apply !!

Snatch.

not even in a combo with Rachel?


good researching btw.

Where?

*takes off 'lookers', puts on 'readers'*

for those with time on their hands

name and website address of middle ladies volleyball player please

They are actually the beach volleyball cheer leaders ... heres hoping that the tv director is a pervert ;)

I'm sure there's some joke in here about kev trawling weddings looking for good looking grooms but I cba to find it

still hot!!!

(http://www.virginmedia.com/microsites/tvradio/slideshow/female-sports-presenters/img_12.jpg)

I've quickly scanned the GB team, and this lot is the best at first glance:

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=6673

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=6706

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=6716

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=6850

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=5587

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=6692

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=6397

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=6672

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=5585


..of course, saving the best till last:


http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/AthleteProfile.aspx?id=6662

Synchronised swimming and modern pentathlon are marked as "Must Watch" ;)

What about the judo?

:dontask:

you turn over to the Judo when you hear footsteps on the landing  ... dont wanna get caught watching the synchronised swimming ;)

[  ] Post delivered

No Lee McConnell, u must be joking, should see her in make up and a dress, well hot.

Of those you've listed synchronised swimmer Jenna FTW.

Sorry, I'll list the men later.

Frankie Gavin doesn't make his weight so won't compete.
1 expected medal gone already.

FFS, not making the weight is pretty inexcusable for any boxer, but for a 23 year old who probably has been eyeing up the Olympics for a couple of years, its plain stupid.

I know he has been struggling for a while, as he bought in Hattons dietician to help shed the last few pounds. But yeah as has been said pretty inexcusable not to get down to the weight for something like the olympics.

Surely he could have just done a bit of skipping - look at him, he's so close.

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1300000/images/_1300153_esch_19963000.jpg)

Butterbean!!  He was a legend.

Argentina- Ivory Coast..what a game!

He does mixed martial arts now, people dont realise he was actually technically very good and had lightning fast hands. Just a shame he was so unfit.

Forget the boxing, I am on the way to see the artistic gymnastics.  :)

PS Hello from Beijing.
 :hello:

It's nearly two o'clock in the morning.

Why the hell am I watching dressage?

Ban.

Also imprison please, visiting a gaming website

Word reaches me that Ed Debaes is a member of the Tibet Liberation Front (Death to Beijing Division).

[ ] Dressage is high octane interesting sporting spectacle.
[X] Daisy Dick is a great name.

There is some quality dirty camera work going on at the beach volleyball. Slightly disapointed with the quality of the Belgian team.

Just marvelling at the level of attention that has gone into running these olympics and the industriousness the Chinese have in executing their duties.

Womens weightlifting - the woman who cleans the floor between each weightlifter and the men who change the weights. They have it down to a fine art and their entry on and off the stage is almost choreographed. 

Fantastic chinese dragon act before the medal ceremony - amazing to think there are 2 people in that costume as they tumble so accurately together as one person. 

Also - The Koreans have brought their own chalk or whatever it is with them and the man holding the chalk bag looks as if his life depends on it. I wonder how he was selected for his duties?

There should be a documentary on how the 'little' people got their jobs - not just the atheletes. How did that woman get the job of cleaning the floor? I'm sure I have a very dated impression on how the Chinese are - but in my mind I can see a whole selection process just for the floor cleaner because the eyes of the world are watching.

Shocked at the grey sky that is dominating proceedings - is it a bad weather day or is that really smog?

Day 1 of the Olympics and I am on Brit tilt already !!


Fkin swimmers ... interview after interview with British failures after their swims and they say things like "Nothing seemed to feel right, oh well I enjoyed it"  or ... "I didnt qualify, but i fancied a swim and its all good experience"

FUCK OFF ... Its the biggest day of your sporting life, if you come out of that pool with enough breath left in your body to do a coherent interview, you havent tried hard enough ... and if you just fancied a swim ... get down to the leisure centre and spend £3 instead of the umpteen thousands to send you mugs to Beijing.

Sums up the "Oh well, nevermind" mentality of losers.


Send them home !!

90% of our olympians seem to go there just thinking it's enough just to be there,this is a shit attitude to have i wouldn't waste my time going to anything that i didn't think i could win,except the ec tourney but that was free  ;) ;)

This year the British team have had a policy of sending people to Beijing who, whilst not expected to win anything this time, are expected to feature strongly in 2012, to give them experience.

lol

Kev for swim coach.

I guarentee that we will do just as poorly in 4 years time as we do this year.We just don't have the correct winning attitude as is the same with most sports we compete in.

if people who didn't think they could win stayed at home you'd have about 5 people in each event.

mond, there is no way in the world that if you were selected for the olympics in something but you knew you couldn't win it that you wouldn't bother going

  i seriously wouldnt

 rotflmfao

By could win i mean compete, as in actually believe i had a chance and when ive done shit and came 6/8 in the 1st heat i wouldn't go and do an interview and have a smile on my face saying well that was great at least i got here, wtf is the point in that? I wouldn't dedicate my life to being in a sport that i am not even good enough to make it to the final.

I guess you disagree with this ??

Sorry, I thought you meant it as a joke.  ;shame;

Resigning to defeat and complaining about a lack of winning attitude in the same breath.

Just wondered what u ment m8, I see your point about my post but i resign to defeat because i know that those who will be competing in 4 years time believe that it's enough just to qualify for the event they participate in and won't have any belief that they could actually win.

Great post Kev, couldn't agree more.

Yes you would.  You'd also back yourself to win at the same time.

Made a £20 bet with my cousin that team GB don't win 10golds in Beijing.Which would others pick 10+ or less ?

10+ FTW, it's not all track and field. Our cyclists rule and a few more could come from sailing/rowing. Probably other sports where a gold could be delivered too.

Will be close imo we got 9 in 04 and 11 in 00.We have quite a few decent boxers as well i believe

10 is a good number.

I'd take the under if I were betting, but am rooting for the over. Come on Team GB


Who do you guys like in USA vs China?

China, got the lot on

Mary King could sneak the individual gold in the Equestrian after a great performance in the dressage  ;cheerleader;

Gold!

fantastic ride by Nicole Cooke in the Womens Cycling road race!

very exciting finish.

brilliant

She was brilliant.  With about 400m to go I thought she'd blown it as she dropped off the pace into 5th.  But she rode it perfectly, and dare I suggest the weather was in her favour?  I'd like to see the same conditions for the women's marathon as well.

10 golds?  I reckon we can do that.  We have something like 9 world champions in the velodrome, rowing we might get 1 or 2, sailing maybe another 1 or 2.  Hopefully at least one of our boxers can pull out a great performance and get a gold.  Athletics, Idowu should be a shoo-in (but you never know with him), Sotherton could get another.  A fit Radcliffe would be a strong favourite, but as she's been injured during her preparation and might not even run we don't really know in that one.  Outside that there's the badminton where we might get medals but probably not gold. 

Also, what about the Murrays in the tennis?

It will be close i think it will be 9-11 so see what happens

Well done nicole cooke also thought she'd blown it.

Does it annoy you when your watching coverage and the commentator doesn't have a clue whats going on?

I am watching the mens weightlifting just now - commentator knows not much!

LONG Qingquan - very impressive in the Snatch.  I think there is another 3kg there easily wouldn't be surprised to se him break the world record at the next world championships.  And he's still only a baby at 17 years old.  He has just broke the junior world record and his technique and look remind me very much of the great Halil Mutlu.  Superb lifting!

Yeah, he will be unstoppable when he gets to London in 4 years.

I fooking love the weightlifting I do.

Agreed mate. 

I used to compete and won a number of tilties at National and British level but this is a whole new level.  I was in the 105 kg + and my scottish record and british junior records are only 5kg more than what this boy lifted in the snatch.  LOL - sick.  I don't know if I still hold the records last time I competed was around 6 years ago.  But its still sick.

LONG Qingquan very strong in the jerk, big weights there is he can come through the clean.  I think 160 could be his max here though but so impressive for a 17 year old.

Ohh the Vietnameese (sp) fella has a very strong C&J and was only 2.5kg behind in the snatch, could be a challenger for overall gold here.

still hate the swimming but what the usa just did was incredible. their B team just broke the 4x100 freestyle world record in the heat. they have 4 better swimmers to bring in for the final.

aussies in 2nd place in the same heat also broke the old wr with only 2 of their top 4 in the team.

french then react in the next heat by going within .1s of the new wr

brits take 5 seconds off the national record coming 4th to qualify for the final but kev will still think they weren't trying

actually having watched a bit of the swimming this morning I can confirm that kev is talking out of his arse, every brit I've seen so far has swam a pb with british and commonwealth records being broken all over the shop

No  I think they heard about Kevs criticism and realised they had to buck their ideas up.

Any medals we get in swimming now we can thank Kev for.

Swimming, Poker what else is kev going to tell people they aren't doing their best in?

• loving the swimming.

It's all about the new hi-tech trunks innit. Records records records

more chance of kinboshi raisin apot

they are all just doing there job 

And thats how it should be, the first day was a joke and the after failure interviews were disgraceful, maybe someone fired a rocket up the swimming teams arses... and quite rightly so.

PB's and British records should fall at an olympics ... if you cant fire yourself up for the greatest show on earth then you shouldnt be involved in competitive sport.

I posted about the swimming because i care ... I posted about your donk off in the GUKPT because I care, i want you to fkin win one of these !!

Britain on two Golds - 2nd won in the pool! Decent race

Phelps is on 2 out of 2 but that was an amazing relay race. World Record smashed and last leg had to claw France back

Great stuff from our two women in the pool.  In that one race we've already bettered our medal-haul in the pool from the last Olympics.  Good finish to the race as well.

It's all down to Kev and his motivational post on Saturday.

+1

Before Kev's post Rebecca Adlington said that she was mainly there for the experience.

After Kev's post and after she won she said she was disappointed with her time.

I think there's only one logical conclusion we can draw from that.

ColchKev CoachKev

:)up

when asked to comment by BBC Radio Solent, Mr Shepherd, 52, from Portsmouth said

"It is simply not good enough, the least I expected was that our two swimmers in the 400m free dead-heated for first and thus we received two golds. As it is Joanne finished third for a paltry bronze. Why oh why are we such losers? I am going to rip up my TV licence, if I have one"

lol

Meanwhile as the GB Mens rowing eight wins their heat beating reigning Olympic and World Champiopns the USA, to go straight into Sunday's final Shepherd, 56, commented

"Its all well and good those eight big guys rowing hard but wtf is that small fella doing? Facing the wrong way, and not even rowing! Why couldn't he bulk up like the others, get in the gym, get some food down him? It's typical Britain, blokes sponging off the others and taking a free ride. You don't see any other countries doing this"

As young diving star Tom Daley and his partner came eighth in the pairs synchronised diving Shepherd, 61, said

"He's 14, what do we expect? Ask a boy to do a man's job. Bloody selectors. Come back in four years when you are ready son and get back on your BMX down the skateboard park with the other chavs"

What does Mr Shepherd (67) say about Frankie Gavin then?

Colchester Kev's coaching methods for swimmers are the most unorthodox since Len Fairclough from Corrie.

Frankie Gavin, Britian's best hope of a boxing medal, was sent home after failing to make his weight pre-competition

Mr Shepherd, 71, speaking on ESPN's "Ask the Pundit to talk bollocks, loudly" said

"Frankie? What sort of name is Frankie? I guarantee if he had called himself Francis he'd have had more self-discipline and left the fucking Snickers bars alone in the Village's Mini Bar and vending machines. Amateur. It's a life stuffing Pork sausages for you son"

(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2008/08/10/spanishbasketballteam.jpg)

WTF?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/10/olympics2008.olympicsbasketball

Not just the last Olympics, we've not won a gold in swimming for about 40 years

Just to p1ss Kev off:

Tom Daley our 14 year old diver.....

"I really enjoyed myself and had so much fun out there," he said.

"That is all you can ask for getting the experience of it. We prepared like a normal competition and we treated it like a normal competition.

"It was just the fact it wasn't our day today, we just had a bad day."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/diving/7552526.stm

[  ] Murray did well

[X] He's Scottish again

Goodhew and Moorhouse.  We have won golds, but that's the first from a woman for 40 years.

[ x ] British if he can win the doubles with his brother

[  ] I meant women

lol

to quote

"I've seen mad Aunts at playing Cluedo at Christmas with more intensity than Murray showed"

What did CoachKev think?

:dontask:

US Open in a fortnight isnt it ? ..

[ ] He'll win that

[X] still hasn't worked out how to put crosses in boxes properly

ffs, even boldie can do it

Great stuff in the pool this morning ... attitude attitude attitude. If you go in with the mindset that you are there to make up the numbers, thats exactly what you will do.

14 year old diver ??  well that just shows how good the media machine is in this country, that little brat has been on every news bulletin, every newspaper, every tv programme for months and months. The fact that it was a PAIR competing in the event didnt seem to register with anyone, everyone knows Tom Daley's name, no one knows the name of his partner.  They came last, GOOD ... Maybe that media exposure will now be switched to people who actually exceed expectations and are winners.

British mentality in sport and so many other areas is to "Root for the underdog" ... fuck that, lets root for winners.

He's expected to do better in the solo event. Still fun to watch.

On that note, Kev will now no longer support Spurs and can be seen at Old Trafford from now on.

lololol

It would be funny if he went on to win the solo now!

He's a 14 year old boy - he's going to have much more experience of doing it on his own than doing it with someone else.

Well don't criticise things you don't understand!!

Listen, if Lucy Rokach had made the play you did at the weekend, you would have been one of the first in line with the sarcastic comment... FACT !

[  ] gatso uses punctuation and grammar correctly and shouldn't be throwing stones whilst in a glass house.

[X] Kin used a spell check on that.

As I understand "[  ]" at the start of a line denotes that the poster thinks that what goes after the empty box is not a true statement.


I wouldn't have had a problem with that.

The sentence contained an additional point though, somewhat clumsily phrased I might add, but that's just personal preference.


What we have here is a double negative.


Now let's try an exercise...

Is the sentiment I am expressing below negative or positive?


[   ] I don't think that Kbosh is not a tattyhead. NOT!

so should I be throwing stones or not? I'd like to throw them at kinboshi if at all possible

I vote yes...in fact I think we should do it while he runs the London Marathon next year.

[  ] I'm not up for that

That's the spirit, the blonde community pulling together to give Kinboshi that added incentive to run faster. The quicker he finishes the less stones will hit him.

We only need Kev to give him a motivational talk before hand and he'd probably win it.

Agreed. So when is the London Marathon next year? Just so i can pencil it into my dairy...and what odds are Betfair offering on Kin winning it?

Tom Daley's diving partner was less than impressed.

"I didn't blow anything and so I can go home happy with my performance. Unfortunately it's a partnership, you both have to be on top of your game. I wasn't on top of my game but Tom was nowhere near the top of his."

Lucy would have got 85BB in on day 1 with K9 suited

Seeing as you explained the way the hand played off forum, I understand the way you played it now.  It was a hell of a lot different to the way it was reported.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080811/twl-olympic-fireworks-faked-for-tv-3fd0ae9.html

lol

Was just reading the same thing myself, I have to say I'm quite disappointed that they were fake.

On the plus side, we can cut our opening budget now (what we have of it...) and just use a load of CGI  ;)

When I watched that part of it I distinctly remember thinking, "that's good graphics".

I can't remember exactly what it was, but there was one specific point in them which made me think they couldn't be a live shot.

+1

it was as they panned through the city showing the various arenas IIRC. fireworks going up from each arena. def didn't ever give the impression of being an actual display

Could they CGI Rebbeca Adlington good looking?

I guess he wasn't too keen on it then?

:dontask:

Silver Medal for Scots fella in the down the creek in a small pointy boat with one oar competition  ;applause; ;applause; ;applause;

pretty sure he was british

Nope, he was Scottish.

A British competitor wouldn't have been so tight and would have bought another oar to go faster. :)

First the fireworks, now a case of the Milli Vanillis:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7556058.stm

rotflmfao Them Chinese are something else.

Cracking game of badminton, gg wp Emms and Robinson

+1 was glued to that and not because Gail Emms is hot!

So this wasn't you?;

"Did she use her racket on the cock, did she?...Did she?...Suits her! Watch her spank that shuttle cock...hit it, Gail, hit it....!"

Can't believe you backed down! I personally think Flushy did a Mike Matusow blowup and if he'd have had a PRO railer like Kev by his side then the mistake would've never been made... P.S I fold A3, but I am a Mug!

Gritty is the best word to describe those two.  Love to see them win a gold after their silver last time.

Equestrian question: Are the horses born & breed in the country they are competing for?

No, its nationality by rider

the horses are generally bred in a few centres, notably France and Ireland for European teams.

New Zealand also has huge tradition of show jumping stock.

the badminton earlier was sensational, a real highlight of the games so far. they were dead and buried at 12-17 in the last set.

Is that a case of the wealthiest buying the best horses?

well its generally quite well spread amongst the major nations. Obviously the whole sport is "old" money and attracts a lot of sponsors. The sponsors can also buy the horses eg "Everest double glazing xxx" and then do deals with the riders to ride the horses for them

Bronze medal in the team event, well done!

+1

Did we seriously have a rider in our team called Daisy Dick?  What a great name!

Gymnastics accident

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN-jGNWM9jo




 rotflmfao rotflmfao

WOW..that can't be right.....and he buggered up his landing.

Looks like a Silver for Emma Pooley in the Women's Time Trial.

Yip, silver.

Plenty more GB cycling medals to come on the track mehopes.

The question is 'how many'?  We have something like 9 world champs (or something like that), so we should be looking at at least 5?  Or is that too optimistic?

Not sure what the target was for the cycling, but the cycle team seems to be in prime form, expect hatfulls of medals.

Rowers seem to have come in to form at the right time, they need to convert into Golds in the Finals  :)up

Don't let Kev hear you being so defeatist.

Surely you mean we have 9 world champs, so we're expecting at least 12 golds.

I wonder what Kev has to say about people phoning their mum while in the middle of an olympic diving competition and then moaning about their partner thinking that that's unacceptable.

Great text been sent in to the BBC website:

"Well done, Michael Phelps. I wonder how many Carl Lewis would have won if there were medals for running in slightly different, inefficient ways."

+1 The massive medal haul doesn't mean nearly as much as Carl Lewis' did IMO.

Why?

Does he swim bad then?

Simply because there are a ridiculous amount of medals being given to Swimmers (oh boy, i can feel the wrath of the world coming here) it is indeed almost getting to the stage where you would include a "walking backwards" event in Track and Field. Phelps is one of the, if not the, best swimmer in the world...but the amount of events he can win a medal in for what is, essentially, the same sport is too long to be on a par with Carl Lewis. Carl also has less "team" medals to his name.

Carl Lewis' list;

1984 23 Track & Field 100m Men GOLD USA 9.99
1984 23 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.54
1984 23 Track & Field 200m Men GOLD USA 19.80
1984 23 Track & Field 4x100m Relay Men GOLD USA 37.83
1988 27 Track & Field 100m Men GOLD USA 9.92
1988 27 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.72
1988 27 Track & Field 200m Men SILVER USA 19.79
1992 31 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.67
1992 31 Track & Field 4x100m Relay Men GOLD USA 37.40
1996 35 Track & Field Long Jump Men GOLD USA 8.50


Phelp's List;

4×200 m Freestyle Relay (World Record)  
200m Butterfly Gold (World Record)
200 m Freestyle Gold (World Record)
4×100 m Freestyle Relay Gold (World Record)
400 m Individual Medley Gold (World Record)
Athens, 2004:

100 m Butterfly Gold (Olympic Record)
200 m Butterfly Gold (Olympic Record)
200 m Individual Medley Gold (Olympic Record)
400 m Individual Medley Gold (World Record)
4 x 100 m Medley Relay Gold
4 x 200 m Freestyle Relay Gold (American Record)
4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay Bronze
200 m Freestyle Bronze (American Record)

Daley Thompson is the greatest athlete in the world ever.

end of discussion.

Wouldn't disagree with that either TBH.

Phelps:
can do - Freestyle, Butterfly and Medley

Carl Lewis:
can do - running and long jump

But no combination event. Phelps win

Phelps:
can do - 100m, 200m and 400m

Carl Lewis:
can do - 100m and 200m

Phelps win

The events for Carl Lewis to have as much variety as Phelps are and were there - he just couldn't do them.

Why isn't there a 200m relay in athletics?  

60m event?

What about a 150m?

Maybe a 200m and 400m events, but running in a straight line, rather than round a track?


Phelps is brilliant, as was Lewis - both amongst the greatest Olympians.  Although it's definitely easier for a Phelps to win more medals than a Lewis.  

One of the British rowers (in fact it might have been Sir Steve) was lamenting on the fact that some single-scull rowing event wasn't included as an Olympic event, as two of our rowers would have been competing with each other for the gold.  Instead they had to row as a pair.

Another interesting thing, in the weightlifting, each country is only allowed to enter 4 or 5 competitors - so China for example, couldn't enter someone into every weight class - meaning they missed out on drug-enhanced medal opportunities.  

Roman Sebrle is better.

Jim Thorpe
After the 1912 Olympics, in which Thorpe won the decathlon and pentathlon, King Gustav V of Sweden called him "the greatest athlete in the world." True.


Thorpe could do it all in track and field, and he was the best football player of his era, leading the Carlisle Indian School team to the 1912 national college championship and the Canton Bulldogs to three unofficial pro titles between 1916 and 1919. Thorpe was an awesome runner, a tenacious tackler, and drop-kicked 50-yard field goals with ease. Thorpe also played baseball, putting in six major-league seasons with the Giants, Reds and Braves and hitting a career .252.


In 1950 Thorpe was named the best athlete of the first half of the 20th century.

Ahhhh!  The good old days...

I remember watching him live on Pay per View...good times indeed.

How has swimming got like this then?

On the track there is a distance. Get from the start to the finish as quick as possible.
In the pool it's not like that. Strokes that make you go slower have been encouraged.

Except when they put hurdles in the way.

Or a waterjump.

What a load of nonsense. Track athletes should be last in the queue behind gymnasts when it comes to moaning about how many medals the swimmers get.


So you're a sprinter, howzabout the...

100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles.

You feel hard done by coz there's no 60m?

I say go choose from one of the following...

High jumping into a lake, long jumping into a lake, hop skip and jumping into a lake, jumping with a stick into a lake.



If you want to compromise, I would be open to the idea of introducing a Sextathlon.

It's virtually impossible to do more then 2 individual track events though due to the amount of qualifying you have to wade through. Unlike the swimming where you can feasibly fit alot more individual events in. It's rare an athlete does more than 100 & 200 or say 400 and 800 add a relay to that. So its impossible to compare medal collections to how great someone is.

I'd agree.

In some Olympic sports, you can only concievably compete for one medal though. I'd say to boldie that if Phelps' medal tally doesn't mean he's the greatest Olympian of all time then why should Lewis's?

I'm not saying Lewis' medal tally means he's the greatest of all times (young Mr Thompson has a half say in that) I do however think Lewis' medal haul is more impressive than Phelps'

Sebrle > Thompson

They still go as quick as possible. Some prat just left some obstacles out.
100m hop
100m skip
100m moonwalk
All don't exist.

that was a cock up by the women's medley coaches..leave out your two fastest swimmers including Adlington and fail to qualify for the final

Kev won't be happy...

...and neither will JP.

It's a good question, and the origins of the different strokes is probably an intereting story someone can tell us. (5/1 odds that AndrewT makes a joke about Gary Coleman, whatchu talking 'bout tank)

It's not exclusive to swimming.

Competitors in Judo, Taekwondo and Boxing are all using different methods trying to defeat their opponents in unarmed combat. Which is the most effective is a whole other debate.

If we start to arm people, philisophically speaking, there's not much difference between shooting a gun and a bow. (I know which I'd rather have in a tight spot.)

Still with armed combat, and in fencing there's three different types of stick. One must surely be better at stabbing people/hacking their limbs off than the others? The sailors have half a dozen different type of boat, all but one of these will not be the fastest way to breeze from A to B.

Then of course there's the walking.

Are you taking into account the realtive career lengths for the different sports?

How old was Carl Lewis when he won that last long-jumping medal. What's the oldest swimmer you've ever seen compete in a 200m Butterfly final?

He was 35. (born in July 61 wno the medal in 96) Doesn't that win make it more astonishing though?

I dunno.

There's a competitve cyclist in the women's road race and time trial that the commentator kept reminding us was 49.

How many 49 year old gymnasts do you see coming 12th in the Olympics.

Is that astonoshing?

Phelps, I think, is only in his early 20s, its quite feasible he'll add another 5 or 6 Golds in London. A Sporting Genius IMO.

Wait and see how Adlington gets on in the 800 free before we right off resting her as being a cock up.

It's all about bringing home the metal.



(I will concede that the medley relay is a bit of a daft event. It's like having a decathlon with a different person to do each event... wtf?)

from Ironside no....from you,yes

watched the film Bigger Stronger Faster the other day and they have an ex director of the US anti doping olympic commitee on there saying Carl Lewis was definitely on drugs and there have been something like 2000 positive american tests that were swept under the carpet.

[ x ] humbled into leaving thread.

Two write!!

Sir Steve Redgrave won a Gold Medal at 5 consecutive Olympics in an endurance event.

He's in with a shout of best athlete? He was good but not the greatest?

In 1996 he was the winner of celebrity Gladiators AND he was a National champion in the 2 man bobsleigh!

Clinches it for me.

Redgrave was a team competitor, good but not a level comparison, research seems to suggest that Lewis had help from Balco or equiv.  Leaves Phelps as clear winner for me.

I think the medley relay is a great event, it's not like anything in athletics because it's a swimming event.

A 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m relay medley would be fun to watch in the athletics - although the 800m would be the most important leg as the margins in the 100m and 200m will only be small.

And instead of passing a baton, they can pass a javelin.
Livens things up on the bends.

you can do it the same way as speed skating is done. Basically the time difference at the 200m would be multiplied by 4, the time difference at the 400 by 2 and that gives you the time difference between the teams before the start of the 800.

ok, here's the schedule for events to introduce in 2012

- Hang Tough
- Cheese Rolling and Shin Kicking (medley)
- Kirkwall style Uppies vs. Doonies street football.
- Snooker

http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2007/01/decathlon-champion-sebrle-nearly-escapes-death-by-javelin/

(although that URL is quite simply incorrect, it should be barely not 'nearly')

barely escapes a lot of poor taste puns in the newspapers about being decathitated.

david price the super heavy thrashed the Russian gold medal favourite 2-2!!!  ;hide;

looked an odd stoppage.

VERY harsh stoppage ...

In amateur boxing if you get put on your arse twice it's highly likely to be stopped.

Maybe Joey Barton should consider a career change?

to be fair, he hardly got "put on his arse" ... and its 3 standing counts for a stoppage, not 2.

I'm only going by the text commentary  - no BBC streaming for me at work *curses IT dept*

Breaking News:  Russian troops move out of South Ossetia and mobilise on the Chinese border.

Adlington's just swum a british, commonwealth and olympic record, the 2nd fastest time ever, in the event she's actually good at. looking good for a double gold

Funnily enough just as I reached Tjanimen Square and the Forbidden City they closed it to stop protesters getting there. Had a great time and absolutely shattered.
 ;sleep;

(http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii19/Indestructable_photos/Beijing%202008/P1010404.jpg)

do a trip report with pics ya mug ... Would actually read that thread ;)

A comfortable win in the cycling with more to come

Ship the gold medal.

Cycling to be the new national sport imo.

Not just JP that fancies her I see

The best prepared GB team to be sent to any Olympics, a blueprint for other sports to learn from.

we need to have a sweep stake to guess how many times an hour stuart storey will say "my goodness" .......  i am going for 7 fkin million !!!

bolt's Jamaican cousin FTW

So sick how easy he made running 9.92 look.

Best 100m field maye ever and Bolt looking sickeningly good.

its a bit scary really ... how fast can he go !!

Tell Bolt that the cops are at the door and he's out the window faster than that.

9.92 at a jog! I mean WTF? That's just daft.

Never seen anything like it and Michael Johnson agrees! His 200m record could go and I cant believe I'm saying that so soon!

Helen Clitheroe takes 10 seconds off her PB ...  thats what the olympics is all about .. well done that woman.

If she'd worked a bit harder previously her PB wouldn't have been so slow.

+1 10 seconds is a ridiculous amount to take off and just shows you she's a slacker.

She said aftewards "You can't ask for any more than a personal best at the Olympics can you?"

Yes, a medal

It needs a BBC interviewer that can rip into the athletes as they come of the track, to tell it like it is. The athletes performance would improve dramatically.

harsh comments ... if you go to the greatest show on earth and smash your personal best then you rose to the occasion and did your best.

If every british athlete did that then we would have a lot more medals already !

I would rip the "i enjoyed the experience ... oh well"  athletes to shreds if I was interviewing them.

WTF ??? , I cant understand what the problem is here , it seems as though if you ain't at the very top of your chosen sport , i.e good enough to win a medal then theres little point competing and wasting everyones time . Some people should really get a grip and support ALL your athletes , whether they are gold winners or Merely making up the numbers ,it is an achievement in itself to qualify for the Olympics or maybe alot of Blonde posters have won gold's before that i'm unaware of and  therefore have the right to criticise

I won a box of Terry's all gold once.

Longy for Olympic tombola team

1 it was a joke
2 it's still true you can ask for more then a PB
3 you don't have to have won gold to criticise - how often does Gordon Brown get slated? Nobody throws their toys out their pram and says "boo hoo have you ever run a country before"

4 Some people would argue that if you aren't good enough to win a medal then competing is a waste. Frankie Gavin didn't even get to the Olympics and he was on 24k a year from a pool of money i have contributed to. She gets flights ,accomodation, a load of free gear, a wage and for what? A PB. She can run a PB anywhere.
I'm not saying whether that is my opinion or not but some people would argue that and would be entitled to that opinion.

Now, it's friday afternoon, un-twist your knickers, relax and start what i hope will be an enjoyable weekend for yourself.

Longy, thats shite, If I had coached you, you would have got the bottle of scotch for certain !!

Helen's only recently taken up the steeplechase, and she's consistently been bettering her PB.  It's also a British record, so quite simply no other British woman can do better.

Tirunesh Dibaba - absolutely outstanding.

;tightend;

Is the women's 10,000m WR in dispute? Commentators keep talking about the second fastest time in history being the one to beat. Is that the one where the lady who broke it ran the last 800 faster than the 800m world record or something daft?

Also Kin - what do you think of Bolt chances of Johnson's 200m WR?

(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc43/kinboshi/10000women.png)

That WR is very dodgy. More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Junxia


I think he'll do it.  It's a phenomenal world record, but Bolt appears to be a phenomenal runner.  He's virtually nailed on to do the 100m and 200m double, and I wonder what the odds are for him to break the world record in both as well.

I've never seen anyone 'jog' the 100m in 9.92s like he did earlier. 

Definitely looking good for your cousin at the moment.

I know lol how many cycling events are there, oh well nmin it was just to give me some interest tbh


This is possibly the greatest post i've ever read on blonde  ;tightend; ;hattip;

Well Hoy said he's dance on the track if he wins 3 golds, and he's short odds to do just that (win the 3 golds, not do the dance).  Then there's the rest of the team...  So we are seriously looking at another 5 golds at least in the cycling if it goes to plan.

Maybe two more golds in the sailing, and then there's the rowing where we have 9 'boats' in finals.

I think you should ship him the money now...

I dont know what to think. I know how good Bolt is but Johnson's record is ridiculous. I mean the top 7 races are all 19.6X then you have 19.32. Even going flat out making up one third of a second is surely beyond reach?

I mean if he goes flat out in the hundred he'll do a WR but it'll be close to 9.72 - so only 0.2 of a second faster than his stroll today. But making up 0.3 of a second in the 200m? So tough to call.

Just watched Bolt's race again...unreal...simply astonishing.

Whether he can  beat the fastest man on the planet's time remains to be seen but I'll be watching.

If he does it'll be the greatest sprint achievement of all time.

for anyone that hasnt seen his 9.92 stroll

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RERfxq_OwI

+1

Incredible.

Many people say that the 100m is full of runners on drugs, and that spoils the event as a spectacle or a sporting contest.  From what I've read about Bolt, he's probably the most unlikely person to be taking drugs and quite simply he doesn't need them does he?  No matter how many drugs you take, they can't make you run like that.

This 100m final is going to be an absolute corker, and they were discussing on telly that there might not be an American on the podium at the end of it.

This weekend I will be mostly watching lots of sport.

Agree - I dont think his times will be beaten by anyone who is short, drugs or no drugs. He's just taken it to the next level as a tall guy with his stride length. Very unusal to be that tall and technically good.

When is the Final on Anyone ?

I think its 1530 BST, sometime around there

Cheers , tommorrow i take it ?

yip, looking good in the sailing, and the rowing, plus Adlington swims the 800 in a couple of hours. That's odds on for another gold as she qualified fastest with new OR.

Any knews on Paula Radcliffe's fitness?

I have found rooks an event ... the walking !!


Reckon you could do it Rooks ??

Walking

Very strange sport

OMG Adlington destroys the 800m field :D

2 seconds off the World Record - 6 seconds! ahead of second place

Yeah she just killed them.

Phelps runs better than Moorman.....

Is the sensor to stop the clock actually in the wall?

Adlington amazing stuff.

Emotional post race interview with Adlington.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/swimming/7564702.stm

Although Boooo @ the obnoxious 8th place finisher in the race trying to muscle in on the spotlight.

"Can I just say Queen, if you're watching, 2 golds, "Dame" Rebecca Adlington."
Big one sided hug
"She's my best friend"

ugh

This girl just won her second gold with a new world record; you came in last.
She do speaky to camera, you do f***y off to changing room.

 rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao rotflmfao

Just seen some absolute pr*ck gb rower, don't no who it was and not sure how he did i'm guessing shit but in his interview afterwards he said "I still have loads of time i'm only 29 when its London 2012  i'll will TRAIN harder for the next 1" WTF train harder how the hell can you come out with something like that, fukn train harder what a joke.This attitude is what i was whinging about a few pages ago and think was Kev's point also not that some ppl who go may not be medal winners as long as they put 110% in and make a pb you can't really ask for anymore.

On a brighter note how are we so good at cycling, whats that about ?

TBF i believe this is the guy who had serious leg injury earlier in the year

wow, some thrilling finishes in the rowing  ;applause; ;applause;

7 weeks after major knee surgery,I think reaching the final was a great effort.

;iagree; What position did mondatoo finish?

Obv i didn't no that lol but the point was his comments will p ppl off imo why say train harder he surely still trained as hard as he possibly could but just didnt have as much time to do so, i'm presuming he still would've thought to train his hardest.

CONGRATS TO THE COXLESS 4 (I THINK THATS WHAT ITS CALLED LOL) GREAT COMEBACK WP

I was unable to attend due to having surgery to take my big foot out of my even bigger mouth  :)up

She is at 2.54 to win sports personality of the year on Betfair, seems like a lock to me.

was Nemisis in the same ward as you ?

gogogo Wiggy nailed on for Gold

I bet JP loved seeing them together though, and that kiss at the end....crikey

No I believe he goes private as he gets daft geordies to make stupid bets with him, I on the other hand have to go public which is why i didn't make it to Beijing.Gutted i was!

Someone got £4 at 1000 - they'll be having a little dance somewhere this morning.

I'd put some money on us getting another gold in the women's 3,000 pursuit cycling.

;whistle;

Go on then, i bet we get the silver.

Good point.  I might put some money on that as well, just to cover myself...

at the start of the games I stated that I hated the swimming. well I've been won over. watching the adlington and phelps races back to back this morning was fantastic.

most confusing moment of the games so far, the track cycling points race in which we won bronze. wtf was that all about, no idea what was going on at all there

Think they all cycle round for a bit then the whistle goes and first 5 over the line get points. Something like that.

yeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh WIGGGGGGGGYYYYYYYYYY

yeah, that's what it looked like but they also seemed had a side bet on who could lap the field but being 2 laps ahead didn't actually mean you were ahead  of anyone and you could lap people who were ahead of you. I might google it later.

wp just now mr wiggins, destroyed the kiwi, and a bronze in the same event too. go team GB

Tsk - the points race was simple. Each sprint gives points to the first four over the line, and if you get a lap ahead you get 20 points. Most points at the end wins, not who crosses the finish line first.

but as no-one is actually in the lead how do you know who wins the sprint when there're riders spread all over the track? riders who are in the process of lapping the field don't seem to be involved in the sprint, instead the points are won by people who are behind them. I guess I'd have understood more if I hadn't missed the start

No, if riders break off the front and have not yet caught up with the pack, they take the sprint points.

LOL - 9.85 for today's gentle jog from Bolt.

unreal, he more or less walked the last 20m

awesome ... you just have to LOL as he jogs over the last 20 :D

zomggggggg

1.18 on Betfair for Bolt to win is surely buying money?

yes

Bolt uses performance enhancing drugs . . . .

Discuss!

Did your mate tell you that?

Did you know that he doesn't even bother to take his supplements a lot of the time?  Maybe he was on leg-length enhancing drugs when he was young?

Did your mate run other day?

Helen Clitheroe?  Yes, she ran a PB in the steeplechase. 

Or have you whooshed me?

Stella obv


whoops wrong bolt

At the start she wanted to do well (obviously), but said that she was looking at these Olympics as experience before 2012.  Some experience!  Brilliant swim in the 800m, and I think the commentators said that makes her the most successful British swimmer ever.  She's only 19 as well :)up.

cant wait for the 100m ... not long now.

+1..it's gonna be amazing..I might set the alarm for it.

that is to make sure I don't forget..not to wake up lol

It's as long as it was before.

What time exactly is it starting ?

3.30..7 minutes from now...and in 7 minutes and 9 seconds you'll have missed it lol

cheers , im on it

Would be funny if Bolt got DQ - bookies would be creaming!

same as when you asked yesterday

£200 on at 1/6 wiiiiiiii!

Watch him fail now.

 ;tightend;  Get that man a t-shirt

WOW!!!

Steroids or not that was fking immense

GG nh wp sir!

9.68 and he spent the last 20 metres dancing.

zomg

how fast could he go if he actually ran the whole 100 metres?

WTF that was incredible.  ;gobsmacked;

I think he looked nervous...

Actually a good move to piss about at the end. He can easily run quicker, and he may as well do that at the Zurich Golden League meeting where he'll get $$$$$ for a world record.

WOW ... just WOW !!

Johnson's 200m record?

Destroyed.

phenomenal, he keep breaking the world record with ease whenever he feels like it, incredible

I think so.

The Jamaicans should have a pretty decent 100m relay team as well. 

+1...he could have shaved another tenth of a second of that 100 for God's sake...it was unreal and I feel priviliged to have seen it.

Simply astonishing.

You need to be special to get away with gold shoes.  Johnson did it, and Bolt can too.

Amazing.

bolt can't even get a tshirt.

Oh that Bolt ;)  Amazing , really amazing race, he makes it look so easy and still posts the fastest time ever.

Crazy, that was immense!

Everyone else may as well give up the sprinting.

Pray it ain't drugs!

The relay team must be like 1.03!

can't believe Johnson has a great seat by the finish line and watched it on a monitor with his back to the race

I wouldn't punt on that. Any kind of mix-up in any of the three handovers and you are toast, even if it only a minor one that costs half a second.

Plus the rest of the team hate Bolt (imo, based on nothing)

They'll love him if he anchors them home to a gold.

How pissed off would MJ be if his record went?

He'd be totally pissed i think.

I think he knows it's a case of when not if now. 

(http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44930000/jpg/_44930138_-60.jpg)

...presumably with his arms spread wide and his tunic on top of his head.

I love how Bolt has totally shown up the received wisdom in athletics that really tall guys can't be sprinters. In the past, tall teenagers were steered towards other events by their coaches.

Maybe we can get Peter Crouch sprinting to 100m glory in 2012?

Dont you just love the way he wears a baggy vest while the yanks are in body suits with silly arm sleeves LOL ... so immense.

That lad aint on any drugs, he is just light years ahead of his competition.

QFT

WD on tipping him up last year Rooks.

+1

Hope you stuck some money on that.

Saw on Bluesquare Bolt is 1/50 for the 200m, you can have the rest of the field for 14/1, obviously he would need to get disqualified or injured not to win it but there is a bit of value there considering a heat's not been run yet.

That said he'd probably win even if he turned round and jogged backwards for the last 20 metres.

Im liking the 6/5 on BF for a new 200m record...

Is that in any heat, or just the final?

Any, 6/5 for a new WR

Sweet.  when is the 200?  I fancy a dabble in that myself.

Thats that fked then, UL Bolt :D

Bolt screwed.

Paula Radcliffe will be running in an hour.  I guess we'll see if she's anywhere near the required fitness level.  With proper preparation, and without the injuries she'd be an odds-on favourite. 

I just hope she's fit enough to put in a competitive time, and a bit of rain would also be a plus.

The weather isn't too bad - so that's good.  They've completed 1Km, so only 40-odd to go. 

she cant get a medal here realistically though ... can she ?

pictures from above seem to be showing it really smoggy

I can't see it tbh

But if she does get a medal, it would be damn astonishing

BTW Good result for you lot today ;)

Anyone else, and I'd say no.  But with Paula, you never know...

15K completed, and all three Brits are up near the front.  Paula's not taken it out like she normally does, I wonder if she'll try and move it on a bit in the later stages (if she can of course).

I'm in great bokking form, as soon as I post Liz Yelling trips - she's still running but with some nasty grazes on her shoulder and back.

It doesn't seem the best organised race so far..

Paula's just had a 'pit-stop', but is back with the leading group.  It's raining now, so if she's feeling good the conditions are the best she could have hoped for.

Constantina Tomescu Dita has made her usual break.  She usually gets caught, but she's got a useful lead now though.

These slow-motion shots are a bit strange though...

Slow motion in marathon running.. very strange

Paula looks fairly comfy but obv need to catch the Romanian..

Does look like Paula has hit her wall :(

Other Brit in the chasing pack looks soooo comfy!

Yes, looks like she's spent.  Such a shame that she wasn't fit again when the Olympics came round.  Like they said on the commentary - her 9th marathon, and only the second one she hasn't won.

Hopefully, Yamauchi can get the gold.

In one sense, I want Paula to have a great comeback and storm through the field.. but realistically not happening...

Even if she was fully fit, it's not how she runs.  If she was fit, she'd be the one pushing the pace and making sure she was far enough ahead of anyone's late sprint finish.

I hope the group including Yamauchi can catch the Romanian.

I know.. I've only not seen her run once... as they said, her WR is astonishing

At this rate, the chasing group are leaving it to each other and the Romanian is streaking further ahead

Unless she blows up, the Romanian's won this.

yep gaps still growing

Going to be an interesting race at the end for the silver and bronze!

think its going to come down to the last 100m sprinting..

Ndereba can certainly sprint finish - not sure about any of the others.

Yamauchi seems to have caught back up a little to the chasing pack...

Dita a worthy winner

She's still in there if she has a kick at the end.


She ran it perfectly.

here comes the roar

Good race, and great 6th place for Yamauchi.

Right, bring on the cycling/rowing/sailing for some golds!

Indeed... going to wait till Paula finishes then bed!

true, true  grit from paula radcliffe.

More golds for Britain.  Ben Ainslie in the organised chaos wins his 3rd gold in row at the Olympics, the Ylang Ylang (or something like that) women won as well, and our lightweight sculls won in the rowing.

We now have 10 golds, and are third behind China and the USA!

We're one of the fancied teams in the women's fours in the rowing which is just starting now...

Bugger, silver.

Just switched on the TV when the lightweight sculls guys were getting their medals, that is what an Olympic gold medal should mean to an athlete, one of my favourite sights in sport when you see from a sportsman/woman's expression that it means so much to them.

Couldn't agree more.  Also good to see the family enjoying it so much as well.

This looks good:

(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc43/kinboshi/3rd-1.png)

I still reckon that we'll get a gold in the women's pursuit cycling as well... ;D

How positive does this sound (from Auntie Beeb):

It only takes a crash and its curtains.

It would need 4 crashes to stop us getting another gold to be fair though.

How did Paula do?  Missed it all.

23rd

ooops, I won't mention it again ;)

Yeah, it was far too much for her with the amount of preparation she'd had. 

Watched all of it and it was an astonishing effort.

Would've loved to see her have got a medal but it was never to be i don't think i've ever felt more sorry for someone than in Athens 04 it was devastating for her it's so harsh when she knows she's good enough to win as well i really hope she can win it in London but who knows she deserves a bit of luck and i hope she gets it as if she did manage to take the gold in 4 years time i'm sure both today and athens wouldn't matter anymore.Best of Luck to you Paula great effort well done.

The medals table is always shown in order of most gold medals first.

On the BBC site - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/medals_table/default.stm

On the official Olympic site - http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/95A/GL0000000.shtml

However, if you're NBC and notice that while the US is getting pwned by China in terms of gold medals, the US actually have more medals if you add all the gold, silver and bronze up, then you'll reorder it for a local audience.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals/index.html

Terrific stuff, to be 3rd in the medal table is as much is realistic achievable for GB. We are easily go to break all post war records.

Does help that our cyclist's are basically owning every race in the velodrome.

Lol i have been reading the olympic thread on 2p2 and saw this.

The fact that NBC didn't show the 100m final until 13hrs after the race was run without any mention of the result, is totally ridiculous. If the bbc ever did this, it would be a total disgrace.

Lol, these are the same sports experts that referred to Darren Huckerby as a 'legend' of english football.

Silly yanks.

NBC used their muscle to get the IOC to swap the order of the swimming schedule, so all the finals were in the morning (evening in the US) whilst all the heats were in the evening in China, purely so they could show Phelps in prime time.

The US television coverage has always been horribly US-centric. If there isn't the chance of a US medal in an event it doesn't get shown.

OMG.......Only in America. A Nation of bad winners, & bad losers.

Reminds me of a great quote from the classic film A Fish Called Wanda

"We did not lose Vietnam, it was a tie"

No cycling being shown in the good old USofA then I'd guess ;D.

Great run in the 1500m semi from Andy Baddeley.  Such a tough heat, and he qualified well.  Possibly an outside chance of a medal.

wow@ Frazer..Jamaica one two three and she pissed it like Bolt did yesterday.

Well, 1-2-2 ;)

10,000m now.  Bekele's to lose.

yeah thought it was taking the piss a bit to be honest. every other country would be happy with a 1-2-3 but not Jamaica...show offs!

I want some of those cool Jeremy Wariner sunglasses......... 8)

Fact of the day for you - so far we've won 11 gold medals, but none of them have been won by anyone standing up. Swimming in the water, or sitting down on a bike, or in a boat.

Vicky Pendleton looks like she's on course for her gold.

;kev;

NZ did the same thing a few years ago - no complaints - cycling, kayaking, rowing, windsurfing, sailing etc. GB will win a few on the track. Triple Jump and 400metre men look good for medals - for the 400 x 4 relays too. GB have been awesome at the cycling 2012 looks to be good - will try and get tickets for the Velodrome.

Here she is about to tighten some nuts.

(http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/04_01/cycling0504_468x434.jpg)

Quote of the day from BBC website ... Awang has a go at Hoy, but taking the Scot must be like trying to pass a Hummer down a country lane - Hoy rams down the accelerator and leaves Awang in his wake. 1-0, best of three.

I like this one:

"1130: Team GB crank it up and the lead goes up to 2.6 seconds after 2500m - unless Wiggins decides to start pulling bunny hops down the back straight, they're going to tear the world record apart..."

...and we did.  We did a Bolt in the cycling.

WoW they really beat them! thought at one point they might lap um.

Total domination for GB in the Team Pursuit, world class, all the other countries are well peed off with em

I've got to say well done to Denmark. Every other team would have made us lap them costing us around a second meaning the World Record set wouldn't have been as impressive.

(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc43/kinboshi/tablemon.png)

Erm that table is wrong, USA should be top cos 65>61 ldo.

We have more Golds than expected but what about medals?
We were aiming for 41 are we going to get there?
I know we have triple jump and madison that we're likely to gold in + a probable medal in the boxing. Where are the others coming from?
No criticism just want to know what i should watch out for.

...if silver and bronze medals were more important than golds, yes.

Good question.

We have a gold coming in the sailing (proberly).
Gold and silver in the mens sprint cycling.
Gold in the womens sprint cycling.
Madison - one medal?
Triple jump - gold?
Women's 400m - medal in that?
Possibly one medal from the 1500m, 400m, 4x400m?
Boxing medal?
Horsey stuff - another medal?

That's another 10 medals. 

That still puts us 4 short of the 41 target.   So we'd have to find them somewhere else?

We might get a medal in the BMX and we should get a medal in the women's 10,000 metre swim

Golds worth 3 x silver and 5 x bronze.
So IMHO Team GB are going in the right direction.

Based on population though - still a long way behind the Australian ratio.

I think its unfairfor the sprinters going up against Bolt.  He was jogging for the last 50 metres and the others were flat out and they still couldn't catch him.  Sooooooooo  not fair.

is team GB actually team GB and NI? if not who do NI athletes compete for?

Nope, just GB.

NI athletes can choose whether to compete for GB or ROI, depending on their background.

I thought the team was Great Britain and Northern Ireland (so really the UK) in the Olympics?

Says the same here:

http://www.olympics.org.uk/beijing2008/aboutteamgb.aspx

"Team GB is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team. "

Yeah AndrewT is right, if you are born in NI you get a choice who to compete for.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/7519642.stm

just work your way thru the days.


The aussies are just about the only nation, who are outperforming us in that category. We are ahead of Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, France etc. The Aussies are easily the best sporting nation in the world per head imo.

And Mexico are the shittest

They have to phrase it like that, because if it was the UK team, then NI people wouldn't be able to represent the Republic, effectively barring NI Catholics from taking part.

Cheers. Looks like it will be around that mark then and still a few golds to come.

is that a serious post????

Was thinking the same.

LOL.

That's why I said 'effectively', not 'actually'.

Equestrian effort was lame.

Contentious . . . .  but thats a whole new thread.

FFS Kin you got like 20 telly's on the go you seem to have an eye in on everything!

Holiday for the olympics?

Jamaica most golds per square mile?

The answer is Phelpsland, which is somewhere in the sea just off the US.

Wahay!!  A guaranteed bronze in the boxing from David Price following in Audrey Harrison's footsteps in the Super Heavyweight division. 

Think he had his toughest fight in the first round when he drew one of the favourites who he battered.

I didn't understand how this means he is guaranteed a medal.
He's into the Semi with a win meaning he has a shot at gold so if he loses isn't there another losing semi-finalist to fight?

Bronze for 3rd and 4th in boxing isn't it?

Ok cheers. Is that so that fighters that may have been battered don't have to fight again?

I think so.

expect a medal or 2 in the modern pentathlon

Yelena Isinbayeva - apparently has come into the Games with the highest win streak of any athelete - 15 meets in a row...
can't get an image but makes Vicky look it a liitle bit ordinary - sorry Kin.

(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/69/204636638_a603b5008c.jpg)

Steve Backley's comments about her on five live today

"She's got a lovely physique, but she's pretty stacked as well."

windsurfing

I'd like to see her without her hair scraped back - makes her face look too harsh.

Isinbayeva is OK - but prefer Vicky myself. 

Amazing athlete though, she's the female Sergei Bubka.

flatwater canoing as well apparently, and the women's BMX - as well as some more sailing stuff.

Best body in olympics me reckons, although there are lots of better looking birds

Rod Paradise posts a picture of paradise holding a rod.

she is so fucking sexy

I think Rebecca Adlington will probably be up there too.  At 19 she has two gold medals from one olympics and completely destroyed a WR.  I can honestly say I've never watched such an amazing race in my life, she smashed the hell out of it. 

Yes you have, Phelps in the 100 butterfly.

Adlington for Personality of the Year though. All the old crusty farts will rule out Romero and Pendleton because of the risque pics they did.

After hearing rebecca romeros post event interview, personality is not a word that could be used when talking about her ... great athlete without a doubt, but totally bereft of a personality.

You still would though.

Lol, I was referring to the British athletes.  The men's 100m butterfly was amazing, but for different reasons...That guy has quick arms!

Did you hear the slightly bitter interview the other Brit who came second to Romero gave afterwards , about Romero. Talk about catty LOL

Which old crusty farts? It's the public that votes for SPOTY.

Arrghhh WR meant nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And it's the old crusty farts at the BBC that decide who's up for it, isn't it?

There's a shortlist of ten, and I think even those are decided by public vote

Golds on their way in the cycling. Can't wait for the madison.
It's mental.

Agreed.  Utterly bonkers, but compulsive viewing.

yep, normally some crazy crashes

Quote on the Beeb:

"1050: After three sprints, Argentina and Italy have stolen a lap on the rest of the field, but Argentina lead because Italy haven't scored points. Belgium are third... strike that, Italy have lost a lap! Who invented this sport? Jackson Pollock?"

Are we doing well? Got no sound.
It looks like we need to gain a lap and really steal a few sprints.

GB need to make up a lap, but they are looking tired.

Yep, looks like it's too much for Wiggins.  Shame really.