Just how good will the Olympics be?

[redarmi]

"It's not a sport" is what we say when we lose. This must be a sport because we won. QED

It's no worse than artistic gymnastics. Just less pommel and more horse.

No offence but this might be the most ridiculous thing i have ever seen written.  The two do not even bear comparison.  I just cant have dressage as a sport.

Sorry mate but I have to disagree with you here.

Are you saying that horse-riding per se is not a sport?

If you are not saying that then how can you determine which aspects of equestrianism are and are not a sport?

It's a little bit like saying that long-driving contests are not a sport but golf is.

It was more the comparison with gymnastics.  Gymnasts are amazing athletes not sure anyone would say that about dressage riders.  Not saying it has no value but against pretty much everything else I have seen it seems very tame and surely 90%+ of the credit should go to the horses which presumably can be sourced from anywhere.  Besides until they have gone over eight hurdles at Plumpton on a Tuesday afternoon in November then most horses should be treated as unproven imo.

[redsimon]

Bloody hell what an ending to the men's hockey match between GB and Spain.

GB needed a draw to get through to the semis, and went 1-0 up and were cruising.  Then they hit the bar and missed the chance to go a comfortable 2-0 up. Spain then equalised and GB were getting very panicky.  A mad last few minutes, involving me shouting at the telly a lot and somehow GB managed to hang on.

First time in the semis for 24 years (I think).

24 years ffs i feel old

[claypole]

Yep me too

[Tal]

"It's not a sport" is what we say when we lose. This must be a sport because we won. QED

It's no worse than artistic gymnastics. Just less pommel and more horse.

No offence but this might be the most ridiculous thing i have ever seen written.  The two do not even bear comparison.  I just cant have dressage as a sport.

Sorry mate but I have to disagree with you here.

Are you saying that horse-riding per se is not a sport?

If you are not saying that then how can you determine which aspects of equestrianism are and are not a sport?

It's a little bit like saying that long-driving contests are not a sport but golf is.

It was more the comparison with gymnastics.  Gymnasts are amazing athletes not sure anyone would say that about dressage riders.  Not saying it has no value but against pretty much everything else I have seen it seems very tame and surely 90%+ of the credit should go to the horses which presumably can be sourced from anywhere.  Besides until they have gone over eight hurdles at Plumpton on a Tuesday afternoon in November then most horses should be treated as unproven imo.

Dressage is more of a skill event because the slightest twitch could set a 100stone animal off. They have to perform a set routine and the skill element of it is incredible. Like archers andshooters have to have such steady hands, it's magnified when the "gun" is an animal.

The gymnastics comparison is more because, unless it's done really badly, Joe Public has no idea who is winning. In most sports, I know the bloke crossing the line first, jumping the furthest, kicking seven shades of faeces out of the other bloke is winning.

I'm all for artistic events (although i find the fact that the floor event never seems to have a story as you'd find in a dance really lazy on the part of the sport itself) but that's all I intended.

The joy of these three weeks is the incredible variety.

That and we're spanking the Aussies.

[claypole]

Come on Kiprop for my second athletics treble

[Tal]

Steve Cram's off again!

[claypole]

Ffs - 2nd Kenyan I have backed that's either pulled up lame or fallen (Kipruto in steeplechase)

Fml - 2 more winners wasted at 11/4 and 1/2

[kinboshi]

Come on Kiprop for my second athletics treble

Close...

[kinboshi]

Steve Cram's off again!

They're not impressed with Makhloufi are they!  Well, they're impressed with his performance but they seem to doubt the legitimacy of it.  Actually, they seem to have very little doubt about it!

[The Camel]

Haha I knew u would post that as soon as they hugged each other and not the Spainard instantly. Give them a break!

I hate the sportsmen side of things anyway, utter nonsense.

Didn't even spot them hug each other!

Thought walking over the line was a bit of a pisstake too.

A new sportsman to funk against!

Really Keith?  Johnny Brownlee raced so hard he has collapsed afterwards.  Surely given how far ahead he was you can forgive him for slowing down to a walk given how much it takes out of them?  seems a bit harsh to funk against them just on the basis that there are team orders in the sport and he walked across the line.  Would you also be funking against Bradley Wiggins?

Incredible athletes obviously.

Just showing a complete lack of respect for his opponents imo.

I prefer my athletes to show a bit of humility and let their performances do the talking, rather than belittling or humiliating their fellow competitors.

I'll cheer for Ennis, Farah, Pendleton (obv) or Hoy tyvm.

[redarmi]

Thing is he isn't doing times that seem out of line.  He was 2 seconds outside of the OR there and they played into his hands given he had shown he could come off a slow pace.  Seems to me that if you are Chinese or African you are open to question but if you are an American or European and find amazing improvement it is okay.  I have no idea of they are doping or not but it seems a bit of a hyprocritical stance to me.

[redarmi]

That reply was obv to Kin not Keith.

Keith - fair enough I suppose but I am not sure he really did do anything too out of order.  Pendleton and Meares are no obviously great friends and beyond a quick handshake after (which seems obligatory in track cycling) there was no hugging or great respect shown.  When you have just run 10k 10 seconds slower than Mo Farah after doing a 1500m swim and cycling 27km then you are entitled to slow to a walk when you have won imo.

[Karabiner]

That reply was obv to Kin not Keith.

Keith - fair enough I suppose but I am not sure he really did do anything too out of order.  Pendleton and Meares are no obviously great friends and beyond a quick handshake after (which seems obligatory in track cycling) there was no hugging or great respect shown.  When you have just run 10k 10 seconds slower than Mo Farah after doing a 1500m swim and cycling 27km then you are entitled to slow to a walk when you have won imo.

I actually wondered if he was considering doing a "lonliness of the long-distance runner" and just not completing because he could.

[Jon MW]

...

Keith - fair enough I suppose but I am not sure he really did do anything too out of order.  Pendleton and Meares are no obviously great friends and beyond a quick handshake after (which seems obligatory in track cycling) there was no hugging or great respect shown.  When you have just run 10k 10 seconds slower than Mo Farah after doing a 1500m swim and cycling 27km then you are entitled to slow to a walk when you have won imo.

Why would you expend unnecessary energy right at the line?

The first thing the top 2 did after crossing the line was lie down for a minute or two - and the third place person needed medical attention, I think giving each other congratulations and commiserations isn't really going to be a priority for any of them so not quite sure I can understand where he's not showing respect.

[Alverton]

Haha I knew u would post that as soon as they hugged each other and not the Spainard instantly. Give them a break!

I hate the sportsmen side of things anyway, utter nonsense.

Didn't even spot them hug each other!

Thought walking over the line was a bit of a pisstake too.

A new sportsman to funk against!

Really Keith?  Johnny Brownlee raced so hard he has collapsed afterwards.  Surely given how far ahead he was you can forgive him for slowing down to a walk given how much it takes out of them?  seems a bit harsh to funk against them just on the basis that there are team orders in the sport and he walked across the line.  Would you also be funking against Bradley Wiggins?

Incredible athletes obviously.

Just showing a complete lack of respect for his opponents imo.

I prefer my athletes to show a bit of humility and let their performances do the talking, rather than belittling or humiliating their fellow competitors.

I'll cheer for Ennis, Farah, Pendleton (obv) or Hoy tyvm.

Lol, no disrespect of course Camel, but there's so much wrong in what you've said in the last few pages about the Brownlee's