Olympics off to a swell start

[Jimmy Higgins]

So Canada is caught flying drones over the New Zealand practice for women's soccer. Two sent packing, coach says they'll not coach one game. Canada team should be sent home.

Morocco fans think they are Mexican Soccer fans and start throwing stuff on the field when their team gave up the game tying goal in the 16th minute of 15 minutes of extra time... the goal would be called back due to a marginal but accurate offside. The game would finish up with no fans and Morocco would win. I think the win should be DQ'd due to the fans reaction. Morocco soccer fans should be sent home.

Famous British rider seen on years old video beating her horse. She went home. She was sorry though.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Canadian head coach is sent packing by Canadian olympic committee.

But the huge news is the attacks on France's high speed rail.

France’s high-speed rail network was hit Friday with widespread and “criminal” acts of vandalism including arson attacks, paralyzing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe only hours before the grand opening ceremony of the Olympics.

French officials condemned the attacks as “criminal actions,” though they said there was no sign of a direct link to the Games, and prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation saying the crimes could carry sentences of 15 to 20 years.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Canada is deducted six points for the drone cheating. Playing to salvage pride now.

Katie Ledecky wina bronze in the 400 meters, a race she has been winning medals in for a while now.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Canada is deducted six points for the drone cheating. Playing to salvage pride now.

Katie Ledecky wina bronze in the 400 meters, a race she has been winning medals in for a while now.

Ledecky has “aged out” of dominating the 400. She’s still the best at 800 and 1600.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Aging out, but still getting the Bronze! She could be winning gold in the 800 and 1500 distances in 2028. She is a beast!

Watching the 200 m freestyle, my one pet peeve in pool swimming is the wall. When I trained I barely kicked off the wall, because in triathlon, you are swimming in open water, not this kicking off the wall. In a heat, a swimmer was dolphin kicking better, so she was retaking the lead on the turns despite being passed at the surface because she wasn't swimming at the surface, though arguably, is that actually freestyle still, regardless if you aren't at the surface?

Also, this is the 12th or so straight summer Olympics where the American commentators just are awful. I remember the good ole days and watching the much less partisan Canadian broadcasts.

 

[Elixir]

When I trained I barely kicked off the wall, because in triathlon, you are swimming in open water, not this kicking off the wall.

^THAT!!
I don't do flip turns in our 25 meter pool because it gives (me) a false sense of accomplishment, dolphin kicking almost to the 12.5 stripe.
Phys Therapist told me to use a snorkel while swimming distance, to avoid re-wrecking my neck with repetitive motion (I could never master breathing on third strokes for some reason) which makes the effect even greater.
I think distance swims should be done in open water, but that's just me. Otherwise it turns into a flip-turn contest.

One thing I really enjoy ... lots of tourists come here, and some of them are college athletes, bigtime swimmers who jump into the lap lanes to show their stuff. I keep my head down and just keep swimming laps at my cruising speed, which is typically a third to half the speed of competitive swimmers. They usually lap me a few times, but then the altitude gets to them and I love turning off the wall they're hanging on trying to catch their breath, making up a whole lap at a time.
OTOH, humility is never lost; there was a kid about 13 years old the other day... came from Arizona. I swam about a mile in the lane next to him and he probably covered nearly 2 miles in that time! Beautiful strokes and amazing endurance.I can only hope he turns out to be a famous swimming star in a few years, to assuage my ego.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I remember when I learned knowing how to swim wasn't in the same remote territory of being decent at swimming. I was never a great swimmer, but I made a tremendous amount of progress. I think swimming probably has the largest gap between competency and competitiveness. The form is a lot of work. Granted, like in most things, I was self trained, and after reading a bit, I improved. Swimming well is hard work!

In the broadcast this morning, the commentator, of whom I am very unimpressed with after a few of her utterances like when she said the Aussies were obviously talking too much after not leading one lap into a distance race, she noted some people think the breaststroke "is easy", but it is actually "very hard". And I'm thinking, who thinks the breast stroke is easy?! Sure, it isn't the butterfly, but nothing is the butterfly.

Which then leads to me this observation? How in the heck did these other strokes ever get into vogue? Well yeah, you beat me swimming in a normal fashion, but you can't beat me doing this stupid stroke!

 

[bilby]

Also, this is the 12th or so straight summer Olympics where the American commentators just are awful. I remember the good ole days and watching the much less partisan Canadian broadcasts.

And the less partisan IIDB posts?

Katie Ledecky wina bronze in the 400 meters, a race she has been winning medals in for a while now.

As she was apparently the only competitor, it seems odd that they didn't give her the gold.

 

[bilby]

I think distance swims should be done in open water, but that's just me. Otherwise it turns into a flip-turn contest.

They should just build a pool the same size and shape as the running track.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I think distance swims should be done in open water, but that's just me. Otherwise it turns into a flip-turn contest.

They should just build a pool the same size and shape as the running track.

They do in the Netherlands, but the foola freeze it.

 

[blastula]

The Canada cheating story is crazy how pervasive it's been, Belichick was even envious.

Been watching the USA basketball showcase games. Even if this is the best team since the dream team, the rest of the world is very close. You just need one of them to get really hot like South Sudan did. Would like to see a team USA versus the best of the rest of the world matchup to make it really tough.

But then KD wasn't playing in those exhibition games, and wowee he was on fire today against Serbia. I get he has been practicing at full speed, but that was amazing to just sub in like that and promptly dominate the game.

Will also be watching the women's bb team, like everybody else is nowadays. It's okay, I welcome you on the bandwagon, except for all the toxic Clark fans, which feels like most of them.

My biggest upset of the Olympics so far is USA men's rugby losing to Australia. I mean it really upset me. But the final was very fun anyway.

Also props to the opening ceremony for triggering Christians. The Rapture Ready forum must be lit up with that fourth horseman appearance.

 

[blastula]

Also, this is the 12th or so straight summer Olympics where the American commentators just are awful. I remember the good ole days and watching the much less partisan Canadian broadcasts.

Dan Hicks took it too far today when speaking with Phelps about Marchand:

"He's got the entire package, and you had a pretty good one as well, Michael."

 

[Thomas II]

From the opening ceremony... WTF...



"Ah, ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
Les aristocrates à la lanterne
Ah, ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
Les aristocrates, on les pendra..."

At later stages of the revolution, many sans-culottes used several much more aggressive stanzas, calling for the lynching of the nobility and the clergy.

Ah! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
les aristocrates à la lanterne!
Ah! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
les aristocrates on les pendra!

Si on n' les pend pas
On les rompra
Si on n' les rompt pas
On les brûlera.
Ah! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
les aristocrates à la lanterne!
Ah! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
les aristocrates on les pendra!

Nous n'avions plus ni nobles, ni prêtres,
Ah ! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira,
L'égalité partout régnera.
L'esclave autrichien le suivra,
Ah ! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira,
Et leur infernale clique
Au diable s'envolera.
Ah! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
les aristocrates à la lanterne!
Ah! ça ira, ça ira, ça ira
les aristocrates on les pendra!
Et quand on les aura tous pendus
On leur fichera la paille au cul,
Imbibée de pétrole, vive le son, vive le son,
Imbibée de pétrole, vive le son du canon.


Ah! It'll be fine, It'll be fine, It'll be fine
aristocrats to the lamp-post
Ah! It'll be fine, It'll be fine, It'll be fine
the aristocrats, we'll hang them!

If we don't hang them
We'll break them
If we don't break them
We'll burn them
Ah! It'll be fine, It'll be fine, It'll be fine
aristocrats to the lamp-post
Ah! It'll be fine, It'll be fine, It'll be fine
the aristocrats, we'll hang them!

We shall have no more nobles nor priests
Ah! It'll be fine, It'll be fine, It'll be fine
Equality will reign everywhere
The Austrian slave shall follow him
Ah! It'll be fine, It'll be fine, It'll be fine
And their infernal clique
Shall go to hell
Ah! It'll be fine, It'll be fine, It'll be fine
aristocrats to the lamp-post
Ah! It'll be fine, It'll be fine, It'll be fine
the aristocrats, we'll hang them!
And when we'll have hung them all
We'll stick straw up their arse,
Soaked in oil, long live the sound, long live the sound,
Soaked in oil, long live the sound of the canon.

 

[Thomas II]

 

[Shadowy Man]

Also, this is the 12th or so straight summer Olympics where the American commentators just are awful. I remember the good ole days and watching the much less partisan Canadian broadcasts.

Dan Hicks took it too far today when speaking with Phelps about Marchand:

"He's got the entire package, and you had a pretty good one as well, Michael."

Wouldn’t a smaller package help in swimming? Less drag?

 

[Tigers!]

Also, this is the 12th or so straight summer Olympics where the American commentators just are awful. I remember the good ole days and watching the much less partisan Canadian broadcasts.

And the less partisan IIDB posts?

Do you have links to those 2 less partisan IIDB posts? I must have missed them on the way.

Katie Ledecky wina bronze in the 400 meters, a race she has been winning medals in for a while now.

As she was apparently the only competitor, it seems odd that they didn't give her the gold.

Don't worry when Trump wins that will be the way in 2028.
USA. All the way! USA

 

[Tigers!]

My biggest upset of the Olympics so far is USA men's rugby losing to Australia. I mean it really upset me. But the final was very fun anyway.

Sorry Jimmy but that didn't upset me in any way.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Also, this is the 12th or so straight summer Olympics where the American commentators just are awful. I remember the good ole days and watching the much less partisan Canadian broadcasts.

Dan Hicks took it too far today when speaking with Phelps about Marchand:

"He's got the entire package, and you had a pretty good one as well, Michael."

Wouldn’t a smaller package help in swimming? Less drag?

They’re in the pool. There’s significant shrinkage.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Local (well from France) swimmer Marchaud won the 400 m IM. I'm not exactly certain, but the audience noise sounded muted when he won. Didn't sound like a good mix for NBC. Clearly the crowd were in this race 400%.

American Huske and Italian Martinenghi pulled off remarkable unexpected wins in their events (100 m butteryfly / 100 m breaststroke). Neither were in the middle lanes but decided they wanted it a little more than the favorites. The silver in the breaststroke went to two swimmers Peaty (UK) and Fink (US), who both finished 0.02 seconds behind Martinenghi.

Triathlon is supposed to be today and tomorrow. They cancelled practices in the water due to "bacteria" levels being too high. It rained a good deal, and when it rains in some places, that means solid waste is heading for the waterways. Does France have no lakes or ponds? I've raced in the Portage Lakes, Long Island Sound, Lake Erie so I'm not a stranger to questionable water quality.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Holy shit!

France Olympic planners run into their first needless fuck up.

The men’s individual triathlon race at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has been postponed due to poor water quality levels in the River Seine, the sport’s governing body, World Triathlon, announced on Monday.

Originally scheduled for Tuesday, World Triathlon, its medical team, the International Olympic Committee and Paris city officials made the decision to postpone the men’s race to Wednesday.

“Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes. The tests carried out in Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held,” the press release said.

“Despite the improvement on the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits.”

This is nothing but an own goal. Yes, it'd been awesome to hold distance swimming and triathlon in the Seine... if the city of Paris hadn't been dumping sewage into. At best it is kind of a dual system today. They spent $1.5 billion to deal with the sewage problem, which is probably 10% of the cost to actually fix it... maybe.