2012 Olympic Games

SPOILER ALERT:

Just watched Michael Phelps win his 21st Olympic medal, and 17th GOLD; capturing gold in 100m butterfly. What a beast!!

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:I would be remiss if I didn't mention Carmelita Jeter posted the fastest time of the round in 100 qualifying today. The semifinals and final are tomorrow.

Yea, heard from Pooh a couple of hours ago from London.........he's stoked!

Brought the whole family over to London to watch the Games. Life's a little different than just a few years ago when Carmelita couldn't even afford the air fare from LA for Pooh's graduation. That's one of the reasons he considers his family "Blessed and Highly Favored."

DaTruRochin wrote:Well, that is unless you live in Canada or the UK... CBC and the BBCs coverage is both far superior and less filtered than NBC.

Yeah, but are they getting as much coverage of the beach volleyball??!!

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:I would be remiss if I didn't mention Carmelita Jeter posted the fastest time of the round in 100 qualifying today. The semifinals and final are tomorrow.

I caught a few of the pre-preliminary women's 100m races this morning before heading out the door. Apparently every country was allowed to enter one athlete if they didn't have anyone meeting the qualified time. There were some interesting "races". NBC focused on some of the individuals, like the woman from Afghanistan who ran wearing clothes just short of a burka. None of them looked to have any chance at threatening Ms. Jeter.

The relevant rule:

NOCs for which no male or no female athlete has reached the required qualification standard will be allowed to enter their best male athlete and their best female athlete in one athletic event each

I find it funny that all these American swimmers and gymnasts have some relative somewhere that had cancer or another horrible disease. And it was really tough for them but they overcame adversity and won Olympic medals.
What are the odds?

pilotram wrote:I find it funny that all these American swimmers and gymnasts have some relative somewhere that had cancer or another horrible disease. And it was really tough for them but they overcame adversity and won Olympic medals.
What are the odds?

I think it says something about our ability to take care of our bodies...

DoubleDipper wrote:and cricket too!

I personally think that cricket is a fascinating sport to watch. It is completely different than anything that we have here in America. Plus it can be daaaayyyssss long.

[quote="RipCityPilot"]

pilotram wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:and cricket too!

I personally think that cricket is a fascinating sport to watch. It is completely different than anything that we have here in America. Plus it can be daaaayyyssss long.

When I was a kid in Argentina, we belonged to a Rugby and Cricket club, mostly because they had a pool and were about a block and a half from the house, and it was a place my parents could talk to English speakers.

I don't think anybody ever saw an entire cricket match. You could go get a bite to eat in the clubhouse, play some tennis, go lawn bowling, spend the afternoon at the pool, and when you went back for a coke the same batsman would still be batting.


The Belgrano AC

I see Carmelita Jeter won her heat in the prelims with a 10.83 time.
It was the fastest time in the prelims even though she coasted to the finish.



The track is apparently very fast. Several runners came in under 11 seconds. Expect a record in this one.

Two more rounds to go.

Ah yes, Cricket, a game that can go on for days, but my best cricket memories include early summer mornings in England around 4 AM. With the birds singing and the sun about to shine, we would meander from our formal parties, wearing our formal clothes, onto the cricket ground for a very formal match that included the ladies in their formal dresses. Ah, great memories of my time in the RAF.

We knew we had been in the UK too long (eight years) when we not only enjoyed cricket, we also understood cricket!!

pilotram wrote:I find it funny that all these American swimmers and gymnasts have some relative somewhere that had cancer or another horrible disease. And it was really tough for them but they overcame adversity and won Olympic medals.
What are the odds?

Funny? Well maybe.

But to athletes like American Bryshon Nellum who was told by doctors he may never walk again after being shot three times in the legs by gang members less than four years ago in a case of mistaken identity, or to another 400 meter man, the "Blade Runner" from South Africa, Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee, or to American Judo gold medal winner Kayla Harrison, who suffered abuse from someone she trusted, these games are the achievement of a lifetime......regardless of the results.

It turns out there are many in this world who will not allow themselves to be "victims," or will not allow self pity to enter their lives for long as they continuously push themselves to attain their goals in life……a lesson for all of us!

RipCityPilot wrote:

pilotram wrote:I find it funny that all these American swimmers and gymnasts have some relative somewhere that had cancer or another horrible disease. And it was really tough for them but they overcame adversity and won Olympic medals.
What are the odds?

I think it says something about our ability to take care of our bodies...

Or, NBC's ability to turn everything into some sappy human interest story.

pilotram wrote:

RipCityPilot wrote:

pilotram wrote:I find it funny that all these American swimmers and gymnasts have some relative somewhere that had cancer or another horrible disease. And it was really tough for them but they overcame adversity and won Olympic medals.
What are the odds?

I think it says something about our ability to take care of our bodies...

Or, NBC's ability to turn everything into some sappy human interest story.

Haven't seen any of those "sappy human interest" stories yet; I guess I'll have to quit fast-forwarding and take a look. Might learn something..........

I wonder what they'll say if Rupp wins a medal in a few hours...

That 10k was crazy! The east africans are going to have to respect others' kicks now. Can't just take it out slow and hope to bust a 52 second quarter to win. Other guys can do it now too.
Nice job Rupp. I hate you, but I respect your work.

@&%$$ Soooo apparently Carmelitas run was being saved for prime time viewing? At least i could snag it online, but blah, the switched away from Rupps race to show some puff piece about a 35 year old gymnast instead of show the live 100m? I don't get it...

Yea, weird they wouldn't show the 100m final live, you'd think there would be enough interest with the American audience.
Props to NBC for showing the 10k. Would like to here Ato on the call, but whatever.

RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun)
8/4/12 1:58 PM
Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce wins in 10.75, Carmelita Jeter,10.76, VCB, 10.81,Madison, 10.88, Felix, 10.85, Baptiste, 10.94, #london2012

Carmelita gets a Silver!

Whether they call themselves England or Great Britain, they still can't win a PK shoot out.

GBR eliminated by Korea 5-4

pilotram wrote:That 10k was crazy! The east africans are going to have to respect others' kicks now. Can't just take it out slow and hope to bust a 52 second quarter to win. Other guys can do it now too.
Nice job Rupp. I hate you, but I respect your work.

Yes, I agree CRAZY and nerve wracking, thinking there would be a multible tumble at any moment (note the slice on Rupp's knee).

Congrats to Alberto Salazar trained Mo Farah and Galen Rupp on their Gold and Silver! Isn't that our first medal in the 10,000 since Billy Mills in '64? I can't recall another.

DoubleDipper wrote:

Congrats to Alberto Salazar trained Mo Farah and Galen Rupp on their Gold and Silver! Isn't that our first medal in the 10,000 since Billy Mills in '64? I can't recall another.

That is correct.

First male Olympic medal in a distance event since.....?

pilotram wrote:First male Olympic medal in a distance event since.....?

Well, if you count the 1500 as a distance event....

Spoiler:

Forgot about that.

pilotram wrote:Forgot about that.

Yea, I've got to admit, the last guy I remembered medaling was (now former Congressman) Jim Ryan in the 1500m; I think it was Mexico City in '68 when he took the silver.

I was at Edwards Stadium in Berkeley in the summer of '66 when Ryan broke the world record in a time of 3:51 something.......we all thought for sure he would take the gold at the Olympics. (It was at the same meet in Berkeley that I saw Mike Boyle run the 400 intermediate hurdles for UP….Mike’s death was reported on PN a few months ago.)

Ryun isn't close to being the last male medal winner in a distance event.

four other distance guys besides Meb can claim Priority over Ryun by either being newer or being longer.

one medalled twice since then.

can you name them?