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Every time I've switched on this week it seems that they have been showing swimming, which is OK in small doses. I haven't been planning my viewing (I don't even know where to look to find out what's on when) but I am so glad I caught the end of Andy Murray's mixed doubles semi-final yesterday. Also saw some show-jumping, which I used to enjoy. The jumps with their fun themes were quite amusing, but they were all so good, it was almost boring. Although they did replay the Swedish girl's dramatic tumble at the battleship for a bit of drama.
This afternoon, I have found out that it's the men's tennis final and I am definitely going to watch that.
I see Australia hasn't been doing too well at the Olympics. But I suppose if they could run they wouldn't be Australians in the first place 
I'm hoping the Aussies get at least 1 more gold in the mens 10m diving. I've got a soft spot for Matthew Mitcham. This does make me a bad Brit as it means I want Tom Daley to lose.
Now *that* is how you respond to a defeat. Well played Murray - now do it again this evening.
Fantastic 
Headline: British Tennis Player Wins Medal 
A big shiny Gold from me for Perri Skakes Drayton, (and what kind of  name is that?). The most straight taking, uncliched, real, assertive, ballsy Woman Brit athlete. Middle aged white male, typical Beeb, Phil Jones looked a bit nervous when interviewing her. 
Go Perri
*Shakes* not *Skakes*
a Kiwi friend of mine shared a link to a report that Australian TV usually shows the top ten in the medal table but when NZ got to 10th position they only showed the top 9 and Australia 
I'm in Sheffield. The place is Ennis bonkers.
|   | Subject: Olympic what?
Posted Aug 5, 2012 by Rod
This is a reply to this Posting.
| | Post: 210
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Sho, as a trainee kiwi, I'm beginning to understand
... in retaliation, you could show your friend the title of this:
A87762694
Anybody know if Olympic performances are counted towards world rankings? I suspect it depends on the individual sport's governing body.
I love it to beat the Aussies...but its mutual respect really and 'family'. I love 'em. They are a sports mad culture. They haven't even won one Gold yet. For an essentially sports mad culture it'll be tough for them. Very.
One of my favourite memories of Oz was stopping the bus in the middle of the Outback and the Aussie guy in charge got us all playing cricket. It was such fun. And they say it's an English obsession. Everywhere we went kids were playing it in parks. But it was like that here a hundred years ago, when it was the sport of those pouring in from the countryside to work in the exploding cities.
An incidental.
>to do our own things over in Manly (that's a place, I'm informed) which had been a lovely boat ride, and a pleasant walk for those inclined – an enjoyable day out.< From your link Rod
I went there every day for a week on the ferries,. Pleasant, enjoyable or lovely it wasn't. It was awesome. Those powerful Pacific breakers, and the surfies facing them down. It has merely a veneer of pleasantness. It was called Manly originally because of the confident bearing of the Aboriginal people living there. I like to think their essence was still around.
But yeah, c'mon Kiwi..
| | Subject: Olympic what?
Posted Aug 5, 2012 by Rod
This is a reply to this Posting.
| | Post: 213
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To continue the <aside>, Effers, that day in Manly was by the others so I can't comment except that the reports were all good... part of my day was another (failed) attempt to find "art".
Yes, kiwis & ozzies are in a wry love/hate relationship.
</aside>
the Aussies aren't the only sports-mad people. It continually amazes and sometimes exasperates me. Rugby, hockey, Rugby, football, rugby, water-sports, rugby... It's all a bit much for a big softy.
But, the bits of the olympics that I do see on the telly are mightily impressive - however it beats me how so many apparently intelligent athletes can devote their whole lives to it.
>>..it beats me how so many apparently intelligent
athletes can devote their whole lives to it. <<
The politically correct response is 'dedication'.
The subjective response from an athlete might be a
joking admission of obsessive behaviour or youthful
misdirection by parents/coaches with hidden agendae.
The reality is probably more likely an institutionally
imposed compulsive obsession reinforced to reflex
by reward promises that are statistically quite rare.
But some reasons are less rational, even 'unthinkable'.
The young (16) black American gymnast who won gold is
named Douglas - an anagram of USA GOLD. She is already
on the Corn Flakes box and will probably earn more than
ten million in the next year.
~jwf~
Stone Art,
More on the "Aboriginal flag" business: http://www.racialicious.com/2012/08...3/on-the-olympics-being-indigenous/
TRiG.
<it beats me how so many apparently intelligent athletes can devote their whole lives to it.>
You are Dr Sheldon Cooper and I claim my £5
| | Subject: Olympic what?
Posted Aug 6, 2012 by ITIWBS
This is a reply to this Posting.
| | Post: 217
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I was watching the women's final volleyball championships while I was in the hospital last week, PRC vs USA.
USA team won with a last instant slam-dunk less than two seconds before the end of the game.
| | Subject: Olympic what?
Posted Aug 6, 2012 by Rod
This is a reply to this Posting.
| | Post: 218
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Good grief, it must have taken superior intelligence to have worked that out on such small evidence.
Now maybe you can figure out how to get my £5
<it beats me how so many apparently intelligent athletes can devote their whole lives to it.>
Because, for most atheletes its not* their whole lives; I know this from the personal experience of my Cousin, who was extremely good at sports, she mopped up for years on a county level at Tennis, then changed track, and went err to track... She competed in 200 and 100 metres and got as far as the Commonwealth games, then briefly toyed with one of the multiple event things (heptathalon?), then did the tripple jump for a few years, I think again getting to the pretty good international level (though can't remember if she ever won much at things like the commonwealth).
By her late twenties she had a hip replacement, mainly due to the tripple jump and its wearing the joints down 
Then she went back to Uni, did sports science, and became a coach for a few years/personal trainer, then decided she wanted a change, did some more university, and now works in forensics at the Met In London...
Its through knowing her, and well, being related to her, that I've thrown javalin with a couple of world record holders (back in the 80's), though I was a little disapointed they beat me and thrown shot put with them too... which I was at least a little closer to their distances 
When I was at school for many years, all my school bags, were olympic or commonwealth ones she got given and passed on to me
So the athletic, sports, isn't n ecessarily all the person will do forever... I've another friend, who was extremely good at dance, got into a proper London dance school, went touring everywehre, and then as is the case, the career ends when they're still very young, and again, then went on to accademic studies, and off onto a differnt career
Oh, and I recall from the radio a few weeks, or months back, that Eddie (the Eagle), edwards, (wasn't that his surname?), is back in London, running his plumbing bisunness as he was, I guess, before his Olympic success 
So.... What's going on in the dressage at the Moment?   
I do wonder what you have to do to be an Olympic sport? I've read that Cricket has twice been an Olympic event, but isn't now. Why is that? Why are there so many different types of sailing in the Olympics, but not rugby union, league or sevens? I would have liked to have seen more demonstration events, but have heard that you can only have more sports if other sports are dropped. Why is that - why not have a limitless number of internationally recognised sports able to be in the Olympics?
<BB<
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