h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

my little home town has two Olympians in Sydney, Kelly Holmes the runner and Ian Walker who is lying in Silver in the Star class sailing.

Go Ian!

30 pieces?

Well done Kathy Freeman.... and well done Jonathan Edwards!!
(We now have won six times as many gold medals as we won at Atlanta - gosh that sounds impressive!!)

I think tonight will see the BBC bringing to an apogee of perfection their shock at seeing Jonathan Edwards being the world record holder and yet coming second. Did someone say 'choker'?

I can't see where any more golds will come from, unfortunately. The commentators keep drawing our attention to how well we're doing in the sailing, so Sod's Law will kick in there. All the minor sports have finished now, so our chances of picking up the Tiddleywinks gold appear to have vanished. Ho Hum.

I didn't realise that he'd already won! Sorry Jonathan. I always knew you'd do it.

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He still looks like a teenager doing P.E! But well done Johnny never the less

A teenager who's had a great shock I think .

Walter - a suggestion re your question about shot put. Assuming it wasn't part of the original Olympics maybe it's inherited from the Much Wenlock Olympics. In Much Wenlock (Shropshire) they say the modern revival of the Olympics was a result of their "Olympics" which was started, in 1850ish I think, by a local doctor. To improve the morals and health of the local population. No comment on that. The BBC did a rather daft piece on this recently. But they showed one of the events, which they still have; throwing rocks from the local quarry. They hold them in two hands under the chin and throw them from there.
It reminded me of shot put - just a thought anyway.

BTW Much Wenlocks Olympics were way ahead of the "real" ones in that they've had the trialthlon as an event for some years.
Wz.

Gooday everyone,

In all the euphoria over our Cathy, let's not forget our Golden Beach Volleyball team, or our Golden Pole Vaulter who placed silver but was about as golden as it is possible to get without actually taking it on the scoreboard. And Johnson, every bit as authoritative as Cathy. And did you see the 10,000 metres - what a race. The spectators got their money's worth last night, that is for sure. And still it keeps coming. The SYDNEY OLYMPIC GAMES - to quote Bruce McAvaney (our principal Games commentator on the teev coverage), this is special, it doesn't get any better than this.

Oh, and did anyone notice that the bronze medallist in the women's pole vault was from Iceland? It was just the second Olympic medal for Iceland. The first, a silver, came in the 1956 Melbourne Games. Icelanders, we love you too.

Walter.

Jonathan won which means that once upon I time I lead an Olympic Champion for two rounds

Gooday Demon Drawer,

H2g2's very own virtual Olympics' star!! Congratulations cobber, you just get yourself right up here on the podium, and look suitably solemn, in a happy way, as we play your national anthem and raise the flag. It's okay to weep if you feel like it, that's what the Olympic spirit is all about.

Does anyone else have connections with past or present Olympians? I once shared a cheese and cucumber sandwich with Ian Holm, who played Harold Abraham's coach in 'Chariots of Fire'.

Walter.

In 1972, at a pub on the outskirts of Munich, (Grobenzel) two New Zealand rowing eights crew members flaked under my table while wearing the gold medals they won earlier that day. The other gold medal winning rowers plus NZs silver medal winning coxless fours rowers were in various states of drunkeness. Legendary Kiwi Olympians who were leading tour parties turned up as well.... Peter Snell, Murray Halberg etc. An excellent night.

Is it only me who sees a conection between the Great White Shark attacks in Aus and the enormous amount of silver medals won by the host nation?

Loony,

Murray Halberg a legend? For what?!!

I have avoided direct contact with your 'thirty pieces of silver' and suchlike comments, mainly because any response is likely to offend (not you, you're bulletproof), especially since I would need to key in Judas Iscariot. For similar reasons, I will not mention that it appears to be Kiwi season for the Great White Sharks of the Australian Bight.

Wazungu, thanks for the idea. I think you may well have hit the jackpot. Certainly that explanation for the origin of the shot put is going to stand until something better turns up, which doesn't seem very likely. Okay, one down, one to go: the hammer.

Walter

Walter.

Murray Halberg won gold in the 5000 metres at the Tokyo Olympics beating, among others, the great Aussie choker (in big events) Ron Clarke. Halberg, a disabled athlete, (withered arm) went on to set up NZ's Sportsman of The Year awards - all profits to disabled children charities. At the Tokyo Olympics, NZ athlete of the century, Peter Snell won the 800, 1500 metre double. He also won 800 metre gold in Mexico. Cathy Freemans excellent result looks a bit puny in this company.

Shark attacks. NZ gold, Aus silver. Our guy was taken first.

Tenuous connections with Olympic greats:

My Dad was once accidentally walked into by Steve Ovett at the Bluebell Railway, East Sussex, UK. The Great Man said 'Oops. Sorry'.

Equally tenuous - my son has a friend at school whose uncle is godfather to Matthew Pinsent.

*slaver slaver drool drool*

That suit. Is she going to enter the speed skating at Salt Lake City?

I don't think any runner goes fast enough that a suit like that would make a difference. I found it disappointing that someone felt her running didn't speak loudly enough for her and that she should have to draw attention to herself in another way.

It's like Michael Johnson's gold shoes. Did they think that no cameras would focus on him if he wasn't wearing garish footwear? He's the best athlete there is, for God's sake. Of COURSE the cameras will focus on him. Athletes of that calibre don't need cheap tricks like this to attract attention. Their talent does it for them.

Forget the gold shoes, I like the way he wears the most aerodynamic suit possible and then puts a clunky gold chain around his neck..

Good morning everyone,

Slug, I agree with you, there is far more gold around the necks of the Olympians than they are ever likely to see in medals. Love the Olympic connection with Steve Ovett and the Bluebell railway.

A Rumanian gold medallist disqualified for drugs, her medal goes to another Romanian. Mr C J Hunter does his press conference in Sydney, weeps, his tissue is provided by the Nike agent.

The incomparable Bruce McAvaney in his call of the men's 400 metres: "Off!! And Johnson's come out running."

Last night's teev seemed to be mainly weightlifting, diving and water polo. A bit boring really. I hadn't realised exactly how soporific and hour of water polo could be, especially since we lost to a tie-breaking goal in the final couple of minutes. Is it just me, or is the Catherine the Great hype already completely over the top? The other OZ goldies must be wondering a bit, too.

Walter.