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

Apparently the vault was 5cm below the required hieght when the first 18 women took part those that were able, unfortunately not GB's Aneeka Reeder who hurt herself on falling were allowed to take their vaults again.

Gooday Dinsdale,

Does anyone listen to or care about what Clive James says anymore? He is in Oz at the moment, lapping up the freebees, pontificating and pretentious as ever, the prodigal son returned and his utterings faithfully recorded but largely unread by a readership that only wants to know if Freeman's chances of double gold have been enhanced now that Perec has shot through. Please keep James in England, along with Rolf Harris and Germaine Greer and Barry Humphreys. But send back Richie Benaud as soon as possible.

Walter

Read a brilliant quote (to me anyway) in the latest issue of Time Magazine...

Venue was Mexico '68.....
Athlete was Tanzanian Marathon runner.....

Athlete HOBBLED into stadium more than 1 hour after Ethiopian winner crossed the finishing line.

With right leg heavily bloodied and bandaged, he managed to cross the finish line in front of no more than a couple of dozen spectators.

When asked later why he had finished the Marathon when he was so obviously injured after an earlier fall, he replied;

"My country did not send me 5000 milres to start the Marathon......
they sent me 5000 miles to complete it!!!"

Sums up the Olympic Spirit to me completely



'G'

Hi,

well put Gandalf,
It is a pity not all appreciate their positions as well.

I heard an ignoramus on the radio the other night commenting on "what is the point on some of the African Nations sending their athletes when they have no chance of winning". I repeat ignoramus. If some people do not have democracy in their political lives, at least they can have a right to have a go at winning in the Olympics. Besides, he must have been asleep when athletes from some of the smaller and more obscure African countries blitzed the track and field, the boxing, or other things in other Olympics.

Moondancer

Xactly Moondancer..........

Did you see thet African chap yesterday swimming the 100 metres Freestyle on his own?

Accordingb to UK commentators, it was the fr irst time he had completed the without stopping to catch his breath!!

Bugger the fact that it took him 60 seconds more than the winner, it is taking part that is important!!!!

'G'

Gooday Gandalf and Moondancer,

Look don't take this the wrong way, because I enjoyed and was moved by Eric, and the East Timorese weightlifter, as much as anyone else. And wasn't that Pommie skier Eddy the Eagle great fun a few years back? We love it because these guys are us, the nobodys, the never are going to be's. They represent us ordinary people in an arena where they are conspicuous by their mediocrity amongst otherwise mindboggling excellence. But I can understand the point of view that says, in effect, in the pinnacle of the world's sporting competition, what the hell are we doing with a swimmer who can't actually swim 100 metres, or a weightlifter who can't lift seventy kilos, or a skier who can't ski?

In reality, isn't the Olympics ALL about winning nowadays? Success is no longer measured by an individual's performance, it is a national issue. 'We' are vicariously joined to our athletes, they run for us as a collective, as a country. It is a jingistic thing. This was never better illustrated than in the Moscow and Los Angeles Games. To strive for excellence against your own physical and mental limitations, and to overcome those limitations to surpass what logic says you are capable of, is no longer the defining stuff of an Olympian, at least not for NON-Olympians i.e. most of the rest of the world, and Oz is no different. Why that should be so and whether it is a good thing is a huge subject.

Walter

As a former Athelete sure we liked to have the praise of our nation heaped on us, I still want to have that in a different sport at present. But you go out and compete for yourself. The jingositic crowd isn;t there when you are training to keep you going then, you have to be in it for yourself first and foremost.

Hi,
I believe it should be the best of what the country has to offer, 1 second behind the winners looks to be a lot but didn't Ian Thorp make up 3 seconds on one of his times, I may have been the 800m . But one second is obtainable (sometimes). And it could make him go home with the desire to improve that 1 seconds. Otherwise this competition starts to be for the elite countries who can afford the expensive training.
I have a friend in Ghana, who shows just as much enthusiasm in his athletes an we do in ours, and that is in them just being there. And how do you know, some of them could win medals.
What is the joy of playing the game if there is no surprises in your appoints, I even supported the Dutch swimmers (when there were no Aussies in the race).


Moondancer

I apologise in advance for what may be rather a contentious question, BUT I thought the Olympics were supposed to be for AMATEUR sportsmen. Have they changed the rules? If they haven't, probably 80% of the sportsmen shouldn't be there. For a start - all the tennis players I have seen are pure professionals. I understand that all the sportsmen need sponsorship to be able to participate, but to be a real amateur you should have a day job aswell.

Comments please......

I heard a rumour that Perec (?) shot through because she may not have passed the 'Mars Bar' eating test!!

I'm severely pissed off with the BBC World service which I have on in the background. Donovan Bailey made a false start and then the beeb switched to an hour's news which hasn't mentioned the race yet. What should I be listening to instead? It's a fat lot of good being in roughly the right time zone if you can't find out anything until the middle of the night anyway

Hi Walter,

Yeah, I know what you mean about CJ. I was just wondering how he could change his tune without seeming to. I wish he could still be as funny as he was in the Seventies.

Rolf Harris is harmless, surely? He's not above sending himself up with a 'Can you tell what it is yet?'

I have to admit that I still laugh at Sir Les, but that's probably because he doesn't get as many outings as Dame Edna.

Germaine turned up on Room 101 with Paul Merton recently (Do you get that over there?). Still makes me want to throw a brick through the telly. It's not so much what she says, as the way she seems to imply that you have to think the same way as her to justify the term 'sentient being'.

The Beeb are working themselves up into a frenzy in advance of the Coxless Fours this evening. I wonder how they'll take it if GB don't win.

Better get on with some work I s'pose. See Ya.

Did I hear something about the Australians being RAFTED?

The Amateur rules for most sports were relaxed I think only boxing is the only true amateur status for Olympic participants. Mind you to train at the top level you need the income to suport yourself while you are training to further, faster and higher we continue to go becasue we let the atheletes earn money.

Sorry, Walter, the whole point of the Olympic Games is the 'taking part'
If you are the best in your country, you deserve the right to participate!!!

'G'

All a gold medal proves is that you can do something of no use to anyone slightly better than anyone else.
Why is diving a skill and holding your breath underwater in not?
I'm all for the burping competition ........who do I apply to ?

Coxless pairs what a race. The third 500 saw the French put in a push which left the others standing however they were starting to fade towards teh end as the USA, GB and Australian crews all fought it out for the other medals the French broke the line and the other were going to be decided on who was pulling when they crossed the line the US got second but a photo for third which I called as it happened that unfortuanltely was correct that poor old GB were at the end of one momentum when the Aussies stroked and crossed the line ahead.

Good Morning

Congratulations Loony and all you Kiwis on New Zealand's

KIWI KIWI KIWI

OH! OH! OH!




Moondancer

GOLD Coxed Fours LA 1984
GOLD Coxless Pairs Seoul 1988
GOLD Coxless Pairs Barcelona 1992
GOLD Coxless Pairs Atlanta 1996
GOLD Coxless Fours Sydney 2000

STEVE REDGRAVE what a hero.

Good morning everyone,

Just had the thrill and the privilege of watching Steve Redgrave take his fifth gold medal in five consecutive Olympics. A living legend if ever such a creature exists. Now that's my idea of the Games.

Donovan Bailey 'broke' at about the 70 metre mark, perhaps with an injury, but it seemed to me he was gone and cantered into a hobble in an attempt to cover up the fact that he was shot to ribbons. At least he gave it a go, not like Perec.

Amateurs. They were shamateurs twenty-five years ago. Everyone connected with the Olympics is either on the take or on the make nowadays, OLympic athletes are no different. I think the difference is that what we call 'wages' are covered by the terms 'sponsorship' and 'prize money' and 'appearance money'.

Walter.