Not long to go....
Bit of bad news.
Sally Pearson has torn a hamstring and won't be competing.
Get Danksy on to that right now and she'll be right.
Not the sort of news we want to hear, but just because we don't want to hear it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
I am finding it very difficult to get motivated for these Olympics, something that is not normally the case. The Road to this Olympic Games is paved with Zika Virus (frightening enough at the best of times), Monumental Corruption (the government of Brazil is lucky to have survived), Drug Cheating (the whole Russian Athletics team, for example, is banned for drug use. Others should be!), Crime (it is just luck that athletes haven't been killed yet), Pollution (some of the Games' venues are unclean by any standards, and not just the water areas), incomplete venues (a perennial: Sydney and London have been the only ones really ready for decades) and real lack of interest (the Brazilian population haven't shown the interest and the rest of the world is afraid of the crime or the Zika virus).
It is just not what it could have been.
Only really interested in the basketball and it appears the USA star players cant be be bothered playing...Curry and Lebron are already withdrawals...I guess it might even up the comp but I was looking forward to seeing the best players from every country go around...
Not the sort of news we want to hear, but just because we don't want to hear it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
I am finding it very difficult to get motivated for these Olympics, something that is not normally the case. The Road to this Olympic Games is paved with Zika Virus (frightening enough at the best of times), Monumental Corruption (the government of Brazil is lucky to have survived), Drug Cheating (the whole Russian Athletics team, for example, is banned for drug use. Others should be!), Crime (it is just luck that athletes haven't been killed yet), Pollution (some of the Games' venues are unclean by any standards, and not just the water areas), incomplete venues (a perennial: Sydney and London have been the only ones really ready for decades) and real lack of interest (the Brazilian population haven't shown the interest and the rest of the world is afraid of the crime or the Zika virus).
It is just not what it could have been.
Agree with you Crash. The Olympics is a snorefest for me nowadays - I have absolutely no interest at all. Used to be an avid follower of it. In fact footy is just about it for me as far as sport goes now.
It is a pity it has gone downhill, but things are just not the same any more. Maybe that is a weakness in me?
Hope I'm wrong but I have a feeling this event could end up a bit of a shambles :(
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/rio-2016/olympics-off-the-field/rio-olympics-2016-laptops-shirts-stolen-as-australian-athletes-are-evacuated-20160731-gqhwr2.html
http://www.9news.com.au/world/2016/08/05/08/00/russian-vice-consul-shoots-thief-dead-outside-rio-athletes-village
http://wwos.nine.com.au/2016/08/05/06/40/australian-swimmers-moved-out-of-soupy-pool
Not content with shooting up their athletes, the russians are turning their attention to the locals!
I agree with you Lods.
I reckon the main stories about these games will not be about what happens in the sports arenas.
Don't know if the Olympics are what they were. Every sport has its world championships every year or two and if you are interested in that sport you can follow the best nearly all year round. They also put in ridiculous sports such as golf and tennis. At least with soccer it is U23 with the exception of a couple of players...
Then having the prospect of many athletes having to give their medals back due to cheating adds a high level of cynicism for a lot of sports.
I don't think that I'll be losing sleep over the Olympics.
Well the first hurdle is negotiated :D
Not a bad job with the opener ;)
Besides the "issues" with amenities, there seems to be a lot of countries complaining about cruel and unusual decisions being made in various sports this Olympics.
Could this become the "Corruption Games"?
Furthermore, what chance do you have when Olympic Officials publicly support confirmed drug cheats in medal ceremonies. If they want those sort of games rename the competition Roidlympics 2016.
Team USA vs Aus in the basketball .....switch on CH7 now and you might see some history, Aussies in front at half time and shooting the lights out..
USA playing zero defense as usual with the same old attitude of it doesnt matter how many you score we will score more but it might be going to bite them this game as
they are not shooting well from the field and have started complaining to the refs.
Just hoping we can hang on and keep our better players on the court....
Team USA vs Aus in the basketball .....switch on CH7 now and you might see some history, Aussies in front at half time and shooting the lights out..
USA playing zero defense as usual with the same old attitude of it doesnt matter how many you score we will score more but it might be going to bite them this game as
they are not shooting well from the field and have started complaining to the refs.
Just hoping we can hang on and keep our better players on the court....
It was a terrific game, still just 4pts in it with 36 sec to go when Ingles missed a shot to bring it back to two. Had a feeling it'd be a tough game. How often would the USA have faced a side with 3 NBA championships rings in it albeit not quite the same depth. Aussies went hard at them physically, which changes things for a side that doesn't care much about defence. Aussies had the good old "Carlton" honourable loss...lol.
Pity Kyrie Irving, who had a brilliant last quarter, choose the USA given he as born in Australia and considers himself Australian, but, then again, who wouldn't. It was a tough decision for him though. Hearing him interviewed after his accent is half Australian and half American. If he was on our side I'd say we win.
;D
Race is only just over and former Adelaide/Port Player Brett Chalmers already has this up on his wikipedia page
Chalmers is the father of junior swimming world champion and Gold Medal olympian Kyle Chalmers.
Chalmers is a beast... was 7th on the turn and mowed them down in the last 15m. Not bad for an 18 year old.
Basketball was great also.
It was a terrific game, still just 4pts in it with 36 sec to go when Ingles missed a shot to bring it back to two. Had a feeling it'd be a tough game. How often would the USA have faced a side with 3 NBA championships rings in it albeit not quite the same depth. Aussies went hard at them physically, which changes things for a side that doesn't care much about defence. Aussies had the good old "Carlton" honourable loss...lol.
Pity Kyrie Irving, who had a brilliant last quarter, choose the USA given he as born in Australia and considers himself Australian, but, then again, who wouldn't. It was a tough decision for him though. Hearing him interviewed after his accent is half Australian and half American. If he was on our side I'd say we win.
Irving was great in the last quarter but we probably ran out of depth, reffing was fairly technical and we probably just over did the physical stuff a bit at the wrong time and got pinged although I found many of the fouls could have gone either way and probably should have been let go.....our second string bench players dont equate to what they have coming of the bench and we tired and couldnt keep up the pressure.
re: Irving....I thought we got great service from Delly and Mills for most of the game, where we struggled was the size mismatchups when they were on with the likes of Mills having to pick up Anthony, Durant etc.
USA fans would probably argue Lebron, Curry etc didnt play these games and with them playing we would have been smashed but I was proud of the way we played especially how we constructed our baskets compared to the USA whose game is based around one on one NBA style basketball unlike us who play more the Euro type game based on sound defense and running offensive plays.
Still a big medal chance though and I'd love us to play the USA in the finals ...just way to cocky are the Americans and they may get tested vs teams like Lithuania/Russia who have some bigger guards and deeper benches...cant help feeling though in the back of my mind that the USA always get the champions calls when it comes to 50/50 ref decisions....
Irving was great in the last quarter but we probably ran out of depth, reffing was fairly technical and we probably just over did the physical stuff a bit at the wrong time and got pinged although I found many of the fouls could have gone either way and probably should have been let go.....our second string bench players dont equate to what they have coming of the bench and we tired and couldnt keep up the pressure.
re: Irving....I thought we got great service from Delly and Mills for most of the game, where we struggled was the size mismatchups when they were on with the likes of Mills having to pick up Anthony, Durant etc.
USA fans would probably argue Lebron, Curry etc didnt play these games and with them playing we would have been smashed but I was proud of the way we played especially how we constructed our baskets compared to the USA whose game is based around one on one NBA style basketball unlike us who play more the Euro type game based on sound defense and running offensive plays.
Still a big medal chance though and I'd love us to play the USA in the finals ...just way to cocky are the Americans and they may get tested vs teams like Lithuania/Russia who have some bigger guards and deeper benches...cant help feeling though in the back of my mind that the USA always get the champions calls when it comes to 50/50 ref decisions....
If LeBron and Curry played they'd be totally unbeatable. Basically just hoping or a medal. Depth is what I said to someone else too. We have real class but not their depth. Yes, loved the way they set up.
They fouled purposely at the end. Clocks stops and the USA go to the free throw line. You gamble that they miss and you hope to score on the rebound. Made the margin bigger that what it really was.
If LeBron and Curry played they'd be totally unbeatable. Basically just hoping or a medal. Depth is what I said to someone else too. We have real class but not their depth. Yes, loved the way they set up.
They fouled purposely at the end. Clocks stops and the USA go to the free throw line. You gamble that they miss and you hope to score on the rebound. Made the margin bigger that what it really was.
In fairness look who has declined to play for Australia as well.
It's a problem for Australia because we are relatively small funding wise and have possibly been done out of medals because of players either jumping ship or pulling the pin on their Olympic campaign. There are almost as many Australian's in the opposition as there are in the Australian Olympic team. It's all about funding and politics.
In fairness look who has declined to play for Australia as well.
It's a problem for Australia because we are relatively small funding wise and have possibly been done out of medals because of players either jumping ship or pulling the pin on their Olympic campaign. There are almost as many Australian's in the opposition as there are in the Australian Olympic team. It's all about funding and politics.
The likes of Dante Exum and Ben Simmons would he handy.
Found this on an American forum, I've never heard of Peter Norman.
http://www.littlethings.com/real-peter-norman-story/
Found this on an American forum, I've never heard of Peter Norman.
http://www.littlethings.com/real-peter-norman-story/
I remember that happening.
Caused quite a stir at the time.
Found this on an American forum, I've never heard of Peter Norman.
http://www.littlethings.com/real-peter-norman-story/
You were born too late ;) ;D
It was an altitude mark but it's still the Australian record.
MBB, pretty sure there is a doco on Peter Norman, made by his nephew... worth watching.
So Jarryd Hayne not getting into the Fiji Rugby 7's side has cost him an Olympic Gold medal.
Something must be physically amiss with some of our swimmers. The Campbell sisters and Cam McEvoy with scintillating in relays then got worse. Cam and Bronte gradually got worse as the week has gone on and Cate couldn't go an inch today, 53.24 today, 51.97 on Sunday. On top of that Emily Seebohm couldn't go at all after going in in great form. If it happens to one then you say "so be it" but 4 of them then something is amiss. You don't lose form that sharply in 4-5 days, not 4 of them. There's a few gold medals right there although Kyle Chalmers did win the 100m anyway. Interesting McEvoy withdrew from the 200s and the 4 x 200 relay pretty late. Cost us a medal in the 4 x 200 and I'm sure under normal circumstances could've been very close in the 200m individual. Must be something not right.
Thought we were a living certainly in the women's medley relay but now they'll be lucky to place.
Something must be physically amiss with some of our swimmers. The Campbell sisters and Cam McEvoy with scintillating in relays then got worse. Cam and Bronte gradually got worse as the week has gone on and Cate couldn't go an inch today, 53.24 today, 51.97 on Sunday. On top of that Emily Seebohm couldn't go at all after going in in great form. If it happens to one then you say "so be it" but 4 of them then something is amiss. You don't lose form that sharply in 4-5 days, not 4 of them. There's a few gold medals right there although Kyle Chalmers did win the 100m anyway. Interesting McEvoy withdrew from the 200s and the 4 x 200 relay pretty late. Cost us a medal in the 4 x 200 and I'm sure under normal circumstances could've been very close in the 200m individual. Must be something not right.
Thought we were a living certainly in the women's medley relay but now they'll be lucky to place.
The swimmers are supposedly trained/prepared to the minute, those in charge of that f-ed up big time. The Yanks are talented sure but they have always appeared to have done this aspect better than us. Boils down to $$$, crap in = crap out.
The swimmers are supposedly trained/prepared to the minute, those in charge of that f-ed up big time. The Yanks are talented sure but they have always appeared to have done this aspect better than us. Boils down to $$$, crap in = crap out.
No they didn't, they were brilliant no more than 4-5 days ago. 4 swimmers suddenly couldn't go and got slower as the week went on. We have been outstanding at peaking swimmers for years, whether it's been Olympics, World Champs or Commonwealth Games. Our swim coaches are the best anywhere. As an elite coach and qualified Exercise Physiologist 4 swimmers won't drop like that so quickly in a few days. If it was one then, well, crap happens, when it's 4, something's amiss. You don't drop from 47.00, 52.15, and 51.97, on the changeover fly admittedly, to over 48 and in the 53's. Too much of a drop to be normal for so many in just a few days. Don't think that's hard to work out. Be interested when it comes out eventually, if it does.
McEvoy's apparently crook...has a bug.
Wouldn't be surprised if a few others aren't also a bit off colour.
But it has been a bit underwhelming in terms of expected performance vs actual performance.
On a larger issue though...Do we give our swimmers the best opportunities by having our selection trials so far away (in terms of time) from the actual Games?
The Americans seem to have little trouble reaching that double peak in a short space of time.
Our Track and Field folk also have the selection trials well away from the games but they've been able to sharpen up with races in the northern summer and some have been able to reach late qualifiers to make the team.
(The official line is that he's not ill..he and Campbell didn't handle the pressure...... these are experienced international athletes I find that really hard to believe.)
McEvoy was also asked the question about sickness and did not deny it.
“Me and Rich (his coach Richard Scarce), we’re going to sit down and pinpoint any areas that had some effect,’’ he said.
“But I don’t want to stand here being the guy rolling off excuses, it was this, it was that, not only because that’s not the type of person I am but I don’t want to take anything away from what Kyle has achieved. I think this is his moment and he should soak it up and he deserves all the recognition he can get.’’
McEvoy's apparently crook...has a bug.
Wouldn't be surprised if a few others aren't also a bit off colour.
But it has been a bit underwhelming in terms of expected performance vs actual performance.
On a larger issue though...Do we give our swimmers the best opportunities by having our selection trials so far away (in terms of time) from the actual Games?
The Americans seem to have little trouble reaching that double peak in a short space of time.
Our Track and Field folk also have the selection trials well away from the games but they've been able to sharpen up with races in the northern summer and some have been able to reach late qualifiers to make the team.
(The official line is that he's not ill..he and Campbell didn't handle the pressure...... these are experienced international athletes I find that really hard to believe.)
It's worked for us for years with trial in Feb. Actually be harder for the Americans having their trials then holding that for 6 weeks. We get the chance to reload. Our results for our population show that. Peaking 6 months apart from Trials to championships isn't too hard.
Be a bug for sure. If they had lost, missed a medal being a little down on time, then the occasion got the better of them. But when 3 swimmers are down over a second over 100m in just a few days then something's amiss. McEvoy went 47.00, Bronte 52.15 and Cate 51.97, admittedly on a changeover fly. In their finals 48.12, and 53's. That's huge and unusual, even if you choked. Generally we are good at peaking our swimmers as the world champs have shown.
I picked Chalmers to win as he was getting stronger every race, McEvoy was looking flatter each race as if each one was taking alot out of him. I'm thinking now there was a good reason why he didn't do the 200m or the 4 x 200 as he wouldn't normally have done well in both of them. Today couldn't even qualify for the 50m final. No chance he would've withdrawn normally as he was a huge chance. I said to my mother today that I was worried about Bronte as similarly she seemed to struggle more and not finish strongly though the heats and semi. Was dying, which is unusual. Seebohm, who's usually as tough as anything and always peak well, can't move an inch and first ever today missed a final. If she hasn't got a bug then i'll be surprised.
It's worked for us for years with trial in Feb. Actually be harder for the Americans having their trials then holding that for 6 weeks. We get the chance to reload. Our results for our population show that. Peaking 6 months apart from Trials to championships isn't too hard.
That would be my thinking too...but maybe there's been a shift in swimming and we need to have a look at whether what's worked in the past is still the best way to approach things.
We'd have to discount the illness factor to start with (which I suspect is there) and then compare the trial times to the Olympic times.
I'd be curious to see how many have swum faster at any stage during the Games.
You make a good point Jim,makes you think something must be up and i'm sure it will come out. No shame if that is what has happened.
The head coach did go out of his way to say that McEvoy was not sick... Cate Campbell qualified fastest for the final... Taylor McKeown qualified fastest for the final.
They do carry a lot of expectations... we just expect that we are going to win gold in the pool.
I can't believe no one has floated stillnox yet...
;D
Dane Bird-Smith, great!!! I couldn't believe he was paying $34 for a win so I jumped on each way. Being my sport I know these guys very well, he was always going to come top 5 at least.
Seems the reason Cate Campbell struggled is she moved early on the blocks, pulled herself back and missed the start very badly. After that she panicked, went too fast. and blew up. Technically she could well have been dq'ed as you're not supposed to move at all on the blocks. Certainly something not right with McEvoy and Bronte, who were simply brilliant only 4 days previously, and Em Seebohm.
Just watched the Matilda's go down. Bugger. We are definitely not having much luck these Olympics. But I did have to go to Wikipeadia to check the rules for penalty shoot outs and found this:
The keeper is forbidden from moving off the goal line to narrow the shooter's angle.
Be interested to hear from anyone who knows the game intimately (ex-players?) and whether they think the Brazilian crossed the line (no pun intended).
Dane Bird-Smith, great!!! I couldn't believe he was paying $34 for a win so I jumped on each way. Being my sport I know these guys very well, he was always going to come top 5 at least.
Seems the reason Cate Campbell struggled is she moved early on the blocks, pulled herself back and missed the start very badly. After that she panicked, went too fast. and blew up. Technically she could well have been dq'ed as you're not supposed to move at all on the blocks. Certainly something not right with McEvoy and Bronte, who were simply brilliant only 4 days previously, and Em Seebohm.
Something wrong more so than individual stuff ups - too many crazy misses from seasoned performers...
Something wrong more so than individual stuff ups - too many crazy misses from seasoned performers...
I think so. Our swim coaches are among the best going anywhere and generally have our swimmers in the best of shape when it matters.
Just watched the Matilda's go down. Bugger. We are definitely not having much luck these Olympics. But I did have to go to Wikipeadia to check the rules for penalty shoot outs and found this:
The keeper is forbidden from moving off the goal line to narrow the shooter's angle.
Be interested to hear from anyone who knows the game intimately (ex-players?) and whether they think the Brazilian crossed the line (no pun intended).
Sometimes they declare a retake but you'll find that keepers leave the line early a lot of the time and get away with it.
It's one of those rules not harshly enforced because the penalty is more of a lottery than anything else for keepers whilst it's stacked heavily against them.
Aus well beat by Serbia in the mens basketball.....the latter play traditional Euro basketball where defense is the focus and they just choked us for opportunities and we threw up some real NBA rubbish shot wise. Bogurt and Baynes had their hands full with the athletic Serb talls and I think Bogey lost a bit of interest when he realised it was going to be a tough night. They gave us no open looks and our star small guards couldnt buy a basket, probably having the two small guards came back to bite us defensively. Onto Spain for the Bronze..the Spanish have their fair share of NBA talent but dont play as intense on defense as the Serbs and rely on blowing teams away with offense. I'd expect us to go back to a more conservative style and grind out the win vs the Spanish who are very talented but temperamental and we should claim our first basketball medal....
I thought the Serbs might have had a let down after getting over the Croatians... Our boys really stunk it up.
Got to bounce back now.
Great performance by Chloe Esposito in the modern Pentathlon.....a real straight shooter ;)
How bad has Kitty Chiller's Games been :-[ :(
Great performance by Chloe Esposito in the modern Pentathlon.....a real straight shooter ;)
How bad has Kitty Chiller's Games been :-[ :(
Striking a balance between trying to catch your opponents and being able to shoot accurately and quickly must be a huge challenge. Chloe's shooting at the last station was incredible given the state of the competition. She must have nerves of steel.
I haven't watched a great deal of the games but there has been some great moments and some bizarre moments too.
I suspect that this will be the last Olympics to be held in a "developing country".
Striking a balance between trying to catch your opponents and being able to shoot accurately and quickly must be a huge challenge. Chloe's shooting at the last station was incredible given the state of the competition. She must have nerves of steel.
I haven't watched a great deal of the games but there has been some great moments and some bizarre moments too.
I suspect that this will be the last Olympics to be held in a "developing country".
Her shooting was good all the way through the run/shoot section.
Apparently she was a junior representative at Commonwealth Youths in pistol shooting.