London 2012 Summer Olympics

[Merusk]

They made a suit ruling after 2008 when so many records fell.  Men can only wear them from hip to knee and women have to have exposed arms and below-knee.   This was primarily done because the swimming overlords were freaked that the sharkskin suits were dropping so many records, but the secondary effect is that it makes them more affordable, too.   Anyone swimming at this level has a sponsorship, anyway, so they've got access to the suits.  It's just that in 2008 not everyone was on-board with them as being effective.  The games showed those poo-pooing them to be totally wrong.

Yes, Spitz is an asshole. I'd forgotten about him; a fitting fate for his kind of douchebaggery.

[Ginaz]

WTF!!!  Whats up with this women's beach volleyball match???   Why are they wearing body suits and not the skimpy bikinis???   I want my 30 seconds back.

[Ceryse]

Interesting; didn't know about that suit ruling. Good thing, because yeah, in 2008 it was a big deal here in Canada.

Now we just need the Americans to stop injecting dolphin DNA into their swimmers

Its interesting to hear a lot of disappointment already here in Canada and the games have barely started, like its any surprise.

[Ginaz]

Phelps (and most American swimmers) are really un-popular where I am. Most American athletes are. Question of cash and exposure, really. Especially the swimmers and their dolphin DNA and over-engineered suits. They really need to give everyone the same stuff. Thankfully coverage here in Canada is so much better now that we don't have to leech off of American coverage to get a better experience (when CBC had the Olympics the coverage was abysmal compared to the American coverage).

I don't mind watching the swimming, personally, but I much prefer to watch the Tennis, Badminton, Volleyball, combat sports and rowing -- oh and the freaks that are in table tennis. Too bad my country is atrocious at the summer events. Maybe global warming will help change that 

I LOL'ed when the Canadian Olympic committee said their goal was a top 12 finish in the medal count for London.  Good luck with that.

[Surlyboi]

Olympic swimmers tend to be either complete tools or just really nice people with not much in-between. Same for water polo players, mostly because they come from, pun intended, the same general pool. I was on the same high school team as a couple of former olympians and yeah, weapons-grade douchebaggery.

Phelps is not nearly the tool that Lochte is, and it's showing here. The media has played up this huge rivalry between him and his roommate and he's not going for it. It is a bit mental, but it's also just him saying, "fuck this, you guys aren't going to build another narrative around me."

[Ginaz]

If I never had to watch any swimming this Olympics, I'll be a happy man.

That and the marathon are some of the most piss-poor TV events in sports.

The only sport that interests me in either the winter or summers games is hockey.  Go figure.

[Ceryse]

Ginaz; blame the weather in London, apparently. CTV did a story on it, actually.. guess it was a big deal to have a lack of flesh exposed. And yeah, a top 12 finish is not going to happen. We were lucky to finish 15th in 2008 and have already had a couple potential medals slip away.

[Trippy]

That Neymar guy is pretty good.

[Merusk]

Now we just need the Americans to stop injecting dolphin DNA into their swimmers

   Just a function of population.  We've got more people so we're going to be doing better because of a bigger talent pool.   China's kicking everyone's asses (again) for this exact reason.  11 medals to the US' 10, but 6 of China's are Gold.

[Sjofn]

Yeah, I was thinking Mark Spitz was a douche (although I had a fondness for him anyway because of his doofy mustache), but I didn't really notice that they all seem to be douchebags until recently.

I still like watching swimming, though, dunno why. I'd rather watch some other shit but my main preference is actual sporting event as opposed to bullshit tinkly music human interest pieces.

[Merusk]

WTF!!!  Whats up with this women's beach volleyball match???   Why are they wearing body suits and not the skimpy bikinis???   I want my 30 seconds back.

I almost wonder if it's a self-conscious thing.   I found a pic of Jen Kessy (34) without one of those tops. She looks damn good for a 34-year-old who's had kids (3 IIRC) Up against some of the younger women she'd look haggard and you know she'd be compared because the media is a bunch of catty bastards.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4453664/Sexy-volleyball-players-keen-to-net-Prince-Harry.html

[Ingmar]

I'm pretty sure it is just cold in London.

[Surlyboi]

That.

[Sjofn]

Yeah there was a shot of the line judge during yesterday's US/Australia match and they were bundled the fuck up, including having her (possibly his, it was impossible to tell!) hood up.  

[Merusk]

Doesn't explain why the US is the only team wearing them. Even teams from hotter climates, like Argentina, are still wearing the bikinis.

The net judges are wearing some sort of environment suit (the grey bulky thing) but they appear to be the only ones as I scan through the net feed.  The sideline judges are all wearing shorts and short-sleeves so it can't be that cold.  Just looks to be rainy from the amount of umbrellas in the stands.   Weather reports the highs have been in the mid 60's to low 70's, but rainy.  *shrug*

[Ingmar]

The Australians were all bundled up last night as well, acutally, more than the Americans.

[Trippy]

Doesn't explain why the US is the only team wearing them. Even teams from hotter climates, like Argentina, are still wearing the bikinis.

Wasn't just the US. Both pairs in Brazil vs. Netherlands had black full body suits on.

[Ceryse]

Well, the Italy/Russia match doesn't feature any body suits. Don't think its something that's threatening to over take the sport.

[Miasma]

I just watched that match and was surprised at the body suits.  There was a men's match the day before and they weren't wearing that stuff.

I was at a bar so the sound was off and I didn't hear why the cameramen weren't zooming in on the the sign language they use on their butts...

Terrible loss, especially with the Brazil team.

[Ginaz]

WRT the swimming douches, wasn't there something during the Beijing Olympics when the Australian relay team beta the US team and they were mocking the Americans by playing some air guitar?  I think someone on the US team made a comment about the Australian team and had to eat some crow after he lost.

Edit: Found it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-08-06/swimming-form-guide-mens-4x100m-freestyle-relay/466940

[Paelos]

Ah Dutch field hockey. Thanks for showing up! 

[lamaros]

Field hockey has to be the most boring sport in the world.

[Ceryse]

I don't follow field hockey anymore and haven't seen any of the Olympic coverage on it, but the field hockey I remember was entertaining just for the sheer brutality of it -- especially women's. It wasn't uncommon for games to have 3-4 serious injuries (such as broken legs and the like) from all the thwacking, spearing and out-right 'beat the other team with this handy stick!' aspect of the game.

[Fordel]

The only field hockey game I've ever watched had a stoppage of play every like 15 seconds.

[Cyrrex]

Regarding some of my swimming posts back on Page 1:

- Yes Trippy, triple jump is kind of a good comparison too.  It is kind of silly (and also looks stupid as fuck).
- Merusk, I do understand the nuances of the race, but you weren't too far off about your comment about my likely water sport abilities.  I stink at swimming.  If there was an Olympic event call the "4 x 100m sink-to-the-bottom-of-the-pool-and-die medley" then I'd be solid choice for anchor.

Mostly I was joking, even if I still find it funny that they have the different strokes they use.  Regardless, I rather like watching the swimming events.  Maybe because I am a terrible swimmer, I am rather in awe of them.

[lamaros]

The only field hockey game I've ever watched had a stoppage of play every like 15 seconds.

Pretty much this. There is no aesthetic quality to field quality as far as I'm concerned.

[Paelos]

The Dutch team is pretty. So I like it.

[Der Helm]

Who'd known that fencing could be that exciting.

[ghost]

Wow.  The US mens' gymnastic squad really shit the bed.   

[01101010]

Who'd known that fencing could be that exciting.

Be even better if they'd allow shields.

[caladein]

So yeah, I've become mildly obsessed with this Women's Epee Semifinal.  Short version: tied at 5 with one second left, a very long second passes, and the German fencer (and defending Gold medalist) scores a hit right at the buzzer.  Pretty much everyone acknowledges that the timekeeper (which is separate from the referee at large televised events) was slow on starting the clock after the referee started them up again.  A 25 minute or so huddle of various officials ensues.  Match is called for the German.  The South Korean fencer is still standing there (she'd been on the verge of completely breaking down for most of this) apparently because she has to or else she accepts the result.

So she's stuck up there for on the stage while this whole appeal process is going on.  We're about an hour out from the match "ending".

E: Scaled screen cap down.

[caladein]

And the jig is up... (sorry for the crappy VPN-tunneled video quality)

[K9]

Handball is pretty dull from what I can see. On the flip side, the cycling and weightlifting have been exciting to watch.

Also, it's really not cold at all in London right now.

[ghost]

And now Lochte got his ass handed to him.   

[Paelos]

And now Lochte got his ass handed to him.   

He's the anti-Phelps. A douche wrapped in a loser.