Olympic Thread

[The Outlaw]

Then they should be out of whatever sport they are involved with. To be fair (whether it sounds like I'm ignorant or not) I'm not familiar with 1 or 2 of those names.


But I do remember reading about a lot of those people. C.J. Hunter had the clear with her AT the Sydney games. Her husband at the time also reportedly said he injected her at times and sometimes she injected herself. This all took place during the games.


Mickey Grimes is another US track star to test positive. Jerome Young. Dwain Chambers. John McEwen. Ben Johnson. The list goes on.


Greek track stars Kostas Kederis (defending 200m gold medalist) and Katerina Thanou (defending 100m silver medalists) were mysteriously AWOL for their drug test, which they had done in 2003 and something which is tantamount to admitting guilt as you can be suspended for missing your drug test. Later, they claimed to have turned their cell phones off, and to be in a minor motorcycle accident, which prevented them from showing up at their hearing for missing the test.

LOL right.

(edit - I seriously had no idea Armstrong tested positive. Could I bother you for a link by chance, Moon?)

[El Capitano Gatisto]

ahahahahahahahahhaahaha

Some Irish long distance runner just absolutely lost the rag in an interview with a studio analyst. The analyst was a former sprinter, and the competitor called him a whore.

[Loose Cannon]

http://sports.yahoo.com/oly/track_field/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpY29qbG50BF9TAzk2NjcyOTgwBHNlYwN0aA--?slug=ap-doping-shotputrun&prov=ap&type=lgns

Hey look, another one. This is why I can't take anything seriously anymore with these Olympics. Every time I go to yahoo the past two weeks or whatever, there's always something about athletes failing drug tests or something related to that.

[Moonax]

Armstrong tested positive for steriods in 1999. He claimed that it was in a cream given to him for piles.

The weightlifting has been a total joke. There have been like 5 positive tests.

[Rob]

LOL yeah sounds pretty ignorant to me. Then again I guess that isn't rare for everyone to go against us? http://tpww.net/forums/images/smilies/meh.gif

Look at the 100m just now. Even Michael Johnson, the best sprinter you ever had didn't want the Americans to win because they are up their own arses.

As for the comment being ignorant:

1 - I already admitted it was

2 - Tell someone who cares i.e. some American because the rest of the world doesn't.

[BCWWF]

Well obviously he showed the people the perscription, was cleared, and nobody else cared besides Moonax. Its not rare for there to be a steroid in a perscription drug, a friend of mine who is on full ride to Missouri has been on steroids for most of the summer, whereas some people like Moonax would hold that against him for the rest of his life, the reasonable people of this world understand that there was steroids in the medicine he was perscribed for poison ivy. Quit trying to make a big deal out of nothing, since you're the only one who seems to notice.

[Moonax]

You forget that Jonathon Vaughters was not allowed to take the same 'medicine' because it would have caused a positive test.

[Rob]

Well obviously he showed the people the perscription, was cleared, and nobody else cared besides Moonax. Its not rare for there to be a steroid in a perscription drug, a friend of mine who is on full ride to Missouri has been on steroids for most of the summer, whereas some people like Moonax would hold that against him for the rest of his life, the reasonable people of this world understand that there was steroids in the medicine he was perscribed for poison ivy. Quit trying to make a big deal out of nothing, since you're the only one who seems to notice.

Okay hows this in comparison. There was a British skiier who had his medal taken from him because he failed a drug test. That drug test was failed because Vicks Nasal tubes, which are over the counter normal medicines, are produced with different chemicals in the U.S than they are in the rest of the world. Is that fair?

Athletes on prescriptions are required to inform their respective bodies before competiting. If you don't, you fail. Same rules for everyone.

[The Mackem]

Whoever it is who isn't Steve Cram and is commentating can fuck off. Northern cock.
Probably Brendan Frazer if you were watching Distance running.

[Rob]

Thought Moonie was a bit harsh on Paula myself. Distance running in 38 degree heat has to be tough. She wasn't the only girl to pull out either.

Fraser also sounds like he has a mouth full of marbles when he talks

[Moonax]

I think that radcliffe bottles it. She always does this. Fair enough she is still an amzing runner, but I am not sure she can handle pressure.

I don't think her husband helps. He's a fucking psycho

[The Mackem]

Still, she's a great athlete, things just never seem to go right for her for one reason or another.

[Rob]

I think that radcliffe bottles it. She always does this. Fair enough she is still an amzing runner, but I am not sure she can handle pressure.

I don't think her husband helps. He's a fucking psycho

How does she always bottle it? She is the fastest long distance runner out there and he has won practically every street marathon there is.

As for the pressure, the whole country was on her back saying she was our only gold medal hope period. Dunno if many people could take that. As for the race, you can take she never bottled it. She definately made every attempt to win. She was a fair bit behind at one point and clawed it back well enough to the point where winning wasn't out of the question. She obviously just didn't have enough energy. To stop 4 miles from the finish is hardly a bottle job.

[Moonax]

But this is it. She can win races when there isn't pressure on her, but when there is she seems to go to pot.

I think she is just not as good as we think she is.

[Rob]

Well the majority of the British public think she is the best in the world. I think her record proves it. One night doesn't make or break you in this sport in my opinion. But that's my opinion.

[The Mackem]

Yeah but she sets records and wins races all the time, when it comes to the Olympics she's just got bad luck I guess. Sydney she finished fourth in whatever race she was in. 2002 was her best year I thought, if it was an Olympic year, who knows?

[Moonax]

I'm just thinking of her performances in previous Olympics and also the World Championships (there was that race where she messed up the tactics and her husband wigged out).

Don't get me wrong - I'm not disputing her talent to run fast. I'm just not sure about her ability to 'win the big one'.

[The Mackem]

Well the majority of the British public think she is the best in the world. I think her record proves it. One night doesn't make or break you in this sport in my opinion. But that's my opinion.
It hasn't exactly been her best year and a bit as well with illness and injury

[El Capitano Gatisto]

Well obviously he showed the people the perscription, was cleared, and nobody else cared besides Moonax. Its not rare for there to be a steroid in a perscription drug, a friend of mine who is on full ride to Missouri has been on steroids for most of the summer, whereas some people like Moonax would hold that against him for the rest of his life, the reasonable people of this world understand that there was steroids in the medicine he was perscribed for poison ivy. Quit trying to make a big deal out of nothing, since you're the only one who seems to notice.
There is a difference between anti-inflammatory steroids and anabolic steroids.

Athletes are given a list of prescription drugs that they should not use, and can only use with dispensation. I don't think it is an accepted excuse in the Olympics. One failed athlete has already tried it thus far, and had their appeal thrown out.

[The Mackem]

I'm just thinking of her performances in previous Olympics and also the World Championships (there was that race where she messed up the tactics and her husband wigged out).

Don't get me wrong - I'm not disputing her talent to run fast. I'm just not sure about her ability to 'win the big one'.
I seem to recall a race when the commentators were going on about her tactics not paying off for her, she either went off too fast or too slow or something and ended up getting out "kicked". Might have been 1999.

It depends what you see as success and failure. For somebody who is labelled as arguably the best British athlete she hasn't done to well on the Olympic stage but I dare say her trophy cabinet takes a while to be fully polished and I'm guessing her London and Chicago records are still in tact. Her time is running out I guess on the Olympic stage, she'll be what, 34 by the time of the next Olympics?

[Rob]

To be fair, ever since she moved to marathons, he was killing everyone. Apparently, they are saying she might try the 10,000m now. I don't know what to make of that.

[The Mackem]

She was 4th in the 10 000 metres in Sydney, she was also the European and Comonwealth champion in 2002 at 10 000 metres.

[The Outlaw]

Look at the 100m just now. Even Michael Johnson, the best sprinter you ever had didn't want the Americans to win because they are up their own arses.

As for the comment being ignorant:

1 - I already admitted it was

2 - Tell someone who cares i.e. some American because the rest of the world doesn't.I have admitted in the past that most Americans are up their own backsides. This is nothing new to me Harvey, but thanks for pointing it out. They/we are ALMOST as bad as you being up Lewis' "arse". http://tpww.net/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

I am also glad you don't care that you are ignorant.

I'm just not sure about her ability to 'win the big one'.SO she is the Olympic version of the Red Sox? http://tpww.net/forums/images/smilies/frown.gif

[Rob]

Didn't I just say tell someone who cares?

[BCWWF]

Okay hows this in comparison. There was a British skiier who had his medal taken from him because he failed a drug test. That drug test was failed because Vicks Nasal tubes, which are over the counter normal medicines, are produced with different chemicals in the U.S than they are in the rest of the world. Is that fair?

Athletes on prescriptions are required to inform their respective bodies before competiting. If you don't, you fail. Same rules for everyone.


I agree that it should be the same for everybody, but the point is that Moonax keeps bringing this up like he was caught cheating, when in reality he was caught doing something that just about any sick person does. He is basically taking things out of context and people here are believing everything he says.

[Moonax]

He was caught taking steriods. You choose to believe his excuse. i don't. Afterall, every rider has saddle sores and yet Armstrong is the only person who uses a cream that gives a positive test for steriods.

I point it out because it demonstrates that Armstrongs claim that 'he has never failed a test' is a lie.

[Bad Company]

Yeah, we've got more gold medals than canada now :o

[El Capitano Gatisto]

It was a fix, they only put Sheep shearing in the Olympics so that you guys wouldn't cry about not winning any medals.They should put in sheep shagging.

Or both. The modern "diathlon" if you will, to find the ultimate Welsh/Kiwi athlete.

[The Outlaw]

Didn't I just say tell someone who cares?
If you don't care, then why respond? :kiss:

[Dazz]

What a run by Kelly Holmes in the 800 metres, she was at the back after the first 200 metres.

[Rob]

GET IN THEIR KELLY GIRL!!! :D :D :D

Dean Macey is having a hell of a day too.

[Dazz]

GET IN THEIR KELLY GIRL!!! :D :D :D


Could you have sounded any gayer?

[Moonax]

Could you have sounded any gayer?

Only if he'd called himself something really gay. A name like 'Dazz' for example.

[The Mackem]

Hey leave Dazz alone, he looks like Prince William.

[ct2k]

Really chuffed for Kelly Holmes, she deserves that gold so much!

[Moonax]

Hey leave Dazz alone, he looks like Prince William.

I hear that you are a dead ringer for Princess Anne.

Catalina Ponor still owns you all.

Most successful gymnast at the games. 3 gold medals.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39990000/jpg/_39990656_ponor_getty200.jpg

[BCWWF]

Thats what happened to me in our state track meet, I lead off the 4x800 and ran the first 200 in the time I was supposed to, but everyone else was going fast so I was in 8 of 9 at 200, but then ended up third or fourth handing the baton off. Its all about running the race right.

[Rob]

4X800? Are you serious?

[The Mackem]

You don't see it at the highest level but I have heard of it being ran. I done it at school a few times.

[BCWWF]

Its in high school and college in the US. The whole concept of relays is kind of ruined once you lose true "teams" aka colleges. IMO 4x400 in high school/college is the best race out there, just because once you get to world class theres not as much chance of a big upset or anything, they are all so good and consistant.

[Rob]

I have heard of 4x800 and 4x1500 but I didn't think anyone actually ran them any more. Kinda like 300m races or high hurdle relays.

[Loose Cannon]

I ran 4 X 2 and 4 X 1 in H.S.

[The Mackem]

What a night

Hicham El Guerrouj winning the Olympic 1500m Gold was just an amazing moment, his flat out sprinting, his emotions after winning...his dance. Quality.

The women's pole vault final was absolutely fantastic and ended in a new World record forr Isinbayeva. I see quite a lot of the pole vault during the year and to see the constant changes in the leader board and then to set 4.91m as a World Record on the big stage was amazing. Best shot of the night was indeed the one when she went over the bar with the torch in the background. I love to see the vaulters emotions on their way back down, bloody amazing.

A bit of controversy in the Women's 100m hurdles which has ended in a protest from the Russians (useless Canadians)

Macey's rehabilitation continues and gets 4th in the decathlon and Holmes looks strong in the womens 1500m.

Just saw highlights of the Iraq/Paraguay match, Iraq were robbed :mad:

P.S, Michael Johnson is as good as ever, I love him.

I love the Olympics.

[The Mackem]

http://www.celebrityfightnight.org/michael%20johnson.jpg

[Rob]

I hate Hicham El Guerrouj. Probably because he is Morrocan.

Dean Macey is still the man though. If he stays fit, he is gonna win the lot over the next 4 years.

[The Mackem]

I see that boxer dude Khan is guaranteed a medal, is he really a big talent? I haven't seen any boxing yet, will he make it professionally and I'm not talking Audley Harrison professionally.

[BCWWF]

I have heard of 4x800 and 4x1500 but I didn't think anyone actually ran them any more. Kinda like 300m races or high hurdle relays.

The 300 meter intermediate hurdles is the standard "long" hurdle event in United States high schools, thats probably the last place they do it though. We also have high hurdle relays, but they are only in what are called "relay meets," where the whole meet is just every relay you can think of, 4x110 hurdles, Sprint Medleys, Distance Medleys, 4x3200, 4xpole vault, etc etc. I think the team aspect makes track and field a lot more unique.

[Moonax]

I see that boxer dude Khan is guaranteed a medal, is he really a big talent? I haven't seen any boxing yet, will he make it professionally and I'm not talking Audley Harrison professionally.

Well he stopped his opponent in the first round. I wouldn't get carried away though.

He's looking good but he says that his main objective is Bejing in 4 years time and is only here to get the experience.

[Rob]

If he wins gold, I say he is going pro. His style makes for a good pro too.

[Bad Company]

Just watched Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty come 1st and 2nd for NZ in the Triathlon.
Great Effort Guys, NZ is gonna go nuts over this!

[BCWWF]

Just watched the 5k, its actually a pretty exciting event even without Pre and Viren :sad:

Did anyone else catch the 110 highs? Lewis hit the first few and then went down real hard, he was our top guy. That Chinease guy will probably take it now.

[Moonax]

LOL at the punch up between Darren Campbell and Michael Johnson.

[Rob]

LOL at the punch up between Darren Campbell and Michael Johnson.

Come again?

[Moonax]

Ok, not quite a punch up but it might yet :)

www.guardian.co.uk

Campbell confronts critic Johnson

David Plummer
Friday August 27, 2004
The Guardian

The rancour between the British sprinter Darren Campbell and the BBC's athletics analyst Michael Johnson spilled into a heated confrontation in an Athens nightclub on Wednesday night.

Campbell's manager Sue Barrett yesterday alleged that Johnson accused the sprinter of lying over a hamstring injury that Campbell blamed for his failure to qualify for the finals of either the 100 or 200 metres in Athens.

Campbell, angered by comments made by the five-times Olympic gold medallist while summarising on BBC, confronted him at a party hosted by MTV.

Barrett said: "Darren told him [Johnson] 'I'm not happy about what you've been saying about me' and Johnson replied 'That's my opinion.' When Darren said 'Let's get this straight. Are you saying I've been lying about my injury?' Johnson responded 'Yes'. Then he walked away."

The row started when Johnson told British viewers after Campbell failed to qualify from his 200m semi-final: "No one's ever questioned he's a great athlete but he's obviously not in shape right now. So why not just say that? Everyone will respect that. But when you pull a hamstring you're out for six weeks, you can't run.

"After the second round, I felt bad for Darren coming off the track, wincing. But then he said, 'I'm going to run the semi-final'. I felt like I'd been taken advantage of as a viewer and supporter of Darren."

The British athletics team doctor Bryan English said: "What has been said is totally unfair. Obviously, he [Johnson] has not done his homework because his comments are very odd, disrespectful and misinformed. The record has to be put straight."

[Rob]

Michael Johnson should have just come out and called him a crybaby loser bitch on air because that's what he is.

Don't stress over Paula Radcliffe losing. We have enough losers in men's sprints - Darren Campbell, Mark Lewis-Francis, Jason Gardner, Jamie Baulch, Daniel Canies, Christian Malcolm, etc. Every last one of them should be embarrassed they even showed up.

[BCWWF]

Does anybody know a place where you can get videos of old races, or world records or what not? I can't find anything on my p2p things, does anyone know of a web site?

[Moonax]

At least Johnson is honest and isn't a fucking cheerleader like fucking Brendan Foster.

Frankly athletes get away with far too much bullshit and lying.

I'd like someone to turn round to Wenger and go 'how come whenever there is a foul on an Arsenal player you can see it perfectly but whenever its the other way round your eyesight suddenly ceases to function?'

'So Paula why have you fucked it up in a big championship again?'

"David do you accept that you are an over-rated pretty-boy with a single figure IQ?"

More honesty in sports journalism.

[ct2k]

Am i the only British person who thinks Paula Radcliffe is a little cry baby?

I mean i can understand her being upset, but to drop out with 4 miles to go in the marathon and a medal chance, and with a ton of laps to go in the 10k? She comes across as a spoilt brat who is too used to winning recently.

If Redgrave and Pinsent had been way behind in a race in one of their olympic runs they wouldn'tve started flailing about crying so why is it ok for Paula to do it?!

[Moonax]

As I said earlier. She is the Graham Hick of athletics. She's a flat track bully who can't do it on the big stage.

I'm watching Sycho Swimming at the moment and I have to say that it is totally ridiculous that it is an Olympic sport. Why not ballroom dancing?

[The Mackem]

Michael Johnson should have just come out and called him a crybaby loser bitch on air because that's what he is.


Christian Malcolm.
Christian Malcolm has literally came back from a serious kidney illness, I doubt I would feel like sprinitng 200m never mind doing it in under 21 seconds. the rest are much of muchness. I like Garnder and Lewis Francis, you can't see them stepping up so to say though. Baulch, well he's just a minor celebrity who also runs. The 400m has just went downhill somehow after looking like seriously contending with the US. Iwan Thomas got injured and couldn't recapture his form, others seemingly dropped of the face of the earth.

It's funny because a few years ago British sprinting had an amazing future and then one daft thing has happened after another starting with Dwain Chambers failed drugs test.

I love Michael Johnson, literally. This guy talks the most sense out of everybody, it makes me wonder who US telelvision have got if we've got him analyzing on the BBC. He just talks so much sense and you can respect him for who he is and what he's done.

[The Mackem]

Just watched the 5k, its actually a pretty exciting event even without Pre and Viren :sad:

Did anyone else catch the 110 highs? Lewis hit the first few and then went down real hard, he was our top guy. That Chinease guy will probably take it now.
yeah I did and the Chinese guy did take it tonight, equaled the world record.

[Moonax]

Just a quick question. What do people think about countries 'buying in talent'? There was some controversy about the guy who signed up to run the 400 metres for the British.

www.guardian.co.uk

Qatar flexes the wrong muscle

Oil-rich nation's attempt to buy success falls happily short

David Hopps in Athens
Wednesday August 25, 2004
The Guardian

The only chance of a member of Qatar's ruling classes winning an Olympic medal will be if falcon hunting is adopted as an Olympic sport. When you are one of the most oil-rich countries in the world, it does encourage a certain indolence.
And why bother developing sporting talent when it is far easier to flash wads of money to buy a nationality or two? The Qatari government funds Bulgarian weightlifters and Kenyan runners to compete on its behalf. Sportsmen used as a sheikh's plaything. So far, happily, it is not going according to plan.

The lifter once known as Angel Popov, one-time stout Bulgar, lover of folk music, zucchini soup and endless economic crises, now ripples muscles at 105kg as Asaad Said Saif Asaad. All to no avail. Bulgaria came to Athens with 34 Olympic weightlifting medals; today Qatar are still awaiting their first.

Asaad lay fourth after the snatch, but had been overshadowed by Olympic-record lifts of 195kg by the Russian, Dmitry Berestov, and the Hungarian, Ferenc Gyurkovics. Berestov favoured a wobbly cheek and cockily raised eyebrow as the bar was raised; Gyurkovics dealt in a manic chuckle. Asaad's challenge then collapsed with three failed lifts in the clean and jerk, leaving Berestov to hold off Gyurkovics for gold.

Salem Jaber Saeed is Qatar's last chance tonight in the 105kg+ category - the super heavyweights - still bearing the surly Bulgarian moustache he sported in his days as Yani Marchokov in the junior world championships.

In Sydney it all went badly, too. A disgraced Bulgarian weightlifting team was expelled from the games for drug abuse. That left the Qatari Bulgars, who were soon withdrawn on the excuse that they were suffering from serious diarrhoea after an Arabian meal.

Nationality in sport has become confused. Qualification because of residence, or family birthplace, is a natural consequence of globalisation. Considering the destruction that untrammelled nationalism has wreaked upon the world, that is no bad thing.

Greece's narrow patriotism has been one of the saddest aspects of these Olympics. Four years ago, Australia revelled in great sport; Greece only has eyes for its own. When the Greek weightlifter Kaki Kakhashavillis failed to win his fourth Olympic title on Monday night, the crowd was pouring through the exits long before Milen Dobrev, a Bulgarian actually lifting for his own country, took gold.

Qatar, though, makes a mockery of nationhood, even the saner version acceptable to a modern world. It points to the Olympic charter in self-justification. "The practice of sport is a human right," it reads. "Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport in accordance with his or her needs." But that was never intended to allow a country to cynically import sportsmen and women like high-performance cars.

Weightlifting has refused to condemn this abortion from the outset, arguing that it spreads the sport to new parts of the world and so enhances international competition.

Qatar is behaving in sport as it operates in life. About 150,000 native Qataris live in this tiny gulf sheikhdom, with the population swollen by half a million foreign workers, a melting pot of nationalities attracted by the rewards on offer in this oil-rich nation. The Ritz hotel alone employs more than 50 nationalities.

Qatar sought earlier this year to buy itself a World Cup football team. It was on the verge of raiding an entire team of Germans, Brazilians and Africans from the German Bundesliga until Fifa, fearing the consequences, introduced a five-year residential qualification. Successfully stymied, Qatar has since won only two of its eight matches.

Qatar has every right to fill its football leagues with star names (the Netherlands' veteran De Boer brothers are among this season's attractions) to stage lavish tennis or golf tournaments and generally enjoy the benefits that the world's dependence upon oil has brought.

But the Olympic flame does not rise from the oil wells of the gulf, but from a desire to cling to the belief, however tarnished, in fair sporting competition between true representatives of nations.

Cuba's former Olympic athletics champion, Alberto Juantorena, had it right in Sydney when he called the drain of talent from his homeland "sporting prostitution". Qatar's Bulgarian weightlifters are exactly that.

[I-Hate-You]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/CATSS/Hot%20Pics/olympics_beach_volleyball.jpg

Misty May (top) and Kerry Walsh (bottom) celebrate their gold medal victory in Beach Volleyball at the 2004 Olympic Games.

[BCWWF]

I didn't read the whole thing that Moonax just posted, but I assume it is about people changing citizenship? If thats the issue then I don't like it at all. A lot of the guys on the US National Soccer team aren't from the United States, they just have blood lines here and aren't good enough to play in Germany or whatnot, and I think that is lame. I think they should have more strict rules about who you can compete for, like if you were born there as a citizen, thats where you compete.

If what he posted was something else, then oops I'll have to read it .

[Rob]

In the case of Malachi Davis, his mum was born and bred in West London. I don't really see a problem there.

[ct2k]

With a name like Davis one would assume he had a Welsh dad to boot :-\

[Moonax]

Basically Qatar is buying in talent. People with no connection to Qatar. they are just after the success.

[Adder]

Even had someone won a Gold Medal for Qatar, the victory would be hollow. A true national winning would be the only way to go.

They (The Qatar government) should simply fund their own atheletes. Get a rich atheltics program going and build the foundation of a legacy in that manner.

[Rob]

Christian Malcolm has literally came back from a serious kidney illness, I doubt I would feel like sprinitng 200m never mind doing it in under 21 seconds. the rest are much of muchness. I like Garnder and Lewis Francis, you can't see them stepping up so to say though. Baulch, well he's just a minor celebrity who also runs. The 400m has just went downhill somehow after looking like seriously contending with the US. Iwan Thomas got injured and couldn't recapture his form, others seemingly dropped of the face of the earth.

It's funny because a few years ago British sprinting had an amazing future and then one daft thing has happened after another starting with Dwain Chambers failed drugs test.

I love Michael Johnson, literally. This guy talks the most sense out of everybody, it makes me wonder who US telelvision have got if we've got him analyzing on the BBC. He just talks so much sense and you can respect him for who he is and what he's done.

On Malcolm, I go along with Michael Johnson's initial words on Darren Campbell - If you aren't fit then don't compete. Don't show up, embarrass everyone and then have a bunch of excuses. Nobody seems to know just how bad this kidney failure was (although any kidney failure has to be quite bad) but if he was so out of it, he should have handed his place over to someone else who was fit.

Michael Johnson is the man though. :y:

[Moonax]

Easier said than done. if you are in a culture that buys success then you are not willing to wait 20 years to develop talent.

All Qatar are doing is the same as most big club teams do but on a national scale.

I can also understand it from the point of view of the athletes, you might be the 5th best in the world and the 4th best from your country and there might be only 2 places in the Olympics so I can understand why people would take the money for the opportunity to compete.

You look at the money that Qatar can offer athletes especially those from Africa and Eastern Europe. In Romania the gymnasts get $80 a month and you contrast that with the salary for a school teacher of $50 per month, so a gymnast is rich by Romanian statndards but if someone offers you even more then you are going to take it.

[Adder]

I can understand the rationale of the atheletes, I however can't see it on the national level.

[Moonax]

They are simply taking the modern club approach and applying it to the national level.

It's the same thing that the Yankees or Man Utd do.

Some people legitimately switch nations like Wilson Kipketer who was born in Kenya and now races for Denmark. He moved to Demark and is married to a Dane. His choice was influence because the Kenyan federation dicked him around and wouldn't let him race in Atlanta.

[Rob]

Merlene Ottey looks Slovenian.

[Moonax]

And Zola Budd sounded really English. What's your point?

And lest we forget all the 'English' cricketers.

Ottey has been running for Slovenia since 2002. She lives in Slovenia.

http://www.canoe.ca/Slam020513/trk_ott-ap.html

Merlene Ottey hopes to compete for Slovenia at European Cup in June

Monday, May 13, 2002

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) -- Former world champion sprinter Merlene Ottey said Monday she hoped her native Jamaica will soon agree to let her compete for her new country, Slovenia, so that she can take part in the European Cup in June.

Ottey, a former world champion over 200 metres, was granted Slovene citizenship last week. The 41-year-old athlete, who has lived and trained in Slovenia for several years, has won 20 world championship medals and eight Olympic medals.

However, the Jamaican Athletic Federation must approve her transfer before she can compete for Slovenia. Such a notion is largely formal, but the head of Slovene Athletic Federation, Roman Jakic, said he would ask his Jamaican colleagues to speed up the procedure.

Ottey said she hoped to be "able to compete for my new country in the European Cup and the European Championship," to be held in August in Munich.

"I hope to win some more medals -- this time for Slovenia," she told reporters. "And I believe my chances are excellent."

Ottey said she has been training both 100 and 200 metres, but was most confident in the 4x100-metre relay.

Ottey, who said she planned to spend the rest of her life in Slovenia, has given no reason for the change of citizenship. But her decision could be linked to her appearance for Jamaica at the Sydney Olympics. Although she finished fourth in the 100 metres, she was unpopular among some team members and part of the Jamaican public.

Ottey was a last-minute appointment to the Jamaican team, displacing national champion Peta-Gaye Dowdie after the International Amateur Athletic Federation lifted her one-year ban for testing positive for an anabolic steroid. The federation later ruled that a Swiss lab mishandled Ottey's sample.

[Gonzo]

The U.S. leads the medal count. :cool:

[Rob]

Kelly Holmes just won the 1500m. First British track double ever! :love:

[Moonax]

How close was the 4x100? :o

[Rob]

Yeah but they finally pulled their fingers out their arses. Darren Campbell looked like he had a torn hamstring :roll:

[Moonax]

LOL. Did anyone see the American guy in the shooting who was leading and then manged to fire his final round at the wrong target. :LMAO:

I am sure there is a joke about the US Military in their somewhere. :D

[Rob]

They let Americans shoot guns? Look in the movies, it take 16 shots to hit one man. I would kill someone with a Super Soaker before a Yank hit a target with a single bullet :p

[Dazz]

Don't stress over Paula Radcliffe losing. We have enough losers in men's sprints - Darren Campbell, Mark Lewis-Francis, Jason Gardner, Jamie Baulch, Daniel Canies, Christian Malcolm, etc. Every last one of them should be embarrassed they even showed up.

Go on Harvey, eat your own words... EAT THEM

[Moonax]

They let Americans shoot guns? Look in the movies, it take 16 shots to hit one man. I would kill someone with a Super Soaker before a Yank hit a target with a single bullet :p

Unfortunately carpet bombing isn't an Olympic sport yet.

[Dazz]

Yeah my brother and Uncle both thought Campbell tore his hamstring


Kelly Holmes just won the 1500m. First British track double ever! :love:

GET IN THEIR KELLY GIRL!!! :D :D :D

[Rob]

GET IN THEIR KELLY GIRL!!! :D :D :D

You sound gay.

[Dazz]

You sound gay.

;)

[Rob]

Don't wink at me Smithers.

[CosaNostra]

Finally, the wrestling is on. Do you guys have a favorite? I am watching Daniel Igali of Canada right now.

[Rob]

I only wanted to see Cael Sanderson really and they aren't showing any wrestling here.

[ct2k]

Fuckin awesome, Kelly gets the double, Khan gets the silver, and the boys beat the yanks in the relay:D

[ct2k]

Wow some cunt just tried to take out the Brazilian de Lima who's winning the marathon, probably lost 10 seconds of his lead, what a disgrace

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

USA winning the total medal count by a lot

[ct2k]

To be fair thats expected everytime the olympics come round

[Dazz]

11 medals more overall, 3 gold medals more then second, I thought there would have been more of a gap.

[BCWWF]

I only wanted to see Cael Sanderson really and they aren't showing any wrestling here.


We're getting him here, I saw his semi-final match where he won in overtime. It was pretty good. I think he went to Iowa State, but I'm not sure. There might be a former Minnesota guy in the Olympics but I can't remember.


Is today the last day already? :wavesad: My days are ruined

[Rob]

Yeah he went to Iowa State.

[BCWWF]

He sounded pretty cool in his interview afterwards, but he had hella colleflower (spell check) ear. Why don't these guys wear head gear?

[bull c]

Wow some cunt just tried to take out the Brazilian de Lima who's winning the marathon, probably lost 10 seconds of his lead, what a disgrace
Apparently, the protestor was the same guy who ran onto the race track at the F1 race a while ago.

That was absolutely despicable to watch. Forget about the 10 or so seconds lost, just think about the psychological effects of having to recover from a shock like that...de Lima just wasn't the same after that. I have the utmost respect for de Lima for coming back to get the bronze, especially as enthusiastic as he was while approaching the finish line. It's too bad though because he deserved better.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

Apparently, the protestor was the same guy who ran onto the race track at the F1 race a while ago.

That was absolutely despicable to watch. Forget about the 10 or so seconds lost, just think about the psychological effects of having to recover from a shock like that...de Lima just wasn't the same after that. I have the utmost respect for de Lima for coming back to get the bronze, especially as enthusiastic as he was while approaching the finish line. It's too bad though because he deserved better.Granted it's not much of a consolation, but they're giving him an additional medal for sportmanship and being the embodiment of the olympic ideal or something along those lines. I only heard about it through the local news.

[Apprentice]

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040829/i/r1902456811.jpg

What a freak. He looks like a leprecaun. O ya, this is the guy who pushed the Brazilian in the marathon.

[Rob]

This dude ran in front of a 190mph Ferrari at Silverstone. All sanity questions are out the window immediately after that.

[yianni]

I'm watching the Closing Ceremony now (it's been replayed here as it was at 5am this morning).

It's fucking awesome.

[CosaNostra]

I hope the Greek police beat the fuck out of him. :mad:

[The Cerebral Assassin]

Well, it looks like NBC will suck now since the Olympics are over. Their Fall line-up is pure donkey shit!

[BCWWF]

Seriously, what a cunt. I am kind of surprised that the two guys who won didn't give up their medals after hearing about that. People like that are what is wrong with Christianity, I could go on for hours, but thats not what was intended, I know that.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

Seriously, what a cunt. I am kind of surprised that the two guys who won didn't give up their medals after hearing about that. People like that are what is wrong with Christianity, I could go on for hours, but thats not what was intended, I know that.
I was most suprised that the guy who won the gold medal celebrated the way he did on the medal stand. I mean, I understand he's a hell of an athlete, and to excel in that sort of sport is celebration worthy, but he had to know his victory was rather tainted.

[tucsonspeed6]

I've always wondered something about these people who go to the olympics every 4 years... Do you have to know somebody to get there? Is the Olympics one of those "inside crowd" kinds of things? I was wondering that last night when the were talking about some athletes who were coming to back to the games for like the fourth time. I understand that they're hella athletes, but it just seems like you could "buy" the gold if you get my drift.

[BCWWF]

I barely understood that, but are you unaware that you have to meet qualifying standards to get in?

Granted there are a few exceptions, such as Iraq this year.

[Moonax]

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040829/i/r1902456811.jpg

What a freak. He looks like a leprecaun. O ya, this is the guy who pushed the Brazilian in the marathon.

Damnit ECG I told you to keep your dad under control.

Ok now the Olympics are over a quick poll of peoples thoughts and opinions.

best athlete?

Goat/dissappointment?

Memorable moment?

best athlete - Catalina Ponor - three events entered, three golds. Criminally ignored by the media, and unlike other gymnasts there was no doubting the scoring of her events. Also, Ian Thorpe - forget the hype about Phelps, when it mattered Thorpe owned Phelps in the pool. Brad Wiggins in the cycling as well.

Hero - Amir Khan's dad. Just because.

Goat/Dissappointment - Paula Ratcliffe. The US/UK media for their lack of respect for non-American athletes and their parochical attitude.

Moment - Mark Lewis-Francis holding off Maurice Greene in the 4x100 and Darren Campbell calling Michael Johnson a wanker. :D

[BCWWF]

I didn't watch enough to comment without being called ignorant by Moonax, but I'll do it for the Americans only, since thats mainly what I saw.

Best Athlete: Phelps

Hero: The Iraqi soccer team

Dissapointment: Marion Jones not pulling through, American weight men

Moment: Mens 400 Meter Sweep, "Fab 5" Gold Medal

[Rob]

Marion Jones was never going to win a medal though. I'd be more pissed with your relay teams (although the womens 4x400 were on another level).

[BCWWF]

No coming into the Olympics I'm pretty sure she had the second best long jump in the world at the time, and the 4x100 could have gotton one. Even if it wasn't a gold, I think she was expected to get at least one medal.

[Rob]

Second longest long jump in the world maybe but that's before she got off the drugs.

[BCWWF]

At the time she was having good high jumps she wasn't having good 100's though

[Rob]

best athlete? Ian Thorpe for me. The guy is just unreal.

Memorable moment? For me, Chris Hoy. Like 3 guys who raced before he did broke the Olympic record. All the pressure was on him and he broke it too. And he is British!

Hero - Kelly Holmes. We need some winners here.

Goat/Dissappointment - British male sprinters in individual events.

Moment - Kelly Holmes winning the 800m

[BCWWF]

Two best athletes there Rob ;)

[Rob]

How did I manage that? Missed the memorable one completely.

[Dazz]

Moment - Kelly Holmes winning the 800m

Nah the 1500 was better because the pressure was really on for her to get the gold. And it looked like she was never going to get it.

[Rob]

Looked like she would to me. With about 150m to go, she looked like she had it in the bag. In the 800, it looked like it could possibly be Matola's since Holmes has always struggled to beat her but she juust pulled away and it was awesome seeing her win the big one for once.

[Moonax]

I didn't watch enough to comment without being called ignorant by Moonax, but I'll do it for the Americans only, since thats mainly what I saw.

Best Athlete: Phelps

Hero: The Iraqi soccer team

Dissapointment: Marion Jones not pulling through, American weight men

Moment: Mens 400 Meter Sweep, "Fab 5" Gold Medal

LOL. Do you want pom-poms and a ra ra skirt to go with that post?

I love how you get all pissy because people stereotype Americans as being narrow minded and parochial and then manage to fullfil the prophecies of the stereotype in every post.

It'll be interesting to see what comes of the new test for HGH.

[BCWWF]

What in the blue hell are you talking about? Are you angry that an Iranian weightlifter didn't make my "Memorable Moments"? Wow.

[Moonax]

You just happen to be a total and utter cheerleader.

[BCWWF]

I'm not going to lie, everybody here knows that I get behind my teams pretty hardcore. I watched as much of the Olympics as I could, but the good events were generally on from 12:00am until 7:00am here, so the majority of what I saw was the American highlights, which is what I said in that post. I missed a lot of events that I wanted to see because of that, but even so you can make a case for every choice that I had. That being said, most of the English posters who answered your question listed an English person who did well, maybe because their coverage was based on the English athletes? Lets yell at them too.

[Moonax]

My point is that you get upset when people accuse Americans of being insular and ignorant and yet your choices were totally parochial. As if anything that wasn't American related went totally unregistered in terms of gaining respect or recognition from you.

The Iraqi football team was just quite amusing because the American media and Bush patronised them as a tool for Bush's re-election bid (I'm suprised you fell for that gambit), which was going well until someone actually spoke to the players and they turned around and said they would be killing Americans if they weren't playing and that Bush was a terrorist.

[BCWWF]

I'm still not voting for Bush, I just thought it was cool that they were doing good coming out of their circumstances. I know what your saying though, and I guess I agree with it.

Also, I get upset when people accuse me of being ignorant :p I myself think a lot of Americans are totally ignorant, and going into the media myself I am in classes right now that teach us how to trick the audience and send hidden messages. My problem all along was that I thought you were putting me in the same position as for example Stima when he responded to the Lance Armstrong thing. I will acknowledge that I am not a god of international sports by any meanings, but I do pretty actively follow the Premiership, cycling, tri, and international competitions. I'm just saying that I know a little more than the average American, and I got into a bunch of other BS arguments with you because I was playing devils advocate and trying to prove stupid points :$ Anyway, yeah I guess I was caught pretty low here, but I'll do a little better in four years