Olympic Thread

[Rob]

GET IN THEIR KELLY GIRL!!!

Dean Macey is having a hell of a day too.

[Dazz]

Originally Posted by Rob GET IN THEIR KELLY GIRL!!!

Could you have sounded any gayer?

[Moonax]

Originally Posted by Dazz 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]

Originally Posted by The Mackem 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.

[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

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

I love the Olympics.

[The Mackem]

[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Moonax 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]

Originally Posted by Rob 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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

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]

Originally Posted by The Mackem 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.

[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.