Indeed. While there's always the danger that introducing an additional competitive and professional edge to a sport will taint its purity, I'd like to nominate Derny racing as an official sport for the next Olympics.
He must cry for his gran wot raised him. The pre-race news of her death harshed his mellow 4 years ago and he choked. He promised he'd win the next one for her. Ran with her photo stuffed down his vest. I hope my grandkids feel the same about me one day.
Sanchez ??? who had the word ???Abuela??? (Grandmother) stitched into his spikes ??? produced a photograph of his grandmother from his vest after crossing the line and kissed it before breaking down in tears.
The US-born hurdler later sobbed uncontrollably as he stepped up to collect his medal ??? the first time he had registered a podium finish at any major championships since 2007.
Sanchez later wept again as he recalled the dark day in Beijing four years ago when he had learned of his grandmother???s death.
???When I got the news my grandmother had died I cried all day and I wasn???t sure I would run but I did and failed to make it out of the heats,??? said Sanchez.
???I made a promise that day that I would win a medal for her ... it took me four years.
???I brought a picture of her to the Games and kept it under my bed and then brought it out for the final.
???I???ve been very emotional all week wanting to keep my promise but after 14 years at the top I had so many races under my belt since my first major championships the 1999 worlds I didn???t know whether I had it in me.
???It???s just an amazing feeling. Then when I was on the podium and it started raining it felt like my grandmother was crying tears of joy.
???The day she died in Beijing it broke my heart,??? Sanchez said. ???That???s why I ran with the picture close to my heart.???
Sanchez???s victory was as unexpected as it was dramatic.
No-one had given the veteran a chance of upsetting Javier Culson, the brilliant Puerto Rican who has been unbeaten all year.
Dude competed in and won all the same events as Phelps (he has fewer medals cause there were fewer events in his era).
Plus dude did it with a bushy stache, full chest hair, and no swim cap.
His name alone is worth a medal.
GOAT.
THe problem with Spitz though is that he retired so (relatively) young. WIth Phelps, his domination of the sport has lasted at least eight years. If Spitz had only come back in '76...
Phelps turned pro before his first olympics.
Spitz had to give up olympic glory to earn a living.
Fuck Phelps.
Phelps think he is better than Ali because there was only one medal for Ali to win in his weight? Apparently he does.
99% of swimmers can only concentrate on one stroke at one or two distances. The fact Phelps can compete at Freestyle, Butterfly & IM at multiple distances across 3 Olympic games at the highest level is truely remarkable. If you know swimming you know, otherwise I guess ignorance is bliss.
Just going on Olympic accomplishments I really can't see how anyone can honestly argue against Phelps being the greatest Olympian ever.
I say fuck Seb Coe. When asked if Phelps was the greatest of all time he answered no & just rattled off a whole host of Brits he thought were better. I have no doubt if there were a Union Jack next to Phelps' name he'd have said yes
This is a great argument for Phelps as the greatest swimmer.
Or greatest current male swimmer.
It is not an argument for greatest Olympian.
Bolt is the fastest man on earth. Ever. I think that gives him as much a claim for greatest Olympian.
I don't think that having the most medals makes an athlete (or a country) the greatest. But that's just me.
Someone please tell me how this is an Olympic sport
So the Olympics is a hark back to the ancient Greeks, fused with de Coubertin's enthusiasm for the new addition of sport in briddish school curriculum.
Ergo, traditionalism plus freshness was built in at the start of the modern games.
Thus you retain some truly ancient events like discus and javelin, some 1800s fads like poncing around on horses, and constantly refresh with kite boarding and bmx.
This shouldn't require explanation.
For personal taste, and it has been said before, if the Olympics is not a sport's pinnacle, it shouldn't be in Teh Games.
So get rid of soccer, tennis, cycling road race etc etc.
I'd like to nominate Derny racing as an official sport for the next Olympics.
makes more sense then having Equestrian Dressage in there. Someone please tell me how this is an Olympic sport
When the modern games were resurrected a lot of events were designed with army and gentleman cavalry types in mind, so shooting, pentathlon and horsey shenanigans were in there from the start...
after only sending six boxers to london four are coming home with at least bronze after another two wins today!
16.45 GMT tomorrow this woman katie taylor(from my neck of the woods) fights for gold with the ruski ochigya, check her in action she is an amazing boxer, 4 times world champ, 5 time euro champ and instrumental in getting womans boxing into the games
For personal taste, and it has been said before, if the Olympics is not a sport's pinnacle, it shouldn't be in Teh Games.
So get rid of soccer, tennis, cycling road race etc etc.
This is a good test, but leaves rhythmic gymnastics and syncoswimming in.
And IMHO there's nothing to exclude them.
Take away the cosmetics, and synchro swim requires a whole lot more than pistol shooting and archery for example, certainly in terms of athleticism.
No doubt at some point synchro and beach volleyball gets replaced. And maybes dressage, and multiple swim events, et al.,
But....leave space for tradition.
Not everything needs to be driven by market forces.
Ha ha. I saw that too. Do they need people to watch them undress to make sure they don't cheat or something? Poor girl, probably had no idea anyone was even noticing.
David Icke is at it again, claiming the opening ceremony was a vast satanic ritual, with the ringing of that big bell signifying the start of human sacrifice for the Babylon Brotherhood. The stadium is apparently sited to take advantage of some special energy grid thing.
Also named as lizard people are the Queen, Dubya and Boxcar Willie.
David Icke is at it again, claiming the opening ceremony was a vast satanic ritual, with the ringing of that big bell signifying the start of human sacrifice for the Babylon Brotherhood. The stadium is apparently sited to take advantage of some special energy grid thing.
Also named as lizard people are the Queen, Dubya and Boxcar Willie.
Rad.
Icke has a big date at Wembley Arena that he's trying sell tickets for so he's revealing new conspiracies left right and centre at the moment. Good for business.
Fuck Phelps.
Phelps think he is better than Ali because there was only one medal for Ali to win in his weight? Apparently he does.
99% of swimmers can only concentrate on one stroke at one or two distances. The fact Phelps can compete at Freestyle, Butterfly & IM at multiple distances across 3 Olympic games at the highest level is truely remarkable. If you know swimming you know, otherwise I guess ignorance is bliss.
I'm not sure where you got the 99% percent figure.
But if it is true the 1% is very large and well represented at the top.
Many swimmers compete in different events at different distances.
Every swimmer in the IM swims 4 different strokes.
Man, I missed the second half of the women's basketball US vs Australia game. In the first half I thought US was going to lose. Australia just had too much size and were getting shots right in front of the basket. I guess in the second half they switched defenses and shut down Australia's center for the win. Wish I'd seen it.
Every swimmer in the IM swims 4 different strokes.
IM is a separate event to the strokes. No one who swims IM is a master of all four strokes, generally they'll have one stroke they excel at & get by with the other three. Get by, as in relative to the Olympic level
Congrats to Katie Taylor
HarveyCanal"a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
Also the 800 WR by Rudisha was good. It looked like if the guy had a real competitor to push him he could've gone even faster. Effortless round the track.
Comments
He must cry for his gran wot raised him. The pre-race news of her death harshed his mellow 4 years ago and he choked. He promised he'd win the next one for her. Ran with her photo stuffed down his vest. I hope my grandkids feel the same about me one day.
;-)
makes more sense then having Equestrian Dressage in there. Someone please tell me how this is an Olympic sport
I wont defend any equestrian competition as an olympic sport.
But I want to say that dressage has gotten an unfair rap in the USA as an elitist sport, the same way wind surfing did 8 years ago.
Phelps turned pro before his first olympics.
Spitz had to give up olympic glory to earn a living.
This is a great argument for Phelps as the greatest swimmer.
Or greatest current male swimmer.
It is not an argument for greatest Olympian.
Bolt is the fastest man on earth. Ever. I think that gives him as much a claim for greatest Olympian.
I don't think that having the most medals makes an athlete (or a country) the greatest. But that's just me.
Kinda reminds me of those flatland BMX bike routines.
So the Olympics is a hark back to the ancient Greeks, fused with de Coubertin's enthusiasm for the new addition of sport in briddish school curriculum.
Ergo, traditionalism plus freshness was built in at the start of the modern games.
Thus you retain some truly ancient events like discus and javelin, some 1800s fads like poncing around on horses, and constantly refresh with kite boarding and bmx.
This shouldn't require explanation.
For personal taste, and it has been said before, if the Olympics is not a sport's pinnacle, it shouldn't be in Teh Games.
So get rid of soccer, tennis, cycling road race etc etc.
judges thought they could put one past BELLA? please. dude saw that whole thing; and he's not even on the team anymore.
it's weird tho; I didn't see any cash change hands, which is, inexplicably, the protocol for a challenge I thought.
This is a good test, but leaves rhythmic gymnastics and syncoswimming in.
When the modern games were resurrected a lot of events were designed with army and gentleman cavalry types in mind, so shooting, pentathlon and horsey shenanigans were in there from the start...
16.45 GMT tomorrow this woman katie taylor(from my neck of the woods) fights for gold with the ruski ochigya, check her in action she is an amazing boxer, 4 times world champ, 5 time euro champ and instrumental in getting womans boxing into the games
:hard_as_fuck:
Katie = legend. First gold medal sometime around 16.55-17.00 tomorrow afternoon
And IMHO there's nothing to exclude them.
Take away the cosmetics, and synchro swim requires a whole lot more than pistol shooting and archery for example, certainly in terms of athleticism.
No doubt at some point synchro and beach volleyball gets replaced. And maybes dressage, and multiple swim events, et al.,
But....leave space for tradition.
Not everything needs to be driven by market forces.
:oh_my:
Ha ha. I saw that too. Do they need people to watch them undress to make sure they don't cheat or something? Poor girl, probably had no idea anyone was even noticing.
Also named as lizard people are the Queen, Dubya and Boxcar Willie.
Rad.
Icke has a big date at Wembley Arena that he's trying sell tickets for so he's revealing new conspiracies left right and centre at the moment. Good for business.
Maybe offer up dj services.
That would be a radical gig.
I'm not sure where you got the 99% percent figure.
But if it is true the 1% is very large and well represented at the top.
Many swimmers compete in different events at different distances.
Every swimmer in the IM swims 4 different strokes.
IM is a separate event to the strokes. No one who swims IM is a master of all four strokes, generally they'll have one stroke they excel at & get by with the other three. Get by, as in relative to the Olympic level
Congrats to Katie Taylor
Also the 800 WR by Rudisha was good. It looked like if the guy had a real competitor to push him he could've gone even faster. Effortless round the track.