Summer Olympic Games - London 2012 - Part 1

[Dr. Evil]

USA last lost in Women's Basketball in 1992. They haven't lost in 20 years!

[Hunter Rider]

Originally Posted by Sakuraba

To set a world record? To win by a record distance? To immortalize yourself? To push yourself and the boundaries of your sport? Not to get philosophical, but why even run to begin with?

The idea of putting out the last 10M of a final being so draining is extremely overrated to me. As if running hard an extra 10m is going to render a guy that's trained that distance twenty years useless in the relay. I just don't buy it.

He said he looked at the clock and knew he couldn't break the record and he was feeling tight so he eased up rather than pushing for something he knew he couldn't make.

[Webfoot Hero]

Originally Posted by Hunter Rider

He said he looked at the clock and knew he couldn't break the record and he was feeling tight so he eased up rather than pushing for something he knew he couldn't make.

He's likely also going to be running a leg in the 4x100m relay so I think he's saving himself a bit for that as well.

[Dr. Evil]

China wants to dominate the medals in Rio:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympic...dal-count.html

If they truly want to dominate in Rio, they better start getting a lot better at track and field and fast. They need to have hurdlers, sprinters and field athletes who make finals consistently and who can upset the Jamaicans and Americans on a consistent basis and not just one time at a Diamond League Event.

They have three years to threaten the Americans, Jamaicans, Kenyans, Ethiopians and Europeans in track and field. That's not an easy task.

[Webfoot Hero]

Originally Posted by Dr. Evil

China wants to dominate the medals in Rio:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympic...dal-count.html

If they truly want to dominate in Rio, they better start getting a lot better at track and field and fast. They need to have hurdlers, sprinters and field athletes who make finals consistently and who can upset the Jamaicans and Americans on a consistent basis and not just one time at a Diamond League Event.

They have three years to threaten the Americans, Jamaicans, Kenyans, Ethiopians and Europeans in track and field. That's not an easy task.

Considering the US and Jamaica have built up their advantages over a couple decades, China is not going to easily overcome those in such a short period of time. I think maybe China's best bets are maybe to go for the medium and long distances, but even there, they run into the African countries and the US to a smaller degree.

[Dr. Evil]

Originally Posted by Webfoot Hero

Considering the US and Jamaica have built up their advantages over a couple decades, China is not going to easily overcome those in such a short period of time. I think maybe China's best bets are maybe to go for the medium and long distances, but even there, they run into the African countries and the US to a smaller degree.

That is why I think that the Chinese are delusional to think that they can dominate the medal stand in the Rio Olympics. Track and Field is one of their weaker sports. They will finish second in Rio again due to the lack of dominance in Track and Field. Track and Field is basically the main reason why the United States will win the medal race. It's the reason they won the medal race in 2008.

of course, China could always take the "easy route" to improve in track and field.

[Webfoot Hero]

Originally Posted by Dr. Evil

That is why I think that the Chinese are delusional to think that they can dominate the medal stand in the Rio Olympics. Track and Field is one of their weaker sports. They will finish second in Rio again due to the lack of dominance in Track and Field. Track and Field is basically the main reason why the United States will win the medal race. It's the reason they won the medal race in 2008.

of course, China could always take the "easy route" to improve in track and field.

You mean doping and importing athletes? If so, then I wouldn't really put it past them.

[charl_huntress]

I can never figure out how to put articles in the reading pane, so you can actually see the article, but I thought I would post this anyway.

I don't know if this has already been posted, but it is a cute story. Plus the kid in the pic is wearing a \S/ t-shirt....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...dal/index.html

[Scrandy Randy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Evil

Too bad that the US Women's Soccer Team have no league to go back too after winning the gold medal

They do. Some play overseas(Krieger) and a lot of them play for the Seattle Sounders women's team. Not a hugely popular and most of the players don't make enough to live off of but it's a league no less. The only reason the basketball women have a league to go back to is because the NBA keeps it afloat whether it's run at a profit or not because it's so huge while MLS is just now becoming financially viable for some owners and MLS can't afford to keep afloat another league that probably wouldn't be financially viable ever.

[charl_huntress]

Originally Posted by Dr. Evil

China wants to dominate the medals in Rio:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympic...dal-count.html

If they truly want to dominate in Rio, they better start getting a lot better at track and field and fast. They need to have hurdlers, sprinters and field athletes who make finals consistently and who can upset the Jamaicans and Americans on a consistent basis and not just one time at a Diamond League Event.

They have three years to threaten the Americans, Jamaicans, Kenyans, Ethiopians and Europeans in track and field. That's not an easy task.

Very interesting story. I definitely believe Minxia didn't know about her mother's illness, but I find it hard to believe she wouldn't have found out that her grandparents died.

Also, I take American stories about the Chinese with a grain of salt because I believe we do not really understand Chinese culture and are too quick to judge something we do not understand. I would bet that a lot of Chinese athletes are just as determined to win and be great and it's not all the government's doing.

Still, they have certainly come a long way since 1984. That is for sure.

[Anita18]

Originally Posted by charl_huntress

Very interesting story. I definitely believe Minxia didn't know about her mother's illness, but I find it hard to believe she wouldn't have found out that her grandparents died.

Also, I take American stories about the Chinese with a grain of salt because I believe we do not really understand Chinese culture and are too quick to judge something we do not understand. I would bet that a lot of Chinese athletes are just as determined to win and be great and it's not all the government's doing.

Still, they have certainly come a long way since 1984. That is for sure.

Speaking as a Chinese-American, determination to win is fairly easy to achieve if you've got the "you must be perfect and win ALL TEH GOLDZ or you will SHAME OUR GREAT NATION!" drummed into your head from an early age. (For a Chinese-American, replace "our great nation" with "our family" and you've pretty much explained why we get straight As. )

But yes, their collectivist culture is something mainstream American will never understand.

[charl_huntress]

Originally Posted by Anita18

Speaking as a Chinese-American, determination to win is fairly easy to achieve if you've got the "you must be perfect and win ALL TEH GOLDZ or you will SHAME OUR GREAT NATION!" drummed into your head from an early age. (For a Chinese-American, replace "our great nation" with "our family" and you've pretty much explained why we get straight As. )

But yes, their collectivist culture is something mainstream American will never understand.

lol....if it works...it works....

if he dies...he dies....

[regwec]

1222:
ROAD CYCLINGAmerican cyclist Tyler Hamilton has been stripped of his 2004 Athens Olympics time trial gold medal after admitting doping.
Hamilton was given an eight-year ban after testing positive for a banned anti-depressant in 2009.
The gold will now go to Russian rider Viatcheslav Ekimov.

[chamber-music]

Its crazy that American spriter Manteo Mitchell ran the 4x400m relay with a broken leg

How the hell do you even break your leg running?

I was surprised the BBC did a item and disscussion about black domination of 100m and the nature vs nurture question as well as eugenics before the 200m final.

82 of the men who have ran under 10 seconds, 81 of them are black.

You can just tell that touching that subject is going to get them alot of complaints.

[The Incredible Hulk]

Originally Posted by Sakuraba

But Team China doesn't have a single medal in track and field. They're not even on the map. I wonder what's going on there.

Asian countries in general don't do well in T&F not just China.

Not to stir the pot, but I'd say their lack of diversity doesn't favor them in this instance.

[Dr. Evil]

Originally Posted by Webfoot Hero

You mean doping and importing athletes? If so, then I wouldn't really put it past them.

They would probably go with the latter.

[Dr. Evil]

The most ignored American team at the Olympics:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympic...gnores-it.html

It doesn't help that they have not lost a game in the Olympics in 20 years or the fact that they have won by at least double digits in every game since Atlanta in 1996.

[Darthphere]

Originally Posted by Scrandy Randy

They do. Some play overseas(Krieger) and a lot of them play for the Seattle Sounders women's team. Not a hugely popular and most of the players don't make enough to live off of but it's a league no less. The only reason the basketball women have a league to go back to is because the NBA keeps it afloat whether it's run at a profit or not because it's so huge while MLS is just now becoming financially viable for some owners and MLS can't afford to keep afloat another league that probably wouldn't be financially viable ever.

Yeah but the Seattle Sounders women play in a league that only plays for 2 1/2 months in the year.

[regwec]

I find some of the anti-Asian sentiment here to be troubling.

[Dr. Evil]

Originally Posted by regwec

I find some of the anti-Asian sentiment here to be troubling.

I am Asian American myself, but I just don't see China ever surpassing the USA in the overall medals due to their weakness in track and field. They do pose a major threat to the United States in the pool, but not on the track.

[Kelly]

Originally Posted by regwec

I find some of the anti-Asian sentiment here to be troubling.

Can you give an example?

[terry78]

Originally Posted by Dr. Evil

I am Asian American myself, but I just don't see China ever surpassing the USA in the overall medals due to their weakness in track and field. They do pose a major threat to the United States in the pool, but not on the track.

See, it's totally fine.

[charl_huntress]

lol

[Kelly]

Originally Posted by Dr. Evil

The most ignored American team at the Olympics:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympic...gnores-it.html

It doesn't help that they have not lost a game in the Olympics in 20 years or the fact that they have won by at least double digits in every game since Atlanta in 1996.

I haven't ignored them, I watch every game.......the only thing I miss is seeing Coach Summitt on the sidelines....and never getting a chance to her there again....

[Anita18]

Originally Posted by regwec

I find some of the anti-Asian sentiment here to be troubling.

If you know any Asians, we say sometimes the most racist stuff. We can take it, and most of us are just like, "Well duh" about that.

It's not a secret that China is incredibly mono-ethnic. Although there can be tall people in China, the muscle mass required for super-fast sprints is just not there. Whether that's a case of not training for it or simply not being genetically predisposed remains to be seen. chamber-music's observation about the sub-10 sprinters I think answers some of that...