London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics - General discussion

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Rankings require seedings, which means the #1 traditionally has an easier route to the final - playing #32 in the first, #16 in the second, #8 in the QF and #4 in the SF, compared to #31 in the first, #15 in the second, #7 in the QF and #3 in the SF.

Groups means more TV which means... more money!

There doesn't seem to be much less Archery in the games and that's all knockout. It's seeded but there are still upsets. There's not really that much difference between most of them at this level.
 
Speaking of money, at Wimbledon yesterday they had put stickers over the branding on the hand dryers in the toilets. It's so ridiculous this obsession with only displaying brands of the sponsors.

At GT Academy at the BRDC Driver's Club, all the TV screens that weren't Sony (the existing screens at the venue) had insulating tape stuck over the brand.

There doesn't seem to be much less Archery in the games and that's all knockout. It's seeded but there are still upsets. There's not really that much difference between most of them at this level.

There was a ranking round first - 72 arrows fired each, players ranked by score and then seeded for the knockout matches.
 
Yesterday an athlete from my city faced against one of the world's best badminton players, in fight for a place in the Final 4 positions. Of course, she lost, and it was painful to see her losing, point by point, until her opponent wins :(

There's still something that comforts me, though, it is that she didn't lose by a large margin, but only by a point or 2.

It seems like my beloved city will not achieve a medal or something like that at the 2012 Olympics.

Still, there's always next time :indiff:
 
There was a ranking round first - 72 arrows fired each, players ranked by score and then seeded for the knockout matches.[/QUOTE]

I know that. I didn't say it wasn't ranked.
 
I know that. I didn't say it wasn't ranked.

But you did say it was "all knockout". It's not - the first 72 arrows of the individual event are for ranking only.


The point was that in pure individual events, like archery, cycling, rowing, canoeing or gymnastics, there's no need for round robins because they can have a ranking event first.

In events where you're playing an opponent and having to respond to their shots - badminton, football - there cannot be a ranking event. So you either have your Olympians play their first match in 4 years as winner-takes-all (and miss out on TV audiences from their home country when eliminated), or you have round robins.
 
I don't wanna be a hypocrite here.. For example, IF I enter a Gran Turismo 5 championship and faced with the same situation, where I must battle with the GT5 world champion early if I won this last match, I would just lose it to escape being beaten by the champion early. and got the chance to get at least bronze or silver. it's just pure human logic..
BUT, if I don't know where I am in the position I would just try to win every match.

That's why I always said they're just victims.

They chose to play the way they did. Question for you, did you ever watch the video that was posted of their play? Just curious...

Your GT example is a GREAT one, so consider this scenario. At the GT Olympics, you are not sure if you want to win your current race because of where it would land you in the knockout races. Let's say you are racing on Nurburgring and all racers have signed a document outlining the rules with a similar clause requiring your best efforts at all times.

Instead of a time around 7 minutes that you had achieved in your prior round robin races (a very good time for the car you were using), in the race you were trying to lose, your time was over 16 minutes. You lost by nearly 10 minutes and your time was last by an enormous margin. You..

-Yanked the handbrake while at full speed and deliberately spun out off the track 14 times
-On four occasions you braked all the way down to ZERO mph on a normally fast straightaway. It is unconfirmed, but some fans reported you saying "where's the turn? Isn't there an apex nearby?" while sitting motionless on the track for 15-20 seconds.
- 6 times after a crash, you turned around and drove the wrong way on the track for anywhere between 30 seconds and a minute. Each time you said "Ooops!" and eventually turned around
-You took the last 11 turns driving backwards, and crossed the line in reverse as well

The referee paused the race with his all powerful pause button halfway through the violations above, warning you your actions were in violation. You proceeded to continue with your poor decisions, racking up the second half of the actions listed above after the warning.

When the race concludes, You get DQ'd from the event. While claiming over and over you were a "Victim" and were just doing what "humans" do when faced with the same choice, the entire collective Gran Turismo world splits their sides open laughing at you.
 
Congratulations to Anna Watkins and Katherine Grainger for winning the womens double skulls!!! :cheers:

Well done also to George Nash and Will Satch for winning bronze in the double skulls and to Alan Campbell in the single skulls for also getting bronze!!
 
I dunno about you lot, but, Johnson-Thompson and Jessica Ennis :drool:
 
I dunno about you lot, but, Johnson-Thompson and Jessica Ennis :drool:

Im glad im not the only one that noticed that!:lol:

They are the fittest members of team GB if you ask me! :drool:
 
Does anyone what the purpose of the r/c mini cooper is at the hammer throw? I just see it moving once in a while at the side of the field. Havent the faintest idea what its purpose is :lol:
 
Does anyone what the purpose of the r/c mini cooper is at the hammer throw? I just see it moving once in a while at the side of the field. Havent the faintest idea what its purpose is :lol:

Is it supposed to be a target? Taking out anger on the BMW (not UK) Mini?
 
CAM
Missy has another final tomorrow, and the women's soccer kicks off against New Zealand at 9:30 AM EST. So, my day will consist of soccer match then swim session :lol:.


I'll be watching the USA Women as well. I'll give you Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan, and I get the other US players. If you score first, I'll send you a ticket or a car. If my players score first, you do the same. First goal for the USA only.

You in?
 
Does anyone what the purpose of the r/c mini cooper is at the hammer throw? I just see it moving once in a while at the side of the field. Havent the faintest idea what its purpose is :lol:

I think they use R/Cs to fetch hammers, discus and shot puts from the field of play without risking someone getting hit by one. So it's probably for that.
 
If you give me Rapinoe, that's a deal ;). But no, that'd be too much.

Yeah, I'm down. Morgan and Wambach for me, everyone else for you. Any Premium car sounds fine, since I don't have tickets.

Oh!! That was a winner for me for sure, aww.. Missed for Morgan.

Agh! They both missed! :lol:
 
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Premium Car it is... I'll go with paint in DLC colors as close to Morgan's painted on bikini from the Sports Illustrated photo shoot as I can get.

Oops, did i just post that?


How did they BOTH miss that ball from Rapinoe?!?!?!?
 
I can't win if they play like that :lol:.
 
I'll trade you Rapinoe for Morgan...
 
Pass :lol:. If someone wins for you, I feel it'll be Rapinoe (obviously), Cheney, or Heath. Or Lloyd.

....:) Goal, Wambach!

Should have been another goal for Morgan, bad first touch.
 
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Watched rowing yesterday, good stuff, close finish for the whole top 3 or 4 in one heat.
 
Team GB just won a bronze in the judo!!👍
 
Noticed the list of available tickets changes depending on what browser you're on. :confused:
 
Good to see GB doing well today, great to see Kath Granger finally getting her Gold after 3 silvers in a row, though they were so strong in that race I couldn't of seen any other result.
 
This ref is awful. Morgan missed another chance.
 
Great stuff going on in the Men's tennis semi final, Del Potro vs Federer, amazing match so far!

Edit: It's now 1 set all, and 12 games all in the final set!! 3 hours and 32 minutes they have been playing
 
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That has to be a red card. I mean seriously.

Never mind. The keeper got Morgan's knee square in the face. Should've been a goal if she didn't trip.
 
Pagey279
Great stuff going on in the Men's tennis semi final, Del Potro vs Federer, amazing match so far!

Edit: It's now 1 set all, and 12 games all in the final set!! 3 hours and 32 minutes they have been playing

Ughhhh their not showing that match right now over here!
 
CAM
That has to be a red card. I mean seriously.

Never mind. The keeper got Morgan's knee square in the face. Should've been a goal if she didn't trip.

Knee to face or face to knee? I don't know... Still a foul though.
 
Definitely. And I'll send you a friend request tonight, I'm gonna be out and about most of the day I think.

Now that we know that the keeper isn't hurt badly, the look on her face right before Morgan got there was priceless.

New Zealand are looking dangerous..

Leroux with the dagger!! Through the keeper's legs, nice touch.
 
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