The Olympics: Rio 2016

[Midgar Mist]

This really needs a thread, cannot believe one hasn't been started yet.

The Olympic spirit is something positive and so many sports to choose from, some of which don't get a look in the rest of the time.

BBC Coverage is currently showing a round of Women's Beach Volleyball, Russia vs Brazil.

They're also gearing up for some Rowing Heats in about half an hour (Go Team GB!)

And if the mods have no objection, I shall indulge in some double or multiple posting for this as there will be plenty of updates.

Laters!

[Pheesh]

I've had it on pretty much non stop. Great start from Australia in the pool, the men's 400m freestyle was especially intense.

Currently watching the women's artistic gymnastics. We only have the one girl in this rotation group but she just did a great routine on the uneven bars so that was good to watch.

[escobert]

My dad and I watched a bit of a Rugby match yesterday as we tried to figure out how it's played. The only sport my dad watches is NASCAR so it was funny listening to him come up with ideas on why they did X or Y during the match. I already had a slight idea of what was going on.

[Midgar Mist]

So it looks like there's no Rowing. The winds are too strong. Shame, I quite like to watch them.

And yeah Rugby is a sport that eludes me, I've tried to get into it and I just can't.

Anyway, I'm gonna include some Fun Facts that the British Media like to throw in:

Fun Fact 1: There's a female gymnast from Uzbekistan who is 41 and has been competing since Barcelona 1992. Wow, that's like the first Olympics I remember!

Oh, I've just learnt Chris Froome bombed in the cycling >_<

Team GB still has Lizzie Armistead. We've had a good record with our female road cyclists, its been our first gold medal of the Olympics at least twice in a row.

EDIT: I was wrong about Lizzie Armistead winning gold, she won silver in London which was our first medal, but I do know for a fact that Nicole Cooke won gold in Beijing.

Later on Team GB also has a chance at winning gold in the swimming later on with Adam Petey, who beat his own world record in one of the heats.

Winning gold in swimming is like some holy grail for us.....for an American its just another day at the pool :wcanoe:

[charliepanayi]

So many sports to choose from! Always love the Olympics.

[Pheesh]

Dunno if anyone else is watching the women's singles in tennis but the Aussie Gavrilova is putting up one hell of a fight against Serena Williams. She's obviously a major underdog but the first set has been absolutely brilliant to watch.

[Midgar Mist]

Some unsportsman-like Russian beat one of our guys in the second round of fencing. The crowd were booing him, even though he won.

The women's cycle race plods on, last I saw there was a Belgian in front. I worked this out from her team colours because the British pundits explain this whole event badly and don't show a table of current positions.

And I've just received word that our very own Andy Murray is playing today. He did look good holding the flag during the Opening Ceremony but, not as good as the topless oiled up guy from Tonga :flirt:

[Pheesh]

All the Russian athletes are being booed on account of the recent doping scandal. A Russian swimmer just got booed when she came first in her heat.

[Pheesh]

Just watched Catherine Skinner win gold for Australia in women's trap. Very intense but simply awesome to see. That brings us up to 3 gold now!

[Night Fury]

Yeah but did anyone see the video doing the rounds of the gymnast breaking his leg in half though?

Some things cannot be unseen.

[charliepanayi]

No, because I'm not crazy enough to watch a video of someone breaking their leg to start with!

[Pheesh]

Yeah I saw that. The craziest part about it was the guy's totally calm reaction. He was just staring at it like "oh well shit, guess I can't compete anymore. Can someone come help me with this?"

[escobert]

All the Russian athletes are being booed on account of the recent doping scandal. A Russian swimmer just got booed when she came first in her heat.

that's sad that people feel the need to boo the few that were allowed to come. If they're there competing they have gone through extensive testing to prove they haven't been doping.

[Aulayna]

https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13873067_10154509310474708_8609413221738685276_n.jpg?oh=a6214d1e5560f0dff1876ec66283e548&oe=58208BF0https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13920777_10154509310389708_1791689977999094511_n.jpg?oh=e7724687e13fe1fe083cb8d3efd907eb&oe=58233831

Gutted for Geraint Thomas yesterday, such a shame he fell during the road race. :(

Also the South Korean Men's Archery team totally smashed the USA, so many 10s...

GB is off to a good start in the Tennis.

Hopefully Peaty gets his gold later on tonight!

[Del Murder]

I like seeing the more obscure sports like air rifle.

[Midgar Mist]

Yay! Adam Petey did it!

The Americans will win the rest in the pool but....yay we got that one!

Earlier that evening was spent making fun of British Pundits getting melodramatic about 52 years in the fencing. Hey, if I can't make fun of pundits while we're losing, I have no raison d'etre.

I enjoyed the gymnastics as always, I didn't know how good Brazilian gymnasts were but....it figures. A couple of those girls were outstanding. And another girl from team GB blew the roof off with her floor show :-)

However, I do prefer to watch the males with their upper arm strength on the pommel horse rather than the females on the bar.

[Pheesh]

All the Russian athletes are being booed on account of the recent doping scandal. A Russian swimmer just got booed when she came first in her heat.

that's sad that people feel the need to boo the few that were allowed to come. If they're there competing they have gone through extensive testing to prove they haven't been doping.

To be fair, that particular swimmer has been suspended twice on prior doping charges, it is unfair to lump them all together though.

[Bubba]

Yeah but did anyone see the video doing the rounds of the gymnast breaking his leg in half though?

Some things cannot be unseen.

Honestly, watching that has put me off watching any more. Oh man, it was horrific.

[Skyblade]

All the Russian athletes are being booed on account of the recent doping scandal. A Russian swimmer just got booed when she came first in her heat.

that's sad that people feel the need to boo the few that were allowed to come. If they're there competing they have gone through extensive testing to prove they haven't been doping.

They didn't necessarily have to go through any testing, they just had to convince the committee in charge of their particular sport that they weren't doping.

Just like Rio only had to convince the Olympic Committee that they were going to clean up their water for the Olympics, not actually do it.

On the whole, I couldn't really care less about this. I don't watch much raw television these days anyway, and sports are not high on my priority of which shows to start with. Winter Olympics are far superior to the Summer Olympics.

But the whole mess of bribery, corruption, lies, and deceit is just to the point that I don't care. I don't care how many medals the US wins, or what drama pops up. I just ignore it.

I did watch a bit when it was on, though, and handball did turn out to be a pretty decent sport to watch during a meal. Better than soccer or basketball.

[charliepanayi]

Medals are a bit slow to come by for GB at the moment, but I'm sure it will pick up soon.

Katie Ledecky is just ridiculously good. As is Simone Biles. And neither of them are even 20 yet!

[Crop]

Was busy at the start of the week, so I didn't get the chance to watch much, but I've been glued to the TV all evening and just watched GB win another gold, in the cycling sprints against NZ.

Just getting comfortable to (hopefully) see them win another against Fiji in the Rugby Sevens.

Really great stuff, love the Olympics.

[charliepanayi]

That rugby sevens final was a demolition job! First ever medal for Fiji, which is always nice to see.

Track and field starts today, including day 1 of the heptathlon with Jessica Ennis.

[Pheesh]

I feel so bad for Cate Campbell. To be such a hot favourite for an event and for it to all go wrong like that must be brutal. She's still awesome though, great personality and pretty much my favourite athlete at the games. I hope she gets redemption in the 50m.

[charliepanayi]

Just saw the women's 10,000m world record get absolutely destroyed. Amazing stuff.

[Pheesh]

Bolt looked amazing in his 100m jog.

[charliepanayi]

Usain Bolt!

New 400m world record!!

Oh yeah, and GB won a load of gold medals as well...

[Aulayna]

69021

Honestly never expected this to happen!