The 2012 Olympics Thread

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 07 Aug 2012 22:44

2016... There will be Chinese on top of the Medals table and there will be everyone else. India with a few golds might be on the top 15 or so...

The only event where i don't forsee Chinese domination is Running .. They simply don't have the genetics to outrun Africans

member_19686 · Post by **member_19686** » 07 Aug 2012 22:50

Victor wrote:
sum wrote:^^ So with professional boxers in from next Oly, curtains for any more Indian boxing medals?
Not necessarily. It could in fact turn out to be a blessing for Indian boxers who may now become international salaried pros (they will not be paid on a per-match basis but be retained on salary by APB) which in turn may attract more Indians to boxing. Fewer competent boxers will quit the sport if they don't win a medal early on, making for better competition. Unless I'm missing something, it looks like SDREs are genetically quite good at boxing, so boxing may even become a good spectator sport in India. Stranger things have happened. Women of course will still compete in headgear.

Boxing has little to do with genetics.

It has to do with poverty and balls. It's not for headgear safety first types who should stick to Cricket, Golf, Chess and other games which suit them instead of demanding Boxing be changed to suit their whims.

There are weight classes so size does not matter much unless you are fighting in the HW division which is unlimited.

Once upon a time Jews were all over in Boxing as were Irish & Italian Americans, I doubt their genes changed much in 70-80 years. Benny Leonard, Joe Choynski, Maxie Rosenbloom, Lew Tendler, Jackie Kid Berg, Abe Attell, Barney Ross were some great Jewish Boxers. John L. Sullivan, Kid McCoy, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Tommy Loughran, Mickey Walker, Jimmy McLarnin, Johnny Kilbane, Terry McGovern, Nonpareil Dempsey, Jim Corbett, Billy Conn were the Irish American stars. Lou Ambers, Tony Canzoneri, Rocky Marciano, Willie Pep, Basilio, LaMotta were the great Italian Americans. As these groups moved out of the ghettos they stopped sending their sons to Boxing gyms.

Boxing was the most popular spectator sport, international in scope and paid the best by far. Jack Dempsey as HW champ was making more per fight than Babe Ruth did his entire career. So for a lot of these immigrants it was their way out of poverty just as it is today e.g. Manny Pacquiao who used to sell donuts on the streets as a kid & work construction while training Boxing.

Jews & Boxing:

Irish Americans & Boxing:

Per capita, Boxing is dominated by 1) Puerto Rico 2) Mexico 3) US. Neither Mexicans nor Puerto Ricans in popular culture for their athleticism.

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 07 Aug 2012 22:52

Looks like the Triple Jumper Renjith Maheshwary is one major freeloader

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/spor ... 392378.cms

Comer · Post by **Comer** » 07 Aug 2012 23:05

Lalmohan wrote:^^ an alternative competition will emerge

Or having the Olympics in Taiwan.

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 07 Aug 2012 23:12

Do we have any event to look forward to today (Tue)?

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 07 Aug 2012 23:13

^^ Vikas Gowda Discus Final at 11:45 am PST

Ardeshir · Post by **Ardeshir** » 07 Aug 2012 23:14

Any idea what's happening with our wrestlers?

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 07 Aug 2012 23:16

Geeta's match is on Aug 9th.

The mens matches are on 10th 11th and 12th.

We might have a medal surprise in there hopefully.

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 07 Aug 2012 23:24

It is flabbergasting that we have people "training" in Europe for things like triple-jump courtesy of GoI, specially known under performers.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 07 Aug 2012 23:30

saravana wrote:Agreed but there *has* to be some sport which doesn't lend itself to such a method. I don't think they are good at football, hockey or cricket. Are they bad at team sports where number > 2? Maybe I am clutching at straws here but we can identify those sports and fill the gap.

Why avoid them ? What's wrong with taking on them head on and beating them at it ? There's a limit to what a system like that can accomplish. Precision sports are one example - they did worse than us in men's shooting this time, despite investing much more money and effort. They've already given the answer to how to beat them - work harder and smarter than them. In such sports, having as strong and deep a team as them, but with members not compelled by worries about 'failing the party bosses' helps.

Their sportsmen are being compelled to perform under threat of being banished and having their lives ruined after dedicating nearly all these conscious lives so far to train. As the Time article I posted some hours ago show, they shut out the athletes from every aspect of the world around them, including their families. Such draconian measures may not be necessary, but there's no substitute for iron-fisted hard work complemeted with meticulous planning.

Abhijeet · Post by **Abhijeet** » 07 Aug 2012 23:56

I'm actually surprised that the US is still so close to China in the medals tally. I expected China to be way ahead this time given 4 additional years of refining the system since Beijing, but the US-China medals comparison is still pretty close.

The US system, as in many other areas, doesn't seem to have any national direction, but functions on individual excellence with very well developed infrastructure. Kudos to them for making it work so well.

The UK is still third on the list -- another country that does surprisingly well without any particular national agenda to excel at the Olympics (that I know of).

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 08 Aug 2012 00:00

The UK does have a dedicated Olympics program funded by lottery funds. A resident there like shyamd or Lalmohan can provide more details. They particularly emphasize indoor cycling, which they swept in both Beijing and London. Other focus sports for them are swimming, boating events, and more recently, gymnastics.

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 08 Aug 2012 00:10

Vikas throws 64.79

saip · Post by **saip** » 08 Aug 2012 00:11

Ever heard of the saying "The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton"? Build the sports infrastructure first and the medals will take care of themselves later.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 08 Aug 2012 00:12

As with Poonia, Vikas will have to break the national record by a couple of metres to medal here. Unlikely to happen. He will probably finish in the middle of the pack.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 08 Aug 2012 00:18

A report from the Indian media

Being Ye Shiwen

It’s open season out there as bizarre and unproven innuendos unfailingly surface each time a swimmer in red climbs the podium.
..
A less-quoted and largely-ignored piece in the British media opens one eye to the world behind the Great Wall. It’s an anonymous account by a British-born coach, who, after training five different Olympic teams, is now with the Chinese swimming squad in London. “Chinese athletes train incredibly hard, harder than I can explain in words. I have never seen athletes train like this anywhere in the world. They have an unrelenting appetite for hard work, can (and will) endure more pain for longer than their western counterparts, will guarantee to turn up for practice every single time and give their all.” A perfect catalyst to this attitude, he says, is a system that has world-class exclusive facilities for elite athletics and quick funding for gadgets or equipment.

When words like “hard work” and “dedication” come into the debate, the China-doubters change track. From calling Chinese athletes rogues they now term them robotic.
..
This stereotypical portrayal of life in Chinese academies, not always backed with proof, presumably works at several levels. It shows the might of the most-feared opponents and provides a ready excuse for the impending annihilation of the less-prepared home team. Besides a dope-ridden sporting history, the Western world is full of traumatic stories of pushy parents, sadist coaches and cruel training methods but these are facts best left untouched.
..

narmad · Post by **narmad** » 08 Aug 2012 00:22

GOWDA Vikas 60.95 in 2nd attempt.
Can anybody watching live comment please ?

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 08 Aug 2012 00:25

Attempts Mark
1 64.79
2 60.95

Hariprasad · Post by **Hariprasad** » 08 Aug 2012 00:25

Right now, needs to throw farther than HADADI Ehsan 68.18 for a gold.

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 08 Aug 2012 00:26

Currently 7th. One more attempt left. Top 8 get another 3 chances

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 08 Aug 2012 00:27

gowda should be easy asian games medalist given they are only TFTA athletes and he is number 7 there, will he be in the top 8 to qualify for three more throws let us see

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 08 Aug 2012 00:28

63.03 now...

Hariprasad · Post by **Hariprasad** » 08 Aug 2012 00:29

Attempt 1 64.79
Attempt 2 60.95
Attempt 3 63.03

No hopes of winning this. He is too behind

Hariprasad · Post by **Hariprasad** » 08 Aug 2012 00:43

In the final, athletes have three initial throws, with the top eight after the first three rounds then having a further three throws. The athlete who performs the longest throw is the winner.

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 08 Aug 2012 00:44

^^ Nope only the top 8 get the final 3. Two guys who finished in the Top 4 in qualifiers are already out of the Final 3 throws

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 08 Aug 2012 00:44

c'mon gowdre. koli saar-in aaNe.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 08 Aug 2012 00:44

Gowda is doing some math/shath activity in north carolina

narmad · Post by **narmad** » 08 Aug 2012 00:45

no hope after 4th unless he takes out his magic sword and says "By the Power of Greyskull"

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 08 Aug 2012 00:46

shaardula wrote:c'mon gowdre. koli saar-in aaNe.

Gowdre, ispechal b2chai from JCE downs for you if you pull this off + raagi mudde at night.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 08 Aug 2012 00:48

Everyone gets six throws in the final, as I recall. It's the quals where everyone gets 3 throws.

If it's only the top 8, well he IS in the top 8... at #8

At least his standard is solidly Asian Games silver medal level behind the Iranian, and ahead of the Aussie so that he can win a gold at CWG level.

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 08 Aug 2012 00:51

sure why not. bari mudde na? biryaani ne aagli. 64 daaTi gowdre. c'mon

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 08 Aug 2012 00:51

Talking about Belgium. They have excellent sports complexes. Almost free. Public swimming pools are highly maintained. My son is in Rugby club. Club clothing, first class stadium with flood lights,3 trainers,two paramedics, natural and synthetic grounds, transport to different European cities for matches......all this for 130 Euros / year.

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 08 Aug 2012 00:59

alright sir.... it didn't come off... fine

KJo · Post by **KJo** » 08 Aug 2012 01:03

shaardula wrote:sure why not. bari mudde na? biryaani ne aagli. 64 daaTi gowdre. c'mon

biryani = fatty + cholesterol

raagi mudde = Shakti

I think Gowdru has been skipping his ragi rotti lately...

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 08 Aug 2012 01:13

parvagilla gowdre, namm naaDige oorige kiruti tandivri. olympics naage enTu andre tamaashina? toDe taTTi, yede bicchi nitka beku. warald naage numbar 8-u.

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 08 Aug 2012 01:16

Gowda was the biggest of the final lot in terms of sheer size.

This could be the last olympics for him. Also the last olympics for Paes, bhupathi, bopanna, kom, vijender, sania and most of our athelets

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 08 Aug 2012 01:28

I have always wondered on why IA cant pick up marathon runners from their ranks. I am pretty sure we have men from all areas across the country and with regiment level competitions we can pick up from the ranks and train them

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 08 Aug 2012 01:40

ok joisre, as we say back home, you will only hold the tail of the winning ox? gowdru, didn't best himself in the greatest of stages, fine, but he still was in the top 10 in the world.

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 08 Aug 2012 01:44

suryag wrote:I have always wondered on why IA cant pick up marathon runners from their ranks. I am pretty sure we have men from all areas across the country and with regiment level competitions we can pick up from the ranks and train them

and why should the army do it?

When did winning olympics become an army job.

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 08 Aug 2012 01:45

in boxing, i have never seen anyone with a faster handwork than this guy:
http://www.london2012.com/athlete/falca ... a-1071037/

he is amazing.