The Olympics

[goldeneye]

As we all know, the Olympics are currently taking place in Beijing, broadcasting worldwide, and I'd like to know your thoughts about your country's performance so far, along with feelings as to events to be held. Also, has anyone been inspired by it all?

I'd like to start off by saying well done to Team GBR for gaining their first gold medal, and currently having 2 and a bronze. Keep going guys.

I'd also like to say how much of a shame it was that the 14 year old british diver came last in the synchronised diving finals, but he's done well to get where he is, there's still the single dive event to go (which I think he'll do well in) and then there's 2012.

[Marshtomp8]

Eh, my money is on Team Sonic to get the gold in most events.

Butas for the "real" olympics, not seen anything of it yet. Money still on Team Sonic for the win.

[Name]

heh... good joke...

anyways, I am kinda sad by U.S.A.s preformance. Right now, chinas doing the best, in my mind, and their preformace is great. I also cheer for italy and japan. I still dont know who's winning at the swimming part though....

anyways.... I am inspired to swim more, and I am starting to dive also. I finally did a front flip of the board, but after that first "perfect" flip, I allways end up on my belly or back. I need more practice.

Also, can anyone explain the gymnastics part? the part were they are on the mat fliping around is cool, but they stop, and do a hand stand randomly.... its kinda odd.

[goldeneye]

gymnastics isn't my strong point unfortunately, it all seems the same to me and yet people get different marks for it, who knws.

Yea, i've been inspired to swim more, i've sent an email to a local swimming club, it's only ameteur, but you know, it could get anywhere. Diving... well, i'd like to do it, but i think my nerves would say "no, you're not doing that, no way". Besides, there's no diving boards in my area, and no teachers either.

I think britain got a gold for womens 400 m in the swimming, can't say about anything else, but I believe Phelps is doing well on his 8 gold medal journey.

I doubt that anyone will go anyway near china's lead, but the Olympics has never been about winning, it's about worldwide unity. Altough I always thought that it was for ameteur sportsmen, so why are world champions competing?

[Name]

The olimpics were, and I quote;

"The Olympics" redirects here. For other uses, see Olympics (disambiguation).
For the 2008 Olympic Games occuring in Beijing, see 2008 Summer Olympics.

The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920.The Olympic Games[1] is an international multi-sport event. The original Olympic Games (Greek: Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες; [Olympiakoi Agones] (help·info)) were first recorded in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, and were celebrated until AD 393.[2] Interest in reviving the Olympic Games proper was first shown by the Greek poet and newspaper editor Panagiotis Soutsos in his poem "Dialogue of the Dead" in 1833.[3] Evangelos Zappas sponsored the first modern international Olympic Games in 1859. He paid for the refurbishment of the Panathenian Stadium for Olympic Games held there in 1870 and 1875.[3] This was noted in newspapers and publications around the world including the London Review, which stated that "the Olympian Games, discontinued for centuries, have recently been revived! Here is strange news indeed ... the classical games of antiquity were revived near Athens."[4]

The International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894 on the initiative of a French nobleman, Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin. The IOC has become the heart of the "Olympic Movement," a conglomeration of sporting federations that are involved in the organization of the Games. As the Olympic Movement has grown so have the profile and complexity of the Games. Participation in the Games has increased to the point that nearly every nation on earth is represented. With the proliferation of satellite communications, the internet, and the continuing trend towards globalization, the Olympics are consistently gaining supporters.[5] This growth has created numerous challenges, including political boycotts, the use of performance enhancing medications, bribery of officials, and terrorism.

Despite these challenges the Olympics have continued to thrive and flourish. Each successive Games attempts to add more events in order to keep up with the ever-evolving advance of athletic expression around the world. The current games in Beijing comprise of 302 events in 28 sports. The most recent Winter Olympics in 2006 featured 84 events in 7 sports. While the Olympic Games do continue to evolve, they also encompass many rituals that were established during their infancy in the late 19th and early 20th century. Most of these traditions are on display during the Opening and Closing ceremonies, and the medal presentations. For its part, the Olympic Movement has made considerable progress in fostering participation among as many nations as wish to compete, as well as focusing on the Olympic motto: Citius Altius Fortius - Faster, Higher, Stronger.

mainly, the underlinded parts explain it. It promotes fitness and brings the world together. it also to see whos the "best" of the world at that sport.

also, if you can dive in a pool as in hands first, just ask the pool diretor to hok you up with the swim coach to give you a quick lesson some time. if ya mean off a diving board, do what I did and go with some friends that can and learn from them.

[goldeneye]

I think at one point it was about ameteur sport, until Eddie the Eagle came along, remember him/ if not, he did the ski slope event a few years back and basically just dropped off the end of the ramp. SO they must have changed it to stop it from happening again, which I believe went against what the Olympics are about, but I suppose with professionals in at least we can be sure we're sending the best we have.

yea, none of my friends know divng, and I think i'll be pushed to find any. Diving's not really the major sport over here. I live in a town, not a city, so i'd be hard done to get anywhere with more specialised equipment. I'll make do with the swimming now i think, but i wouldn't mind diving. I can do it off the edge, but never off a board.

[Name]

I live in the suberbs of two cities. theres pools everywhere, so I need to know my skillz.

[goldeneye]

Yea, at the minute our resources are used improving what we have rather than building new things if it can be helped.

Anyway, there is a rumor going round the media that the opening ceremony was faked partly. Apparently the little girl singing was actually miming while another girl sang hidden from the audience. This was because the girl providing the voice "did not have the right face"

Also, the footstep fireworks leading to the stadium were also faked as there were fears that they wouldn't work right. Apparently it consisted of footage taken and edited with CGI or something to make it look as if the fireworks were going off as they were.

Now, i'm not saying any of this is true, but what do you feel about this, if it is? What would you feel if your home nation had been found of faking the opening ceremony of the largest sporting event in the world?

[Name]

from what the media said;

the girl who "sang" the song at the opening was lip-singing, meaning not really singing, as the real singer was backstage singing for she was, and I quote, "deemed not cute enough".

also, the footprint fireworks could not be seen because of clouds so they edited the fireworks in. basically it was only for the T.V. adduance.

also, the fireworks or some others where suposed to keep rain away, and they could be the footprint fireworks.

this is what I got out of it all. all I have to say is the fire was awesome.

[goldeneye]

The lighting of the torch was inspired i think. I didn't see the whole thing, but i've seen a few clips. I suppose we'll just have to see how lndon fares with their opening ceremony. Hope its a good one.

[goldeneye]

And so, as the Olympic Flame is extinguished from the skyline of Beijing, we say farewell to the 29th Olypic games, and farewell to this thread...


Or do we? The paralympics is in three weeks. So, as we're still going, what did everyone think?

[Name]

hey! whatt about winter olympics? this can still roll.

still, I love the swimmer who got 8 gold metals in one olympics (broke the record of 7 in one olympics) and has gotten 14(?) metals, beating the record of how many gold metals one person had during one time. hes AMAZING!!!

[goldeneye]

Micheal Phelps? yea he was pretty good, even the english announcers were on his side. I have to say we did well being placed 4th placed and having the best team for 100 years. Although towards the end it was more of a case of beating the australians rather than doing the best we could. The banter between our commentators and the australians' just so funny. "Notice that we all have fans here to cope with the heat, and notice that the BBC fan is larger than the Australians' fan" just so funny.

The winter olympics is in 2 years, for some reason they always put it in between.

[Name]

oh. I thought it would be this winter. darn you brother

anyways, I forgot who, but USA go their 100 gold metal! it may be 1000 but I cant read zeroz

[goldeneye]

nah, definatley 100, i doubt there's 1000 events even in the olympics. Actually, if it was the total number of medals won USA would have won, i think you got 110 overall, china only got 100 or something. well, i say only...