London 2012 Summer Olympics |OT|

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Napoleonthechimp said:
Come back in a few Olympics when China dominates nearly every competitive sport, because you've got to know that time is coming. At that point I honestly don't see the point in bothering competing because only the "big boys" will have any hope of winning medals.
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You can take solace in that hell will freezes over before the Chinese can win a World Cup.
 
KillerMan91 said:
Well that is just how the world goes. My country (Finland) used to pull over 30 medals per olympics during first half of 20th century and now we have hard time to take one medal from olympics. You just have to grow to appreciate the smaller amount of medals when competition gets better and better all the time with the rise of China and others. You can't ban countries with bigger population than yours from olympics or there would be only one country competing.
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It isn't that they have a genuine interest in the sports that bothers me, is that they seem to be purposefully dominating the sports with the intention of boosting their status on the world stage. That is the thing that really rubs me up the wrong way about China's approach to sports... it's a god damned industrial machine for them.
 
Ravensmash said:
Hah! These games definitely do make me feel age conscious though - especially when I'm watching people 2 years younger than me aim for Olympic gold, while I'm sitting around the house wondering about whether any Pringles are in the house.

I've always been competitive though, and I've always enjoyed sport so I may try and do more, and in terms of actual sport (e.g. not elite top competition) I'm still quite young, I think.....

And you never know, you always see older athletes competing ;]

ONE DAY GAF
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This makes me sad now. When I was younger, I had Olympic aspirations to go for the 400m and 800m in Track and Field. Now that I'm 23, I'm just sad that I'll probably never get a chance but now that I'm going to college, I'm hoping that I might have a chance. :)
 
Shadow780 said:
You can take solace in that hell will freezes over before the Chinese can win a World Cup.
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Lol yeah China can become a democratic country; unify with Taiwan; make Renmenbi the world currency; set colony on Mars etc etc before they get to the world cup final.
 
Napoleonthechimp said:
Come back in a few Olympics when China dominates nearly every competitive sport, because you've got to know that time is coming.
Click to expand...

I'm already taken aback by how good they are right now. Dominating in nearly every sport is just wishful thinking. These things go in cycles. The US is currently not that good in track and field, and its looking like our reign in mens swimming may be coming to an end or at least the rest of the world is catching up. Where China seems to be making strides are with the less popular sports. China, with their wealth is catching up and being competitive with the rest of the world. If they dominate, so be it. I don't see nothing wrong with it. We've used money and wealth to dominate others for generations. Can't start calling foul now that someone else is using the same tactics.
 
Napoleonthechimp said:
Come back in a few Olympics when China dominates nearly every competitive sport, because you've got to know that time is coming. At that point I honestly don't see the point in bothering competing because only the "big boys" will have any hope of winning medals.
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panem et circe
 
tino said:
Lol yeah China can become a democratic country; unify with Taiwan; make Renmenbi the world currency; set colony on Mars etc etc before they get to the world cup final.
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China sucks at track and field too(biggest olympic sport, medal-wise) and I really don't see them getting better.
 
Napoleonthechimp said:
I was calling for that because of China's success. How is it possible to compete with a country with limitless financial resources that can trawl through a billion people to identify all the individuals with the best genetic potential for every sport?

Do we just pack up and leave? Do we start our own private athletic competition of good - but not as good as the Chinese - athletes?

I'm from Britain and we couldn't even fund our own fucking volleyball team (that just won today) nor give them enough resources to improve their world ranking against teams around the world. We have a limited amount of funding that gets pumped into traditional sports (track & field, swimming) that we are completely shit at.

I honestly don't see the point of any of our swimmers even bothering to compete if China can afford to pump out swimmers like that teenage girl.
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There is a good reason why the Olympics limits the number of entrants from a single country in nearly all events. China may become exceptional, but in most events they will only be sending a couple of competitors (who may be ranked 1 and 2 in the world). Further, I think Britain's phenomenal success on the velodrome demonstrates that smaller countries can still dominate when they put forth the right effort. Also, do not underestimate the advantage of having a multicultural society. Having a broad gene pool to draw on, and the various extremes of athleticism that comes with it, is an advantage many western countries have over China. I also think your emphasis on winning above all else may be missplaced. I think there is value in supporting human expression through sport even if the outcome is not a medal. The focus on winning above all else is why the Olympics are so politicized and why nations like China and the States make such an effort to dominate them (just like the USSR, East Germany, etc. have done in the past).
 
Sarcastic Response said:
This makes me sad now. When I was younger, I had Olympic aspirations to go for the 400m and 800m in Track and Field. Now that I'm 23, I'm just sad that I'll probably never get a chance but now that I'm going to college, I'm hoping that I might have a chance. :)
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Go for it !

I might take up badminton properly, always loved racquet sports and it was one of the sports I actually felt 'good' at when younger.
 
Napoleonthechimp said:
Come back in a few Olympics when China dominates nearly every competitive sport, because you've got to know that time is coming. At that point I honestly don't see the point in bothering competing because only the "big boys" will have any hope of winning medals.
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Calm down. The chinese are terrible at track and field. No amount of money is going to change that.
 
This is why I hate the media at times. They were building so much bull Lochte taking phelps place this year that it now backfired.


He is a good swimmer tho but don't fall for the hype until they prove themselves.
 
RobotChant said:
I'm already taken aback by how good they are right now. Dominating in nearly every sport is just wishful thinking. These things go in cycles. The US is currently not that good in track and field, and its looking like our reign in mens swimming may be coming to an end or at least the rest of the world is catching up. Where China seems to be making strides are with the less popular sports. China, with their might is catching up and being competitive with the rest of the world. If they dominate, so be it. I don't see nothing wrong with it. We've used money and wealth to dominate others for generations. Can't start calling foul now that someone else is using the same tactics.
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This is wrong. The US is has a chance to get about 30 medals in track and field which could be their best in over 50 years, outside of 1984 but that doesn't count for obvious reasons.
 
RobotChant said:
I'm already taken aback by how good they are right now. Dominating in nearly every sport is just wishful thinking. These things go in cycles. The US is currently not that good in track and field, and its looking like our reign in mens swimming may be coming to an end or at least the rest of the world is catching up. Where China seems to be making strides are with the less popular sports. China, with their wealth is catching up and being competitive with the rest of the world. If they dominate, so be it. I don't see nothing wrong with it. We've used money and wealth to dominate others for generations. Can't start calling foul now that someone else is using the same tactics.
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And is money even that important? Canada spends scads of money and sends a huge team and gets very little return every Olympics from what i recall.
 
Kogepan said:
Calm down. The chinese are terrible at track and field. No amount of money is going to change that.
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Indeed. Hencetheir decision to target medal-rich sports that traditionally have not been dominated by Western countries. How many non-West Africans have run sub 10 second times in the 100m? You can count the number on one hand. How many whites or asians have done such a thing? One or two?
 
OpinionatedCyborg said:
There is a good reason why the Olympics limits the number of entrants from a single country in nearly all events. China may become exceptional, but in most events they will only be sending a couple of competitors (who may be ranked 1 and 2 in the world). Further, I think Britain's phenomenal success on the velodrome demonstrates that smaller countries can still dominate when they put forth the right effort. Also, do not underestimate the advantage of having a multicultural society. Having a broad gene pool to draw on, and the various extremes of athleticism that comes with it, is an advantage many western countries have over China. I also think your emphasis on winning above all else may be missplaced. I think there is value in supporting human expression through sport even if the outcome is not a medal. The focus on winning above all else is why the Olympics are so politicized and why nations like China and the States make such an effort to dominate them (just like the USSR, East Germany, etc. have done in the past).
Click to expand...

Success in the velodrome was because we targeted investment into events we had a hope at winning. After 2008 we set ourselves up as a target to be beaten. I doubt we'll see the same success again.

I get bent out of shape about this because success in sports is the only time in Britain when we have any sense of national unity and pride. Now that is being whittled down to nothing we're going to be left with the exciting prospect of being fucked by bankers and cutting corners thanks to austerity measures.
 
Why is the media just so stupid in their coverage?

"You came into the event with everyone in the media saying that you would do so well, that you were a faster swimmer but that didn't happen. You just lost this event, how is your confidence level now?"

I just wish someone would say "biotch please, go tell that bullshit to someone else"
 
Sviatoslav said:
This is wrong. The US is has a chance to get about 30 medals in track and field which could be their best in over 50 years, outside of 1984 but that doesn't count for obvious reasons.
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Yeah, the US won 23 medals and 7 golds in track in 2008. Last time the US didn't win the most track medals was in 1988 when East Germany won 1 more but they were basically all doping so.

I think people are getting the perception that the US is not good at track just from seeing Bolt and Jamaica win the sprinting and relay medals last time.
 
Kogepan said:
And is money even that important? Canada spends scads of money and sends a huge team and gets very little return every Olympics from what i recall.
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I wouldn't be too sure of that. I don't know about other sports but Athletics Canada(track and field) are extremely cheap.
 
Missy Franklin is a robot designed and built to humiliate all non-Americans. There's no way a human could race 2 Olympic races within 15 minutes of each other.
 
Anyone notice that an advertisement for the Today show just spoiled the result of the 100 M Backstroke when they talked about Missy Franklin winning her first gold medal and how you should learn about it "tomorrow on today". .
 
Wafflecakes said:
Do you read before you post? Out and out lie to say I said that she never won any medals.

"I could be wrong but didn't the Chinese girl come out of nowhere? Missy has won a bunch of hardware internationally. Not the same situation at all imo."

1. I could be wrong but didn't the Chinese girl come out of nowhere? - As I said. I wasn't sure and asked. Turns out I was wrong. I left the door open intentionally because I am no expert.

2. Missy has won a bunch of hardware internationally. - Was a response to people who were asking why Missy (who is also young) wasn't being accused of cheating.

3. Not the same situation at all imo. - Which is true because Missy is the favorite in many of these events. The Chinese girl was not coming in. Hence the surprise at her performance.

4. I specifically said I didn't believe she cheated.
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No, your points 2&3 are together. Your assumption that she came out of nowhere pretty much meant she didn't win any medals whereas Missy is known and won medals. Which is pretty funny since you said you saw some international ones and they both competed at the same one.

Late response due to my computer getting hit by spyware.
 
bobo84 said:
Yeah, the US won 23 medals and 7 golds in track in 2008. Last time the US didn't win the most track medals was in 1988 when East Germany won 1 more but they were basically all doping so.

I think people are getting the perception that the US is not good at track just from seeing Bolt and Jamaica win the sprinting and relay medals last time.
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Everyone was doping in the 80s and the US are no exception. Just look at Flo Jo from those very same 1988 games.
 
RobotChant said:
I'm already taken aback by how good they are right now. Dominating in nearly every sport is just wishful thinking. These things go in cycles. The US is currently not that good in track and field, and its looking like our reign in mens swimming may be coming to an end or at least the rest of the world is catching up. Where China seems to be making strides are with the less popular sports. China, with their wealth is catching up and being competitive with the rest of the world. If they dominate, so be it. I don't see nothing wrong with it. We've used money and wealth to dominate others for generations. Can't start calling foul now that someone else is using the same tactics.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_World_Championships_in_Athletics#Medal_table

We could do better if the Jamaicans weren't cockblocking us, but we're definitely still good.
 
Napoleonthechimp said:
Come back in a few Olympics when China dominates nearly every competitive sport, because you've got to know that time is coming. At that point I honestly don't see the point in bothering competing because only the "big boys" will have any hope of winning medals.
Click to expand...


lol? welcome to the olympics, 20-30 years ago it was the United States and the soviet union gobbling up the gold. Before those two, it was Britain and France, now china's entered the fray.

The olympics have, and always will be a playground for the super powers. Everyone else has to specialise and hope for the best.
 
Sviatoslav said:
This is wrong. The US is has a chance to get about 30 medals in track and field which could be their best in over 50 years, outside of 1984 but that doesn't count for obvious reasons.
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Ok. The hype and promo for T&F has been really subdued this year. Most of the focus has been on swimming and gymnastics (t&f doesn't get going till next week, i know). I follow some disciplines but not in-depth enough to know what kind of team overall we're fielding. Coupled with no big T&F star I just assumed we don't got this time around.
 
Nesotenso said:
Sponsorship means foregoing amatuer status
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I don't think She wants to do sponsorships until after she graduates from her high school. Something about if she does she has to leave her highschool or something.


I wish she did take the sponsorships though, It would be nice to see someone different as the face of US swimming.
 
Oozer3993 said:
Huh? Flo Jo never tested positive for any banned substances. She was even put under more rigorous drug testing then anyone else at those 1988 Olympics and was still clean.
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So a drastic change in physique combined with massive improvement in PBs of around half a second in the 100 and even more in the 200 in one year came from what exactly? Oh and her mysterious retirement right after the games just when they started really cracking down on doping was coincidence too right?.

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's a duck.

There were plenty of obvious drug cheats from the 80s who were never caught.
 
RobotChant said:
Ok. The hype and promo for T&F has been really subdued this year. Most of the focus has been on swimming and gymnastics (t&f doesn't get going till next week, i know). I follow some disciplines but not in-depth enough to know what kind of team overall we're fielding. Coupled with no big T&F star I just assumed we don't got this time around.
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lol, because America isn't going to win shit against the Jamaicans.
 
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