Games of the XXXI Olympiad (2016) - "Um Mundo Novo" in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

[DonRocks]

I know people here are busy with other things (like dining), but it would be a shame if we didn't have a thread on the Olympics.

So here it is.

What are *your* favorite memories? (No Ryan Lochte please, Al Dente!)

I'll toss one out: Usain Bolt interrupting a Spanish-language interview to acknowledge the U.S.A. National Anthem:

Thank you, Usain Bolt, for your demonstration of class, respect, and humility. I also think the reporter handled it quite professionally once she realized what was happening, so kudos to her also.

If anyone has any favorites from previous Olympics, go ahead and post those as well - I'll start threads for them.

[DIShGo]

The floor exercise routines of American gymnasts Simone Biles and Aly Raisman. Raisman's silver medal performance was superb, and her teary goodbye was touching. Biles' gold-medal routine was near perfection and beyond anything I have seen a gymnast do.

I also enjoyed watching Great Britain's Mo Farah recover from a fall early in the 10,000 meter race to win the gold. 

[DonRocks]

8 hours ago, DIShGo said:

The floor exercise routines of American gymnasts Simone Biles and Aly Raisman. Raisman's silver medal performance was superb, and her teary goodbye was touching. Biles' gold-medal routine was near perfection and beyond anything I have seen a gymnast do.

I also enjoyed watching Great Britain's Mo Farah recover from a fall early in the 10,000 meter race to win the gold. 

What a *great* website you linked to with that Mo Farah video (nbcolympics.com/video). Speaking of which, how about Monica Puig winning Gold in women's singles tennis, resulting in Puerto Rico's first Olympic Gold Medal *ever* in *anything*?

[Bart]

As usual the US swim team was amazing but my two favorite moments were not Phelps and Ledecky dominating, but the gold medal surprises of Maya DiRado and Simone Manuel.  Neither was supposed to win and their victories took everyone by surprise, including themselves.  The shocked then elated looks on their faces when they realized they won was more than priceless.  Seeing it happen live was the icing on the cake.

[Al Dente]

No Lochte comments. 

I found this clip informative. 

Check out the 2:31 mark where a guy does a triple layout with more of a runway to work with. How he gets that high in the air without some kinda springboard is freakin' amazing.

[DonRocks]

1 hour ago, Al Dente said:

Check out the 2:31 mark where a guy does a triple layout with more of a runway to work with. How he gets that high in the air without some kinda springboard is freakin' amazing.

There's *no way* the surface he jumps from isn't some kind of springboard, even if it's just some sort of rubberized cushion - he's *way* higher than ten feet (more like twelve), and he'd be doing somersault dunks if he could somehow hold a basketball - that's never been done before.

Imagine, for example, if this was a high jump - it would destroy the world record of 8' 0-1/4".

 

 

[Al Dente]

I saw that the floor was spongy, but didn't think it was a springboard. 

[DonRocks]

36 minutes ago, Al Dente said:

I saw that the floor was spongy, but didn't think it was a springboard. 

You forced me to do some research - I think it is springs. Any gymnasts here?

Everything aside, imagine clearing an 8-foot bar when high jumping!

I *love* the Olympics, if only because it ramrods some of the more obscure sports down my throat - how often do people watch badmitton? And it's an *awesome* sport - these people are just as amazing in their own was as Federer, Nadal, Djokovic ... and so many other sports, too.

Now if someone would just start a cricket thread, my life would be complete - I know *nothing* about the sport.

And I want to put a plug in for my table tennis coach, Zhongxing Lu - he's almost as amazing as the Olympic table tennis players: Only a top-level player would be able to tell them apart.

[DaveO]

Watched the US/Spain basketball game, which I believe was the semi final.  US won it.  I saw little quality difference in the teams.  I thought talent was similar.  US had no flow....A team that hasn't worked together for a long time and very little instinctual passing.  Defense sort of ragged.  Don't really like this US team.  They are in the finals.  but this is a team with too many I's in the spelling of the word team.  All teams need ball distributors/guards.  I don't see it.

[porcupine]

On 8/18/2016 at 9:52 PM, DonRocks said:

What are *your* favorite memories? 

I love the American women's gymnastics team but also love it when an underdog does well, so my favorite moment was Sanne Wever's completely surprising upset on balance beam. The routine itself was so very different from what all the other gymnasts were doing. From mount to dismount it was unique and creative. And of course beautifully executed.

"Netherands' Wevers Wins Balance Beam Gold; Hernandez and Biles Take Silver, Bronze" by Bill Chappell on npr.org

 

[DaveO]

The Women of Team USA video on ESPN

I've been watching snippets of the Olympics while trying to catch particular events.  My watching has been irregular and I've caught bits of events I'd never consider or focus on.  I've tried to watch significant amounts of basketball, soccer, (more women's than men), some other team events such as volleyball, and various other events.  In particular I follow basketball in general as I have a basketball jones, follow women's soccer as I competed in high school and college long ago and find the women's game fascinating as they display more skills and smarts than those I played with and against (including some college all americans --circa early 70's)  and various other sports.

With that agenda and a purely random catching of events or replays...it appeared that US women in general in all sorts of events were doing quite well.  Then I saw a video on the ESPN web site.

The video is titled The Women of Team USA...all of 2 minutes 8 seconds.  Narrated by Julie Foudy, retired soccer player and now a commentator. I find it excellent.  I believe it was published the day or two days before the end of the Olympics.  Per the video the US team includes 292 women, the largest group ever, and the largest contingent of women of any nation in the Olympics.  As of the published date the Women's members had won more gold and more total medals than the US Men's group. 

As the games ended the US women won 26 of 45 gold and 61 of the total 121 medals won by the US team.

As a summary and a statement I think its a great video.  Inspiring and a testament to providing opportunities in sports for women over a long period of time...with the above results a reflection of the efforts of the policies and the clear efforts of the participants in this Olympics.   Give it a look.