Did you know the games have already begun and the US womens soccer team is on its way to repeat as gold medal winners... I watched them dominate the Kiwi's last night...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/03/usa-blanks-new-zealand-womens-soccer-olympics-group-play-opener/88047344/
QuoteUnited States goalkeeper Hope Solo was targeted for abuse by Brazilian fans on Wednesday night as the women's national team began its quest for a fourth straight Olympic gold medal by defeating New Zealand 2-0 in Belo Horizonte.
Starting in the second half, Solo was booed by local supporters at Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte — with fans loudly chanting "Zika" every time she cleared the ball from her penalty area.
The controversial World Cup and Olympic champion has been outspoken about her concerns over traveling to Brazil due to the Zika virus. Earlier this week, she posted a photograph of herself on Twitter wearing a beekeeper's mask and holding a giant bottle of insect repellent. Her post was widely reported in the Brazilian media.
Former national team player and NBC analyst Kate Markgraf insisted the U.S would use the Solo taunts as motivation.
"The last thing you want to do is to give any reason for the U.S to come together," Markgraf said. "You give them something to focus on instead of getting worried about how they will perform, that can only be a positive for them."
Entering the tournament as hot favorites after winning the Women's World Cup last year, the Americans were rarely troubled in their Group G opener and cruised to victory thanks to goals from captain Carli Lloyd and star forward Alex Morgan.
Lloyd, the reining World Player of the Year, put Jill Ellis' side ahead after only nine minutes, sending a looping header into the net following a tidy cross from Tobin Heath.
New Zealand tried gamely to resist but was broken down again just a minute into the second half. Morgan Brian sent a clinical pass into the box and hit the fast-advancing Morgan, who made no mistake with a low left-foot drive that beat goalkeeper Erin Nayler.
Just like in the World Cup, the U.S. backline proved impossible to break, leading to a comfortable second half once the two-goal advantage was established.
The team will next face their toughest group opponent, world No. 3 France, on Saturday, where victory would be enough to clinch a quarterfinal spot.
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 04, 2016, 12:29:17 PM
Did you know the games have already begun and the US womens soccer team is on its way to repeat as gold medal winners... I watched them dominate the Kiwi's last night...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/03/usa-blanks-new-zealand-womens-soccer-olympics-group-play-opener/88047344/
QuoteUnited States goalkeeper Hope Solo was targeted for abuse by Brazilian fans on Wednesday night as the women's national team began its quest for a fourth straight Olympic gold medal by defeating New Zealand 2-0 in Belo Horizonte.
Starting in the second half, Solo was booed by local supporters at Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte — with fans loudly chanting "Zika" every time she cleared the ball from her penalty area.
The controversial World Cup and Olympic champion has been outspoken about her concerns over traveling to Brazil due to the Zika virus. Earlier this week, she posted a photograph of herself on Twitter wearing a beekeeper's mask and holding a giant bottle of insect repellent. Her post was widely reported in the Brazilian media.
Former national team player and NBC analyst Kate Markgraf insisted the U.S would use the Solo taunts as motivation.
"The last thing you want to do is to give any reason for the U.S to come together," Markgraf said. "You give them something to focus on instead of getting worried about how they will perform, that can only be a positive for them."
Entering the tournament as hot favorites after winning the Women's World Cup last year, the Americans were rarely troubled in their Group G opener and cruised to victory thanks to goals from captain Carli Lloyd and star forward Alex Morgan.
Lloyd, the reining World Player of the Year, put Jill Ellis' side ahead after only nine minutes, sending a looping header into the net following a tidy cross from Tobin Heath.
New Zealand tried gamely to resist but was broken down again just a minute into the second half. Morgan Brian sent a clinical pass into the box and hit the fast-advancing Morgan, who made no mistake with a low left-foot drive that beat goalkeeper Erin Nayler.
Just like in the World Cup, the U.S. backline proved impossible to break, leading to a comfortable second half once the two-goal advantage was established.
The team will next face their toughest group opponent, world No. 3 France, on Saturday, where victory would be enough to clinch a quarterfinal spot.
It's weird that it starts before the opening ceremonies. Maybe too many matches (and the early ones are not as important)?
Stands were pretty empty... they dogged Hope Solo all night... Ziiiiiiiiiiiikkkkaaaaaaaaaaaaah ::)
Quote from: Adam White on August 04, 2016, 12:49:59 PM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 04, 2016, 12:29:17 PM
Did you know the games have already begun and the US womens soccer team is on its way to repeat as gold medal winners... I watched them dominate the Kiwi's last night...
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/08/03/usa-blanks-new-zealand-womens-soccer-olympics-group-play-opener/88047344/
QuoteUnited States goalkeeper Hope Solo was targeted for abuse by Brazilian fans on Wednesday night as the women's national team began its quest for a fourth straight Olympic gold medal by defeating New Zealand 2-0 in Belo Horizonte.
Starting in the second half, Solo was booed by local supporters at Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte — with fans loudly chanting "Zika" every time she cleared the ball from her penalty area.
The controversial World Cup and Olympic champion has been outspoken about her concerns over traveling to Brazil due to the Zika virus. Earlier this week, she posted a photograph of herself on Twitter wearing a beekeeper's mask and holding a giant bottle of insect repellent. Her post was widely reported in the Brazilian media.
Former national team player and NBC analyst Kate Markgraf insisted the U.S would use the Solo taunts as motivation.
"The last thing you want to do is to give any reason for the U.S to come together," Markgraf said. "You give them something to focus on instead of getting worried about how they will perform, that can only be a positive for them."
Entering the tournament as hot favorites after winning the Women's World Cup last year, the Americans were rarely troubled in their Group G opener and cruised to victory thanks to goals from captain Carli Lloyd and star forward Alex Morgan.
Lloyd, the reining World Player of the Year, put Jill Ellis' side ahead after only nine minutes, sending a looping header into the net following a tidy cross from Tobin Heath.
New Zealand tried gamely to resist but was broken down again just a minute into the second half. Morgan Brian sent a clinical pass into the box and hit the fast-advancing Morgan, who made no mistake with a low left-foot drive that beat goalkeeper Erin Nayler.
Just like in the World Cup, the U.S. backline proved impossible to break, leading to a comfortable second half once the two-goal advantage was established.
The team will next face their toughest group opponent, world No. 3 France, on Saturday, where victory would be enough to clinch a quarterfinal spot.
It's weird that it starts before the opening ceremonies. Maybe too many matches (and the early ones are not as important)?
yea, the winners will play 6 and too tough to put that into 15 days.
Womens soccer got a tough win against the French team. We have our first Gold... In Air Rifle... 8)
https://www.youtube.com/v/6Qaz9uL6I5E
If you get a chance to watch Katie Ledecky swim... do it. Absolute domination. 8)
More domination by Womens gymnastics team... Wow!
Day 2 U.S. medals
Gold
Katie Ledecky, Women's 400m freestyle (swimming) *World Record
Men's 4x100m freestyle relay (swimming)
Silver
Alexander Massialas, Men's individual foil (fencing)
Bronze
Corey Cogdell, Women's Trap
Dana Vollmer, Women's 100m butterfly (swimming)
Cody Miller, Men's 100m breaststroke (swimming)
Leah Smith, Women's 400m freestyle (swimming)
Highlights
Phelps does it again: Michael Phelps swam an impressive second leg to give the U.S. a lead they would never relinquish in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Nathan Adrian closed it out for the gold.
Ledecky lives up to the hype: The 19-year-old phenom absolutely destroyed her own world record in the 400m freestyle to take the gold. She won by nearly five seconds.
Women's gymnastics dominates: Looking nearly unstoppable, the U.S. women's gymnastics team nearly swept the qualifying events. Simone Biles and Aly Raisman qualified for the individual all-around competition.
Vollmer takes bronze: Dana Vollmer was no match for Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom, who set the world record, but she took third place in the 100m butterfly.
Don't forget Adam Peaty (UK) - he destroyed the competition in the 100 metre breaststroke. He set a world record in his qualifying heat and then beat that in the final.
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2016, 07:34:51 AM
Don't forget Adam Peaty (UK) - he destroyed the competition in the 100 metre breaststroke. He set a world record in his qualifying heat and then beat that in the final.
That guy is a beast! He destroyed his competition.
Quote from: JaxAvondale on August 08, 2016, 08:19:29 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2016, 07:34:51 AM
Don't forget Adam Peaty (UK) - he destroyed the competition in the 100 metre breaststroke. He set a world record in his qualifying heat and then beat that in the final.
That guy is a beast! He destroyed his competition.
I've barely watched the Olympics, sadly. Saw a bit of bicycle racing and rowing on Saturday. But I managed to just catch his qualifying race. Crazy. I want to see the final - it's all over the news here as it's the UK's first gold.
I'm looking forward to the track events.
Jacksonville's Ryan Murphy wins Gold in the 100m backstroke.
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2016, 08:27:34 AM
Quote from: JaxAvondale on August 08, 2016, 08:19:29 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2016, 07:34:51 AM
Don't forget Adam Peaty (UK) - he destroyed the competition in the 100 metre breaststroke. He set a world record in his qualifying heat and then beat that in the final.
That guy is a beast! He destroyed his competition.
I've barely watched the Olympics, sadly. Saw a bit of bicycle racing and rowing on Saturday. But I managed to just catch his qualifying race. Crazy. I want to see the final - it's all over the news here as it's the UK's first gold.
I'm looking forward to the track events.
The track events were great in London. I'm missing the BBC Olympic coverage this cycle. I thought they did a great job 4 years ago.
Quote from: JaxAvondale on August 08, 2016, 09:53:51 PM
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2016, 08:27:34 AM
Quote from: JaxAvondale on August 08, 2016, 08:19:29 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 08, 2016, 07:34:51 AM
Don't forget Adam Peaty (UK) - he destroyed the competition in the 100 metre breaststroke. He set a world record in his qualifying heat and then beat that in the final.
That guy is a beast! He destroyed his competition.
I've barely watched the Olympics, sadly. Saw a bit of bicycle racing and rowing on Saturday. But I managed to just catch his qualifying race. Crazy. I want to see the final - it's all over the news here as it's the UK's first gold.
I'm looking forward to the track events.
The track events were great in London. I'm missing the BBC Olympic coverage this cycle. I thought they did a great job 4 years ago.
I never realised that I (apparently) really like steeplechase.
I had cable last time and there were a whole bunch of Olympics-only extra channels - I could watch whatever I wanted. Not this year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/sports/olympics/schedule-results-rio.html?_r=0
QuoteRio Olympics: Here's What Happened Monday
By THE NEW YORK TIMESUPDATED 12:52 AM ET
American Swimmers Continue to Rack Up Golds
Men's 100 Backstroke: The United States has claimed every gold medal in the men's 100-meter backstroke since Canada's Mark Tewksbury touched the wall six-hundredths of a second before the American Jeff Rouse in 1992.
Ryan Murphy, a first-time Olympian, kept the streak intact Monday and set an Olympic record in the process. He was timed in 51.97, missing the world record, set by Aaron Peirsol in 2009, by three-hundredths of a second. Xu Jiayu of China won the silver, barely, over Murphy's teammate, David Plummer. Xu was timed in 52.31 to Plummer's 52.40.
Women's 100 Breaststroke: In the days leading up to this race, the American Lilly King criticized her Russian opponent, reigning world champion Yulia Efimova, for her "drug cheating," a reference to Efimova's 16-month doping suspension which ended in early 2015.
On Monday in Rio, King backed up her words, breaking an Olympic record in the process. King's time of 1:04.93 broke the Olympic record of 1:05.17, set by Australia's Leisel Jones in 2008. Efimova took the silver at 1:05.50.
Japan returned to the top of the men's gymnastics world, beating Russia and China in the team event.
The event was a renewal of the longtime gymnastics rivalry between Japan and China. China had won the last two gold medals, in 2008 and 2012. But Japan had Kohei Uchimura, the world's best gymnast — and perhaps the best of all time — anchoring their team.
In the final rotation, Japan took on Russia head-to-head in the floor exercise, holding a slim lead of 0.208 points. Japan went first. After an outstanding score from Kenzo Shirai and a good one from Ryohei Kato, Uchimura locked down the win with a 15.6. Combined, it was the best team floor exercise score of the night. Russia finished second, and China took the bronze.
Swimming: Conor Dwyer won the bronze medal in the men's 200-meter freestyle, missing a silver by 0.03 seconds when Chad le Clos of South Africa edged him at the wall with a 1:45.20. Sun Yang of China won the gold in 1:44.65.
Fencing: Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first United States Olympian in any sport to compete at a Games while wearing a hijab. Muhammad won her first match before losing in the round of 16.
Tennis: Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark's flag-bearer at the opening ceremony, lost to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-4.
Field Hockey: Having already defeated Argentina, the No. 2-ranked team in the world, the United States women's field hockey team did it again on Monday, beating Australia, which is ranked No. 3. Both victories came by a 2-1 score.
Swimming: The first-time Olympian Lilly King heads into the 100-meter breaststroke as one of only two American women — Katie Ledecky is the other — to enter the Games with the world's top time in an event this year.
Rugby: Women will receive Olympic medals in rugby for the first time ever when the rugby sevens bronze and gold medal matches are decided.
USA has 5 Gold out of a leading 19 medals to date with China next up with 5 Gold and 13 total. Lilly King was pretty awesome last night... 8)
Jacksonville's Ryan Murphy wins gold and sets an Olympic record and nearly had a world record... 8)
Busy and exciting night tonight... The women's gymnastics team is absolutely outstanding... Phelps and Ledecky in the pool for Gold. We should beat Columbia in Soccer but they are fun to watch... 8)
(http://a1.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2016%2F0807%2Fr111233_1296x518_5%2D2.jpg&w=1006&h=402&scale=crop&cquality=80&location=origin)
Women's team final (live at 3 p.m. ET on NBCOlympics.com, coverage on NBC, 8 p.m. ET): It has been a foregone conclusion for a while now that this was the U.S. women's gold medal to lose. After the team's showing during Day 1 of the event, that feeling still holds true. Led by three-time defending world all-around champion Simone Biles, who is competing in her first Games, the squad's main competition will come from second-place China. Here is the American lineup:
Vault: Laurie Hernandez, Aly Raisman, Simone Biles
Uneven bars: Biles, Gabby Douglas, Madison Kocian
Balance beam: Raisman, Hernandez, Biles
Floor exercise: Hernandez, Raisman, Biles
Swimming
Finals (9 p.m. ET on NBC): Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky will look to add to their Rio medal haul Tuesday night as four main finals are on the docket. First up, Ledecky goes for her second gold of the Games in the 200-meter freestyle, two days after breaking her own world record in the 400 free. Phelps, meanwhile, could pick up two more medals -- he swims against South African rival Chad le Clos in the 200 butterfly final and could take part in the men's 4x200 freestyle relay. Finally, Maya DiRado and Melanie Margalis square off in the women's 200 M final.
Soccer
U.S. Women versus Colombia, 6 p.m. ET: The USWNT need a win or draw against Colombia to win Group G after already booking a ticket to the quarterfinals. The U.S. Is 5-0-0 all time against Colombia, which has already been eliminated from advancing past group play. Marta and Brazil face South Africa at 10 p.m. ET and have been winning over the home crowd as Neymar and the men's team have disappointed so far.
http://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/page/w2w4-080916/2016-rio-olympics-tuesday-watch-list-includes-women-gymnastics-swimming-soccer
One thing I think is silly is that Americans are the only people in the world who go by total medals instead of gold medals when determining the medal count. The USA is in first right now (and likely to end up first overall), as they are tied with China on golds and have more silvers. But if China earns a sixth gold, American media will still say the US is in first.
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 07:13:03 AM
One thing I think is silly is that Americans are the only people in the world who go by total medals instead of gold medals when determining the medal count. The USA is in first right now (and likely to end up first overall), as they are tied with China on golds and have more silvers.
lol... really? What makes you think they are the "only country"?
Front page BBCnews... http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/rio-2016/medals/countries/china#china
Front page of the Guardian... https://www.theguardian.com/uk?INTCMP=CE_UK
I suspect nearly every country in the world keeps track of totals...
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:14:51 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 07:13:03 AM
One thing I think is silly is that Americans are the only people in the world who go by total medals instead of gold medals when determining the medal count. The USA is in first right now (and likely to end up first overall), as they are tied with China on golds and have more silvers.
lol... really? What makes you think they are the "only country"?
Maybe not literally the only country - I think Canada might do it the same way. It was an eye-opener when I moved overseas.
I think the USA is still stuck in that Cold War mentality where it has to be first in everything - and if it isn't, it will change the rules. I wouldn't be surprised if Russia started doing the medal count the same way if they were behind the USA on golds but ahead overall.
As you can see, the Germans do the medal table on golds, as do the British, Australians and Japanese:
http://www.dw.com/en/top-stories/olympics/s-100857
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/rio-2016/medals/countries
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rio-olympics-2016/medal-tally/
http://www.japantoday.com/category/olympics/view/olympic-medals-table
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:26:10 AM
Front page BBCnews... http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/rio-2016/medals/countries/china#china
Front page of the Guardian... https://www.theguardian.com/uk?INTCMP=CE_UK
I suspect nearly every country in the world keeps track of totals...
You just made my point. They are ranked by total golds, not total medals.
Of course people keep track of total medals, but ranking is by golds - and ties are broken by silvers, followed by bronze.
Apparently, the IOC preference is to rank by golds. And, as the article suggests, it is also the preference for the rest of the world, more or less.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_medal_table
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 07:32:18 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:26:10 AM
Front page BBCnews... http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/rio-2016/medals/countries/china#china
Front page of the Guardian... https://www.theguardian.com/uk?INTCMP=CE_UK
I suspect nearly every country in the world keeps track of totals...
You just made my point. They are ranked by total golds, not total medals.
Of course people keep track of total medals, but ranking is by golds - and ties are broken by silvers, followed by bronze.
Rofl... whatever Adam... every single link you provided listed medal totals. Kindof petty critique if you ask me...
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:40:07 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 07:32:18 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:26:10 AM
Front page BBCnews... http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/rio-2016/medals/countries/china#china
Front page of the Guardian... https://www.theguardian.com/uk?INTCMP=CE_UK
I suspect nearly every country in the world keeps track of totals...
You just made my point. They are ranked by total golds, not total medals.
Of course people keep track of total medals, but ranking is by golds - and ties are broken by silvers, followed by bronze.
Rofl... whatever Adam... every single link you provided listed medal totals. Kindof petty critique if you ask me...
I don't understand. If you look at all of those, Australia is ahead of Italy, even though Italy has more total medals.
Seriously.
Australia - third place with four golds, seven medals overall. Italy - fourth place with 3 golds, nine medals overall.
In American media tables, Italy would be third.
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 07:41:53 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:40:07 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 07:32:18 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:26:10 AM
Front page BBCnews... http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/rio-2016/medals/countries/china#china
Front page of the Guardian... https://www.theguardian.com/uk?INTCMP=CE_UK
I suspect nearly every country in the world keeps track of totals...
You just made my point. They are ranked by total golds, not total medals.
Of course people keep track of total medals, but ranking is by golds - and ties are broken by silvers, followed by bronze.
Rofl... whatever Adam... every single link you provided listed medal totals. Kindof petty critique if you ask me...
I don't understand. If you look at all of those, Australia is ahead of Italy, even though Italy has more total medals.
Seriously.
Australia - third place with four golds, seven medals overall. Italy - fourth place with 3 golds, nine medals overall.
In American media tables, Italy would be third.
Seriously persnickity Adam...rofl. :o ::) Besides... the link I provided in my post this morning was from the NYTimes and displays the medal count just how...
you... like it. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/sports/olympics/schedule-results-rio.html?_r=0
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:53:33 AM
Seriously persnickity Adam...rofl. :o ::) Besides... the link I provided in my post this morning was from the NYTimes and displays the medal count just how... you... like it. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/sports/olympics/schedule-results-rio.html?_r=0
I wasn't referring to your link - I read the text and didn't follow it. It was a general observation that occurred to me, as it's something that I notice every two years. It's weird and mildly embarassing (as an American).
(NBC's ranking: http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals)
I wasn't taking exception to your post - so I apologise if it came across that way.
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 07:56:20 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:53:33 AM
Seriously persnickity Adam...rofl. :o ::) Besides... the link I provided in my post this morning was from the NYTimes and displays the medal count just how... you... like it. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/sports/olympics/schedule-results-rio.html?_r=0
I wasn't referring to your link - I read the text and didn't follow it. It was a general observation that occurred to me, as it's something that I notice every two years. It's weird and mildly embarassing (as an American).
I wasn't taking exception to your post - so I apologise if it came across that way.
Fair enough... I still think your "general observation" is off base... perhaps tinted by european lenses. You seem to be embarrassed as an American often.
Jacksonville's Ryan Murphy Wins Gold Medal
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/ryan-murphy-keeps-us-backstroke-streak-alive-olympic-gold
(http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/ryan-murphy-attends-the-2015-usa-swimming-golden-goggle-awards-at-jw-picture-id498449378)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/running-circles-around-us-east-african-olympians-advantage-may-be-more-than-physical/
QuoteAfrican Olympians' Advantage May Be More Than Physical
In studying runners' genes and climate adaptation, science often overlooks a key cultural clue
By Frank Bures on August 5, 2016
When the starting gun fires at the Olympic track in Rio de Janeiro, there is little doubt who will be in the lead. In the Men's 1,500 Meters Asbel Kiprop will be up front. In the women's 5,000 meters Almaz Ayana will run away, and she may also take the 10,000 Meters. In the marathon Helah Kiprop will push the women whereas Eliud Kipchoge will be the one to watch among the men. In the Men's 800 Meters, David Rudisha will likely hold his title and maybe break his own world record.
In other words most of these races will be dominated by runners from, or with roots in, east Africa—namely Kenya and Ethiopia, with a few Eritreans and maybe a Ugandan also standing out. Mo Farah, currently at the top of the ranking for 10,000 meters, was born in Somalia and raised in the U.K., and now trains in the U.S. Bernard Lagat, who just won the U.S. 5,000-meter Olympic qualifier (at age 41) is Kenyan-American.
East African runners have dominated for the two decades since Kenyans started winning in the mid-1990s, followed by Ethiopians shortly thereafter. This has lead to great soul searching on the part of former distance powers like the U.S. and U.K. Yet reasons for that dominance remain hotly debated, and science has had little definitive to say about it..........
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/running-circles-around-us-east-african-olympians-advantage-may-be-more-than-physical/
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 08:03:38 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 07:56:20 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:53:33 AM
Seriously persnickity Adam...rofl. :o ::) Besides... the link I provided in my post this morning was from the NYTimes and displays the medal count just how... you... like it. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/sports/olympics/schedule-results-rio.html?_r=0
I wasn't referring to your link - I read the text and didn't follow it. It was a general observation that occurred to me, as it's something that I notice every two years. It's weird and mildly embarassing (as an American).
I wasn't taking exception to your post - so I apologise if it came across that way.
Fair enough... I still think your "general observation" is off base... perhaps tinted by european lenses. You seem to be embarrassed as an American often.
My general observation (if you're referring to how the US media tends to list medal ranking vs the rest of the world) is pretty much spot-on.
As far as me being embarrassed as an American - I don't know what you mean. I mean, yeah - I was ashamed about Afghanistan and Iraq (and the whole US "war on terror." But I can't really think of many things that are embarrassing to me - hell, even Donald Trump's popularity doesn't embarrass me. But maybe I'm overlooking other comments I've posted. If you want to post examples, I'm happy to respond to them.
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 08:25:40 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 08:03:38 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 09, 2016, 07:56:20 AM
Quote from: BridgeTroll on August 09, 2016, 07:53:33 AM
Seriously persnickity Adam...rofl. :o ::) Besides... the link I provided in my post this morning was from the NYTimes and displays the medal count just how... you... like it. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/08/sports/olympics/schedule-results-rio.html?_r=0
I wasn't referring to your link - I read the text and didn't follow it. It was a general observation that occurred to me, as it's something that I notice every two years. It's weird and mildly embarassing (as an American).
I wasn't taking exception to your post - so I apologise if it came across that way.
Fair enough... I still think your "general observation" is off base... perhaps tinted by european lenses. You seem to be embarrassed as an American often.
My general observation (if you're referring to how the US media tends to list medal ranking vs the rest of the world) is pretty much spot-on.
As far as me being embarrassed as an American - I don't know what you mean. I mean, yeah - I was ashamed about Afghanistan and Iraq (and the whole US "war on terror." But I can't really think of many things that are embarrassing to me - hell, even Donald Trump's popularity doesn't embarrass me. But maybe I'm overlooking other comments I've posted. If you want to post examples, I'm happy to respond to them.
Here ya go bro... have at it... rank em if ya got em...rofl... http://www.topendsports.com/events/summer/medal-tally/rankings.htm
QuoteMedal Tally Ranking Systems
The common method of determining the success of countries at the Olympic Games is a ranking order based first on the number of gold medals won, then silver and bronze. This method is used by the IOC and most media outlets during the Olympic Games, but there is still no 'official' method.
Usually the country that has led in total medals also led in the gold count - when did it not? Exceptions are the 1896, 1912 and 1964 Summer Olympics when the United States finished first in gold medal count but second in the overall medal count. Also in 2008, the US finished first in total medal count but second to China in the overall based on gold medals. A criticism of counting only gold medals to determine success is that it implies that winning silver and bronze, or making the final, is worthless.
Another commonly used method (the predominent method used in the USA) is to rank countries based on the total medals won. In this case, a silver and bronze medal count the same as the gold medal - is a silver or bronze really worth as much as a gold medal? Certainly not to the athlete.winners stand
There are numerous possible other ways of ranking success at the Olympics, with some of the alternative medal tally ranking systems having merit. A more extreme system that has been tried is to count all gold medals won, so the results from team sports count the number of individual medals given out. This totally biases countries which win medals in the team sports.
Then there are weighted systems which assign differing amounts of points to each of the gold, silver and bronze medals. You can see a discussion of the weighted methods which compares a few variations using this method. Other ranking methods have factored in demographic factors such as population size and economic factors such as gross domestic product (GDP). You can see a discussion of the demographic methods.
Below are listed quite a few alternative medal ranking systems, and a discussion of any differences that they may make.
olympic olive wreathAll Ranking Systems
Here are some of the ranking systems that have been devised. A weighted system of some sort seems like the best system, but it is not as simple to implement as either the gold first or total medals method.
gold first method — based first on the number of gold medals, then silver and bronze. Does silver and bronze have no value?
total medals — based on the total number of medals (gold, silver and bronze). This method gives equal rating to gold,silver and bronze, which does not seem a fair system.
total gold medals — counting all the gold medals won, including counting the medals for each individual athlete in team sports.
Improvement Rating — based on percentage improvement from previous Games result.
Compared to expectations — there are several groups that forecast or predict the medal won for each country based on factors such as population, GDP and previous performances, at prior Olympics and competitions leading up to the Olympics.
Fibonacci weighted point system (3:2:1) — gold 3 points, silver 2 points, and bronze 1 point.
Exponential weighted point system (4:2:1) — gold 4 points, silver 2 points, and bronze 1 point.
London 1908 weighted point system (5:3:1) — gold 5 points, silver 3 points, and bronze 1 point.
LOF weighted point system (5:3:2) — gold 5 points, silver 3 points, and bronze 2 point.
Topend Sports weighted point system (6:2:1) — gold 6 points, silver 2 points, and bronze 1 point.
per-capita demographic ranking — number of medals is divided by the population of the country.
per-GDP demographic ranking — number of medals is divided by the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.
Comparing Ranking Systems
Some of the weighted ranking systems only vary slightly, but can make a significant difference in the order on some tables. See the comparisons of the most successful countries at the Olympics using the weighted points and demographic systems, and the same using the all-time medal list. These weighted systems are also used to compare the greatest Olympic athletes of all time.
Here are poll results... http://www.topendsports.com/resources/polls/sport/medal-ranking-systems.htm?view_results
Domination! Women Gymnasts, Ledecky and Phelps again...
(http://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2016/08/09/f2e898d6-8cd5-44b8-92dd-d46ed1cac5fb/resize/620x/ee13680ee9d66835d4b8d6a4fd37ccb4/usagymnastics080916.jpg)
QuoteGold
Women's gymnastics, team competition
Michael Phelps, Men's 200m butterfly (swimming)
Katie Ledecky, Women's 200m freestyle (swimming)
Men's 4x200m freestyle relay (swimming)
Silver
Travis Stevens, Men's Judo 81kg
Bronze
Phillip Dutton, Individual eventing (equestrian)
Maya Dirado, Women's 200m individual medley (swimming)
Highlights
The Final Five: The women's gymnastics team was utterly dominant, finishing with a margin of victory of over eight points -- the largest victory at a major gymnastics meet.
Phelps steals the show: Everyone, including the USA basketball team, was cheering on Phelps as he won an incredibly close 200m butterfly race over rival Chad le Clos. It was Phelps' 20th gold medal. Just an hour later, he swam the anchor leg in a gold medal win in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Killer Katie: In what will probably be her toughest race of the Olympics, Katie Ledecky won the 200m freestyle in exciting fashion. It was her second gold medal of the games, her third overall.
Not perfect: The U.S. women's soccer team showed that it does have flaws in a 2-2 draw with Colombia. The UWNT still won the group, however, and advances to play Sweden.
Bye, bye Serena: After losing in doubles with her sister Venus, Serena Williams was ousted from the singles tournament on Tuesday at the hands of Elina Svitolina. No top seed is left in any of the Rio tennis draws.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/10/sports/olympics/schedule-rio-medals-watch-summer-games.html?_r=0
Ledecky wins again... 43 year old woman wins in bicycling event in 3rd straight Olympics...
The medal count...
for those who care... :)
G S B Total
United States 11 11 10 32
China 10 5 8 23
Japan 6 1 11 18
Australia 5 2 5 12
Hungary 5 1 1 7
QuoteRio Olympics: Here's What Happened Wednesday
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Katie Ledecky and the U.S. 4x200 relay team won the gold medal Wednesday, to the surprise of no one. Since the event became a part of the Olympics in 1996, the Americans have won five of six.
Ledecky anchored a squad that included Allison Schmitt, Leah Smith and Maya DiRado to a 1.84 second victory over Australia, the only other country to triumph in the event at the Summer Games. Canada was third. The Americans were trailing by 89-hundredths of a second when Ledecky hit the water. She split 1 minute 53.74 seconds, to stop the clock at 7:43.03.
Move Over, Michael Phelps. Sort of.
The American cyclist Kristin Armstrong won her third consecutive gold medal in the individual road time trial on Wednesday, becoming the first person to win the same Olympic cycling event three times in a row.
What's more, Armstrong — no relation to Lance — accomplished the feat one day shy of her 43rd birthday, which also makes her the oldest woman to have won an Olympic cycling gold medal.
"We've been told we should be finished at a certain age, but there are a lot of athletes out there who are showing that's not true," said Armstrong, who overcame a nose bleed at the 12-kilometer mark.
Armstrong completed the 29.8-kilometer (18.5-mile) course in 44 minutes 26.42 seconds, just ahead of Olga Zabelinskaya of Russia, who finished in 44:31.97. Anna van der Breggen of the Netherlands won the bronze medal.
Soon after her win, Armstrong got a pat on the back from another athlete who seemed to defy age: Barry Bonds. A cycling enthusiast, Bonds posted an image from the race and wrote, "Congratulations Kristin Armstrong 3 time gold medalist," on his Instagram account.
Remarkably, Armstrong almost did not make it to Rio. She came out of retirement in 2015, three years after calling it quits. Her latest gold medal was "the most gratifying," she said. "It was the hardest of my Olympic journeys."
Men's basketball: The United States had an unaccustomed scare in men's basketball, beating Australia by only 98-88. The U.S. trailed by 5 at the half and needed some big 3's late by Carmelo Anthony to win. Patty Mills of the San Antonio Spurs led Australia with 30 points; Anthony had 31 for the United States.
Men's gymnastics all-around: Kohei Uchimura of Japan, often called the greatest gymnast ever, retained his title. He delivered a 15.8 with a difficult high bar routine to overtake Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine on the final apparatus. The practically unbeatable Uchimura has also won the last six world championship all-around titles.
No Medal for U.S. Rugby Sevens: The American men lost to Fiji, 24-19, and were eliminated from the competition. The United States missed by the narrowest of margins: Its point differential, plus-18, was just 1 short of that of New Zealand, which grabbed the last spot in the quarterfinals.
Daryl Homer Wins Rare American Silver in Fencing
Daryl Homer of the United States won the silver medal in men's saber, missing a chance to become the first American man to win an Olympics fencing gold medal in more than a century.
Homer, who fences out of the Manhattan Fencing Center and was seeded 10th, beat fencers from Kazakhstan, Germany and Iran on the way to the final.
The gold medal match was aggressive and quick, like most saber matchups. Homer quickly fell behind Aron Szilagyi of Hungary and lost, 15-8. With the silver, Homer became the first American medalist in saber since Peter Westbrook won a bronze in 1984.
The last American gold medal for a man in fencing came at the 1904 St. Louis Games in the single sticks event, in which combatants belted each other with long wooden sticks. The winner, Albertson van zo Post, prevailed over a field of three, all of them Americans.
More US domination is the water and women's gymnastics...
Ryan Murphy of Jacksonville wins second gold...
Who knew we had a women's gold in Judo??
QuoteArchery
Women's individual
Gold--Hyejin Chang, South Korea
Silver--Lisa Unruh, Germany
Bronze—Bobae Ki, South Korea
Basketball (men)
Croatia 80, Brazil 76
Spain 96, Nigeria 87
Lithuania 81, Argentina 73
Basketball (women)
Turkey 74, Belarus 71
France 74, Brazil 64
Australia 92, Japan 86
Canoe/Kayak
Men's canoe double slalom
Gold--Slovakia, 1:41.98
Silver-Great Britain, 1:32.01
Bronze--France, 1:43.24
Women's kayak single
Gold--Maialen Chourraut, Spain, 1:38.65
Silver--Luuka Jones, New Zealand, 1:41.82
Bronze--Jessica Fox, Australia, 1:42.49
Cycling
Men's team sprint
Gold--Britain (Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny, Callum Skinner)
Silver--New Zealand (Edward Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster, Zac Williams)
Bronze--France (Gregory Bauge, Michael D'Almeida, Francois Pervis)
Field hockey (men)
Netherlands 2, India 1
Ireland 4, Canada 2
Argentina 4, Germany 4
Belgium 3, Spain 1
Field hockey (women)
Spain 2, Germany 1
Australia 1, Argentina 0
United States 3, India 0
Gymnastics (women)
All-around
Gold--Simone Biles, United States
Silver--Aly Raisman, United States
Bronze--Aliya Mustafina, Russia
Handball (men)
Tunisia 26, Qatar 25
Poland 33, Egypt 25
Croatia 27, Denmark 24
Brazil 33, Germany 30
Slovenia 29, Sweden 24
France 31, Argentina 24
Judo
Men's 100-kilogram
Gold--Lukas Krpalek, Czech Republic.
Silver--Elmar Gasimov, Azerbaijan.
Bronze--Cyrille Maret, France.
Bronze--Ryunosuke Haga, Japan.
Women's 78-kilogram
Gold--Kayla Harrison, United States
Silver--Audrey Tcheumeo, France
Bronze--Mayra Aguiar, Brazil
Bronze--Anamari Velensek, Slovenia
Rowing
Men's quadruple sculls
Gold--Germany, 6:06.81
Silver--Australia, 6:07.96
Bronze--Estonia, 6:10.65
Women's quadruple sculls
Gold--Germany, 6:49.39
Silver--Netherlands, 6:40.33
Bronze--Poland, 6:50.86
Men's coxless pair
Gold--New Zealand, 6:59.71
Silver--South Africa, 7:02.51
Bronze--Italy, 7:04.52
Women's double sculls
Gold--Poland, 7:40.10
Silver--Great Britain, 7:41.05
Bronze--Lithuania, 7:43.56
Men's double sculls
Gold--Croatia, 6:50.28
Silver--Lithuania, 6:51.39
Bronze--Norway, 6:53.25
Men's coxless lightweight four
Gold--Switzerland, 6:20.51
Silver--Denmark, 6:21.97
Bronze--France, 6:22.85
Rugby (men)
Gold--Fiji 43, Britain 7
Bronze--South Africa 54, Japan 14
Fiji 20, Japan 5 (semifinals)
Great Britain 7, South Africa 5 (semifinals)
New Zealand 24, France 19 (placing 5-8)
Argentina 26, Australia 21 (placing 5-8)
United States 24, Spain 12 (ninth-place game)
Kenya 24, Brazil 0 (11th-place game)
Shooting
Women's 50-meter rifle, three positions final
Gold--Barbara Engleder, Germany, 458.6
Silver--Binbin Zhang, China, 458.4
Bronze--Du Li, China, 447,4
Swimming (men)
200-meter backstroke
Gold--Ryan Murphy, United States
Silver--Mitchell Larkin, Australia
Bronze--Evgeny Rylov, Russia
200-meter individual medley
Gold--Michael Phelps, United States
Silver--Kosuke Hagino, Japan
Bronze--Shun Wang, China
Women
200-meter breaststroke
Gold--Rie Kaneto, Japan
Silver--Yulia Efimova, Russia
Bronze--Jinglin Shi, China
100-meter freestyle (tie for 1st)
Gold--Simone Manuel, United States
Gold--Penny Oleksiak, Canada
Bronze--Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
Table Tennis
Men's singles
Gold--Ma Long, China 4, Zhang Jike, China 0
Bronze--Jun Mizutani, Japan 4, Vladimir Samsonov, Belarus, 1
Semifinals
Ma Long (China) 4, Jun Mizutani (Japan) 2
Zhang Jike (China) 4, Vladimir Samsonov (Belarus) 1
Volleyball (men)
Iran 3, Cuba 0
Russia 3, Egypt 0
Poland 3, Argentina 0
France 3, Canada 0
Italy 3, Mexico 0
United State 3, Brazil 1
Water Polo (women)
Russia 14, Brazil 7
Italy 8, Australia 7
United States 12, China 4
Spain 11, Hungary 10
Stay classy, USA (or Hope Solo - it doesn't appear that anyone else on the team was this rude):
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/11102/us-womens-team/2016/08/12/26454522/rio-olympics-hope-solo-calls-sweden-cowards-after-usa-defeat
The US Women's 8 National Rowing Team doesn't get the media attention it should. They won gold today. For 10 years, they have been the best in the water. They have been the best in the world. They have dominated.
I knew nothing about rowing until I met my wife who coaches crew. So, yeah . . . I got a special glimpse inside the world of crew. I came to understand the dynamics of the sport and now have a great appreciation for how much of a team sport Rowing is - you cannot keep the boat afloat, much less row it without each rower being on the same page. In order to be successful, every rower needs to be a strong athlete with great endurance and tenacious grit. They must be well coached, show great discipline in their technique and stroke as a unit. Timing and length is everything. It's a difficult sport. I know. I tried it once and nearly fell out of the boat. The Women's Team won Gold today, congrats! But, they have been doing it for 10 years now. Amazing!
Schooling (Bolles Alum) beats Phelps! 4 Gold medals from the Jacksonville area with Schooling, Murphy, & Dressel.
I enjoyed watching the Egyptian Womens Beach volleyball team play. They wore modest sport clothes and one wore a hajib. They are getting roundly criticized on both sides from the Arab world, but they havent lost their spirit.
This is a perfect example of why the Olympics should exist. Competition with respect to culture.
They said they wore the clothing not for their country, but because they are devout Muslims.
The Syrian refugee and Libyan swimmers are getting harsh criticism for competing "naked". I guess I have to ask, if one considers it offensive nudity, then why would they be watching it knowing it is permitted?
The Egyptian judo competitor who will be sanctioned because he refused to shake hands or bow after losing to an Israeli counterpart.
Saudi Arabia was going to get kicked out of the Olympics this year if they didnt permit females to participate. So this year they have 4 women on the team. Hmm, interesting dynamic at play considering Wahabism.
The Brazilian president getting impeached while a major international event us playing out in their country.
The Olympics always reflect the changes happening in the world and Rio is no different. I find it all interesting to observe.
RIO getting a lot of bad press from dirty water to substandard Olympic village. I hope Our US track competitors do much better this Olympics.
Quote from: JaxAvondale on August 13, 2016, 11:10:45 AM
Schooling (Bolles Alum) beats Phelps! 4 Gold medals from the Jacksonville area with Schooling, Murphy, & Dressel.
Santo Condorelli, a Canadian swimmer, just barely missed the podium in the 100m free. He also trained at Bolles. Interestingly I was watching the Canadian broadcast of the Olympics, where they said Condorelli trained "at an international swim academy in FL."
Also an interesting note, Schooling is the first Singaporean to win gold. The govt awards 1M SGD to its gold medal winners so Schooling will bring home a cool 700k USD. Should more than pay for that Bolles room and board...
Quote from: Keith-N-Jax on August 13, 2016, 02:49:52 PM
RIO getting a lot of bad press from dirty water to substandard Olympic village.
And of course this: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/14/sport/us-swimmers-ryan-lochte-robbed-rio-olympics/