Olympic Thread

[Lavabe]

US men's gymnastics SUCK tonight on the horse. So much for any medal for the team.
One of them just landed on his tushee after a vault.

[Lavabe]

I didn't think it was only the first two in a particular heat that advanced for swimming and track; I thought there was some consideration made for qualifying times. Are there, maybe, a certain number of slots reserved for those outside the top two in each heat with the fastest times? At-large slots, so to speak?

Different sports have different rules. Swimming states that no more than two swimmers may swim for a country for a given event; track allows three.

In track, practically each event has heats. In sprinting, preliminary heats reduce the numbers into two semis. In a sprint, the two top four finishers in semis advance to the finals. Formats vary with middle and distance racing. Usually, at least the top two in each heat will advance. Usually, others will be added based on time.

[DukieInKansas]

I just saw DinK's niece, Michelle Beadle, on the Olympics!

Is she on the main NBC channel or the NBC sports channel? I figured she'd be at the Olympics. Lucky dog!

I haven't seen too much of her yet. She does the early morning shift on NBCSports - working the des

[Lavabe]

She has also been doing NBCs version of ET, Access (?), with Billy Bush.

[windsor]

If we want to talk about robbed,the Korean fencer who lost her shot at a meddle because the clock froze (giving her oponent time to score) was robbed.

Useless Windsor trivia: The first sport I ever covered for the Chronicle was fencing.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Good memory, windsor! It was Tatiana Gutsu. I had to Google to find out that it was the 1992 Olympics. She barely beat Shannon Miller for the All-Around gold medal. I'm with you: I don't think Marta Karolyi is dishonest enough to stoop to the level of the Unified Team coaches in the 1992 incident. I remember feeling really badly for the gymnast who was forced to withdraw due to a "knee injury" so Gutsu could have her spot in the finals.

I didn't think it was only the first two in a particular heat that advanced for swimming and track; I thought there was some consideration made for qualifying times. Are there, maybe, a certain number of slots reserved for those outside the top two in each heat with the fastest times? At-large slots, so to speak?

One of our "name" track athletes who finished 4th in the trials (top 3 qualified for the team) made the team when the 3rd place finisher didn't meet the minimum required qualifying time to make the squad. The "name" athlete had previously met the required time.

[windsor]

If we want to talk about robbed,the Korean fencer who lost her shot at a meddle because the clock froze (giving her oponent time to score) was robbed.

Useless Windsor trivia: The first sport I ever covered for the Chronicle was fencing.

note to self: do not post while on conference calls and WebX's. That would be M E D A L.
-

[ArkieDukie]

If we want to talk about robbed,the Korean fencer who lost her shot at a meddle because the clock froze (giving her oponent time to score) was robbed.

Useless Windsor trivia: The first sport I ever covered for the Chronicle was fencing.

Yeah; that was a bit dicey - as was the re-score of the Japanese gymnast's pommel horse routine last night.

[TillyGalore]

Yeah; that was a bit dicey - as was the re-score of the Japanese gymnast's pommel horse routine last night.

That Japanese handstand was the worst handstand I have ever seen at that level of gymnastics.

[TillyGalore]

I'm very excited about watching the women's swimming team compete. Lauren Perdue of Greenville is on the 4 x 200 freestyle relay team. Lauren and her family go to my church. Her grandmother sang in the choir with me. She swims on August 1. We will be glued to the TV and will be cheering for Lauren.

Go Lauren, Go!!!

[Lavabe]

Glad to see Wieber reform with a smile.
Maroney will win women's vault.

Phelps: Bravo!!

US women's soccer... On to the next game.

As for those two badminton teams that kept deliberately hitting into the net.

[CathyCA]

Today is the day! Lauren swims today!

This link contains Olympic spoiler information: http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/Gree ... 10236.html

[Lavabe]

Michelle Beadle and Willie Geist just announced that four badminton teams were dq'd because of their performances.
Basically, they were throwing matches to get better draws in the tourney.

AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh SEE YA!

[CathyCA]

Update on Lauren Perdue from The Daily Reflector: http://www.reflector.com/sports/perdues ... ue-1159223

After swimming in a preliminary heat Wednesday morning, Greenville swimmer Lauren Perdue was not selected to swim in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay final at the Olympic Games at 4 p.m. today.

Phil Perdue, Lauren's father, confirmed the decision in an email.

Perdue swam the first leg of the preliminary race. She was joined by Shannon Vreeland, Alyssa Anderson and Dana Vollmer.

Missy Franklin and Allison Schmitt, who are on the relay squad and are two of America's best swimmers, did not swim in the preliminary round.

If the U.S. does finish in the top three, Perdue will still receive a medal.

I'm sad that we won't see her swim in the final, but I'm happy that if the U.S. medals, Lauren will get a medal as a member of the relay team.


Lauren and her bud, LeBron

[DukieInKansas]

Michelle Beadle and Willie Geist just announced that four badminton teams were dq'd because of their performances.
Basically, they were throwing matches to get better draws in the tourney.

AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh SEE YA!

I was impressed that she did it with a straight face. It made me giggle. Seriously - a badminton scandal? The only thing funnier would have been if they had been tossed for failing a drug test.

[Lavabe]

Message to NBC:
We have internet.
We know who won all your primetime Olympic events in advance of the show.
The results are given well in advance of your primetime coverage. Sometimes they are given unannounced on NBC Nightly News. You've also run ads on the Today show, telling us what happened on that day's primetime coverage.

Do something... or I'll start watching something like Yankee/Red Sox baseball instead.
Thanks,
Lavabe

[Lavabe]

Will avoid Olympics tonight and watch the last 20 minutes on dvr. Maybe the NFL network has a review of training camps or something.

Eek... Did the Yankees really get Ichiro?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Will avoid Olympics tonight and watch the last 20 minutes on dvr. Maybe the NFL network has a review of training camps or something.

Eek... Did the Yankees really get Ichiro?

Yes! And he's playing well and loves playing in NY for a ... winner!

[DevilWearsPrada2.0]

The NBC primetime coverage and the editing has been horrible. I have been following the Olympics in the morning on NBC and MsNBC, along with online updates.

I love the swimming and diving, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, and even water polo!! So proud of our USA athletes and coaches and families that sacrifice so much time to perfect their sport!!!

The Girls Gymnastics on Tuesday for Team competition was awesome!!!

I still think Jordyn should be competiting for the All Around..... so wrong that a country can only advance 2 per country. When USA has 3 of the top gymnasts. Go Ali and Gabby!!!

[windsor]

still think Jordyn should be competiting for the All Around..... so wrong that a country can only advance 2 per country. When USA has 3 of the top gymnasts. Go Ali and Gabby!!!

Fun fact I learned yesterday: Swimming has a 2 per country per vent rule (one relay team per country with obviously more than 2 swimmers on it). The top two finishers at the Olympic trials get the nod for the US team.

Other useles info: in figure skating the number of allowed entries per country per event (ladies/men/pairs/dance) is based on your nations highest finish in that event in the previous world championships.