A thread for your stupid Olympics questions

[FriendlyNeighbourhoodAccountant]

If you have any "stupid" questions about the Olympics here's the place to ask them. Hopefully some knowledgeable people will know the answers.

At this temperature it's too hot for me to walk my dog but the horses are participating in the jumping events. Does the heat not impact them in the same way? Is it because they're bigger? Is it just because they're horses?

Yes, this isn’t a heroic last-minute self-sacrifice - it’s a planned tactic, a bit like the domestiqués in the Tour de France.

Lest we forget @Runningupthecurtains our infamous 'eggshell skulls'.

If they are wearing skimpy clothing it is their choice. Rules have been changed with regards to clothing. Yesterday there were some women volleyball players in leggings and t shirts.

I was thinking about the running shorts. When I've tried running in shorts I've found it really hard to find a pair that don't ride up once you start moving, and I'm slow as treacle. I wonder if the elites feel the same way and prefer the skimpy ones because your thighs won't start eating them. Men's hips and legs are different so maybe they don't have the same problem?

A person with XY chromosomes are male.

I just noticed that all the triathletes have their names printed on their kit - no idea why the track & field can't do the same!

And their numbers Sharpied on their arms!

In the climbing on atm, they all seem to be finding the climbs difficult. If the best in the world have problems, who actually tests the climb before the athletes give it a go?

How does Denise Lewis look so fabulous all the time?

Professional route-setters arrange the hand and foot holds. They are meant to be really hard! Not everyone will reach the end and score maximum points, and they are very unlikely to do so on all of the boulders.

Climbers LOVE difficult ‘problems’ so they are probably really chuffed that it’s hard! As climbing is still new to the Olympics, I think there is still a bit of an alternative culture, similar to BMX and skateboarding. As it beds in and athletes are on Olympic funding programmes I’d imagine it will professionalise.

As an aside, recommend looking up the Instagram account of Discovery+ commentator Shauna Coxsey. Videos of her toddler climbing are mind blowing!

His gymnastic ability was one of the reasons he was chosen to be a Blue Peter presenter😁

Yes, this isn’t a heroic last-minute self-sacrifice - it’s a planned tactic, a bit like the domestiqués in the Tour de France.

Yes. Same as pace makers in LD track events.

Tour de France riders still use pins ..

Some of the fly on the wall TV coverage of the event often shows the riders sat in the team bus on the way to the start, trying to put the numbers on their jerseys without drawing blood whilst listening to the team briefing for the day.

Thank you @DownThePubWithStevieNicks

• I didn't expect them to be easy it's just the first few I watched didn't seem to be able to get anywhere 😂 I'll check out that recommendation

With regards to the lifeguards in the swimming; my brother is only with us because of the lifeguards at an U18s elite level event. He went into cardiac arrest during a race (due to an underlying condition that we had no idea he had). If they hadn't been so quick to get him out, and kept going with CPR, I'd have been an only child. Admittedly, this was over 30 years ago now - his own children are now swimming competitively - but the lifeguards are very, very important people even at the top level.

Glad to hear your brother's good outcome @CaptainCallisto, just goes to show the lifeguards are so important for the few times they're needed.

Question re gymnastics - is there a limit to the number of times they can fall off their apparatus and get back on? On the men's high bar earlier one of the gymnasts fell off twice and got back up - fair play to him!!

Do gymnasts (whatever type of gymnastics it is where they're on the floor doing a routine) get to pick the music they perform to?

Yes. Sometimes they pick it solely by themselves and sometimes they have input from their coach or a choreographer but they are not told "You will be using this piece". There are strict rules about what music you can & can't use though like no lyrics, only instrumental pieces & the music mut be approved by the competition judging committee.

Very interesting thank you! I did wonder if there was a list they could pick from.

My daughter isn’t an Olympian or a gymnast, but does a sport where you have to have music and she take hours listening to music to get exactly the right thing. Her coach was input and will see something like something twinkly, something rocky etc and my daughter will choose and send her a few pieces and they will decide together.

I hope you won't mind me saying, but that's an example of being unkind unnecessarily.

The person you are referring to was brought up as a little girl and lived her family life as such. Her whole identity will be wrapped up in it and her lived experience will affirm it - including her ascent to the elevated heights of sport that she's achieved at the moment.

Ok, it looks like she's had natural chromosomal/hormonal advantage in her chosen endeavours, but blimey, I bet she's had a struggle in her private life and inner moments.

To call her a "fella" in such a dismissive manner is not very pleasant, is it?

Take it back; I'd hope you're better than that.

So what are people who produce neither?

Male if their body is the type designed to produce sperm (but can't/doesn't /used to but stopped).
Female if their body is the type that is designed to produce eggs (but can't/doesn't /used to but stopped).
You don't stop being female at menopause or stop being male if you have an orchidectomy for testicular cancer.

'Artistic Swimming' My questions are - what the hell have I just watched and why on earth is it considered an 'Olympic sport' ffs?! 😆