A thread for your stupid Olympics questions

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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?

Are a lifetime best and personal best the same thing? Google is giving conflicting results.

Question about the boxing scoring: Cindy Ngamba, who is boxing for the refugee team but lived in the UK for years and been trained by the Team GB coaches, is currently fighting but guaranteed the bronze even if she doesn’t win her bout. If she wins she goes in the gold medal match. Why is she still guaranteed bronze even if she loses this round?

For elite athletes at the Olympics they are the same thing. Amateur athletes might have a lifetime best that’s their absolute best, and a personal best for different age groups. So lifetime best might have been set at 22, but they’ll have a 40+ PB that is probably slower!

Some combat sports give bronze medals to both losing semi-finalists. I guess it’s so they don’t have to have another fight, but those progressing to the Gold Medal bout do so not sure what the reasoning is.

And to add, if she loses the gold medal match then she gets silver medal 🥈

I am so pleased to see the GB boxing set up support Cindy Ngamba. Doing it because it’s the right thing to do, and not because there is UK Sport funding in it if she wins a medal.

Thanks for the quick reply @DownThePubWithStevieNicks

I don’t follow boxing at all but heard her story being talked about by the boxing pundit on 5 Live last week so been keen to see her do well. Great to see she is getting a medal, even if there are two bronze medals awarded. Hopefully her situation will be resolved quickly now.

@Runningupthecurtains I don't think your too far away actually.

I'd once heard it's because the "hunger" isn't so great once you've lost the semi. And whereas in most sports, it's a fairly neutral thing to play off for 3rd and 4th (just another match), in some fighting sports it's held to be more dangerous (mistakes made, injuries incurred) and there's just no tradition of fighting again once you've been knocked out - it's just winner and losing finalist.

That's only what I remember from something someone once told me - stuck with me because it makes sense - might also be complete bollocks!

They are not very flattering are they? also look like one naked flame and the whole team would go whoooosh

Half a second is a long time in top level swimming.

Good luck for '28.

Yes!!

Keep their muscles warm, to stay ready for next dive. Being cold and cramped up is not a good idea!

They're not as bad as Canada's though! Those look straight out of a 90s boyband music video.

Now this is a truly idiotic question.

A sport where people throw each other should be self explanatory as to why there are weight categories.

Don’t know about the tracksuits but I was watching the speed climbing and I thought at first both of the Polish women going head to head had injured themselves - their tops looked bloodied. Then I realised it was in the same place so obviously just part of the design.

Yep why is a 85kg person throwing an 85kg person automatically better than a 60kg throwing a 60kg person?

Because when people fight against people of a similar weight, the competition is better and more entertaining for competitors and spectators alike. Watching heavyweight competitions is very different to watching lightweight competitions.

Claudia I agree it is Beekeeping who thinks there shouldn't be categories. I agree lighter fighters are often more agile and flexible and able to both give and receive multiple blows.

It's fashion/superstition. It literally makes no sense and I'm sure their coaches wouldn't if they got any say advise the knee length hair extensions, long nails, bling round their necks weighing them down and flapping around. I'm surprised some of them don't knock their teeth out with the neck chains. All seems like a massive distraction but it's become "a thing"... I swear its costing some of them at least a tenth. You don't see Sydney McLaughlin with all that nonsense, and she's the one taking massive chunks off world records at the moment...

track events have been quite flamboyant in all my lifetime

flo-Jo’s nails were always a talking point

Why do they give the women tiaras when they win a medal? It’s a bit 🤮

Why isnt the breakdancing getting any BBC coverage?

Which female athletes have got tiaras? I javent seen any and I've seen a fair few medal ceremonies.

Johnson Thompson Thompson Johnson Thompson got one. First time I'd seen one too.