Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Sports

Whether you're into football, athletics, tennis, golf or cricket, join the dicsussion on our Sport forum.

Original poster

OLYMPICS 2021

999 replies

Star555 · 22/07/2021 21:19

Haven't found a thread for Olympic sports discussions so I'm starting one. This thread is only for discussions of the actual sporting events as they happen over the next few weeks, not the unfairness of IOC's rules/philosophy (e.g. allowing a male athlete to declare himself a woman and compete in the women's category...which is immoral, unscientific, and wholly unjust, but that topic already has multiple separate threads).

Although this will be an Olympics like no other, I'm excited for the opening ceremony tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing gymnastics and swimming especially!

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 05/08/2021 09:43

I watch diamond league athletics on the BBC and really like Steve Cram as a commentator but he always calls KJT Katrina instead of Katarina and it drives me insane .

AndEmilyCampbellDancing · 05/08/2021 10:36

I don't understand the cycling at all, the one where the GB is in gold.position

AndEmilyCampbellDancing · 05/08/2021 10:41

@SummaLuvin

I agree, the inane chit chat, especially on Olympic breakfast is not missed at all.

I agree with this and I don't.

I can see the appeal and purpose of a show like the BBC1 that flips and flops between sports to give a real variety, and showing loads of British athletes and medals, the discussions can be very interesting too. I think if you are not super into any one sport it would be really interesting, and I have enjoyed it.

However, it is infuriating when there is a live sport you want to watch and they are chattering on instead of showing it. I have switched to Discovery+ in this scenario, and it's fine, better than nothing, but the standard of commentary and pundits are so far below BBC IMO. I'm someone who really enjoys commentary and gets alot out of it, especially in sports that I am new to and have little to no understanding of rules. For example in the gymnastics they consistently referred to Swiss gymnast (who has been competing for over 10 years and medaled in Rio) Giulia Steingruber as 'SteinBURGER", and they seemed to have limited understanding of scoring, it's an embarrassment.

I just wish that BBC hadn't been blindsided by the sly bid from NBC, as their coverage for Rio was the perfect mix of selecting a variety show like they have on BBC1, or sticking to dedicated coverage for individual sports. Shame that it's probably going to be more of the same in Paris 2024.

I do agree with the better explanation on the BBC, I think my ire is really with breakfast as its like a magazine show, more like the one show than sports coverage.
AppleWatched · 05/08/2021 10:49

The commentator on Five Live this morning said that the Chinese diver who won (Quan Hongchan?) wanted to win because her parents are farmers, and her mother is very ill - she needs to pay for her medical treatment. They both looked so young. I don't know if I'm just getting old, but I had my heart in my mouth watching the gymnastics - the camera caught a few moments of sheer vulnerability on the younger competitors' faces and they looked like babies.

Antsinyourpanta · 05/08/2021 10:56

don't know if I'm just getting old, but I had my heart in my mouth watching the gymnastics - the camera caught a few moments of sheer vulnerability on the younger competitors' faces and they looked like babies.

I felt ancient watching the male swimmers relay and a couple of them looked like teenage kids but when I looked them up they were in their early 20s. (Although I often got asked for ID til I was about 30!!)

AppleWatched · 05/08/2021 11:16

And in other news, even though I KNOW it's Ronnie Baker, I still can't stop my brain going, 'Ronnie Barker is on the US men's relay team?!'

blameitonthecaffeine · 05/08/2021 12:04

I got a bit weary of the BBC's obsession with the skateboarding. We didn't even have any British representation in the men's competition. And I found the raptures the full grown men went into over the 'women's' competition a bit uncomfortable and weird. Not sure how many times they referred to Sky Brown along the lines of 'coolest person on the planet' 'international superstar' etc and said they dream of being as cool as her. I mean, yes, she seems like a great young girl but she's a child who excels in her sport, not the second coming of Christ. I think they've under represented some brilliant sport to show rounds of rounds of skateboarding that all look pretty similar after a while.

Sad that Ben Whittaker behaved like he did. I'm sure he'll regret it later. I do think a 1 on 1 (or 1 team on 1 team) gold medal match is much harder than a race because of course you do actually lose - even though it comes with a silver medal. Whereas in a race or a qualified group of athletes you come second out of however many so it's much more of a win and a celebration. But he should be used to how it works by now and be able to at least pretend to appreciate the honour!

Bryonyshcmyony · 05/08/2021 12:17

We all thought the skateboarding was boring and not that great. I'm pretty sure I've seen better in my local skate park
Also 12 is a ridiculous age

Mooserp · 05/08/2021 12:20

@AppleWatched

And in other news, even though I KNOW it's Ronnie Baker, I still can't stop my brain going, 'Ronnie Barker is on the US men's relay team?!'
Haha! Me too
BunnyBerries · 05/08/2021 12:56

I thought the park skateboarding was fantastic and the BBC commentators brilliant. (I watched both the women's and men's). It really was what they called "a session" as they were all pushing each other to do better and better tricks. The judges were rewarding creativity and doing things for the first time (for you), or things no one else has done. So they were all wholeheartedly congratulating each other anytime someone rose to the pressure and pushed the competition to the next level. Sky Brown was the only one who didn't fall in the third and final run of the women's final, the pressure was too much for everyone else. And she had to, as she hadn't set a score high enough for a medal in her first two.

It was consciously chosen to score the men and women by the exact same metrics, the men got to 95/100 and the women to 60/100. And there were 12 and 13 year olds on the women's podium. It will be fascinating to watch the women's progress.

AppleWatched · 05/08/2021 13:58

DH & I now shout, 'Drink!' every time an athlete thanks the National Lottery. They've definitely been thoroughly drilled on that one!

blameitonthecaffeine · 05/08/2021 14:00

Bunnyberries that was another thing that bugged me about the BBC skateboarding commentary. All this 'wholehearted congratulations' stuff, saying that we don't see it in any other sport and aren't they unique and amazing. I've seen loads of competitors hugging and congratulating each other in all sorts of sports - gymnastics and athletics in particular. They made it seem like the team work and friendships in the skateboarding was something special and unusual but it wasn't.

BunnyBerries · 05/08/2021 14:24

For me, in the skateboarding they genuinely seemed like everyone was a best friend. There is so much falling off on hard concrete going on in attempting the biggest tricks that they also run and hug to see if someone is ok afterwards especially in the women's. The guy leading in the men's (who eventually won) literally ran down into the the bowl to hug another competitor who did an amazing run that could have been better than his, before the scores were even up.

igelkott2021 · 05/08/2021 14:48

@Floralnomad

I’m quite multi national with which sports people I support so it’s not that I’m particularly pro British but I actually take a bit of a dim view of people representing countries for convenience etc
Me too. Not in Sky Brown's case where she clearly qualifies for a British passport; but the ones who change nationalities depending on who pays them the most.

And I think once you've represented one country you should not be allowed to represent another, refugee status excepted. It was a bit weird when Julia Bleasdale decided, having represented GB at the London Olympics, to swap to Germany. Although I don't think World Athletics allows that anymore.

igelkott2021 · 05/08/2021 14:54

@Floralnomad

I watch diamond league athletics on the BBC and really like Steve Cram as a commentator but he always calls KJT Katrina instead of Katarina and it drives me insane .
Yes you'd think he'd know her name after all these years!
Halsall · 05/08/2021 14:59

@AppleWatched

DH & I now shout, 'Drink!' every time an athlete thanks the National Lottery. They've definitely been thoroughly drilled on that one!
DH and I shout NOOOOOOO every time we hear that bloody awful trite, emotive music they play at the medal ceremonies. I'll hear that in my sleep for about the next six months, I fear.
Floralnomad · 05/08/2021 15:43

As I read in an article earlier Sky Brown is about as British as cheddar in a spray can . When she was interviewed after arriving for the olympics she said words to the effect of its lovely to be home and when asked where her dad is from she said Cornwall which he then said wasn’t correct . As the article also pointed out the 1st ,2nd and 4 th places went to Japanese skateboarders so it’s very convenient for the Browns and British skateboarding to have her signed up . Personally I have found all the skateboarding very underwhelming and am fairly sure I would see people as good in any decent skate park in any town in the uk .

Floralnomad · 05/08/2021 15:50

I will stop going on about it now . Very pleased for Holly Bradshaw in the pole vault .

Hellocatshome · 05/08/2021 15:56

Artistic swimming is crazy! It must be really really difficult but I just can't understand why or how someone would get into it? Do they start as swimmers and then move into artistic swimming or do they start as dancers? I can't imagine many children just deciding they want to be an artistic swimmer from the start.

igelkott2021 · 05/08/2021 16:05

I would love to give artistic swimming a try (though you probably need to have done ballet and/or gymnastics) but it doesn't seem to be a thing for adults, sadly. In my area if you are interested you join a club in a local town, I think they have sent a few people to the Olympics over the years.

DuncinToffee · 05/08/2021 17:00

BBC showed a little bit of the 2 different Karate elements but it was too short to understand what was going on. I liked the outfits.
It did remind me of the Karate Kid film Smile

Floralnomad · 05/08/2021 17:28

The 50km race walk starts about 9.30 tonight , always fun viewing .

Antsinyourpanta · 05/08/2021 18:09

I always wonder how people get into race walking..? It looks really uncomfortable on your hips, to me.

SCMocha · 05/08/2021 18:13

I don't remember the synchro swimmers having to do little routines at the entrance, either! I remember them just diving in and then starting it all in the water. It seems even more a glitzy performance now. I wonder when the name changed to artistic swimming.

I knew girls who did it, and yes, they started as swimmer and maybe divers, but quite early on were asked to do synchro, and then did a lot of trampolining and other training like that as well, dance too, very full on

SCMocha · 05/08/2021 18:15

Yes I think race walking looks more painful than running! I always end up with sore tendons on the outsides of my ankles when I try to walk fast - it's almost easier to run. I can't imagine doing it for 20k or whatever they have to do. Not surprised they get taken out by cramp. And they were all still so close together even by the end.