Olympic chat thread 2 Gold edition.

[DesolateWaist]

What a way to start.

There are a few who I'd reckon are under 14 despite what is claimed. One competing yesterday looked like a painted doll.

There was a woman competing in the beam today who was 28! She looked like a proper grown up.

I thought the Dutch woman who won did a wonderful routine.

A commentator was talking about a Chinese gymnast the other day. She was 20 (ish?) but so, so, tiny and frail looking. It seems she came from a very poor family and had suffered malnutrition, it seemed.
She is smaller and lighter than my 11 year old.
She is now essentially supporting her entire family. I think she ended up 4th on the competition I watched, so I was sorry for her.
Shang Chunsong

Most other gymnasts look very muscular, unlike a couple of decades ago.
I think it makes sense for them to be older. It was the only sport where only very young women would compete. Too young in fact. It must have been almost torture to get good enough for high level competition at those ages.

I couldn't get excited about the dressage, I'm afraid! I could tell that the winning routine was good but it just seemed to go on for ages - sorry!

DD (7) asked about the horses and I couldn't answer her. Do they also have to be the nationality they're competing for? I presume not but I do love the thought of them being a completely national team

Loving the beam and agree that the Dutch woman was incredible - very deserving if the gold. That's the first time I've seen Simone Biles and I can completely understand the hype - despite her stumble, she was pretty impressive and seemed utterly undaunted!

Think I'm going to watch the diving qualification as the lovely Jack Mears is doing his thing I also live Leon Taylor's commentary even though I know he's a bit marmite. He obviously loves the sport though!

StopLaughing it doesn't matter where the horses are from, they and their rider are considered to be on the same team! Valegro was born in Holland but has been in the UK for over 10 years, owned by a Brit and ridden by one too.

The horses can and do change hands, usually for mega bucks at this level - after London 2012 Valegro was up for sale for a rumoured price tag of £6million. The deal fell through though and Charlotte was allowed to keep on riding him.

Oh no - it's Jack Laugher I knew who I meant!!?

No stoplaughing the horses aren't from the home nation. The best horses for dressage are generally what we call warmbloods from the continent e.g. Germany. Valegro is a Dutch warmblood.
The eventers tend to use more blood horses with more thoroughbred in them to help with the galloping over long distance across the cross country and athleticism.

Apologies I don't know why I wrote home nation. I meat the nation of the rider!

Wow - that's an astounding amount if money! He's obviously worth it although did a pp say this was probably his last Olympics? In which case, do they then go to stud - I would imagine he'd make beautiful babies as he is gorgeous

Judging by the number of athletes in the Bahrain team who joined within the last few weeks after a rapid change of nationality, it's not just the horses who get bought and sold!

He's a gelding so no foals from him

Thanks CurlGurl - see I find this all fascinating... and I love the cross country and the jumping (and I love the raving they do with the carriages) but I just struggle with Dressage.

The diving is good although they don't seem as impressive as the synchro pairs - not sure why but more splash and lower scores! Odd

Unfortunately Valegro is a gelding (he's been castrated) so no babies for him. He'll live out his retirement spending his days in a field munching grass, going for a bit of a potter about to keep him healthy and probably attending a few shows a year as a horsey celeb.

He's not worth that kind of money now as he's at the end of his career, but even if someone else had bought him it would be now guarantee of success as a lot of it comes down to the relationship between the horse and rider.

*racing not raving (although that's an awesome mental image!)

Sorry for typos - I'm dropping them like mishandled relay batons tonight!

As poor old Totilas proved when taken away from Edward Gal

Cavendish is going to be distinctly unpopular after that, looked deliberate to me.

Pwooorgh - the Jamaican diver, Yona Knight-Wisdom, nailed his final dive.. absolutely gorgeous and graceful!

What happened, Echo?

Would have though Cabendish would be disqualified after that clash with the Korean cyclist - it looked very deliberate to me!

www.rio2016.com/en/cycling-track-mens-omnium-points-race-6-6

Live points on the omnium. I have no idea who is leading otherwise.

It auto updates. (well it is on my laptop)

Stop he hit Viviani the leader, knocked him off his bike, Viviani slid down the track and hit an Australian rider and a Korean rider, the Korean was stretchered out of the Velodrome. Amazingly Viviani got back on his bike and rejoined the race but to me Cavendish's move looked like a deliberate attempt to take out the race leader and I'm surprised he wasn't disqualified or that someone didn't launch a protest.

Oooh - I like the elimination race

Oh dear - that sounds nasty! He didn't seem particularly with it during his interview either - very bitter about his elimination which you couldn't dispute as he was clearly over the line.. oh I don't know, I don't know him but he was a bit Sour Grapes 🍇

Laura Trott is bloody amazing!!

I didn't think Cavendish hitting that guy looked deliberate in the sense of trying to take him out, more that he had his line and was sticking to it regardless if anyone else got in the way.

He made a strange comment just before his interview along the lines of "If it was Bradley they'd all be chanting for him"