Official Thread of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (August 8-24)...

[CottonRabbit]

I think that 200 fly was as loud as the Water Cube will ever get.

 

[dbk]

Damn..those guys swam so powerfully and fast! It was like watching a horse race. Lezak got his 1st medal ever - a bronze. :thumbsup:

 

[GasX]

Wow - that Frenchman is a specimen!

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: Mwilding
Wow - that Frenchman is a specimen!

Definitely had the broad shoulders

 

[dbk]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: Mwilding
Wow - that Frenchman is a specimen!

Definitely had the broad shoulders

Reminds me a bit of Vincent Cassel, if he were on THG and roids

 

[Reckoner]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
MVP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bu5Yb2JD68

imho

Too bad she choked big time.

 

[moshquerade]

Weightlifting Mishap at Olympics...

Pics at link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...turns-elbow-front.html

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
Weightlifting Mishap at Olympics...

Pics at link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...turns-elbow-front.html

That's gonna leave a mark

 

[dbk]

Damn..the 1st leg was really bad.

 

[herkulease]

Originally posted by: Queasy
More on the Chinese Women's Gymnastics Team

While the Chinese team celebrated, Martha Karolyi, the United States national team coordinator, continued to question the ages of some of China?s gymnasts. Concerns over eligibility on the six-member team surfaced before the Olympics and have continued all week.

?One of the girls has a missing tooth,? Karolyi said, suggesting that the gymnast was so young that she lost a baby tooth and had yet to have a permanent one emerge.

The grin of Deng Linlin, a Chinese gymnast who is listed as 16, indeed revealed a wide gap. To be eligible for the Olympics, gymnasts must turn 16 this year.

?I have no proof, so I can?t make an affirmation,? Karolyi said. ?But it possibly could be true. That doesn?t give an even playing field. Certain countries go by the rules, and certain countries may not.?

China?s coach, Lu Shanzhen, bristled when the age issue arose again on the day his gymnasts had upset the Americans, the reigning world champions. He would not explain Deng?s missing tooth.

?It?s unfair that people keep saying the Chinese are too young to compete,? Lu said in Mandarin, on his way out of the National Indoor Stadium. ?If they think they can tell someone?s age just by looking at them, well, if you look at the foreign athletes, they have so much more muscles than the Chinese. They are so strong. Do you then say that they are doping??

Half of the team ? He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan ? would be under age, according to online sports registration lists in China. The international gymnastics federation, however, said those gymnasts were eligible and that the ages on their passports were correct.

Yang, who turns 16 at the end of the month, said, ?It?s unreasonable for people to think I?m too young.? She will compete in the all-around final on Friday.

Because China and the United States competed on the same events each rotation, it was easier to notice differences in their body types. The Chinese gymnasts lack curves, have an average height of 4 feet 9 inches and weigh an average of 77 pounds. Deng is the smallest, at 4-6 and 68 pounds. The women on the United States team, generally more muscular and shapely than the Chinese, are an average of 3 ½ inches taller and 30 pounds heavier.

Sacramone, who is 20 and the oldest of all the Chinese and American gymnasts competing, thought her competitors for China looked younger than 16.

?No, they looked pretty young,? said Sacramone, who is listed at 5-1 and 117 pounds. ?But I?m not one to judge. I don?t look 20.?

Nastia Liukin, who will compete in Friday?s all-around final, said: ?Martha makes little jokes about it. ?Oh, look at the little babies!? We?ve always have a good laugh about that.?

China is not the first team to be in this position. In 1991, a North Korean gymnast, Kim Gwang Suk, showed up at the world championships with two missing front teeth, raising questions about her age. She was 4 feet 4 inches and about 62 pounds, and she claimed to be 16. At one point, the North Korean Gymnastics Federation listed her at 15 for three straight years; it was later barred from the 1993 world championships for falsifying ages

When did the US coordinator bring it up? It comes off as sour grapes. We freaking choked. the Chinese girls had to check their balance and messed up enough times on the balance beam and gave the US an opportunity to steal the gold medal even with what looked like that chinese judge doing their best to help the chinese team.

Honestly I say let em compete at 14. I think its ridiculous to forbid people from competing at the Olympic level just because of their age. If some 14 y/o is able to take on the older athlete and make the qualifying marks in whatever event then let them.

 

[dennilfloss]

Funny how a wind-aided record won't be allowed in track & field but a suit+pool+starting block-aided record is kosher in swimming. Not much consistency between the different sport ruling associations.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: dennilfloss
Funny how a wind-aided record won't be allowed in track & field but a suit+pool+starting block-aided record is kosher in swimming. Not much consistency between the different sport ruling associations.

uh, suits and starting blocks are variables that can be controlled...

 

[BlackTigers]

Originally posted by: herkulease
When did the US coordinator bring it up? It comes off as sour grapes. We freaking choked. the Chinese girls had to check their balance and messed up enough times on the balance beam and gave the US an opportunity to steal the gold medal even with what looked like that chinese judge doing their best to help the chinese team.

Honestly I say let em compete at 14. I think its ridiculous to forbid people from competing at the Olympic level just because of their age. If some 14 y/o is able to take on the older athlete and make the qualifying marks in whatever event then let them.

While I agree that they should be able to, going around a rule like that should NOT happen. The rule abiding countries were then at a possible disadvantage because of that, as their younger gymnasts may have competed better.

Maybe change the rule for future games, but China's blatant breaking of the rule should not be tolerated.

 

[Nitemare]

That had to hurt, Japan fell off the rings during the dismount

 

[chuckywang]

Damn ... that was a nasty spill by that Japanese gymnast.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: herkulease

Originally posted by: Queasy
More on the Chinese Women's Gymnastics Team

While the Chinese team celebrated, Martha Karolyi, the United States national team coordinator, continued to question the ages of some of China?s gymnasts. Concerns over eligibility on the six-member team surfaced before the Olympics and have continued all week.

?One of the girls has a missing tooth,? Karolyi said, suggesting that the gymnast was so young that she lost a baby tooth and had yet to have a permanent one emerge.

The grin of Deng Linlin, a Chinese gymnast who is listed as 16, indeed revealed a wide gap. To be eligible for the Olympics, gymnasts must turn 16 this year.

?I have no proof, so I can?t make an affirmation,? Karolyi said. ?But it possibly could be true. That doesn?t give an even playing field. Certain countries go by the rules, and certain countries may not.?

China?s coach, Lu Shanzhen, bristled when the age issue arose again on the day his gymnasts had upset the Americans, the reigning world champions. He would not explain Deng?s missing tooth.

?It?s unfair that people keep saying the Chinese are too young to compete,? Lu said in Mandarin, on his way out of the National Indoor Stadium. ?If they think they can tell someone?s age just by looking at them, well, if you look at the foreign athletes, they have so much more muscles than the Chinese. They are so strong. Do you then say that they are doping??

Half of the team ? He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan ? would be under age, according to online sports registration lists in China. The international gymnastics federation, however, said those gymnasts were eligible and that the ages on their passports were correct.

Yang, who turns 16 at the end of the month, said, ?It?s unreasonable for people to think I?m too young.? She will compete in the all-around final on Friday.

Because China and the United States competed on the same events each rotation, it was easier to notice differences in their body types. The Chinese gymnasts lack curves, have an average height of 4 feet 9 inches and weigh an average of 77 pounds. Deng is the smallest, at 4-6 and 68 pounds. The women on the United States team, generally more muscular and shapely than the Chinese, are an average of 3 ½ inches taller and 30 pounds heavier.

Sacramone, who is 20 and the oldest of all the Chinese and American gymnasts competing, thought her competitors for China looked younger than 16.

?No, they looked pretty young,? said Sacramone, who is listed at 5-1 and 117 pounds. ?But I?m not one to judge. I don?t look 20.?

Nastia Liukin, who will compete in Friday?s all-around final, said: ?Martha makes little jokes about it. ?Oh, look at the little babies!? We?ve always have a good laugh about that.?

China is not the first team to be in this position. In 1991, a North Korean gymnast, Kim Gwang Suk, showed up at the world championships with two missing front teeth, raising questions about her age. She was 4 feet 4 inches and about 62 pounds, and she claimed to be 16. At one point, the North Korean Gymnastics Federation listed her at 15 for three straight years; it was later barred from the 1993 world championships for falsifying ages

When did the US coordinator bring it up? It comes off as sour grapes. We freaking choked. the Chinese girls had to check their balance and messed up enough times on the balance beam and gave the US an opportunity to steal the gold medal even with what looked like that chinese judge doing their best to help the chinese team.

Honestly I say let em compete at 14. I think its ridiculous to forbid people from competing at the Olympic level just because of their age. If some 14 y/o is able to take on the older athlete and make the qualifying marks in whatever event then let them.

Both the American men and women sucked on the last rotation. That's the benefit of having a child perform though(Less nerves and less fear)

Yeah let them compete, for all the nations, not just China

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

Originally posted by: dennilfloss
Funny how a wind-aided record won't be allowed in track & field but a suit+pool+starting block-aided record is kosher in swimming. Not much consistency between the different sport ruling associations.

uh, suits and starting blocks are variables that can be controlled...

Yeah, a suit to a swimmer is the same as shoes to a runner, and track cleats have improved over the years.

 

[sammyunltd]

Is it me or the American Women Swimming Team is TRULY underperforming at these games, especially compared to the US Men?

Only Coughlin so far is a standout. Rebecca Soni has the potential of being a standout too (possibility of gold medal).

What happened to Hoff? and... Where is Kate Ziegler (she got the WR in 800 and 1500m I believe)?

 

[chuckywang]

Wow, people are really choking on the vault.

 

[zoiks]

The American men synchronous diving team was really abominable.

 

[Slew Foot]

Originally posted by: zoiks
The American men synchronous diving team was really abominable.

Synchronized diving is itself an abomination.

 

[zoiks]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers

Originally posted by: herkulease
When did the US coordinator bring it up? It comes off as sour grapes. We freaking choked. the Chinese girls had to check their balance and messed up enough times on the balance beam and gave the US an opportunity to steal the gold medal even with what looked like that chinese judge doing their best to help the chinese team.

Honestly I say let em compete at 14. I think its ridiculous to forbid people from competing at the Olympic level just because of their age. If some 14 y/o is able to take on the older athlete and make the qualifying marks in whatever event then let them.

While I agree that they should be able to, going around a rule like that should NOT happen. The rule abiding countries were then at a possible disadvantage because of that, as their younger gymnasts may have competed better.

Maybe change the rule for future games, but China's blatant breaking of the rule should not be tolerated.

Where's the proof that China broke the rule?

 

[LongCoolMother]

Originally posted by: BlackTigers

Originally posted by: herkulease
When did the US coordinator bring it up? It comes off as sour grapes. We freaking choked. the Chinese girls had to check their balance and messed up enough times on the balance beam and gave the US an opportunity to steal the gold medal even with what looked like that chinese judge doing their best to help the chinese team.

Honestly I say let em compete at 14. I think its ridiculous to forbid people from competing at the Olympic level just because of their age. If some 14 y/o is able to take on the older athlete and make the qualifying marks in whatever event then let them.

While I agree that they should be able to, going around a rule like that should NOT happen. The rule abiding countries were then at a possible disadvantage because of that, as their younger gymnasts may have competed better.

Maybe change the rule for future games, but China's blatant breaking of the rule should not be tolerated.

it's far from blatant. in fact, no one has been able to come up with any conclusive evidence that suggests this. Not saying the arguments are not true-- but its all speculation either way. What if they really are of legal age? They'd probably be pretty pissed at all this complaining.

 

[caivoma]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
Weightlifting Mishap at Olympics...

Pics at link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...turns-elbow-front.html

Omg, that looks so painful. I hope he is ok.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: zoiks

Originally posted by: BlackTigers

Originally posted by: herkulease
When did the US coordinator bring it up? It comes off as sour grapes. We freaking choked. the Chinese girls had to check their balance and messed up enough times on the balance beam and gave the US an opportunity to steal the gold medal even with what looked like that chinese judge doing their best to help the chinese team.

Honestly I say let em compete at 14. I think its ridiculous to forbid people from competing at the Olympic level just because of their age. If some 14 y/o is able to take on the older athlete and make the qualifying marks in whatever event then let them.

While I agree that they should be able to, going around a rule like that should NOT happen. The rule abiding countries were then at a possible disadvantage because of that, as their younger gymnasts may have competed better.

Maybe change the rule for future games, but China's blatant breaking of the rule should not be tolerated.

Where's the proof that China broke the rule?

Anyone at all with a pair of working eyes outside of China can see they broke the rule and one of their gymnasts competed in a jr nationals earlier in the year and was listed as 13 y/o