Beijing 2008

Moonraker 5 · August 2008

3rd in the official medal table, the greatest haul of Gold for 100 years, ahead (currently) of Australia - what the hell happened to Team GB??

China dominating 1st place isn't surprising, nor is the United States' 2nd, given the huge teams they send, but a huge well done to Great Britain's Olympians!! I know it's not all over yet, but it's a fantastic haul so far to come home with -{

Oh, and it better bloody well be 'arise Sir Chris Hoy' this Hogmannay!

Results table

Hardyboy · August 2008

Moonraker 5 wrote:

China dominating 1st place isn't surprising, nor is the United States' 2nd, given the huge teams they send. . .

Yeah, but where would we be without Michael Phelps? And great what China can do with 12-year-olds. Err, I mean 16-year-olds. . .

Higgins · August 2008

Hardyboy wrote:

Moonraker 5 wrote:

China dominating 1st place isn't surprising, nor is the United States' 2nd, given the huge teams they send. . .

Yeah, but where would we be without Michael Phelps? And great what China can do with 12-year-olds. Err, I mean 16-year-olds. . .

and where would Michael Phelbs be without his little secrets, that we will find out in the next 8 years??

I may sound like an envy ******* but the amount of world records and the delta leaves me back very suspicious as well with Usain Bolts performance in the first 70 meters of his race.

Barry Nelson · August 2008

Pretty sad state of things, that if you dominate a sport, people suspect you of cheating without one shread of evidence.

Higgins · August 2008

I have no evidence for sure but the improvements of his own records in such big steps are not common for an athlete, who is in the business for years.
And it can't be explained by the suits solely.

I wish, I could believe, that he's clean, but from what we have learned in the past, dominators of their sports seldom have been this without "extras"

I just want to recall the dominating Balco athletes together with all dominators from the Tour de France and so on.

Loeffelholz · August 2008

Right you are, Barry. They say victory always comes at a price; these days it is paid in whispers, innuendo and veiled suspicion. The evidence of wrongdoing? The victory itself; nothing more.

Most sad, indeed. Until any of these contestants (regardless of their nationality) are busted for something, they have my unflinching admiration.

Higgins · August 2008

I have been watching the Tour de France for years, but did not turn it on last year and this year.
Too bad, it could be such a great sport and some years ago, I have been of the opinion, that the controls would be good enough to sort out the bad guys, which prove to be absolutely wrong.

Sir Miles · August 2008

Moonraker 5 wrote:

3rd in the official medal table, the greatest haul of Gold for 100 years, ahead (currently) of Australia - what the hell happened to Team GB??

I'm tempted to say that we must be getting a better quality of steroid these days - but that would really be a very cheap laugh !

I'm amazed by our medal haul at these games and I'm very proud of our medal winners (bar one) -{

I just hope David Price manages a gold in the boxing {[]

Moonraker 5 · August 2008

Sir Miles wrote:

I'm amazed by our medal haul at these games and I'm very proud of our medal winners (bar one) -{

Who'd that be? ?:)

Lexi · August 2008

Moonraker 5 wrote:

3rd in the official medal table, the greatest haul of Gold for 100 years, ahead (currently) of Australia -

I'm sorry, but can I repeat that...(Dan are you reading this?)

Yey, ahead of Australia!

All I can say, is bring on 2012! :v

Sir Hillary Bray · August 2008

Moonraker 5 wrote:

3rd in the official medal table...

Ah yes, the old "sort the table by the column that makes you look the best" trick.

In China and the UK, they sort by gold medals. In the US, we sort by total medals.

C'mon, you Brits -- if you really want to impress, why not sort by "cycling golds"! Here, we'll sort by "swimming golds by guys with big ears from Baltimore"!

)

Enjoy it while it lasts, friends -- in a few Olympiads, any sorting you like will favor the Chinese.

Dan Same · August 2008

Moonraker 5 wrote:

Sir Miles wrote:

I'm amazed by our medal haul at these games and I'm very proud of our medal winners (bar one) -{

Who'd that be? ?:)

Indeed. Whom are you not proud of? ?:)

Dan Same · August 2008

Lexi wrote:

I'm sorry, but can I repeat that...(Dan are you reading this?)

Yey, ahead of Australia!

All I can say, is bring on 2012! :v

:v You're lucky that you prefer Spidey to Batman.

This has been a very interesting Olympics. For some reason, Australia hasn't dominated as much as I would have liked (it could be because we are simply a wonderful people who don't mind other nations winning

), but we haven't done too badly, and there have been a few surprises (such as getting Silver in the 100 metres Womens Hurdles.) The one thing I am disappointed about is Grant Hackett's failure to win Gold in the 1500 Freestyle.

But still, to win Silver on the back of consecutive Golds is an extraordinary feat.

Speaking of extraordinay, Phelps is out of this world. While I don't consider him to be the greatest Olympic athlete of all time (that honour IMO goes to Carl Lewis), he is truly among the very greatest; and as much as I hate to admitt it, he may very well be the greatest swimmer of all time (he's certainly better than Mark Spitz whom I always felt was a *little overrated)

*for reasons I'm happy to go into, if asked.

Moonraker 5 · August 2008

Sir Hillary Bray wrote:

Moonraker 5 wrote:

3rd in the official medal table...

Ah yes, the old "sort the table by the column that makes you look the best" trick. In China and the UK, they sort by gold medals. In the US, we sort by total medals.

In the rest of the world they sort by Gold medals...

That's always been the case in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, rank on Gold first, then Silver, Bronze and total. France does, Australia does (and could sort it by medal total to beat us), Germany does, Canada does... The official medals table for Sydney and Athens do too, with the official explanation given as "The medal tables by country are based on the number of medals won, with gold medals taking priority over silver and bronze. A team victory counts as one medal." But I guess whatever fudge makes you top of the table this Olympiad

The reason I was congratulating Team GB now, is because no matter where we come on the medals table, whether 3rd, 8th, 12th, at the end of the week, it's still been a fantastic haul for a nation that has so long struggled to achieve any sporting success. I'd never detract from the Aussies and their achievements either, considering they're not even half the population of the UK. But it does hopefully give us a bit of a kick up the backside for London 2012 (and fingers crossed, post 2010 independence referendum in Scotland, we'll still be competing as Great Britain).

And yes, it will always favour the 1.3bn Chinese and the 100m strong Olympic team they send!

)

Napoleon Plural · August 2008

Very funny cartoon in yesterday's Metro paper: two blokes on the Tube reading a paper, one saying: "Funny how we're not so bothered about the Dalai Lama any more..."

Sir Miles · August 2008

Moonraker 5 wrote:

Sir Miles wrote:

I'm amazed by our medal haul at these games and I'm very proud of our medal winners (bar one) -{

Who'd that be? ?:)

Christine Ohuruogu X-( - her winning just leaves a bad taste and somewhat sullies what the rest of Team GB have achieved.

Lazenby880 · August 2008

Sir Miles wrote:

Moonraker 5 wrote:

Sir Miles wrote:

I'm amazed by our medal haul at these games and I'm very proud of our medal winners (bar one) -{

Who'd that be? ?:)

Christine Ohuruogu X-( - her winning just leaves a bad taste and somewhat sullies what the rest of Team GB have achieved.

Why? There has never been any suggestion that she took illegal substances. There was a problem with the testing schedule and issues with her changed training schedule and I felt incredibly sorry for her last year when the British media gave her a really tough time in Osaka. She ran a brilliant race to overtake Sanya Richards, and I'm pleased both for Ohurougu and the rest of Team GB who have performed so well at these Olympics.

I've been lucky enough to have watched Usain Bolt's two record-breaking runs live as they happened. An incredible athlete and showman - for me those were the defining moments of these Games.

Barry Nelson · August 2008

For me the most interesting event of the games was the USA vs China baseball game. For a moment I thought we might go to war over a baseball game.

Sir Hillary Bray · August 2008

Lazenby880 wrote:

I've been lucky enough to have watched Usain Bolt's two record-breaking runs live as they happened. An incredible athlete and showman - for me those were the defining moments of these Games.

I didn't see them live, but I agree with you. Absolutely stunning what this guy has done -- and you get the feeling he's not even close to reaching his full potential. What an overall meet for the Jamaicans!

jorgem · August 2008

Bond-related humor in the Olympics

What if Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan (for Team GB) were competing in the 4x100 swimming medley relay?

Sir Miles · August 2008

Lazenby880 wrote:

Sir Miles wrote:

Moonraker 5 wrote:

Who'd that be? ?:)

Christine Ohuruogu X-( - her winning just leaves a bad taste and somewhat sullies what the rest of Team GB have achieved.

Why? There has never been any suggestion that she took illegal substances. There was a problem with the testing schedule and issues with her changed training schedule and I felt incredibly sorry for her last year when the British media gave her a really tough time in Osaka. She ran a brilliant race to overtake Sanya Richards, and I'm pleased both for Ohurougu and the rest of Team GB who have performed so well at these Olympics.

I feel the papers are full of suggestion that she took drugs - no proof and not exactly getting around to saying it, but, I feel, suggestion all the same. 'No smoke without fire, etc.'

To miss one drugs test is accidental, to miss two is stupid - but to miss three and not even try to get to the testing centre, even when 'phoned up and given enough time to get there.......well....you pays your money.....

In my opinion the lifetime Olympic ban handed down to her should have stood, or where do you draw the line ? But that's my opinion and everybody is entitled to their own, I have no problems with that.

Come on the boxers {[]

Moonraker 5 · August 2008

Well, it's goodbye Beijing, hello London! {[]

London's presentation was certainly not what I was expecting, and I wonder what Hu Jintao thought of Leona Lewis bursting into Whole Lotta Love (despite looking very serene and opera like). But a very refreshing take on London's history and tradition, while keeping it very modern.

And while I was heartened by the 2000 strong crowd in Glasgow's George Square cheering at the London 2012 flag being raised over the City Chambers, the Scottish Government should be ashamed at themselves over the timing of their comments today. Whatever their thoughts, keep it till the party is over. At least the random straw poll Reporting Scotland took in Buchanan Street, Glasgow, scoffed at them.

4 years to go! I'll be there. B-)

Hardyboy · August 2008

Moonraker 5 wrote:

This is the first time I'd seen the logo with the Union flag incorporated into it. Hmmm--looks like a few pieces to this jigsaw puzzle are missing!

Moonraker 5 · August 2008

Hardyboy wrote:

This is the first time I'd seen the logo with the Union flag incorporated into it. Hmmm--looks like a few pieces to this jigsaw puzzle are missing!

I'll be the first to admit I loathed the thing when it was first unveiled. But it's grown on me quite a bit to be honest. It's certainly different from what's gone before, and you can't fault it being original!! Still controversial, I'll concede!

Alex · August 2008

Sir Hillary Bray wrote:

Lazenby880 wrote:

I've been lucky enough to have watched Usain Bolt's two record-breaking runs live as they happened. An incredible athlete and showman - for me those were the defining moments of these Games.

I didn't see them live, but I agree with you. Absolutely stunning what this guy has done -- and you get the feeling he's not even close to reaching his full potential. What an overall meet for the Jamaicans!

It was around 3 AM and a group of fellow employees and I were having a bite in the break room. We caught this live on the 46 inch tv they happily let us use.

I could've done without the posing and preening, however Usain Bolt is a Bolt sure enough, a bolt of lightning!

Beijing 2008

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