• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

Beijing Summer Olympics 2008

Magic Poriferan

^He pronks, too!
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Messages
14,081
MBTI Type
Yin
Enneagram
One
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
It is about time they did, a country of their size and population should really win more.

Well, Samual has already covered it much better than I could, but indeed, India has a comperable population to China, but the spirit is entirely different.
One can't assume that the same size will yield the same results.

Domestic culture aside, it's kind of funny how you can compare a country's foreign policy to its place in the olympics. It just doesn't seem like a country that was a part of the non-alignment movement would be an olympic juggernaut, you know? But Russia, China, and the USA. No surprise that they'd put so much effort into beating other countries in even the most symbolicly petty way.

*About Russia: They are really sucking this year! Too busy with Georgia or something? :D
 

ygolo

My termites win
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
5,988
Just saw Jason Leezak's amazing catch-up to Bernard (France) in the final leg of the 4x100m relay. Amazing. 0.08sec ahead!

I used my DVR to do a stop motion frame-by-frame of the touch. Man that was close. Leezak definitely won. I know people knew that already, but I really had to go frame by frame to see it.

*About Russia: They are really sucking this year! Too busy with Georgia or something? :D

Yeah, I think the Today Show's economist guest (Andrew Bernard) will be tuning his economic model after this. What is the medal count anyway?

OK, here it is:
Overall Medal Standings - The official website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games

Upon review, Russia isn't doing THAT bad. Just not a headliner.
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
2,227
The Olympics are so cool. I really feel the highs and the lows, even the highs and the lows of the other countries. Sometimes, when a player does something really worth clapping for, I just wish they could HEAR my clapping.

Edited to clarify: I don't clap, but I wish they could hear my clapping and know that I'm impressed and supportive of them.
 

LadyJaye

Scream down the boulevard
Joined
Nov 6, 2007
Messages
2,062
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Yes, it was magnificent. I've been really loving the swimming, men's and women's.

One must admit that the male swimmers have physiques that are really easy on the eyes. ^..^ Meowsah!
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
2,227
One must admit that the male swimmers have physiques that are really easy on the eyes. ^..^ Meowsah!

All male Olympians have figures that are easy on the eyes. Swimming, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, etc.

Tsk, tsk, padawan.
 

PuddleRiver

It's always something...
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
2,923
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
5w6
Greatest Olympian In modern history! Way to go Phelps!
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 27, 2008
Messages
1,026
MBTI Type
ENTP
All male Olympians have figures that are easy on the eyes. Swimming, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, etc.

Tsk, tsk, padawan.

They have different types of physiques though, physiques whose differences may be more or less attractive to people with different aesthetic tastes... gymnasts have flexible bodies but packed with obscure musculature which throws some people off, particularly with the male gymnasts, who often look very "compressed"... swimmers have the super svelte look with the characteristic "V"-shape and trim muscles... most tennis players aren't particularly ripped, though they're in super shape (Nadal and the Williams' sisters are notable exceptions that highlight the rule). Basketball players tend to look a lot more muscled, like sprinters... long distance runners are often unbearably skinny (as opposed to slim).

Tsk, tsk, padawan.
 

ajblaise

Minister of Propagandhi
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
7,914
MBTI Type
INTP
One thing I noticed is that the US women's gymnastic team is all smoking hot.
 

INTJMom

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2007
Messages
5,413
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w4
Greatest Olympian In History! Way to go Phellps!
What exactly makes him the greatest?
Because yesterday they said he was going for his 10th medal,
and then they said that Mark Spitz had 11,
so I didn't get it.
 

INTJMom

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2007
Messages
5,413
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w4
answered my own question

FACT BOX

Michael Phelps' two victories at the Beijing Games yesterday saw him surpass the nine Olympic gold medals won by Paavo Nurmi, Carl Lewis, Mark Spitz and Larysa Latynina.

PAAVO NURMI

Brilliant Finnish middle and long-distance runner. Nurmi won a total of nine gold and three silver medals in the 12 events in which he competed at the Olympic Games from 1920 to 1928. In 1932, Nurmi was unable to compete at the Games, as he had received money for his running and was considered a professional.

CARL LEWIS

American Lewis, a dominant force in 100m, 200m and long jump, scorched to nine Olympic golds and one silver between 1984 and 1996.

MARK SPITZ

The legendary Californian took two relay golds in Mexico in 1968, but won a record seven golds at one Games in Munich four years later, setting a world record in each of the seven events.

LARYSA LATYNINA

Ukrainian gymnast is the only athlete in any sport to have amassed 18 career medals. She won her nine golds between 1956 and 1964.


Awesome Phelps sets Olympic gold medal record - The Scotsman
 

Colors

The Destroyer
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
1,276
MBTI Type
ISTP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I was also curious about this, and they mentioned it on Kerri Walsh really fast while I wasn't really listening (so I looked it up):

I found this Yahoo answer:
The black markings on Walsh's shoulder are a sort of medical tape. Specifically, it's called kinesio tape, a special elastic material designed to support muscles while offering an unimpeded range of motion. Walsh had shoulder surgery last fall to remove bone chips, bone spurs and scar tissue that had built up over a lifetime of setting and spiking. The tape, and taping method, help stabilize the shoulder during the match and aids in circulation.
Black stuff on Kerri Walsh's shoulder? - Yahoo! Answers

On the watching front, the men's all around individual kept me up until 2 am. I don't know why they won't show it live for the Pacific Coast anyway.
 

Jack Flak

Permabanned
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
9,098
MBTI Type
type
The judges are getting ridiculous in women's gymnastics. Giving higher scores to Chinese when they practically fall off three times vs. an American who aces it.
 
Joined
May 27, 2008
Messages
1,026
MBTI Type
ENTP
The judges are getting ridiculous in women's gymnastics. Giving higher scores to Chinese when they practically fall off three times vs. an American who aces it.

It's a composite score...

Pretty much a maximum of 7 points in column A for difficulty of elements, with each element counting for a maximum of .7 points... so, ten of the hardest elements get you 7... there are bonus points (.2) for moving directly out of one difficult element to another... but anyway, column A is a max of 7, and the gymnasts are scored cumulatively starting from a default of 0.

And then there is the performance of the routine... the number of mistakes that must be penalized... taken from a beginning score of 10... a fall would count for -.8... etc.

With all of this in mind, it is obvious why the Chinese are doing better... they are generally performing harder routines, so even with falls they're generally still coming out ahead. Also, when I saw the team competition in gymnastics, the Chinese were consistently better than the Americans.
 

Jack Flak

Permabanned
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Messages
9,098
MBTI Type
type
With all of this in mind, it is obvious why the Chinese are doing better... they are generally performing harder routines, so even with falls they're generally still coming out ahead. Also, when I saw the team competition in gymnastics, the Chinese were consistently better than the Americans.
Are you watching the individual all-around? Well the commentators were getting pissed too. Right after I posted Nastia Liukin did a great balance beam and got a good score, and she's in first now, so I'm hopeful.
 
Joined
May 27, 2008
Messages
1,026
MBTI Type
ENTP
Are you watching the individual all-around? Well the commentators were getting pissed too. Right after I posted Nastia Liukin did a great balance beam and got a good score, and she's in first now, so I'm hopeful.

Ah, I've not been watching individual... I'll take a gander... Liukin's incredible...
 

oasispaw

New member
Joined
Jan 2, 2008
Messages
265
MBTI Type
isfj
since i don't have tv, all these olympics have made me excited for is chinese food, which is not chinese by chinese standards at all.
 

Mempy

Mamma said knock you out
Joined
Jul 29, 2007
Messages
2,227
WOO NASTIA LIUKIN AND SHAWN JOHNSON! HOWEVER YOU SPELL THEIR NAMES! WOO! :D :static:

Wow. I freaking LOVE watching this stuff. Wow. They did SO well. I try to keep my bias for the American gymnasts to a minimum and try to appreciate what the other girls do right, but I doubt I do a very good job of it. I'm proud of all those gymnasts, though.

The adrenaline and nervousness and exhilaration they must feel when competing!
 
Top