Events and Athletes Discussion 2012 London Olympics

[EIIR]

I would give my right arm to be in that velodrome, the atmosphere seems incredible.

 

[Lumutqueen]

THIRD IN THE MEDAL TABLE!!!! Might take a picture

 

[NGalitzine]

Yes, for all the discussion a few short weeks ago about the Brits not really caring about the Games, the inconvenience of it all, and how Team GB likely would not perform well, all that seems to have been swept away. The nation has surely rallied around the team which has been outstanding. No doubt we will resume complaining about one thing or another in another week or so, but these 2 weeks have definitely raised spirits.

Phelps picked up his 21st medal, a gold , in the 100 Fly. Le Clos of South Africa and a Russian tie for 2nd.
Phelps has 1 more chance to medal before he is done.
William and Catherine were at the pool to watch the race.

 

[Artemisia]

Absolutely magnificent result from Team GB.
In fact, I believe this is the best the team has performed in decades!

As of now, the Official Team Standing:
China: 20 Gold - 13 Silver - 9 Bronze = 42 Total
USA: 20 Gold - 9 Silver - 11 Bronze = 40 Total
United Kingdom: 8 Gold - 6 Silver - 7 Bronze = 21 Total
South Korea: 8 Gold - 2 Silver - 5 Bronze = 15 Total
France: 7 Gold - 5 Silver - 6 Bronze = 18 Total

A very touching article about one of Britain's medallists:

Bronze for British judo star Karina Bryant who two months ago was asking strangers for cash so she could buy a car to get to training

British judo fighter Karina Bryant earned Team GB's 19th medal of London 2012 this afternoon after winning bronze in the women's 78kg contest. Bryant, 33, saw off the challenge of Ukranian Iryna Kindzerska to secure third place, earning Great Britain their seventh bronze in another successful day for the home nation. The medal is a personal triumph for Britain's most successful judo fighter Bryant, who had resorted to asking strangers for cash earlier this year, amid fears a lack of it will derail her Olympic dream.

Now, when I'm thinking "role model", this is the kind of people I have in mind.
As far as I'm concerned, they are miles ahead of most of today's "celebrities". Good job, Karina!

 

[NGalitzine]

^^^^
On BBC last night I saw the same story but in reverse. A Chinese Olympic medalist begging for food and money on the streets. After his Olympic career he had been tossed aside. He had only won a Bronze medal so was not considered of any worth any more. That was truly sad.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Rebecca Adlington missed out on her 800m freestyle gold as it went to an American.

 

[Artemisia]

Yep, and Korea won another gold, so Team GB back on 4th place (hopefully, for a short time only).
The current standing:
USA: 21 Gold - 10 Silver - 11 Bronze = 42 Total
China: 20 Gold - 13 Silver - 9 Bronze = 42 Total
South Korea: 9 Gold - 2 Silver - 5 Bronze = 15 Total
United Kingdom: 8 Gold - 6 Silver - 8 Bronze = 21 Total
France: 8 Gold - 5 Silver - 6 Bronze = 19 Total

 

[Lumutqueen]

Told you I should have taken a picture

 

[Artemisia]

Hopefully, you'll still have a chance.

Andy Murray just won the semi-final match against Novak Djokovic, meaning the final is going to be a replay of the Wimbledon 2012, with Andy facing Roger Federer.
Now, as always I wish Team GB good luck, but I adore Roger, so whoever wins get a and from me.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Bert Le Clos is so amazing!!!!!!

 

[NGalitzine]

Bert Le Clos is so amazing!!!!!!

I agree, especially given that he is 6 inches shorter than Phelps.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Ahhh! China's back in the lead....oh well. If I was Michael I would have stopped after #20. Michael sweety you're starting to look greedy.
Does anyone know what country the ping pong gold medalist is from?

 

[Artemisia]

Bert Le Clos is so amazing!!!!!!

You are definitely not alone. A twit from "Prince Charles":
https://twitter.com/Charles_HRH

@Charles_HRH Considering asking Bert Le Clos to form a Government.

I agree, especially given that he is 6 inches shorter than Phelps.

Bert le Clos is Chad le Clos' father. And I totally agree: both Chad and his father are amazing.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Google says US is #1 and China is #2. Tied for gold but we have more bronze. I hate that I can't find an actual site to tell me who won what and for what event. Guess its the drawback for browsing on an iPod.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Ahhh! China's back in the lead....oh well. If I was Michael I would have stopped after #20. Michael sweety you're starting to look greedy.
Does anyone know what country the ping pong gold medalist is from?

Currently China has two golds in Table Tennis, they also have two silver. Germany and Singapore have a bronze medal each.

You are definitely not alone. A twit from "Prince Charles":
https://twitter.com/Charles_HRH@Charles_HRH Considering asking Bert Le Clos to form a Government.

[/QUOTE]

That would be due to his over zealous appreciation of the British crowd and GB itself.

 

[Isabella]

Google says US is #1 and China is #2. Tied for gold but we have more bronze. I hate that I can't find an actual site to tell me who won what and for what event. Guess its the drawback for browsing on an iPod.

The latest info I have (via nbcolympics.com) is that the US has 21 golds and China has 20. Same number of medals overall (42), but China has more silver and the US has more bronze.

 

[Artemisia]

Ahhh! China's back in the lead....oh well. If I was Michael I would have stopped after #20. Michael sweety you're starting to look greedy.
Does anyone know what country the ping pong gold medalist is from?

Is China back in the lead? I thought the US still keeps it, with 21 Gold medals (as opposed to China's 20).
Both women's and men's table tennis singles were won by Chinese athletes, Li Xiaoxia and Zhang Jike respectively.

Google says US is #1 and China is #2. Tied for gold but we have more bronze. I hate that I can't find an actual site to tell me who won what and for what event. Guess its the drawback for browsing on an iPod.

United States is currently on the first spot because you have 1 more gold than China.
If you had been tied for gold, China would have been the first because they have more silver.

For minute-by-minute update, have a look at the official website:
http://www.london2012.com/


The official standing right now:
USA: 21 Gold - 10 Silver - 11 Bronze = 42 Total
China: 20 Gold - 13 Silver - 9 Bronze = 42 Total
South Korea: 9 Gold - 2 Silver - 5 Bronze = 16 Total
United Kingdom: 8 Gold - 6 Silver - 8 Bronze = 21 Total
France: 8 Gold - 5 Silver - 6 Bronze = 19 Total

 

[NGalitzine]

Aren't all these rankings, and weightings of medals, a media creation? I thought the IOC position was that there is no such thing as a ranking of nations.

 

[Lumutqueen]

^^^^^^^^^^
Well for individual countries it's quite nice to keep track.
I know we'd drop in the table but it would make it so much easier if they went on overall numbers.

 

[NGalitzine]

^^^^^^^^^^
Well for individual countries it's quite nice to keep track.
I know we'd drop in the table but it would make it so much easier if they went on overall numbers.

Some listings do just show a ranking by total medals won.

 

[Artemisia]

^^^^^^^^^^
Well for individual countries it's quite nice to keep track.
I know we'd drop in the table but it would make it so much easier if they went on overall numbers.

Actually, you wouldn't. If the overall count-only was taken into consideration, Britain would have still been the fourth:
United States: 42 medals
China: 42 medals
Russia: 23 medals
United Kingdom: 22 medals
Japan: 21 medals
Germany: 19 medals
France: 19 medals
South Korea: 16 medals
Australia: 14 medals
Italy: 12 medals

I think the current system is pretty sound because imagine if, say, Armenia won 6 bronze medals and ranked above Germany (who currently has 5 golds): it just wouldn't be fair. Those who win the gold are the best of the best, so it makes sense to base the count on the number of gold medals.

 

[Lumutqueen]

I think the current system is pretty sound because imagine if, say, Armenia won 6 bronze medals and ranked above Germany (who currently has 5 golds): it just wouldn't be fair. Those who win the gold are the best of the best, so it makes sense to base the count on the number of gold medals.

Except Germany currently had 19 medals, so they would still beat Armenia. I think this way emphasise that even if you get silver and bronze, you're still almost a looser. Yes getting gold is the aim, but there can be the tiniest margin between gold and silver.

And we are still fourth, no been about it.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Ok good to see Korea is #3, or they were last time I checked.
So it seems that whoever has the (1)most medals overall as well as the (2) most gold v silver v bronze; and(3) those are ranked as well. I think Im getting the hang of this. Track and field sports start next week, what countries usually dominate those?

 

[Lumutqueen]

Track and field sports start next week, what countries usually dominate those?

Actually it started this morning, ranges from event to event which country wins.

 

[Isabella]

Aren't all these rankings, and weightings of medals, a media creation? I thought the IOC position was that there is no such thing as a ranking of nations.

That sounds likely, though I think it's only natural for people to make the comparisons. I remember being little and asking my parents if we (the US) were "winning the Olympics". They had to break it down for me and explain that it didn't quite work like that.

 

[Artemisia]

Except Germany currently had 19 medals, so they would still beat Armenia. I think this way emphasise that even if you get silver and bronze, you're still almost a looser. Yes getting gold is the aim, but there can be the tiniest margin between gold and silver.

And we are still fourth, no been about it.

Right now, everyone would have beaten Armenia: we don't have a single medal (it sucks, I know).

Put it this way: the Netherlands were almost winners in FIFA World Cup trice (1974, 1978 and 2010), but almost doesn't count, does it? They won silver - and three times, no less, but it hardly equals, say, England's gold in 1966 - even thought that's England's only "medal".

At least, this is my understanding.

 

[Elly C]

What events are South Korea strong in? They are doing very well - I don't recall how well they finished in the last Olympics.

 

[EIIR]

They've won a lot of archery medals, apparently it's a national obsession in S Korea.

King Edward III banned football in England in 1349 because it distracted the people from practicing their archery. GB would probably need to do the same thing again to give us any chance of doing anything in archery.

 

[LadyFinn]

What events are South Korea strong in? They are doing very well - I don't recall how well they finished in the last Olympics.

Here you can see South Korea's medals
http://www.london2012.com/country/south-korea/medals.html

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Thank u for that link Artemisa, I am giving up on understanding how these medals work. I just saw Kazakstan has 4 medals overall yet they are ahead of Russia who was 23 or 24, simply because all 4 of Kazakstan's medals are gold. That doesn't seem right to me. Anyway, I'm off to work but am recording the diving comp today.