Paris Olympics July/August 2024

[Dannie Boy]

Still seems strange (wrong) to me that the Olympics now include so many sports that are played by professionals rather than amateurs?

[thecolonel]

Still seems strange (wrong) to me that the Olympics now include so many sports that are played by professionals rather than amateurs?

Completely agree I'm dead against it

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[dtaai-maai]

Still seems strange (wrong) to me that the Olympics now include so many sports that are played by professionals rather than amateurs?

Completely agree I'm dead against it

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I was thinking exactly the same when I saw the golf results. Unfortunately I don't think there are many amateur only sports left. It's just a case of how much they get paid...

[pharvey]

Still seems strange (wrong) to me that the Olympics now include so many sports that are played by professionals rather than amateurs?

I totally agree, but it's been going on for many years. The "Modern Olympics" is a world away from what the Olympics truly should be. Regardless of the many professional sports being now part of the event, financial gain and the whole "Win at all costs" (doping etc.) attitude seems to prevail.

[404cameljockey]

So we're pretty much in agreement (amongst old lads, including me) that the Olympics has been degraded by the inclusion of sports professional

Well, I still wish rugby hadn't turned professional too!

[404cameljockey]

It was a tremendous last two days in the golf and Tommy Fleetwood brings home silver. An awful chip on the 17th stopped him from going down the 19th with Sheffler who takes the gold.

And Tommy is a great chipper so maybe it was tougher than it looked on TV or he felt the pressure?

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His face showed a lot of strain on the closing holes, I think that was the problem with the cut of rough abut 3 inches behind the ball just affecting his concentration when usually it wouldn't affect his focus, That's my suggestion, the chip itself wasn't at all technically difficult. And the utter collapse of Ram shows the pressure that the Olympics puts on you, even more than the Ryder Cup for him it seems!

I felt for McIlroy, a glorious charge blown up by one stray shot.

[thecolonel]

There was a 10 shot swing between Rahm and Scheffler on the back 9!

The beauty of 72 hole strokeplay, it's never over 'til it's over...

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[404cameljockey]

There was a 10 shot swing between Rahm and Scheffler on the back 9!

The beauty of 72 hole strokeplay, it's never over 'til it's over...

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Yes 'Rahm', thanks. I edit my posts 'for speeling and grammer' before posting but my early morning eyes are always blurry!

McIlroy is in the news today saying how the Olympics and Ryder Cup are the only true golf events nowadays with the wash of money spoiling everything for the game and for spectators in general. He finished five off the winners but was still incredibly happy to have taken part. Bless him.

[404cameljockey]

Silver for GB in women's triathlon. All three medallist finished neck and neck, so close. We fell back a few metres a few minutes before the tape but I think she was saving for a final push. Great race.

[404cameljockey]

Keely Hodgkinson finally got her hands on Olympic gold in the women's 800 mtrs. after silver in Tokyo last time. She took the front at 400 metres and stayed there, with a great injection of pace in the last 100 metres to finish a long way ahead of the Ethiopian favourite. A wonderful race by Keely..

GB also took gold in the women's cycling team sprint, with new world records set by all three of our girls.

GB also medalled (sorry for the neologism, I'm progressive in English) in three other events last night that I didn't see, two in kayaking and one in the men's triathlon mixed relay (where we were champions in Tokyo), and are currently fifth in the medals table.

[404cameljockey]

"Olympic swimmer Luana Alonso removed from Athletes' Village over claims she created an 'inappropriate environment'"

As I understand it, the head of the Olympics Community of Practice, Larissa Schaerer (maybe jealous ) said she was asked to leave for wearing inappropriate clothing while hanging around the team (she had already lost her event). Also for sneaking out to Disneyland and distracting the team from the competition. I believe her team coach finally broke the news and asked her to leave the Village.

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles ... ge-retires

I can see the distraction....

[404cameljockey]

I honestly don't want to reopen a discussion about women's boxing as I don't see argument, but at a Paris press conference yesterday the Daily Telegraph reports: "A briefing document left on a table left within sight of journalists showed the IBA’s results showed “detected XY chromosomes in samples of both athletes”.

Also: “They [the IOC] have not done anything with it because they rely on own criteria – which is basically the passport,”

"While critics and female athletes simply want a return to a science and evidence-based approach, the IOC has conflated sex with gender identity and framed valid scrutiny as a ‘witch hunt’".

Both boxers are now certain of medals. To me it's a disgrace and a danger to biological women. Whatever the rare reasons for the presence of the 'XY' chromosome in women, it renders them unsuitable to perform in physical sports against normal 'XX' women. Men have been shown to punch 2.6 times harder on average, and most women's physical structure makes it hazardous to fight with men.

[404cameljockey]

In the diving, how on earth can you beat by the Chinese? Impossible. We have two through to the men's 3m board final. Laugher is our big hope and diving so well, but I'm sure it's only for bronze. As the Chinese say, jia you!

[404cameljockey]

I just noticed that Thailand won bronze in the 66kg women's boxing!

[404cameljockey]

A wonderful first day in the women's heptathlon for Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Terrific in all events, the high jump was a gritty performance.

The final event is the 800 mtrs which starts at 4.05 pm in Thailand.