The Olympic Games thread

[wellard]

Just a few days to go before the start of the Olympic games in Greece. Is anyone else here excited by this event or has the long sad trail of filthy drug cheats being exposed in the last few months tarnished your view?

What event in particular do you enjoy?

Are there some unknown to the rest of the world athlete or team that you wish to point out before the games start? Someone we can keep an eye on?

Is there a superstar that you wish to see succeed in Athens?

How will your country rate in the medal tally?

[Jorath Calar]

If Iceland gets into any off the first 10 spots in any event with more than 11 people... I'll here about it.... [img]smile.gif[/img]

just to give you impression how seriously we take this...Last time one of them got bronze metal ans she was a national hero and atlete of the year ...

[T-D-C]

Well the Aussies should dominate in the pool as usual.

That Aussie basketball team also have good chances as well.

Our Track and field team is thinner than usual but there are still some medal propects.

Should be a good games IMO.

[Link]

I enjoy rowing, not only because I do it myself, but also because I know exactly what is going on in the Netherlands when it comes to rowing.
I also like to watch field hockey, swimming (Inge de Bruin, Pieter van de Hoogenband? - I don't think the Aussies are dominant at all!), and some athletics. Basketball is great too [img]smile.gif[/img]

The superstar would be the third Holland Eight (rowing); let's see if they got it in them to 'redo Atlanta'.

[wellard]

Originally posted by Link: swimming (Inge de Bruin, Pieter van de Hoogenband? - I don't think the Aussies are dominant at all!),

I agree Link. There is no way the Aussies will dominate the pool again, dont forget the USA team and China is fast emerging.

"The superstar would be the third Holland Eight (rowing); let's see if they got it in them to 'redo Atlanta'."

What do you mean third Holland eight? Are they (the 8's)going for their 3rd gold in a row (sorry about the pun) If so that would be an amazing feat. How steve Redgrave won 5 I do not know

[Link]

The first Holland Eight (or 'Holland Acht' in Dutch) was the one that won the gold medal in 1996 in Atlanta after being invincible the entire season. The second Holland Eight ('Holland Acht II') was the one that failed horribly in Sydney. After the dismissal of rowing in eighths after that fiasco, somwhere last year, a group of rowers formed an eight outside of the Dutch Rowing League, which did great in international events. The Dutch Rowing League then adopted the project, threw in a couple of very good rowers, and now the boat is going very fast, is a serious candidate for the medals, and is therefore called 'Holland Acht
III'; translated Third Holland Eight. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Steve Redgrave did have the luck to be in a boat with Matthew Pinsent and James Cragnell the last time; he wouldn't have made it on his own.

[Davros]

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss our swimmers Mr 'Ard - the women look to be much stronger this time about, so I think you may be in for a pleasant surprise. I still think the Yanks might edge us, but it will be an interesting rivalry for quite a few nights.

Mind you - I would like to see us pull out of the Olympic Sprint cycling event and send Eadie, Kersten et al home on the first available flight.

[WillowIX]

I usually only watch the swimming events. The rest isn't all that interesting to me. The winter olympics is much more fun IMO. [img]smile.gif[/img] And I don't believe we'll take many medals as usual.

[Assassin]

Originally posted by WillowIX: I usually only watch the swimming events. The rest isn't all that interesting to me. The winter olympics is much more fun IMO. [img]smile.gif[/img] And I don't believe we'll take many medals as usual.

So true. [img]tongue.gif[/img] IIRC, Canada is the only country not to score a gold medal when they hosted an Olympic Games. (Montreal? Can't remember)

[pritchke]

Originally posted by WillowIX: I usually only watch the swimming events. The rest isn't all that interesting to me. The winter olympics is much more fun IMO. [img]smile.gif[/img] And I don't believe we'll take many medals as usual.

Hmmm.... could that be because we do much better at the winter olympics, have better chances at gold, and hear O Canada played more often bringing a tear to your eye. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I am looking forward to wrestling. I am hoping Daniel Igali can pull off another gold. But his task looks daunting as he's moved up a weight class to the 74-kg division and this after suffering a neck injury which he had operated on last year. However he does have the heart to pull it off.