The Olympics

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Re: The Olympics

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

nbg wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:42 am
What do forumites think of something like climbing being included for the first time?

Neil
Great! It’s an extreme physical activity that takes incredible fitness, skill and I guess a huge amount of training and dedication. Why not?
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Re: The Olympics

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^^^^ Steve your view is no different to mine. :)

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Re: The Olympics

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

nbg wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:52 am ^^^^ Steve your view is no different to mine. :)

Neil
I like to walk up my hills, Neil. I felt very uncomfortable even on scrambling routes like Liathach, and even in very experienced company. On the few occasions when I have attempted even a very simple rock climb, very safely belayed, I felt truly scared. Total respect to these people.
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Re: The Olympics

Post by nbg »

^^^ My youngest daughter and son-in-law, both age 36 are hard core sport climbers, both indoors and outdoors, a sport they took up when at university.

When I have been with them, I have always been impressed by how easy they make it look.

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Re: The Olympics

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Arguably spectators are drawn to sports that offer a degree of danger. It increases levels of excitement hence new sports being added to the Olympics that offer that Adrenaline Rush. You might be surprised that Cheerleading is included in the top five ‘dangerous’ sporting activities in the UK. Thankfully my daughter escaped any serious injury but a few of her teammates were not so fortunate. Injuries occur not because the sport is badly regulated but because of how extreme it is. The heights, distances, speeds and times achieved are astonishing. No surprise then that it’s one of the fastest growing sports both as a participant and as a must see spectator.

The list makes for an interesting read:
https://www.injurylawyers4u.co.uk/2014/ ... ctivities/
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Re: The Olympics

Post by missF »

I like watching some olympics to see some sports that I wouldn’t watch for the rest of the four year cycle. I enjoy diving, table tennis, weight lifting, gymnastics for example.
This means that I really appreciate good commentary, because I often don’t really know the ins and outs of what I’m watching. The best commentators give an insight into the skills of the sport and help you truly appreciate the skill in what you’re seeing and the training and dedication required to get there. The Australian guy commentating on the table tennis was fantastic- explaining all aspects of the game including everything from why the serves are so intricate to how competitors aim to apply spin to the ball to the importance of dealing with sweat!

I have to say I didn’t find the skateboarding to be a very exciting sport as a spectator, and that’s partly because of the commentary. The commentators named each trick but didn’t explain further. No insight into what makes them skilful or difficult. No way in to the sport for someone new to it.

Dressage has always baffled me.... :lol:
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Re: The Olympics

Post by missF »

nbg wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:42 am
What do forumites think of something like climbing being included for the first time?
I’m looking forward to it. I love watching clips of people rock climbing but have no experience of ‘sport’ climbing. Perhaps I’m inclined to think of climbing as being a personal pursuit rather than being a competitive sport, but I’m prone to being quite emotional about it all. For me, free solo climbing is one of the ultimate expressions of mind and body mastery- almost a spiritual quest. Sport climbing is clearly something a bit different. But regardless of ‘philosophy’ the training, commitment and skill are there for all to see.
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Re: The Olympics

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Wow, this very quickly became the old grumpy men "these weren't sports in my day" thread :lol:
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Re: The Olympics

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^^^^ I wanted to say the same but clearly you are braver than me.
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Re: The Olympics

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missF wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:03 am
nbg wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 8:42 am
What do forumites think of something like climbing being included for the first time?
I’m looking forward to it. I love watching clips of people rock climbing but have no experience of ‘sport’ climbing. Perhaps I’m inclined to think of climbing as being a personal pursuit rather than being a competitive sport, but I’m prone to being quite emotional about it all. For me, free solo climbing is one of the ultimate expressions of mind and body mastery- almost a spiritual quest. Sport climbing is clearly something a bit different. But regardless of ‘philosophy’ the training, commitment and skill are there for all to see.
I agree about it primarily being a personal challenge, rather than competitive. ‘Sport climbing’ itself isn’t generally competitive, it’s just the term used to denote that the route is prebolted, rather than having to find a nook or cranny to fix your own protection, as is the case in what is usually termed ‘trad’. I reckon that free solo climbing is a whole additional level of mental challenge.
“Sport climbing: the act of climbing single- or multi-pitch routes, protected by permanently-fixed bolts and anchors drilled into the rock, using a rope and the aid of a belayer.”

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Re: The Olympics

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

jtc wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:06 am Wow, this very quickly became the old grumpy men "these weren't sports in my day" thread :lol:
Shades of opinion, I guess. Haven’t we just been giving a plug to climbing?
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Re: The Olympics

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nbg wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:24 am ‘Sport climbing’ itself isn’t generally competitive, it’s just the term used to denote that the route is prebolted, rather than having to find a nook or cranny to fix your own protection, as is the case in what is usually termed ‘trad’.
Thanks for clarifying definitions :thumbup:
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Re: The Olympics

Post by magicman »

Richard D wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 9:48 am Arguably spectators are drawn to sports that offer a degree of danger. It increases levels of excitement hence new sports being added to the Olympics that offer that Adrenaline Rush. You might be surprised that Cheerleading is included in the top five ‘dangerous’ sporting activities in the UK. Thankfully my daughter escaped any serious injury but a few of her teammates were not so fortunate. Injuries occur not because the sport is badly regulated but because of how extreme it is. The heights, distances, speeds and times achieved are astonishing. No surprise then that it’s one of the fastest growing sports both as a participant and as a must see spectator.

The list makes for an interesting read:
https://www.injurylawyers4u.co.uk/2014/ ... ctivities/
I presume, you had to give up large amounts of time.
My daughter's only did Swimming and dancing and I spent whole weekends poolside and listening to Steps.

Funnily enough we were just talking about my grandson who is approaching 2 years old.
His dad would like to teach him kickboxing (He's an instructor) and I need a Golf caddy, but I think he may be a bit young.
Some of these athletes have been in training since childhood, and the achievement of even representing your County let alone your Country can't be underestimated.
Sometimes in the heat of competition, it's easy to get frustrated, if someone doesn't perform to their potential, Remember the penalties England missed, some of the comments I heard in the Pub, from Fat p**sheads was revolting.

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Re: The Olympics

Post by Lavaine »

Thanks to some recommendations I caught the end of the mens bronze medal table tennis match this morning, and will go back and watch the rest of both medal games, and am currently watching a womens handball match. As Lindsay said, the Olympics are a great opportunity to watch events you might not normally watch, and be introduced to new events.

As a hockey fan, handball is great fun to watch. It combines the speed of hockey or basketball, with the strategy of soccer (a sport I personally find tedious to watch, although I appreciate the universal appeal). It's a shame it has never really caught on here.

AVO, I don't think our Free To Air coverage is any better. Probably worse to be honest, as FTA is used by very few people over here. However, on basic cable we get about 4 channels of coverage, and more if you have a sports package. What truly sets our coverage apart is that EVERY event that has TV coverage from the host broadcaster is available to stream online, live or in replay. The events that were not broadcast in Canada won't have any commentary, just the raw feed, but you can still watch basically any event you wish. Commercial-free to boot.

On a slightly different note, what are peoples thoughts on Russian being "banned" from the Olympics, but still competing at the Olympics? I get that the ban is meant to punish the Russian Federation while not punishing the athletes, but the whole thing really just seems like a hollow gesture by the IOC so they can say the did something about doping. At the end of the day, it accomplishes nothing, beyond taking away from the ROC athletes experience.
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Re: The Olympics

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magicman wrote: Fri Jul 30, 2021 12:58 pmI presume, you had to give up large amounts of time.
My daughter first took up running, she loved cross country and was rather good. When she turned 12 a friend introduced her to cheerleading and 6 years later she celebrated her 18th at the Olympics. In fact she tasted her first glass of champagne after her last routine at Olympia where the volleyball tournament was being staged. She trained every day, sometimes all day and took part in multiple competitions. Her dedication meant arranging much of our family social life around her schedule.

I guess that’s why I feel so strong about the use of ‘yoof’, these are dedicated athletes who deserve better. I never pushed her or indeed any of my children into any sport, I was just there to support them and to pick them up when needed. At 18 she gave up competition to study at university. Today she is a mum and her focus is her baby boy.

I hope you grandson does well too, enjoys whatever comes his way.
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