Olympics

Post by **Yasmeen** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:55 pm

Saxman wrote:OK, the people in the olympics make it look too easy. This video is really painful to watch.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... tics&vt=lf

Wow... that was incredibly cringe-inducing...

I vote the girl at 3:22 for best improv.

Post by **512OW** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:39 pm

TankAzz wrote:alexander artemev has the most entertaining pommel horse routine i've ever seen. there are more difficult routines, but he is just great to watch (and historically, i never say that about pommel horse--not my favorite men's event)

See, we agree sometimes. His routine is badass. I hate pommel horse... even though it is a bit more like breakdancing, and its kinda the offwidth of mens gymnastics. Actually, I suppose its more like the breaststroke is to swimming... all the movements involved are completely different from those involved in the other events. The bastard child. Hate it... but he is fun to watch for sure.

Post by **512OW** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:49 pm

Lateralus wrote:Usain had a great 2-3 runs, broke the world record w/o really trying, very sick race in the finals yet I'm smelling something dirty. Considering, he was a total nobody especially in the 100 1 year ago and now he's going 9.69. Can you say performance enhancing drugs? REALLY, hope I'm wrong but it jsut seems too good to be true.

His coach wouldn't allow him to run the 100 until recently. He's always wanted to. Bolt was a nobody??? I guess so, except he broke the 20 second barrier in the 200m when he was 17... and won the junior worlds when he was 15. He's only 21 years old... you act like he should have been around longer. Huh?

Also, it still doesn't come close to what Phelps did in the grand scheme of things. If Usain goes and wins the 200, the 400 maybe the long jump and the relays up to 400 (most if not all in world record time) then we'll talk.

I didn't say it came close. I said it was the most amazing thing this Olympics. Phelps was a foregone conclusion. If it amazed you that he won 8 golds, you've been hiding under a rock.

Post by **512OW** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:00 pm

Saxman wrote:OK, the people in the olympics make it look too easy. This video is really painful to watch.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... tics&vt=lf

Oh man... bad memories. At 1:04 was Dominique Moceanu... I was watching when that happened. She was the cutest damned thing too...

At 1:14 might as well have been me. During the same vault (similiar to Nastias), I did the same thing. I wish they would have had those new vault tables back then, instead of those horses...

And at 3:32... me again, on my first real attempt at a release. My second was flat on my face, and killing my back. My third I finally caught.

I'm glad I found rockclimbing.

Post by **krampus** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:03 pm

Yasmeen wrote:I vote the girl at 3:22 for best improv.

that was certainly a great try

Post by **Wes** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:22 pm

I did the last "trick" during the test for my gymnastics 151 class at UK. First time ever even attempting a vault, thought they had it set up for the women's vault, so it wasn't quite as bad. And I could never, ever get a back handspring. Standing back flip, punch fronts, etc - no problem. But I almost killed myself sooooo many time trying roundoff back handsprings. For the test, we had to show passes in two directions, so I had to do a cartwheel side flip and a front handspring front flip.

Post by **TankAzz** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:50 pm

512OW wrote:
See, we agree sometimes. His routine is badass. I hate pommel horse... even though it is a bit more like breakdancing, and its kinda the offwidth of mens gymnastics. Actually, I suppose its more like the breaststroke is to swimming... all the movements involved are completely different from those involved in the other events. The bastard child. Hate it... but he is fun to watch for sure.

yes! i think pommel horse is hard to appreciate as much as other events, because it's not high off the ground, there's not really any flipping, etc. it just looks like men roll off of it when they screw up. one of those things that does not look as impressive in relation to how difficult it is.

Post by **Lateralus** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:59 pm

His coach wouldn't allow him to run the 100 until recently. He's always wanted to. Bolt was a nobody??? I guess so, except he broke the 20 second barrier in the 200m when he was 17... and won the junior worlds when he was 15. He's only 21 years old... you act like he should have been around longer. Huh?

He hasn't been on the international track & field scene at the top level for very long, especially in the 100. If you followed the sport you would understand that most sprinters evolve through competing at the top level for a few years before they become well known. I guess I could google him and pretend I heard about him 6 years ago to like you did.

I didn't say it came close. I said it was the most amazing thing this Olympics. Phelps was a foregone conclusion. If it amazed you that he won 8 golds, you've been hiding under a rock.

Foregone conclusion? apparently you missed the 4x100 relay and the 100 fly, maybe you've been hiding under a rock the last week or so? He had about 3 maybe 4 races that were pretty sure bets, assuming he didn't get injured or sick or whatever. The other 4 were not sure things at all, it's the Olympics crazy things happen, people perform outside themselves. He won 8 events on a crazy schedule... if I have to explain how rad that is I guess you should google swimming as well and try to understand the sport a bit more.

Post by **Lateralus** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:00 pm

Pommel is bad ass, it kind of translates to viewing like climbing--- not at all

Post by **512OW** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:36 pm

Lateralus wrote:

His coach wouldn't allow him to run the 100 until recently. He's always wanted to. Bolt was a nobody??? I guess so, except he broke the 20 second barrier in the 200m when he was 17... and won the junior worlds when he was 15. He's only 21 years old... you act like he should have been around longer. Huh?
He hasn't been on the international track & field scene at the top level for very long, especially in the 100. If you followed the sport you would understand that most sprinters evolve through competing at the top level for a few years before they become well known.

Funny thing is, I've followed sprinting since the 80's. Yes, MOST sprinters evolve, but MOST sprinters are never fast enough to break world records. He's been running at a world class level for 6 years. He was at Athens in 04. Is the Olympics not a top level international event?

I didn't say it came close. I said it was the most amazing thing this Olympics. Phelps was a foregone conclusion. If it amazed you that he won 8 golds, you've been hiding under a rock.
Foregone conclusion? apparently you missed the 4x100 relay and the 100 fly, maybe you've been hiding under a rock the last week or so? He had about 3 maybe 4 races that were pretty sure bets, assuming he didn't get injured or sick or whatever. The other 4 were not sure things at all, it's the Olympics crazy things happen, people perform outside themselves. He won 8 events on a crazy schedule... if I have to explain how rad that is I guess you should google swimming as well and try to understand the sport a bit more.

He won didn't he? Foregone conclusion. I understand that its rad, but everybody on the planet expected he would win at least 7... after all, he was the world record holder in every event but one. 3 or 4 that were sure bets??? You're nuts. He won 5 gold in Athens, then 7 golds in Melbourne. He didn't get 8 because of a team disqualification. We all knew it. Why didn't you?