London Olympics 2012

[boXd]

By the same token so does Starcraft and managing a company, but neither of those are Olympic events

There have been quite a few strange events at the olympics.

[Chen]

I don't believe that it's completely different. The best 100m sprinters are also the best 200m sprinters.

The top runner or two are the same but that seems to be more the exception than the rule. The top 10 is remarkably different. I also recall there was enough difference between the two when there was the whole debate on if Donovan Bailey or Michael Johnson was the "fastest man alive". Neither would run the other's race (Bailey the 100 m and Johnson the 200 m) so they ended up compromising in a 150 m race. There is clearly a difference in technique and training between the two events probably significantly more than if a soccer match were 45 min instead of 90 min long.

[Adam H]

Eh, Johnson is a world record setter in the 400m race, while Bailey's fastest time in the 200m is 20.42s, which is a full second off the world record but it's not bad.

Chess and football are "*completely* different". 100m and 200m sprints are different, but let's not exaggerate by putting asterisks before AND after the "completely".

[el_loco_avs]

I don't mind dressage I guess, but giving the medals to the human riders is bullshit. Man up and give them to the horses! And count them for whichever country the horse is from.

If you ever watched Modern Pentathlon where the participants have to ride a randomly chosen horse for the equestrian section (and proceed to get turfed off a lot), you'd realise that the rider-horse rapport is a big part in how successful you are. So it's ludicrous to suggest the riders don't deserve anything. Besides, do you think the horses get no credit/praise at all from the people who ride them?

Fun fact: the germans bought a dutch horse, considered the best in the world or something (with his dutch rider riding ofcourse). Put a german guy on it. Failed to even qualify for the olympics. MILLIONS wasted. So yeah, horse and rider can be both greater or less than the sum of their parts.

[el_loco_avs]

I don't mind dressage I guess, but giving the medals to the human riders is bullshit. Man up and give them to the horses! And count them for whichever country the horse is from.

How far back do you want to go? should all the medals go to central asia, or to arabia?

I'm a bit bemused at all the hostility to dressage. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but its obvious that it requires an immense amount of skill from the rider.

it just sucks that it's a judged sport, and apparantly weird results are commonplace enough that people just accept them with a "again? whatever"

[el_loco_avs]

And the whole time Dressage is a sport but Croquet isn't.

Total bullshit. Upper class twits should have to do more than own a horse to get a medal. They need to get their asses out their with their own top hats and mallets and earn that medal. And there's two varieties, traditional, where you have to wear victorian clothing and talk in a bad British accent the whole time, and Hardcore mode, where you get to take a run up to your ball.

I'm not sure how privileged / upper class Charlotte Dujardin is (although the name suggests fairly). The BBC articles I've read have danced around the issue, but implied she's less privileged than most elite equestrian competitors, and that her family could only afford to buy her the horse (it's not clear if this means 'any horse', or 'a really good horse for dressage') at all because of an inheritance. Granted, that probably still means the upper half of* middle class, but she's probably not aristocracy?

*EDIT: I think it meant 'any horse'; she started as a groom, and went to a comprehensive, according to wiki, and her competition horse, Valegro, is owned by someone else (and she was originally just meant to be training it for her coach.

I wonder. There was some outrage at the result with Dujardin. Apparently she made a major mistake but still one, while the (dutch) number two was faultless and (according to my dutch countrymen) should have won. Some neutrals apparently also expressed some surprise. Anyone else hear something about this? the news did imply these kind of 'surprising' results were quite common in dressage.

[boXd]

I wonder. There was some outrage at the result with Dujardin. Apparently she made a major mistake but still one, while the (dutch) number two was faultless and (according to my dutch countrymen) should have won. Some neutrals apparently also expressed some surprise. Anyone else hear something about this? the news did imply these kind of 'surprising' results were quite common in dressage.

I heard about it. Apparently Cornelissen's coach (the Dutch one) commented "'If Dujardin had been French, she wouldn't have won.'' Two other Dutch persons who I presume are important in the sport also expressed their surprise and said 'others said the same', but I wouldn't exactly call that neutral. *shrugs* I'm not an expert in the 'hippische sport', though. (For the Dutch commentary, look here.)

[johnny_7713]

I wonder. There was some outrage at the result with Dujardin. Apparently she made a major mistake but still one, while the (dutch) number two was faultless and (according to my dutch countrymen) should have won. Some neutrals apparently also expressed some surprise. Anyone else hear something about this? the news did imply these kind of 'surprising' results were quite common in dressage.

I heard about it. Apparently Cornelissen's coach (the Dutch one) commented "'If Dujardin had been French, she wouldn't have won.'' Two other Dutch persons who I presume are important in the sport also expressed their surprise and said 'others said the same', but I wouldn't exactly call that neutral. *shrugs* I'm not an expert in the 'hippische sport', though. (For the Dutch commentary, look here.)

Of course the score is composed of both an artistic and a technical component, so a technical error could in principle I assume be compensated by being artistically better. I don't know the nationality of the judges so I"m not sure why being English helped her as such, although in the Dutch article linked it was suggested that the judges were influenced by the cheering of the crowd.

The Dutch sports news just reported a tweet from a BBC commentator: "That's what happens when you don't give the Dutch dressage rider her gold medal, their hockey team gets ANGRY!" so maybe something positive came from it after all :p. [The Dutch men beat GBR 9-2 in the semi-final]

[Jahoclave]

I think what it really comes down to is that I want to see Hardcore Croquet.

[LaserGuy]

I think what it really comes down to is that I want to see Hardcore Croquet.

I'm rooting for sepak takraw. It's a sport based out of Malaysia that is basically volleyball except the only way to hit the ball is with a flying kick. Apparently very popular in Asia, and there's growing interest in other parts of the world.

[BRNMan]

Ooooooh, new olympic sports! The possibilities are endless. Olympic wiffle ball or frisbee would be cool to watch if they weren't under patent protection. But in seriousness, I think the olympics needs a 50 or 100 kilometer ultramarathon.

[Garm]

Ooooooh, new olympic sports! The possibilities are endless. Olympic wiffle ball or frisbee would be cool to watch if they weren't under patent protection. But in seriousness, I think the olympics needs a 50 or 100 kilometer ultramarathon.

I don't see why Ultimate Frisbee isn't an Olympic sport. Maybe because California would sweep the medals every time.

Ultramarathoners are weird. I'm not convinced that running that far is healthy.

[ahammel]

Ultramarathoners are weird. I'm not convinced that running that far is healthy.

Where is your God now?

[Jahoclave]

Ultramarathoners are weird. I'm not convinced that running that far is healthy.

Where is your God now?

Same as usual, non-existent.

[Radical_Initiator]

I think what it really comes down to is that I want to see Hardcore Croquet.

Full-contact underwater croquet?

[Dr. Diaphanous]

Apparently we now have two New Olympic Sports threads.

Where is your God now?

Same as usual, non-existent.

No time for theological debates, this calls for sport! Religious leaders must compete in a grueling centathlon, and God will help the one whose religion is true. Winner gets gold, losers must convert.

[Dauric]

I think what it really comes down to is that I want to see Hardcore Croquet.

Full-contact underwater croquet?

On horseback*, with fencing swords, and no pads.

*Yes still underwater.

[ahammel]

On horseback*, with fencing swords, and no pads.

*Yes still underwater.

I used to play water polo, but my horse wasn't a strong swimmer.

[Dauric]

Apparently we now have two New Olympic Sports threads.

ahh the other thread seems to be taking it seriously, this looks like a typical News and Articles conversation digression in to humor.

And on that note:

Where is your God now?

Same as usual, non-existent.

No time for theological debates, this calls for sport! Religious leaders must compete in a grueling centathlon, and God will help the one whose religion is true. Winner gets gold, losers must convert.

The existence or nonexistence of God to be determined by two falls, two submissions, or a knockout.

[Garm]

Ultramarathoners are weird. I'm not convinced that running that far is healthy.

Where is your God now?

There are a couple of Ultramarathoner cults in the area. I went to school with the children of the leaders of one so I reiterate.... Ultramarathoners are weird.

So I guess the answer to your question, in this case, is "up in Nederland."

[Dr. Diaphanous]

I propose the boxing-1500 m. The rules are the same as the 1500 m run, so the first over the line wins, with the exception that punching is allowed. Then race is thus a tradeoff between running the race and defending yourself from punches.

[Shivahn]

But then the person in first will not have any trouble avoiding the punches.

Clearly you should also be able to throw things.

[Dr. Diaphanous]

But then the person in first will not have any trouble avoiding the punches.

Clearly you should also be able to throw things.

Javelin 1500 m

[Radical_Initiator]

Add the Dodgeball Rule: If someone throws a javelin and you catch it, they're immediately disqualified.

[Jahoclave]

The 1500m Sailboat team race. You must run 1500m, but across sailboats. Ramming is allowed. You may not stop running. Anytime you fall into the water it's a ten second penalty.


The real question is, why are we not in charge? Our sports are far more awesome.

[TheGrammarBolshevik]

Do you really need a time penalty on top of the inherent drawbacks of being in the water?

[Jahoclave]

Do you really need a time penalty on top of the inherent drawbacks of being in the water?

Yes, because it requires adding insult to injury.

[Soralin]

Add the Dodgeball Rule: If someone throws a javelin and you catch it, they're immediately disqualified.

What counts as a "catch" when it comes to javelins? It seems like many people would remain in possession of a javelin thrown at them, regardless of if they want to or not.

[EvilDuckie]

What counts as a "catch" when it comes to javelins?

"Still be able to throw it back" would cover it quite nicely I think.

[Zamfir]

Would this count?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK0zGx9DmLg&feature=related

[johnny_7713]

What counts as a "catch" when it comes to javelins?

"Still be able to throw it back" would cover it quite nicely I think.

I'd add on "no penetration of the catcher's body must have occurred". If people can keep running with a broken leg I'm sure they would be able to pull a javelin out of their body and throw it back.

[boXd]

I'd add on "no penetration of the catcher's body must have occurred". If people can keep running with a broken leg I'm sure they would be able to pull a javelin out of their body and throw it back.

I think you're only considering ideal situations here: either the javelin complete penetrates the body, or it's a complete miss. What happens if it blasts off only a piece of my hands, my ears or my balls? Does that count as penetration?

(Reading the above out of context is not advised.)

[PeteP]

I think throwing it back should suffice. Winning the race after being hit by a Javelin would make a good story. Though is only throwing allowed or can you trip or stab the people running beside you?

[Jahoclave]

Also, you should get a shield.

[Radical_Initiator]

I'd probably go with a "catch" being any contact between the javelin and the recipient in which the recipient is physically able to then throw the javelin themselves. If the participant subsequently loses consciousness due to blood loss, that's unfortunate.

[boXd]

You know, I think we're taking the wrong approach when it comes to drug testing. I propose we insist that people are high during the Olympic event. It would make many of them so much more interesting to watch. "Not so fast now, are you, Usain?"

[Jahoclave]

But do we really want to watch the hippie olympics?

[boXd]

But do we really want to watch the hippie olympics?

Yes. Definitely.

[Dauric]

But do we really want to watch the hippie olympics?

Yes. Definitely.

It can always be a different category, like running distances. You have the 100m sprint, and the 100m high-as-a-kite munchies run.

To solve the problem of getting airtime for minor sports, the events could be held simultaneously. Say the Javelin throw on one side of the field while the hammer throw is held on the other side, pointed at eachother and close enough for both events to fit on a single camera shot of course.

[Adacore]

To solve the problem of getting airtime for minor sports, the events could be held simultaneously. Say the Javelin throw on one side of the field while the hammer throw is held on the other side, pointed at eachother and close enough for both events to fit on a single camera shot of course.

And then all the races could be run on a track between the two (in the old fashioned way, where people ran back and forth, rather than in circles, for longer distances)!