The Official XXIX Summer Olympics Thread

#702
#702
cotton said:
Despite your feelings about trampolining (sorry Memphisvol,) synchonized swimming, or rhythmic gymnastics, racewalking has got to be the worst Olympic sport. I don't understand the point in having a race where the rules dictate that you can't do anything that would make you go fast. Also, from the slow-motion replays, it appears that every single competitor is breaking the "lift" rule on every stride, which, according to the announcer, is fine, because the judges aren't able to detect that one of the only two rules of the sport is being broken. It also just looks stupid.

It is my opinion that, in the future, if they are going to include this event in future games, the competitors should be limited to people at least 75 years old and the track should be required to be inside a mall.
Click to expand...

race walkers move at a pretty fast pace and are conditioned incredibly well in terms of cardio. we're not talking about old man rivers and his wife out for a stroll through the neighborhood here. we're talking a 20K in 1:26.05. that's about a 7 min/ mile. that's fast.

i don't know you personally, so i don't have any idea your personal fitness, but when i ran regularly, i was about 8 min/ mile. they are faster than your average human, by far.

equestrian is the sport that needs to go.

edit: to add, there was several competitors who got disqualified for lifting their feet.
 
#703
#703
we had some power/race walkers in the Marathon i've worked with the past two years. Those people are very fast. I didn't follow them too much, but I know we have judges spaced all over the course to make sure they aren't cheating. But, as noted in the Olympics, it's a very hard feat to judge properly.

Edit: I didn't intend the pun with the word feat, but it's there.
 
#706
#706
doozer said:
there's much more ability involved in race walking than there is in jumping over fences with your horse.

just sayin.
Click to expand...
probably true, but it was boring as hell and looks completely ridiculous. Cotton had a good point about it flying in the face of the Olympic motto.

Crap like synchro diving, synchro swimming, bmx, sabre, etc also need to be 86'd.
 
#708
#708
kev20 said:
Speaking of excessive celebrating.....guess Rogge didn't have a problem with Phelps.
Click to expand...

WTH are you talking about? There was only two races where he even celebrated. The relay with the amazing finish, and the relay to get the 8th medal. In neither one of those celebrations was he showboating like Bolt was doing. There is a difference between showboating and celebrating.
 
#709
#709
doozer said:
race walkers move at a pretty fast pace and are conditioned incredibly well in terms of cardio.
Click to expand...

I'm not questioning their ability to do their walk at a very high level. I am simply pointing out that walking like that is silly. It also find it very odd that the sport specifically prevents you from running because it is faster than walking. That is, in my opinion, tantamount to having a bike race where standing up on the pedals is banned because it makes you go faster. Ever wonder why the Elementary Backstroke isn't an Olympic racing stroke? Because it isn't as good of a race as the regular back stroke, much like walking isn't as good of a racing sport as running.

doozer said:
edit: to add, there was several competitors who got disqualified for lifting their feet.
Click to expand...

I was referring specifically to the slo-mo replay of the winner, who "lifted" on every step, but this actually strengthens my point. The only thing worse than having a rule that isn't enforced is a rule that is enforced randomly because the judges can't tell when it is being broken.


doozer said:
there's much more ability involved in race walking than there is in jumping over fences with your horse.
Click to expand...

Having admittedly little experience with racewalking but quite a bit on horseback, I very seriously doubt that this is true. The horse is a large part of the equation, but those equestrian events are won by a team of horse and person. Make no mistake--there is a lot of training and ability on both sides of the saddle.
 
#710
#710
chavisut said:
WTH are you talking about? There was only two races where he even celebrated. The relay with the amazing finish, and the relay to get the 8th medal. In neither one of those celebrations was he showboating like Bolt was doing. There is a difference between showboating and celebrating.
Click to expand...

No, he did some serious celebrating in the six events I watched. I wouldn't call it showboating either, but it's fun and games either way and neither his celebrating nor Bolt's antics should be criticized by the IOC chief.

You really only saw Phelp's showing off his muscles and pumping himself up twice after his events?
 
#711
#711
volfanbill said:
No, he did some serious celebrating in the six events I watched. I wouldn't call it showboating either, but it's fun and games either way and neither his celebrating nor Bolt's antics should be criticized by the IOC chief.

You really only saw Phelp's showing off his muscles and pumping himself up twice after his events?
Click to expand...

I watched every race. He might have raised his fist in the air and shaken it a bit, but I would hardly compare that to the way Bolt acted. Half the time, Phelps would look up at the board and stare down the results.
 
#712
#712
chavisut said:
I watched every race. He might have raised his fist in the air and shaken it a bit, but I would hardly compare that to the way Bolt acted. Half the time, Phelps would look up at the board and stare down the results.
Click to expand...

you must have quit watching before he got out of the water. He loved to fist pump and almost Lex Luger-esque his arms and ab section to celebrate.
 
#714
#714
chavisut said:
I'm sorry, but I don't consider fist pumping over celebration.
Click to expand...

neither do I, I don't even consider his little Lex Luger move over celebrating, but you were simply saying he didn't do it, when he did in fact do them multiple times.
 
Last edited:
#715
#715
volfanbill said:
neither did I, I don't even consider his little Lex Luger move over celebrating, but you were simply saying he didn't do it, when he did in fact do them multiple times.
Click to expand...

I should have made it clear that I meant excessive celebrating. There was only two races where he went crazy with his celebrations. I didn't have a problem with any of his celebrating, nor did I have a problem with Bolt's. However, I don't think any of Phelp's celebrations were showboating like Bolt's.

Isn't the showboating the IOC's main complaint?
 
#716
#716
cotton said:
I'm not questioning their ability to do their walk at a very high level. I am simply pointing out that walking like that is silly. It also find it very odd that the sport specifically prevents you from running because it is faster than walking. That is, in my opinion, tantamount to having a bike race where standing up on the pedals is banned because it makes you go faster. Ever wonder why the Elementary Backstroke isn't an Olympic racing stroke? Because it isn't as good of a race as the regular back stroke, much like walking isn't as good of a racing sport as running.

I was referring specifically to the slo-mo replay of the winner, who "lifted" on every step, but this actually strengthens my point. The only thing worse than having a rule that isn't enforced is a rule that is enforced randomly because the judges can't tell when it is being broken.

Having admittedly little experience with racewalking but quite a bit on horseback, I very seriously doubt that this is true. The horse is a large part of the equation, but those equestrian events are won by a team of horse and person. Make no mistake--there is a lot of training and ability on both sides of the saddle.
Click to expand...

i've never heard of the elementary backstroke.

think about how many calls could be reversed or brought back because every play was analyzed in slow motion. there's holding on every play in football. does that discredit it too? one foot has to be on the ground at all times. i'm sure if you give me a slow motion/close up replay i could have disqualified every contestant, just like i could find a hold on every play.

i never said equestrians don't train and put in absurd amounts of time. i just said there's nothing althletic (humanly) about jumping over fences and wading pools with a horse.
 
#717
#717
chavisut said:
Isn't the showboating the IOC's main complaint?
Click to expand...
No, his main complaint was that Bolt didn't gladhand/congratulate the other athletes. Which to me seems THEIR fault, since, ya know... he was the one that should be congratulated.
 
#718
#718
doozer said:
i never said equestrians don't train and put in absurd amounts of time. i just said there's nothing althletic (humanly) about jumping over fences and wading pools with a horse.
Click to expand...
Actually, you said it took more "ability" to racewalk... Which I imagine many would disagree with. There is a lot of skill in riding a horse for dressage or cross country or jumping hurdles.

doozer said:
there's much more ability involved in race walking than there is in jumping over fences with your horse.

just sayin.
Click to expand...
 
#719
#719
rwemyss said:
No, his main complaint was that Bolt didn't gladhand/congratulate the other athletes. Which to me seems THEIR fault, since, ya know... he was the one that should be congratulated.
Click to expand...

It seems like none of the winners in the track events congratulate the other runners. There is more celebrating going on after the track races than any other sport from what I've seen.
 
#720
#720
rwemyss said:
Actually, you said it took more "ability" to racewalk... Which I imagine many would disagree with. There is a lot of skill in riding a horse for dressage or cross country or jumping hurdles.
Click to expand...

then i didn't make myself clear enough. my mistake.
 
#721
#721
chavisut said:
It seems like none of the winners in the track events congratulate the other runners. There is more celebrating going on after the track races than any other sport from what I've seen.
Click to expand...
I agree completely. Every now and then I will see teammates shake hands or hug at the end of a tough race... but nothing like what I've seen in other sports.

IOC guy should have just kept his mouth shut and left Bolt alone.
 
#722
#722
doozer said:
i just said there's nothing althletic (humanly) about jumping over fences and wading pools with a horse.
Click to expand...

This would only be the sentiment of a human that has never tried to do it on horseback. Do you feel the same way about jockeys?
 
#724
#724
there is no comparison between jumping a horse over a fence and race walking, for a human, athletically speaking. like i said, i didn't make myself clear.

and one could argue that technically, the precision required to jump your horse is the same as holding your form/stride late in the race.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top