London 2012 Olympics Thread

[taiwan]

This is the London 2012 Olympics thread.

 

[taiwan]

GB track team was announced today...

Men

Adam Gemili – 100m and 4 x 100m (age: 18, born: London, lives: Dartford)

Dwain Chambers – 100m and 4 x 100m (age: 34, born: London, Lives: London)

James Dasaolu- 100 and 4x100m (age: 24, born: Croydon, lives: Loughborough)

Christian Malcolm- 200m and 4x100m (age: 33, born: Cardiff, lives: Newport)

James Ellington- 200m and 4x100m (age: 26, born: Lewisham, lives: London

Martyn Rooney- 400m and 4x400m (age: 25, born: Croydon, lives: Loughborough)

Conrad Williams- 400m and 4x400m (age: 30, born: Kingston, Jamaica, lives: Hither Green)

Nigel Levine- 400m* and 4x400m (age: 23, born: Bedford, lives: Bedford)

Andrew Osagie- 800m (age: 24, born: Harlow, lives: Twickenham)

Michael Rimmer – 800m (age: 26, born: Southport, lives: Manchester)

Ross Murray- 1500m (age: 22, born: Gateshead, lives: Twickenham

Andrew Baddeley- 1500m (age: 30, born: Merseyside lives: London)

Nick McCormick- 5000m (age:30, born: Newcastle, lives: Loughborough)

Mo Farah- 5,000 and 10,000 (age:28, born: Somalia, lives: Portland, USA)

Chris Thompson – 10,000m (age: 31, born: Barrow-in-Furness, lives Oregon USA)

Stuart Stokes – 3000mSC (age: 35, born: Bolton, lives: Bolton)

Lawrence Clarke- 110mh (age: 22, born: London, lives: Bath)

Andrew Pozzi- 110mh (age: 19, born: Leamington Spa, lives: Bristol)

Andy Turner- 110mh (age: 31, born: Nottingham, lives: Sutton)

Dai Greene- 400mh and 4x400m (age: 26, born: Llanelli, lives: Trowbridge)

Jack Green- 400mh and 4x400m (age: 20, born: Maidstone, lives: Bath)

Rhys Williams – 400mh (age: 28, born: Cardiff, lives: London)

Robbie Grabarz- high jump (age: 24, born: Enfield, lives: Birmingham)

Steve Lewis- pole vault (age: 26, born: Stoke on Trent, lives:London)

Greg Rutherford- long jump (age: 24, born: Milton Keynes, lives: Milton Keynes)

Chris Tomlinson- long jump (age: 30, born: Middlesbrough, lives: London)

Philips Idowu- triple jump (age: 33, born: Hackney, lives: Birmingham)

Mervyn Luckwell – javelin (age: 27, born: Milton Keynes, lives: Loughborough)

Lawrence Okoye- discus (age: 20, born: Croydon, lives Croydon)

Brett Morse – discus (age: 23, born:Cardiff, lives: Penarth)

Abdul Buhari – discus (age: 30, born: Nigeria, lives: London)

Carl Myerscough – Shotput (age: 32, born: Blackpool, lives: USA)

Alex Smith – Hammer (age:24, born: Hull, lives Hull)

Daniel Awde – Decathlon (age: 24, born: Essex, lives Essex)

Dominic King – 50k Walk (age: 29. Born: Colchester. Lives: Colchester)

Danny Talbot – 4x100m (age 21, born: Sailisbury, lives: Trowbridge)

Simeon Williamson – 4x100m (age: 26, born: London, lives: Enfield)

Mark Lewis-Francis – 4x100m (age: 29, born: Birmingham, lives: London)

Richard Buck- 4x400m (age: 25, born: York, lives: Loughborough)

Luke Lennon-Ford – 4x400m (age: 23, born: Sutton Coldfield, lives: London)

Rob Tobin- 4x400m (age: 28, born: Lincoln, lives: Basingstoke)

Women

Abi Oyepitan – 100m and 200m (age: 32, born: London , lives: London)

Anyika Onuora- 100m* and 200m (age: 27, born: Liverpool, lives: London)

Margaret Adeoye- 200m (age: 27, born: London, lives: London)

Christine Ohuruogu- 400m and 4x400m (age: 28, born: London, lives: London)

Shana Cox- 400m and 4x400m (age: 27, born: Brooklyn, USA, lives: London)

Lee McConnell – 400m* and 4x400m (age: 33, born: Glasgow, lives: Glasgow)

Lynsey Sharp – 800m (age: 21, born: Edinburgh, lives: Edinburgh )

Laura Weightman- 1500m (age: 21, born: Alnwick, lives: Leeds)

Lisa Dobriskey- 1500m (age:28, born: Ashford, lives:Loughborough)

Hannah England- 1500m (age: 25, born: Oxford, lives: Birmingham)

Jo Pavey- 5000m and 10,000m (age: 38, born: Exeter, lives: Exeter)

Julia Bleasdale – 5000m and 10,000m (age: 30, born: Surry, lives: Surrey)

Barbara Parker- 5000m and 3000mSC (age:29, born: King’s Lynn, lives: California, USA)

Eilish McColgan- 3000mSC (age: 21, born: Dundee, lives: Carnousie )

Johanna Jackson 20km walk (age: 27, born: Middlesbrough, lives: Leeds )

Tiffany Porter- 100mh (age: 24, born: Michigan, USA, lives: London)

Perri Shakes-Drayton- 400mh (age: 23, born: London, lives: London)

Eilidh Child- 400mh (age:25, born: Perth, lives: Kinross/Bath)

Holly Bleasdale- pole valut (age: 20, born: Preston, lives: Chorley)

Kate Dennison- pole vault (age:28, born: Durban, SA, lives: Loughborough)

Shara Proctor- long jump (age: 23, born: Anguilla, lives: Atlanta, USA)

Yamile Aldama – triple jump (age: 39, born: Havana, Cuba,lives: London)

Sophie Hitchon- hammer (age: 20, born: Burnley, lives: Loughborough)

Goldie Sayers- javelin (age: 29, born: Newmarket, lives: London)

Jessica Ennis- heptathlon and 100mh (age: 26, born: Sheffield, lives: Sheffield)

Katarina Johnson-Thompson – heptathlon (age: 18, born: Liverpool, lives: Liverpool)

Louise Hazel- heptathlon – heptathlon (age: 26, born: Southwark, lives: Birmingham)

Marilyn Okoro- 4x400m (age: 27, born: London, lives: London)

Nicola Sanders- 4x400m (age: 30, born: High Wycombe,lives: Bourne End)

Emily Diamond – 4x400m (age:21 born: Bristol, lives: Bristol)

 

[Froome19]

Big point of debate was Meadows omission

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18698492

 

[Froome19]

Sad unfortunately I am going away at Olympic time though I do have tickets which I will be unable to use...

 

[Froome19]

Some controversy going on in the selections for the British team seems like there will eb a repeat of the Cooke saga

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18697291

 

[taiwan]

Big point of debate was Meadows omission

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18698492

Seems like they've just picked on health and current form. I don't know the athletes well enough to be outraged...

 

[Izzy eviel]

I've got tickets to see England Women Vs Brazil at Wembley. Not bad for £20 and it's only 3 stops on the tube.

I intend to go down and watch the finish of the Mens and Women bike races, course is too lame to watch on tv so I thought I'd go and check them out in person.

Other then that, I really loathe the Olympics. So much chaos for so little benefit.

 

[The Hitch]

Greatest show on earth.

Have a ticket to box hill and will go to see the womens road race too and both tts.

Shame paralympics dont come before olympics. Would make them seem like part of the build up and gain far more attention than they currently as an afterthought after all the hubub has died down.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Greatest show on earth.

Really?...

I like how 'unknown' sports get attention in the media but it's like archery get's a bit.. you know.. after the first 10 minutes...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I know I'm in the minority, but I'm not interested in the Olympics, for many reasons. Some winter events, and very few summer ones.

 

[Froome19]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18704285

Seems ambitious but at the same realistic yet it seems to me that we will get beaten even if we do get 48 though not be the Aussies

 

[Froome19]

Indeed I have tickets for hockey, handball, football and volleyball all got in the 2nd ballot but I will not be using them.

 

[Froome19]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18708365

This is something very exciting for the whole world of sport and even though he certainly divided opinons ,due to the fairness as people argue he has been given an unfair advantage which without he would have been slower, no one can deny it is a great story and something which will light up the Olympics..

I have not checked it but does this guarantee him a run, or did they pick 5 runners for the relay.. if so it would be heart breaking to have a repeat of what transpired at the Worlds last year.

 

[The Hitch]

Indeed I have tickets for hockey, handball, football and volleyball all got in the 2nd ballot but I will not be using them.

you selling?

 

[Froome19]

Taiwan on your point..

Lets just put it this way. Many competitors build up for 3 and a half years all for the sake of trying to achieve the A standard and therefore Olympic qualification.

Meadows is an even more startling case as she has recently been handed the gold medal in the world indoor champs for 2011 and she has been easily the best 800m runner for the brits over the past couple of years. That the runner picked was one who ran a B standard time is ludicrous considering that there were 4 who had run A standards and that this runner had never shown anything to suggest she was better than these runners. The excuse given was form and Meadows has struggled a bit this year but the other 3 A standard runners, especially Okoro who is very talented and is the fastest over the distance in Britain . It seems to highlight a lack of vision as just because these girls didnt perform all that well in the trials for a number of different reasons.. Jackson had a rib injury etc they were not selected, even though they were bound to be fit and have raised their games for the Olympics.

 

[Froome19]

you selling?

Do you mean on the official website? Supposed to get around to it but never have thanks for reminding me.

If you mean not on that website.. well that is illegal

 

[Froome19]

Another thing to consider is the apparent discrimination for the unfunded athletes, the most common case was of course Cooke, but there have been other cases including Richard Kilty who ran the A standard once more and was then not picked even though there was a spare spot available...

I would explain it but he articulates it nicely

An unfunded athlete breaking into the Great Britain team shows their system is not working,"

I also think is displays a lack of sensitivity by the selectors...
As he says

I've struggled this year. For the last 10 weeks, I've actually been living on a bedroom floor in north London.

"I am unfunded, I have no sponsorship and have been training with Linford Christie in London. I've had to sleep on a bedroom floor, getting by on pennies to try to achieve my dream."

Ok this is the Olympics not some charity fun run but imo due to the fact he has shown he can run the A time which means he can compete with the best in the world he should have been picked as it would not have cost them anything much. Yet due to his non participation in the trials, due to illness, like with the 800m girls he has been penalised though he shouldnt rightly be.

 

[Froome19]

Also awful news for Bolt who was recently beaten in the 200m and 100m by Blake, he will miss his last race before the Olympics... Blake has run the fastest time this year in the world and I think it may just have been a blessing in disguise that Bolt did not have the opportunity to lose morale at the world champs last year:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18723710

 

[taiwan]

Taiwan on your point..

Lets just put it this way. Many competitors build up for 3 and a half years all for the sake of trying to achieve the A standard and therefore Olympic qualification.

Meadows is an even more startling case as she has recently been handed the gold medal in the world indoor champs for 2011 and she has been easily the best 800m runner for the brits over the past couple of years. That the runner picked was one who ran a B standard time is ludicrous considering that there were 4 who had run A standards and that this runner had never shown anything to suggest she was better than these runners. The excuse given was form and Meadows has struggled a bit this year but the other 3 A standard runners, especially Okoro who is very talented and is the fastest over the distance in Britain . It seems to highlight a lack of vision as just because these girls didnt perform all that well in the trials for a number of different reasons.. Jackson had a rib injury etc they were not selected, even though they were bound to be fit and have raised their games for the Olympics.

I see your point that the work these athletes have done in the long term is not to be dismissed so lightly. Yeah it looks like Okoro should have been selected seeing as she has run 3 'A' Standards this year and the strongest PB apart from Meadows. I can see how Meadows would not be selected though, as she does not seem to have raced at all this year (?). Excuse me for not checking out injuries etc. of these athletes.

The fact that Sharp won the trials with a time outside the 'B' Standard is meaningful, I guess. Maybe not an appropriate event to make or break these womens' olympic hopes. Also were there 3 slots available, two of which were forfeited to go with the 'B' Standard runner?

Hopefully Sharp is till on the up, though, and can produce another PB at the Olympics - it seems very possible.

edit - @Froome19 one argument being made for Sharp is that she races well/is in the winning zone. What do you think?

 

[taiwan]

GB Team appeals

Gareth Warburton wins his appeal, Gemma Simpson, Emma Jackson and Richard Kilty lose theirs.

 

[thrawn]

Greatest show on earth.

Have a ticket to box hill and will go to see the womens road race too and both tts.

Shame paralympics dont come before olympics. Would make them seem like part of the build up and gain far more attention than they currently as an afterthought after all the hubub has died down.

To be honest I think the olympics should be extended to 3-4 weeks, and incorporate the paralympic events into the olympic schedule.

Not sure how London is handling it, but in Sydney they gave free tickets to all the schools for a day at the paralympics to increase the crowd sizes. I ended up going to the paralympics for 2 days. If you can, go and watch the wheelchair rugby, great entertainment.

 

[Bala Verde]

Running into a bit of a barney?

G4S staff hit out over Olympics security 'shambles'

Security company G4S has been under fire since it emerged last week that it could not deliver enough guards for the London Olympics. Some of those who had signed up to work for the firm during the Games contacted the BBC in response to the criticism.

London 2012: G4S's Nick Buckles regrets taking contract

[...] But he said G4S planned to keep its £57m management fee.

Mr Buckles said that because the firm expected "to deliver a significant amount of staff" it would retain the fee.[...]

G4S has been under fire since it emerged last week that 3,500 extra military personnel have had to be deployed to meet the firm's shortfall in trained security guards for the Games. Police have also helped fill gaps left by G4S.

A refund to the UK tax payers seems appropriate, they footed the bill the first time, and now again through the use of an additional 3,500 military personnel...

Interesting to see that the bread and butter security staff [apparently they even suggested to train people on the job and cut information/training sessions to quickly boost the numbers] deployment is lagging, while missile systems on appartment buildings are approved and ready to go...

and then Olympics organisers are cutting parts of the opening ceremony to ensure it finishes in time for spectators to get home using public transport.

Games organisers withdraw 500,000 soccer tickets [although there is this "Games chief Seb Coe defended the move and said soccer ticket sales compared favourably with previous Olympics."

The arrival of athletes wasn't too smooth

Athletes Arrive in London, and Run Into a Dead End

“Um, so we’ve been lost on the road for 4hrs. Not a good first impression London,” he added.

Food poisoning hits Australian Olympians [Schleck's suing the 'poisoners'!!]

To the Brits....please ensure us everything going to be alright?

I don't want to miss handball, swimming, cycling, rowing, badminton, beach volleyball, sailing, hockey, judo, boxing and waterpolo!!!!

 

[taiwan]

Running into a bit of a barney?

G4S staff hit out over Olympics security 'shambles'



London 2012: G4S's Nick Buckles regrets taking contract



A refund to the UK tax payers seems appropriate, they footed the bill the first time, and now again through the use of an additional 3,500 military personnel...

Interesting to see that the bread and butter security staff [apparently they even suggested to train people on the job and cut information/training sessions to quickly boost the numbers] deployment is lagging, while missile systems on appartment buildings are approved and ready to go...

and then Olympics organisers are cutting parts of the opening ceremony to ensure it finishes in time for spectators to get home using public transport.

Games organisers withdraw 500,000 soccer tickets [although there is this "Games chief Seb Coe defended the move and said soccer ticket sales compared favourably with previous Olympics."

The arrival of athletes wasn't too smooth

Athletes Arrive in London, and Run Into a Dead End



Food poisoning hits Australian Olympians [Schleck's suing the 'poisoners'!!]

To the Brits....please ensure us everything going to be alright?

I don't want to miss handball, swimming, cycling, rowing, badminton, beach volleyball, sailing, hockey, judo, boxing and waterpolo!!!!

I still don't get how you can shoot down planes with missiles over London.

Political point, but the G4S thing does give the lie to the 'market ensures value for money' claim for contracting public functions out to private companies.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Shouldn´t this thread belong to the clinic? I mean how will we discuss Bolt, Phelps, etc. freely? Just a thought...

 

[Froome19]

Shouldn´t this thread belong to the clinic? I mean how will we discuss Bolt, Phelps, etc. freely? Just a thought...

The skepticism and cynicism which has run rife and currently ruins cycling is not yet prevalent in athletics