Paris Olympics 2024 (non-cycling) thread

[Salvarani]

Considering it's supposed to be an extreme sport, the surfing is kind of relaxing to watch, not a lot really happens for vast stretches of time and you can just watch some scenery go by and revel in the idyllic backdrop of Tahiti. Olympic skateboarding is still wretched, by contrast, doesn't feel like it's got enough depth of competition to feel like an elite sport, while putting it into a uniform format robs the sport of much of the freedom that gives it its appeal.

Being a surfer or skateboarder has always been more of a lifestyle choice rather than it just being a "sport".

But someone, somewhere, is probably benefitting financially from lobbying these sport to included in the Olympics.

 

[gunara]

I want to watch swimming final or something thrilling like that, but the only live event they show is rowing. Not that I don't like rowing or appreciating they showing our own guy, but 33rd place decider can't be that important, right? They have lots of other channels but they also mostly show the reruns of the country's athletes playing in early rounds where they are either too weak or too strong for 1st round opponents.

Anyway, was London 2012 the last (or only?) Summer Game to have free live broadcast on Youtube?

 

[RedheadDane]

Considering it's supposed to be an extreme sport, the surfing is kind of relaxing to watch, not a lot really happens for vast stretches of time and you can just watch some scenery go by and revel in the idyllic backdrop of Tahiti.

And then there's this picture:

 

[Nick2413]

Considering it's supposed to be an extreme sport, the cycling is kind of relaxing to watch, not a lot really happens for vast stretches of time and you can just watch some scenery go by and revel in the idyllic backdrop of the rural countryside

agreed on surfing & skateboarding too

 

[Tricycle Rider]

agreed on surfing & skateboarding too

Love your edit of LS's post!

 

[tobydawq]

Andy Murray not keen on ending his career.

 

[Salvarani]

Andy Murray not keen on ending his career.

The Froome of Tennis.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Love your edit of LS's post!

Nobody tries to sell (road) cycling as achingly cool, though.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Lady rugby players, better not mess around with them!

 

[tobydawq]

Triathletes should not be allowed on bikes.

 

[Rob5091]

I was hoping for a mention of sorts at the gymnastics of the inimitable French Madame d'Or.

 

[Tim Cahill]

We can't even win at the rowing, where's Redgrave bring him back.

It was quite funning seeing Peaty lose after the BBC haven't shut up about him for the last week though.

 

[jmdirt]

The gymnasts are amazing! It is a bit of a mind shift for me that a stuck landing isn't as important as it used to be. From the point of view of watching, I'll take a hop or step at the end to see the amazing routines though.

 

[Nick2413]

The gymnasts are amazing! It is a bit of a mind shift for me that a stuck landing isn't as important as it used to be. From the point of view of watching, I'll take a hop or step at the end to see the amazing routines though.

How come they dropped the importance of it?

 

[Tricycle Rider]

The gymnasts are amazing! It is a bit of a mind shift for me that a stuck landing isn't as important as it used to be. From the point of view of watching, I'll take a hop or step at the end to see the amazing routines though.

For me a mind shift is seeing actual grown women competing, some of them have competed in college. Gone are the days of 15 or 16yr.olds getting all the medals, I think that's a good thing. (Never thought I'd see Simone Biles competing at the top level at the tender age of 27, wow! That would have been unheard of when I was in gymnastics a few decades ago.)

 

[Sciatic]

For me a mind shift is seeing actual grown women competing, some of them have competed in college. Gone are the days of 15 or 16yr.olds getting all the medals, I think that's a good thing. (Never thought I'd see Simone Biles competing at the top level at the tender age of 27, wow! That would have been unheard of when I was in gymnastics a few decades ago.)

You mean the good old days of doctored birth certificates saying they were 15-16 but were actually younger?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Just managed to watch the triathlon, a sport I have no working knowledge of. I honestly don't know what these jokers are doing all working on the front on the bike leg, maybe there's something I'm missing but why aren't some of the lesser guys sitting on playing it cool to save some energy, no tactics at all. They aren't even like trying to have an argument about workload or nothing, Carapaz and Valverde watching this just absolutely tearing their hair out.

 

[Nick2413]

Just managed to watch the triathlon, a sport I have no working knowledge of. I honestly don't know what these jokers are doing all working on the front on the bike leg, maybe there's something I'm missing but why aren't some of the lesser guys sitting on playing it cool to save some energy, no tactics at all. They aren't even like trying to have an argument about workload or nothing, Carapaz and Valverde watching this just absolutely tearing their hair out.

Even the long distance guys seem to know how to take advantage of the draft better and it’s not even allowed in long distance lol.

 

[tobydawq]

Just managed to watch the triathlon, a sport I have no working knowledge of. I honestly don't know what these jokers are doing all working on the front on the bike leg, maybe there's something I'm missing but why aren't some of the lesser guys sitting on playing it cool to save some energy, no tactics at all. They aren't even like trying to have an argument about workload or nothing, Carapaz and Valverde watching this just absolutely tearing their hair out.

I think Valverde is very careful about not deliberately pulling any hair out.

 

[Salvarani]

Super-Sara!

Gold to Sweden!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I definitely didn't expect Sjöström to win that, but one should of course never underestimate her.

 

[ChewbaccaDefense]

Don't know if this has been written yet, but the United States is the Wout van Aert of this Olympics, so far. We're killing the minor placings.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It's been 11 years since the 2013 WC, but it's still the last time anyone was really able to challenge Katie Ledecky in a major 1500m freestyle race. Today's final wasn't slow at all, but Lotte Friis remains the second fastest woman ever in the discipline.

 

[jmdirt]

How come they dropped the importance of it?

I don't know that they 'dropped' the importance of it, but HUGE difficulty is more important.

 

[KZD]

Léon Marchand is one hell of a swimmer.

Winning the 200 meters butterfly and breaststroke in the same night is no joke.