Olympics

[ajva]

I am, notoriously, a bit of an Olympics geek.

I do like watching any sport played at an international level, but the difference with the Olympics is that there are so many minority sports involved that I for one never tend to watch - and I'm sure many others don't either - that suddenly become on a level because every sport is equal when it comes to the Olympics. This gives a huge chance to people who work incredibly hard in less well known sports to become stars, and I think it's just fantastic.

And I knew beforehand that this would be a great weekend for the British team, with some of our strongest sports reaching their concluding stages (when asked the usual Friday afternoon question at work: "what are you doing this weekend?", I said I'd set aside the weekend for Olympics watching). And as you can imagine, the weekend has lived up to my expectations.

I know it's a bit of a minority thing, but I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed this weekend. I even stayed up late into the small hours of Saturday morning to watch Michael Phelps and Rebecca Adlington do so well. It's the best result the UK has had for so long, and for a hardcore Olympics geek like me, it's been the best , most enjoyable result.

Roll on 2012. :o)

Comments

[indigo-violet.livejournal.com]

We've been lovin' it too especially the swimming, Ceej being a Masters swimmer and all. We came in from a club at 3.30 this morning and put the TV on until we could stay awake no more...

[ajva.livejournal.com]

Yes! The swimmers have done so well, all of them. And as for Jo Jackson making that bronze - absolutely staggering; she must be so delighted. The only major disappointment was the women's 4x200 not making the final, but then that's sport for you...

[alan1957.livejournal.com]

I too am a fan and have mainly been following it on the beeb's fantastic website...and being a night worker I've been able to watch it without loosing any more sleep than normal!

I know Team GB is going to slip down the medal tables, but currently THIRD PLACE?!?...blimey! And that's with worse than expected performances in both Archery and Judo (where they should've/could've got a couple of medals in both)!

Although I don't follow it, I would have said that the best medal so far has got to be the bronze in the Men's Gymnastics...when do we ever get close in that sport?!

[ajva.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping we might keep third place for a while. After all, Germany don't have an awful lot of chances for more golds, and we have a few...

[alan1957.livejournal.com]

Well, colour me WRONG ... I know there's a way to go yet, but tonight's 3rd place lead over the Aussies* is FIVE golds!
Who would have thunk it, eh?

*I might be wrong 'ere but I imagine that beating the Aussies may be a higher priority for English sports fans rather than Scots, Welsh or Northern Irish fans!

[juliet]

I have been watching primarily the cycling, but many other things as well (due to also loving the Olympics - have done since I was tiny). The cyclists have been *fantastic* - never mind just winning stuff, they're just visibly better. I don't know if you saw the men's team pursuit quarterfinal today? Our lot were obviously riding so much tidier than the Russians - it was gorgeous to watch.

[potatoprint.livejournal.com]

I've been in Northumberland for the last week, and it rained a lot.

This meant that we watched quite a bit of the coverage with the kids, which was interesting, as they have now decided that they have to be in London for 2012.

I may also have been somewhat misty-eyed at medal presentations!

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

I've been camping at mates' house on and off to watch.

Rebecca Adlington's golds/records were a marvellous thing, and have been loving following the progress of the mighty Michael Phelps.

The gymnastics comps have been amazing for competition, drama and artistry.

Also, as ever with an Olympics, discovering and obsessing over new sports, in my case, this time round it's been womens' weighlifting and syncronised diving.

[plumsbitch.livejournal.com]

I do like watching any sport played at an international level, but the difference with the Olympics is that there are so many minority sports involved that I for one never tend to watch - and I'm sure many others don't either - that suddenly become on a level because every sport is equal when it comes to the Olympics. This gives a huge chance to people who work incredibly hard in less well known sports to become stars, and I think it's just fantastic.

And yes, *agrees wholeheartedly with this*

And while I have huge problems around the IOC and the staging of the Olympics in China, this does not destroy for me watching the amazing performances and work and joy of the sportspeople taking part.

[lovingboth]

Ditto and there's also the element of when else do they get the coverage? Much that I can enjoy watching international football, to see it have about he same or less TV coverage than, say, volleyball is delightful.

[louis_mallow]

Yes; watched all weekend, too. China's hosting a great games.

I think what I love about the Olympics is seeing something utterly unreal, like a load of people running 100m in <10s, or a group running a marathon at the speed I run 2.5 miles, and thinking, 'Grief. How many people can do that?'

Then I realise that of the whole world's population, maybe even of all the humans who've ever lived, everyone who can do X feat is there, in the group on screen.

I think the anti-doping's having some effect though. Some of the gymnastics apparatus finals looked very different from, say 12 years ago. Much more believably human.

[emmy-mallow.livejournal.com]

Because Zach likes to keep odd hours we have seen most of the coverage! It's been fabulous.

Though I did get really hacked off with the sulking and tears produced by the womens coxless 4 who won a silver medal instead of a gold. I mean, for crying out loud, it's a silver medal at the olympic games and China raced an incredible race to a brilliant finish. They didn't even acknowledge their opponents achievement - bah to them, I say!

But yeah, I've followed Phelps, I've watched the gymnastics teams, I've even watched the steeplechase. It's been a great games so far and haven't China hosted well?!

[jhg.livejournal.com]

Bloody genius weekend, eh?