Favourite Olympic Moment

[The_Ghan]

the laid back attitude that Australians have to life ...

http://tvnz.co.nz/olympics-2012/aussies-still-smarting-over-medal-count-5009029 

 

Yes, I'm sure the whole of NZ is basking in the glory of leading Australia in the medal count.  And good on you too.  Team NZ is taking these Games as seriously as Germany, Russia and China.  That is the way the Olympics should be.

 

Frankly, I think the Australian media has got it wrong, and I think Autralian Olympic Officials have it wrong too.

 

I watched the Women's Marathon the other night to hear the commentator introduce one of the Australian entrants with an eight week history of illness and dispair, and being lucky to have made it to the Games ... needless to say, after 4km she was reduced to a walk.  If she was a horse she would have been shot.  Front page of the Telegraph was how one Australian diver (without a medal) has "hit the high note" with karaoke.  What the hell is that?

 

Australian Officials have selected a swag of lazy, Facebook-focused competitors who have failed to perform.  Sure, we might have earned a Gold Medal in the Karaoke, and I think the womens' swim team took Gold in the Twitter Relay the other night, but that's about it.  As far as I'm aware, Australia is the only team to send a convicted criminal and undischarged bankrupt.  Our "athletes", and I use the term loosely, behave like spoilt brats, party all night and generally enjoy a junket at our expense.  Officials have no control over athletes.  The whole thing is a disgrace.

 

Officials should be sacked.  So should athletes.  The media should be coming down hard instead of the sookie-laa-laa approach they are taking, with watered down interviews of athletes who fail to qualify for the next round because they've got a fracking hangover.

 

I'm afraid that in Australia at the moment the words "athelete" and "elite" just don't seem to stick well together.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[linkey]

The_Ghan,

 

Don't stress, after later today or even tomorrow we would have leaped of NZ who hasn't gain any Gold medals since their 2 Gold medals. Plus we have beaten them in the Sailing - Mens 49er class :P

 

Yes, our swimmers were thinking that they were the best and got beating hands down, some of them didn't even look fit enough to be at the games similar to Cadel Evan (cycling - road race) but at least Cadel you can understand being so close to the finish of the TDF and then straight to the games while he wasn't 90% fit. Then the are other events we should of won but became complacent.

 

At least these will not be the worst Olympic Games for Australia (only the Gold Medal Haul might be) but the silverware and bronzeware is still good.

[The_Ghan]

Linkey,

 

I must disagree.  Last night I watched the mens' triathalon.  Eddie Everywhere was the commentator (just another reason the Swans should give Collingwood a thrashing on Saturday night, but that's another story).  Again we had a spiel about how our athletes have overcome sickness, injury and misfortune to be at the Games.  I think there's a mini-series in the making here.  But it presented to me as a list of excuses as to why we weren't going to do any good.  Sure enough, we came in 18th, and two others placed further down the ladder.

 

My point is this:  if we send our best people, in their best physical condition, and they come 18th I don't mind.  But we we send athletes knowing that they are not in their peak condition and then rant on about how lucky they are to be there I find that inappropriate.  Karaoke, Twitter, partying etc. are all inappropriate.  You do those things AFTER the Closing Ceremony.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[The_Ghan]

I just want to add one more great moment in Olympics ... the disabled runner with no feet who competed the other day against normal able-bodied runners ... and he didn't come last ... absolutely awesome!

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Billding]

following are my most remarkable moments in 2012 Olympic.

 

The Olympic cauldron

synchronized swimming