- #61
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WHHHHOOOOOOOOooooo!
My quote of the day:
You have to have seen it.
My quote of the day:
Debbie Phelps said:
You have to have seen it.
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Beijing Olympics 2008: 4x100 Men's Swimming Finish
- Thread starter Gokul43201
- Start date
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Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around various events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with a particular focus on the 4x100 Men's Swimming relay and other sports such as badminton, equestrian, and gymnastics. Participants share their experiences, opinions, and reactions to the events, as well as their preferences for viewing the Olympics.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Debate/contested
- Conceptual clarification
Main Points Raised
- Some participants express excitement over the finish of the 4x100 Men's Swimming relay, highlighting Lezak's performance and the French team's unexpected loss.
- Several users mention their desire to watch the opening ceremony, discussing difficulties accessing it on YouTube and NBC's website.
- Participants share their thoughts on various sports, including badminton and equestrian events, with some expressing confusion about the latter's competitive structure.
- There are discussions about the performance of the Women's 400m freestyle team from Britain, noting unexpected results and individual performances.
- Some participants debate the fairness and competitiveness of equestrian events, questioning the impact of rider skill versus horse quality.
- Humorous exchanges occur regarding the idea of banning swimsuits in swimming competitions to create a level playing field.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
The discussion features multiple competing views, particularly regarding the nature of equestrian events and the accessibility of Olympic broadcasts. There is no consensus on the best way to view the Olympics or the fairness of various sports.
Contextual Notes
Participants express varying levels of interest in different sports, and some mention specific events they missed or wish to see. The discussion reflects a mix of personal opinions and experiences rather than established facts.
Who May Find This Useful
Readers interested in Olympic sports, event performances, and the dynamics of viewing preferences during major sporting events may find this discussion engaging.
- #62
chasely
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Gokul43201 said:
That was fantastic...I was yelling at my TV the entire last 50 m.
- #63
jtbell
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Then there was Bolt in the men's 100m dash. If he hadn't let up at the end he could have had a 9.59 instead of the 9.69 he actually got. 
- #64
Moonbear
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Gokul43201 said:
Looking at the frame-by-frame you posted above really reinforces the impression I've gotten watching Phelps live...he's got some almost creepy way his shoulders seem put together, almost like they aren't fully attached. It looks strangest when he's standing out of water to me. I wonder if that's what gives him the advantage, a strange shoulder joint with just a bit extra range of motion than other swimmers to get longer, more efficient strokes in while swimming.
- #65
BobG
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marlon said:
Large feet, a very good dolphin kick, and better lungs.
The dolphin kick thing underwater started with David Berkoff in '88 for the backstroke and some other breaststroker took that idea to the extreme where he'd go about half the length of the pool before surfacing and actually starting the breastroke. They finally put in a rule where you had to surface within so many meters (15 I think).
All the swimmers do this on the start. It gets harder to do this on flip turns later in the race since you need a lot of oxygen for your muscles. Phelps is about the only one who can still do this for any kind of distance by time he gets to his last flip turn. That's a huge advantage by time you get to lengths of 200 m or more.
The amazing thing is all the close calls turned out his way, because he really isn't that far above the performance of his competitors. The world records sound impressive, but everyone is beating the world records. This is the first competition where you've combined a "fast" swim suit with a very fast pool. The pool is very deep, plus it's actually 10 full lanes wide. That reduces the turbulence in the water and makes for incredibly fast times by all of the swimmers.
- #66
BobG
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jtbell said:Then there was Bolt in the men's 100m dash. If he hadn't let up at the end he could have had a 9.59 instead of the 9.69 he actually got.
That was flat out insane. I think that time and the way Bolt ran it will probably be the most incredible feat of the entire Olympics.
Most of the track world records are pretty old except for the 100m record. The 100m dash record has been tied or broken 7 times just since the last Olympics. Part of that progression has to be technology related.
- #67
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I wonder if Bolt didn't plan on that. He can now break his current record quite easily again. Some would call that smart marketing.
- #68
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I've heard that he is able to hyper-extend many of the joints in his body.Moonbear said:
Best link I could find from a quick search: http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/300663
He would have lost the 100 fly if Cavic had simply kept his head down for the last second. (see last two frames posted before)BobG said:
- #69
chasely
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I'm tuning into some of the events tonight. I don't get the gymnastics floor exercise.
- #70
porums
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These days I and my wife are so busy packing, we can't catch up with any sport games, we only enjoy hightlights at midnight.
- #71
JasonRox
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China missed a couple in gymnastics! Damn!
I'm cheering for China.
I'm cheering for China.
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- #72
BobG
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It'll get lost in the mix, but Nigeria's bronze in the women's 4x100m Relay has to be a contender for the biggest upset of Track & Field.
They were 18th in Olympic qualifying where only the top 16 qualify for the Olympics. Two qualifying teams (Cuba and Finland) withdrew, elevating Nigeria to the last qualifier for the Olympics.
Then they win a bronze when only two of the top 5 teams in the world actually finish the final (US, Jamaica, and Great Britain all dropped batons in either the semi's or the finals). It looked like Jamaica took out Great Britain in the next lane during their botched hand-off in the final.
The 4x100 is a wild race. In 6 races between both the Mens and Womens, a third of the field either dropped their baton or were disqualified for running out of the exchange zone.
The bibs with USA written in crayon were a fitting touch on a night where both US teams wound up dropping the baton.
They were 18th in Olympic qualifying where only the top 16 qualify for the Olympics. Two qualifying teams (Cuba and Finland) withdrew, elevating Nigeria to the last qualifier for the Olympics.
Then they win a bronze when only two of the top 5 teams in the world actually finish the final (US, Jamaica, and Great Britain all dropped batons in either the semi's or the finals). It looked like Jamaica took out Great Britain in the next lane during their botched hand-off in the final.
The 4x100 is a wild race. In 6 races between both the Mens and Womens, a third of the field either dropped their baton or were disqualified for running out of the exchange zone.
The bibs with USA written in crayon were a fitting touch on a night where both US teams wound up dropping the baton.