Olympic Coolness (not the usual)

[Danger]

I don't like sports, but even I have to pay some attention to the Games. I do love to watch gymnastics, though, which is what brought this thread to mind.
It's a place to post about extraordinary things that you might find during the Games, rather than just the expected athletic excellence. It's not restricted to athletes. If there's something special about a coach, or a competitor's parents, or whatever... this is the place.
I'll start with the 2 that really blew me away and prompted this. (Please forgive my lack of remembering names.)
An Irish lad who was told just a couple of years ago that he would never walk again competed in the floor gymnastics yesterday. It didn't go as well as he'd hoped, but as he said in the post-performance interview, "At least I'm not in a wheelchair like they said I'd be." (That's not an exact quote, but as close to it as I can remember.)
The other is a young Chinese archer. He's legally blind, and still managed to set a world record. I'm missing some details on that, having heard it just in passing on the news, but I think that it has something to do with the number of arrows on target.
If anything extra special like that comes to your attention, please share.
And no, Arildno! Bad Arildno! Sit! Balancing a frozen halibut on your nose doesn't count.

 

[rollcast]

I don't like sports, but even I have to pay some attention to the Games. I do love to watch gymnastics, though, which is what brought this thread to mind.
It's a place to post about extraordinary things that you might find during the Games, rather than just the expected athletic excellence. It's not restricted to athletes. If there's something special about a coach, or a competitor's parents, or whatever... this is the place.
I'll start with the 2 that really blew me away and prompted this. (Please forgive my lack of remembering names.)
An Irish lad who was told just a couple of years ago that he would never walk again competed in the floor gymnastics yesterday. It didn't go as well as he'd hoped, but as he said in the post-performance interview, "At least I'm not in a wheelchair like they said I'd be." (That's not an exact quote, but as close to it as I can remember.)
The other is a young Chinese archer. He's legally blind, and still managed to set a world record. I'm missing some details on that, having heard it just in passing on the news, but I think that it has something to do with the number of arrows on target.
If anything extra special like that comes to your attention, please share.
And no, Arildno! Bad Arildno! Sit! Balancing a frozen halibut on your nose doesn't count.

Thats the Irish gymanst: http://london2012.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/irish-gymnast-fails-to-qualify-for-finals/

I believe that the archer is legally blind in his left eye so he can still sight his shots with his right.

 

[Danger]

Yes! Kieran! That's the lad that I meant. Thank you for the link, Rollcast.
As for the archer, though... to be legally blind has to involve both eyes. To be totally lacking vision in one eye, for instance, doesn't affect your ability to get a driver's license or allow you to collect AISH. That's considered partial blindness. In the case of this lad, he stated (which I assume is backed by medical records) that all he can see is a "fuzzy yellow spot".

 

[Astronuc]

Another story.

Out of the Bronx, a Gymnast Sets Sights on Gold - John Orozco
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/s...onx-to-london-as-a-top-gymnastic-hopeful.html

It does take talent - but also perseverance.

 

[rollcast]

Yes! Kieran! That's the lad that I meant. Thank you for the link, Rollcast.
As for the archer, though... to be legally blind has to involve both eyes. To be totally lacking vision in one eye, for instance, doesn't affect your ability to get a driver's license or allow you to collect AISH. That's considered partial blindness. In the case of this lad, he stated (which I assume is backed by medical records) that all he can see is a "fuzzy yellow spot".

Korean archer link

Although I swear the BBC commentators said he was only blind in one eye?

 

[Danger]

Astro, that is exactly the sort of thing that I had in mind. Thanks, and best wishes to John (until he competes against a Canuck, of course ).
Rollcast, I thank you again for a link. My utmost apologies to South Koreans for having mistakenly referred to I am Dong Hyn as Chinese. There is no excuse for that other than laziness on my part.
Also, Rollcast, your information source can definitely make a difference. Sometimes there are commercial considerations, sometimes political ones... but most often just a matter of perspective due to both the availability of background information and where and when a particular person is approached for a comment or interview. Your source is BBC; mine is CTV. While both are capable of errors, they are both above reproach when it comes to integrity.

 

[Ken Natton]

Here you go, Danger, this one looks like it’s pretty much what you had in mind. Did you see the story of Oksana Chusovitina? As a Soviet gymnast, she won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Very impressive, but what does that have to do with your thread which is about the current Olympic Games? Well, at the age of 37, nearly two decades older than most of her competitors, she competed in the women’s gymnastics at London, yesterday, competing for Germany.

Remarkable enough. But there is a story behind it. Her son contracted lukeamia and she had not enough money to pay for his treatment. That is why she came to Germany to earn enough money, as a gymnastic coach, to pay for her son’s treatment. At 37, she just happens to still be so good as to find herself in the German team.

At an event packed with stories of remarkable human achievement, I thought that one stood out as something special.

 

[Astronuc]

From Physics Today - Stacie Powell (shown here) is representing Britain at the Olympics in the 10-meter platform diving event. She's also a PhD student at Cambridge University's Institute of Astronomy.

 

[turbo]

Watching men's C2. Very tough sport.

 

[Danger]

Watching men's C2. Very tough sport.

You confuse me, Sir. Given the admittedly sparse amount that I know about you, I would normally assume that you are referring to the SAW that our Canuck soldiers used to carry. The other thing that comes to mind is the race car.
Is there an actual Olympic event that goes by that name? As I said, I'm not into sports, so I really don't know.
Ken, you are absolutely correct that what you posted is what the thread is about. Your explanation of the situation impresses the hell out of me. I'll Google her to see what other accounts are available.
Astro, I will also have to Google Stacie Powell. It's always nice to see when a brainiac can also have a physical life. Our only Canuck medal so far is in women's diving, though, so you know that I have to treat her as the enemy.

 

[Monique]

I think they've misspelled this athlete's name, surely it should be "Eric Theeel"

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/31/sport/olympics-2012-eric-eel-moussambani/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

 

[turbo]

You confuse me, Sir.

C2 is two person canoe competition. The water is fast and heavy. The gates are hung from overhead cables, and some have to be taken upstream and some downstream. Strength, speed, and coordination (above all) are required.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Cool? Meet the Press was canceled this week due to the Olympics! You would think those athletes would show a little more consideration for normally scheduled programming. Couldn't they have put off the events for one more hour? Jeeeeez!

 

[AlephZero]

You would think those athletes would show a little more consideration for normally scheduled programming. Couldn't they have put off the events for one more hour? Jeeeeez!

Athletes should be kept in their proper place in society, as in the 1908 London Olympics. The reason why the marathon has such a strange length is because Queen Alexandra wanted her kids to see it, and decreed that the start line should be outside their nursery window at Windsor Castle. And the finish line had to be alongside the Royal Box at the White City Stadium so she could see that as well.

The distance wasn't actually standardized till 1921, but they based it on the 1908 London distance.

The story of the 1908 race is worth a read - Google for Dorando Pietri.

 

[rootX]

On the Olympics topic, it appears Chinese swimmer, Ye Shiwen, is getting bit too much attention. Watching her game, I also have to be skeptical about her.

 

[Danger]

I've never heard of that dude, Monique, but it was a hell of an entertaining read. It reminds me of Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican bobsled team.
Turbo, thanks for the explanation. I've watched the rowing, but had no idea that there are also canoes.
Rootx, I saw Ye Shiwen's first couple of events. Holy cats, can that girl move! Maybe beans should be a banned substance, because she appears to be jet propelled.

 

[turbo]

Turbo, thanks for the explanation. I've watched the rowing, but had no idea that there are also canoes.

Not just canoes. There are Kx competitions that feature kayaks.

 

[Danger]

Cool. Perhaps because of my nationality, I tend to think of kayaks only in terms of whaling and seal hunting. (Not that there's much of either going on any more.)

 

[Danger]

Damn those Germans! Never mind steroids; I want to have them tested for a pulse. I'm sure that those buggers are cybernetically grafted to their boats.

We just found out something else inspiring today, especially since it's one of ours. Clara Hughes, who is our most-decorated Olympian from years past, came in 5th in the bike race, which is impressive enough. What really makes it special is what she revealed after the race: she trained and competed with a broken back that resulted from an accident earlier in the year.

I'm going to steal a joke here. Greg, I believe that this will fall under "fair usage" regarding copyright. I put it here just because it's sports-related. The funniest thing that I've heard from Jimmy Carr (a great English stand-up comic):
Q: Do you know why boxers don't have sex before a fight?
A: They don't fancy each other.

 

[mathwonk]

7th place at the 50 and he wins the 100? give it up! for phelps!

 

[fourier jr]

I think I get the idea. How about the amputee ping-pong player?

 

[BobG]

Not just canoes. There are Kx competitions that feature kayaks.

In 1996 at Atlanta, 28-year-old Stepanka Hilgertova won the Gold with 35-year-old Myriam Fox getting the Bronze.

In 2012 at London, Myriam got revenge when her 18-year-old daughter, Jessica Fox, finally beat Stepanka Hilgertova, who was competing in her 5th Olympics. Jessica Fox got the Silver with the 44-year-old Stepanka finishing 4th, just barely missing an Olympic medal.

While 44 is very old to still be a medal contender, 18 is extremely young to be a medal contender in a sport that requires as much experience as physical skill to be good at.

 

[Danger]

7th place at the 50 and he wins the 100? give it up! for phelps!

Uh uh. There's nothing special about his participation, in the context of this thread.

Fourier, yes about Natalia Partyka. Although most people use only one hand for table-tennis (I switched according to where the ball was, but I'm weird), the lack of her right arm must make balancing more difficult for her than it would be for a fully-formed person. I'm just going by basic mechanics with that assumption, though.
Bob, that's neat about Fox. It's rare for parent/child combinations to both be able to compete at that level.

 

[cobalt124]

How about Laura Trott. Won the omnium gold today. Double gold at 20, world champion at 18, fought illness all her life, the first few months in intensive care. Has a bucket handy after each race in case she needs to vomit. Sounds like a true fighter. And I think there's another potential gold to come.

 

[Chi Meson]

My favorite moment so far was Alberto Salazar's 2 proteges finishing 1st & 2nd in the 10k.

My least favorite part is the near vacuum of coverage for Galen Rupp's amazing surge in the final straightaway that passed 5 or six of the best runners in the world and grabbed the silver. NBC was all over Mo Farah, but essentially no time for the first American medal in the 10k since 1964.

 

[cobalt124]

Does being a 65 year old Canadian showjumper qualify for Olympic coolness?

 

[Ken Natton]

Well Danger, Manteo Mitchell’s story might be the very story this thread was created for. It is utterly beyond me how it is even possible for him to do what he did. I would think it will provide ample extra motivation for his American 4 x 400 relay team-mates to deliver gold for him in tribute to his extraordinary courage. But I have to say, it is rather hard on his competitors. Al that training, all that effort, putting every last ounce of energy into the actual race, only to get beaten by a guy with a broken leg!

 

[BobG]

Coolness is Iceland's handball team not winning a medal. After they won Silver in Beijing, a silver sculpture of the team was placed in an Icelandic museum - or at least a sculpture of the team's penises.

 

[Chi Meson]

Counting the medals by country has always been part of the games, evidently. But it has lost a lot of the (very little) meaning recently since people are more mobile these days.

Also, don't you think that a gold in a big team sport, soccer (football) for example, should be at least be worth the weight of 5 or 6 swimming medals? Nothing at all against Phelps, but it was one guy with a combined net time of about 15 minutes in the water, verses an 11 to 20 person team playing a total of over 12 hours.