Rio Olympics: What's Your Fave Sport?

[mheslep]

"Swimming makes a mockery of the Olympic medal counts. What's even the point of the various strokes if the freestyle is fastest?"

I take your point, though wiping out all but the fastest stroke would be bit like wiping out the hurdles (and several other events) in track because straight sprints are fastest. There is a difference in skill set, less so in swimming perhaps.

 

[PeroK]

"Swimming makes a mockery of the Olympic medal counts. What's even the point of the various strokes if the freestyle is fastest?"

I take your point, though wiping out all but the fastest stroke would be bit like wiping out the hurdles (and several other events) in track because straight sprints are fastest. There is a difference in skill set, less so in swimming perhaps.

I would certainly get rid of the "walking" events, not least because it's impossible to say whether the athletes are truly walking the whole way.

I don't see the connection with hurdling as those are obstacles and athletes have to complete the course as fast as possible.

The same with the high jump. There's not a separate event for the Fosbury flop, straddle and western roll. It's how high you can jump, period.

 

[mheslep]

...

Egyptian wrestler

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/1601...warned-him-not-to-shame-islam-by-taking-part/

...

for which he's told to catch a ride home

Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby has been sent home from the Rio Olympics after refusing to shake the hand of Israeli Or Sasson following the end of their bout, the International Olympic Committee said on Monday.

El Shehaby, who was sent home by his own team, lost the fight on Friday and was reprimanded by the IOC for his actions.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-rio-judo-egypt-israel-idUSKCN10Q1WC

 

[jtbell]

if no one can master all four strokes, how come there is an individual medley at all?

If no one can master ten different track and field skills, how come there is a decathlon?

 

[PeroK]

If no one can master ten different track and field skills, how come there is a decathlon?

Perhaps the greatest Olympic athletes are indeed swimmers, gymnasts, cyclists and sprinters. That could be true. Certainly that's the way it's portrayed. But, just maybe, they win more medals because their sports allow them to compete for more medals.

Perhaps Phelps is 11.5 times the athlete that Moses was. 23 Gold medals (and counting) versus 2. No contest. Or, Daley Thompson (only 2 Gold medals). Or Ashton Eaton (1 and counting).

Perhaps track and field athletes do pale in comparison to their swimming counterparts. Mark Spitz won 7 Gold medals at one Olympics and Phelps 8. How could you do that in track and field?

100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m, long jump and ... 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles perhaps?

Perhaps if Mark Spitz or Michael Phelps had taken up track and field, they would have done just that. Yeah, maybe! And, maybe not. Personally, I doubt it.

 

[nsaspook]

 

[jobyts]

Wow! just watched the women's indoor volleyball between USA and Serbia. Fantastic match. Kudos to the Serbians for winning against the mighty USA team.

 

[Psinter]

I wanted to watch some specific boxing matches, but I missed them because of the time that they were aired.

I watched some Tennis matches.

For a short while I watched Diving because I was bored. In one occasion I watched for a short while too, not the whole game, what appeared to me to be Field Hockey.

 

[rollete]

Athletics without the Russian powerhouse was not the same thing. Meh...

Waiting for worldwide Zika reports at any moment.

 

[Sophia]

I wanted to watch more athletics, gymnastics and BMX but they mostly gave team sports on TV :-/