Official 2008 Olympics Thread (FINAL:USA most medals, China most golds)

[quote name='Jimbo Slice']Phelps went first, that was Lazek. Either way, it was an awesome race! I'm glad I stayed up to watch it. These games have been great so far (despite some of the controversies!)[/quote]


whoops....:p
 
I cant believe China is beating us so badly. I thought we would probaly come out on top this year....maybe be in second place but atleast it would be a close race. Ya our medal count is only 1 off from them....but they have like 8/9 gold medals where most of ours are bronze! At first I thought eh must be stuff like gymnastics largly but when I looked they were beating us in stuff like weight lifting too which is just sad!
 
I'm glad China's doing well. I don't view it as beating us so badly, because we're doing really well too. In nearly every event a world record is being broken. Both the USA and China have amazingly strong teams in an astounding number of events.

Sure, I cheer for my country, but in the end it doesn't make a difference whether the champion was born 1,500 miles from me or 15,000 miles from me. They're all human, and these games have been amazing so far.
 
I'm not surprised China is beating us. From the narratives and back stories they have been playing so far, it seems that the US attitude is that we WANT to win every competition whereas in China, they are EXPECTED to win. Also if you consider the numbers, China is about 4x as populated as the United States and I'm sure it doesn't hurt to have such a big pool of athletes to pull from. But in the end, it's making for a great competition across all events and let's not forget that it's amazing to see the entire world come together and coexist peacefully throughout the games.
 
"The Americans? We will smash them. That is what we came for." - French dude who anchored the 4x1 swimming team

:rofl:

Glad to see those assholes 2nd on the podium to the boys from the US. That was easily one of the most amazing olympic events I have ever seen (live anyway, not including highlights of older ones or anything). Honestly, with 50 meters to go, I thought we were screwed. With like 20 meters left lazek just kinda came out of nowhere.

Needless to say.. that was fucking amazing.
 
[quote name='MillerTime2523']Glad to see those assholes 2nd on the podium to the boys from the US.[/QUOTE]

That's the spirit :roll:


I should've stopped reading at "MillerTime"
 
[quote name='Koggit']That's the spirit :roll:


I should've stopped reading at "MillerTime"[/QUOTE]

French guys were talking shit, we're not supposed to be happy they finished second?
 
[quote name='Koggit']That's the spirit :roll:


I should've stopped reading at "MillerTime"[/quote]
:lol:

They should have kept their mouths shut. Thats all i've got to say. :p
 
[quote name='docvinh']French guys were talking shit, we're not supposed to be happy they finished second?[/QUOTE]

Even if they had been talking shit, calling them "assholes" is pathetic.

But they weren't talking shit. They were confident. Who wasn't? These are olympic athletes we're talking about. Hell, one of the most important jobs of their coaches is to make them as confident as possible, so they perform better. And as it turns out, they had a lot of reason to be confident. The race was amazingly close, they completely shattered the previous record. Hell, even in the slo-mo replays I had trouble determining who touched first. All of the top 5 teams performed very, very well and should all be commended. To take a "shove it" attitude just because they went in confident is sad, it's just utterly pathetic.
 
[quote name='Koggit']Even if they had been talking shit, calling them "assholes" is pathetic.

But they weren't talking shit. They were confident. Who wasn't? These are olympic athletes we're talking about. Hell, one of the most important jobs of their coaches is to make them as confident as possible, so they perform better. And as it turns out, they had a lot of reason to be confident. The race was amazingly close, they completely shattered the previous record. Hell, even in the slo-mo replays I had trouble determining who touched first. All of the top 5 teams performed very, very well and should all be commended. To take a "shove it" attitude just because they went in confident is sad, it's just utterly pathetic.[/QUOTE]

I dunno man, "We will smash them" seems a little more then confidence, it's trash talking, pure and simple. If you're going to talk like that, you better be able to back it up, and they didn't. I'm sure most people felt the same way about the U.S. basketball teams of late, they talked trash and didn't back it up. I'm not sure what the problem is here.
 
I don't think calling them assholes is pathetic. Strong, yes, but the way they were talking down to the US team over breakfast I think they deserve all the rub-it-in-their-faces we can give them. Serves 'em right! They could've just silently and confidently took care of business, but nooooo--they decided to trash talk, so now they get to be humiliated on the global stage. That's the way it works.
 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26067251/

In particular,

BEIJING - World record holder Alain Bernard opened the war of words for the Olympic swimming competition on Thursday, stating he was the favorite for the 100 meter freestyle and the French relay squad would “smash” the Americans.

Bernard lowered Pieter van den Hoogenband’s world record to 47.50 seconds in March and four of his title rivals have since swum under 48 seconds, making the blue-ribbon event one of the most open on the Beijing program.

Not according to Bernard.

“The 100 meters favorite, it’s me,” he told journalists in Beijing. “If I didn’t believe I was, I wouldn’t be here at all.

“I’ve always said that 10 to 15 swimmers could be on the podium. But physically, I’m on top. I’m fitter than I was at the French championships, fitter than I was at the European championships.”

A great fan of double Olympic champion van den Hoogenband, Bernard said the Dutchman, below par in recent months, was far from finished despite having the 13th fastest time this year, 0.87 seconds behind Bernard’s world record.

Van den Hoogenband has withdrawn from the 200 freestyle to concentrate on defending his Olympic title.

“He will be there, believe me,” Bernard said of the Dutch veteran. “He’s going for his third title, and for someone like me, taking part in his first Olympics, it’s impressive.”

Bernard also said the French relay quartet, in a remark reminiscent of Gary Hall Jr.’s comments the Americans’ would ”smash the Australians like guitars” just before the Sydney Olympics, would be one of the teams to beat.

France, with a team including Amaury Leveaux, Frederic Gilot and Frederick Bousquet, clocked 3:12.54 in June, only 0.08 seconds from the world mark. And Bernard was bullish ahead of Sunday’s 4x100 freestyle relay heats.

“The Americans? We’re going to smash them. That’s what we came here for,” Bernard said.

“I’ll start my Games in the 4x100 meters freestyle relay final, confident that my pals will have qualified easily.

“If the relay goes according to plans, than we’ll be on a roll.”
Click to expand...

It just sounds like confidence to me, and he even says (more or less) that the confidence is out of necessity (as it is for all Olympians). He didn't say Team USA sucks, he just has confidence in his team, and their remarkable performance proved that such confidence was not misplaced. They swam very, very well.

I don't really understand national rivalry at all. If, for example, Bernard moved to America and swam for Team USA, would you then cheer him on? I don't get that. They're all remarkable athletes and they're all in the same games. That's the beauty of it. Why does it matter whether you were born on this side of the street or the other?
 
if it were switched around..i'd say shut your mouth and do your job...there was no reason to add fuel to the fire...he sounded like Anthony Smith from the Steelers last year saying they'd beat the Pats...and what happened there???
 
Because that's the only way to distinguish teams in the Olympics- by nation. It's roots are back in ancient Greece, in the first Olympics. It's just the way it is. Your country, verse ours, to see who comes out on top.
 
[quote name='MSI Magus']I cant believe China is beating us so badly. I thought we would probaly come out on top this year....maybe be in second place but atleast it would be a close race. Ya our medal count is only 1 off from them....but they have like 8/9 gold medals where most of ours are bronze! At first I thought eh must be stuff like gymnastics largly but when I looked they were beating us in stuff like weight lifting too which is just sad![/QUOTE]

"Winning" by medal count still doesn't make any sense to me. What makes two track and field medals better than one in volleyball? How are medals in swimming and basketball even the slightest big comparable?

It just seems like an arbitrary measurement to me, especially when the real stories are on smaller, individual levels.
 
what the hell... China won men's weightlifting (the gold metal). i dont think i've ever seen a chinese weightlifter in my life...


USA needs to step it up.... I see so many oversized Gorillas working out at the Gym every time i go
 
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[quote name='docvinh']The way he is dominating is unreal.[/QUOTE]

They did a segment on him earlier, and said since the last Olympics 4 years ago all he's done is eat, sleep, wake up and swim, rinse and repeat. Oh, and he likes videogames! They showed him playing Guitar Hero. Wonder if he's a CAG? :D The guy is a beast, though. He said he eats 8-10,000 calories/day! :shock: They had a list of what he eats for breakfast and it was UNREAL how much he puts away!
 
I'm not sure how the times work.. Saturday and yesterday, Phelps raced at about 10pm. From 7 - 8 my NBC affiliate plays The Olympic Zone, which is like an Olympics news program, then at 8pm they start airing the games... but they usually have "LIVE" in the top left corner.

It's 7:45 right now, I probably wont see the Phelps race you're talking about for another ~2 hours or so.
 
Here's all of Phelps finals events for anyone else that's following his quest for 8 golds:
The finals schedule for each event in which Michael Phelps is entered.

Event Time/day (times are ET)

400 IM Saturday night - gold medal
400 freestyle relay Sunday night- gold medal
200 freestyle 10:16 p.m. Monday- gold medal
200 butterfly 10:21 p.m. Tuesday
800 freestyle relay 11:19 p.m. Tuesday
200 IM 10:48 p.m. Thursday
100 butterfly 10:10 p.m. Friday
400 medley relay 10:58 p.m. Saturday
Click to expand...
 
[quote name='keithp']Wow, these USA gymnasts are STICKING IT.[/quote]
I'm reeeeally pulling for them to get the gold. That would be crazy given the loss of Paul Hamm (?). I'm glad they turned things around the way they did.
 
[quote name='Koggit']http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26067251/

In particular,



It just sounds like confidence to me, and he even says (more or less) that the confidence is out of necessity (as it is for all Olympians). He didn't say Team USA sucks, he just has confidence in his team, and their remarkable performance proved that such confidence was not misplaced. They swam very, very well.

I don't really understand national rivalry at all. If, for example, Bernard moved to America and swam for Team USA, would you then cheer him on? I don't get that. They're all remarkable athletes and they're all in the same games. That's the beauty of it. Why does it matter whether you were born on this side of the street or the other?[/QUOTE]

Not to beat a dead horse, but you realize how easily you can change this by highlighting different quotes?

BEIJING - World record holder Alain Bernard opened the war of words for the Olympic swimming competition on Thursday, stating he was the favorite for the 100 meter freestyle and the French relay squad would “smash” the Americans.

Bernard lowered Pieter van den Hoogenband’s world record to 47.50 seconds in March and four of his title rivals have since swum under 48 seconds, making the blue-ribbon event one of the most open on the Beijing program.

Not according to Bernard.

“The 100 meters favorite, it’s me,” he told journalists in Beijing. “If I didn’t believe I was, I wouldn’t be here at all.

“I’ve always said that 10 to 15 swimmers could be on the podium. But physically, I’m on top. I’m fitter than I was at the French championships, fitter than I was at the European championships.”

A great fan of double Olympic champion van den Hoogenband, Bernard said the Dutchman, below par in recent months, was far from finished despite having the 13th fastest time this year, 0.87 seconds behind Bernard’s world record.

Van den Hoogenband has withdrawn from the 200 freestyle to concentrate on defending his Olympic title.

“He will be there, believe me,” Bernard said of the Dutch veteran. “He’s going for his third title, and for someone like me, taking part in his first Olympics, it’s impressive.”

Bernard also said the French relay quartet, in a remark reminiscent of Gary Hall Jr.’s comments the Americans’ would ”smash the Australians like guitars” just before the Sydney Olympics, would be one of the teams to beat.

France, with a team including Amaury Leveaux, Frederic Gilot and Frederick Bousquet, clocked 3:12.54 in June, only 0.08 seconds from the world mark. And Bernard was bullish ahead of Sunday’s 4x100 freestyle relay heats.

“The Americans? We’re going to smash them. That’s what we came here for,” Bernard said.

“I’ll start my Games in the 4x100 meters freestyle relay final, confident that my pals will have qualified easily.

“If the relay goes according to plans, than we’ll be on a roll.”
Click to expand...
 
Never thought I'd actually watch men's gymnastics but the USA team was badass. That ALexander Artimov (sp?) dude was awesome with that kung-fu helicopter thing on that sawhorse with the two handlebars, whatever it's called.

I must admit that movie Stick It was a guilty pleasure of mine (mmm...Missy Peregrym) so I'll definitely watch the women's team whenever that comes on.

That Korean dude winning gold in swimming was kickass too, especially after they kinda embarassed him by showing footage of his previous Olympics attempt where he fell in the water before the horn was blown.
 
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[quote name='docvinh']The way he is dominating is unreal.[/quote]
hvovg3.jpg
 
Bizarre and sad boxing story:

BEIJING (AP) - World champion flyweight Rau'shee Warren was upset by South Korea's Lee Ok-sung 9-8 Tuesday, a stunning end to a four-year wait for the first two-time American boxing Olympian in 30 years.

Rau'Shee Warren stunned in opener

U.S. gold-medal favorite Rau'Shee Warren was eliminated by Lee Ok-sung, 9-8.

Warren barely threw a punch over the last 35 seconds, mistakenly believing his friends and teammates in the stands were telling him he was winning the fight -- and apparently ignoring the shouted pleas of his ringside coaches to throw punches.

"I didn't know I was behind," Warren told NBC's Jim Gray after the fight. "The coaches were hollering and I thought I was ahead. This is the second time I've lost on the first day and it's awful."

Warren entered the fourth round tied with Lee, the 2005 world champion, but fell behind midway through the round and never scored again.

"It didn't feel real," Warren said, pulling up his red tank top to dry his tears. "I didn't feel like I lost the fight, because I was fighting hard, doing everything the coaches were telling me. To get this far and then lose, I don't even know what happened."

Warren, who also lost his first bout at light flyweight in Athens four years ago, was a top medal favorite for the tumultuous American team along with welterweight Demetrius Andrade, another world champion who barely won his debut fight Sunday in Beijing.

Warren didn't know he had lost until he returned to his corner, where U.S. coach Dan Campbell had been screaming at his fighter to throw punches. When Warren heard the news, he threw his headgear in disgust, though he later apologized for being "unsportsmanlike."

"There was so much going on in the crowd," Warren said. "When I just stood there at the end, I thought I was up. To wait this long, and then to lose after one fight ..."

Warren broke into tears again.

"I was confused about why he stopped (punching)," Campbell said. "He said he heard somebody saying to him to move (and avoid Lee). He was looking up in the stands. I don't know what he thought they were saying."

Warren's departure comes on the heels of bantamweight contender Gary Russell Jr.'s failure to make weight, along with early losses by Sadam Ali and Javier Molina. Just five U.S. boxers remain in the Olympic field.

"For him to lose could be disheartening for some of our other guys," Campbell said. "That's going to be our biggest fear. ... I think they're most definitely going to be psyched out. We have a psychologist around, and we're going to make sure that she talks to this team, because I'm sure all of them are going to be psyched out by this.

The 21-year-old Warren, a Cincinnati native, was the youngest boxer at the Athens Games and the youngest male athlete on the entire U.S. Olympic contingent in Greece. While his teammates all turned pro, Warren decided to stay in the amateur ranks, moving up to flyweight for another shot at an Olympic medal.

"He did what we would like to hope that other young boxers do," Campbell said. "He stayed around for four more years, and ... he worked so hard in our program."

No American fighter had been on two straight Olympic teams since Davey Lee Armstrong in 1972 and 1976. While Cuba, Russia and other nations send their best amateur fighters to multiple Olympics, most Americans don't wait around with pro riches beckoning.

Warren's decision seemed smart when he finished third at the 2005 world championships and then claimed the 2007 title in Chicago.
Click to expand...

http://www.nbcolympics.com/boxing/news/newsid=196625.html#raushee+warren+eliminated?GT1=39003
 
Did they televise the team USA bball game? I tried waking up early to try and catch that and the soccer game, but I couldn't find the basketball game and the soccer game ended up being womens. :whistle2:(
 
[quote name='MillerTime2523']Did they televise the team USA bball game? I tried waking up early to try and catch that and the soccer game, but I couldn't find the basketball game and the soccer game ended up being womens. :whistle2:([/QUOTE]

It was on USA network.
 
Note to self, if I ever want to see the Archery games in person, it should be damn easy to go. XP Is anyone watching any of the less popular sports?


Also, holy shit S. Korea's never lost a women's team shoot EVAR.
 
[quote name='ananag112']It was on USA network.[/quote]
:bomb: Dammit.

Are all the team usa bball games on there? I just assumed it would be on NBC, cause they televised the game against china. I was trying to check last night but my cable box wouldn't change the dates for some reason. Stupid technology :hot:
 
I have a feeling Phelps will miss his first gold with the relay tonight.

Watching this beach volleyball makes me wanna break out the Super Spike V'Ball and beat some ass with Billy and Jimmy.
 
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Anyone know if there is a site that we can watch some of the events that may have been missed?

i was hoping it would be on the official website but i guess not
 
Anyone else been use the nbcolympics site? I love how you can watch 4 events at once, but the screens are so tiny! I'm sure it's a bandwidth thing, but it would be nice to actually see what's going on.

Also, thanks for starting an Olympics thread OP!

If anyone owns the ps3 version of Beijing 2008, I set up a thread the other day to get people together and have an online competition in the ps3 forum. Stop by if you're interested.

That crazy gymnastics color announcer with the mustache is hilarious!
 
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HOLY SHEETTT Men's RELAY 4x200 6 min 58 seconds (michael phelp's 5th gold!!)

USA was like half a pool ahead of everyone else the entire time... go TEAM!
 
[quote name='pitfallharry219']So no more Phelps until Thursday, right?[/QUOTE]

Correct. Here's the schedule again-

The finals schedule for each event in which Michael Phelps is entered.

Event Time/day (times are ET)

400 IM Saturday night - gold medal
400 freestyle relay Sunday night- gold medal
200 freestyle 10:16 p.m. Monday- gold medal
200 butterfly 10:21 p.m. Tuesday -gold medal
800 freestyle relay 11:19 p.m. Tuesday -gold medal
200 IM 10:48 p.m. Thursday
100 butterfly 10:10 p.m. Friday
400 medley relay 10:58 p.m. Saturday
Click to expand...
 
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