2024 Summer Olympics from Paris
Amazed we don't have a thread yet. I will do up a fancier OP tomorrow but this will do for now as a placeholder.
Women's softball opens the games in roughly 5hrs with soccer/football, archery and some other sports starting before the opening ceremony Friday night Japan time.
PREDICTIONS: Rona causes a stupid amount of issues, I still waste approx 100hrs of coverage anyway.
Talking of hypothetical running events, I continued this conversation the pub this evening, where we all know the best ideas are formed.
We have come up with the ultimate track event.
Based on the velodrome cycling pursuit, track pursuit.
2 competitors start on opposite sides of the track, whoever catches the other wins.
We decided that on a 400 track, picking marathon runners was optimal but it could take hours. However, run it on an indoor 200 track, and 200m runners would catch most long distance
My instinct is to pick a 5k runner. Fast enough to avoid the sprinters and then capable of being 30 secs faster a mountain goat marathon runner over 5k. I think it’s between a 5k and a 1500m runner, but I’ll pick the 5k guy because I think they would eventually get a 1500m guy
Sprinters are the nut worst choice.
My instinct is to pick a 5k runner. Fast enough to avoid the sprinters and then capable of being 30 secs faster a mountain goat marathon runner over 5k. I think it’s between a 5k and a 1500m runner, but I’ll pick the 5k guy because I think they would eventually get a 1500m guy
Sprinters are the nut worst choice.
Ok, so when your 5000 runner has won, who runs in the next round? What's the strategy? Do you save you 5000m runner for the gold medal match with the danger of not even getting there?
I don't care for and don't watch Olympic soccer at all, but his take is clearly true for US men's soccer in general. Or is the first sentence also referring to the women?
hmmm, i had to take my own advice and go back to that original post/thread
the first sentence does seem to be referring to the USMNT which, as you said, is clearly true (in fact, we could probably say 15+ teams are prob better than the USMNT now)
that said, the USWNT isn't exactly "just another team" when it comes to the women's game
It partially explains why teams like Argentina and Spain continually field world class teams.
In the NFL we have the Chargers, which is the best comparison I have to USMNT. Top 3 QB and a complete dogsh*t performing team.
IRT womens soccer, US got in on the ground floor with the world competition. Hence, other countries don't have much of an edge with their training/coaching/system.
Apologies for the quality of the image but I thought this was an incredible shot of Mondo’s WR vault
hmmm, i had to take my own advice and go back to that original post/thread
the first sentence does seem to be referring to the USMNT which, as you said, is clearly true (in fact, we could probably say 15+ teams are prob better than the USMNT now)
that said, the USWNT isn't exactly "just another team" when it comes to the women's game
more than 15 would be my guess but idk.
But you’re right about the US women - clearly one of the very best
Talking of hypothetical running events, I continued this conversation the pub this evening, where we all know the best ideas are formed.
We have come up with the ultimate track event.
Based on the velodrome cycling pursuit, track pursuit.
2 competitors start on opposite sides of the track, whoever catches the other wins.
We decided that on a 400 track, picking marathon runners was optimal but it could take hours. However, run it on an indoor 200 track, and 200m runners would catch most long distance
I don't think the 200m runner catches the marathoner, but I also didn't know this turned in a team event.
Are the pole vaulters aloud to wear gloves? For that matter, are NBA players aloud to wear gloves?
jfc look at these times!! insane how these two women are so far above everyone else
you could give all the other runners a 2 second head start, and they still might win
I’ve read that the jumpers have been told they can’t wear the new Adidas shoes. Not sure if the 400 hurdlers can still? The shoes certainly helped with world records in that event
you could give all the other runners a 2 second head start, and they still might win
That's about what happened in the 4x400 mixed relay and Bol ran down the American runner with ease. BTW, why the F didn't USA use Sydney in that? She was a defending gold medalist in that event and would've easily held off Bol given the headstart.
The USA team burned themselves out in the semis trying to win their spots in the final, instead of conserving energy, and then paid for it.
they said her time in the 400 hurdle is faster than anyone's time in the 400 without hurdles. that doesn't seem right lol
Bol's time in the semi's was about half second behind
They showed Sydney's WR time in the 400 hurdles and overlaid it to last Olympics 400 regular final. Sydney would've finished 7th, but not all that far behind the top 6, which is utterly insane.
It's dumb that swimmers can do 80 events, but we can't figure out how to stagger it so that Bol and Sydney can at least compete in 400, 400h, 4x400 and 4x400 mixed. This is probably the best rivalry in ages, and we'll prob only see them H2H in one event.
iirc thymes amended the schedule on Michael Johnson’s behalf to allow him to run the 2 and 4 in Atlanta
Really curious to see if the officials will have the balls to kick the french guy out of the 5km final
track cycling sprints are such good fun
French having the biggest choke inn handball history?!?!
