OT: Paris 2024 Summer Olympics: Games of the XXXIII Olympiad

[Angry Hockey Dad]

Was during practice not an event! But yeh.

Oh right it was before the games now that I think of it.

 

[Flybynite]

Why is it that the more technology advances, the worse the NBC Olympic site gets? Stuff doesn't load or open. It's horrible to navigate. I feel like they had sites that worked better and made more sense like 20 years ago than this thing.

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

Tarling would have got Silver most likely if did not need a bike change...

but Remco eased up in last few km and Tarling lost a maximum of ~20 seconds... and was 27 seconds behind Remco. If he had kept pushing (which he would have if Tarling did not lose time) then he would have eked out another ~5 seconds or so at least too.

Would have made it more interesting in last km or so but unless you got Chris Boardman back on modern gear? Yeh... no-one is beating him on such parcours.

Tarling has a huge potential going forward. Remco will be fun to watch no matter if he focuses on classics or stage races.

 

[Appleyard]

Tarling has a huge potential going forward. Remco will be fun to watch no matter if he focuses on classics or stage races.

Yeh, I like Remco's mentality. He could do with improving his bike handling but he has got better... some winter cyclocross would help aha. His descending at least improved from where it was two years ago.

But enjoy riders who have some panache and balls. Ben Healy right now might be my favourite rider due to that. He would probably have won more if he was smarter... but he just says f*** it and attacks and tried the spectacular. Hopefully he can one day fluke an LBL or maybe even Lombardia win, and potentially a WC suits him one day. Looking forward to seeing what he tried in the Road Race... as he is a poor finisher so needs to be in a reduced group to have a chance (and not be alongside WvA or MvDP).

Remco also does similar.

I used to like van Aert more but so often he tried to play things safe... and also is awful at positioning self in sprints so loses a lot when he should win. Though unreal how good an all-rounder he is. Defies belief still.

 

[Appleyard]

Japan came so close to beating Serbia in water polo.

Would have been one of the biggest upsets of all time.

Japan have established themselves in last ~4-5 years though as one of the best 10 teams in the world I think (albeit a big gap between top 9 and #10!). Has been very impressive. And Serbia have had a little lull in the last 3-4 years... a lot of great players retired and the generation coming through after is not as good.

From ~2009-2019 they were the best in the world... and since been less clearcut.

Men's water polo right now is maybe the closest it has ever been level wise at the top.

Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Australia and the US are the more historic 9 "powers" and all still very good. (albeit the US and Australia have a little fall-off recently after being great and top ~6-7 in the world between the 1990s and 2020)

Then France came out of NOWHERE the last 2-3 years. Crazy. Helps that Olympic committee gave them a load of money. I remember watching them 10 years ago and GB men were a similar level. (though Thomas Vernoux is a freak and elevates whole team, if they can get more and more of their ethnic minority population involved they might be one of best in world given talent out there.)

Then Brazil, Japan and Romania can play the best and not be embarrassed.

It makes me laugh how much money China have put into the sport and still Japan are now better than them...

 

[JojoTheWhale]

It’s still surreal (in a good way) sitting down to watch Olympic Skateboarding.

 

[DancingPanther]

Imagine putting breakdancing in the Olympics before hurling. What are we DOING

 

[Appleyard]

It’s still surreal (in a good way) sitting down to watch Olympic Skateboarding.

I must admit I do wish there was an age limit on it... like ~16+...

technically some of these kids are insane. But it is not the same sport (like gymnastics) for kids vs adults. Especially in the park.

These kids wont be able to do some of the ramp work they can now when they become adults... there is a reason that only SIX adults have ever landed a 900 on a vert ramp still... and people degrade Hawk online etc who dont understand a 10 year old doing it, while impressive, is just not the same as being a 6'4, 180lb guy doing it ahahah.

Plus I do think that kids competing is still just, well, wrong in a way and can lead to some serious issues down the line. And a lot of the kids style is pretty ugly too aha, just not aesthetically pleasing despite good technique.

Other qualm is some of the people who now have sway in skateboarding in some of these countries is less than ideal due to needing to have Olympic/National skateboarding organisation.


Also you should have 1 point dedicated to your push at the Olympics ahaha. Ugly pushers should not be able to medal lmao.

 

[DancingPanther]

Can you explain the "extra point" to me in 7s? I understand how the angle is based on where you touch the ball in the "endzone", but is the distance affected at all? Are they set spots?

 

[Appleyard]

Imagine putting breakdancing in the Olympics before hurling. What are we DOING

Hurling and International rules football would be very fun adds... (IRL instead of Gaelic so that has bigger base of nations who could compete)

Lacrosse (though will be in 2028)
Cricket (though will be in 2028)
Cyclo-cross (though maybe will be in 2030)

all coming some.

But yeh... some strange choices.

 

[DancingPanther]

Hurling and International rules football would be very fun adds... (IRL instead of Gaelic so that has bigger base of nations who could compete)

Lacrosse (though will be in 2028)
Cricket (though will be in 2028)
Cyclo-cross (though maybe will be in 2030)

all coming some.

But yeh... some strange choices.

I f***ing love hurling. That sport leaves my jaw on the floor in 2 seconds

 

[Appleyard]

Can you explain the "extra point" to me in 7s? I understand how the angle is based on where you touch the ball in the "endzone", but is the distance affected at all? Are they set spots?

You can kick it from anywhere distance wise... wherever you choose. So it is a bit of a balance between angle and distance.

Drop-kicks are such bastards.

 

[DancingPanther]

You can kick it from anywhere distance wise... wherever you choose. So it is a bit of a balance between angle and distance.

Drop-kicks are such bastards.

I see so you figure the more extreme the angle of the touch, the farther (comfortably) you'll choose to drop kick it from in an attempt to offset the angle

 

[Appleyard]

I see so you figure the more extreme the angle of the touch, the farther (comfortably) you'll choose to drop kick it from in an attempt to offset the angle

Exactly.

10m is generally accepted as the perfect distance across all rugby codes to kick conversions from if right between posts. But people have different preferences.

And a lot of specialist kickers even do rough "maths" in their practice work to see the best chance of conversion...

22m is probably the closest anyone would try and kick a sideline try conversion from... and tbh most kickers prefer around 25-30m for them.

 

[Flybynite]

I think I said this for Tokyo, but I really don't like the skateboarding format.

Only 2 runs really kills creativity and taking chances.

Would rather just drop the solo tricks and have it be best of 3 runs.

 

[DancingPanther]

A common foul?! Lollllll

 

[DancingPanther]

This is some Doc Rivers slop ball from the US lol

I hate Jokic

 

[Halladay]

Durant is killing it.

 

[DancingPanther]

KD random drug test coming

 

[Appleyard]

I think I said this for Tokyo, but I really don't like the skateboarding format.

Only 2 runs really kills creativity and taking chances.

Would rather just drop the solo tricks and have it be best of 3 runs.

It really is a format that basically makes the sport more like synchronised swimming than something more "pure" and creative. World Skate have really made it less interesting with the format.

The individual tricks counting for 66.6% of the total score is a comedy show... just a joke. Why even bother doing anything fun and creative in your run when you can just learn 2 tricks and nail them every time and medal!

It favours people with less repertoire and less style. At least some of the best skaters in the world are good enough to still do very, very well...

X Games 18 minute jam with 8 competitors and 3x 0:45 runs where run is over if you go down 2x is the way, way better in terms of cream rising to the top.

And yeh, the individual tricks is not even that good to watch. As it is just basically trying the one trick that is hardest. It was fun years ago in Street League but yeh, getting a bit jaded. Have a f***ing video competition for best trick Gold Medal lmao.

For the entirety of skateboarding history from the 1960s until 2015? This format would have been laughed at... but Rob Drydek has basically single handedly changed the way street comps are ran at the top level and in turn the Olympics were swayed by that format.

And the 2023 changes? Just take it in an even worse direction.

Especially as the "actual" best tricks on earth? Take maybe 100 tries to land in terms of being innovative so will never be in an Olympics.

The result is like if a soccer game was:

30 minutes of 11 vs 11 action... that counts for 33% of the score.
10 penalties for each team, with only ones that go in the net counting, and the ones that go in being counted based on how cool they look lmao.

It is just, well, not really the best advert for skating or one that promotes actual style and creativity.

 

[DancingPanther]

Was that Ant hitting Embiid with the thrust celly after the and 1 lol

 

[Appleyard]

I mean... put it another way.

Rob Dyrdek fashioning skateboardings future - as good a skater as he was - instead of say...

Chris Senn or Eric Koston or Bastien Salabanzi or Andrew Reynolds (who were all fantastic competition skaters) is damn depressing.

Street League was great to begin, and it did create more consistency in judging and mean skaters tried harder tricks and were more consistent.

But the changes in the last ~8-9 years have taken it way too far the other way. It has become a best trick contest.

Watching every f***ing person try to say... try to half cab flip a handrail 3x in a row... and then try to 360 noseblunt a rail 2x... is kind of boring.

But yeh, one is a sell-out entrepreneur>skater... the others are skaters.

And it is meaning more and more "robotic" contest skaters with no style and who just copy what tricks score highly for others. Thank god Yuto thinks outside the box or we would be in a worse state.

Poe Pinson is pretty much one of the only girls who has some real style and flow in her runs and you can see thinks on the spot and tries mad stuff. What is sad is Mariah Duran USED to be like that, and the contest format has reduced that in her. Now she just focuses on the craziest trick she might be able to land in her repertoire the individual trick contest... which is kind of sad... someone who was creative and did interesting stuff now BASICALLY just trying to do a massive hardflip 5x in a row at every contest all year lmao.

But yeh, doing that and landing it is the only way to win, so not really her fault!

 

[DancingPanther]

The LeBron flex is so cold. It's amazing that he is still dominating at 57 years old

 

[Halladay]

Pretty wild Tatum hasn't played at all.

 

[FlyerNutter]

Simone Biles is incredible to watch.

That girl performs with so much raw power, awesome to see.

Chinese gymnasts look 8 years old.