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

[Appleyard]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818012807306297500

What a shit show. Everyone know the Seine was biohazard. People haven't swum in it for decades. The run-off from the sewers and old pipes running through Paris. They spent almost 1.5b euros to 'clean it up', but it's still just one heavy rain from being above 'safe levels', which is exactly what has now happened.

All of this could have been avoided by having the Triathlon outside of Paris and using a different river. I think the rowing isn't taking place in the Seine, but outside of Paris... and obviously the surfing is on the other side of the world.

Seems like the current 'plan' is to hope levels drop down enough by tomorrow to have both men & women's triathlon. If it doesn't the last date is August 2 and might end up not having the swimming and just being a duathlon.

It would be comical to turn it into a duathlon. It is a totally different event...

Someone like Matthew Hauser goes from "having a chance at a medal" to "ahahaha, good luck bro".

It will also screw the French more than anyone else... as their 3 guys are all some of the best swimmers in Tri who generally make up ~10-15 seconds on their rivals in that area. Which will be the difference between medals.

Also will mean a far shorter event that takes away some of the endurance aspect, which will change the whole picture too.

Reigning champion Blummenfelt is a kind of mid-bad swimmer tbh so if it becomes a duathlon it means he gets a massive advantage.

Imagine training your whole life for an Olympic event and then turning up to be told that you will be competing in a different event lmfao.

 

[ellja3]

It would be comical to turn it into a duathlon. It is a totally different event...

Someone like Matthew Hauser goes from "having a chance at a medal" to "ahahaha, good luck bro".

It will also screw the French more than anyone else... as their 3 guys are all some of the best swimmers in Tri who generally make up ~10-15 seconds on their rivals in that area. Which will be the difference between medals.

Also will mean a far shorter event that takes away some of the endurance aspect, which will change the whole picture too.

Reigning champion Blummenfelt is a kind of mid-bad swimmer tbh so if it becomes a duathlon it means he gets a massive advantage.

Imagine training your whole life for an Olympic event and then turning up to be told that you will be competing in a different event lmfao.

EDIT: I just made a long ass post regarding 10-15 seconds being make-or-break, then realized Olympic triathlon is not same distances as Ironman, so ignore, haha.

 

[Appleyard]

Honestly... it makes no sense to me why they would not make a contingency to move it to Versailles.

they have a freaking Tri course there and is an amazing back-drop and still in Paris!

 

[ellja3]

Honestly... it makes no sense to me why they would not make a contingency to move it to Versailles.

they have a freaking Tri course there and is an amazing back-drop and still in Paris!

1) It is baffling that given the concerns about river they did not have plan B ( seems like )

2) My father-in-law yesterday said it would be more fair to find another venue and then do the race at later time at other location

 

[Appleyard]

1) It is baffling that given the concerns about river they did not have plan B ( seems like )

2) My father-in-law yesterday said it would be more fair to find another venue and then do the race at later time at other location

Nice is also one of the premier Ironman locations in the world and has hosted national and international Tri events in the past lmao.

Brittany has soooo many good tri courses.

I mean, for god sake... I have worked as a project manager in sport. There are LOCAL events that have contingencies in place...

the hubris and optimism to think that can totally ensure the Seine is safe to swim in is hilarious. And spending so, so much money too...

when could have had just as incredible a back-drop for no money basically. Hell, they have the eventing at Versailles anyway so a lot of the area is closed off and has infrastructure. And the cycling course from there can be way better too and more interesting with rolling hills.

Like... no-one in the UK when we hosted London thought "why dont we have the Triathlon in the Thames!" ahaha.

 

[Incubajerks]

Honestly... it makes no sense to me why they would not make a contingency to move it to Versailles.

they have a freaking Tri course there and is an amazing back-drop and still in Paris!

Paris has invested 1.4 billion euros to modernize the sewerage system and guarantee the safety and quality of the Seine waters. That's why...

 

[Appleyard]

Serbia got their asses handed to them by Australia in water polo today...

shocking after almost losing to Japan.

Since Filipović, Pijetlović and Prlainović retired after the last Olympics they have just not replaced them... what is hilarious is all three still play for their clubs and would make the team at 37-39 if they chose to play. But yeh, producing 3 of the best ~15 players of all time in a 2 year window helps a team be monstrous when only have 6 outfield swimmers...

But they have still been ~4th-6th best in the world... not "hammered by Australia" bad.

Only have 6 returning players from last Olympics... yet only 1 of their 11 swimmers are under 27 years old and 9/11 are over 30.

Dušan Mandić (age 30) and Nikola Jaksic (age 27) are the last two truly "exceptional" players the country has produced.

 

[Cody Webster]

Gymnastics time

 

[Embiid]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1818012807306297500

What a shit show. Everyone know the Seine was biohazard. People haven't swum in it for decades. The run-off from the sewers and old pipes running through Paris. They spent almost 1.5b euros to 'clean it up', but it's still just one heavy rain from being above 'safe levels', which is exactly what has now happened.

All of this could have been avoided by having the Triathlon outside of Paris and using a different river. I think the rowing isn't taking place in the Seine, but outside of Paris... and obviously the surfing is on the other side of the world.

Seems like the current 'plan' is to hope levels drop down enough by tomorrow to have both men & women's triathlon. If it doesn't the last date is August 2 and might end up not having the swimming and just being a duathlon.

Just in...Seine

 

[Curufinwe]

The Aussie women suffered two shocking upset losses on the same day in Rugby 7s. First to Canada in the semifinal, and then they gave up a last minute converted try by the USA in the bronze medal match.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Holy shit. What a 7s finish.

 

[Curufinwe]

3x3 basketball is fun to play, not sure it's that much fun to watch on TV. Doesn't help that the commentator sounds bored.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

Holy shit. What a 7s finish.

What a run by Alexi Sedrick at the end.

 

[PDX Flyer]

The Aussie women suffered two shocking upset losses on the same day in Rugby 7s. First to Canada in the semifinal, and then they gave up a last minute converted try by the USA in the bronze medal match.

That was awesome

 

[Curufinwe]

Crazy finish in the men's triathlon

 

[Appleyard]

3x3 basketball is fun to play, not sure it's that much fun to watch on TV. Doesn't help that the commentator sounds bored.

My girlfriend:

"this is boring and they dont look like real people... change the channel I dont like it"

it is kind of true aha. NBA guys look far more "normal" proportionally outside ofc the weird outliers height/BMI wise.

 

[Appleyard]

Crazy finish in the men's triathlon

GB went all in for a Yee win. Part of the reason he was still fresh enough to sprint at the end. They piloted him through the swim and bike.

With the Brownlee's fading (one retired, one ~3rd-5th best GB tri man now) they put all their chips on Yee this time round as no-one else has a chance to medal... and with most of the other top nations (France, Norway, Portugal, Canada) all having 2 of the top ~20 Tri guys in the world... they played it very tactically to give Yee the best chance.

They took Dickinson as he is a great team triathlete over maybe 1-2 others who are slightly better individuals... then had him pace Yee on the swim and cycling section... and then retire from the event after the cycling aha.

This was one of the slowest, hardest, nastiest swims in recent memory at an Elite tri event... ignore the E-coli... the currents in such a river are nasty. You generally expect top triathletes to do a 1500m swim in ~18 minutes or so... no-one broke 20 today.

None of Dickinson, Brownlee, Izzard or Milner had a chance to come top 10 even on their best day... so it came down to Dickinson vs Izzard as they are the best in the team event... and Dickinson has done this before for Yee, and they are best mates.

We actually have another guy (Stapley) who has started to emerge as one of the best 10-20 triathletes on earth... and this course would have suited him as he is a super strong swimmer.

BUT he was not eligible for the Olympics in a cruel twist of fate.

He was born in France, and grew up in Canada and Australia... he competed for Australia as a junior BUT he is actually not eligible to compete for Australia at senior level as his passport application was refused despite spending a lot of time there growing up! So he is ONLY allowed to race for GB... but the Olympic rules say you have to have been under the passport you compete for for the whole Olympic qualifying period... and even though he did not have an Aussie passport he competed for them at events in this period ahaha. So even though he would have had a shot at top 10, and maybe higher, he was ineligible to go to the Olympics under any flag!

 

[swami24]

Crazy finish in the men's triathlon

Everyone got sick?

 

[Appleyard]

God I did not even realise just how brutal that swim was until I ran the numbers...

Yee swam "only" 20:37+won, most times he goes ~18:30!

I am a pretty "Mid" swimmer for someone who actually trained at it for a while and at my very best 15 years ago would flirt with 21:00 on 1500m in "normal" conditions. (without biking or running after lmao)

I dont think there has been a tougher swim at top level triathlon in the last 20 years or so... rivers with such currents are nasty and lose you a lot of time as you are just fighting constantly.

 

[Curufinwe]

No wonder the finish line looked like a war zone.

 

[Beef Invictus]

No wonder the finish line looked like a war zone.

Will be nothing compared to their bathrooms later

 

[Appleyard]

Will be nothing compared to their bathrooms later

Especially since they will all have been on the bicarb this morning too ahahaha.

Bicarbonate of soda AND E-coli?

Jeez.

 

[ellja3]

3x3 basketball is fun to play, not sure it's that much fun to watch on TV. Doesn't help that the commentator sounds bored.

Probably our only chance at any medals, tho.

 

[Flybynite]

death, taxes, katie ledecky 1500m gold.

 

[BackToTheBrierePatch]

death, taxes, katie ledecky 1500m gold.

Ledecky is a Cyborg. It’s hilarious how much better she is than everyone else.