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Posted at 11:45AM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

"I just wish the suits had some kind of lights in them to show where the strike was, it's a bloody tough sport for spectators"

Why not a plastic bladder full of red-coloured dye on the front of the padded jacket - a hit and it spurts out - just to remind spectators that fencing may be wimpy-looking now, but once was very serious stuff...

Posted at 11:51AM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

But when we do get to see the events, my goodness, don't they look good!? I could watch those underwater tracking shots of Michael Phelps, with the Water Cube's bubbly roof above him, for ages.

Here, we're already refering to those shots as 'swim porn'. I'm mildly terrified at the prospect of the men's sprinting in the same sort of loving detail.

Posted at 12:02PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Oh goodness, the yachting/windsurfing is boring. Kendall notwithstanding.

Posted at 12:05PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Kendall notwithstanding.

No, I'm fairly sure she was standing.

I'm mildly terrified at the prospect of the men's sprinting in the same sort of loving detail

As are the Dropkicks. Although to be fair for 20% of us, "terrified" probably isn't the word.

Why is it they can make suits that can make you go faster but not keep you in one place?

Posted at 12:07PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

glad you found that photo of george w. this was my favourite.

The president needs some work on his passing, mis-hitting a pair off his knuckles. When May-Treanor passed the ball back to him, he acted like he was going to dive after it but decided to stay on his feet.

Then May-Treanor turned her back to the president, offering her bikinied rear for one of the traditional slaps that volleyball players frequently give each other.

"Mr. President, want to?" she asked, repeating an offer she made when Bush gave a pep talk to the U.S. athletes before Friday's opening ceremonies.

Bush smilingly gave a flick with the back of his hand to the small of her back instead.

WTF?

Posted at 12:09PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

No, I'm fairly sure she was standing.

Or is it thst she has standing?

Posted at 12:23PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

I'm mildly terrified at the prospect of the men's sprinting in the same sort of loving detail.

Does anyone remember a viral video of men's sprinting, in slow motion, frontal view in tight lycra, with added sound effects? There was a bunch of white guys, and the effects were a fast, high-pitched "dingdingdingdingding". Then there was Lindford Christie, and the sound was a slow, deep, resonant "Doooooong, doooooooong, doooooooong...."

Posted at 12:59PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

With everyone plugged into the Olympics is anyone feeling a little bit sorry for Tasman and Northland? I'm not.

I'm feeling sorry for Northland because I'm from Northland.

I remember listening to Northland defending the Ranfurly Shield, on the radio. And my Dad telling me about Peter Jones. Buggered was a bad word in those days. And Sid Going and Bevan Holmes coming and talk to us at Northland College. And giving Winston McCarthy a lift into town - a little feller with a drinkers nose and that unmistakeable voice.

They all came from Northland.

Posted at 1:10PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

A question on sailing..... All my life, sailors have been penalized for touching a mark (buoy) as its rounded.... but last night, many of the board sailers were making a habit of it.... some gently swiped it, and others had full-on dragging it along contact... but seemingly did not have to perform a penalty turn or anything else?

Has board sailing always had different rules from "real" yachts or is this a recent change?

Posted at 1:27PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Finally, I don’t want to offend anyone in just my second post, but, badminton may just be the most boring sport to be played at high speed.

Boring?

Watched John Moody get totally crushed by Chen Jin last night. John Moody is the best NZer with good reflexes, very fit, fast and powerful; but the accuracy, power and deception of Chen Jin is exceptional. Chen Jin hit sideline to back corner to creasing across the net all whilst under pressure from Moody. It was scary, impressive, freakish and he was probably not playing to his best.

Posted at 1:45PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

A question on sailing.....Has board sailing always had different rules from "real" yachts

Yes, and being allowed to hit the marks is just one difference. The other main one is that the sailors are allowed to "pump" the sails to generate movement. Other classes are penalised for doing that.

Watched John Moody get totally crushed by Chen Jin last night

I gave up after the match with no NZer in it. But I can say that it does make for a great drinking game.

Pick a sound before the match and a player, your drinking partner does the same. then every time the player hits the shuttlecock you make your noise. Get it wrong, take a drink.

Posted at 2:10PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Does anyone remember a viral video of men's sprinting, in slow motion, frontal view in tight lycra, with added sound effects?

I do recall Roy & HG at the Sydney Olympics, as a lycra clad male gymnast spun around on a pommel horse (or whatever they are)... a voice would intone, every time his frontage hove into view "Allo boys..."

Posted at 2:15PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

a voice would intone, every time his frontage hove into view "Allo boys..."

The Italian rowing crew seemed to be very happy to receive their medals at the Athens Olympics. Many jokes about where the medals would be hung, ensued.

Posted at 2:22PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Oh man, Spain is not going to be popular:

Spain's Olympic basketball teams have risked upsetting their Chinese hosts by posing for a pre-Games advert making slit-eyed gestures. The advert for a courier company, which is an official sponsor of the Spanish Basketball Federation, occupied a full page in the sports daily Marca, the country's best-selling newspaper.

Posted at 2:45PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Ummm, is this the safe 'it's okay to just talk about the sport' zone? What a relief!

Posted at 2:50PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Wow! that's a spectacularly stupid gesture by the Spanish basketballers!

It is worse than the blunder committed by the four US cyclists that got off a flight at Beijing airport in their masks.

Posted at 2:50PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

is this the safe 'it's okay to just talk about the sport' zone?

it's ok Charles, you're among friends

Posted at 2:57PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Phew! did anyone else think the Australian uniform sucked at the opening ceremony? it seems to be universally unpopular among the Aussie public too.

Posted at 3:21PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Phew! did anyone else think the Australian uniform sucked at the opening ceremony? it seems to be universally unpopular among the Aussie public too.

Australia sports teams seem to have completely lost it on the uniform front. That man-bra thing the Wallabies wear has to be the ugliest international jersey ever.

Posted at 3:28PM on 12 Aug 08. Permalink.

Australia sports teams seem to have completely lost it on the uniform front. That man-bra thing the Wallabies wear has to be the ugliest international jersey ever.

The Walla-bra is sported by any international team that wears Canterbury jerseys. Scotland, Ireland, the USA.

The Aussie women basketballers have also had some pretty shocking uniforms.

I am formulating an Olympic uniform post too.