Posts by Graeme Edgeler
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I'm always amazed when I hear people declare that the education system went to pot when teachers were no longer allowed to knock kids around (1986, I think, the year after I left school).
1990.
On other matters, I did know some (not many) idiot teachers, and certainly some I clashed with and/or disliked, but never anyone cruel. Is this a generational thing?
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I think the discussion was about hyperbole in sports writng in general
When ever someone suggests that the All Blacks have played there finest performance ever (or that a particular All Black has) I always dispute this and ramble on about their great performance against Australia/The English/someone during some year in the 1930s or 1940s.
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With timing Olympic swimming comes the problem that it is impossible to create a pool where each lane is exactly the same length!
Of course, it will also be impossible to create a pool where each lane is the same length as itself. Perhaps Cavic should have aimed for the part of his lane that was closest :-)
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Anyone else notice that the TV One news repeatedly mentioned how confused everyone was after the women's double sculls, and despite showing the finish of the race 3 times, didn't once play Pete Montgomery's race-end commentary?
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__just watched Asafa Powell in his first heat and not only is he fast, he's totally smooth.
His head didn't come up until 30m in. Too cool.__
Can someone explain this to me please? Hadyn? Is there some cost-benefit formula here, or is it always faster to stay underwater as long as possible
I'm pretty sure it's slower ... not least because you'd first have to exit the stadium and go over to the swimming venue :-)
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This week's Media7 focused on the media dimension of the Olympics
We got Freeview last weekend, and I was totally going to watch 'live' for the first time ... but, um, the actual Olympics was on :-)
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Not the perfect place for it, but can someone tell me what the lightweight double sculls are (is?)
Is it a weight division? A different boat?
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The rule is that freestylers must surface within 15 m of starting a lap and swim with part of their body above the water. Guess because it makes better TV to have the swimmers visible even if it is possible to stay submerged and go faster.
That's freestyle too? I thought that was one (or more) of the other strokes. Damn. That would be cool.
Speaking of which, let's note NZ success in a non-Olympic sport. A world record from Wellington architect Kathryn McPhee of 151m swum underwater (single breath, not fin-assisted). I could probably only just swim 151m, just thinking about doing it underwater...
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So can I assume that means American Gold?
Not just American gold. According to Stuff:
With the win in his signature event, the 200 metres butterfly, Phelps became the greatest Olympian in history, his ten gold medals surpassing the likes of "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi, Americans Carl Lewis and Mark Spitz, and Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina, who each won nine golds.
Well that ends that argument :-)
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__How NZ can match Phelps__
That was exactly my argument too.
My Dad, who was at the 1976 Olympics, who had friendly rivalry with the Canadian he was staying with over whose team would perform better, tells a story of the day he was able to inform his mate that New Zealand had won 11 gold medals in a single day ... our hockey team had triumphed :-)
How can we match Phelps? We don't need to. Phelps is in 8 events and may win 8 medals, Snell was in two events and won both - they'll both have acheieved their aim.
Put me on the IOC, I'll sort it out.
I don't think it's up to them. The IOC have allowed swimming into the Olympics (and is it 42 other sports?), I believe its up to the international swimming body to sort it out (within limits, I'm sure). I had heard at one point that this might be why the IOC couldn't kick out synchronised swimming.