Rio 2016 Olympics - countdown and discussion

[Kor]

Hello, folks. I don't see any active threads on this topic, so here's your chance to discuss all things related to this summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Which events are you looking forward to? Are you keeping track of certain athletes in your country or other countries who are expected to compete in Rio?

What do you think of the selection of Rio as the venue this time around? It's notorious for its rough character.

Any other thoughts on the Olympics? The politicking surrounding the Olympic Committee? The inclusion or exclusion of certain sports? Anything else?

Kor

 

[hux]

They did well with the World Cup though there were a lot of protests about holding such an expensive event in a country with so much poverty. I expect the same.

 

[Kilana2]

Kor, you have beaten me to it, I was already planning on a Rio Olympics thread.

I'm a swimming fan, alas a lot of athletes were doped recently. Sun Yang is allowed to participate, Park Tae-Hwan is banned. As is Yuliya Efimova, for that matter.
Swimming finals will be shown very early in the morning (German time, around 3.00 in the morning), so I will have to get up accordingly. It's all about the Americans seeing swimming at Prime Time.
Phelps is boring as hell now. It's more interesting how he's going to deal with his fatherhood-to-be.
At the London Olympics I enjoyed Ryan Lochte doing a Funny-Or-Die vid with Patrick Stewart and Simon Pegg....
Germany has only one swimmer with any chances for a medal: Marco Koch, 200m breaststroke.

Track and Field/Athletics with Usain Bolt will be also exciting.

With the current German sports funding system I fear there will be even fewer medals won than in London. And if so, then in fringe sports.

No interest in Olympic soccer, though. I don't know if hux is going to watch Olympic football/soccer - whatever.

I'm wondering if there are other people sharing my interests?

 

[1001001]

I like some of the track and field events, as well as boxing.

As for Rio, bad choice (but made 7 years ago). I heard a story on NPR yesterday about how few tickets have been sold, and how angry people are there. The President is in the middle of getting impeached, inflation is out of control, and the water pollution around some of the events is staggering.

http://www.npr.org/sections/paralle...s-recession-ticket-sales-lag-for-rio-olympics

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/sto...pic-training-competition-sites-rio-de-janeiro

 

[Kor]

I'm most interested in weightlifting. Finals for the US team are being held next month in Ogden, UT. Two of the finalists are from my area, so I will be interested in seeing how they do.

Kor

 

[Kilana2]

Hannah Stockbauer is a former swimmer and former Olympic athlet, she's from Erlangen where I live.
When I still lived in Magdeburg/Saxony-Anhalt I once met a female Olympic swimmer in a tram.... Wonder if anyone else has met some Olympic athletes face-to-face???

 

[1001001]

I met Magic Johnson once at a USC Football game. Wonderfully nice guy.

 

[Garak]

What's the over/under on how many athletes who have to compete in the ocean get violently ill?

 

[Kilana2]

A bikeway in Rio has collapsed. Two dead. Bad news for Rio in the year of the Olympics.

 

[Kor]

A bikeway in Rio has collapsed. Two dead. Bad news for Rio in the year of the Olympics.

That's most unfortunate.

Kor

 

[RAMA]

Unfortunately, the Rio Olympics are what happens when you pick an under-developed country with a mediocre infrastructure. The condition of the ocean is a disgrace.

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As far as events are concerned I can get into just about any competition if it's intriguing, but my favorites are track and field and weightlifting.

 

[B.J.]

I'm curious how this will compare with Sochi's handling of the 2014 Winter Olympics. I understand that the summer games are a lot bigger than the winter games, but the Sochi games were a royal mess.

 

[Kilana2]

Unfortunately, the Rio Olympics are what happens when you don't pick a fully developed country with mediocre infrastructure. The condition of the ocean is a disgrace.

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As far as events are concerned I can get into just about any competition if it's intriguing, but my favorites are track and field and weightlifting.

I don't want to be a long distance swimmer. They claimed that no one suffered from ill effects after a test competetion, but you'll never know.

 

[MacLeod]

Hard to think it's been four years since London 2012, were does the time go to? Have to wait and see what happens with the games might not watch as much as the London games but that's due to the time difference.

 

[Kilana2]

According to German time the swimming finals are at 3.00 in the night. Great. At least no one will see it when the German athletes fail again like in London.
It's all because NBC wants to see Michael Phelps racing at prime time. Finals are at 10 in the evening local time. The athlets return to their accommodations in the middle of the night and have to change their training schedules.....

 

[Kor]

One of my communications professors used to go to all the Olympic games to produce TV coverage for NBC Sports. I'm not sure if he's doing so this time.

Kor

 

[Kilana2]

German olympic trials in swimming are ongoing. Some dissappointments on part of the ladies, but also good performances and national records.
Meanwhile Michael Phelps became a father, calling his son `Boomer Robert´. For whatever it's worth. Congratulations by the way.

 

[Kilana2]

https://swimswam.com/swimmer-andrew-picard-banned-life-usa-swimming/

Calling himself Picard isn't always a good idea.....

 

[Kor]

I just skimmed through that article. I wasn't aware of all that before, as I don't really follow the sport of swimming. How disgusting.

On a more positive note, I think I'll also keep an eye on archery. I've always had a passing interest in the sport. I even gave it a try once or twice in my lifetime.

Kor

 

[Kilana2]

I just skimmed through that article. I wasn't aware of all that before, as I don't really follow the sport of swimming. How disgusting.

On a more positive note, I think I'll also keep an eye on archery. I've always had a passing interest in the sport. I even gave it a try once or twice in my lifetime.

Kor

There are also good news about swimming. A German olympic swimmer saved a drowning girl's live last year when she (a Muslima) accidentally fell into the river Isar. A hero, no doubt. Qualified for Rio over 200m and 400m freestyle this year.