Tuesday, 11 September 2012

Surely It's Time To Unite The Olympics And Paralympics

One big month-long event every four summers. With paralympians performing on the same day in the same stadia as Olympians.

It's inevitable, isn't it? All this talk of discrimination, surely by staging the paralympics separately from the Olympics is a little bit off.

Integrate the two events. There's no need to distinguish between the performers and end up with the farce of two opening ceremonies and two closing ceremonies in the same city in the same summer.

Getting this done by 2016 may be tricky, but 2020 has to be possible.

Tuesday, 7 August 2012

POLE VAULT: How do you know if you're any good at it?

There aren't many school fields around the world with one of these twenty-foot high contraptions on them.
Long jump, running, high jump, javelin, you get to do all that business in school so you can see how bad you are at them and realise you'll never win Olympic gold from an early age.
But Pole Vault? I bet there's been some undiscovered talent at this event.

People will have gone through their lives not knowing that they were meant to be Pole Vaulters, all because they never got the chance to try it.

But why not teach it in school? Yeah, it's dangerous, but kids love that kind of shit. Although I would have deliberately forgotten my PE kit on Pole Vault day to avoid the risk of soiling it.

Why make it the only event you have to wait until you've left school to get into.

Can't throw far, or run fast? Never mind, you can still be a sporting hero by tossing yourself over a high bar from a thin, flexible stick.

Pole Vaulters of the world, share with the rest of the world the career path that leads you into this most fascinating of Olympic events.

Monday, 30 July 2012

GB TEAM: Dodgy start

Is the weight of expectation meaning many of our athletes have nothing attached to a ribbon and weighing down their necks?

A silver and a bronze after the first two days does not represent a good return. And having witnessed a team of GB archers freeze against the Russians (one even shot a four!) it's looking like the pressure of being at home is affecting performance. And until we get that first gold, the pressure is going to keep on building.

CYCLING: Can you really expect help to win gold?

Lot of moans going around about people ganging up against the Brits to make sure Cavendish didn't strike gold in Saturday's road race.

But really, can anyone expect other competitors to give them a bunk up onto the podium? If you want to win gold, you've got to win it yourself and not expect to hang onto someone else's coat-tails until you're ready to make your move.

I know cycling has its tactics and teamwork, but no one owes anyone anything, especially in the Olympics.

Opening Ceremony A Triumph But...

...what about the hand salute from a gentleman in the audience as the German team took to the track? I can't have been the only one to be reminded of the Nazi salute.

Thursday, 26 July 2012

Korean Flag Crisis

Oh, fucking dear.

What a woeful start.

Some GCSE-educated dickbrain doesn't know the difference between the flags for North and South Korea.

We could have had a full-blown diplomatic crisis on our hands before the Olympic ceremony.

Brings into question why some of the events start before the opening ceremony, and why some are being held in a different country to the host city. I'm all for sharing the wealth and good times a little, but this is generosity gone too far. (About 400 miles too far north.)

And it doesn't bode well for the rest of the tournament if we can get something as basic and important as flags so badly wrong. What next, Borat's version of the Kazakhstani anthem being played at a medal ceremony?

Koreans, on behalf of Brits with a modicum of intelligence, I'd like to apologise.

Wednesday, 25 July 2012

BBC v ITV Olympics Theme Tune

Well, the Beeb have excelled here. Computerised style graphics seamlessly merging one sport into the next and an uplifting theme tune to boot. I'm liking it.
And I'm waiting with something akin to, but not quite baited breath to see how ITV respond.
Ha, ha. No, OK. I know all the Olympics telly in the UK is on the Beeb, and they have had seven years to polish the theme tune and graphics. Looks like time well spent. Unlike watching Olympic Gymnastics or Synchronised Swimming, may I suggest...