The 2008 Olympics Thread

[Tipp Townie]

Great news about Paddy Barnes! :)

I think i'm a little bit too excited about our first (guaranteed) medal of the Games, but feck it!:p

[Torn-Ado]

Hession finished 5th. He was never really in contention in the home straight but he gave it good go all the same. Fair play to him.

[Tipp Townie]

Egan's 7-0 up at the end of the 3rd round!!!

COME ON!

[Tipp Townie]

Egan's done it. Get in there.:)

Shame about Hession.

[Dodge]

Great stuff. Only the 3rd time since 1956 we've had 2 people medal.

[deecay]

Id say Egan will win the gold,the Brazilian was terrible

[sligoman]

When's Sutherland boxing?

[Torn-Ado]

Egan up against a decent Brit though who'd probably be favourite.

As for Hession, the European championships medals in two years time should be well with his reach.

[Dodge]

Egan up against a decent Brit though who'd probably be favourite

Egan will be short odds favourite. He's beaten jeffries 3/4 time over last couple of years

[ramondo]

Great stuff. Only the 3rd time since 1956 we've had 2 people medal.

I'd say 4th.

1956 - 5 Medalists = Delaney, Tiedt, Caldwell, Gilroy, Byrne

1980 - 2 Medalists = Wilkins/Wilkinson, Russell

1992 - 2 Medalists = Carruth, McCullogh


Historically, at least 2 bronze is a great result, and looking at Irish performances so far the standard and approach seems to be improving over previous games. But I can't see 1956 being bettered for a long time.

And we're a long way behind the likes of New Zealand - 77 medals in 20 summer games, compared to our 20 medals in 18 summer games (up to 2004).

[Dodge]

I'd say 4th.


I said since 1956 as its the only time we've had more than 2 medalists (not medals...)

[ramondo]

I said since 1956 as its the only time we've had more than 2 medalists (not medals...)

I'd still say 4th...

[Dodge]

*sigh*

[ramondo]

*sigh*

I'd take "since" to mean from then till now.

I'll shut up now.

[pineapple stu]

I'd still say 4th...
"Since 1956" makes it fairly clear Dodge is right.

Moving along, what chances a third medal tomorrow?

[kingdom hoop]

*sigh eile*



I think i'm a little bit too excited about our first (guaranteed) medal of the Games, but feck it!:p

No shame in getting excited. I was getting a little emotional myself after the Barnes fight. Egan's wasn't quite as exciting - we'll wait for the semi for that. :)

Barnes's semi is on Friday at 12. Kenny's is Friday at one minute past two (14.01).

Sutherland fights tomorrow at one minute past one (13.01).

[Dodge]

Moving along, what chances a third medal tomorrow?

Sutherland won't be favourite. Blanco is world silver medallist and beat Darren by 12/13 points in their only bout to date (in the last 16 of that world championship last year). On his day, Sutherland is fantastic. He's too prone to lapses in concentration though. Bought lads are heavy hitters, and it should make for a great spectacle.

We've a chance with Lynch in the Showjumping on Thursday. Apart from that only Oilve Loughnane in the walk could hope for a top ten placing.

Still though, a positive olympics

[superfrank]

The Brazil Argentina semi-final in the football is on RTÉ right now. Hoping it will be good.

[boovidge]

i dont know much about olympic boxing so can someone explain how Barnes is guaranteed a medal if he's only in the semi finals?

[pineapple stu]

In football terms, there's no third/fourth place play off.

[boovidge]

so there are two bronze medals?

[pineapple stu]

No, there's two semi-finallists with bronze guaranteed as a minimum. If they win their semis, they'll be in the final fighting for gold/silver.

[monutdfc]

Yes, but there are 2 bronze medals awarded - one to each losing semi-finalist

[Big Ears]

Sutherland won't be favourite. Blanco is world silver medallist and beat Darren by 12/13 points in their only bout to date

You're worse than RTÉ ;), it was 20-13 at the World Championships.
You've probably just confused Darren's score with how much he lost by.

Anyway Egan will be favourite to win a Silver now, although will be the underdog should he reach the final. Barnes chances of progressing are pretty slim and Sutherland is up against it tomorrow but it's not impossible.


Yes, but there are 2 bronze medals awarded - one to each losing semi-finalist

What he's saying is that Barnes and Egan aren't necessarily losing semi-finalists, Egan is actually favoured to do better.

[pineapple stu]

so there are two bronze medals?
Sorry, mis-read that. Yes, there's two bronze medals. But we might yet go better.

[tricky_colour]

He will be up against a Chinese boxer if he gets through to the final, one of the other semi-finalists has been disqualified.
Given as they were giving two bronzes out, should he not be given at least a silver now?
The Chinese guy is guaranteed a silver now because he has a bye into the final.

[geysir]

Great boxing news so far.
I'm looking forward to the Sutherland fight, I better screw fasten my tv to the stand.
.
RTE take a commercial break in the middle of the 2nd half of the Brasil V Arg soccer game. I suppose that demonstrates somewhat that this is one of the Olympic disciplines that lacks that oomph.

[superfrank]

They "paused" the coverage though. It went off around 69:50 and came back around 70-something.

Argentina 3-0 up and Brazil down to me now with Lucas sent off.

[superfrank]

Brazil now down to nine in the 85th. Tiago Neves sent off.

[Big Ears]

He will be up against a Chinese boxer if he gets through to the final, one of the other semi-finalists has been disqualified.
Given as they were giving two bronzes out, should he not be given at least a silver now?
The Chinese guy is guaranteed a silver now because he has a bye into the final.


You're a bit confused there, Kurbanov was disqualified against Shynaliyev in the quarter-final today for biting. Shynaliyev(Bronze medallist from the World Championships) will face the Chinese boxer in the semi-final now and on neutral ground he'd be favourite to win that too. He'll possibly still be a slight favourite.

It's Jeffries v Egan and Xiaoping v Shynaliyev in the semi's .

[Dodge]

You're worse than RTÉ ;), it was 20-13 at the World Championships.
You've probably just confused Darren's score with how much he lost by.


Cheers big Ears. I actually had the right score, I just got typed it wrong (half way through saying he lost by 7 and he lost 20-13)

[HarpoJoyce]

Just noticed this eh...Athlete/Big Kid competing for Australia in the BMX events..Kamakaze indeed.
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/8/240328.shtml

After Edit:
For what it's worth Iceland are beating Poland in a quarter-final of the Handball Men 22-19. Mid-way through the second half.

2nd Edit:
At the finish Iceland 32-30 Poland. I thought Iceland were in trouble with ten minutes left. They were three goals to the good. They had a power-play advantage (7 players to 6) and they missed a free throw and lost two goals in the two minutes. However they regained their three goal advantage. It's been a good tournament for Iceland so far they have beaten Russia Federation and Germany in the Groups and now this.

[bennocelt]

Was away for the last few days so kind of out of the loop, anyone maybe able to fill me in on this?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008...sandpublishing

[passinginterest]

Sutherland is 9-1 ahead at end of round 3.

[passinginterest]

He won :)

11-1 I think.

[shakermaker1982]

I love watching Sutherland box. I've taped it so looking forward to watching the replay. Brilliant result for Irish boxing.

[Dodge]

Told you all to back him at 9/1 to medal.

3 medals. Only 2nd time ever to have 3 medallist. makes this thread (and the pre thread all the more worthwhile :D )

[Dodge]

Semi -final times

Friday
8.00am - Sutherland v Degale (GB)
12.00pm - Barnes v Zou Shiming (China)
2.00pm - Egan v Jeffries (GB)

Looking at the other semis. Nothing would frighten Kenny or Darren. In fact Egan is nearly favourite

---

Oh and Cragg made the final of the 5,000m A great achievement giving the year he's ahd

[passinginterest]

Oh and Cragg made the final of the 5,000m A great achievement giving the year he's ahd

That's great. The radio commentators were giving him no chance. They called the pace of his race "pedestrian" and expected the fastest qualifiers to come from the other heats.

[Dodge]

Usain Bolt beat the best WR around by running 19.30 to win the 200m. First time ever that someome has won the 100m and 200m in World Record times.

[newbie]

Told you all to back him at 9/1 to medal.

3 medals. Only 2nd time ever to have 3 medallist. makes this thread (and the pre thread all the more worthwhile :D )

he was 33/1 to win gold at the start...

[pete]

Usain Bolt beat the best WR around by running 19.30 to win the 200m. First time ever that someome has won the 100m and 200m in World Record times.

Did not see the race but apparently the previous record stood for 12 years. Did he run the last 10 metres this time?

[zenokelly]

he was 33/1 to win gold at the start...

Egan was 66/1 with Ladbrokes to win before the draw was made.

Unfortunately I can't say Itook it. And as far as I remember each-way was 4 places.:o

[Dodge]

Did not see the race but apparently the previous record stood for 12 years. Did he run the last 10 metres this time?

Yep, dipped for the line too. Record stood since 1996, and that broke the record from 1979. Only two runners have gone below 19.6. Johnson with 19.32 and now Bolt with 19.3

Phenomenal

[Aberdonian Stu]

Did not see the race but apparently the previous record stood for 12 years.

This only the third time the record's been broken since 1979. Michael Johnson broke the record twice in 1996, running 19.66 and then lowering it to 19.32 before Bolt's time today. Comparatively the 100m has been broken or equalled 13 times in the same timeframe, excluding records that were later struck from the books.

[tricky_colour]

You're a bit confused there, Kurbanov was disqualified against Shynaliyev in the quarter-final today for biting. Shynaliyev(Bronze medallist from the World Championships) will face the Chinese boxer in the semi-final now and on neutral ground he'd be favourite to win that too. He'll possibly still be a slight favourite.

It's Jeffries v Egan and Xiaoping v Shynaliyev in the semi's .

Yes it seems I got mixed up here, but I wonder what would have happen in the circumstances I described, the losing semi finalist would have won the same number of matches as the losing finalist, so would have a justified claim for the silver medal.

[Dodge]

But I don't see how someone could be disqualified after the fight. I've seen fighters not turn up for semis and receive a braonze

[tricky_colour]

But I don't see how someone could be disqualified after the fight. I've seen fighters not turn up for semis and receive a braonze

I don't think that matters, both fought the same number of bouts and both lost to the gold medalist so don't both deserve a silver?

[HarpoJoyce]

Volleyball (Indoor) Women

USA take the first set in the Semi-Final versus Cuba (pron.?) 25-20.

(Interim song -Iko Iko 'My grandma and your Grandma...')


USA 25-16 Cuba. This is a little disappointing and a turn-around as Cuba won the group match 3-0 with only won set going close 26-24.
USA 25-17 Cuba USA won 3-0. A little more subtlety (dinks) from Cuba in the last set but USA were the better team. USA won many rallys, even the final point had about six exchanges of posession but USA came through.

[passinginterest]

Denis Lynch has apparently withdrawn from the showjumping competition. That's a massive disappointment seeing as he was in such good form.

Lynch Withdraws from Competition (http://www.rte.ie/sport/olympics2008/2008/0821/lynchd.html).


Unofficial reports have stated that Ireland's Denis Lynch has withdrawn from competition in the Equestrian Individual Jumping Competition on Thursday along with three other competitors.