Next Monday the series begins.
RTE 2 : 7.30pm
So a wide range of sports is one boxer and the rest athletes...Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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New blog if anyone's interested - http://loihistory.wordpress.com/
LOI section on balls.ie - http://balls.ie/league-of-ireland/
Next Monday the series begins.
RTE 2 : 7.30pm
San Marino are going to be a handful as the group goes on." - Steve Staunton reacts to performance against San Marino.
The 4x400m men's team have been given 1 final lifeline to qualify, with a lane in the last qualifying 4x400m event in Salamanca on wednesday.
As it stands, we are in 18th place, 2 off the magic top 16 that qualifies us. But we do not know exactly what is needed to get into 16th spot even though the meet in Salmanca is the last meet that counts, because the Italian team, the current holders of the 16th place, are also entered along with, the Nigerian team, currently 20th that have the runners to easily move up the ladder and I fancy they should get in to the qualifying places, so it won't be easy.
However, we are capable of making it, but with the feeling that the Italians and Nigerians will pull ahead of us, we need a 3:03.42 run to guarantee a spot, which is worryingly a 1.01 seconds faster than we've ran so far.
More here: www.project400.net
San Marino are going to be a handful as the group goes on." - Steve Staunton reacts to performance against San Marino.
Just tried to look at the official Olympic website. If you go to sports you get diverted to a pro-Tibet/anti Chinese goverment site. Cooooooool!!
http://www.peking2008.com/
http://www.peking2008.com/ad/
This is the cooooooooooooolest footy forum I've ever seen!
Whoops, it's fake site, but looks convincing. Should have spotted the Peking 2008 logo.
This is the cooooooooooooolest footy forum I've ever seen!
Gillick continues his good form to finish 6th in Rome Golden League.
http://www.olympicsport.ie/Profile.aspx?pageid=68
Profiles of Irish athletes by sport.
I'm what? I'm ants at a picnic?
Piece with Chloe Magee from the Donegal News today
2008 Olympic Games
Chloe makes her Olympic bid
BY CHRIS MCNULTY
CHLOE Magee this Saturday treads a path that will only previously have been ventured upon by seven Donegal natives when she lines up at the 29th Olympiad in Beijing, China.
Badminton player Magee (19), from Raphoe, takes on Estonia's Katie Tolmoff in the women’s singles ‘Round of 64’ at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium to become the eighth Donegal representative to appear at the Games.
Just some hours previous to Chloe lining up in the Badminton Court, Letterkenny Cyclist Philip Deignan will have become Donegal Olympian number seven - and the first since his fellow townsman Danny McDaid, who ran the marathon in 1972 - in the Men’s Road Race.
For Chloe Magee, the road to Beijing was one that was taken rather swiftly, given that the ultimate aim for the teenager when she left her native Raphoe two years ago to take on the sport full-time was an appearance in London 2012.
But now that she’s in China, she won’t be there merely to make up the numbers, not even if she faces a skilled Estonian who, at number 46 in the world, is 28 places above her in the rankings.
Yesterday morning, Sunday (‘one of the hottest days here so far!’), Chloe spoke to the Donegal News from her Beijing base and told of her pride at representing Team Ireland and how she is quietly confident of getting over Saturday’s challenge.
“I wasn’t sure if I would make it to Beijing, but I really wanted to make it to London in 2012. It is great to get there ahead of schedule.
“I am delighted to be here; it is brilliant to be a part of the team,” she enthused.
“It would be a bonus to get through a few rounds. The draw is pretty much pot luck and I am putting no pressure on myself.
“I played her (Tolmoff) some time ago, I think it was last year, and I know her pretty well. She is from Europe as well and I know what I have to do to win. It is tough, but of course there are no easy ones in the Olympics.
“I am quite confident, because when I played her last I came quite close to winning and I have been playing way better since.”
Seeded fifth going in, she made the final of the US Open Grand Prix in California last month, in a tournament that ‘went really well’ - indeed it went so well that she ranks it as ‘one of my best tournaments ever.’ At the tournament in Orange County Badminton Club, she narrowly lost a tight final to local favourite Lili Zhou, who had earlier beaten the number two seed. After two tough and extremely close sets, Magee lost 23-21 21-18.
She and fellow Olympian Scott Evans then departed for Vancoucer for a training camp under the watchful gaze of Jim Laugesen and their trip to Beijing included a brief stay in Singapore.
“We’ve been out here in Beijing now since last Sunday,” she explained. “I have been training all week, twice a day, and it has been going really, really well so far. Basically I have a lot of match practise already done and I am trying to get myself prepared as best I can this week.”
At the tender age of 17, she packed her bags in Raphoe and headed for Sweeden to join up with coach Tom Reidy, a native of Limerick who played badminton for USA in Barcelona in 1992.
“He is a briliant trainer and he played in Barcelona in 92 aso he knows what it is all about. He is a former world champion and knows exactly what we need to be doing” notes the former Royal and Prior Comprehensive School student.
One of eight children to Sammy and Audrey Magee, her love of badminton was instilled from an early age.
“My dad taught me everything I know and I have him to thank for everything I have achieved,” she said.
"He has made me the player I am, took me everywhere I needed to go and gave me every chance that I have had.
"My parents are both over the moon and although badminton is a small sport in Ireland, everyone supports each other and I'm really excited."
She was back in her native homeland for a short stay at the beginning of last month and now that she’s on the biggest circuit of all, those at home keep in touch with the warm and hearty goodluck messages on a daily basis.
“I don’t get back home too much, so it was good to get back for a couple of weeks there. It was really great to get that chance to recover, as well as doing some training at home, because the qualifying period was so hard.”
Gold medalist four years ago in Athens was China’s Zhang Ning, who is seeded second behind the world number one, Xie Xingfang, also from China. On home territory this time around, the Chinese will be hoping to, at the very least, match 2004 when they won three of the five gold medals on offer.
“Badminton is China's national sport so there will be thousands of people watching the matches in Beijing which may make it a bit nerve-wracking,” said Chloe.
“The atmosphere will be really special, especially when there are Chinese players playing in front of the Chinese crowd.”
Finn Harps Dot Com
www.finnharps.com
Good article harpskid.
I remember Danny McDaid (showing my age bigtime). He ran with a cap!
I'm what? I'm ants at a picnic?
he ran with a cap??
Finn Harps Dot Com
www.finnharps.com
So the Olympics will be on soon...............
having lived in China for a few years i have a bit of an interest in it this time. usually i cant wait for the Olympics but after the first few days i lose the interest, but i might try the full 3/4 weeks this time
I have visited Beijing a good few times. never liked it, always too crowded, too polluted and the people were generally a bit rude
Qingdao where they are having the sailing etc is a beautiful city, with friendly people. it actually used to be run by the Germans in WW2 and has lots of European style architecture. i was surprised to see all the algae in the sea in the press, cause it generally is a clean city
the Chinese are really looking forward to this thing. Im still in two minds if they deserve it at all. I find it a bit hypocritical what with all the talk of human rights and they still have a mass murderer on their money.
But Chinese people are friendly and welcoming, and i guess its a change
Tibet and the Muslims are mistreated, thats for sure, but some people don't realise that the general Chinese populations themselves aren't exactly treated very well by the communist party.
The sports that were popular in china when i was there were..........basketball, football, ping pong, volleyball, gymnastics, and badminton.
Yao Ming and Yu Chen are stars. basketball is probably the number one sport at the moment. The Chinese have a love hate relationship with football. The football stars drink, curse, womanise - ie just been typical footballers - but it doesn't go down well in china.
They were rightly ****ed off that they only won one gold in the gymnastics's last time.
anyway im looking forward to seeing all the Irish compete. As long as they try their best, get PBs, and maybe sneak a medal or tow then thats fine.
Also looking forward to the football - Messi and Riqo versus Ronnie
the American basketball team will be one to watch too
Always like the athletics, and will watch the cycling
And Phelps
(by the way i have heard from a chinese friend that the road race for cycling will be in Taiyuan - if so thats bad news, its very polluted. But not sure of this????)
Also did anyone see Channel four news yesterday, seeing the American team entering china with face masks on. Very insulting, very rude, typical yanks
Lets the games begin
Pretty much what Chinese guy here said to me. The more China criticised the more nationalist the people become just like any other country. Anyway enough politics...
Of all the sports I have no interest in football & think it serves no sporting purpose to have it in the Olympics.
Looking forward to RTE having unusual commentators doing highlights of the extra or minority sports. I think Marty Morrissey did volley ball last time
Edit: Just seen this picture of US team arriving...
Last edited by pete; 06/08/2008 at 12:04 PM.
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