<p>No, it was on NBC early this AM.</p>
<p>^ you can see the reply streaming also … you can cut straight to about 1:25 into the race before anything too interesting happens. For me the marathon is interesting as there are runners who go for the win and end up with no medal at all … and sometimes there are others who hang back and pick off those who went for it; these folks have almost no chance to win but have pretty good odds of a medal.</p>
<p>So heartbroken after watching woman’s vaulting finals. I don’t think I’ve ever seen McKayla set down a vault, even in warm ups.</p>
<p>^I actually teared up a little. I felt so bad for her. The whole medals stand ceremony was just too heartbreaking - I turned it off.</p>
<p>I know this is going to sound harsh, but this is actually one medals ceremony I hope NBC does NOT show tonight. I know people want to see other countries win gold (and hear their national anthems too), but poor girl, I just think replaying it tonight would be even more crushing.</p>
<p>And what was up with all the score changes? Just computer glitches?</p>
<p>I’ve always had this thing against boxing - a toned down “hunger games” to me, and wished it faded out of the Olympics. Now I see they have introduced women’s boxing too…</p>
<p>Andy Murray, oh my goodness! Gold medal and the crowd is going wild!
6-2, 6-1, 6-4 over Federer.</p>
<p>frazzled, I was watching the women’s marathon on CTV but NBC also showed it live. It ended around 8:30 this morning.</p>
<p>Wow!! Murray made a statement. And silver and bronze for the men on pommel horse, too.</p>
<p>They are belting out the national anthem at Wimbledon. The UK is living the dream this weekend. </p>
<p>Sounds like you had an awesome time CSIHSIS. I could not get tickets for the tennis, but I have sailing later this week.</p>
<p>I think the Chinese badminton team just made history by winning all 5 gold metals on offer. They have done so 2/3 times in World Championships but never in the Olympics. I have no doubt this is the greatest team ever assembled in the sport. It will also mean that the architect of this team, head coach Li Yongbo, will never have to answer for the farcical display of the other day. </p>
<p>Competitive badminton began in China as the result of pogroms in Indonesia against the Chinese residents back in the 50s and 60s. Many sent their children back to China with the intention of following a little later. These teenagers became Chinas first generation of badminton players and later coaches. Fu Haifeng, their doubles specialist, is the son of an Indonesian immigrant. Li Yongbo himself played for such a coach as well.</p>
<p>The match between the Malaysian Lee Chongwei and Chinas Lin Dan was the match that I have been waiting for. I was cheering for the Malaysian because it would be Malaysias first ever gold medal, and it would be nice for Lee to finally get the better of his friend and nemesis in an important match for a change.</p>
<p>It was not to be. Lin Dan has shown why he is considered to be the greatest player in the history of this sport by becoming the first male to repeat as Olympic singles champion. (Chinas Zhang Ning repeated in 2008 by beating Lins present wife Xie Xingfang in three tough games). With nothing more to prove, he will probably retire shortly.</p>
<p>^ Good story.</p>
<p>My issue with Pistorius has nothing to do with any perceived advantage (I don’t see see runners lining up to get their legs amputated, after all) but rather that his push to compete in the Olympics (which I’m fine with and wish him luck) can’t help but be read as a blow to the Paralympics and reinforcement of the misconception that they are not “real” Games featuring “real” athletes who are truly world-class in their sports. Most people current attitudes towards the Paralympics consist of a) mistakenly equating them with the Special Olympics and/or saying “aww, isn’t that cute? They think they’re athletes!” The general public needs to stop treating the Paralympics as “inspiration porn” and start treating them as a real athletic competition, and Pistorius’ move isn’t helping with that.</p>
<p>100m semifinals. Brings back memories of past Canadian sprinters, both good memories (Donovan Bailey) and bad (Ben Johnson).</p>
<p>For those of you who believe that outside the US sports commentary is unbiased and balanced towards all athletes, the BBC team go wild when Mo Farah wins.</p>
<p>[Mo</a> Farah Wins 10,000m Olympic Gold - BBC Commentators Reaction - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>Bolt wins mens 100M unreal after a terrible start</p>
<p>USA’s Justin Gatlin earned the bronze</p>
<p>Did anyone see Bolt in the 100m? What an appropriately named man!</p>
<p>Yes! The amazing thing is that all seven men who finished were under 10 seconds.</p>
<p>Sorry that my American friends didn’t get to see the race live. If you want to put a smile on your face, google RONA olympic commercial and have a look at “Olympic Relay”. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, it still makes me smile.</p>
<p>^^ Great commercial! Thanks for the heads up. :)</p>
<p>Big upset in men’s volleyball this morning. Australia beat Poland in pool play. An exciting match. I’ve always enjoyed watching volleyball, two of my Ds played for years. The excellence of play at the Olympic level, though, is so much fun.</p>
<p>patsmom, glad you enjoyed the commercial. I just saw it again this morning.</p>
<p>Watching team table tennis this morning, I cannot help but notice the South Korean coach Hyun Jung-Hwa. In the late 80s and early 90s, she was the one woman that stands between China and her total domination of the sport.</p>
<p>She won the womens double, mix double, and womens single in World Championships, a gold medal in womens double in the Seoul Olympics, and anchored the United Korea team (you hear right) to victory over China in 1991 Chiba. This last event is considered to be so important that a movie was made to commemorate it:</p>
<p>[As</a> One Official Trailer #1 (2012) - Korean Ping Pong Movie HD - YouTube](<a href=“As One Official Trailer #1 (2012) - Korean Ping Pong Movie HD - YouTube”>As One Official Trailer #1 (2012) - Korean Ping Pong Movie HD - YouTube)</p>
<p>Looking at how China steamroll her opponents in London, I think we need another Hyun Jung-Hwa.</p>
<p>Saw the first sport that really held no interest for me on TV … the shooting contest does not translate to TV coverage very well at all. I was glad to see the US guy get a medal on his third try; although he needs to find a way to skip the last shot.</p>