<p>Fortunately the rhythmic gymnastics results weren’t completely nonsensical this time.</p>
<p>^^ </p>
<p>Let me guess … The countries that once formed the Soviet Union plus a pinch of former red “colonies” must have grabbed all the medals and the top spots. And there was no ghostly apparition of of the musically-challenged Aly Reisman to torture you!</p>
<p>But one could agree about the non-sensical judging. Otherwise, it’d be hard to explain by the russian crying divas got such high scores and their medals. </p>
<p>/smile</p>
<p>Even with the inflated scores, the three best competitors were on the podium today. That frequently doesn’t happen. I was pretty scared that Aliya Garaeva was going to get the bronze, but that didn’t happen. If you’re wondering, Raisman deserves her rankings. Garaeva does not.</p>
<p>Daba Modibo Keita withdrew from the bronze medal match in Taekwondo. I wonder why. He could have been the first Malian to get an Olympic medal. In the same competition, Gabon got its first Olympic medal.</p>
<p>I am watching a halting computer feed of the men’s 5000 meter final while on my bigscreen TV, NBC is broadcasting in highdef a young girl in a sparkly skintight tangled up in a ribbon. Thanks</p>
<p>Wow Tom Daley was amazing in the final of the men’s 10m diving. A bronze is an amazing achievement, especially considering his father died last year.</p>
<p>Now the 4 x 400 – American women putting on an absolute clinic at these Olympics!</p>
<p>The diving results were amazing! Such a happy bronze medal winner! And so glad to see the USA win a diving gold again.</p>
<p>I had hoped for a closer women’s basketball final…we won by 36 and our shooting was not good.</p>
<p>Just saw the last few miles of the men’s marathon. The weather looked nice. 4th place finish for the 37 year old American. I can’t believe those guys can run that long that fast…(or that long even slow.)</p>
<p>Spain = Best Flopping Country in the World.
Doesn’t matter if it’s soccer or basketball, they take the cake.</p>
<p>You’d think there were snipers in the building considering how they spontaneously fall over with no one around them.</p>
<p>I was thrilled for the platform results yesterday. The gold medalist had the dive event of his life, and I always root for fellow Hoosiers :)</p>
<p>I also loved watching the modern pentathlon. In all the years of watching the Olympics, I swear I had never even heard of this event.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Indeed. It’s a very difficult feat, which is why they so frequently mess it up.</p>
<p>So proud of Meb for his 4 th place finish in the marathon. I’ve had the privilege of meeting him, as has my son. He is so humble and sweet. My son ran into him running in Central Park a few years ago and Meb said, “Hi, I’m Meb.”. My son said, “Um, I certainly know who you are!”</p>
<p>Meb went to high school here in San Diego, so I got to see him running in local high school events long before he became famous. When he won the Footlocker national high school cross country championships (also here in San Diego) I think the entire Eritrean community here in San Diego came out to cheer him on and celebrate his victory. Or it may have just been his own huge family. Perhaps they amount to the same thing.</p>
<p>I’m fortunate that the Footlockers are held here every year. I get to see nearly the future NCAA distance running champions and Olympians when they are in high school. Meb, Ritz, Centrowitz, Ryan Hall, etc. I saw them all run. Same on the women’s side. I recall Kara Goucher’s Footlocker run (Kara Wheeler as she was then) and many more.</p>
<p>^^^^ Very cool.</p>
<p>Closing ceremonies! What a fun two weeks this has been.</p>
<p>I can’t believe that NBC is not showing the closing ceremonies live. Really glad we have CTV</p>
<p>To answer some random questions-
you can bring your dog or cat at least (pet crocodile?) into the UK no problem as long as the animal has a “pet passport” which proves they’ve had their shots (basically proves they do not have rabies). I once took a rat to France… These rules change all the time. Since racehorses travel all over the world, horses must be ok (I just looked it up. A horse passport does seem to exist).</p>
<p>There are very many French people who are also Londoners. I believe London is something like the 5th or 6th largest French city in terms of numbers of French citizens living there. London recently gained representation in the French parliament (it’s only 2 hours on the train to Paris from here). So it is very unsurprising that people are singing along with the French anthem. However, I have also noticed there has been a lot of singing going on in general at this Olympics. Paul McCartney led a “All you need is love” singalong at least twice (once at cycling which I saw), and in the closing ceremony “Waterloo Sunset” has proved popular. There are occasional breakout of crowd singing at Wimbledon even in a non-Olympic year, and very often at football matches in the UK.</p>
<p>^^Hmm…what are the recommended shots for a crocodile? (And who administers them?)</p>
<p>.22?
Or something stronger?</p>
<p>^Hahaha!!</p>
<p>“Choot 'em!!!”</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>I guess if crocodile wrestling becomes an Olympic sport, that’s Rio’s problem (or perhaps crocodiles will be chosen randomly as for horses in pentathlon).</p>