<p>Go Dara! 50 is such a tough race and could be a total crapshoot. I already feel so nervous for her… My hat is off to her - to swim 24.80 at 45 is just… wow!</p>
<p>When I was younger, I admit that I had a pretty low opinion of athletes - due to gym class bulying and male athletes in HS that got away with (almost) murder if they were talented.</p>
<p>But now, as a mother, I get so caught up in it. If you’ve ever had a kid who practiced something over and over again - back handsprings or the butterfly or the high jump or whatever - you can imagine it being your kid. If you’ve sat through swim meets or out in the sun at soccer or baseball or tennis or whatever, you can relate to those parents.</p>
<p>As for the hundredth of a point or hundredth of a second differences, the athletes live in that world and are used to it. Not to say it isn’t disappointing, but they have probably won plenty of competitions or meets by such margins.</p>
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<p>That’s what they were saying last night about Maroney…likely the best vaulter in the world. Probably more difficult to make the US team than to medal once she gets there.</p>
<p>Zzzz sorry, I should get all excited but just can’t. Maybe I will but at this point I could care less.</p>
<p>I watched a few minutes of the female gymnastics last night, and I don’t remember anything so amazing by previous competitors. It crossed my mind that they were on steroids - didn’t remember any of the past teams having so many and such HUGE muscles.</p>
<p>The one gymnast who had recent knee surgery and had trouble completing her round was HUGE!</p>
<p>I love the Olympics. I especially track and field, and I’ll watch the swimming too. In fact I’ll watch just about any Olympic competition based on objective performance and order of finish rather than on subjective judging.</p>
<p>Gymnastics, synchronized swimming, figure skating, boxing, and the other judged sports a so riven by favoritism, dishonesty, political block voting, and just plain nonsense coming out of the judges that it spoils it for me. </p>
<p>We attended the Olympics twice in person - in LA in '84 and Seoul in '88. And in Seoul we personally witnessed one of the worst robberies by the judges in living Olympic memory when US boxer Roy Jones pounded his Korean opponent relentlessly for for all three rounds, but yet the decision (and the gold medal) still went to the Korean because a couple of the judges wanted to please the home crowd. Even some of the Koreans, including the fighter himself, had to admit they were embarrassed to accept the honor because the beating had been so obvious and so one-sided.</p>
<p>Give me a nice simple footrace any day. First three across the line get the medals. No worries about “what the judges are looking for.”</p>
<p>Nice column about a very talented young woman whose dad I met long ago when I sat next to him on the train, when she was in college. He was very aware and supportive of her talents, and I had the impression that being fast was not why he was proud of her.
[At</a> U.S. Track Trials, former Rainier Beach star Ginnie Powell-Crawford learns pain and perseverance | Jerry Brewer | The Seattle Times](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2018571565_brewer01.html?cmpid=2628]At”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2018571565_brewer01.html?cmpid=2628)</p>
<p>Bookmarking!
[Gymnastics</a> Olympic Trials 2012: Clutch Showings Good Sign for Team USA | Bleacher Report](<a href=“http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1243908-gymnastics-olympic-trials-2012-results-clutch-showings-good-sign-for-team-usa]Gymnastics”>http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1243908-gymnastics-olympic-trials-2012-results-clutch-showings-good-sign-for-team-usa)</p>
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<p>There is something about tumbling that give some girls huge thigh muscles. My D’s legs were always like sticks, then around 8th grade her thighs started to develop. Don’t tell my D (former gymnast, now competitive cheerleader) but I am pretty astounded at the size of her thighs, and steroids are not in the picture.</p>
<p>I am looking forward to the London games. There are a lot of stories that I am following. How will the games match up with the ones at Beijing? Can the Chinese even come close to their 51 gold medals that they won at home? Is anybody going to beat the Americans in basketball, or the Chinese in table tennis? How many gold medals can Canada realistically expect to win?</p>
<p>The number one story for me is whether or not Malaysia can pick up her first gold medal ever. Lee Chongwei (badminton) had a chance in Beijing, but was crushed by his Chinese nemesis and friend, Lin Dan in the final. This time around the Chinese are even more prepared, with 3 great players in the chase. If Lee (ranked # 1) can recover from his ankle injury in time, he will probably be facing Chen Long (#3) in the semi, and Lin Dan (#2) again in the final. As my Malaysian friend used to say: How can la? How can? It looks really grim, but I always support underdogs. I cannot help it. It is in my DNA.</p>
<p>I thought the girls gymnastics team looked a little shaky too, especially on the beam. </p>
<p>parent1986-there is a big difference in body build between a 12 year old like they used to be and a 16-17 year old :D.</p>
<p>Several years ago I had a student make the Olympic team. He was going to miss 3 weeks of school and needed to get a form signed from all of his teachers. I happily signed the form and told him his homework was to talk to people from at least 15 different countries. One teacher, however, refused to sign the form and FLUNKED him. The principal did overturn that but seriously, the OLYMPICS and you are going to flunk him??</p>
<p>Flunked him??? What was his/her problem?</p>
<p>[Mary</a> Lou Retton 1984 Olympics AA Vaults - YouTube](<a href=“Mary Lou Retton 1984 Olympics AA Vaults - YouTube”>Mary Lou Retton 1984 Olympics AA Vaults - YouTube)</p>
<p>Mary Lou Retton - winning performance - no muscles. Apparently there have been early age restrictions since the 70’s. I had no idea.</p>
<p>According to Wiki, Retton had a hip replacement in her 30’s, was incontinent and had hemmorhoids, and was a sponsor for products for these conditions. Don’t remember her as a Depends spokesperson.</p>
<p>"Several years ago I had a student make the Olympic team. He was going to miss 3 weeks of school and needed to get a form signed from all of his teachers. "</p>
<p>Wow! Was that high school or college?</p>
<p>parent1986–?? Look again, especially at her legs.</p>
<p>Mary Lou had some major thigh muscles on her.</p>
<p>^^Her gymnastics may have built them up some, but Mary Lou also came by those thighs naturally. I recall seeing pictures of her non-gymnast mother and brothers, and basically they all were built like fire hydrants. She was sort of the skinny one of that family.</p>
<p>Sad, sad, sad day. Dara missed the Olympics by 0.09 seconds. :(</p>
<p>I just saw a headline that Michael Phelps scratched the 200 free and will be competing in “just” 7 events. :eek:</p>
<p>You can check out the youtubes of this years womens’ team - much more powerful - the event I watched was the parallel bars - just amazing.</p>
<p>This years youtubes have been edited, so they are not an accurate comparison.</p>
<p>I fell in love with Gabby Douglas during the trials. She’s just a little ball of sunshine! </p>
<p>I’m not sad about Dara. Time to bow out of the spotlight and give the younger kids a chance.</p>
<p>^ “Flying Squirrel”! </p>
<p>Can somebody link some youtubes from Sunday? I cant find any.</p>