Olympics

[Dirran]

The Olympics are a travesty until they include Sepak Tekraw

 

[Isabeau]

The Olympics are a travesty until they include Sepak Tekraw

That looks like amazing (and difficult). Thats something I’d watch.

I looked up women’s teams and was pleasantly surprised that they don’t seem to have to wear thong bikinis.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

Simon Biles took my breath away. Literally. Her vault routine was incredible!

Her house. ^^ I can't find a video yet of THAT vault, but I'll put it up when I do. It was something else!

Speaking of gymnastics, this guy:

USA won bronze in men's team all-around, first medal they've won in a while!

South Korea's men's team beat France for archery gold today, they remain the absolute kings of Olympic archery.

France's Nicholas Gestin, though! In canoe slalom he had the last run in the final and he beat the silver finisher by more than five seconds. His run was flawless but he was so fast he could've gotten two touch penalties and still won gold.

 

[Free]

That guy's name is Stephen Nedoroscik.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Hours before the men's gymnastics team final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Stephen Nedoroscik solved a Rubik's Cube in 9.32 seconds.

lol, this dude slaps.

 

[Dirran]

Next the evil progressive lefties will be claiming the ancient Olympics were a pagan religious festival dedicated to Zeus! Oh wait…

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

The men's triathlon was supposed to happen this morning, but overnight a decision was made to delay it. The women's is supposed to happen tonight, and it's probably not going to happen either. The river is too dirty.

The news likes to focus on human waste contamination because it's "funny", but in reality the Seine, like most major rivers of most countries especially where they flow through major population centers, is full of contamination of all kinds, including industrial and agricultural pollution.

Some kind of explicit effort was made before the Olympics to clean the Seine at least enough to make it safe for the triathlon swim. They seemed to have made enough progress in cleaning it that the major of Paris Anne Hidalgo, as a stunt, swam in the river a few days before the games to prove that it was safe - although this had to be done at a secret place and time, as a group of online trolls had openly pledged to do their best to "contaminate" the river once the time and place were announced. Unfortunately, the rain that plagued the opening ceremonies lasted for two days and all that runoff re-contaminated the river. Officials had been hoping for the last few days of sunshine that the contamination would drop again to safe levels, but that has not happened and it's not going to happen by tomorrow, and chances are it's not going to happen before the Olympics are over.

This is probably going to be the major embarrassment of this particular Olympics. The organizers were so set on holding the triathlon in downtown Paris that an alternate location was never arranged, even though there are suitable sites even nearby including like a route right outside Paris where national and regional triathlon events are already regularly held. Officials can't just snap their fingers and move the triathlon to one of these sites because it would take just a massive effort to set up signage, grandstands, the necessary medical and guest facilities AND security on top of all of it. International organizing rules for triathlon DO allow for a "duathlon" in an absolute last resort if some unforeseen disaster makes the swim impossible and there's no time to make alternate arrangements, and officials did at least mention that possibility in a press conference today, but nobody wants that, and it would be basically admitting that the event is ruined.

 

[Free]

Maglink

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

USA won its first women's rugby medal in team history, after this shocking breakout with less than 15 seconds in the bronze match!

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

Things are popping OFF.

I mean, yeah, there's this obvs! USA gold in women's team gymnastics:

But Italy won the silver, its first women's team medal since 1928! And Brazil got bronze, its first women's team medal ever!

Mexico won its first judo medal ever (Prisca Alcaraz, winning silver in women's -63kg)

Ireland won its first swimming medals ever (Daniel Swiffen, gold in men's 800m freestyle and Mona McSharry, bronze in women's 100m breaststroke)

Turkey won its first team archery medal ever (bronze in men's team)

Cheung Ka Long of Hong Kong won gold in men's individual foil, defeating Italy's Filippo Macchi, prompting Pizza Hut in Hong Kong to offer free pineapple toppings on pizza.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

Simone Biles takes the floor

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

And he's not even the oldest.

Who said skateboarding was just for young people? : r/olympics (reddit.com)

Sk8 or Die

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

Well call me a liar. Men's triathlon was held today after all, including the swimming portion. The winner was Great Britain's Alex Yee, who was solidly middle of the pack for the swim and bike but worked into the leading group during the run, and then did an amazing attack at the last minute to grab the gold medal!

The highlight reel is here. You have to click to watch because NBC isn't letting anyone embed their Olympics clips. But still, if you want to know the basics of what a triathlon is like that's a very good reel because it shows the start and the transitions and it does a good job of showing how this event works, I think. Plus that breakaway at the end is amazing!

Speaking of amazing - Australia's Jessica Fox! If that name it's familiar it's cuz I already said it a couple of days ago when she won gold in kayak slalom. Well, today she also won a gold in canoe slalom, bringing her lifetime Olympic medal count to 6 and making her the most decorated canoe slalom Olympian ever, of any gender!

Just to clear up any confusion: The overall event/sport is called "Canoe Slalom", but it is divided into two classes: single kayak, or K1 (what Fox won a couple of days ago), and single canoe, or C1 (what Fox won today). The significant difference is that in kayak you sit in your boat and use a double-ended paddle, while in canoe you kneel and use a single-ended paddle.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

Wanted to give this one its own post. The women's triathlon did not have any surprise breakaway for its finish, but Cassandre Beaugrand solidly won France's first ever gold medal in women's triathlon!

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

Meanwhile, in Canada:

 

[Free]

Oh, Canada! At least Brazil is looking up at you!

 

[CronoCloud Creeggan]

Oh, Canada! At least Brazil is looking up at you!

🦫

 

[Govi]

Apparently multiple telecommunications cables have been cut in several regions of France, causing communications problems and outages nationwide. As with the train arson, no protest group as yet has taken credit for this, making it likely just an attempt at disruption rather than a protest.

Was Russia's team (or non-denominational group of athletes) banned from the Olympics because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine? If so, it seems likely that Russia is at the bottom of what is essentially sabotage in France.

 

[Free]

Italian gymnast moonlights as Italy's parmesan cheese ambassador

After the Italian team's silver-medal win, social media users quickly noticed Villa's unique endorsement deal.

www.newsweek.com

I want a cheese sponsorship!

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

South Korea sent a fully-kitted out player for the Olympic shooting. Turkey sent an 51 yr old guy with no specialized lenses, eye cover or ear protection and got the silver medal : r/Damnthatsinteresting (reddit.com)