O/T First GOLD for GB

[Christies Child]

Nicole Cooke won GOLD in the womens cycling road race. A brilliant team performance ensured that Nicole came to the fore with approx 25kms to go.

I'd expect to see another 5 golds from GB cycling during the coming week or so.

Remember we've 9 World Champions on the track as well as a World Champion in BMX

[Plain Peter]

The world is in a mess.
The Olympics has lost it's way.
The exhorbitant cost of holding these Games cannot be justified.
Probably, with very few exceptions, most sport represented at the modern Olympics has it's own National, European (or wherever), and World Championships.
So why the need for spending £billions of tax payers money for 3 weeks of amateur (ha!) sport?
And as for us poor BBC licence payers coughing up for blinkin' Adrian Childs to have a jolly at our expense. Why?

[outsider]

why can the pro footballers, tennis players and basketball player be in the games and not pro boxer's? i'm sure khan and hatton would love a gold medal.

[Christies Child]

The world is in a mess.
The Olympics has lost it's way.
The exhorbitant cost of holding these Games cannot be justified.
Probably, with very few exceptions, most sport represented at the modern Olympics has it's own National, European (or wherever), and World Championships.
So why the need for spending £billions of tax payers money for 3 weeks of amateur (ha!) sport?
And as for us poor BBC licence payers coughing up for blinkin' Adrian Childs to have a jolly at our expense. Why?

Oooops!

Some people actually find Adrian Childs quite entertaining.....

As for the cost of the games, compare that with the cost of killing in the war in Iraq and I know which of the two I'd prefer.

[durhamshrimp]

The world is in a mess.
The Olympics has lost it's way. How so?
The exhorbitant cost of holding these Games cannot be justified. It can.
Probably, with very few exceptions, most sport represented at the modern Olympics has it's own National, European (or wherever), and World Championships. Your point being?
So why the need for spending £billions of tax payers money for 3 weeks of amateur (ha!) sport? It's not just about the 2 weeks as you well know. (The Olympics is nearer 2 weeks, but I'm sure you know that as you're clearly so well informed about the whole thing)
And as for us poor BBC licence payers coughing up for blinkin' Adrian Childs to have a jolly at our expense. Why? There's plenty of other channel you can watch

Another joke comment from yourself purely to wind up the reasonable on here.

The Olympics is great. Fact!

[North Stand Shrimp]

The essence of the olympics is undesputably great.

However the money spent on stageing it and the carbon emmisions that are directly associated to it are surely becomming less and less justifyable in todays global climate.

Surely an olympic games can be staged with alot less expense and cost to the environment.
London should look to set a benchmark for sustainable, eco frienly games instead of the over indulgent, wastefull and extravegent benchmark that the Chinese have set.

[Christies Child]

The essence of the olympics is undesputably great.

However the money spent on stageing it and the carbon emmisions that are directly associated to it are surely becomming less and less justifyable in todays global climate.

Surely an olympic games can be staged with alot less expense and cost to the environment.
London should look to set a benchmark for sustainable, eco frienly games instead of the over indulgent, wastefull and extravegent benchmark that the Chinese have set.

For me for us to try and out do the Chinese on the opening ceromony is pointless. I'd rather we put the money into the stadia of the games for a lasting benefit (albeit for the benefit of London ) than waste millions on fireworks and the like that only add pollution to the atmosphere.

But of course this will not happen....will it?

[Shrimpster]

Weve won another gold, and also a bronze in the women's 400m freestyle. The first Medals won by great britain the pool since 1984.

[P/T Indie]

I thought Cook had messed it up at the last corner she slipped behind just as they were starting to go for it how on earth she had the energy to catch them up and out sprint them is beyond me.

[Christies Child]

I thought Cook had messed it up at the last corner she slipped behind just as they were starting to go for it how on earth she had the energy to catch them up and out sprint them is beyond me.

Fooled 'em into thinking she was spent!

[P/T Indie]

I thought Cook had messed it up at the last corner she slipped behind just as they were starting to go for it how on earth she had the energy to catch them up and out sprint them is beyond me.

Fooled 'em into thinking she was spent!

Just read in the paper that her coach spoke to her through her earpiece and told her to drop back to stay out of trouble at the last corner. Talk about haveing faith in your own ability to know that you could pull it back from 20m back.

[North Stand Shrimp]

Just watched the 400m on the bbc i player, what a fantastic finish from the brit! the american looked gutted.

[Posh]

why can the pro footballers, tennis players and basketball player be in the games and not pro boxer's? i'm sure khan and hatton would love a gold medal.

I love the Olympics. One of my earliest memories is collecting Esso medals for the Munich Olympics. Having said that I think the Olympic Association needs an overhaul. Having incredibly well-paid professionals competing alongside amateurs who have to fight for every penny of their sponsorship is ridiculous. And it seems that the professionals think so too.

Andy Murray got knocked out today and the comments on the BBC say he just couldn't be arsed. It typifies the very nature of an event that is so far down the must win list in tennis as to be pointless. They have to scrap tennis, football and basketball as it makes a mockery of the games. If they want to retain them then allow in every other major team sport including rugby union, rugby league and cricket.

[P/T Indie]

I think it shuld be a case of if the Olympic gold is the highest title you can win in that sport then it is justified.

Tennis the players would rather win a grandslam tournemant
Football - the world cup/euros means more

Yes a lot of sports like cycyling, athletics and rowing have world championships but I bet they would all trade in their world championship medal for an olympic one.

[durhamshrimp]

Yep, in road cycling the Olympic gold is probably 2nd only to the Tour. But on the track I'd say that any rider would love to win the Olympics above anything else.

After watching the archery yesterday I do think that darts should be in there. I'm far more impressed with the skill shown by someone like Taylor hitting a 9-darter than I have been by the archery.

[P/T Indie]

Yep, in road cycling the Olympic gold is probably 2nd only to the Tour. But on the track I'd say that any rider would love to win the Olympics above anything else.

After watching the archery yesterday I do think that darts should be in there. I'm far more impressed with the skill shown by someone like Taylor hitting a 9-darter than I have been by the archery.

But wouldnt winning the world championship and the £50k prize money in darts be bigger than the olympic title.

[morecambe mick]

I detest the Olympics.

I typed a load of reasons to justify myself, but, d'ya know what?

I don't actually feel the need to justify myself.

I hate the Olympics, the elitism!

[durhamshrimp]

Yep, in road cycling the Olympic gold is probably 2nd only to the Tour. But on the track I'd say that any rider would love to win the Olympics above anything else.

After watching the archery yesterday I do think that darts should be in there. I'm far more impressed with the skill shown by someone like Taylor hitting a 9-darter than I have been by the archery.

But wouldnt winning the world championship and the £50k prize money in darts be bigger than the olympic title.

Try £125k, rising to £250k in 2010.

Obviously the Olympic gold wouldn't be as lucrative but I think regards wanting to win it, it would easily be up there with the world championship.

[Plain Peter]

After watching the archery yesterday I do think that darts should be in there. I'm far more impressed with the skill shown by someone like Taylor hitting a 9-darter than I have been by the archery.

Bit like comparing tennis with badminton or table-tennis
How do you reckon Taylor (I thought he played snooker ) would cope with chucking his darts outdoors in the wind and rain, or the heat and humidity? It'd be quite amusing watching him chalk-up his fingers so his dart didn't slip out.

[durhamshrimp]

After watching the archery yesterday I do think that darts should be in there. I'm far more impressed with the skill shown by someone like Taylor hitting a 9-darter than I have been by the archery.

Bit like comparing tennis with badminton or table-tennis both Olympic Sports
How do you reckon Taylor (I thought he played snooker ) would cope with chucking his darts outdoors in the wind and rain, or the heat and humidity? It'd be quite amusing watching him chalk-up his fingers so his dart didn't slip out.

Like Keith Deller does before every game. Not sure anyone finds it amusing though. Though then again, as you're clearly well informed on the subjects you comment on you'd have known Keith Deller chalks his fingers before each match .

To be honest you're clearly ignorant of darts so I don't really have to justify it until you go off and get an education of it and come up with some valid points.

[Plain Peter]

I thought I'd come up with valid points.
Archery can be tackled with equal skill whether indoors or outside, whereas darts played outdoors would be little more than a farce.
Anyhow the Olympics is about athleticism.
Darts is a board game isn't it.
So where does athleticism fit in?

[North Stand Shrimp]

I thought I'd come up with valid points.
Archery can be tackled with equal skill whether indoors or outside, whereas darts played outdoors would be little more than a farce.
Anyhow the Olympics is about athleticism.
Darts is a board game isn't it.
So where does athleticism fit in?

No it isn't, it's also about artistry and mastery of a disipline. You can't tell me that the young lady in our Archery team was athletic!

Anyone reakoning that the archery is easy, your just plain ignorant. taking into account the wind, rain how far the target is away and the speed of the arrow, its not like a bullet where you point and shoot! the arrow arches and curves in the air, its a wonder they hit the target at all!

As far as darts is concerned, wouldn't it be fantastic if we introduced it at the London Games.

[Christies Child]

Once had a go at Archery on an activites week put on for some of our customers a few years ago.

Not as easy as it looks. The same with Clay shooting as well. Bloody shoulders took a bit of hammering!

4x4 driving in a Land Rover was excellent and the Paint Ball war was brilliant.

Didn't like the abselling into Hodge Hill Quarry at Coniston. Nearly sh*t myself!

And as for walking over Striding Edge in a bloody blizzard all roped up....

[durhamshrimp]

I thought I'd come up with valid points.
Archery can be tackled with equal skill whether indoors or outside, whereas darts played outdoors would be little more than a farce.
Anyhow the Olympics is about athleticism.
Darts is a board game isn't it.
So where does athleticism fit in?

No one suggested darts be played outdoors, why would it be? It's an indoor sport, as are many in the Olympics. If anything the controlled environment would mean more so that the result would be purely down to the skill of the players. I'm not sure what you mean by 'board game', the fact it's played on a dart board? That's simply the name of the target they're aiming at.

Also, who said the Olympics is about athleticism? You should see some of the tubby little f***ers doing the archery. Both archery and darts are more about skill than athleticism.

[North Stand Shrimp]

Once had a go at Archery on an activites week put on for some of our customers a few years ago.

Not as easy as it looks. The same with Clay shooting as well. Bloody shoulders took a bit of hammering!

4x4 driving in a Land Rover was excellent and the Paint Ball war was brilliant.

Didn't like the abselling into Hodge Hill Quarry at Coniston. Nearly sh*t myself!

And as for walking over Striding Edge in a bloody blizzard all roped up....

Bloody pansey! I've done it running in ice and snow without a rope!