[OLY] The Olympics thread, aka Slim's liveblog (warning: OPEN SPOILERS!!!)

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#61
Medal Alert: Simone Manuel (USA) and Penny Olesniak (CAN) tie for gold in Olympic record time (52.70s), in come-from-behind fashion over Cate Campbell (AUS). Campbell was ahead of world record time at the halfway point, and finished in sixth.

Manuel is the first American to win gold in this event since 1984, and the first African-American woman ever to win a gold medal in an any individual swimming event.
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#62
Maybe we can stop ignoring Simone Manuel. I could say more but her success is a big deal for many reasons.




Addendum: Does anyone from the Sacramento area remember Charlie, the tuna? He was of a deep complexion and born in Buffalo. Sacramento's Sherm Chavoor coached Mark Spitz and said some day there will be a black Mark Spitz. Charlie contacted Sherm and moved to our area. He never made the Olympics but did have some interesting achievements like swimming the English Channel and swimming the length of Lake Tahoe. I can't remember if the mega long distance swimming was in the Olympics back then but it seemed like he could fit.
 
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Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#64
Medal Alert: Katie Ledecky (USA) breaks her own world record en route to winning the gold medal in women's 800m freestyle (8:04:79). She beat silver medalist Jazz Carlin (GBR) by better than eleven seconds!
 

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#66
Michelle Carter is the daughter of Michael Carter, Super Bowl winner and silver medalist in Olympic shot put. She now has bragging rights in the Carter household. Sounds like dad has been a healthy supporter of his daughter.

The US may be a big country and therefore have an advantage in population but there are countries much bigger. Title IX and the kind of athletic training one can get at US colleges is a crucial factor. People from other countries come to the US, get their education and training and then compete for their country of origin. There is no magic to the country's dominance. Now I wish we would focus on education as much as athletics.

The most exciting race on land, sea or air that I have seen in a long time was Dirado's win. See a replay somewhere and remember that the woman she beat is an absolute monster in the water. Manuel's win was almost as good or as the San Jose Mercury headline of the win said "Michael Phelps and African American Win Gold." Really? An announcer actually told her that she could now remember that she won a gold on the same day as Phelps. Again I say, really?
 
#67
Now to ultimate climax of the games, track and field competition. What original Olympics was all about. Not that don't like some events added later, some much later. Swimming, gymnastics, lots of others magnificent. But ping pong, golf - those are sports? Who is worlds fastest man and woman. Who is greatest athlete, the decathlon champion. Who will run miles through streets of Rio finally into giant stadium and thunderous ovation to be crowned Olympic marathon gold metal winner.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#71
Medal Alert: Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) wins the gold medal in the men's 1500m freestyle, and Gabriele Detti (ITA) gets bronze. Italy had never previously won a medal in this event.

Connor Jaeger (USA) gets silver.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#72
Medal Alert: Elaine Thompson (JAM) dethrones Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) to win gold in the women's 100m (10.71s). Tori Bowie (USA) takes silver.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#75
Medal Alert: Nafissatou Thiam (BEL) has dethroned Jessica Ennis-Hill (GBR) to win the gold medal in the heptathalon. Ennis-Hill settles for silver, and Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN) gets bronze.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#76
ICYMI: Monica Puig (PUR) takes advantage of a wide-open field, after Serena Williams' surprising third-round elimination, to win gold in women's tennis, over Angelique Kerber (GER). It was Puerto Rico's first-ever gold medal.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#77
Medal Alert: Suping Meng (CHN) wins gold in women's weightlifting (+75kg). Kuk Hyang Kim (PRK) gets silver, and Sarah Robles (USA) gets bronze.

It's the first medal for an American in women's weightlifting since the Sydney Olympics.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#80
Medal Alert: Sanne Wevers (NED) wins the gold medal in the women's balance beam. Heavy favorite Simone Biles (USA) settles for bronze. Laurie Hernandez (USA) gets silver.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#81
Upset Alert: Australia has been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the women's basketball tournament by Serbia. Australia went into the game as the #2 world ranked team by FIBA, and was undefeated in Group A.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#82
Medal Alert: Simone Biles (USA) wins gold in the women's floor exercise. Aly Raisman (USA) gets silver.

Biles went 5-for-5 in possible medals earned in Rio, and 4-for-5 in gold medals.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#83
Upset Alert: #1 seeded team Talita Antunes da Rocha and Larissa França (BRA) are eliminated in the semifinals of women's beach volleyball, by Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst (GER).
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#84
Canada lost to heavily-favored France in the quarterfinals of the women's basketball tournament, eliminating them from medal contention.

In what I have to imagine is former Sacramento Monarch Kim Gaucher's final game for Team Canada, she led them in scoring and rebounds.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#85
Kerri Walsh-Jennings and April Ross (USA) have been eliminated in straight sets by Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Sexias de Freitas (BRA) in women's beach volleyball. Walsh-Jennings had never previously lost a match in her Olympic volleyball career.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#86
Medal Alert: Kaori Icho (JPN) defeats Valeria Koblova Zholobova (RUS) in the closing seconds to win her fourth consecutive gold medal in women's wrestling (-58kg).

Icho has become the first woman in Olympic history to win individual event gold in four consecutive Olympics.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#87
Medal Alert: Sara Dosho (JPN) dethrones defending Olympic champion Natalia Vorobeva (RUS) to win gold in women's wrestling (-69kg)

Japan ends up going 3-for-3 in gold medals in women's wrestling today; with no American even making it out of the quarterfinals, that's definitely going to close the gap in the medal count.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#88
Medal Alert: Elaine Thompson (JAM) wins the gold medal in the women's 200m (21.78s), defeating Dafne Schippers (NED) in a rematch of the 2015 World Championships. Tori Bowie (USA), who stumbled out of the starting blocks, rallies for the bronze.
 

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#89
Medal Alert: USA sweeps the podium in the women's 100m hurdles. Brianna Rollins wins gold, Nia Ali gets silver, and Kristi Castlin takes bronze.

It's the first sweep of this event by any country in Olympic history.