2012 London Olympics - Official thread

[Bingo]

Alot of the prominent empty seats, like in the pool, were empty during early heats as they are reserved for the athletes. You could see this area was full last night for the finals when all the competing teams had lost of support.

Also, the events last all day - think they split into morning and evening sections  - but it still a long sitting. Its only natural for people to be eating, drinking, taking a break, shopping or whatever over the course of a day. Particularly in hospitality sections.

SKY will also report any doping very quickly you'll find.

[Rois]

Just put my name in the hat for tickets for Sunday's athletics - my company is raffling off a few pairs and I have about a 1 in 80 chance. 

[Capt Pat]

China v Switzerland in the beach volleyball. 

[Capt Pat]

THe sailors are kicking ass now. Ananlise Murphy was first in the first race. We have boats in first second and fourth in three different events.

[Sandino]

I thought that Jimmy McGee was a total embarrassment last night, cringe worthy stuff! He was so biased that he made the british commentators sound impartial.

[Hardy]

Ah leave Jimmy alone. Giving out about him is like slagging Henry Shefflin or putting Lester Piggott in jail.

[laoislad]

I thought that Jimmy McGee was a total embarrassment last night, cringe worthy stuff! He was so biased that he made the british commentators sound impartial.

He reminds me of Peter Alliss who commentates on Golf for the BBC and like Alliss I think Jimmy should have retired long ago.

[Hound]

THe sailors are kicking ass now. Ananlise Murphy was first in the first race. We have boats in first second and fourth in three different events.

Annalise won the first race by 15 seconds.
She's after winning the 2nd one by 45 seconds!!

Something like 8 more to go. I think I remember hearing about her than in windy conditions she's brilliant, but in calmer conditions she's poor enough, but that she was working on becoming more consistent. She's certainly a medal contender now anyway. We'll all be sailing experts in a couple of days

[ballinaman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kEvNB3ehbPg

Kieran Behan interview....fair play to him.

[screenexile]

Another medal hope for Team GB Gone

[AQMP]

More heartache for the BBC.  The guy with the whitest teeth in the Olympics, Tom Daley comes 4th.

Edit:  Just beat me to it se!

[Capt Pat]

The Brits had quite a run at the last olympics everything went their way. It looks like they are goinng to struggle to match it.

[Evil Genius]

Yeah, Chloe Magee. Won handy in the end.

Did anyone pick up on Stephen "Little Northern Irelander" Watson's references to "Northern Ireland's swimmers" and then "Ulster badminton player Chloe Magee".  Are there any lengths this man won't go to to avoid saying that these athletes are representing Ireland??

Well, the swimmers are from Northern Ireland and he works for BBC NI after all.

As for Magee, quite aside from the fact that she's not from NI but still gets coverage, can you imagine the ruckus if Winker had "done a Bill O'Herlihy"?


http://www.donegaldaily.com/2012/07/30/chloe-magee-dismisses-rte-presenters-protestant-gaffe/
DONEGAL Olympian Chloe Magee today dismissed comments by a leading RTE presenter about her sport being 'mainly Protestant'.

The 23-year-old from Raphoe won her first ever game at the Olympics last night with victory over an Egyptian competitor.

But the shine was taken off her victory for many Co Donegal people – televised live on RTE2 – when veteran TV anchor Bill O'Herlihy saying that when he was growing up badminton was "a mainly Protestant sport."

Speaking to the Shaun Doherty show today, the 23-year-old said she was very happy to win her game on Sunday night.

The radio presenter said he didn't want to take away from her victory but wanted her reaction to online comments. Many have been made on donegaldaily.com.

Said a very dignified Chloe: "We need to remember about what the Olympics is all about. I don't think it is any different from any other sport. There are people here from all over the world and from many different religions.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to say it. Sport is about participation. Why bring something like this into it."

She said she had never heard religion ever mentioned in the sport before and this was the first time she had heard it being brought into the subject.

"I don't take it too seriously and focus on the badminton," she said.

In very generous comments she said she believe O'Herlihy had made a mistake and "people make mistakes."



I mean to say, that's the kind of tripe you expect to hear from a prize mope like Jermoan Quinn...

[AZOffaly]

Billo said that when he was growing up (approx 70 years ago I'd say) Badminton was mostly a protestant sport. I don't know the context or why he would say that, but I don't think it's an outrageous thing to say on face value. A lot of sports were mainly protestant sports when Bill was a wee lad, Cricket, Tennis, etc etc.

Not sure why he bothered saying it, as I didn't see the context, but it was obviously daft if he said isn't it great to see the Taigs winning at Badminton, it was mostly them Prods that played it.

[ziggysego]

Cameron calls Aidan Burley a twat

Unsurprisingly, David Cameron was keen to condemn Conservative MP Aidan Burley's description of the Olympics ceremony as "leftie multi-cultural crap." Here's what he told the BBC:

I did once say something about people who use Twitter, particularly politicians, and I think in this case I was absolutely spot on. I think what he said was completely wrong. It was an idiotic thing to say.

In other words, the Prime Minister has just called one of his MPs "a twat".

Source: newstatesman.com