2016 Summer Olympics Rio

[Shamrock Shore]

Michaela McCollum has offered to reach out to Pat Hickey.

It's time for all of us to pull together.

[muppet]

Not that many have been done for drugs though muppet. How many aside from O'Reilly?

I don't connect 'being done for drugs' with 'drug fuelled'.

Drug fuelled is what I see, Wada's annual budget is less than Wayne Rooney's salary. They haven't a prayer and it shows. TBH these days any serious performance athlete who isn't doping is probably a romantic fool. That is the reality.

Do you think the O'Donovans are a) doping, b) romantic fools or c) not serious performance athletes?

I doubt they are. But that doesn't mean no one else is doping.

Drug fueled in your opinion. We all know there are people on it but basically the way it has gone with the view you or quite a few people held any outstanding performance would be met with they're on drugs.

So as it stands athletics is damned if it does or damned if it doesn't.

To be honest that is not just your opinion but many's which is sad.

What would it have taken for you to say the olympics was not drug fueled this time?

Good question.

I honestly don't know. When trust is lost it is very hard to win it back. Ask the Catholic Church.

Maybe catching a few of the cheats would be a start. Also I think a 2 or 4 year ban is not a proper deterrent. They should face criminal charges for fraud, although it is difficult to se how that could be organised fairly across so many legal systems.

[moysider]

Imo Olympics like 76, 80 were probably dirtier.

[AZOffaly]

What do you have to do to qualify for the olympics? Is there a guaranteed allocation for each country if they want it, or do you have to meet an international qualifying time? In other words are the times for qualifying set at national or international federation.

The reason I ask is I just saw a womens 800 metre heat, and from the very start one of the athletes was basically dropped off the back by about 20 metres by the time they reached the 200 metre mark. It was nuts. She ended up 18 seconds or something behind the winner, and about 10 seconds behind second last, almost the length of the 100m straight. That's impressive going over 800m!

[mrdeeds]

There an email after being shown where Hickey wants to put Shane Ross "back in his box." What an arrogant corrupt fcuker.

[AZOffaly]

There an email after being shown where Hickey wants to put Shane Ross "back in his box." What an arrogant corrupt fcuker.

He said the same thing about Jim McDaid years ago. Something about 'I answer to a different constituency'.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

So when the police came for Hickey - he answered his hotel room door in the nip

https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/765915635402547200

[Dinny Breen]

Imo Olympics like 76, 80 were probably dirtier.

I'd say every Olympics was dirty, imagine Berlin in 36'. Only difference now is you have the internet with social media, forums etc to really educate people. None is so blind as those who refuse to see.

[muppet]

So when the police came for Hickey - he answered his hotel room door in the nip

https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/765915635402547200

Bare-faced cheek!

[imtommygunn]

Not that many have been done for drugs though muppet. How many aside from O'Reilly?

I don't connect 'being done for drugs' with 'drug fuelled'.

Drug fuelled is what I see, Wada's annual budget is less than Wayne Rooney's salary. They haven't a prayer and it shows. TBH these days any serious performance athlete who isn't doping is probably a romantic fool. That is the reality.

Do you think the O'Donovans are a) doping, b) romantic fools or c) not serious performance athletes?

I doubt they are. But that doesn't mean no one else is doping.

Drug fueled in your opinion. We all know there are people on it but basically the way it has gone with the view you or quite a few people held any outstanding performance would be met with they're on drugs.

So as it stands athletics is damned if it does or damned if it doesn't.

To be honest that is not just your opinion but many's which is sad.

What would it have taken for you to say the olympics was not drug fueled this time?

Good question.

I honestly don't know. When trust is lost it is very hard to win it back. Ask the Catholic Church.

Maybe catching a few of the cheats would be a start. Also I think a 2 or 4 year ban is not a proper deterrent. They should face criminal charges for fraud, although it is difficult to se how that could be organised fairly across so many legal systems.

There have been people caught just not many. There was another russian yesterday I think. Plus obviously O'Reilly.

While people say if farah or bolt were caught the sport would be ruined I would almost flip that round and say that if they caught someone high profile like that it could actually save the sport.

I prefer to believe in some of the athletes. One or two i don't believe in but in the main I do. If i didn't i probably couldn't watch it.

[seafoid]

Not that many have been done for drugs though muppet. How many aside from O'Reilly?

So just cause they ain't caught means they haven't been using....at same time, not guilty unless caught... What's the answer??

fund WADA properly

[muppet]

Y'know what, I have never watched as little of an Olympics as this one. I was always glued to the swimming and athletics, for example, but it just doesn't seem real anymore.

I will keep an eye out for Irish athletes of course.

[AZOffaly]

I haven't watched a pile either but to be honest a lot of that is because of the time difference.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

What do you have to do to qualify for the olympics? Is there a guaranteed allocation for each country if they want it, or do you have to meet an international qualifying time? In other words are the times for qualifying set at national or international federation.

The reason I ask is I just saw a womens 800 metre heat, and from the very start one of the athletes was basically dropped off the back by about 20 metres by the time they reached the 200 metre mark. It was nuts. She ended up 18 seconds or something behind the winner, and about 10 seconds behind second last, almost the length of the 100m straight. That's impressive going over 800m!

There's a number of "universality places" alloted in each event for those who do not meet the qualification standards.

"NOCs with no male or female qualified athlete or relay team will be allowed to enter their best male athlete and their best female athlete in one athletic event each, with  the exception of the Combined Events, 10,000m and 3000m Steeplechase.

This applies equally to unqualified female entries from an NOC with qualified males, and vice versa.

Acceptance of unqualified entries in Field Events and Road Events will be at the discretion of the IAAF Technical Delegates, based on the technical standard of the athlete and the numbers of qualified athletes in the respective event. In order to allow the IAAF Technical Delegates to assess the technical level of such athletes, a specific application form indicating the event in which the entry is requested and the proof of the technical level and international participation of the nominated athlete must be submitted to the IAAF. The IAAF shall subsequently confirm, in writing to NOCs, with a copy to the Rio 2016 Sport Entry"

[muppet]

Ingrid Miley has tweeted a photo of Pat Hickey's First Class tickets (him and the wife presumably) home. He won't be needing them now.

I wonder how many athletes are travelling home First Class?