The Official Olympics Thread (with the consent of the Chinese Gov.)

[DrinkingHarp]

Why is the coverage delayed in the US?

Time zones Ziggy its a big world.

Also why show it live when everyones sleeping, the sponsors would not pay for their adverts for 8% of the viewing public.

Money talks Bullshit walks.

[tyssam5]

Uladh whats this about the us team hating bolt?? I don't follow the athletics apart from the olympics so I don't really know

As for Bolt, f**k he was class, I wanna see him go full pelt though for the whole 100metres just to see how fast he can be!

Quite simply, when somebody beats the yanks it would not be unusual for the yanks to bad mouth them.  In fact it would be unusual if they didn't - especially when you're talking about the average egotistical American athlete (and sprinters would have a bigger ego than most).

I'd be pretty sure Bolt is on exactly the same stuff (whether legal or illegal) as the yanks are on.

Which Yanks? There were only 2 in the final and the guy who medaled was a surprise. 6 of them from the Caribbean. Maybe there's vast amount of money over in those islands to pay for a hi-tech untraceable drug program, but I kind of doubt it.

[Hardy]

Has anyone though that maybe he is clean, maybe he is just that good?

Just for clarity I, for one, am not suggesting he is "unclean" and won't unless evidence is presented. My earlier post was replying to the suggestion that IF he is on anything, the Americans are on exactly the same, by saying if they are all on something, his is clearly far superior!

[Dinny Breen]

Anyone see the deabte on RTE last night, Gary O'Toole reckoned all the 100m athletes are on something, even had a pop at Irish schools rugby, great viewing altogether...

[Uladh]

Drug testing programs are the responsibility of the individual nations - Irish sports council for example - within their own country. that is why we frequently see internal drug suspensions massively incresaed by the international body if they see imbalance. It is well known and publicised that Jamaica pay lip service to their responsibilities in this regard and have been chronically accused (but never proven) of stalling and hindering out of competition testing. This goes along with accusations (none proven) of informing athletes of out of competition testing as the national body must be informed 48 hours prior to an athlete being doorstepped, even though that body may not alert the athlete.

For an athlete to be caught at a major championships would be close to impossible in this day and age if they're at all intelligent. the masking is a well advanced technology and the only chance (slim as that is) of catching cheats is out of competition testing. As a matter of routine now, drug testers are storing samples now in the hope that in 15/20 years time when testing reaches today's doping capacities they can starting wiping off records and medals.

The Americans, Brits, french and many other sprinters feel hard done by and handicapped by Jamaica's attitude to internal drug testing.

Jamaica has the population of a small american town (not city). they will walk the mens 100m relay and have just collected a 1 - 2 - 3 in the women's 100m final. you do the maths.

[nifan]

What town in america has the guts of 2.8 million people?

By my reckoning thats around the same population as Chicago and only topped by NY and LA.

[Uladh]

sorry ni - google skills let me down on their population size but still a tiny population in world terms. if ireland get their coaching structures right they should be able to exceed Jamaica's performance...

[thejuice]

Bolt has been tested 8 times since his arrival in Beijing according to reports.

When are the boxing quarter-finals on? anyone know? Couldnt find the info in RTE's website even about the Irish boxers schedule

[Hardy]

Paddy Barnes fights tomorrow 12:00 (midday - Irish time).
Kenny Egan tomorrow 14:16
Darren Sutherland Wednesday 13:01

http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/Schedule/BX.shtml

[Minder]

So only sprinters from large nations should prosper. As i said previously Uladh Bolt ran a sub 20 second 200M before he was 16, would you say that is normal performance for someone that age? Bolt may be on something but i feel we should give him the benefit of the doubt until he is nabbed.

[stevo-08]

In the debate last night eamonn coughlan said he believed Bolt was clean. The reason he is convinced, is that he is familiar with Bolts' coaches & training camp and they are known to be clean. Gary O'Toole said it was difficult to believe Bolt could coast to a 9.69 without using some sort of performance enhancing substances. But Caughlan argued that it's the same for Michael Phelps - 8 gold medals and a super human performance in the olympics. Yet Gary O'Toole doesnt doubt Phelps for an instant, because he knows his background and how he has developed. In the same way, Eamonn Caughlan is alot more familiar to Bolt's training camp than any of us. So maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt.

Anyway, I'd like to believe that both Bolt & Phelps are genuine and that we are truely privilidged to have witnessed 2 of the greatest athletes ever to have performed at the olympics.

[Our Nail Loney]

What has happened to someone being innocent until proven guilty??

Until i get solid proof either is taking anything performance enhancing I am just in awe and think we have two of the greatest sportsmen ever at the minute, and am privileged

[AZOffaly]

You're probably right. And I think Bolt and Phelps have not been under any sort of cloud as far as I'm aware. The unsettling thing for me, which may be baseless, is that the last time I was so blown away by a 100 metre sprint at the olympics was back in 1988 in Seoul when Ben Johnson looked just as comfortable as Bolt did, although not as fast (I think). Remember the finish to that race? Same sort of thing, if I recall correctly, Johnson looking over at Lewis and Christie (I think) and almost easing up crossing the line.

Edit: This is the finish I mean. It just looks too similar for me *not* to have bad memories/doubts.....

[nifan]

Uladh, I dont think physically our indigenous population is built for the sprinting, or where you talking of medal count in general?

Also read an article lately about jamaican sprinting and how it is seen as a way out of poverty - hence the motivation that many of the jamaicans have.

[stevo-08]

AZ, that was Gary O'Toole's exact arguement. He spoke of how "in awe" he felt in 1988 when he witnessed Johnson. And he's vowed never to let himself be fooled like that again - hence his scepticism about bolt. Coughlan says that he knew johnson was on drugs for 4 yrs prior to 1988 and he remembers watching the 100m final and thinking "f**k, I cant believe he got away with it".

So caughlan's absolute certainty about Bolt is enough for me to believe that he is just an extraordinary human being. And ditto for Phelps....