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Sandlynn
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 1601
Location: Washington, D.C.
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 Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:36 pm Post subject: Summer Olympics 2008 |
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| Well, I just happened to have (through no fault of my own) the US Olympic trials for swimming on TV tonight as -- believe me -- I am no aficionado, and I was delighted to see a 41 year old woman break the US record for the 50 m freestyle. They said Dara Torres has already qualified for the Olympic team in the 100 m freestyle and has a shot to qualify tomorrow for this other event. This will be her 5th Olympics! I'm just thrilled a woman in her forties is showing her stuff in a sport that's so tough on the body. Now I have an extra special reason to watch the Olympics in August. |
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Cora
Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 1088
Location: Bremen, Germany
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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That's cool, especially since swimming is the sort of sport where it's usually all over long before forty.
Germany had a canooist in her forties who took part in five Olympics, was a multiple medalist and won her final Olympic medal in Athens at way past forty. Unfortunately, she has retired by now and won't be taking part in the 2008 Olympics. |
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LeeB.
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 1221
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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I LOVE watching the Olympics, especially swimming, track and gymnastics.
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LinnieGayl
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 752
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a huge olympics fan as well. Swimming, diving, gymnastics, track & field...oh boy!
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Sandlynn
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 1601
Location: Washington, D.C.
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Well, I just happened to have (through no fault of my own) the US Olympic trials for swimming on TV tonight as -- believe me -- I am no aficionado, and I was delighted to see a 41 year old woman break the US record for the 50 m freestyle. They said Dara Torres has already qualified for the Olympic team in the 100 m freestyle and has a shot to qualify tomorrow for this other event. This will be her 5th Olympics! I'm just thrilled a woman in her forties is showing her stuff in a sport that's so tough on the body. Now I have an extra special reason to watch the Olympics in August. |
Well, it looks like Ms. Torres broke another American record for the 50 m freestyle this evening, qualifying for the U.S. team in this event too. Wow, the first time she broke the U.S. record, she was 15, and she's still doing it at 41! |
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LinnieGayl
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 752
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Sandlynn wrote: | | Well, it looks like Ms. Torres broke another American record for the 50 m freestyle this evening, qualifying for the U.S. team in this event too. Wow, the first time she broke the U.S. record, she was 15, and she's still doing it at 41! |
I just saw that. She is absolutely unbelievable!
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Yulie
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 1045
Location: Elsewhere
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| Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:21 am Post subject: |
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I'm more of a winter Olympics fan - because I like the figure skating (men's and pairs, preferrably) and speedskating is good, too. In the summer Olympics, I like track and field (well, who doesn't) and discovered in 2004 that kayaking is really fun to watch.
Re swimming records, I heard that with the new suit design the US swimmers are using, records have been falling on an almost hourly basis. I don't know if this is true, but good for Ms. Torres anyway. |
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Sandlynn
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 1601
Location: Washington, D.C.
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| Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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Who else watched that incredible winning relay swim the American men put together to beat the favored French by a hair!? Wow! That was exciting. Just what I watch the Olympics for.  |
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jebe
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 820
Location: Jersey
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| Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:08 am Post subject: |
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I did! Awesome, awe-inspiring, every other awe word you can think of! You can't beat that for drama on television!
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Yulie
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 1045
Location: Elsewhere
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| Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:51 am Post subject: |
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The whole Michael Phelps thing is not working for me - he seems like a nice guy, but I watch the Olympics for the people who are not well known and get this one chance to shine. Phelps doesn't quite qualify for that status... 
I've been watching synchro diving, swimming, men's gymnastics, and a bit of basketball, mostly on Eurosport because the Israeli broadcasters are awful. The Israeli athletes are doing relatively ok - by our standards, of course (swimming semifinals=great achievement; any medal = great achievement; first/second round loss=normal). Sadly our best sports are judo and windsurfing; one I find horribly dull, the other is difficult to televise. |
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xina
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 6627
Location: minneapolis
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| Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:16 am Post subject: |
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| Sandlynn wrote: | | Who else watched that incredible winning relay swim the American men put together to beat the favored French by a hair!? Wow! That was exciting. Just what I watch the Olympics for. |
Wasn't that fabulous. I've always enjoyed the Summer Olympics but heart-stopping moments like this make it that much more special. Here I am, one eye on my book (rereading Dream Man by Linda Howard) and one on the screen thinking...surely, he won't be able to catch up to the French swimmer. It was more than exciting! |
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Natalie
Joined: 25 Mar 2007
Posts: 1566
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| Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:43 am Post subject: |
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I was awed by the opening ceremony. It was simply amazing. It's going to be hard to beat by whoever is having the next games.
I watched only bits of the games, swimming included.
I tried to watch soccer but it seemed boring compared to the Euro-2008 I was watching earlier this summer. Just not on the same level. Maybe I'll just watch the men's finals. |
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Sandlynn
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 1601
Location: Washington, D.C.
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:03 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | The whole Michael Phelps thing is not working for me - he seems like a nice guy, but I watch the Olympics for the people who are not well known and get this one chance to shine. Phelps doesn't quite qualify for that status... Wink |
Although I'm absolutely amazed by watching Michael Phelps (as well as all the other U.S. swimmers), I understand what you're saying about the other athletes and events. I love to watch events I have no clue about. I sit there wondering if scoring high is good or bad and when exactly ARE we at the end of a match.
Rhythmic gymnastics? Synchronized swimming? Dressage? (Or, as Craig Ferguson just called it, "horses being very careful?")
| Natalie wrote: | | I was awed by the opening ceremony. It was simply amazing. It's going to be hard to beat by whoever is having the next games. |
The summer Olympics are being held in London, U.K. next time, and on the message board I read dominated by British posters, the people are already making all kinds of jokes about how the British won't be able to out do the Chinese so they should just take a giant foot -- from Monty Python fame -- and squash the stadium. |
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LeeB.
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 1221
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Sandlynn wrote: | | The summer Olympics are being held in London, U.K. next time, and on the message board I read dominated by British posters, the people are already making all kinds of jokes about how the British won't be able to out do the Chinese so they should just take a giant foot -- from Monty Python fame -- and squash the stadium. |
Too funny! 
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jebe
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 820
Location: Jersey
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:24 pm Post subject: |
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Am I the only one who's having a hard time believing those female Chinese gymnasts are/will be 16 this year?  I swear one of them still has some of her baby teeth.
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