[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 7/15/2024 at 11:14 AM, dodge said:

I’ll go against the grain and report that hype in  might be a little too much 

 

Our 400m relay teams, with Adeleke leading them, are stars. The athletics national championships are usually played out in front of hundreds but nearly 7,000 were there 2 weeks ago on the Sunday. 

 

Daniel Wiffen is our first potential swimming medalist this millennium 

 

Rugby 7s is even poking into the rugby discourse now 

 

I think the general public expect our rowers to repeat and our boxers to win several medals too. 
 

It’s great to see people interested but I’m not sure enough realise how huge a step up the Olympics will be 

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But as the old Irish saying goes, we must live in hope, should we die in despair.

 

We never win a large number of medals - our sporting landscape historically has been almost anti-Olympic - horseracing, GAA, pre-Olympic golf, Men's soccer, Rugby (15s), and the one or two times we did well, Our swimmer ended up pissing pure Jamesons, and our horse was a junkie. We had the odd excellent boxer, it's true, and a history in middle distance athletics that had seemed to be just that, history.

 

And we were understandbly uncomfortable with the pretty benign but still there jingoism of our big and frankly rather successful Olympic neighbour (hell, I'm part of that too with my odd split Olympic loyalties). It's easy to love the Olympics when you're good at 'em

 

Suddenly, on a much smaller (obviously) scale, with some basic state funding along the GB model, we've discovered we can do some of this stuff. We can row a rowboat, we can sail a sailboat, we can paddle a ... paddleboat, so long as its downhill, we can swing around a horse as well as ride them, we're no' bad at the oul 7's, or with a hockey stick (give some of our lads a hurling stick and watch the mayhem!), we're still good at punching people, our girls even more so than our boys (like we didn't secretly know that for decades!), but we have a lad who is not bad at kicking them too, and we've found a number of good swimmers, none of whom so far are burning the arse out of the test tubes they have to pee in.

 

It's wonderful, and some of them are going to break our hearts, and we need to embrace that.

 

We must live in hope, should we die in despair.

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 6/29/2024 at 7:23 PM, phelps said:

boxing and rowing, I'd say

 

gymnastics is always a guess, there's no safe prediction in that sport

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McCleneghan is a huge hope for Gold, but he's one handslip from disaster. If he absolutely hits, he medals, probably silver at least. If. But he can't, and won't try, to compete with Whitlock's demonic D scores. It's actually a classic battle of technique versus artistry.

 

 

now of course the Jordanian will get the gold, now I've said that!

 

Boxing and rowing are indeed safer ground - they won't all do it, but the odds are good at least one of 'em will.

 

And with Shaunie Miller-Uibo now not in the individual 400 in Paris, and No Sydney or Femke, the 400 has opened up in a very interesting way - she's a long shot, but Rhasidat is in the mix. Relays and Mageaan also represent minor medal shouts.

 

Wiffen was lackluster the last few meets, but I'm choosing to believe he's simply in deep hard yards training. We'll see.

 

and of course we'll always be in the mix, with some luck in the eventing and jumping with the horses, the sevens, or the golf if rory turns up with a 'head on 'im' as we say (i.e. he's angry and focused because of the US Open)

 

That may see like slim pickings to a big nation, but to wee Ireland, which doesn't focus its sporting instincts on Olympic sports (preferring horse racing, rugby 15s and Gaelic Games) these are times of heady optimisim!

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 6/26/2024 at 3:52 AM, Pasolini said:

They are minorities, because France politics sent a lot of French people there to settle and occupy, it makes total sense that the occupying forces are majority.

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Civilians are not 'occupying forces', a ridiculous and offensive statement. Or are we expel anyone with some distant portuguese or african blood from Brazil and give it back in toto to its first finders?

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 6/24/2024 at 4:48 PM, Giovanni Gianni Cattaneo said:

Caledonian are asking for indipendence, or more autonomy. Is in state of emergency just now. Many nations are evacuating citizens from New Caledonia. And is just one case. 

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No, Kalaks are asking for independence. Kalaks are indigenous people in NC, but they are the minority. Your argument is not helped by reliance on such poor analogies.

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 6/24/2024 at 6:46 AM, Giovanni Gianni Cattaneo said:

Absolutely unfair for Ukrainian affair. There are many wars in the world. GB had Malvinas and Gibraltar, France invaded New Caledonia, China occupy Tibet. Palestina and Israel are in war, both should be excluded. Sport and politics must be divided, and athletes have to compete in peace.

Absolutely rigth for state doping. But China also have state doping, with many swimmers tested positive. 

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Britain's war in the Falklands was over before 1984 - moreover, it was British territory, and the vast majority of its citizens were adamant they wanted tor remain British. There's no comparison with Ukraine.

 

There hasn't been conflict over gibraltar since about 1700. 

 

Again, the French colonisation of the pacific was a long time ago. IF New Caledonians want independence they should get it.

 

Tibet is closer; and china's conrinuing threat to RepOChina/Taiwan is closer still as ROC have an NOC, albeit they use the Chinese Taipei name. Does hong Kong have enough functional independence anymore to justify an NOC?

 

 

Israel and Palestine is horrific, and I would not cry if both were told to sit this Games out. I genuinely fear a repeat of Munich 72'.

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 6/23/2024 at 4:58 AM, Nickyc707 said:

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is whether Russia and Belarusian athletes should be treated in the same way given the doping issue related specifically to one and not the other and that they have had different roles in the conflict with Ukraine. It should also be noted that Russia is also illegally occupying the territory of Georgia and Moldova in addition to Ukraine.

 

There's no doubt that the Belarusian leader Lukashenko is whole heartedly behind Russia's actions but there is evidence that opposition from both the Belarusian people and military has restricted their more direct involvement in Ukraine.

 

With this mind I would favour a full ban on Russia while allowing Belarusian athletes to compete under thr neutral flag.

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I disagree, but it's not a bad argument.

 

As was pointed out repeatedly before Beijing 2022, there are LOTS of conflicts in the world - but relatively few of them are a straightforward invasion of one soverign nation of another, during an Olympic truce.

 

that said, how ROC was not simply expelled from IOC after Sochi, the mind boggles

[mpjmcevoy 363]

Sub Poll 

 

1. What were the top 3 close qualification misses (team/individual) which you regret ?

 

Women's football. It was there for the taking and its a big step backward for the sport

Men's sevens. That is a really, really, difficult pill for GB Rugby to swallow.

BMX Racing, ket two genuine medal chances slip through the fingers

Dishonourable mention: Canoe sprint - what the helll has happened there?

 

 

Sanita in the W1x, just broke yer heart

Hard to stomach so few road cyclists and no triathletes

 

 

2. Given an opportunity to add sports (not exceeding 5 sports and/or 20 events) with an athlete cap of 280 in total, what all would you chose?

 

ADD:

 

Events:

 

Mountain Bike Short track : extra quotas 0

 

Individual pursuit : extra quotas 14 (7 per event, plus 2 per nation in team pursuit, and one per nation from omnium and madison not in team pursuit)

 

Matchplay team golf event : extra quotas 0 (teams of 4, 2 men, 2 women, playing mens single matchplay, women single matchplay, mixed foursome matcplay over 9 holes (ties broken with one shot nearest the pin on the 10th) - sum total of 38 holes for last 16/QF/SF and medal matches.

 

50m in backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke : extra quotas 72

 

Mixed 4 x 200 medley : extra quotas 0

 

 

 

Sports:

Squash : events 4, MS, WS, MD, WD - extra quotas 64 (16, 16, 8 x2, 8 x 2)

Snooker: events 2, extra quotas 32 Ms, WS (16, 15)

Parkour : events 6 (Speed, Freestyle and Cage  Pursuit) extra quotas 88 (32 (16, 16), 24 (12, 12), 32 (16, 16))

 

(3 sport with 12 events, plus further 12 events, 270 quotas)

 

 

3. If you had the opportunity to make 3 changes(3 events/3 sports) to schedule at Paris '24 what would you do?

 

1. Bin breaking.

2. Bring back Karate

3. Bring back C2 slalom

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 6/22/2024 at 3:11 PM, phelps said:

24 

 

6 years of officially discovered State doping * 4 year-ban for every year of guilt = 24 year-ban

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For repeat offences, the bans can go up to 8 years andeven  life, and bans can be extended for egregious and deliberate wrongdoing.

 

So I admire your calculation, it's very fair, but it may imho be even a little bit too leniant.

 

 

But I'll take it for starters.

 

And for the record, I absiolutely would have wanted this done to the soviet Union and especially GDR back in the day, and quite possibly USA too. Even with all the crap we;ve seen from other countries over the years - and we've all been badly behaved whether its BALCO in the US, British Cycling, Italian EPO, Dutch cyclists going EPO hardcore,  or Irish swimmers growing chemically induced fins, what Russia has done is one step beyond - indeed, rather a lot of steps beyond - even Kenya today, which is obviously an utter disaster, is not in that league yet.

[mpjmcevoy 363]

1. Russia attempted to subvert the entire Olympic movement in Sochi, from both a state and NOC level - they literally sabotaged a Games they had the privilege to host. That should have led to permanent and complete expulsion, then and there.

2. They also ran a massive state level doping scheme for a decade, and attempted to get an innocent athlete banned. Again, expulsion.

3. They broke the Olympic Truce in their invasion, the third truce they've broken. certainly suspension, better expuslion. Balarus has it hands dirty on this issue.

 

What Hamas did, and what Israel then did, are both heniously foul in different ways. Neither is justifiable. I would not be angry if both Israel and Palestine had been excluded from this edition games. But in terms of sport, specifically Russia is far, far worse.

Edited June 22, 2024 by mpjmcevoy

[mpjmcevoy 363]

Before Archibald's injury announcement I'd have thought this was almost a foregone conclusion of GBR - NED - ITA in that order. I still think that will be the order, but it's far from a sure thing now. I think it's quite likely Harrie sweeps men's sprint and Emma Finucance sweeps women's. I think Italy and GBR are duking it out in Endurance but there won't be any sweeps. I think GBR 4, NED 3 ITA 3 BEL 2 is quite likely on the gold front, though France and Australia will probably ghave something to say - before Archibald went down I'd have gone GBR as many as 6-7 golds, thanks to Archibold and Finucane

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 6/15/2024 at 1:31 PM, hckošice said:

Pretty sure we are not even qualified in this mate

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Sorry, SLO

[mpjmcevoy 363]

  On 6/15/2024 at 11:59 AM, Jinzha said:

I don't know all of these sports, but between the swimming, womens time trial and possibly rugby or skateboarding(just a guess??). This could be a really great day 1 for Australia!

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Women's Time Trial, I'm thinking USA, NED, NED (2) or GBR. Men's toss up between ITA and BEL, favouring ITA, Bronze between GBR, SVK, favouring GBR because it is pan flat

Women's 400m AUS, Men's 400 not sure

Womens 4 x1 AUS, USA, CHN Men's 4x1 USA, AUS, ITA CHN, 

Women's 3 Syn CHN, ITA, GBR (I think this event is a bit soft under CHN, medals could go just about anywhere)

Sevens FRA or ARG, probably FRA, Bronze between NZL, FJI and IRL

Shooting I think maybe CHN

 

don't know enough about Fencing to guess, assume Italy will be strong, Korea?

 

So I think best day one will be CHN, AUS, USA in that order. ITA will show well, and GBR may unsually pick up  few Day 1 medals, though they're most ly bronze or bust chances. IRL have a punchers chance in the Men's Sevens, which would be super cool.

 

biggest nailed on gold is China in the 3m Sycnchro, utter utter shock if they fail to realise that, followed by Dyggert in the Women's TT and Titmuss in the W400.

 

most intriguing event, apart from 7sRugby which I just love as a sport is the men's time trial - clear group of favourites on a pan flat course for specialists (as it should be) but all likely to have different back issues and stories. Ganna v Remco, Tadej v Josh T, Wout?