Team GB Daily: Day 10

[Epic Failure 355]

Well it was a slim day for medal chances in terms of pure numbers, but it was one of those days when they were all very good chances and, sure enough, all of them came off! 5 chances, 5 medals. Cracking stuff.

[TeamGB 157]

Just managed to catch up with the cycling after a manic few hours. Obviously really great for the women's team sprint but I also noticed all squads (except for the men's team sprint who missed out by a couple hundreds), broke the British records as well. Carlin really impressed me so hopefully he is in line for some individual silverware as well.

[Rich 21]

A golden evening for our women. Highs and lows (mostly just 'not-as-high-as-I-would-like-lows' not actual lows (apart from poor Molly)- the Olympic rollercoaster. 

[TeamGB 157]

Watching the womens 3x3 basketball and the Australians had a near identical team to the one that played in the 2022 commonwealth games, and came 5th. England beat those Australians, feels like a missed qualification opportunity.

[mpjmcevoy 362]

21 minutes ago, TeamGB said:

Just managed to catch up with the cycling after a manic few hours. Obviously really great for the women's team sprint but I also noticed all squads (except for the men's team sprint who missed out by a couple hundreds), broke the British records as well. Carlin really impressed me so hopefully he is in line for some individual silverware as well.

Carlin is clearly exceptionally fast, even if the team as a whole can't live with the dutch. Finucane and Capewell were able to cover for Marchant's weakness as man 1, which is fabulous for Marchant who is better as an individual sprinter than most man 1 types and will be a genuine threat in Keirin. But really, this looks like a Finucane coming out party - her final speed is simply outrageous.

[mpjmcevoy 362]

1 hour ago, Epic Failure said:

Well it was a slim day for medal chances in terms of pure numbers, but it was one of those days when they were all very good chances and, sure enough, all of them came off! 5 chances, 5 medals. Cracking stuff.

Delighted to see how happy Joe was with silver (and how delighted the german was with bronze) - Kayak X on debut was an absolute stonewall hit, and wonderful to have a new event that's NOT a judged event. Presentation was almost perfect - just enough chaos to entertain, just enough skill to feel like sport. Other sports should take note - THIS is how you create/introduce a new event. Hoping the Coastal Rowing in LA will be similarly harem scarem, and how long before Canoe dabbles its foot in some coastal ocean outrigger action.

 

Could hardly ask more to the triathlon team, who I fully expected to struggle to get a medal and who instead almost pulled off a coup. Georgia Taylor Brown completes the set, as does Al ex Yee who becomes the first man on four medals.

 

and Keely, what can you say...

[Rich 21]

Watched Kayak X medal races this eve and wasn't completely convinced. I like the idea but the inflatable posts, the compulsory roll... Seemed a bit total wipeout. Couldn't it just be from point A to point B with some upstream turns? Maybe I just didn't get to watch enough. 

[RussB 189]

6 minutes ago, Rich said:

Watched Kayak X medal races this eve and wasn't completely convinced. I like the idea but the inflatable posts, the compulsory roll... Seemed a bit total wipeout. Couldn't it just be from point A to point B with some upstream turns? Maybe I just didn't get to watch enough. 

I went to the heats and the stands were packed and the atmosphere was red hot. Crowd loved it and really into it.

 

i get where you’re coming from; for me the issue was the start and first 2 gates split the fields in most of the races making the result almost a conclusion very early on.

[Cmon Mary 27]

25 minutes ago, Rich said:

Watched Kayak X medal races this eve and wasn't completely convinced. I like the idea but the inflatable posts, the compulsory roll... Seemed a bit total wipeout. Couldn't it just be from point A to point B with some upstream turns? Maybe I just didn't get to watch enough. 

“It’s A Knockout” in boats!  Only thing missing was Stuart Hall collapsing with laughter. Loved it, as clearly did the fans. 

[mpjmcevoy 362]

7 minutes ago, Cmon Mary said:

“It’s A Knockout” in boats!  Only thing missing was Stuart Hall collapsing with laughter. Loved it, as clearly did the fans. 

There's a brilliant poem by Patrick Kavanagh called 'Epic' about local land squabbles during 1938 - he expresses despair at how parochial and lame these neighbourhood fights are compared to truly global events like the betrayal of Czechoslovakia ("That was the year of the Munich bother"), but then mentions that Homer whispers in his ear - perhaps the same one who winks at us with Kipling...

 

"I made the Illiad from such a local row.

Gods make their own importance."

 

That's sport. All sport is trivial, all sport is farcical, stripped down to its mere actions. There's nothing noble about running around in circles, or pedalling contraptions, are kicking a pig bladder, or pushing your way around an inflatable buoy...

 

Except the wanting makes it noble. Novak's hand trembling makes it noble. Alcaraz being consoled by his family make it noble. Scottie Scheffler crying when winning Majors didn't bring a tear make it noble. eEmco Evenepoel in utter panic at a hole in his tyre a minute from the line made it noble, and yes, a World champion canoeist screaming with delight at winning bronze in a novelty race makes it noble.

 

That's the secret of all sport. Gods make their own importance.