rajiv

This stupid game is just yet another indication that the Olympics are dying the death of a thousand cuts . Old men are asking what can we do to attract the kids . NBC keep asking this Well this is popular with the American woke generation . I mean I saw it played in some really cool movie that the teenagers like . As much as they like anything of course We have certainly come a long way from all that Chariots of Fire stuff

I note that Australia is unrepresented in any of the synchronised events ( they have 7 of 8 possible places in the individual events ) I read that they declined to participate at the qualification event for covid reasons I checked the last 5 Olympics - that's 20 synchro events and 20 possible medals . Australia won 7 medals in synchro diving - which ,while not in China's league, is pretty good . So that was quite a decision Australia also declined to participate in the World Athletics World Relays -they only had one medal of a possible 20 there so this is unlikely to be a medal loss decision . still pretty hard on some individuals who dreamed of being Olympians

That's very curious as NZ is such a strong sailing nation Indeed I'd bet that even the NZ also rans who are being passed over would be stronger sailors than their replacements from minnow sailing nations My guess that NZ expects every sailor wearing their national colours to be of the elite medal contesting standard

If you start making it difficult for the host country to not field a team when they want to a large part of the incentive to host Games will go God knows I'm far from being a fan of the Chi Coms but this is a general principal for all hosts Remember who is paying the bill Anyway ice hockey is essentially a European sport plus USA and Canada ' The women's version is even smaller ( we all know the gold medal game will be USA v Canada . Having a 3rd continent participate might do wonders for it's claim to be a serious international sport I recall GB fielded basketball and handball teams when they hosted . Australia fielded a handball team in Sydney ( it's always handball for the English speaking countries -it's just not played by the Anglo locals but usually they can find a few migrants who can play ) I also sorta remember Greece investigating whether to field ( field ) hockey teams in Athens by checking out the Greek diaspora in hockey playing nations . They didn't participate so I guess they couldn't find enough Greek passport qualified hockey players

I'd say Canada's biggest problem is that many Canadians -or should that be Canadian passport holders ? - don't think it is much of a big deal playing for their (so called ) national team ( true in many sports but particularly the very American ones -the women generally see it differently ) Some people see this as a plus -something along the lines of Canada being the world's first post nationalist nation

I'm amused this festival of the third rate is taken so seriously . Sure it can be a festival of gayness but popular music ? Over many decades there are only a small handful of acts and songs which have lasted even the most minor test of time . None recently . I suspect it's appeal has something to do with continental Europe's huge resentment of the Anglosphere for so dominating popular music

Personally I think the Olympics has far too many events -the programme has grown like topsy and is now well over 300 events ( the Winter Olympics are worse as they seek to have any event anyone can think of to stretch out the programme -guess it's for TV especially American TV ) So many sports are just not that international and would have trouble existing if they were not Olympic sports Maybe ironically the sports that everyone complains about as being undeserving of Olympic inclusion because they have their biggest events outside the Olympics may in fact be the most deserving of inclusion as that indicates that they are widely popular I guess the best way would be ask every country to choose say 200 events ( Summer and winter -why have different rules ? )that they want and the say 200 with the most votes gets in If you need more content for TV purposes then have demonstration sports

I have a strong feeling that GB may again dominate cycling . GB is just another team between Olympics but come Games time they are in a class of their own , Well this has been the pattern in the last few Games If China or Russia or any other number of countries did this people would be very suspicious Maybe GB just has better chemists or friends in the right places but the shit thrown at them by suspicious onlookers just doesn't seem to stick . or at least it has so far although I see even the UK authorities are becoming very suspicious of UK cycling It's all rather like the US and Lance Armstrong and CO although with a bigger budget and a very compliant Cycling body

I'd say that you can make a strong argument for reducing the no of swimming events in all strokes except freestyle . The other strokes are really a novelty -methods of swimming which aren't the fastest way from A to B - like having a hopping or skipping race -or hand walking but maybe that's not too different from having weight defined events in many sports -we are not looking for the best per se but the best with one hand tied behind your back or something similar Actually butterfly is the least credible swim stroke -unlike the other strokes it doesn't exist outside serious swimming competitions . Don't see a lot of butterfly at your local swimming spot And yes I know the history - invented as a clever way to game the then breaststroke rules But I realise that every sport wants more events and the health of every sport requires a lot of events to encourage many participants to that sport

I see that this is an Olympic qualifier Did Australia compete ? I don't see them mentioned and I know that they regularly win diving medals

The article I read stated that if he competed for France he could be a funded full time athlete whereas Australia didn't make such an offer . He has lived his whole life in Australia Sounds like a case of money to me

I'd say Australia and New Zealand are the countries where sport has most become pretty normal again with crowds and travel . All their sporting leagues are played with normal (unmasked ) crowds . Of course international arrivals are very closely controlled I thought this was well known . Remember the Australian Open ? Never ceases to amaze me how narrow the international perspective of so many here is ( the Eastern Europeans are the worst -I rather doubt that many could even point out where non European countries are on a map . But I guess that may be a product of being from a closed country with minimal international contact for so long )

I think the more interesting issue is why some countries field teams which are much more immigrant than is the country is as a whole eg France ,GB whilst other countries field teams which are much less immigrant than the country is as a whole eg Australia The answer is simple -medal success is much more important to some countries more than others . Both GB and France roam the world chequebook in hand looking for elite athletes to sign up for their so called national teams See the case of Sasha Zhoya for an example of this

I wouldn't be so sure . West Indies women have won the twenty20 WC in recent times and a number play in Aussie Big Bash Of course in 20/20 there can be very strange results Anyway you need a team from the Americas in tournament for world balance

Bowls and Netball are the regular Commonwealth Games sports not in the Olympics They are both 5 continent sports ( which is more than a few of the existing Olympic sports can claim ) I note that triathlon and rugby 7s were firstly Commonwealth Games sports which were later Olympic sports

These sort of tables of medals per million or medals per GDP have been around for years . They are trotted out after every Games The problem is that it is just impossible for populous countries to ever be a top contender on their basis : for instance China has more millions of people than there are Olympic medals on offer A fair comparison method would and should allow any country to top the list -at least in theory In my view all a country can do is to not allow a less populous country or a less wealthy country ( however measured ) to be higher on a table of medals ( be it Gold or Total medals ) On this basis if USA ( the richest maybe ) or China ( the most populous &/or maybe the new richest ) do not finish as top country they have been beaten . Finishing top is par for these 2 countries But really there are so many ifs and buts -the Olympics has certain sports and not others and then just a certain no of events and not others n that sport and then some events give out 4 medals whereas the normal no is 3 medals . Obsessive Medal hunting countries like the old DDR and now GB look for low hanging fruit sports like track cycling which few countries care about ( and barely exists outside the Olympics ) DDR never worried much about team sports ( all that effort for just one possible medal ! )

Qualifying tournaments such as this are not about winning the thing but about being in the final two Wouldn't it make more sense for there to be a round robin final four with the group game already played being counted and then each team playing the two top teams in the other group for a total of three games ? Under the current system it may well be that the second best team is knocked out in the semi final This alternative gives each team the same no of games as now and allows for a tournament winner via the final round robin

Lacrosse would just be another women's ice hockey - another two country sport with the Gold medal game always being between USA and Canada ( not that these two countries are complaining ) But then the bar for Olympic inclusion is much MUCH lower for the Winter Olympics . Even men's ice hockey is really only a two continent sport -no Summer sport which was only seriously played in 2 continents would make the cut ) I think Australia may be ranked #3 in lacrosse and the game is invisible there - maybe like kabaddi or korfball ( in major immigrant countries every micro sport has at least a small presence ) I looked this up -only 2 Aussie universities have lacrosse clubs ( and they have a lot of sporting clubs )

Poor Germany There seems no limit to the number of times Germany is stabbed in the back

Well there are 16 economies of at least a trillion $US in the world and Australia is on a median wealth per adult the wealthiest ( that is a trillion $US with both Nominal and PPP GDP and median wealth not mean wealth. Australian wealth is widely spread ) It has handled the present pandemic better than any of the other 15 trillion dollar economy countries Australia cities have a distinct lack of no go areas and very few people live on the streets . This will make a pleasant change after Paris and LA . Don't think many here are well travelled enough if I may state the bleeding obvious 2032 will follow a European and an American Games so a new continent is in order . IOC officials want competence , interest in sport , a friendly comfortable relaxed atmosphere for athletes and visitors alike (which certain European countries have never had and are probably incapable of having ) Financial competence is important -Australian cities have great existing facilities Etc etc

Brisbane and south east Queensland was by far the best choice . people who know about these things know that Australia does these things very well and many people ( although none here ) like Australia and Australians . People will have a smile on their face in Australia . Other countries not so much

And I was recently criticised for saying that there was an undercurrent of anti Australian attitude among some here .

I have long noticed that Australia is strongly disliked by many of the people here . I wish someone would spell out the reasons why

Wouldn't the Israel Olympic team be majority composed of American Jews who are OK at sport but would never make a US team ?

Sydney 2000 was by far the best Olympics in my lifetime - and I think the IOC heavies share that view I'd say SE Qld must be a strong favourite but the IOC , while not as bad as FIFA , can easily be bought so Qatar wouldn't be too much of a surprise Australia is very good at these things -the Australian Open is the most popular major with the players for instance