Looking Forward to Summer Olympics 2021

[mike carey]

The sense of elation is not as profound as it was in 1993 when Juan Antonio Samaranch announced that the winner was Syderney, but this afternoon in Tokyo the IOC announced that the 2032 games will be in Brisbane. Australia will join the US in having three summer games host cities (obviously Los Angeles will have hosted three itself by then, and London has hosted three as well). I hope I live to see it!

[+ MysticMenace]

16 minutes ago, mike carey said:

The sense of elation is not as profound as it was in 1993 when Juan Antonio Samaranch announced that the winner was Syderney, but this afternoon in Tokyo the IOC announced that the 2032 games will be in Brisbane. Australia will join the US in having three summer games host cities (obviously Los Angeles will have hosted three itself by then, and London has hosted three as well). I hope I live to see it!

oh you will, @mike carey. will need a place for my future hubby and I to crash when we decide to go to the 2032 games 😉

[BuffaloKyle]

Poland sent too many swimmers to the games so 6 had to fly back!

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/poland-swimming-team-tokyo-olympics_n_60f7fd09e4b0e92dfebe5982

[mike carey]

Ever so slightly a surprise in the men's football.

Australia 2 - Argentina 0

[+ MysticMenace]

On 7/21/2021 at 9:55 AM, BuffaloKyle said:

Poland sent too many swimmers to the games so 6 had to fly back!

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/poland-swimming-team-tokyo-olympics_n_60f7fd09e4b0e92dfebe5982

so the extra swimmers did not special in long-distance swimming, so they had to fly back, eh? lol

[BSR]

All the player withdrawals aside, Novak Djokovic's path to a gold medal is surprisingly difficult.  In the 2nd Round, he could face big serve+big forehand Jan-Lennard Struff, a chronic underachiever (imo), someone who might put it all together in any given match.  In R3, Novak could face Musetti, who took the first 2 sets off him at Roland Garros.  After that, he could face Rublev (currently #7) in the quarters, #5 Zverev in the semis, and #2 Medvedev in the final -- yikes!

As tough as his draw is, I still think Novak's biggest challenge will be the sweltering heat & humidity because Novak struggles more than most in the heat.  His ATG (all time great) status might get his matches scheduled in the evening, when he won't have to deal with the sun (although it'll still be swampy humid), but who knows?

Edited July 23, 2021 by BSR
Typo

[+ MysticMenace]

this.

 

[Gadfly22]

I don't watch swimming anymore since they stopped wearing speedos. But after reading this thread apparently divers and water polo players still do. Cool! Anyone know why? I'll be sure to tune in!

[BSR]

Oops, apparently there are no night matches in tennis.  Novak has complained about the scheduling.  At sites with high heat/humidity, they usually start the matches much later.  At Los Cabos (finals are tomorrow), they start matches at 5pm.  In Tokyo the matches start at 11am, and even though Novak's match was the last of the day, they still finished before 5pm.  He's spoken with a number of fellow players, who agree the conditions are brutal, the worst they've ever experienced. 

The ITF responded that they had to schedule the matches during the day to allow time for rain delays & heat breaks (matches postponed if the heat index goes above a certain point).  Even if other players start speaking out publicly, I doubt the ITF will budge.

My issue isn't so much with the ITF as much as with the International Olympic Committee.  Why do they award the Games to host cities with sweltering summers?  Why do the schedule the Games during the hottest/most humid weeks of the year?  At least when the IOC gave Seoul the 1988 Games, they had the decency to schedule them in late September.

Tennis players are struggling, but the ones I really worry about are the marathoners & triathletes.  If a marathoner/triathlete has trained for years and made huge sacrifices to compete in the Olympics, they will likely keep pushing themselves even in the most sweltering conditions.  Even in the early morning or evening when temps are lower, the humidity is still near saturation point.  No Olympic athlete wants to quit, but I'd much rather they quit than collapse, or worse.

[mike carey]

6 hours ago, BSR said:

My issue isn't so much with the ITF as much as with the International Olympic Committee.  Why do they award the Games to host cities with sweltering summers?  Why do the schedule the Games during the hottest/most humid weeks of the year?  At least when the IOC gave Seoul the 1988 Games, they had the decency to schedule them in late September.

The issue is more the insistence on the games being in certain months, irrespective of weather. The Sydney games were, like Seoul, in September (daylight saving started in August that year). Spring in Sydney can be pretty nice. Part of the reason for the IOC's schedule is that it has picked its window in the global sporting calendar. Another part of the puzzle is NBC, 11am in Tokyo is 7pm PDT. Swimming usually has its heats in the morning and finals in the evening. Except in Beijing and Tokyo. Morning finals mean US prime time viewing. (I can't remember if Sydney was the same.)

[BSR]

3 hours ago, mike carey said:

The issue is more the insistence on the games being in certain months, irrespective of weather. The Sydney games were, like Seoul, in September (daylight saving started in August that year). Spring in Sydney can be pretty nice. Part of the reason for the IOC's schedule is that it has picked its window in the global sporting calendar. Another part of the puzzle is NBC, 11am in Tokyo is 7pm PDT. Swimming usually has its heats in the morning and finals in the evening. Except in Beijing and Tokyo. Morning finals mean US prime time viewing. (I can't remember if Sydney was the same.)

If I recall correctly, the IOC shifted the Seoul Games to late Sept (9/17-10/2) because of the sweltering heat in July & August.  If they made an exception then, why can't they make one for Tokyo?  The heat & humidity aren't just uncomfortable; they're dangerous. 

As for the tennis schedule, American tennis fans tend to tune in only when an American is playing, or Federer.  Two US women are already out, although Jen Brady has a shot at a medal (hey, if Monica Puig could win gold ... ).  Two American men (Tommy Paul & Tennys Sandgren) lost in the 1st Round.  No diss to Marcos Giron & Frances Tiafoe (again, if Monica Puig ... ), but their chances at a medal are awfully slim.  I doubt Russian TV paid anywhere near what NBC did for broadcasting rights, but the Russian men have a great chance of medaling, even gold.  Of course, all of Serbia is riveted to the TV to watch Novak, but I doubt Serbian TV paid even 0.01% what NBC did.  You are correct in that the 11am start is better for the US market.  I just doubt many US fans are watching Olympic tennis.  Late afternoon/evening matches are better for Europeans -- not evening prime time but at least later in the day.

Not just Novak, #2 Daniil Medvedev also complained about the heat & asked that the matches be scheduled in the evening.  Roland Garros finalist Pavlyuchenkova complained that when she went to get ice to cool off during a changeover, it had all melted!  But honestly, unless there's a serious medical incident, the ITF will keep scheduling matches in the heat of the day.

[BSR]

Forget NBC, what about Japan's own TV ratings?  Naomi Osaka is the favorite to win gold, especially after #1 Ash Barty got upset in the 1st Round.  And Kei Nishikori looked like his old self (he was once ranked as high as #4, now #69) in his upset over #7 Andrey Rublev.  I'm not confident in Kei's medal chances (he'd have to beat near-invincible Novak in the quarters), but surely all of Japan will be glued to his matches, as well as Osaka's.  TV ratings for Japan's two tennis stars would be so much higher if their matches were at 7pm, when people were home from work, instead of the middle of the day.

[+ MysticMenace]

Gibb and Bourne - new team with Crabb out - ain't bad...and them bodies ain't bad to look at either.

[mike carey]

19 minutes ago, BSR said:

Forget NBC, what about Japan's own TV ratings?  Naomi Osaka is the favorite to win gold, especially after #1 Ash Barty got upset in the 1st Round.  And Kei Nishikori looked like his old self (he was once ranked as high as #4, now #69) in his upset over #7 Andrey Rublev.  I'm not confident in Kei's medal chances (he'd have to beat near-invincible Novak in the quarters), but surely all of Japan will be glued to his matches, as well as Osaka's.  TV ratings for Japan's two tennis stars would be so much higher if their matches were at 7pm, when people were home from work, instead of the middle of the day.

All that is true, but I doubt that the Japanese broadcaster has the same sway as NBC over the IOC, or that the Tokyo Organising Committee would be able to influence scheduling to suit Japanese audiences. As you pointed out earlier, NBC pays a shit-tonne of money for the rights, and although US tennis players are few now, they would likely not have known that when scheduling decisions were made. Will the IOC be flexible if players complain? I doubt it unless it's going to affect their bottom line, they don't give a f**k about athletes, only money. (BTW, I wasn't suggesting that NBC's influence is a bad thing, just making the obvious point that it is a thing.) Sitting here one hour ahead of Tokyo time, they'd have to try really hard to make live broadcast times inconvenient here.

[BSR]

9 hours ago, mike carey said:

All that is true, but I doubt that the Japanese broadcaster has the same sway as NBC over the IOC, or that the Tokyo Organising Committee would be able to influence scheduling to suit Japanese audiences. As you pointed out earlier, NBC pays a shit-tonne of money for the rights, and although US tennis players are few now, they would likely not have known that when scheduling decisions were made. Will the IOC be flexible if players complain? I doubt it unless it's going to affect their bottom line, they don't give a f**k about athletes, only money. (BTW, I wasn't suggesting that NBC's influence is a bad thing, just making the obvious point that it is a thing.) Sitting here one hour ahead of Tokyo time, they'd have to try really hard to make live broadcast times inconvenient here.

Very true that when NBC forked over the container ship of cash for broadcasting rights, they didn't know who was & wasn't playing or how deep Americans would go.  They were probably hoping that living legend (any player with double-digit Slams is a LL) Serena Williams would play.  She has greatly reduced her playing schedule but loves the Olympic experience.  Unfortunately, her hamstring injury from a slip on the slick Wimbledon grass killed any chance of her going to Tokyo.  Superstar Coco Gauff had a great chance of winning gold and would have brought in blockbuster TV ratings, but she got knocked out by a positive Covid test.

[+ MysticMenace]

[BSR]

8 minutes ago, JoeMendoza said:

Oh boy, I have such a crush on Max Whitlock -- British gymnast who won gold in floor exercise & pommel horse Rio 2016 for those unfamiliar with him.

YouTube video of a shirtless Max Whitlock

[+ MysticMenace]

14 minutes ago, BSR said:

Oh boy, I have such a crush on Max Whitlock -- British gymnast who won gold in floor exercise & pommel horse Rio 2016 for those unfamiliar with him.

YouTube video of a shirtless Max Whitlock

im glad he qualified for the pommel event finals, but am also rooting for Alec Yoder.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

On 7/24/2021 at 2:55 PM, Gadfly22 said:

I don't watch swimming anymore since they stopped wearing speedos. But after reading this thread apparently divers and water polo players still do. Cool! Anyone know why? I'll be sure to tune in!

Swimmers are wearing the longer suites to provide a more streamlined suit.

Divers wear the brief cut probably for two reasons: mobility and aesthicis.  Diving is still judged and having the long strip of color on the leg might make it easier for a judge to see that the diver isn't completely verticle entering the water.  

Polo players wear the smaller suits because they are confident!   

[Guest]

USA Gymnastics. My favorite is Brody Malone, 2nd from the right...

[mike carey]

4 hours ago, BSR said:

when NBC forked over the container ship of cash for broadcasting rights

Love it!

[+ MysticMenace]

14 hours ago, Unicorn said:

USA Gymnastics. My favorite is Brody Malone, 2nd from the right...

we're missing Alec Yoder....

[Gadfly22]

16 hours ago, sam.fitzpatrick said:

Divers wear the brief cut probably for two reasons: mobility and aesthetics.

In other words - because its HOT?!

16 hours ago, sam.fitzpatrick said:

Swimmers are wearing the longer suites to provide a more streamlined suit.

They should never have allowed this. Now anytime a WR is broken we'll never know if its because they guy is a better swimmer or because of better equipment. The only equipment I care about is whats under their speedos! 😝😝

[Kcdave]

Divers are definitely very hot. Just look at the speedo‘s that Tom Dailey was wearing with his partner Matty Lee.  

[Guest]

3 hours ago, JoeMendoza said:

we're missing Alec Yoder....

Oh, my God! I just about crashed into the computer screen, ready to jump on this man! 😍😛