2016 Rio Olympics Thread (Sport Only)

[nevets88]

Tortuous technical descent, 55+ mph, rain. Crash. They should just play the song Danger Zone instead of announcing. Please be okay Van Vleuten. I got physically sick watching that. 

[Golfingdad]

1 hour ago, nevets88 said:

Tortuous technical descent, 55+ mph, rain. Crash. They should just play the song Danger Zone instead of announcing. Please be okay Van Vleuten. I got physically sick watching that. 

This is very cryptic - having trouble figuring it out.  I'm guessing cycling???

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I noticed that they've added replay challenges to both indoor and beach volleyball this year.  Lead to a weird finish last night on the beach where one team challenged that the other touched the net on the final point (which they did) so the match ended but the offending team then argued that the first team actually touched the net first (they did as well) so the refs prudently allowed the match to continue ... After a few minute delay that involved them rudely interrupting a Tom Brokaw video essay about the Amazon.  When they came back, team 1 won the first point and ended the match fairly, and then they started Brokaws piece from the beginning again. :P

[nevets88]

11 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

This is very cryptic - having trouble figuring it out.  I'm guessing cycling???

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I noticed that they've added replay challenges to both indoor and beach volleyball this year.  Lead to a weird finish last night on the beach where one team challenged that the other touched the net on the final point (which they did) so the match ended but the offending team then argued that the first team actually touched the net first (they did as well) so the refs prudently allowed the match to continue ... After a few minute delay that involved them rudely interrupting a Tom Brokaw video essay about the Amazon.  When they came back, team 1 won the first point and ended the match fairly, and then they started Brokaws piece from the beginning again. :P

Women's cycling, road race. 

S Korea v Germany is a good match. Draw at 2-2 so far. 

[nevets88]

American women's cycling interview was  refreshingly frank. Oh my God I'm going to medal... and then they passed me. 

The archery coverage suffers the same thing golf does. It doesn't convey the distance they are shooting. It is a long way. I understand the need to put a face to the name, this is a case of using slow motion and high def to its advantage and letting the audience see the complete trajectory of the arrow. Even a 7 seems incredibly accurate. 

[Golfingdad]

1 hour ago, nevets88 said:

Women's cycling, road race. 

Ok, just saw it.  Not funny because she look like she really hurt herself, but I couldn't help but notice the speed limit sign painted on the road where she fell that said 30 km/hr, while she was going 40+.

[nevets88]

17 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Ok, just saw it.  Not funny because she look like she really hurt herself, but I couldn't help but notice the speed limit sign painted on the road where she fell that said 30 km/hr, while she was going 40+.

The motorcycle couldn't keep up with the male cyclists, it couldn't stay close enough to video the men's lead group wipe out. People say going down the road in a car is hairy. She didn't make a funny move or a mistake, the wheel just gave out from under her. I've had this happen to me in the winter, with "black" ice, only went 20 mph and luckily got away with a mere surface abrasion, there's nothing you can do about it, it just happens in an instant.

But hey, the bus ride (of death) to Machu Picchu is kind of the same, just going up.

[hockeyref18]

Just watched all the women's rugby games and let me tell you are those entertaining. Kinda sucks USA took a loss in the quarterfinals. 

[Golfingdad]

Oh, hey @Gunther ... This question always pops in my head at the Olympics and then it doesn't get answered and I forget about it for four years so ...

Why does one of the guys/girls wear a different color jersey (indoor volleyball) than the rest of the team?

TIA

[Gunther]

2 hours ago, Golfingdad said:

Oh, hey @Gunther ... This question always pops in my head at the Olympics and then it doesn't get answered and I forget about it for four years so ...

Why does one of the guys/girls wear a different color jersey (indoor volleyball) than the rest of the team?

TIA

They're called a libero, mostly play defense and serve, often for the big front row players, when they rotate to the back row.  Only position on the court that doesn't have to check in with the ref when they enter or leave the rotation.

[saevel25]

An update on that Dutch cyclist who crashed today. She ended up fracturing her spine in three places. They said she was conscious when they loaded her into the ambulance.

http://www.cbssports.com/olympics/news/rio-olympics-dutch-cyclist-in-intensive-care-after-scary-crash-in-final-leg/

I hope everything goes OK for her. 

[Gator Hazard]

4 hours ago, nevets88 said:

The motorcycle couldn't keep up with the male cyclists, it couldn't stay close enough to video the men's lead group wipe out. People say going down the road in a car is hairy. She didn't make a funny move or a mistake, the wheel just gave out from under her. I've had this happen to me in the winter, with "black" ice, only went 20 mph and luckily got away with a mere surface abrasion, there's nothing you can do about it, it just happens in an instant.

But hey, the bus ride (of death) to Machu Picchu is kind of the same, just going up.

Yesterday what I found interesting was them showing a few biclyclers drafting behind a car. I don't know the first thing about cycling but did find it odd that they were allowed to do that. Maybe @boogieliciouscan help me with that. The accident where she skidded off and wrecked was nasty, glad she didn't break her neck. 

[Silent]

14 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Tortuous technical descent, 55+ mph, rain. Crash. They should just play the song Danger Zone instead of announcing. Please be okay Van Vleuten. I got physically sick watching that. 

Annemiek van Vleuten is okay considering the circumstances. She's in the hospital but awake. How the breakings in her spine will effect her career (or normal life) is unknown yet, but there are no signs of paralisation or something like that. She even posted on Twitter saying she's okay. Her crash from a different angle, viewers discretion adviced: 

 

Shocking is that it takes a full 2 minutes before any help arrives. She's just lying there unconsious. If you see how she crashed from the official video at the race you can only think about how lucky she was in the end; she could have died in this kind of crash, landing on her neck.

Van Vleuten was heading for a gold medal, after this crash her teammate Anna van der Breggen did the only thing she could do: bringing the gold medal home to Holland after all. Immediatly after the finish she was told her teammate was consious and she could talk. Never had so much mixed feelings watching a race. 

 

 

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, Gator Hazard said:

Yesterday what I found interesting was them showing a few biclyclers drafting behind a car. I don't know the first thing about cycling but did find it odd that they were allowed to do that. Maybe @boogieliciouscan help me with that. The accident where she skidded off and wrecked was nasty, glad she didn't break her neck. 

Sometimes they allow them to draft for a bit if an incident happened. I didn't see this one, but there is a fine line. Usually it is allowed when they have to navigate through support cars. But they can also get penalized if the referees think it went on too long.

[newtogolf]

I have read the cycling course is considered very dangerous by cycling experts.  They cited the combination of downhill, with the tight turns and curb set up for a lot of these sorts of accidents.  

[CarlSpackler]

9 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

I have read the cycling course is considered very dangerous by cycling experts.  They cited the combination of downhill, with the tight turns and curb set up for a lot of these sorts of accidents.  

It looked very treacherous to me, but it started a light rain just as they began that last descent. I was thinking to my self that someone was going to kill themselves. I was horrified when I saw that crash. 

[Elmer]

I spent sat watching women's volley ball. Sunday checking in on bike racing, mens volleyball, women's gymnastics and swimming.
I am fascinated by the rivalry between the doping Russian swimmer and our American swimmer. Tonights race could be very good. Not to mention that Ledecky is a beast of a swimmer!

[natureboy]

17 hours ago, nevets88 said:

American women's cycling interview was  refreshingly frank. Oh my God I'm going to medal... and then they passed me. 

She has nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing left in the tank at the end after attacking on the hills (she's a climbing specialist). Just not far enough out ahead of those sprinters. She clearly left it all on the course, though.

The woman who crashed was in hospital with fractured vertebrae, but conscious and alert saying she'd be okay. She got hit by a car (much worse) a few years ago and recovered. Sounds tough.

General comment on the website. Very limited amount of highlights for general internet consumption / non-cable subscribers.

Edited August 8, 2016 by natureboy

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, newtogolf said:

I have read the cycling course is considered very dangerous by cycling experts.  They cited the combination of downhill, with the tight turns and curb set up for a lot of these sorts of accidents.  

It's no different than the mountain stages in the major tours. The exception may be with less familiarity with the course. But they are allowed to scout it ahead of time.