Rio Olympics

Is anybody as sick as me hearing about Michael Phelps like about 50 times a day.  Now I suppose the same will happen with Bolt.  Still waiting to see some Olympic Sports that are not team spots like Archery,Shooting, Sailing and a few others.  Only a few minutes has been devoted to them whikle we watch endles games of basketball, hockey and a few other like about four times a day showing the same match. Worse coverage ever.  Would rather pay a special subscription to Foxtel fpr special Olympic Channels.  Who wants to watch the Olympic Games on their mobile with the App not even working properly.

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Absolutley spot on Dolphin haven. 

My hubby has been waiting since the beginning of the Olympics for something other than repeat after repeat of the same 'ol same ol...

The sports that seem to be in short supply are boxing, sword fencing, weight lifting ,and diving...

Indeed it's a wonderful achievement for these young people of the world to win medals but I'd like to have seen far more of all our Aussies participation whether they win or lose...

I can't say the winners of the front runners in the medal tally hold much interest to me..but I do love to see the less prominent countries winner's take their place on the podium.

Very disappointing show of events after so much hype.

I loved Fiji winning the rugby and also some of the other countries who won their first medals like Singapore.  I love the weight lifting and the diving. Have seen very little of it.  It does not matter if Australia is not in it, its still good to watch.

I watched and thoroughly enjoyed the Ladies Gymnastics the other evening which is of interest to me.

Bit of cycling and rowing ... the backdrop was superb.

In regards to Phelps I sure do prefer to watch him instead of Bill Shorten who seems to be on ABC day and night.

I love the ladies gymnastics especially the rhythmic section...beautiful. The Winter Olympics is really my favourite though.

As soon as the mention anything about the Olympics I fast forward or turn OFF

I do the same, it seems to me that the Olympics has degenerated into an excuse for wealthy old men and women to spend four years travelling the world eating the best food, drinking the best wine and squeesing bribes out of countrys vying for the next chance to hold the Olympics.

The athletes come last on their list of priorities and an even playing field is even further from their minds.  Its' just a money making venture to most involved.

Lots of empty seats at Olympics..locals will not pay the high prices...don't blame them.

True - it is better to lower prices and put bums on seats

I'm looking forward to the Paralympics. My dear friend has a grandson who is representing Australia in Wheelchair Tennis, I hope he does well.  I was looking up the medal count at the last  Paralympics in London 2012 and Australia had 32 Gold, 23 Silver and 30 Bronze a total of 85 Medals, 5th in the World. Fantastic.

The Paralympics is higher on my rankings too.

 

We have loved wtching everything we could of the Olympics, and loved it.

In my opinion :) Michael Phelps is an outstanding athlete, and a really great Ambassador for his Country, and his famly must be so very proud of him. Always very polite and obliging, along with his great work ethic and charm :). He will certainly not be forgotten by those of us love our sports, with swimming right up there.

 

Of course he is an outstanding swimmer and my remarks were not made against him only against the media who were overdoing it.

must agree about PHELPS  PHYL,    a truly great athlete,    must admit i have not watched much,   i am not a sport person,   but do like to hear when they win anything,     have way=tched some of the diving,  and gynnastics,    so graceful,     some of those dives look as if they are turning themselves inside out,    a great sight,  

Phelps is great,  but I'd like to see them stop giving him glory for relay medals. An equally good swimmer from a less strong country would not have the team mates to win those events.

So what is your point? We are barracking for Australia not for another country.Are you from another country? Which one?

I agree it is really nice to see winners from small Countries with less money to spend, receive a Medal, but dosn't take away from every competitor from every Country giving us so much joy and doing well. :)

 

Good philosophy Phyl.

Reagan - I appreciate excellence in any pursuit, by people from any country.

Facebook post

Team USA is leading the medal count for the 2016 Rio Olympics and for each medal they win, they receive a cash prize — $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze — paid for by the United States Olympic Committee.

From the 2016 games, swimmer Michael Phelps is bringing home five gold medals, one silver medal and about $140,000 in winnings.  From his winnings, Phelps will pay around $55,000 in taxes.

He and and every other Olympic medalist will have to pay a "victory tax."

Anyone wanting addy for source will have to google above text.

That is interesting.  I think years ago all our gold medalists received a car.  I think other countries give rewards. I know some of the African nations receive some reward  I heard in the media and it means food and the purchase of livestock for their families so if you see the Ethiopians and Kenyas winning just think whatt it means to them.  Many interesting Olympic stories.

The Australian Sports Commission gets $250 million from the taxpayer each year... so should pay tax like any other taxpayer.

 

Huh? What would be the point of that?

By that logic, schools should pay tax. Hospitals should pay tax. Parliament should pay tax. Roads should pay tax......

there was a very good suggestion [i thought]  by someone who wrote into 50/50 in the herald sun,    about why not have the games permanently in ROME,    where they originated,    the stadium could be kept up to date,   and host countries would not be up for the enormous expense of hosting the games,    every country would pay a nominated amout,   and countries like RIO,   where it is now,    and could hardly afford them,  would not be up for the millions it costs to host them,   this money could be better spent on the country,  just an idea, 

Such an idea might limit attendance Cats because people might get sick of going to the same country. The country that hosts each time earns a lot from the tourist dollar so also unfair if it keeps going to the same country.

I think you may mean Greece Cats.

Yes cats, it's Greece.

A major cost is athlete and media accommodation. Most host cities create those as new buildings that become accommodation for local people after the Games. How would that would if there was a permanant home for the Games? Empty buildings for three and a half years?

 This is a difficult one - would make sense to have it in one place but I do not think that everybody would be happy about it.  It is such a big expense because everyone expects so much to-day.  When you see all the different venues in Rio, they must have cost a fortune and there have been no real complaints about the standard.

I agree it is difficult. I do know The Games gives many people work, as every part of it, requires many paid workers and in most trades. 

Looking forward to the people with disabilities to start competing, and just wish it was all televised. 

..... competing no doubt????? 

I have no argument with making it Greece for all future Olympics.

The Greek economy could do with a boost and maybe this would help them out.

Pepe -  Did you ever see that movie with Burt Lancaster," Jim Thorpe - All American."? For those who haven't seen it , it's about Jim Thorpe, a Native American Indian who after winning Gold Medals in both the Pentathlon and Decathlon in the same Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden in 1912. He was stripped of his medals on a technicality. In the old days athletes were not allowed to make money out of their chosen sports. This is so rediculous seeing a lot of the sportspeople in todays Olympics are millionaires, because of their sponsors. 

HOLA - the IOC actually restored his medals much later, too late for both Thorpe (he died much earlier) and the movie.

Hola, no I had not heard of this gentleman....how sad that the medals were restored posthumously.

HOLA.  my husband has the movie here,    dont know if its available on dvd,   he had it on video,  and took to a shop that changes video to dvd,   and had it changed,   MY APOLOGIES if i got the wrong place,    i know they started in greece,   but im sure the paper said rome,    but no matter,     i just thought it made a lot os sense,   but as pointed out,   the host countries do make a lot out of the tourists,      i watched the girls gymnastics ,  on the floor, [mat]     about 6.30,    they are very good,    one,  a english girl  was  superb,       did anyone see that film clip for the paralympics,    with the bloke singing,  'YES I CAN'  ? showed some of them,  playing the piano with there feet,    another playing guitar with his feet,    what determination they must have to overcome these set backs in life,     makes you wonder if you could do it,    in the face of adversity,     dont know if i would have the will to overcome those kind of setbacks,   

That Paralympic clip is great. It's at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IocLkk3aYlk

It's actually an ad from the BBC for its coverage of the Paralympics, which is much better than we will get.

Australia seems to be doing much better in the sports the media ignores.

There's an obvious message there.

thank you for the link BARAK, 

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