Huge milestone as the #USA reaches 100 total medals to top the table by a large margin. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/u3kXt5MEpE— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) August 19, 2016
Friday, August 19, 2016
XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 (Day 14)
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The race walking also makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteLondon 2012 men's 50km race walk medalists: Australia gold, China silver and Ireland bronze. France is leading today's race.
ReplyDeleteI repeat, there's something up in badminton. Again, China won all five of the gold and eight of the 15 total badminton medals awarded at the London 2012 Olympics, but, after losing to Japan in the women's singles bronze match this morning, China will fail to medal in that event. (India and Spain play later this morning for gold.) There have been seven badminton medals awarded so far in Rio, and China has one, a bronze.
ReplyDeleteOK, it turns out the ol' race walk is not even halfway through, and the NBCOlympics.com dude just told me that the leader from France pretty much already has it wrapped up. So, ... moving on ...
ReplyDelete"They're falling further and further behind!"
DeleteThis thing has been going on for almost two hours, and it apparently has that much left to go again.
"He's walking with an air of invincibility!"
DeleteI don't know. I might stick with this thing.
Actually, there are two Brits doing the commentary for NBCOlympics.com ...
DeleteThe first guy: "It's going to be a virtually unassailable lead!"
The second guy: "We've got to be wary of talking about unassailable leads."
NBCOlympics.com just went to slow motion to show the French leader moving to the side to pick up a bottle of water from someone along the track.
Delete25km to go ... OK, seriously ... moving on ...
DeleteAs someone who once, in a tape-delay telecast of a Heath High School football game for the PCC public-access channel, talked about a runner advancing the ball to the "55-yard-line," I just want to say that I'm in total awe of and thankful for these people who have gotten to talk on NBC's various outlets during the Olympics.
DeleteOn USA now: A men's singles badminton semifinal between China and Malaysia. "This is the marquee event," says the commentator. Fourth Olympic games for the Chinese dude, who has won two golds. He's a taut, young, good-looking guy with tattoos, stylish, angular hair and a stubble mustache, and the USA camera keeps showing gleeful women and intense men waving Chinese glass whenever he scores a point. I'll bet this guy's on a few posters in Chinese pre-teen bedrooms. He leads, 10-6, in the first set.
ReplyDeleteOn NBC Sports Network now: The French guy still leads the race walk. They have different commentators on the TV broadcast than on the Internet. The main play-by-play guy sounds like an American. "We're 30 kilometers in, and we've got 20 kilometers to go," he sighs as we go to a commercial.
ReplyDeleteOn Channel 6: Today has videotape of Usain Bolt dancing to Justin Timberlake music before his race last night. I do really like that Justin Timberlake hit, and the video is excellent.
ReplyDeleteOn Golf Network: Round 3 of the women's tournament. They just mentioned Emma Talley!
ReplyDelete1. Inbee Park, South Korea, -10 (36 holes)
ReplyDelete2. Stacy Lewis, United States, -9 (36)
T3. Brooke Henderson, Canada, -8 (36)
T3. Charley Hull, Great Britain, -8 (36)
Lewis is a 31-year-old Toledo, Ohio, native who grew up in The Woodlands, Texas, outside Houston.
ReplyDeleteOK, they're not "sets" in badminton; they're games. And it's best of three. And the Malaysian dude just came back to roast the Chinese celebrity in Game 2. We're headed on USA Network to the third and deciding game for the right to play for gold!
ReplyDelete"It's everything the badminton world has hoped for," says the USA commentator.
ReplyDeleteAs previously reported: Something's Up In Badminton.
2-2 in Game 3 ... lots of chanting and orchestrated cheering in the badminton arena right now, even while these two guys play their very long points ...
ReplyDeleteThese guys are amazing.
ReplyDelete5-3, Malaysia ...
ReplyDeletePouty smirk from the 32-year-old Lin "Super Dan" Dan of Longyan, Fujian, China ...
DeleteWikipedia: "At a young age, Lin was encouraged to learn to play the piano by his parents, and to be a pianist. However, he chose to play badminton instead. Having started his training at the age of five, he was scouted by the People's Liberation Army Sports Team after winning the National Junior Championships aged twelve, and was enlisted into the Chinese National Badminton Team in 2001, when he was 18.
ReplyDelete8-7, Malaysia ...
ReplyDeleteWikipedia: "Lin has been in a relationship with Xie Xingfang, herself a former world champion, since 2003.[13] They were quietly engaged on December 13, 2010 in Haizhu, Guangzhou. Xie initially denied but later acknowledged romantic involvement with Lin, who reacted angrily at the public exposure of their relationship, citing reasons of personal privacy.[14] The two were married on September 23, 2012 and the wedding ceremony was held at the Beijing University of Technology.[15]"
ReplyDelete9-9 ...
ReplyDeleteWikipedia: "Lin had five tattoos visible during the 2012 Summer Olympics. His upper left arm has a Christian cross, representing his love for his Christian grandmother.[16] Five stars on the lower left arm signify the Grand Slam he has won. The tattoo on his right upper arm reads 'until the end of world' which is the English name of the song "世界が終るまでは…" (by Wands) out of his favourite anime Slam Dunk.[17] The double 'F' lettering on the lower part of his right arm stands for 'Fang Fang', his nickname for his wife Xie Xingfang, and his initials 'LD' are tattoed on the back of his neck.[18] These tattoos have been the subject of controversy due to his military and religious status.[16][19]"
ReplyDeleteHere's somebody doing "世界が終るまでは" by Wands.
Delete11-10, Super Dan ...
ReplyDeleteWikipedia: "On October 17, 2012, he became the first active Chinese badminton player to accept a master's degree, which was presented at Huaqiao University.[20] His autobiography, Until the End of the World, was published after he successfully defended his Olympic title at the London 2012 Olympics.[21]"
ReplyDelete15-14, China ...
ReplyDeleteAt Beijing 2008, China's Lin Dan crushed this Malaysian, Lee Chong Wei, 21-12 and 21-8, in what Wikipedia says had been considered a "dream title" and became the first top seed in Olympic badminton to actually win men's singles gold.
ReplyDelete16-16 ...
ReplyDeleteIn 2011, Wikipedia says, "Lin began the year with a withdrawal in the Malaysia Open's quarterfinals, which marked his third withdrawal in a row since late 2010. This action caused criticism mostly by Taufik Hidayat, who wanted the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to investigate.[135] His mother denied that he retired on purpose, and cited he had a waist injury.[136] However, he sprang back to win the first ever million dollar badminton tournament, Korea Open by beating Lee Chong Wei in the final."
ReplyDelete19-16, Malaysia ...
ReplyDeleteIn 2012, Super Dan lost to Lee Chong Wei in both the Korean Open and Malaysia Open. At London 2012, though, says Wikipedia: "In the repeat of 2008's final, Lin this time lost the first game to Lee but bounced to take the second. The third game became a thriller as Lin edged to a gold medal, narrowly beating Lee by two points despite Lee leading most of the time.[168] Lin also became the first men's singles player to retain the Olympic title."
ReplyDelete20-19, Malaysia ...
ReplyDelete20-20! OH, MY! This really is outstanding. Super Dan hit blind, backhand return to keep the point alive and then finally won the point on his second or third leaping slam attempt ...
ReplyDelete21-20, "Hero Lei" of Malaysia, as Super Dan misses long on a lob ...
ReplyDeleteAND LEE CHONG WEI OF MALAYSIA WINS WITH A FIERCE CROSSCOURT BACKHAND AS BOTH PLAYERS ARE AT THE NET!
ReplyDelete22-20 ... the old rivals embrace and trade jerseys (customary, apparently) ... Lee Chong Wei will play for gold, and China's Lin Dan will go home without a medal ... USA tells us that Lee Chong Wei's autobiography is called, "Dare To Be a Champion."
ReplyDeleteWow. That was excellent.
And now our leaders have tied off in the third round of the women's golf tournament. Stacy Lewis's third shot on the par-5 opener ricochets in and out of the cup! She'll have about 10 feet to putt for birdie and a tie at 10-under with Inbee Park for gold-medal position.
ReplyDeleteOK, that's it. I'm figuring out how to follow the whole Olympics all throughout the four-year interims. Oh, how I love it so!
ReplyDeleteTeam USA's Lewis misses a bit right and ends up two-putting. Instead, it's the other two golfers in the lead threesome--South Korea's Inbee Park and Great Britain's Charley Hull--who roll in their birdie tries. Park is now two strokes ahead of the field, at 11-under, with Hull and Lewis T2.
ReplyDeleteOne of the great things about the golf tournaments has been that the results suggest I already have been following what would be the important events in the Olympic interims for this sport.
ReplyDeleteRyan Lochte says he's sorry.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen anything but the Olympics for two weeks. How's Ted Cruz doing in the presidential race?
DeleteTeam USA has a winner in the round of 16 in men's 80kg taekwondo: 27-year-old Steven López, who was born in Nicaragua and grew up in Sugar Land (great movie), Texas, and will face a London 2012 bronze medalist, Lutalo Muhammad from Great Britain, in the quarters. Taekwondo just rips through its events all in one day, so we will hope Steven López gets to keep taekwondo-ing all afternoon long.
ReplyDeleteThe Russian whom Steven López beat was seeded fourth in the tournament. Steven López is the 13 seed; Lutalo Muhammad, 5.
DeleteOh, my gosh, the French guy who was so far ahead did not win the race walk. I guess the scorecards still have to be signed or whatever, but it appears Slovakia, Australia and Japan are going to be the medal winners.
ReplyDeleteIt's like I'm living in Prague or Mars 2035 or somewhere. The TV broadcasts now are showing badminton, water polo, wrestling and synchronized swimming.
ReplyDeleteOh, good! Rhythmic gymnastics! I forgot about this. This was my daughter's favorite event at London 2012, when she was 3. Now she's 7. We'll see how it goes over this time.
ReplyDeleteTeam USA has a 16-year-old, Laura Zeng of Hartford, Connecticut, and Libertyville, Illinois, who appears to be doing pretty well. She started doing rhythmic gymnastics when she was 7. This might be of interest to my daughter.
DeleteAnd so another first to three 25s volleyball saga ensues on Channel 6. This one is a semifinal between Team USA and Italy in the men's tournament.
ReplyDeleteIt's 11-5, Team USA, in the opening set.
DeleteBut, remember, "there are no guarantees in international volleyball."
Also, "we've got to be wary of talking about unassailable leads."
Oh, no. One of the stars of Italy's team is the nephew of this dude.
ReplyDeleteOK, I, too, am done watching Olympic volleyball. Go, Team USA.
ReplyDeleteChen Long of China, the London 2012 bronze medalist, does advance to the gold-medal final in men's singles badminton. So, Lee Chong Wei of Bagan Serai, Perak, whom the Malaysian prime minister reportedly had to convince not to retire, will have to get through another Chinese badminton stud in tomorrow's final. Twice-gold-medalist Super Dan will face upstart-Dane Viktor Axelsen, a 22-year-old from Odense, for the bronze.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to get my daughter to check the men's volleyball result when she gets home from school.
ReplyDelete