2012 London Summer Olympics

[Dimmauk]

Watching all track and field, all the martial arts, basketball, fencing, archery, and Aussie girl.

Oh and volleyball, swimming, diving, gymnastics.

Summer > winter.

[octopus]

Will definitely check out women's volleyball (regular and beach).

Maybe men's basketball too ;o

[Vigilia]

the torch just landed in England today

Wait, what? http://www.bbc.co.uk/torchrelay That sodding thing has been doing the rounds and causing traffic jams and road closures for the last two months+, been through Birmingham at least twice now... they've been milking it like crazy trying to get the country into the olympic spirit but everyone's been pretty much their usual surly self. The ticket sales were a disaster with the allocation done by a "lottery" system so I don't even know anyone who's going, just a lot of upset and pissed off people. Some of the older people I know were practically in tears over that because for them it was their once in a lifetime opportunity to go. We didn't even try since we'll be happier watching it on TV; won't get rained on and you get all the slow-motion recaps and details much better and nobody's going to give me weird looks for scribbling in my sketchpad while watching gymnastics or beach volleyball. :D

[Arvin]

can't wait to watch Lochte own everyone including Phelps.

[Venga]

Forgot to mention anyone else see the torch get extinguished whilst it went for a casual white water rafting session!?

Maybe old but heres a source;

[Moss]

Watching all track and field, all the martial arts, basketball, fencing, archery, and Aussie girl.

Oh and volleyball, swimming, diving, gymnastics.

Summer > winter.

Agree

can't wait to watch Lochte own everyone including Phelps.

People don't realize that they are almost dead even now.

And yes Team USA basketball is a heavy favorite, as they should be. Spain has a strong team too but without Rubio they shouldnt beat the US

[Arvin]

Agree



People don't realize that they are almost dead even now.

And yes Team USA basketball is a heavy favorite, as they should be. Spain has a strong team too but without Rubio they shouldnt beat the US

Going to love those races. I think Phelps will not pull through this year, he looked kinda weak in all of his trials.

[Cail]

cant wait for most. love both olympics. track events, especially the fast ones (100, 200, 400, 800, and relays), basketball, soccer, swimming, etc.

[Cail]

also this:

The IOC has cleared a marathon runner born in what is now South Sudan to compete under the Olympic flag at the London Olympics.

The IOC executive board agreed Saturday to allow U.S.-based Guor Marial -- a former refugee -- to take part as an independent athlete.

"The voice of South Sudan has been heard," Marial told The Associated Press. "The South Sudan has finally got a spot in the world community. Even though I will not carry their flag in this Olympic Games, the country itself is there. The dream has come true. The hope of South Sudan is alive."

Marial has no passport and is not represented by a national Olympic committee. South Sudan gained independence last year after breaking away from Sudan but doesn't yet have a recognized Olympic body.

Marial moved to the United States as a refugee when he was a child and even though he has permanent residence in the U.S., he isn't yet an American citizen.

That meant he was unable to compete for the United States, South Sudan or Sudan, the IOC said, despite qualifying for the Olympics last year.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said it was the first case of its kind for the Olympics.

When he was 8 years old, Marial escaped child slavery in a labor camp in Sudan. He is now 28 and lives in Flagstaff, Ariz. -- where he was preparing for training when he heard he was allowed to go to the Olympics.

"I was getting ready to go for a run. Wow. This is so exciting," he said. "It's hard to describe. I'm speechless. The body temperature is up. I have to train like an Olympian now."

The International Olympic Committee said three athletes from Netherlands Antilles also would be allowed to compete under the Olympic flag in London after the group of islands ceased to be an autonomous country.

Marial ran a time of 2 hours, 14 minutes, 32 seconds at the Twin Cities marathon last year, his first official race, to qualify for the London Games. He has improved on that time since.

A U.S. senator from New Hampshire, where Marial went to high school, also lent support to his Olympic bid. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen sent a letter to the IOC appealing for Marial to compete under the Olympic flag.

Marial attended high school in Concord, N.H., after fleeing to the United States. He graduated in 2005, earning an athletic scholarship to Iowa State University and became an All-American in cross country in his junior year.

He declined Sudan's invitation to compete under its flag because he didn't consider himself a citizen of that country. He said he doesn't want to compete for Sudan because he lost 28 family members during civil unrest.

The athlete's birth village is in what is now South Sudan and despite it being a newly independent state, it has struggled to form sporting bodies.

South Sudan was allowed in as the newest member of world football body FIFA in May but hasn't yet joined the Olympic family.

Athletes can take part at a games under the Olympic flag if politics has prevented them from doing so for a country.

At the 1992 Barcelona Games, competitors from Yugoslavia competed under the Olympic flag because of the break-up of that country, which left them with no national team. They didn't march at the opening ceremony but the Olympic flag was raised on their behalf during award ceremonies.

Four athletes from East Timor were allowed in under the Olympic flag in Sydney in 2000 because East Timor wasn't an independent country.

The IOC said this year that Kuwaiti athletes could compete as independents in the London Games after suspending the country's Olympic committee in 2010 because of government interference. They've since lifted the Kuwaiti ban.

Marial said he'll ask his father -- who still lives in South Sudan -- to travel to the nearest city to watch him on TV if he gets to compete at the Olympics.

"Most important is the people of South Sudan. They struggle so much, so if I can accomplish something, I can help," Marial said in an interview with AP on Friday. "That's why every morning, I get up, I put on my shoes and I train."

[AoE]

Here's my personal guide to getting around in London during this period, for anyone else in London reading this thread:

Please don't travel during rush hour (7-10am) (4-7pm)

Please don't suddenly stop while walking if you're in a path.
v
Please do not stand in the middle of the stairs looking at a map.
v
Please do not stand directly in a door way, or where doors are frequently moving.

Please walk straight if possible, do not deviate like a drunk.

Do not bring Burger King or McDonalds into public transport, or any other smelly food, you'll just enrage us.

Carry an umbrella, it's not going to be pleasant.

Do not try to get off the tube before the tube actually stops at a station, especially if someone is holding on to something trying to stay standing. Some of the train's thrusts while accelerating/breaking is actually quite strong (Victoria Line being the major culprit) -- I got an angry "move!" approximately 20 seconds before the train stopped, and she wanted me to let go of what I was holding onto and fall over, more or less. I said "train's not at the platform yet." back to her, but she didn't seem to understand ...

If you cannot get past ticket barriers the first time with your oyster card, and try another time and still can't, get the fuck out the way and go to the (usually) nice people by the disabled gates and show them your card, they'll let you through. Standing there makes you ultimately retarded and people behind you, if not tourists, will have an incredibly high urge to just push you over.

Should you feel the need to kill yourself for whatever reason, please do it without bothering other people, not jumping in front of a train and delaying the whole line for 2+ hours. There's 3 deaths this month so far. Even doing it in front of a bus is better than the train. Easier to clean up and more witnesses.

Other countries are lining up to laugh at us.

Remember, trains come literally every 1-3 minutes. Do not try to combat roll through some doors. And do not hold doors open. Urge to completely shove you off the train will be high.

Any other questions feel free to ask me

Replace London with NYC and nothing changes. I was in London about two months ago btw. Nice place.

[Naggi]

Can't wait 'til it's over - it's been a monumental waste of money with shoddy organisation all round.

[Vigilia]

Forgot to mention anyone else see the torch get extinguished whilst it went for a casual white water rafting session!?

They probably thought that since it did survive all the massive rains it might be ok for some rafting too. But I remember it being in the news for going out at least once before that too when it was being carried by some guy in a wheelchair and it blew out when they first ignited it in Greece. Not a very lucky little flame.

[Nyima]

Can someone explain to me why there are so many different swimming races, who cares about using a stroke that isn't the fastest. To me, it's on part with them having hopping and skipping as part of the track competitions. There should only be varying lengths and relay of freestyle.

[The Stig]

Can't wait 'til it's over - it's been a monumental waste of money with shoddy organisation all round.

You're from London?

[Gryffes]

Summer Olympics blow, 90% of the events at least are boring as fuck, compared to Winter Olympics where 95%+ of events are awesome.

[Mrbeansman]

Can't wait 'til it's over - it's been a monumental waste of money with shoddy organisation all round.

Isn't this every Olympics over the past 30 years or so?

[Kerberoz]

Olympics won't happen because the world is ending.

[Shiroikage]

Gonna be great.
Really looking forward to track & field (mostly short events, jumping, & throwing), gymnastics, weightlifting

[Cesaria]

I know someone rather annoyed as her husband's landed a stint as a volunteer helping with the women's beach volleyball...

I'm sick to death of the bloody thing already - will probably have it on the TV as background noise only, while the local news goes into its usual degree of hysteria about any of Team GB who once visited the area yadda yadda.

[Arvin]

Some of you people are seriously unbelievable, rofl