Too many events at the Olympics?
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When a 13 year old can win a medal at skateboarding, there are too many events at the Olympics. They have jumped the shark.
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@old-samurai-jack said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
When a 13 year old can win a medal at skateboarding, there are too many events at the Olympics. They have jumped the shark.
Gymnasts have been almost that age for some time. Nadia Comaneci was 14 when she got her perfect score at the Montreal Games
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I’m obviously a massive swimming fan but I’m not sure how it’s easier to win a rowing medal than a swimming medal. At least in swimming you can get guys from Singapore, Tunisia and even Surinam on the podium. Obviously facilities are an issue but most countries will have public pools. But with rowing you need to purchase and maintain the very expensive kit, store it etc. And then of course you have the Northern European and American countries that can’t even row for months of the year because of the freezing temperatures and ice.
I would say rowing is far less accessible to the vast majority of the population than swimming.
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@rancid-schnitzel said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
I would say rowing is far less accessible to the vast majority of the population than swimming.
That wasn't the point under discussion. Relative competitiveness - how easy it is to win a medal. For example in 35 events only 10 nations won gold in swimming. The top two nations won 57% of the gold medals. In rowing 11 nations won a gold in only 14 events. The top two nations only won 36% of the gold medals. @hydro11's argument is demonstrably wrong.
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@old-samurai-jack said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
When a 13 year old can win a medal at skateboarding, there are too many events at the Olympics. They have jumped the shark.
Did you see the 10m diving yesterday? Chinese girl was 14 and won by the length of the straight.
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@canefan said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@old-samurai-jack said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
When a 13 year old can win a medal at skateboarding, there are too many events at the Olympics. They have jumped the shark.
Gymnasts have been almost that age for some time. Nadia Comaneci was 14 when she got her perfect score at the Montreal Games
The smaller you are, the easier it is to tumble and twirl. Physics of rotational mass.
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@antipodean said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@rancid-schnitzel said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
I would say rowing is far less accessible to the vast majority of the population than swimming.
That wasn't the point under discussion. Relative competitiveness - how easy it is to win a medal. For example in 35 events only 10 nations won gold in swimming. The top two nations won 57% of the gold medals. In rowing 11 nations won a gold in only 14 events. The top two nations only won 36% of the gold medals. @hydro11's argument is demonstrably wrong.
I’m simply arguing that it’s harder to win a medal in rowing than swimming. Which I thought was what you were also saying.
Tbf though, the swimming stat is skewed because of Australia’s record haul these Olympics. Having said that they probably stole most of them from the US.
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@canefan said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@old-samurai-jack said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
When a 13 year old can win a medal at skateboarding, there are too many events at the Olympics. They have jumped the shark.
Gymnasts have been almost that age for some time. Nadia Comaneci was 14 when she got her perfect score at the Montreal Games
Have been some very young swimmers as well. Shane Gould won 5 as a 15 year old. A Japanese swimmer was 14 when she won in Barcelona. Also a Hungarian dude who won silver at 15.
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@antipodean said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@canefan said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@old-samurai-jack said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
When a 13 year old can win a medal at skateboarding, there are too many events at the Olympics. They have jumped the shark.
Gymnasts have been almost that age for some time. Nadia Comaneci was 14 when she got her perfect score at the Montreal Games
The smaller you are, the easier it is to tumble and twirl. Physics of rotational mass.
Is it ice skating where they won't allow competitors under a certain age? I think a few years ago the best skaters (in terms of tricks) were too young to compete?
Personally speaking, if a 12 year old is the best in the world, then I don't think it's much of a sport.
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@gt12 said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@antipodean said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@canefan said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@old-samurai-jack said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
When a 13 year old can win a medal at skateboarding, there are too many events at the Olympics. They have jumped the shark.
Gymnasts have been almost that age for some time. Nadia Comaneci was 14 when she got her perfect score at the Montreal Games
The smaller you are, the easier it is to tumble and twirl. Physics of rotational mass.
Is it ice skating where they won't allow competitors under a certain age? I think a few years ago the best skaters (in terms of tricks) were too young to compete?
Personally speaking, if a 12 year old is the best in the world, then I don't think it's much of a sport.
I go the other way, and my feelings were well summarised by this tweet:
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@barbarian said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@gt12 said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@antipodean said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@canefan said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@old-samurai-jack said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
When a 13 year old can win a medal at skateboarding, there are too many events at the Olympics. They have jumped the shark.
Gymnasts have been almost that age for some time. Nadia Comaneci was 14 when she got her perfect score at the Montreal Games
The smaller you are, the easier it is to tumble and twirl. Physics of rotational mass.
Is it ice skating where they won't allow competitors under a certain age? I think a few years ago the best skaters (in terms of tricks) were too young to compete?
Personally speaking, if a 12 year old is the best in the world, then I don't think it's much of a sport.
I go the other way, and my feelings were well summarised by this tweet:
So if one is a "decrepit old guy" (or girl, would not want to discriminate) but carries "a lot of dark emotional baggage" it is ok to compete in the Olympics? Great, I have a shot! You can spot me in the 3000m goth steeple chase (watch out for the gargoyles)..
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@barbarian said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@gt12 said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@antipodean said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@canefan said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@old-samurai-jack said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
When a 13 year old can win a medal at skateboarding, there are too many events at the Olympics. They have jumped the shark.
Gymnasts have been almost that age for some time. Nadia Comaneci was 14 when she got her perfect score at the Montreal Games
The smaller you are, the easier it is to tumble and twirl. Physics of rotational mass.
Is it ice skating where they won't allow competitors under a certain age? I think a few years ago the best skaters (in terms of tricks) were too young to compete?
Personally speaking, if a 12 year old is the best in the world, then I don't think it's much of a sport.
I go the other way, and my feelings were well summarised by this tweet:
In terms of athletic ability, I can't argue with that.
However, as an equestrian, I like having it there and would argue that you get better as you get older - being good/great with horses and in competition is a function of skill, attitude, and experience.
The best horseman I have known was easily the guy to get the best out of a horse right up until about two years before he died (at 74), and he only slowed down then because he caught terminal cancer.
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The problem with the above sport A is easier to win (or compete in?) than sport B argument is no one agreed on how it would be verified or calculated first, they just shoved their staffs in the sand. Again.
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@gt12 said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
The best horseman I have known was easily the guy to get the best out of a horse right up until about two years before he died (at 74), and he only slowed down then because he caught terminal cancer.
William "Denny Crane" Shatner won a world championship on horseback ("Track Star") in 2019. He may have set his phaser to stun on the judges though.
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@godder said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
If part of the Olympic ideal was war contests, then horseriding fits right in.
Bring in some Warlanders and Spanish-Normans!
Winning horsemen receive medals, the others receive rather sharp pikes. Would make for spectacular viewing. Might even be able to add in a hybrid joust-polevaulting side event. -
@nostrildamus love it, especially a good joust!
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The guys on The Rest is History Podcast did two episodes on the Modern Olympics which were very entertaining.
They trace the modern Olympics back to the Shropshire Village of Much Wenlock
- two mascots at London 2012 were Wenlock and Mandeville a nod to the originators of Olympics and Paralympics (Stoke Mandeville)
Anyway in 1850 a local Victorian do gooder established a number of classes in Much Wenlock to promote the moral, intellectual and physical improvement of the residents particularly the Olympian Class.
they held annual games competing in events like running, Horse and Chariot Racing, Penny Farthing Races, Football, Cricket, Coits, Blindfolded Wheelbarrow Race and Old Womans Race (prize 1lb of tea)
In 1859 the residents of Much Wenlock sent prize money to the winners of Olympic Races held on three consecutive Sundays in Athens. These included javelin, discuss and climbing a greasy pole.
In 1890 de Courbiton visited the Much Wenlock games and was prompted to push for the modern Olympics which started only 6 years later. Apparently de Courbiton was much taken with the ideals of Victorian manliness as espoused in Tom Browns Schooldays, so tangentially Rugby helped promote the modern Olympics.
the podcast looks even further back to the Cotswold Games (still held today as a bit of a laugh) but in the 1790's were very serious. Best event sounds like dwile flonking . Rules state first choose the villages most dim witted person to act as the jobanole (referee) - these guys knew what they were about.
Anyway they go on to describe particular event since 1896 - funny, serious tragic. Recommend it
But on point why can't the modern Olympics have the old ladies race, chariot racing, climbing the greasy pole or dwile flonking?
80. Modern Olympics - Part 1
Check out this great listen on Audible.com. In 1896 the Olympic Games were reborn in Athens. Here we look at the forgotten tales and little known facts from the start of the modern Olympics through to the outbreak of the Second World War. Tom tells us about the greatest race of all time, whilst Do....
