More Olympics stuff

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I'm completely hooked, I'm afraid - to the extent that Brit successes in rowing and cycling (sitting down sports, you see) have got me snuffling into my hanky, which I am putting down to advancing old age.

The BBC, of course, is concentrating on Brit competitors where possible, which means we've seen a lot of said rowing, cycling, with a smattering of swimming, hockey, football, tennis etc (and I've just seen the great Ian Thorpe tick Gary Linker off for moaning about Team GB's performance in the swimming pool by pointing out that Australia have only won one gold and he is immensely proud of his team's performance, so there - and good. It needed to be said. What exactly was Lineker expecting?)

What have other countries' TV coverage been concentrating on in particular?

Comments

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

I think Sweden tries to follow the sports where we at least have a chance. :-) Hey, we got a silver medal today after a very exciting sprint at the Women's Triathlon. :-D She was SOOOO close to snatching the gold!

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Yes, yes! That was sooo exciting! I thought it was a dead heat and they would both get gold medals. How did they decide in the end that the Swiss girl won it?

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

Needless to say, NBC has been concentrating on the US athletes and/or the "big" sports. In the evening, anyway, when it's all taped. During the day, depending on how early you get up, you can see some stuff in real time. I watched most of the three-day events in RT, and the soccer (football). We have it on all night, but my attention wanders when it isn't something I particularly care about or it's not a much ballyhooed match.

[shapinglight]

Needless to say, NBC has been concentrating on the US athletes and/or the "big" sports.

Perfectly understandable. Apart from the athletics, what are considered the big sports in the US, though? I'm assuming they're not the same as here?

[lizziebuffy2008.livejournal.com]

During the day in the US, NBC is showing a lot of indoor volleyball and beach volleyball (I am kind of tired of it.) Also during the day, there is a smattering of rowing, soccer, and water polo. At night, like SMS said, they wait to show things like gymnastics, diving, and swimming. I imagine track and field events will mostly be at night as well. It is funny, even though we do not always do well in the latter two gymnastics and diving,) they feel that people really want to see those.

Hubby and I are big road cycling fans, so it was nice that they showed the men's and women's road races and time trials in real time, so we taped them for later. They have not been so good about track cycling, so we have turned to the internet for that. We also have "on-demand" on the tv and so have watched some final matches in judo, fencing, and archery that way.

[mrs-underhill.livejournal.com]

US NBC coverage is pretty bad on TV, except football, basketball and tennis get their own channels which are good.

But there were a lot of swimming, gymnastics, diving last week, i.e. sports US are great in.

But NBC online coverage is great, a stream for each sport with no distractions. Pity it's blocked at work. :)

So I'm watching it all day today too, plus TV at the same time. There was great volleyball match of US vs. Russia, very tight with US winning and Russians beating them from behind. Then waterpolo - I love it, I love all the water sports, so pretty with this blue water and bright swimsuits, I'm shallow that way. :)

Then it was a lot of track and field online.
I love the Olympics, have been watching them since childhood since that 1980 Olympics in Moscow which was crapped upon, but which was also the year when we bought out first color TV and it was a big big joy to watch.
I think Greeks had an awesome idea of putting everything aside and just celebrating our lives, youth and strength here on Earth, and thanks to Coubertain (sp?) for reviving it.

[mrs-underhill.livejournal.com]

Also one of the US gymnasts, Aly Raisman, is from our home town, Needham. She got the gold medal with the team and the town is planning big celebrations when she comes home. That's so nice!

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

Well, they show a lot of beach volleyball - which may be a combo of pretty girls in bikinis and the US having two teams in there. Only seen the men once *g* All the soccer is being shown - but the games with our women's team get the best announcers and seem to end up at reasonable times of day. All the basketball is being shown, I think. I don't like basketball, so I haven't watched any of it. Swimming, of course, but we have a pretty big presence there. Gymnastics - but that's so popular it's shown taped in prime time. I dunno, they seem to lean toward the team sports. They have things running on several channels during the day, so I suspect you could find anything you wanted to watch in RT if you were willing to get up early enough. Track and field, I think they will show as much in RT as possible - the 10,000 meters is on now. I don't think there are any Americans in this race. They give the British athletes some time too, probably because they then get show William and Kate in the audience. :)

[ningloreth.livejournal.com]

I watched some of the archery, which was disappointing -- no elves ;-)

And the gymnastics, where they do things I'd thought we're only possible with CGI, so my mouth was open most of the time.

[shapinglight]

There was an American in the 10,000 metres. In fact, he came second. He and Mo Farah, the winner, are training partners, and Mo's success may well be down to relocating to Oregon. So there, you see? You have an Olympic silver medallist and a gold medallist who is a sort of adopted American.

I expect someone is writing the Mo Farah/Galen Jupp slash even as we speak. :)

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Well, the athletics is mostly at night here, or late evening anyway, so it surely should be during the day in the US?

You have done incredibly well at swimming. I think you've everything, except for a few races won by exceptional Chinese swimmers.

The cycling road races and time trials were great. I'm sorry if the American coverage hasn't been so good. I know the areas where they took place and it's fun to see the athletes cycling down roads I know the names of.

I think you're right that people like to see gymnastics. They are so skilful.

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US NBC coverage is pretty bad on TV, except football, basketball and tennis get their own channels which are good.

:( I'm sorry you can't watch the sport at work. They should make exceptions for the Olympics.

There was great volleyball match of US vs. Russia, very tight with US winning and Russians beating them from behind.

Aargh! I don't think they even showed that, unless it was tucked away somewhere and I just missed it. And I don't think any water polo has been shown at all. :(

I agree about the Olympics. It is wonderful. Also, I have very fond memories of the Moscow Olympics. We did very well that time, what with the Americans not being there. :)

Not that UK doing well is all that matters to me. It isn't at all. I loved yesterday's women's 10,000 metres. Tirunesh Djibaba winning is just wonderful. And I love that our Mo Farah, who won the men's 10,000 metres this evening is British Somali.

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:)

One of the US swimmers dedicated her win to her home state of Colorado. think. A very nice gesture, I think.

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I watched some of the archery, which was disappointing -- no elves ;-)

Are you sure? They have to wear hats, don't they?

The gymnastics is amazing. They are so strong.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

JESS! MO! THINGY!!!

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Greg! You mean Greg!

Yay! Squee! Etc.

[brutti-ma-buoni.livejournal.com]

I can't watch at work either, but that's because they are terrified London's internet infrastructure will go down with an extra million people using it, so government offices aren't allowing streaming so we can try to keep the websites alive. Or something.

I've seen some water polo. Red button, I think. Only because of the tumblr about pretty men, mind, and in the end that wasn't enough of a draw against sport I understand.

[slaymesoftly.livejournal.com]

*nods* got that at the end when I saw the USA on his uniform. I was thrown by the being Farah's training partner. That's what I get for not listening well. :)

I expect someone is writing the Mo Farah/Galen Jupp slash even as we speak. :) Feel free to spare me any links to that. LOL

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Feel free to spare me any links to that. LOL

Heh! Don't worry. I have no intention of going looking.

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but that's because they are terrified London's internet infrastructure will go down with an extra million people using it,

Eeeh, really?

I just used the red button and found basketball on it. I don't think I understand that game.

[spikesjojo.livejournal.com]

I have a daughter who was a gymnast so we have been religiously watching. Go Gabby!! She is amazing!

They have been covering rowing and some of the other Brit events. Loved it since some stories have had William as captain of the sculling team at Oxford. In fact, once he was turned he ate the Cambridge team.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Yeah GREG!

Though I'm still mostly revelling in MARY! TINA! WILLIAM! NICOLA (and my favourite non-racehorse OPPOSITION BUZZ!)! ZARA! for their Eventing silver.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Photo finish. Apparently she won it by 9/1000s of a second. Ie if the race had been about 1 metre longer, the Swede would have got the gold. Damnit.

Swedish television is really good about following a lot of different events though - and usually with a commentator who's a former competitor in that particular sport and loves to talk about it. Which is nice.

[shapinglight]

We do get that too, though the patriotic element has gone into overdrive a bit just now.

9/1000ths of a second? That's silly. It doesn't even exist. They should have got a gold medal each.

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:)

I felt very sorry for the men who got silver in the lightweight sculls race. They think they let everyone down, and that is so not true.

:Hugs them virtually: