2024 Paris Olympics

[year of the tiger]

Her name is Siobhan Haughey. She’s from Hong Kong. She’s a bloody good swimmer. If anyone had been able to deny Titmus or O’Callaghan the gold, or split them it would have been her. The commentary is poor, especially the faux Ray Warren dude.

surprised China allowed Hong Kong to compete as a separate nation and did I hear correctly that Hong Kong have never won a medal in the pool, or was that a gold medal?

 

[Carter]

Forgive me if mentioned already, but the Mathildas were waaaaay over-hyped

 

[craig]

Correct - Versailles. Great venue, had an unreal day there, did a bike tour, picnic on the grass with a bottle of red and the tour was amazing.

Cheers Judge thanks

 

[CarnTheTiges]

surprised China allowed Hong Kong to compete as a separate nation and did I hear correctly that Hong Kong have never won a medal in the pool, or was that a gold medal?

She’s the only swimmer from Hong Kong to have won an Olympic medal and she’s the only athlete from Hong Kong to win 3 Olympic medals. Not sure of the whole China Hong Kong thing, but they do compete as a nation in their own right. Haughey was their flag bearer.

 

[craig]

It is at Versailles Craig. It’s absolutely perfect for what they’re doing. The cross country section of the 3 day eventing was fantastic there.

Cheers Carn thanks mate

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Cheers Carn thanks mate

No worries. I’ve been to Paris a couple of times, but never managed to make it to Versailles.

 

[bigwow]

I think channel 9 just lost me. They've sent the *smile* idiots from the Travel Guides show to Paris.
*smile* me dead that's low rent television.

 

[Redford]

Stubblety-Cook. That's an interesting name. What's that ? Middle-Earth ? Cornwall ?

Tasmanian???

 

[tigerman]

That offical sitting to the right and behind Yong when he was on the blocks was a fine specimen of a man, would get a job for Michelin tyre adds.

 

[AngryAnt]

Forgive me if mentioned already, but the Mathildas were waaaaay over-hyped

I've been saying so for years - this Roar article and Robbie Slater are 100% on the money.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/07/30/the-protected-matildas-is-robbie-slater-an-angry-man-or-just-calling-a-spade-a-spade/

 

[FitenFitenWin]

As good as the Paris games seem as a venue. I can’t help thinking that if the IOC committee doesn’t embrace flexibility for quite different hosting models. It will contribute to the death of the games.

Very few cities can host without creating an artificial building boom of white elephants. So wasteful. They’ve tried to introduce a more humble, minimalist model for Brisbane. But just doesn’t seem to be working.

I wonder if they went down a World Cup football kind of route, where a country hosts, or maybe a couple of neighbouring countries host across them.

An example. Say Australia and New Zealand decided to jointly host. You spread the sports across already existing venues across the two countries. Sure, you don't get the all coming together atmosphere. But really, talk about first world dilemmas. There are some major benefits in addition to minimising construction. You can base certain sports in cities/regions that have a cultural affiliation with that sport, hence why they already have infrastructure and keeness for people to attend in droves. Places that normally wouldn't get exposure under current host models are able to partake in the festivities. And having sports across a few timeszones may mean the TV networks love it in order to have more broadcast hours of live events.

Under a Aust/NZ host model. Some examples:

- Athletics: Perth's Optus Stadium, Melbourne's MCG, Or Sydney's Stadium Aust would all be suitable to lay a temporary track.
- Swimming: Existing Aquatic Centres on the Gold Coast, at Sydney's Olympic Park or Melbourne's MSAC could host.
- Cycling: Adelaide has a big cultural legacy and venues suitable.
- Triathlon: Gold Coast, Sydney Harbour or Auckland Harbour all would have decent claims
- Sailing: Hobart's docks would make a great host, setting up festivities similar to the Sydney Hobart yacht race festivities. Albeit the likes of Sydney Harbour, Auckland Harbour and Fremantle would have strong claims.
- Rowing: Lake Karapiro a couple of hours from Auckland is a superb, world class venue. Sure, Penrith Lakes is world class. But is nowhere near as picturesque as Lake Karapiro that has hosted world champs several times. A hotbed region of rowing.
- Rugby 7s. Eden Park Auckland. Obvious cultural attachment to the game. And big Pasifika population that links into that.
- Football: Say mens tournament based in Sydney (playing between Parramatta Stadium and SFS) and women's tournament based in Brisbane/GC (playing between Suncorp and Cbus) or vice versa.
- Tennis: Melbourne Park an obvious choice
- Surfing: Gold Coast an obvious choice

Then a multitude of indoor arenas in existence that can host different sports.

Even sports like white water kayaking. The types of purpose built artificial venues needed for that stands out as the grotesque excesses of the Olympics. Hosting across a country (or a couple) that kind of sport can be hosted at a venue where the sport naturally occurs. NZ and Tasmania both have flowing rivers with world class courses.

Great work PT. Some great ideas there.

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Patty Mills just dropped the f bomb in the huddle at quarter time.

 

[The_General]

Get Nick Kay off.

 

[Panthera Tigris]

Great work PT. Some great ideas there.

Thanks Fiten.

I think such a model opens up a lot more potential hosts if construction costs are minimal and what costs there are become spread. Compared to the single host city model we’re currently under.

A joint Norway-Sweden-Denmark Nordic bid. Switzerland-Austria. Netherlands-Belgium. UK-Ireland. A SE Asian bid (Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand). Latin America, say Argentina-Uruguay-Chile. Spain-Portugal-Morocco Etc etc.

All these examples, probably all venues exist spread across a couple/few countries that nothing really needs building.

Of course, nothing to stop a country going it alone. Can still achieve the same spread of existing venues.

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Thanks Fiten.

I think such a model opens up a lot more potential hosts if construction costs are minimal and what costs there are become spread. Compared to the single host city model we’re currently under.

A joint Norway-Sweden-Denmark Nordic bid. Switzerland-Austria. Netherlands-Belgium. UK-Ireland. A SE Asian bid (Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand). Latin America, say Argentina-Uruguay-Chile. Spain-Portugal-Morocco Etc etc.

All these examples, probably all venues exist spread across a couple/few countries that nothing really needs building.

Of course, nothing to stop a country going it alone. Can still achieve the same spread of existing venues.

Good to think outside the box, but in a country or countries like Aus and NZ with multiple time zones this would create a logistical nightmare and no international broadcaster would touch it.

 

[Panthera Tigris]

Good to think outside the box, but in a country or countries like Aus and NZ with multiple time zones this would create a logistical nightmare and no international broadcaster would touch it.

You could slim it down to just Australian eastern seaboard states and probably achieve the same thing. All the venues you need would exist from QLD to TAS without building anything (maybe SA too only being 30mins out, but wouldn’t necessarily need them).

Hence why I wouldn’t be wedded to multiple timezones.

And a lot of other countries would be able to achieve the same. I believe Switzerland are putting together a whole of country bid for a winter games. So the cogs of a change of thinking are beginning to move.

 

[craig]

That offical sitting to the right and behind Yong when he was on the blocks was a fine specimen of a man, would get a job for Michelin tyre adds.

Wasnt the Life Guard was He ?

 

[Baloo]

Great fight by Callum Peters in the 80kg class. Should have won the bout but boxing is boxing. His much fancied Kazakhstan opponent lucky to win that.

 

[mexican_radio]

A couple of tough losses, both to Canada.

 

[Tigers of Old]

Today I watched the men’s u23soccer at euro super club Paris Saint-Germain’s home ground, Parc des Princes. Game between Dominican Republic & Uzbekistan. Was bloody hot.
With the Olympic ballot you pretty much get the dregs as a foreigner as the French as host country rightly pick the eyes out of the best events. Still the stadium was absolutely packed again today and had a great atmosphere. With the right attitude it doesn’t matter what teams are playing, it’s just a huge celebration of sport with all nationalities in attendance supporting both teams. Ended up 1-1.