Olympics Thread
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<p>Now this is a story!<br>
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<p><strong><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Tennis star Juan Martin del Potro shrugs off lift drama to beat Novak Djokovic in Rio</span></span></strong><br>
<br><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Last updated 19:46, August 8 2016</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">When you're scheduled to face off against the best tennis player in the world at the Olympic Games, it's safe to say you would want as much time to prepare as possible.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">However Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro saw his preparation time cut by 40 minutes, when he was stuck in an elevator.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">He was eventually freed by the Argentinian handball team, nicknamed The Gladiators - and went on to beat Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) in the biggest upset in the tennis tournament so far.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a raucous atmosphere in the last match of the night on centre court, where Argentine fans chanted for del Potro and Brazilians tried to drown out their rivals with cheers for Djokovic.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Del Potro - the former world number four - left his room in the athlete's village to prepare for his first round match when the power cut out brought the elevator to a halt on Monday Morning (NZT).</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">With no mobile phone signal, del Potro yelled for help and his cries were eventually heard by the members of the Argentinian handball team, nicknamed The Gladiators.</span></span><br>
<br><img src="http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/d/d/d/5/l/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1ddbhw.png/1470642374537.jpg" alt="1470642374537.jpg"> </p>
<p>Juan Martin del Potro's spent 40 minutes stuck in a lift before the match.</p>
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<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It was believed the handball players forced the lift door open and helped the trapped tennis star out.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Del Potro's agent Jorge Viale tweeted an image of the tennis star's start to the day and later tweeted that The Gladiators had rescued him.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Argentinian's misfortune is the latest in a slew of mishaps in the athlete's village.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, Australian basketball player Andrew Bogut tweeted pictures of himself building his own shower curtain out of a sheet and hooks, to avoid getting water all over his suite's bathroom. </span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The following day, the Chinese basketball team complained of unfinished features, including toilet seats needing to be taped down and a bed frame with loose screws.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Australian tennis star Sam Stosur also grumbled that her shower was 'stone cold every time' she tried to use it, while plumbing problems plagued Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara when she was forced to fix her own toilet.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Djokovic was not the only big tennis name to crash out. Although Serena Williams won her first round singles match, she and sister Venus were beaten 6-3, 6-4 by the Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova in the doubles. Venus, battling illness, had earlier lost her first round singles match.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Djokovic's exit leaves Andy Murray, who won his first round match 6-3, 6-2 against Serbia's Viktor Troicki, as the men's favourite. Rafael Nadal also won his first round match.</span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">- Stuff</span></span></p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/82922612/Tennis-star-Juan-Martin-del-Potro-shrugs-off-lift-drama-to-beat-Novak-Djokovic-in-Rio'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/82922612/Tennis-star-Juan-Martin-del-Potro-shrugs-off-lift-drama-to-beat-Novak-Djokovic-in-Rio</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="603949" data-time="1470613194">
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<p>Did I read correctly that the lady who won kept her trap shut for an incredible twelve seconds?</p>
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<p>Unbeatable!!!</p>
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<p>I have my hat, coat and running shoes already on! :)</p>
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<p>Won't save you.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="604029" data-time="1470638927"><p>
I thought they were referring to the other more MILFish looking one on the right who looks ready to go full Sharon Stone any second.</p></blockquote>
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Err yeah -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="603880" data-time="1470601684">
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<p>Reportedly "OK". Was conscious going into the ambo.</p>
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<p>That was a nasty crash. She was just rag-dolled upside down on the kerb. I thought her back landed hard on the edge as well.</p>
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<p>NZ men's hockey just scored a spectacular equaliser against the poms if you aren't watching the game I suggest you look it up.</p>
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<p>Just reading that the Dutch girl has a severe concussion and 3 small fractures in her lumbar vertebrae. She has to stay in intensive care for another 24 hours, but she's conscious and able to talk. She has apparently already tweeted that she'll be okay and that she's most of all very disappointed because she was so close to winning gold. Glad to read that, because that crash looked awful.</p> -
Italian diver chicks. Fuck. Yes.
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Just watched the last 15km of the women's road race. Gutted for the American who went all that way to get nothing <br><br>
That was a pretty decent crash that Dutch girl had -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="604030" data-time="1470638978">
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<p>Google images tells me she's already had a wardrobe incident on a windy day.</p>
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<p>She had an incident on the Great British bakeoff too</p>
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<p><img src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f3/3a/26/f33a266de18240b64a7b4c41d94f71b9.jpg" alt="f33a266de18240b64a7b4c41d94f71b9.jpg"></p> -
7s strolled to victory after GB imploded with YCs. <br><br>
Are the Olympics rugby shirts available to buy?? -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TeWaio" data-cid="604115" data-time="1470689229">
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<p>NZ nail the tricky cross country course to be in the silver medal position with just the showjumping to go. Sir Mark Todd individually 4th. Each rail knocked down in the showjumping is 4 penalties so the margins are very close</p>
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<p>4 teams (Oz, NZ, France and Germany) in contention for the medals. Could end up in any order although we have a reasonable buffer to 4th so a medal is a good possibility.</p>
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<p>Individually who knows. The last olympic winner was 12th heading into the show jumping. I'm picking we get a 3rd and a fifth. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="593758" data-time="1467530794">
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<p>Seems a bit odd that Samoa and Tonga arent there.</p>
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<p>Samoa were knocked out by Spain in the final qualifier in Monaco....</p>
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<p>..on Day 1 from a relatively tough Pool A that contained Ireland, Samoa, Tonga and Zimbabwe, top seeds Samoa lost to Ireland.</p>
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<p>After beating Samoa on the first day Ireland lost the 1st quarterfinal to Spain (7-12), who had finished 2nd in Pool D to Hong Kong. Spain then went on to beat the winners of the 2nd quarter final, Russia (17-12), to reach the final.</p>
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<p>On the other side of the draw, Samoa were back in form, despatching Hong Kong (31-12) and seeing off Germany (26-14) to set up the final with Spain.</p>