Too many events at the Olympics?
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@hydro11 said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@antipodean said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@hydro11 said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@antipodean said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
@hydro11 said in Too many events at the Olympics?:
Swimming is a genuinely tough sport to win medals in. It is easy to win multiple medals if you are extremely good but who cares? If we were talking about difficulty of medals, it is still way tougher than rowing
LOL wut?
Rowing are easy medals. You need a lot of investment and internationally it is not very competitive.
Now that the swimming and rowing are finished at the Tokyo Olympics we can look at your claim in some detail.
In rowing's 14 events there were 17 nations that medalled. More countries won a medal than events.
In swimming's 35 events there were 21 nations that medalled. Less countries won a medal than events.In rowing the top three nations medalled in 33% of the events.
In swimming the top three nations medalled in 55% of the events.
That's because, as we have already discussed ad nauseam, it is easy to win multiple medals in swimming. Swimming is also more competitive within those countries.
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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!
