Olympics Thread
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="606693" data-time="1471580151">
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<p>For fans of women's volleyball. :)</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='
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<p>Whole. New. Appreciation...</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="606702" data-time="1471581569">
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<p>The BMX is lethal. I glanced at the 1/4 finals yesterday, there was a lot of carnage. Strikes me as not really a proper sport, but I'd happily take us a medal of course.</p>
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<p>Each time I see a BMX story, I'm gutted for Sarah Walker. The run of injuries she had leading up to qualifying was seriously awful - and she would have been a medal contender.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="KiwiPie" data-cid="606699" data-time="1471581117">
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<p>Willis won't get near a medal I reckon. He does have a habit of getting himself boxed in for finals and not giving himself a chance. But there are plenty better than him so getting to the final is an achievement for him.</p>
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<p>Great for Walsh, he really came from nowhere over the past year and a half. Now we have to see if he can push past 22m.</p>
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<p> I reckon he can. The throw where he fouled by just losing his balance a little was quite a bit further than 21.36, commentator was saying it looked close to 22m.</p> -
<p>The finals of the team sports are really compelling viewing: volleyball, handball, hockey, basketball, (soccer - nah). The volleyball and handball double up as gold-plated eye-candy sports too.</p>
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<p>NZ would be good at handball if we took it seriously IMO.</p>
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<p>Will stay up late (european time) to watch the pole vault, would be stoked with any sort of medal for McCartney.</p>
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<p>(for soccer, I'd go all rugby 7s on the event: get rid of the standard 11-a-side, and replace it with an indoor 5-a-side tournament)</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="606686" data-time="1471578529"><p>
No, he literally didn't make the cut. He wasn't in the last round. I'm not bagging Gill, not at at all, I'm not saying he shouldn't have been there or anything - he just didn't make the cut!<br><br>
Classic case of wondering why Gill has been getting so much coverage, and Walsh hasn't.<br><br>
Jeeze, some of you guys are touchy.</p></blockquote>
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You're operating on 4 year old TSF info MR. There was a a<br>
Lot of attention on here when wondering if Jacko would compete at senior level last olympics as he was smashing junior records.<br><br>
NZ media has been all over Walsh for a few years now since his come from nowhere breakout performance in some world champs IIRC. Well, as "all over" as any media can get over shot put that doesn't involve Olympic golds (like Val). -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="606712" data-time="1471583758">
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<p>The finals of the team sports are really compelling viewing: volleyball, handball, hockey, basketball, (soccer - nah). The volleyball and handball double up as gold-plated eye-candy sports too.</p>
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<p><strong>NZ would be good at handball if we took it seriously IMO</strong>.</p>
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<p>Will stay up late (european time) to watch the pole vault, would be stoked with any sort of medal for McCartney.</p>
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<p>(for soccer, I'd go all rugby 7s on the event: get rid of the standard 11-a-side, and replace it with an indoor 5-a-side tournament)</p>
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<p>You could form a NZ Handball squad from locks and back row players. They would have appropriate fitness, handling and jumping skills to excel in Handball. Defence is a bit different though in Handball.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="canefan" data-cid="606731" data-time="1471589446">
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<p>Tom Walsh is the first NZ male athlete to medal in an Olympic <strong>field </strong>event ever. Massive achievement</p>
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<p>fixed.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="606623" data-time="1471567121">
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<p>Great effort by Tom Walsh - his pb is 21.58, so he would have needed to throw 20cm further than that to take the silver.</p>
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His outdoor PB is 21.62m and 21.78m indoors (earlier this year winning the world indoor champs).<br><br>
I reckon he'll go over 22m later this season, looks in great shape.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="606672" data-time="1471576493">
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<p>I think I'd say "questionable". Who knows - perhaps he's teamed up with a legendary shotput coach.</p>
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<p>Be interesting to hear an explanation of that sort of rapid improvement.</p>
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<p>Na, Crouser has been one of the most promising young shotputters since he was about 13. He's steadily improved his PB over the years and really come of age in the last 12 months as he physically matured and focused on the shot exclusively (he's also a great discus thrower and did both at college ).</p>
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<p>PB progression: </p>
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<p>2016 22.52 Rio de Janeiro (Estádio OlÃmpico)</p>
<p>2015 21.11 Austin (Myers Stadium), TX </p>
<p>2014 21.39 Lubbock, TX </p>
<p>2013 21.09 Waco, TX</p>
<p>2012 19.32 Austin, TX</p>
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<p>So he first threw over 21m at age 20. That's proper shotput pedigree, not someone smashing roids just for these Olympics. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TeWaio" data-cid="606749" data-time="1471593225">
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<p>His outdoor PB is 21.62m and 21.78m indoors (earlier this year winning the world indoor champs).<br><br>
I reckon he'll go over 22m later this season, looks in great shape.</p>
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<p>You mean I can't trust Wikipedia? :)</p>
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<p>That "no throw" looked very promising.</p>
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<p>On Crouser - hopefully you're right. I'd be less cynical if there had been less cheats in the past. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="KiwiPie" data-cid="606699" data-time="1471581117">
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<p>Willis won't get near a medal I reckon. He does have a habit of getting himself boxed in for finals and not giving himself a chance. But there are plenty better than him so getting to the final is an achievement for him.</p>
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<p>Yeah - I'd bet no money on Nick - though, as above, he did look quite comfortable to me the way he finished both his races so far. I hate the way he runs - trying to come late through the pack.</p>
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<p>The timidity of many 1500 metre runners annoys me - especially those running in "tactical" races in the qualifying.</p>
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<p>Hamish Carson for example - he's listed as running in his heat in 3.48.18 - never looked like qualifying. In fact, his personal best is 3.36.25. Potentially he could have finished about 90 metres further up the track. Why sit in the back of a slow heat stacked full of world class runners and throw away the chance of a fastest loser berth?</p>
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<p>Might as well set sail early - like that Japanese woman in the 5000 metres - and not die wondering. You've got nothing to lose - it's not like Carson or Matthews were going to medal. </p>
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<p> <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.anzrankings.org.nz/site/profiles_con/athlete/505078'>http://www.anzrankings.org.nz/site/profiles_con/athlete/505078</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="606781" data-time="1471596762">
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<p>Yeah - I'd bet no money on Nick - though, as above, he did look quite comfortable to me the way he finished both his races so far. I hate the way he runs - trying to come late through the pack.</p>
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<p>The timidity of many 1500 metre runners annoys me - especially those running in "tactical" races in the qualifying.</p>
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<p>Hamish Carson for example - he's listed as running in his heat in 3.48.18 - never looked like qualifying. In fact, his personal best is 3.36.25. Potentially he could have finished about 90 metres further up the track. Why sit in the back of a slow heat stacked full of world class runners and throw away the chance of a fastest loser berth?</p>
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<p>Might as well set sail early - like that Japanese woman in the 5000 metres - and not die wondering. You've got nothing to lose - it's not like Carson or Matthews were going to medal. </p>
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<p> <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.anzrankings.org.nz/site/profiles_con/athlete/505078'>http://www.anzrankings.org.nz/site/profiles_con/athlete/505078</a></p>
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<p>Didn't that Japanese runner blow up? If Carson had gone out early, then he would have wasted energy and been run down easily. There is a reason people don't race like that.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="606786" data-time="1471597052">
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<p>Didn't that Japanese runner blow up? If Carson had gone out early, then he would have wasted energy and been run down easily. There is a reason people don't race like that.</p>
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<p>why would it be a waste? what is he saving it for, the post-match rooting? </p>
<p>it's something that has always confused me. there are necessarily always a number of guys in the field who have to know they are not comparatively fast finishers, or for whom qualifying for the final would be an achievement in itself, so why are they not setting a faster pace?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="606786" data-time="1471597052">
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<p>Didn't that Japanese runner blow up? If Carson had gone out early, then he would have wasted energy and been run down easily. There is a reason people don't race like that.</p>
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<p>Here's Filbert Bayi winning the 1500 metres at the Christchurch Commonwealth games in 1974 - he set a world record. </p>
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<p>Now if you're a favourite with a vicious sprint I wouldn't recommend this. But, if you're Hamish Carson? What do you have to lose? The way he ran it he never gave himself a chance. In fact, as an unknown - there's a good chance the big guns would let you run away and qualify.</p>
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<p>The Japanese lady qualified for the final. She won't win, but she qualified.</p>
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<p>I won the Canterbury Country under 14 or 15 1500 Athletics sports using exactly this tactic! :)</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="606795" data-time="1471597854">
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<p>Here's Filbert Bayi winning the 1500 metres at the Christchurch Commonwealth games in 1974 - he set a world record. </p>
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<p>Now if you're a favourite with a vicious sprint I wouldn't recommend this. But, if you're Hamish Carson? What do you have to lose? The way he ran it he never gave himself a chance. In fact, as an unknown - there's a good chance the big guns would let you run away and qualify.</p>
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<p>The Japanese lady qualified for the final. She won't win, but she qualified.</p>
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<p>I won the Canterbury Country under 14 or 15 1500 Athletics sports using exactly this tactic! :)</p>
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<p>You mentioned earlier that Carson's PB is 3:36. Are you aware of the circumstances in which he set that? <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=''>The video is here</a>. Willis rabbited the first 1300metres. Carson just had to hold that pace and then sprint for 200 metres. You can see him in the purple in that video. Julian Matthews is also running.</p>
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<p>The reason Carson didn't do what you suggested is because it would be a terrible strategy. It's all very well to say someone should have no regrets but unfortunately that was impossible. If Carson picked your strategy and bombed, maybe he would regret not hanging back in the field? If Carson went out on his own he would just needlessly tire himself out. Yes, he might make it a good pace but he would just pace everyone else to a good position. Carson simply is not good enough to time trial himself to a time of 3:40. His only chance of getting that time was sitting back in the pack and getting a good kick. Carson is no Bayi.</p>
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<p>You should also watch this video of <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=''>Carson out kicking Matthews at the Nationals</a>. Perfect race strategy from the Scottish runners.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="reprobate" data-cid="606794" data-time="1471597765">
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<p>why would it be a waste? what is he saving it for, the post-match rooting? </p>
<p>it's something that has always confused me. there are necessarily always a number of guys in the field who have to know they are not comparatively fast finishers, or for whom qualifying for the final would be an achievement in itself, so why are they not setting a faster pace?</p>
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<p>He was not saving anything for the final. He was saving what he had for the end of the race</p>
