The Black Vault

Not to be cruel, becasue the guy is truly unbelievable, however the olympics goes to great lengths to insure nobody has an advantage by doping or steroids, the Olympics should only be of people with completly natural bodies, which is what we are competing with, and setting worlds records with. Not too long ago a controversy in professional golf came because a player was unable to walk the course, which is requred, so wanted permission to use a gold cart. That would have an affect on the walking fatuge factor, being unfair.

YOur link Wing had a video that talked about Gabbys hair, that was spread over the internet. I think whoever started that , it was really ludicras. In comparison the Russian girls were shown for their Diva attitudes, and they both had their hair impecabley combed and glittered, and acted like spoiled rotten little brats. Crying and carrying on, at one point shoveing her coach who tried to console her mistakes. The Ameicans showed no such display of disgracing themselves. Gabby is a 16 year old girl who lights up like a Christmas tree when she smiles, completly natural and a joy to see. Whoever started the hair business has a Kardasian mentality of values.

I didn't pay attention to the video, I only read the article. Couldn't give a damn less about her hair.

Still, Olympic athletes with prosthesis' aren't a new thing. George Eyser had a wooden leg piece when he won gold in 1904.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eyser

I do know about Casey Martin. From what I read, it was during a PGA Tour that he sued for the right to use a cart due to a disease in his leg. I know that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Martin, though.

What would you say if an athlete had a hand amputated and wanted to compete in a track event? Are you not allowed to have ANY ailment/disability? Im Dong-Hyun was a legally blind archer, yet won gold in Athens. Natalia Partyka was born without a right hand, yet she's competing in table tennis. With if an athlete had a pacemaker? Where should the line be drawn?

Not an easy question for sure, and I didn't know the outcome of the golf situation. I also did not know the history of other amputees in the olympics. One thing is no doubt is his olympic spirt of not letting anything stop him. The olympics have allowed him in, so thats good enough for me. How do you weigh out if the advantage or disadvantage plays a bigger part?

I don't know. I haven't seen any evidence that he has a definite advantage or disadvantage. I've read some comments from other amputees who say that the impact-shock hitting the stubs cause quite a bit of pain, and prosthesis actually move around and rub quite a lot against the area. I've also read that amputees have to exercise the area twice as much in order to keep the muscles in the general area alive, because they can dissolve and die at a much faster rate.

I watched him race earlier this morning before going to bed, and I don't know. He looked as visibly tired as the rest of the competitors, and his amputations seem more towards the middle of the shin than towards the knee. I agree that if the IOC decided that he was clear to compete, then that's probably the end of the argument. I just wonder what kind of precedent this might set. Maybe we'll see someone with a prosthetic arm competing in a weightlifting event in 2016?

Its a tough call and nobody wants to be cruel to such determination. You can only admire the heck out of him, just like we all admired the miltary burn victim who won Dancing with the Stars( name evades me now).

Follow-up: I watched him run the 400 coming in 2nd to qualify to advance, and he truly is an amazing athelete, really hard not to be rooting for him.

Rath the Chinese swimmer, being coached by your Austrailian ccoach, had a false start and I think the world gasped thinking he might have DQ. Really threw him off, but they restarted and he led every lap, setting a new WR in the 1500 meter freestyle. Wow, watch out for him in 4 years.

Phelps went out in style no doubt being the greatest ever, with 22 medals total, and ending his last swim with a Gold. If he is consider old and washed up, go figure!

Phelps seems very content and definate, that he has accomplished his goals, and is indeed finished. That is a tough call for any athelete, and almost never do you see one retire, while still on top. That lure of "just one more", most people are betting will catch him, when Golf and relaxing for 2 years, or returning to school to finish his degree, are just too normal from a life of world wide recognition. If I were him, I would really have to muster up that committment again, he has been doing this his entire life, maybe the hunger his gone as he is completly content with his carreer.

NO doubt, he is set for life, and really will never have to work a 9 to 5 job, nor would he ever need his college degree, other than to complete his studies. Leaving now , leaves him always on top, trying a come back again if it fails, will leave him as another athelete, who tried "One too many". He has really raised the bar in swimming, and all the new young men and women upcoming, reflect that. Many are teenagers and winning Gold, will be early 20's at Rio. Phelps at this point has sealed his future, with lifetime endorsments, and probably could command major speaking engagements forever. If he likes Golf he will probably be asked to do every charitable or celbrity Golf tournament until he is an old man. He takes home 6 medals from London, adding several Gold, Silver and Bronze, and if he competes in Rio, his ability may be lucky to see Bronze, adding 4 years to his age, and knowing the field coming in are all very young. As it is, it took 50 years for someone to break the old record of 18 total medals, we may never see it again in our lifetime, breaking his 22.

greeney2 wrote:Rath the Chinese swimmer, being coached by your Austrailian ccoach,

yhe, the thing is the Chinese team, along with the British team, ... swimmers, rowers, bike riders, sailing, so forth, so on, ect ect.

Even the USA has athletes who use to be on the Australian team now representing the USA.

& it's not so much that the Australian coaches betray their nation an coach another country's team for money.

If an Australian coach wishes to coach the Chinese team or the British team, that's all fine an well. ( it's a free world.)


If an Australian coach ( swimming ) or any other sport wants to turn his or her back on their own nation & coach the Chinese or the British for a few extra dollars a year, that's their call.

But were it pisses off Australian's ( like me ) is this.

If an Australian coach decides to turn his or her back on Australia an coaches the Chinese or British team, for a few more dollars, i say let them.

That's right .......... Let them piss of an move to sh#t hole, dust bowl China & train the Chinese in some dirty, toxic Chinese river in the sweltering heat or polluted Chinese city, living in some Chinese hut. ( that's fine )

Or if they wish to coach the British team in the dismal British weather, the cold rain, the bad British hygiene, the diseases & inferior living standards ......... Again that's fine it's a free world.


But no ...... they don't go and live in china or Brittan do they ...... No rather they bring the Chinese & British Athletes over here to Australia, where they use the Swimming pools & beaches, rivers, bike tracks .... ect ect, that the Australian tax payer payed for.

while at the same time preventing other Australian's & future athletes from completing their own training programs.

These athletes from around the world use Australia's sporting facility's & benefit from Australian tax payers funding & in return do nothing for Australia in return, they don't even contribute to Australia through paying tax or charitable services .......

They Blow into Australia, use our facility's, push Australian's out of their way & prevent Australian's from using the very facility's we payed for & then blow out of Australia again.

& then Australia wonders why it's done so bad in the medal tally at this Olympics.

I'd elaborate Rath, but committed to keeping this a fun topic.


Wow! Usain Bolt really is the world greatest sprinter. He is also so likeable. The Jamacan sprinters have all really done well. Several American have done really well. Something that has come out of these Olympics has been some of the worlds greatest ever stories. The beach volleyball womans team Misty May Trainer/Kerry Walsh, just amazing. Michael Phelps with worlds greatest Olympian! Too many more to mention.

Last night, I had no idea BMX was a sport this year, and wow was that a beautiful track they built for it. Not sure if that was something new this year, I do not remember it in Bejing, or I may have missed it. Finals are tonight I believe.

Yet to come is the South African double amputee, in the 400 relay, glad to see he has another event.

Been watching everyday since the beginning, its nearly over. UK has done a marvelous job IMHO doing them.

Lots of talk about Usain Bolt being the greatest Olympian ever in the internet. Not even close, but he certainly is the best strinter ever, just by his WR 100 and 200 meters. However the statistics are very clear, he only has 4 gold medals to his name, along with over 100 others who also have 4. He is way way down the list of most medals ever. As far as track and Field is concerned, Carl Lewis is the # 5 medal earner of all time with 11(9 gold). In the top 10 all time winners, 3 are from swimming, Matt Biodi, Mark Spitz, and Phelps. Nodody comes close to Phelps, as he is the only person to have over 10 golds with his total gold at 18, 22 total medals.

Who is the greatest, who is the best athelete ever, is a matter of comparing apples and oranges, which sport is the question, and can they even be compared. Ali claims to the the greatest boxer of all time. How do you compare sports? The best race car driver, well which kind of racing?

I can tell you yesterday, I watched someone do something, not any Olympian ever could do, nor the greatest swimmer, or track and field, or race car driver, or Jockey, or Basketball player. I guarentee this person has atheletic skills no other possesses, and body control and balance, in a league of its own. I watched Nic Wallenda walk a high wire 100 feet above the beach in Jersey, for 1300 feet. What other athelete could do that? How do you compare differnt sports that all have different ability?

UPDATE: Bolt is now badmouthing Carl Lewis. Wow, way out of line!

Down to one more day, and pretty much the wrap up events, and closing. We have really watched quite a bit on NBC but missed a lot by not being able to watch all the channels. Have to say, the biggest thing that kept us doing it, was we have had a horrible heat wave this week 105-108 everyday, so been staying in and staying cool. I've loved watching it all, but think I;m past the saturation point now. Neglected getting a number of things done this week as a result. Sure we will stick it out til the end tommorrow and watch the closing.

I think the UK did a great job, including the opening ceremony everyone thought would never match up to Bejing. Thought is was pretty neat.