The Black Vault

This is going to be a user friendly thread, only for discussion of Atheletes, the game, or sport. It is not going to be for political comments or other rivalry, snide remards, flaming, so please lets have a thread we can all enjoy, lay differences aside, we have a few thousand other threads you can use for that. Thank you!

Opening ceremony beind us, today is the first day of competitions. I was curious to hear Baseball was eliminated as a sport of the Olympics, does anyone know the reason why? Not sure I understand why in sports like the Basketball, they have allowed teams made up of the best pro's?

I think one of the main figures will be Phelps in this Olympics, his first event will be today. Gymnastics is alway exciting IMHO.

No doubt about it, no sport will not be razor close at the finish line, the competition is usually so close, its hard to see who clearly wins in some cases, even in the marathon 26 mile races, they finish inches apart. WE tend to dismiss those who follow up the rear, and finish last, but in perspective, compared to the average anyone else, even the last place person is probably in unbelievable shape and conditioning, and are very sadly underestimated, as to their incredible ability.

Can't wait to watch it, lets all enjoy this thread.

Just read that Phelps was nearly eliminated in the 400, and squeeked 8th place for the finals. Could this be final chapter of the incredible swimmer, or just one bad run? Time will tell, and if he is unable to medal, no shame, nothing to hang his head low over. Lochte qualified 3rd.

In gymnastics one USA team girl, Moloney, will compete with a broken toe, no details how it happened.

Update: Lochte took the Gold medal, and Phelps did not even make the Bronze, he ended up in 4th place. This was his signature event, which they said he was going to retire from last Olympics, possibly Phelps will be falling short, in his 3rd Olympics. Lochte was on pace for new record but faltered off in last lap, fininshing 1.5 seconds under Phelps world record. Can't wait to see them in tonights TV of the events.

greeney2 wrote:Just read that Phelps was nearly eliminated in the 400, and squeeked 8th place for the finals. Could this be final chapter of the incredible swimmer, or just one bad run? Time will tell, and if he is unable to medal, no shame, nothing to hang his head low over. Lochte qualified 3rd.

In gymnastics one USA team girl, Moloney, will compete with a broken toe, no details how it happened.

Update: Lochte took the Gold medal, and Phelps did not even make the Bronze, he ended up in 4th place. This was his signature event, which they said he was going to retire from last Olympics, possibly Phelps will be falling short, in his 3rd Olympics. Lochte was on pace for new record but faltered off in last lap, fininshing 1.5 seconds under Phelps world record. Can't wait to see them in tonights TV of the events.

the USA is in the same boat as Australia.

no chance, the Asian & south American & European nations that Australia & the USA have for so long destroyed in the Pool have employed Australia's & Americas coaches & now pose a real threat.

This is seen in the large number of Australian coaches who now train the Chinese & British teams amongst others.

This is Australia's worst swimming team ever ... lose of Australian coaches have dragged the Australian down, from world best to middle of the row.

& as i type this Australia just won Gold in the woman 4 x 100 relay.

Aussie Aussie Aussie ... oi oi oi.

but trust me China will be a real threat to the once dominant, USA & Australia in the pool.

Yes China will be a major winner in the Olympics. China definatly does things differently, and one thing that came out in Bejing was how they take olympic hopefulls from parents very early in age completly with no contact from them, and completly regimented training. Top ten predicted winners of most medals is USA first, China 2nd, Uk expected to win bigger becasue they are the host 3rd or 4th, Austrailia 5th, forget the order, but France, Italy, Japan, are in the top 10, Russia probably in the top ten.

Just read the sprinter from Jamaica, Usain Bolts best friend of 10 years was arrested for a double murder in Jamaica, had intended to go to the olympics to watch him. Not now!

greeney2 wrote:Austrailia 5th

If we are Lucky.

God knows the English have done their best to cheat already.

Don't know if you heard but as Australia's best coaches betrayed their nation & went to China & Britain ... ect ect to work for the enemy & the Big Bucks $$$, Australia was forced to employ the third rate coaches from England, ect ect to coach our team.

Oh & 4-5 weeks out from the games the head coaches got tougher & imposed tougher rules & qualification times on Australia's team, & then cut the number of Athletes going to the game in half.

on top of that the British have rigged the draws in the games.

Take a look at field hockey ........ Australia has been the worlds best team for decades & decades, we have been beaten as-well tho.

However @ this Olympics, Australia is the Favorites in both the man & Woman's Events.

& as it so happened ((( ALL ))) Australia's games drown out of the hat/bowl have Australia playing their matches in the Dark @ 3-4-5 am ..... while ((( ALL ))) Britain's matches are in the warmth & light of the sun in the afternoon at around 2-3-4-5 PM in the afternoon.

Just a Lucky draw or 100 draws, for their teams right.

I'll send you a crying towel, now back to talking about the Olympics!

China did very well in the swimming last night, and the mens gymnastics had its share of setbacks. I have not herd if they were eliminated or not. Phelps looked truly bewildered with coming in 4th place, totally not knowing what to say or how to react. Again, he has nothing to hang his head for, goodness sakes alive, he still pulled off a 4th place, considering that level after so many previous victories. Kudos to Lochte, he swam a great race, and well deserves that Gold. This may be his time to shine, God Bless him if it is. Phelps is still the world record holder in that event. Today he swims in a 4 man relay I think, next time he and Lochte swim is on Thursday. I doubt if Phelps is finished yet, it would be a real upset if he lets this loss throw him. We all have to remember even 4th place, was only hundreds of a second behind. In horse racing its winning by a nose.

Womans beach vollyball between the USA and Austraila was a really exciting match, and very close with the score going back and forth.

Wide world of sports coined the phrase " The thrill of Victory, and the agony of defeat". Your hearts go out to those who sturggle a lifetime, to not make it by the skin of their teeth. Woman gymnastics seems to border on crulty, when only 2 from any country can move forward, yet one is elimnated that is the raining world champion. In the 4x mens swimming relay, Phelps redeemed himself, and they led all 3 lets however Lochte could not hold on to the lead, earning them silver. The other 3 teammates knew Lochte's first 25 meters were too hard, and knew he would run out of gas in the final stretch. You almost wish instead of only Gold, Silver, and Bronze, there was medals for 4th and 5th places, and some form of medal, for 6th to last. Hopefully all the atheletes get some sort of award for just making it there. Late last night they showed the kyake competition, very cool manmade rapids. Its a shame so many cool events are not shown or shown in late night TV. Our Skeet shooter from Los Angeles, I did not see, but she took the Gold. She was profiled on our news, said she shoots 1000 rounds everyday, how the heck you can afford 1000 rounds of shotgun shells everyday? Her hobby is restoring antique cars, showed several of them including a Cobra. Very cool.

I just love that Destiny Hooker and that USA volleyball team !

greeney2 wrote:Just read that Phelps was nearly eliminated in the 400, and squeeked 8th place for the finals. Could this be final chapter of the incredible swimmer, or just one bad run?

Phelps is old news, he's a has been.

Phelps is going through what Ian Thorpe & kieren Perkins went through before him.

He's getting old.

Ian Thorpe & kieren Perkins, were so dominate at the Olympic for so long. 3-4 different Olympics over sum 16 years

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

Then ........ they got old & a young gun by the name of Michael Phelps came along an beat the older swimmers like Australia's Ian Thorpe.

Now Michael Phelps is getting old & the new swimmers are faster then he is.

Australia & the USA look like they are in the same boat, all our old school swimmers have retired & the rise of other nations in the pool like China & France, Japan, ect ect .. are pointing out our weaknesses.

That and like i said already, about the other nations employing Australia's & America's best swimming coaches have clearly payed of at our expense.

Just look at how the usa & Australia both lost in the 4x100m men's freestyle relay

American Ryan Lochte fails to medal in 200 ... ‎

He finished fourth and off the podium in the 200 freestyle, which France s Yannick Agnel won by a full body length.