2012 Summer Olympics in London

[mykel14]

Subscribing to this thread!

Go !!

[mykel14]

I hope Peter Gade and Tine Baun win their much-deserved gold medals in badminton, and the pair of Tan Boon Heong & Koo Kien Keat in men's doubles. A chinese pair will get it in women's, I think.

For women's volleyball, sana Brazil, though it will most likely be USA. For men's, sana Brazil din, though Russia and Poland are strong contenders.

Hay, kung recognized lang sana ang bowling...

[ceedee]

I hope Peter Gade and Tine Baun win their much-deserved gold medals in badminton, and the pair of Tan Boon Heong & Koo Kien Keat in men's doubles. A chinese pair will get it in women's, I think.

wow... puro suntok sa buwan ang mga bets mo a..

anyway, as I posted about two pages back, a Chinese sweep is possible in this event. with only the Korean pair Jung Jae-sung / Lee Yong-dae could prevent that sweep by getting the mens doubles. Lee Chong Wei, on the other hand, will have a huge task to beat Super Dan in mens singles and give Malaysia its first Olympic gold medal.

btw, tuloy pa ba yun Olympic tennis fantasy league?

[mykel14]

I know! It's just that both are retiring (I think) after the games and it will be good to see them finally win that elusive gold medal. Fairytale ending lang for them. I heard Lin Dan, Taufik Hidayat and Lee Chong Wei are also thinking of retiring after the games. Meron na 'yung first two. LCW winning means Malaysia getting their first gold medal before we do... and we don't want that.

Sir, I haven't talked with patrick (swimbod21). May plan na siya pero nahihiya siyang magpropose. May draw na for tennis?

[swimbod21]

oi mykel nagtatanong na about fantasy league.

can somebody post the women's gymnastic line ups of US, Russia, China and Romania?

I'm rooting for Komova in AA.

[faaip_de_oiad]

If I were a Chinese star athlete, I'll be pissed at who the officials chose to be the flag bearer...

[ceedee]

I know! It's just that both are retiring (I think) after the games and it will be good to see them finally win that elusive gold medal. Fairytale ending lang for them. I heard Lin Dan, Taufik Hidayat and Lee Chong Wei are also thinking of retiring after the games. Meron na 'yung first two. LCW winning means Malaysia getting their first gold medal before we do... and we don't want that.

they will be playing their last Olympic Games in London as well. much pressure will be on LCW especially he is trying to recover from that ankle injury he suffered during a Thomas Cup match two months ago.

Sir, I haven't talked with patrick (swimbod21). May plan na siya pero nahihiya siyang magpropose. May draw na for tennis?

Olympic tennis draw will take place tomorrow at around 7pm Manila time.

[ceedee]

can somebody post the women's gymnastic line ups of US, Russia, China and Romania?

I'm rooting for Komova in AA.

request granted.. this is what I gathered so far..

USA won the gold in last year's world championship
Gabrielle Douglas, 16 - her expertise is uneven bar
McKayla Maroney, 16 - she won the gold in vault event in last year's world championship
Alexandra Raisman, 18 - won the bronze in floor in last year's world championship
Jordin Wieber, 17 - won the all-around gold in last year's world championship
Kyla Ross, 15- she replaced Sabrina Vega in that last year's world championship team.

Russia - won the silver in last year's worlds
Ksenia Afanasyeva, 20 - won the gold in floor exercise
Viktoria Kornova, 17 - won the silver in all-around and gold in uneven bars
Alina Mustafina, 17 - won the all-around gold in 2010 world championship, but was not part of the team in 2011 due to knee injury
Anastashia Grishina, 16 - won the silver in all-around in 2010 European junior. also not part of 2011 worlds
Maria Paseka, 16 - first time in world competition.

China - placed third in last year's world
Deng Linlin, 20 - the most senior of the team. part of the gold medal-winning team in 2008 but didn't participate in last year's world
He Kexin, 20 - another member of 2008 Olympic team but didn't took part in 2011 world. will defend her uneven title
Huang Qiushuang, 20 - member of 2011 world team and won the bronze in uneven bars
Sui Lu, 20 - won the gold in balance beam and silver in floor in 2011 worlds
Yao Jinnan, 17 - won the silver in balance beam and bronze in all-around in 2011 worlds.

Romania - placed fourth in 2011 worlds
Diana Bulimar, 16 - floor exercise is her strength
Diana Chelaru, 18 - part of the silver medal winning team in 2010 worlds. floor and vault are her strength
Sandra Izbasa, 22, - won the gold in floor exercise title in Beijing. didn't took part in 2011 worlds.
Catalina Ponor, 24 - the remaining member of gold medal-winning team in 2004 Olympics.
Larisa Ioardache, 16 - newest member of the senior team.

I'm expecting a four-corner fight among Wieber, Kornova, Mustafina and Yao for the all-around title.

[ceedee]

women's soccer results

Great Britain - New Zealand; 1-0
Brazil - Cameroon; 5-0
Japan - Canada; 2-1
Sweden - South Africa; 4-1
USA - France; 4-2
North Korea - Colombia; 2-0


men's soccer July 26 - 27 (all Manila time)

@Manchester
1;00am - UAE vs Uruguay
4:00am - Great Britain vs Senegal

@Newcastle
10:30pm - South Korea vs Mexico
1:15 am - Gabon vs Switzerland

@Coventry
3:45am - Belarus vs New Zealand

@Cardiff
3:45pm - Brazil vs Egypt

@Glasgow
8:00pm - Honduras vs Morroco
10:45pm - Spain vs Japan

[bronxdude]

yes.. kaya kailangan maaga matulog sa Friday evening.

patulog pa lang ako nun. pero sa umaga ako matutulog ng friday para gising na ng saturday dawn

[smeagol]

If I were a Chinese star athlete, I'll be pissed at who the officials chose to be the flag bearer...

it should've been tennis star and Grand Slam champion Li Na, but fat chance. that country hasn't grown out its patriarchism/sexism just yet.

[faaip_de_oiad]

it should've been tennis star and Grand Slam champion Li Na, but fat chance. that country hasn't grown out its patriarchism/sexism just yet.

To be fair though, mabigat yung flag. They'll have to hold it for 2 hours! Our shooter actually begged off from flag bearing duties since it might mess with his form. Solution? Give it to Hidilyn Diaz - the weightlifter.

[ceedee]

To be fair though, mabigat yung flag. They'll have to hold it for 2 hours! Our shooter actually begged off from flag bearing duties since it might mess with his form. Solution? Give it to Hidilyn Diaz - the weightlifter.

she will be the country's flag bearer in London Olympics

[victoryliner]

Olympics: Opening ceremony said to be a 'spine-tingling' spectacular
July 26, 2012 12:05pm

LONDON - The London 2012 opening ceremony will be a spine-tingling extravaganza that exceeds expectations, thrilled audience members said after witnessing the final rehearsal for Friday's showpiece spectacular.

And despite their excitement, those lucky enough to get a sneak peek vowed to keep the surprises secret after the show's Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle pleaded with them not to ruin it by giving the game away.

Games volunteers and troops were given tickets to the final run-through as a thank-you for their efforts, while members of the 15,000-strong cast were able to reserve tickets for friends and family.

The 60,000-odd crowd seemed filled with enthusiasm as they flooded out of the Olympic Stadium late Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time).

"That was absolutely amazing. I wanted to whoop," said Hilary Midgley from Darwen in northwest England, whose daughter was in the show.

"She hadn't told us anything so we didn't know what to expect. She told us how she was dressed and I was just about able to pick her out.

"It was beyond my wildest expectations.

"It would have spoilt it for us had we already known what was in it so we're not going to tell anybody.

"Anyone who does should be ashamed of themselves!

"My daughter's been rehearsing since the beginning of May, we know how many hours she's put in and it would just spoil everybody's hard work."

The theme of the £27 million ($42 million, 34.5 million euro) spectacular is "Isles of Wonder", inspired by a passage from William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest." The show is set to be watched by a vast global television audience.

Boyle - who won an Academy Award for directing "Slumdog Millionaire" - and his team, have explained their guiding ideas for the spectacle.

Fellow film-maker Stephen Daldry, the Games ceremonies' creative director, revealed the show champions "the rich heritage, diversity, energy, inventiveness, wit and creativity that truly defines the British Isles."

It is "a journey which will celebrate who we are, who we were and who we wish to be."

But there are some bits of it that are so secret they did not even appear in the final dress-rehearsal.

Ollie Wright, 27, from Christchurch in New Zealand, who is volunteering at the modern pentathlon, was among those who saw it.

"There's lots of different things in there that triggered memories. It was spine-tingling at points," he told AFP.

"Every time they have a Games they try and ramp it up to get better and better and following Beijing 2008 they've done this in a very British way.

"It's hard to tell what the final product's going to be because there was quite a lot we weren't shown.

"But if my friends ask me what's in it, I'll just lie through my teeth!"

A group of Royal Navy personnel from HMS Bulwark, who are guarding the sailing venues on the southern English coast, were released from duty to attend before having to head straight back to their posts.

"We won't see anything else for the next three weeks, so it's really good that we've had this opportunity," said one, known by the nickname "Rio Grande".

"It took five hours in the car to get here but it was definitely worth the effort."

His colleague, chatting on the phone to his wife, told her: "One word: amazing.

"Danny Boyle has earned every single penny putting that show on.

"If you don't record it, I will shoot you! Seriously - amazing!" - AFP

source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story...ng-spectacular

[victoryliner]

Olympics: North Korea flag incident overshadows soccer action
July 26, 2012 8:24am

CARDIFF - A major diplomatic incident marred the first day of competition at the London Olympics on Wednesday (early Thursday, PHL time) when the North Korea women's soccer team walked off after the South Korea flag was mistakenly displayed before their match against Colombia.

The error occurred at Glasgow's Hampden Park stadium which was hosting one of the day's six matches kicking off the women's tournament and led to a delay of more than an hour before the game eventually started with the Koreans winning 2-0.

Kicking off almost an hour later than the scheduled start time of 1845 GMT, North Korea were far more composed on the pitch and went on to record a 2-0 victory.

In the day's other matches, reigning Olympic champions, the United States, bidding for a third successive gold, came from behind to beat France 4-2, world champions Japan defeated Canada 2-1 and hosts Britain overcame New Zealand 1-0.

Brazil, among the favorites for gold, thrashed Cameroon 5-0 and Sweden, another possible medallist, thumped South Africa 4-1.

But the drama in Glasgow marked a day in which sporting action began around Britain two days before the official opening ceremony in London on Friday.

The trouble started when the South Korea flag was shown on a giant screen before the kickoff of the Group G match at Hampden Park, one of five venues hosting games outside London, and Olympic organizers had to issue an apology.

"The South Korean flag was shown in the video package on the screen before the kickoff and the North Koreans were naturally very upset about that," Hampden Park media manager Andy Mitchell told Reuters.

"We have made a full apology to the team and the North Korean NOC [National Olympic Committee]. A genuine mistake was made for which we apologize. Steps will be taken to ensure it does not happen again."

When asked if he thought it was an accident, North Korea coach Sin Ui-gun was not so sure and said he would ask the organizers the same question.

"We were angry because our players were introduced as if they were from South Korea, which may affect us greatly as you may know," he said.

"Our team was not going to participate unless the problem was solved perfectly and fortunately some time later, the broadcasting was corrected and shown again live so we made up our mind to participate and go on with the match," he added.

"If this matter cannot be solved, we thought going on was nonsense. Winning the game cannot compensate for that thing."

Unfortunate start

The U.S. also had an unfortunate start to their match with France in the earlier match at Hampden but at least that was only because of what happened on the field.

France raced into a 2-0 lead against the title holders after only 14 minutes before the U.S. rallied to take all three points with Alex Morgan scoring twice, Abby Wambach once and substitute Carli Lloyd grabbing the other.

It was a memorable day for hosts Britain who won the first ever Olympic match their women have played, beating New Zealand at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in the first event of the London Olympics.

Steph Houghton, who missed the 2007 world and 2009 European championships through injury, scored Britain's winner with a second half free-kick.

"It was something special and I'm sure my family are very proud. I don't think it will sink in for a while. I'm just glad it got us the win," she told reporters.

Brazil, playing in the second match at Cardiff, were highly impressive in demolishing Cameroon with Marta, World Player of the Year five times, scoring twice including a penalty.

Cristiane, who came on as a substitute at the start of the second half, also scored to take her overall tally of Olympic goals to 11, the all-time women's Olympic scoring record. - Reuters

source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story...-soccer-action

[victoryliner]

Olympics: Gay healthy but nervous as 100m approaches
July 26, 2012 9:28am

BIRMINGHAM - The surgically repaired hip that kept Tyson Gay off the track for nearly a year showed no signs of slowing the world's second fastest man at a closely watched pre-Olympic practice on Wednesday (early Thursday, PHL time).

"[Coach Jon Drummond] said I am about two to three workouts away from being perfect," Gay told reporters.

There is no hip pain, he said, just the normal groin soreness that the American sprinter has experienced for years from the hard pounding his body takes on track.

"Surgery is good," he said. "Health is good. So whatever happens happens."

What the soon-to-be 30-year-old hopes happens is for him to climb on the podium for the first time at an Olympic Games and accept a 100 meters medal in London next month.

Despite his many accomplishments in a sport he dearly enjoys, the former double world sprint champion has never won an Olympic medal.

Injuries had the American at less than full strength in the 2008 Olympics and he bowed out in the semifinal round of what became the Usain Bolt speed show.

"I am feeling nervous because this is it," Gay said of the upcoming renewed rivalry with Bolt and new man on the block, world champion Yohan Blake. "It is the big show.

"Every race I run I am nervous, small or big, that is just me," he said. "[But] I know it is going to be big."

For Gay to medal in athletics' biggest race he knows his start must be good or better, so on Wednesday for much of his workout, he repeatedly rushed out of the starting block in short bursts to test his preparedness.

"I'm just trying to execute the first part of my race, which I have been lacking," he said.

While Bolt and Blake have worked in privacy, Gay's session was open to media and a small gathering of onlookers.

"We are only 10 days away from the [athletics at the] Games so there is not too much you can really hide," he said.

The public appearance will not be his last, either, as he plans to march in Friday's opening ceremony.

"You never know when it is going to be your last one," said Gay, who has no plans to retire after these Games.

"It's about the medal," he said of the Olympics. "But it is about the experience as well. So I definitely want to be able to go out there with some of my teammates." - Reuters

source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story...00m-approaches

[victoryliner]

Olympics: Female fighting focus pleases British boxing medal hopeful
July 26, 2012 9:25am

LONDON - Part-time actress, part-time tiler, full-time women's boxing trailblazer, British flyweight world champion Nicola Adams has a lot on her plate.

The diminutive Leeds local is currently basking in the spotlight as one of 36 female boxers taking part at the Olympics for the first time.

Finally knocking down the last male-only Olympic sport, all eyes will be on the 29-year-old Adams and the 35 other women taking part, intrigued to see how popular the bouts will be.

"It is nice to get recognition for what we are doing, we have been boxing a long time and it is really nice to get that recognition and support now," Adams told reporters at Olympic Park on Wednesday (early Thursday, PHL time).

"It is doing wonders for the sport.

"Once amateur boxing got announced as an Olympic sport, in England participation doubled so after the Olympics I am hoping it trebles and just goes through the roof."

With only three categories -- flyweight, lightweight and middleweight -- for the women in London, qualifying was tough.

Adams went to China in May and battled through the flyweight category, facing world and European champions who had either slimmed down or bulked up to try to qualify for one of the Olympic flyweight places.

She claimed silver after losing to China's Cancan Ren, the Olympic favorite, in the final.

Never one to drink from a glass half-empty, the cheerful Adams wants future Games to include more weight categories so her fellow fighters have a chance to live 'the Olympic dream.'

"It would be nice to see more weights for the next Olympics for the people who could have made my weight, or the other weights, to get the chance to compete in the next Olympics, that would be great.

"[In qualifying] I had the five-time world champion Mary Kom, the Russian two-times world champion and European champion (Elena Savelyeva), Cancan Ren - world champion, everybody is a champion."

Given the number of talented fighters who failed to squeeze into the few qualifying places, Adams believes the sport can only grow and with a global audience tuning into the London Games a viable women's professional product could flourish.

"Women's boxing has come from strength-to-strength over the years, we have done really good and to think that it is in the Olympics shows just how far it has come," Adams said.

However, she wants no part of the professional game and is already thinking of an appearance at the Rio Games in 2016.

"I'd probably stay amateur. I'm enjoying traveling around the world and boxing for my country and it is something I have always wanted to do is go to the Olympics and maybe another one that would be great for me," she added.

"It would be nice for other female boxers to have that opportunity to go out there and be a pro like Muhammad Ali was - or his daughter."

Three-times a World Championships runner-up and the current European champion, hopes are high Adams can claim gold in London but if she fails she has a number of skills to fall back on.

The fighter has appeared as an extra in the popular British television soap opera Coronation Street and claims to be a competent tiler having tried her hand at a variety of jobs.

"I have had quite a few jobs, I think the ones I have enjoyed the most is Coronation Street and Emerdale. It is quite exciting and it is not like an ordinary job so it is quite fun to do really." - Reuters

source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story...-medal-hopeful

[victoryliner]

Olympics: Britain gets the ball rolling with soccer
July 25, 2012 11:31pm

CARDIFF - Britain kicked off the action at the London 2012 Olympic Games in their group match in the women's soccer competition against New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday.

The Group E game is one of six being staged on Wednesday with the Cameroon-Brazil match following in Cardiff later. Two other games take place in Coventry with two more in Glasgow.

Because the soccer programs for men and women do not fit easily into the tight Olympic schedule, the soccer competition begins before Friday's opening ceremony.

The men's soccer tournament starts on Thursday. - Reuters

source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story...ng-with-soccer

[ceedee]

Olympic notes to pass along:

1.) Greek triple-jumper Voula Papachristou has been expelled from the Games due to her anti-African remarks on her twitter.

2.) Don't expect to see Michael Phelps marching with the US contingent in the opening ceremonies as he is preparing for his title defense of 400M IM that is scheduled to begin hours after the opening ceremonies had ended.

3.) Brazilian soccer players are staying at a hotel instead of Olympic Village to avoid "temptations". despite of its success in the World Cup, Brazil hasn't won a gold in Olympic soccer competition.

4.) Beds in Olympic Village only measures 68 inches long. only 22 out of 261 American male athletes would fit in that bed.

[rational]

4.) Beds in Olympic Village only measures 68 inches long. only 22 out of 261 American male athletes would fit in that bed.

Yup. Manu Ginobili was complaing. But of course since he's Manu, he was able to compute that he would fit if he lies diagonally.