2016 Rio Olympics

[vintly]

KekeTheKing "Their biggest transgression in this situation was not reporting the complete story to the US Olympic Committee immediately"

Er, I think the biggest transgression was fabricating a story about being robbed at gunpoint, not failing to report things. I take your point that there are two sides to a story but am surprised at the apologist tone of your post. Whether they were extorted or not is beside the point. Lochte's a complete idiot, there's nothing more to it.

 

[Olivier]

Are Olympic medal winners "Heros"?

Honestly I think athletes representing their countries are, at the very least, people that kids are looking up to, regardless of the medals they collect.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Not everyone is thrilled about this Olympics

Now it can be said — the Olympics are a waste of time and money: Don Pittis

If were honest anyone from Canada is always going to be slightly anti olympics after 1976 montreal olympic debacle (have you paid it off yet??) Which i was reading thru the Wikipedia article of fails if your Canadian you had to laugh otherwise youd probably cry

There not a waste of time & money because they are amazing. but ive mentioned before they shouldve probably nearly a decade ago now when bidding began. chosen world cup or Olympics because they couldnt afford both. Even a established country would've found it difficult to Fund An Annual GP, Olympics, Paralympics, Confederations Cup & World Cup in space of 3yrs. I couldnt enjoy olympics as much as i usually do. Because their was so many near empty stadiums. In places like hockey athletics cycling. If it wasnt for Jamaicans Americans Dutch & British. Tickets wouldve been far worse & it made it seemed like the Olympics were for world to enjoy but not home nation.

 

[KekeTheKing]

KekeTheKingLochte's a complete idiot

Agreed. Which is why many people thought the first reports of the whole thing being a fabrication were too incredible to believe. I mean this is Lochte we're talking about, not some dastardly mastermind.

While certainly ill-advised, drunkenly wandering around a foreign gas station looking for a place to relieve yourself does not entitle the armed "authorities" at said station to unlawfully hold you until some sort of reparations are paid. When it was being said that they busted in a door, broke a mirror, and generally committed vandalism, then it was understandable why they found themselves in that situation. Now that it's come to light that the only possible damage done was a crack in a plastic poster frame, I'm having a real hard time coming down on these guys (Lochte really) as hard as I originally did.

What actually transpired would have been embarrassing enough to Brazil. Ryan and his mother did the city a gigantic favor by not relaying the precise details of the incident to US or Olympic officials immediately. And once it became clear (what kind of thug lets you keep your watch???) that the swimmers were definitely not out and out "robbed" as the story had been told, the ball was in the Rio authorities court to run with, and they sure did!

 

[Hamberg]

Are Olympic medal winners "Heros"?

hero - definition of hero in English from the Oxford dictionary

Yes

 

[Bill Boddy]

....While certainly ill-advised, drunkenly wandering around a foreign gas station looking for a place to relieve yourself does not entitle the armed "authorities" at said station to unlawfully hold you until some sort of reparations are paid.....

Not being a specialist in Brazilian law I cannot be certain but I think that the probability is that urinating in a public place is an offence, it is in England. So any police officer can arrest the offender, in many countries spot fines are applicable for certain offences; if you refuse to pay you are not allowed to leave. What I am certain of is that police in Brazil are armed and it is best to do as they say.

 

[vintly]

And whether the truth is one extreme (busted door, mirror, vandalism, rude behaviour etc) or the other extreme (cracked poster frame, utterly polite), you don't lie. Either way, I can't see how the precise details of this would have been embarrassing for Brazil. The truth is usually between the two extremes, it's likely that the swimmers behaved very poorly, on someone else's turf, at the very least. Why lie about it otherwise?

 

[KekeTheKing]

police officer

They weren't being held by police, it was gas station "security". And Rio is a city where enormous swathes of the population do not have basic plumbing. The "guards" saw an easy opportunity to pocket some cash from inebriated foreign dimwits. They certainly weren't concerned with the law.

whether the truth is one extreme (busted door, mirror, vandalism, rude behaviour etc) or the other extreme (cracked poster frame, utterly polite), you don't lie.

The basic underlying truth of the original story remains. These guys were undoubtedly victims of a shakedown. The only reason the story was completely turned on its head was because of the fabrications by Brazilian authorities. Ones which the World media were dying to lap up, "Uncouth Americans Invent Stickup after Destroying Bathroom". Now that is juicy! Nevermind the fact that it's categorically false.

 

[vintly]

Hmm KekeTheKing, I'll agree to disagree about the probable reason for the shakedown, if there was one. I reckon there's a good chance they invited a more-than-robust reply to their drunken behaviour, with, well, more drunken behaviour – perhaps rude, perhaps inflammatory, perhaps they behaved in such a way that they needed taking down a peg or two. What do they say? "When in Rome, don't mess with the Romans" or something. Might have made that up. Anyway, I agree about the world media lapping up the juiciest version possible. By the way, you haven't recently dyed your hair grey have you?

 

[KekeTheKing]

They were on video basically the entire time they were at the gas station. Other than looking pretty much shit-faced (they tried to enter the wrong taxi) there is no evidence of any wrongdoing. I certainly wouldn't be shocked if it was the guy driving their cab that alerted "security" to the easy score.

I'm far from a Lochte cheerleader, I think he's a clown, but the final resolution (nobody cares about setting the record straight) to this saga stinks to high-heaven. The fact they were held up by gunmen became immaterial to most people once they thought they "had it coming" because of their behavior (reported by Rio police), that has now become demonstrably untrue.

 

[FB]

Well, his sponsors have dumped him so perhaps he should have paid up at the petrol station. I bet it would have cost him a lot less.

Back to the event itself, I saw none of the athletics as it was in the middle of the night but I did watch many of the "minority" sports. Some may be shocked to learn I even watched some of the Rugby Sevens. I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw but I still struggle with any sport which relies on opinion to decide a winner, such as diving and gymnastics. At least they now have a whole host of judges and weed out the more bizarre scores. Perhaps boxing should do the same?

One final thought, anyone else think Tae Kwon Do is like a violent Lambada? I'll get me coat (again).

 

[cider_and_toast]

Some may be shocked to learn I even watched some of the Rugby Sevens.

Well they do say you get more right wing as you get older.

 

[FB]

I watched the semi finals after listening to some of the early games on 5Live and hearing just how immense the Fiji team were. I wanted to see how GB would fare against them after narrowly beating South Africa in their semi-final match. Not very well as it turned out - it was men against boys.

It is amazing how every four years we get excited and expert about trampolining, double trap shooting and wiff waff. I did draw the line at horse dancing and grown men on Raleigh Grifter's though. There is a rumour that skateboarding will be in Tokyo? Really?

 

[cider_and_toast]

Apparently so.

Yet Squash remains off the list.

What annoys me is that, as you say FB, there is an appetite for all of these sports in the UK but we never get to see them from one Olympics to the next. That's why programs such as Grandstand and World of Sport were so popular. Sadly, terestrial television's commitment to sport has long since died.

 

[Olivier]

If were honest anyone from Canada is always going to be slightly anti olympics after 1976 montreal olympic debacle (have you paid it off yet??)

F1Brits_90, it took us a good 30 years but It's finally being paid for. That certainly didn't help but most people I know where pumped by the games with a few uninterested and really just 1 friend against it (it turns out he was into boxing, so no completely against)

 

[FB]

Took the UK longer to pay for WW2 - you Canadians should think yourselves lucky...

Back to the thread, I enjoyed the Paralympics in London probably more than the ordinary Olympics. I hope Rio does these guys proud and the crowds turn out in force.

My favourite moment from the London Paralympic games.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Grown men on skateboards is coming to Tokyo yes along with climbing, surfing, baseball and karate.

 

[Olivier]

Took the UK longer to pay for WW2 - you Canadians should think yourselves lucky...
...

We do. We are also glad we are not Atlanteans, otherwise we would be under the sea.

(I've been sarcastic, War is a terrible thing)

 

[cider_and_toast]

Baseball has had more comebacks than Status Quo.

How they are going to judge climbing is anyone's guess.

 

[Greenlantern101]

It on a wall, fastest to the top wins. Should be fun.