Tokyo COVympics: July 23 to August 8

[state of hockey]

That comeback by Finke in the 800M freestyle was bonkers.

[Jimjamesak]

Really enjoying the commentators on the BMX Racing coverage. They are just chatting as the races are happening just like you and your buddies do at an event.

This is what I love about these sports that we see every 4 years.

I mentioned it earlier but the color commentator for Taekwondo is hilarious.

The lesser known/watched sports are always the best at the Olympics.

[Spartanforlife4]

That comeback by Finke in the 800M freestyle was bonkers.

He wasn’t even getting talked about until the final 30 meters or so. Completely out of nowhere.

It’s funny seeing all these Olympic records set in 2008 still standing. A big deal was made about the pool construction at the time because it was limiting the amount of waves allowing them to go through calmer water and that was why every record was being shattered. I figured that would be the way pools were going to be built from then on, but given how those records stood, either it was a special pool or those were all very special swimmers.

Of course, as I say that, the last two races have set new Olympic records.

[psych]

He wasn’t even getting talked about until the final 30 meters or so. Completely out of nowhere.

It’s funny seeing all these Olympic records set in 2008 still standing. A big deal was made about the pool construction at the time because it was limiting the amount of waves allowing them to go through calmer water and that was why every record was being shattered. I figured that would be the way pools were going to be built from then on, but given how those records stood, either it was a special pool or those were all very special swimmers.

Of course, as I say that, the last two races have set new Olympic records.

From the little I read, I thought the swimsuits were the issue? Was it a little of both?

[Jimjamesak]

From the little I read, I thought the swimsuits were the issue? Was it a little of both?

2000 was the one with the super suits that got banned shortly afterwards.

[psych]

2000 was the one with the super suits that got banned shortly afterwards.

I’m not saying the swimsuits played more of a role in records falling in 2008 or not, because I sincerely don’t know, but the swimsuits from those games were banned.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...ated-swimsuit/

[Jimjamesak]

Former Olympian chimes in on Simone Biles.

"As an athlete who represented Team USA in two Olympics, making money for those rich, bureaucratic a-holes really bothered me."

(Nick Symmonds was a two time Olympian in the 800m in 2008 and 2012)

[state of hockey]

2000 was the one with the super suits that got banned shortly afterwards.

Now I have Sam Jackson's voice in my head.

[jerphisch]

Former Olympian chimes in on Simone Biles.

"As an athlete who represented Team USA in two Olympics, making money for those rich, bureaucratic a-holes really bothered me."

(Nick Symmonds was a two time Olympian in the 800m in 2008 and 2012)

While she can do whatever she wants, she took that opportunity away from someone else that would've wanted it. This doesn't sound like something that just hit her. "I feel like I'm also not having as much fun." Oh, were you still having fun 2 weeks ago when you could have dropped out and let someone else have that spot? "But at the end of the day, it's like, we want to walk out of here, not be dragged out here on a stretcher." Guarantee someone who finished behind her at the trials would take that spot knowing they would be hauled off on a stretcher. Just a pretty lame time to decide she doesn't feel like it any more. I'm sure this had been brewing, she should have done it before the Olympics, not during them.

[Jimjamesak]

While she can do whatever she wants, she took that opportunity away from someone else that would've wanted it. This doesn't sound like something that just hit her. "I feel like I'm also not having as much fun." Oh, were you still having fun 2 weeks ago when you could have dropped out and let someone else have that spot? "But at the end of the day, it's like, we want to walk out of here, not be dragged out here on a stretcher." Guarantee someone who finished behind her at the trials would take that spot knowing they would be hauled off on a stretcher. Just a pretty lame time to decide she doesn't feel like it any more. I'm sure this had been brewing, she should have done it before the Olympics, not during them.

[state of hockey]

That's an impressive amount of assuming while also being so certain, I'll admit.

[jerphisch]

That's an impressive amount of assuming while also being so certain, I'll admit.

Thank you. I mean sure, it's possible she just woke up and decided it's not fun anymore in the middle of the Olympics, just seems unlikely to me.

[Handyman]

Well since she gives me no reason to doubt her I will just take her at her word. And even if it had been creeping up for a while...still doesn't really change much.

[MichVandal]

While she can do whatever she wants, she took that opportunity away from someone else that would've wanted it. This doesn't sound like something that just hit her. "I feel like I'm also not having as much fun." Oh, were you still having fun 2 weeks ago when you could have dropped out and let someone else have that spot? "But at the end of the day, it's like, we want to walk out of here, not be dragged out here on a stretcher." Guarantee someone who finished behind her at the trials would take that spot knowing they would be hauled off on a stretcher. Just a pretty lame time to decide she doesn't feel like it any more. I'm sure this had been brewing, she should have done it before the Olympics, not during them.

So you don't know what happened and how it went down, then.

That's not the first time I've seen this thought- but what actually happened is that Biles figured out on her first jump that she got in to a mental position to doubt her ability to hit anything. So by dropping out, she gave her team a chance of winning.

Seeing her score in that one jump, had she stayed in and competed, the US would have probably finished in last place. Instead, since she recognized that she would not be hitting her performance, dropping out put an alternate in place.

Because of Simone Biles dropping out of the competition, the US *almost* won the gold.

this very much wasn't her "not feeling like it anymore" this was "why did I just get lost on that jump? OMG, if I continue, we lose".

Also, had she continued, the risk of getting injured really badly went up quite a bit- try one of her massive attempts, and get lost in the middle- the landing could have been a disaster for her.

One other thing- she didn't just go an close herself into the locker room- she went back out on the floor to support her team. Again, because she dropped out, they still almost won.

[RaceBoarder]

Another factor here:

We've all been in situations where peer pressure has persuaded us to do things that we weren't sure about or were feeling uneasy about. That's what this is in it's simplest form.

Biles had the pressure of the world on her shoulders and probably knew the backlash that was coming if she backed down. So she tried to just tough it out.

This is the major stumbling block when it comes to ALL mental health problems in this country.