Tokyo COVympics: July 23 to August 8

[Russell Jaslow]

Murderball

(A nickname for wheelchair rugby as well)

Yes, that was it.

[Jimjamesak]

There was a documentary on wheelchair rugby, following one particular team. It was quite interesting. And raw. The players didn't hold back. It wasn't necessarily a family feel good story. I can't remember the name of it. Found the DVD in our local library. And yes, it was a very physical sport which the participants reveled in.

Murderball

(A nickname for wheelchair rugby as well)

[Russell Jaslow]

Also, rugby is interesting. Full contact in a wheel chair. It's kind of a combination of football, basketball and rugby all rolled into a indoor court. Some serious hitting going on.

There was a documentary on wheelchair rugby, following one particular team. It was quite interesting. And raw. The players didn't hold back. It wasn't necessarily a family feel good story. I can't remember the name of it. Found the DVD in our local library. And yes, it was a very physical sport which the participants reveled in.

[MichVandal]

As I see more swimming, there are a lot of S5 swimmers w/o arms- and some of them are super quick! Amazing to see swimming that fast w/o arms. I know it's more like a fish, but swimming with arms all my life, I can't fathom doing that, let alone that fast.

[MichVandal]

Paralympics stared earlier this week.

These are some real inspirational athletes. I watched the women's 400m freestyle for one of the limb classes. Two women from Turkey had no arms. Think about that, swimming without arms. Both of them did the butterfly kick for the entire race. Seriously mind blowing seeing that. Unfortunately, they compete against people without the use of their legs, so neither finished near the top.

But to swim at all without arms, for 400m, among the best athletes like you in the world. Wow.

Also, rugby is interesting. Full contact in a wheel chair. It's kind of a combination of football, basketball and rugby all rolled into a indoor court. Some serious hitting going on.

Cycling is pretty interesting- so far, though, it's arm injuries they have shown.

So far, swimming is amazing to watch.

[Jimjamesak]

who would the 4th be?

Allyson Felix.

Turns out I was right on the Women’s 4x400 relay team. They went McLaughlin, Felix, Muhammad, and Mu.

Crazy that they went with only one actual 400m runner (and Felix was never really a 400m runner until later in her career) and still won by a huge margin.

[Kepler]

The teenager? I really wonder what happens to them when they get slightly bigger and can't rip the entries as well.... Given their age, none were around 5 years ago, and I don't expect to see them in 3 years in Paris.

She's barely even a teenager. Had the Olympics been held when they were supposed to she would not have been permitted to perform because she would have been too young.

There was a woman diving in the same finals who was 35.

[MichVandal]

I don't mind if I don't watch it.

Plus this Olympics was only about that one woman diver and she was China, so they already won.

The teenager? I really wonder what happens to them when they get slightly bigger and can't rip the entries as well.... Given their age, none were around 5 years ago, and I don't expect to see them in 3 years in Paris.

[Kepler]

I'm sure Kep is happy that the US pulled it out last night, and won all of the medal counts- between the Woman's BB and Volleyball wins, a woman won in Track Cycling Omnium, bringing US gold count one more than China.

I don't mind if I don't watch it.

Plus this Olympics was only about that one woman diver and she was China, so they already won.

[MichVandal]

I'm sure Kep is happy that the US pulled it out last night, and won all of the medal counts- between the Woman's BB and Volleyball wins, a woman won in Track Cycling Omnium, bringing US gold count one more than China.

[St. Clown]

This sums it up perfectly...
https://***********/thesleezyman/sta...36787595177988

I put my toddler into footie pajamas to get the same stride from her.

[walrus]

This will definitely be remembered as KD's tournament. I expected Dame to have a larger role, but the second man ended up being Tatum for most of the games with Booker coming up big against Australia.

To sweep the baseball/softball golds, Japan beat the US, also 2-0 like the softball gold medal game.

Lavine, Tatum and Jrue were the players besides KD I thought were key.

[Spartanforlife4]

Women’s basketball wins 90-75 over Japan for their 7th straight gold, which ties the longest streak for a team sport, held by the US men. Sue Bird and Taurasi win their fifth gold medals.

Not much of a reason to think the women won’t get their 8th in Paris and set the record. They’re 93-1 since 1996 in Olympic and World Cup play, undefeated in the Olympics during that time, and haven’t lost a competitive game since 2006. In fact, they haven’t had a game within ten points since 2010.

[Spartanforlife4]

Caught an event in track cycling called the Madison, apparently named so because it was popularized at MSG.

Each country gets two riders. One is active while the other is an alternate. Active riders take the inside lanes while the alternates hang on top of the track. At any point you can tag your partner in and they become the active rider.

Teams get 20 points if they manage to lap the entire field. Every ten laps there’s a sprint lap where the first four finishers get 5, 3, 2, and 1 points each.

It was absolute chaos but very entertaining.

[MichVandal]

Karate is an odd sport.

Just watched one of the gold medal matches- apparently contact that is too hard is not allowed at all. One guy kicked, and the other guy walked right into it getting knocked out. The kicker was DQ'd.

If that were boxing, the hitter would have won by KO, but here you lose for too much contact.... How do you regulate contact in a contact combat sport?

It's also a hard sport to figure out- not much happens, and when it does- there's a lot of yelling. Still not a lot of scoring.

I kinda doubt I'll watch it in 2024.