The Olympic track racing fires off tomorrow and it’s time to remember an event discarded to the bin of noble sports.
The Olympic roster of events is constantly evolving and devolving which is why we are now watching synchronized diving as an Olympic sport. What a world, what a world. Maybe it’s a sign of me getting too old but it makes me sick. Who does this sport? Who says let’s go down to the public pool and work on our synchronized diving? No one, that’s who. Did the IOC get bribed by Big Diving? Diving is barely watchable, adding another diver who does the exact same thing adds little. Yes, I’m biased, yes, I don’t understand it. Send your hate mail to Condoleezza Rice, c/o Stanford University, I don’t want it.
Years ago Olympic road cycling cancelled the 100km four-man team time trial and I’m still bitter about that! The four-man TT was a killer event. The time was on the third rider to cross the finish line. A four person team could barely afford to lose one rider. One flat, a bonk, do we wait, do we go? This had to be decided on the road by the team while riding on the razor’s edge of anaerobic doom.
Olympic track lost the tandem match sprint. Track is also losing the individual pursuit events this year for reasons I can’t imagine. Thank you, UCI. The tandem sprint was no flash in the pan event, introduced into the Olympics in 1908. It was finally terminated after the 1972 games. God damn it, what’s not to love? We keep thinking Cav is the fastest cyclist but track sprinters are faster. Imagine two super fast riders on one bike racing another matched pair. One pair of legs does the driving, one pair just to stoke. The stoker could also be the second pair of eyes for the driver but really his mission was to plant his face against the small of the driver’s back and spin that bike up to over 85 kph! The tactics were the same as the regular match sprint. There were track stands, jumps and bumps: it was just faster and more awesome.
I don’t know the reasoning behind the decision in 1972 but I’m here to say things were a little weird back then, many bad decisions went down in the early ’70s. The Bee Gees made it to number sixteen in the American music charts and they were not terminated with extreme prejudice right then, before it was too late.
Here is some footage of a past World Championship just to demonstrate the awesome.
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@Giles I totally agree about basketball. for one thing its not even an international sport. At least Tennis and Golf have that going for them. then again, I couldn't really careless about the entire event. I watched the RR cause its a damn race and I am following the Tennis cause its a sport I have been passionate about since I was about 10. other than that I dont watch, read or listen to anything about it.
@the Engine
"Ecky Thump" NIce. Great episode!
All Olympic sports shoudl hark back to the original, where soldeirs showed their mad skillz at either killing or avoiding being killed. Anything else is just money grabbing by the IOC.
So track cycling wouldn't be in my Olympics (too easy to be killed when just riding in circles), but the road race and time trial would be (transport to and from the battle). Throwing stuff, jumping stuff and running are all in. Beach volleyball, synchronised anything (except maybe stabbing or garrotting), and all demonstration sports are out.
Now I just need a wealthy patron to bankroll my idea...
Wow, this whole thing is awesome... the Bee Gees being terminated, 'Big Diving' lording over the IOC, photos of insane double deathtraps, Tae Kwon Don't, fucking golf (Tiger's concoction I'm sure) Ecky Thump and whacking cocks around... what a way to start the day!
@Bianchi Denti
I'd like to see the TT combined with the Javelin... seeing Wiggo cop one in the chest would make my day. Even better if he was sitting on that fucking throne. What a twat.
Um, crashes in both semi finals and you're wondering why the event was canned? It's like including Nascar if they're only allowed to steer with their left hand. I might posit that the liklihood of crashing on a very expensive wooden track put the organisers off, while previous events may have been run on concrete tracks or older outdoor tracks that have hardened over time?
@the Engine
Worse, (fucking) golf isn't even a competiton between individuals. It is between you and the course. Now fairly, this can be said about time trials too, but ... what you said. The thing about (fucking) golf that always cracked me up was how much the PGA hated John Daly. He was a out of shape, pot bellied, loudmouth wife beating, drug addicted, annoying fuck...that could hit the ball further than anyone else in the game. And people don't give a shit about score, they want to beat the shit out of the (fucking) golf ball. He actually showed up on the first tee for a big (fucking) golf tournament with a cigarette and beer in hand. Even though he was a fucking disgrace, he had huge crowds. And made huge money independent of the control of the PGA.
Fuck golf.
And yes, Mrs/Dr Eightzero participates in a "martial art" and those in general, not specifically, are Olympic sports. I ride a bike, but don't race. Except when there is somone in front of me. Or a running clock on my bars.
@RedRanger
Basketball is certainly an international sport. Not nearly on on the level of something such as football (soccer), but there are pro teams in Europe, where many players went during the lockout here in the US, or where players go before/after their careers here in the US.
It's sort of the reverse of how cycling is here in the US vs. Europe. Just because pro cycling isn't super popular in the US it doesn't mean there aren't pro teams, or people who enjoy it.
I'd like to institute the Amateur olympics, where you have to work 35 hours a week minimum (For the French) at a real job and compete to get into the competition. Pretty much what masters racing is I suppose, without the age restriction. That way you get people who are passionate about their sport and actually willing to make sacrifices for it rather than some ponce who gets paid to work on their hobby (Yes, I know this applies to cyclists too).
I could not care less about some oversized twat who gets a government handout to swim lengths.
@eightzero
You tend to relate these things to money which is interesting because I agree with almost all of what you say, but money doesn't occur to me as being the root of this.
To me, it seems like the root is that, as you say, these things should be fun. This is what we do to have fun, get healthy, etc. But when that becomes your work, then what do you do for fun? You don't pick up a career as a hobby and head to the office for a few hours after riding to relax, right?
I think these athletes start to lose sight of the fact that this is really just a sport and its really not life or death that we're talking about. They conduct themselves like its the only thing in the world because for most of them, it is. That, to me, is the tragedy.
As much as I'm indifferent about Wiggo, and was disgusted by his early attitude towards those asking questions about his methods to get to the top, I was impressed by him having the sensibility to point out that all he's doing is riding a bike and its all just a bike race at the end of the day.
Like I said in the Olympics VSP, Christ I miss the Cold War. At least the Olympics mattered then.
On a completely different note, we have the chance to go to the Vancouver (actually Whistler) Olympics and it was so incredibly fucking cool. Especially cool to see the event held in a village I'm really familiar with and understand well to begin with. Seeing it with the Olympics was incredible because you could see the delta between every other winter and the Olympics; the difference was purely the spirit of the event. Amazing. People from every country, all having a great time and being welcoming of each other. Goes to show that politicians cause wars, not people. People just want to chill out and have a good time for the most part.
I envy you Londoners that you get to experience this in your town. Very, very, very cool.
@the Engine
You mean like the Scottish Marshall Art of Fook'Yu. Which consists mostly of headbutting, and kicking people when they're on the ground? (Thank you Mike Meyers.)