Olympics - what ya gonna believe??

[goughy]

OK, the Chinese Government are renowned for their forthrightness with the world media. So what are we gonna believe?

So far they have busted at least 2 terrorist plots against the Olympics. The latest against it's transport system.

Yet a korean media group have gotten into the secret secret opening ceremony dress rehearsal and have loaded footage of it onto the net where access is supposedly being censored by the government (something they promised they wouldn't do) ! So they can catch terrorists with thousands of bottles of toxic powder who are probably good at keeping things secret, yet a media team can get into a tight security zone!

What ya gonna believe??

I think it's time for The Chasers to go back into business!!

[3oneday]

It'll be cheaper and better on dhgate.

[Webster]

even if the terrorists blow up 100,000 Chinese there will still be lots left.

[sms316]

I pretty much couldn't give a fat rat's clacker about the Olympics. Every ad break on the radio has an Olympic snapshot. Channel 7 have had a countdown clock going since 1000 days to go.

The constant promotion/advertising has made me sick of it before it starts.

[dc68]

Wont be watching.

[Dotty]

What Olympics? I've still got US Open playoff, 4 days of The Open and TdF time-trial still to watch.

No Chinese takeaway for me.

[Jarro]

I've already seen the Opening Ceremony ... don't need to see any more really :roll:

[Scottt]

US PGA Championship overlaps the first weekend thank god, so there'll still be something to watch.

[AndyP]

This crap better not intefere with footy coverage.

[AndyP]

I'm jealous. Great crowd, great game. You chose wisely.

[Scottt]

I don't intend on watching much now but once I see some slim Aussie swimmer standing poolside (with visible camel toe thru togs) with a gold medal around her neck being interviewed bt Nic Stevenson I'll be all over it.

Stephanie Rice is single now, so fire up!

[markTHEblake]

Has it started?

I dont mind watching the finals of the running, especially the middle distances ones with that that champion Ethiopian bloke, Gabsiersialle or whatever, makes a huge run on the last lap.

But apart from that, its like watching Americas Cup full replay.

[markTHEblake]

Who?

[Scottt]

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5965898,00.jpg

[Scottt]

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2008/04/02/202231975.jpg

[Scottt]

http://www.olympics.com.au/Portals/3/images/Athletes/teams/swimming/headshots/stephanie_rice_profile.jpg

[sms316]

S.i.t.d. 3:16

[sms316]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24105592-5001021,00.html

[jimandr]

This crap better not intefere with footy coverage.

Its on 7 and SBS, so the only change to normal sports programming should be seven's Friday night AFL (which we see at midnight anyway if we forget it is on Foxtel as well).

Bad luck for the revheads who'll miss their V8's, but nobody else will be sad.

The Olympics tends to be our only chance to see minor sports like Judo, rowing and track cycling, but that coverage usually only reminds us that they aren't very good TV sports anyway.

I'll watch the athletics, but I'll use the rest as something on in the background while doing something else.

[Dazza]

Bad luck for the revheads who'll miss their V8's, but nobody else will be sad.

Nah we should be right. Winton is on this weekend, then Phillip Island is on 12-14 September.

[jaybam]

WHo gives a rats butt about the olympics?? Who wants to watch bloody americans winning just about everything. Give them a chance to gloat some more.

[Dazza]

Ready ... get set ... choke!
By Ben English, National Olympics Editor, in Beijing | August 05, 2008 12:15am
http://www.foxsports.com.au/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24129615-5014107,00.html (http://www.foxsports.com.au/beijing_olympics/story/0,27313,24129615-5014107,00.html)
http://www.foxsports.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6180916,00.jpg
DO not adjust your eyes.
These pictures, taken exactly 24 hours apart, graphically illustrate how Beijing has gone from beautiful one day, to choking the next.

Just three days from the Opening Ceremony, Beijing's air is clogged with lethal smog 26 times the average Sydney day, a Beijing Now investigation can reveal.

The smog was so intense it penetrated the Aquatic Centre - or Water Cube - prompting calls for an investigation by the Australian swimming team.

Tests on the atmosphere inside the Olympic Green, and within 500 metres of the Games track and field and swimming facilities, show pollution has soared in the past 24 hours to levels equivalent of a bushfire.

A haze hovering high inside above the competition pool greeted the Australian swim team for their first training session at the Olympic swimming venue.

Australian head swimming coach Alan Thompson said he was seeking an answer from event organisers at the pool to find out why it appeared the smog had crept indoors.

"I am trying to find the answer to that question,'' Thompson said when asked if he had noticed the hazy conditions.

"I don't know why, but I did notice the haze.''

The extreme readings in Beijing raise the prospect of Olympic events being rescheduled in a bid to protect athletes from life-threatening conditions.

Pollution experts said yesterday it was a case of when - not if - athletes broke down under the conditions.

And they warned more serious responses - even death - were now possible.

"You have a ****tail of conditions that add up to extreme stress on the athlete,'' said Murdoch University associate professor Peter Dingle.

"With these readings you are talking more than 20 times a high day in Sydney or Melbourne and 10 times the most extreme pollution day (in Sydney or Melbourne).

"On those days back home asthmatics are told to stay inside.

"When you add the elements of heat, humidity and athletes pushing themselves to the brink, it is quite possible an athlete will die during these Olympics.''

Beijing Now used a Dusttrack aerosol monitor, taken to Beijing from Australia, to measure the number of particulates in the air.

Particulates are microscopic dust particles which are normally invisible to the eye.

In Australia, the air quality standard is 50 micrograms of particles per cubic metre.

On six of the past eight days, Beijing has recorded pollution at least twice that level.

And yesterday, as the pall of smog descended on the city, it soared to 1320 micrograms, or 26 times Australia's air quality standard.

A toxic haze shrouded buildings which just a day earlier were clearly visible.

Where the Bird's Nest was seen in sharp relief on Sunday morning, yesterday it was cloaked in murky smog.

Dr Dingle said under normal circumstances the conditions would force officials to close or postpone major sporting events.

But he said "political factors" would make that unlikely at the Beijing Olympics.

"Politically they just won't reschedule events - it would be a humiliation for Beijing,'' said.

"But from a health and safety perspective, organisers, coaches and administrators do have a duty of care to ensure their athletes are not put at risk.

"It won't so much affect the sprinters but for middle distance and long distance athletes there is a big risk. Certainly if we were in Australia endurance events would be put off.''

Beijing has already intrdoduced a raft of anti-smog measures to clear the air, including halving the number of cars on the road each day and shutting down thousands of factories in and around the Host city.

It has also formed a crisis plan to remove 90 per cent of cars from the streets and shut down even more industry if the pollution is remains high as the Games approach.

Australian deputy chef de mission Peter Montgomery last week said the Australian Olympic Committee would not stand in the way of Aussie athletes withdrawing because of smog concerns.
Yesterday the athletes said they would simply cope with the conditions.

"It's so far to the markers that you cant even see them because of the smog,'' said women's eight crew member and team captain Sarah Tait.

"It's really hard out there.

"Its actually better today with the haze over than it was yesterday with the bright sun.

"I don't know how we'll go with breathing but I struggled a lot more with yesterday's heat than today.''

[damoocow]

I would happily go and watch the swimming as long as the spectators could throw things at the competitors - that would certainly liven up the world's most boring sport - imagine the thrill of lobbing a pineapple at someone just coming out of their tumble turn...

[PeteyD]

I can't believe the polution carry on. It is on a par with London, LA etc, but the high humidity causes it to be more visible.

I like seeing the minor sports at the olympics, unfortunately we tend to get saturation swimming and FA else. I am hoping the SBS coverage is good.

[Scottt]

I can't believe the polution carry on. It is on a par with London, LA etc, but the high humidity causes it to be more visible.

I like seeing the minor sports at the olympics, unfortunately we tend to get saturation swimming and FA else. I am hoping the SBS coverage is good.

with swimming finals being held in the morning to appease the US TV deal, we will be guaranteed other sports at night. Unless they just show swimming highlights from that morning...

[PeteyD]

You never know with Channel 7!

[LarryLong]

I just found out that 7 won't be firing up "The Dream" with Roy and HG. Is this true? I'll be absolutely shattered if that's not on. The Dream was about the only good point in the Olympics coverage for me.

[senecio]

Is this over yet?

[swanny]

Watch the aussie lasses in their see through white pants there all looking for white undies i say they should forget the undies and get a brazilian.

[AndyP]

Its on 7 and SBS, so the only change to normal sports programming should be seven's Friday night AFL (which we see at midnight anyway if we forget it is on Foxtel as well).Friday's game got shown at 8am Saturday morning. :?

When I flicked on the box this arvo, I had two channels of Olympics and two channels of motor sport to choose from. Awesome! :roll:

[goughy]

That's odd 'cause I had bloody AFL disturbing my olympics viewing this arvo!!!

[sms316]

Rumour has it that some bloke in the Paralympics has just tested positive to WD40.
:-k

[chappy1970]

I was watching the Paralympics last night, and those athletes are some of the most inspiring people on the planet.
IMO

[sms316]

No doubt, but they don't get too many people excited.

They should be on about 3 weeks before the Olympics, so that way they are part of the build up, and not an afterthought.

It's like women's golf. People want to see bigger, stronger, faster. No matter how much talent these people have, or how hard they have trained to get there - it still isn't the real deal.

[chappy1970]

Bigger, faster, stronger women's golf would be great.

But scantly clad or semi naked women's golf would be awesome. Perhaps it would be nice if Laura Davies either didn't play or missed the cut though :)