Olympics

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Some of the fun things to watch that are not the mainstream: kayak cross; women's free style wrestling; sport climbing; definitely watch the men's 1500m race that happened last night; the men's pole jump; women's discus.

Sport climbing is on cable so has kayak cross

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I liked the 1500. Those two guys smack talking each other for a year only to have the American sneak up and pow!! Neither of them won.

Kayak cross looked more like Kayak demolition derby. HAHA. And did you see the one where the dropper dropped a couple of them sideways. Uhhhhh I think your launcher needs a little bit more work on the drawing board.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

We were calling Kayak cross dodge em kayak. It was oddly entertaining.

The speed was climbing was crazy. Like human spiders.

 

[lisaviolet]

....definitely watch the men's 1500m race that happened last night.

on that. Epic..

 

[Allison]

I liked the 1500. Those two guys smack talking each other for a year only to have the American sneak up and pow!! Neither of them won.

The biggest trash talker didn't even medal.

 

[cabanafrau]

I liked the 1500. Those two guys smack talking each other for a year only to have the American sneak up and pow!! Neither of them won.

Kayak cross looked more like Kayak demolition derby. HAHA. And did you see the one where the dropper dropped a couple of them sideways. Uhhhhh I think your launcher needs a little bit more work on the drawing board.

Is kayak cross new this year? It is pretty entertaining. I also liked another one on that course I saw last weekend where they went solo down the course and had to make sure their heads went in between the gates, sometimes having to pivot upstream like in the cross -- although no rolling required. The rolling looks absurd and makes me laugh every time -- you'd think I'd get used to it, but nope, just breaks me every time.

We were calling Kayak cross dodge em kayak. It was oddly entertaining.

The speed was climbing was crazy. Like human spiders.

What's the climbing, like rock climbing? If I get a chance I'll have to search that one out, too.

I wish there was time after the Olympics to be able to view the recorded events, even for a week or two, but I remember last games they get pulled immediately at the close. So many things I'd like to see, but I barely scratch the surface.

 

[sam_gordon]

I also liked another one on that course I saw last weekend where they went solo down the course and had to make sure their heads went in between the gates, sometimes having to pivot upstream like in the cross -- although no rolling required.

I think that was "Kayak Slalom".

 

[soccerdad72]

Is kayak cross new this year? It is pretty entertaining. I also liked another one on that course I saw last weekend where they went solo down the course and had to make sure their heads went in between the gates, sometimes having to pivot upstream like in the cross -- although no rolling required. The rolling looks absurd and makes me laugh every time -- you'd think I'd get used to it, but nope, just breaks me every time.

What's the climbing, like rock climbing? If I get a chance I'll have to search that one out, too.

Yes, I believe kayak cross is new this year. It reminds me of snowboard cross from the winter Olympics (which, it might have been inspired by?).

And yeah, speed climbing is one of the three rock climbing events in the Olympics along with bouldering and lead climbing, I believe.

 

[NotUrsula]

My very-poorly-funded high school in rural Louisiana also had a full suite of gymnastics apparatus for gym classes. Not enough textbooks to go around, but by golly we had a full-height balance beam, a horse, and several sets of bars (that was before the uneven bars were redesigned to tilt away from one another. Back then the parallel bars and uneven bars were the same apparatus, just with the heights adjusted differently, which meant that your chances of cracking your head on the other bar in a somersault were *much* higher. Vaulting and pommel horses were also the same; you just unbolted the pommels to use it for vault.)

We also had a competitive archery team, which was actually quite good (which probably owed a fair amount to the fact that bowhunting is VERY popular in Louisiana, and most kids in hunting families start shooting when they are about 5.)

 

[cabanafrau]

Yes, I believe kayak cross is new this year. It reminds me of snowboard cross from the winter Olympics (which, it might have been inspired by?).

And yeah, speed climbing is one of the three rock climbing events in the Olympics along with bouldering and lead climbing, I believe.

We love to watch snowboard cross. I thought that was pretty wild until I happened to catch something on TV a few years back called crashed ice. Hands down the wildest thing I've ever seen. Long, winding ice runs with drops constructed in city centers where four competitors (lunatics) on ice skates go down the run simultaneously to see who's on their feet to cross the finish line. One competition was in Minneapolis or Saint Paul with the track start line up at the steps of a massive cathedral. Think snowboard cross combined with roller derby and you're close. How they literally do not break their necks is beyond me.

Zero familiarity with anything climbing, so I'll have to hope I get a chance to at least take a look what that's like.

 

[Karin1984]

I do not care about sports or the Olympics. I do like it that my very small country, the Netherlands, is in top 10.

I like it even more that we are ahead of Germany

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Is kayak cross new this year? It is pretty entertaining. I also liked another one on that course I saw last weekend where they went solo down the course and had to make sure their heads went in between the gates, sometimes having to pivot upstream like in the cross -- although no rolling required. The rolling looks absurd and makes me laugh every time -- you'd think I'd get used to it, but nope, just breaks me every time.

What's the climbing, like rock climbing? If I get a chance I'll have to search that one out, too.

I wish there was time after the Olympics to be able to view the recorded events, even for a week or two, but I remember last games they get pulled immediately at the close. So many things I'd like to see, but I barely scratch the surface.

This is the first year I've ever seen it in Olympic competition.
The solo one is slalom. They have both. That's not new. I find it funny that if you even touch a gate with anything, PENALTY TIME!! But in that kayak cross, Oh just bang the gate whatever way you want with your head or your paddle. That roll they had to do in kayak cross just looked like something they threw in to throw it in. Well we made them do all this other stuff, what do we do now. Oh I know, how bout a roll.

The climbing that I saw was simulated rock climbing on a wall. The wall had holes in it so the course could be changed.

 

[BrianL]

Is kayak cross new this year? It is pretty entertaining. I also liked another one on that course I saw last weekend where they went solo down the course and had to make sure their heads went in between the gates, sometimes having to pivot upstream like in the cross -- although no rolling required. The rolling looks absurd and makes me laugh every time -- you'd think I'd get used to it, but nope, just breaks me every time.

What's the climbing, like rock climbing? If I get a chance I'll have to search that one out, too.

I wish there was time after the Olympics to be able to view the recorded events, even for a week or two, but I remember last games they get pulled immediately at the close. So many things I'd like to see, but I barely scratch the surface.

Kayak Cross is new, but Slalom is a pretty classic event.

The climbing takes place on those climbing walls like you see at some places. There is speed, which is Straight up and Bouldering, which is more of a technical path to the top of a much lower peak.

 

[cabanafrau]

This is the first year I've ever seen it in Olympic competition.
The solo one is slalom. They have both. That's not new. I find it funny that if you even touch a gate with anything, PENALTY TIME!! But in that kayak cross, Oh just bang the gate whatever way you want with your head or your paddle. That roll they had to do in kayak cross just looked like something they threw in to throw it in. Well we made them do all this other stuff, what do we do now. Oh I know, how bout a roll.

The climbing that I saw was simulated rock climbing on a wall. The wall had holes in it so the course could be changed.

Yeah, they were literally taking their paddle and moving the gate however they pleased, which made it seem like, what's the point of it at all?

The roll absolutely kills me. I told my husband I absolutely believe it is a stealth way of including the Hokey Pokey in the games now.

I guess next games we better brush up on our Duck Duck Goose and Ring Around the Rosie. Maybe toss in a little Red Light/Green Light, Red Rover, Musical Chairs or Pin the Tail on the Donkey to make it interesting?

 

[BrianL]

Yeah, they were literally taking their paddle and moving the gate however they pleased, which made it seem like, what's the point of it at all?

The roll absolutely kills me. I told my husband I absolutely believe it is a stealth way of including the Hokey Pokey in the games now.

I guess next games we better brush up on our Duck Duck Goose and Ring Around the Rosie. Maybe toss in a little Red Light/Green Light, Red Rover, Musical Chairs or Pin the Tail on the Donkey to make it interesting?

They have to put their head and both shoulders around hte correct side of the gate. They can touch it though and move it a bit. If it goes too far up though, it would be a fault as your head and shoulders didn't really go through it properly.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

They have to put their head and both shoulders around hte correct side of the gate. They can touch it though and move it a bit. If it goes too far up though, it would be a fault as your head and shoulders didn't really go through it properly.

They are very generous on those aspects though, most of what I saw was as long as they made an effort to go around the pole in the direction the arrow was they were fine. As far as the gate they moved it A LOT, like several times they were full on hitting it with their paddle with it going straight up usually it was when an opponent was there so it was being used, as they are encouraged, to sabotage their opponent. The only thing I saw they were very strict on was letting go of your paddle which is not allowed.

Kayak and canoe slalom there's high precision and video review for did your head go fully around the pole, did you touch the pole, etc. Kayak cross? Not as much. It being the first year maybe they were just trying to get people interested in the sport

 

[RedAngie]

What the heck is going on with the Women’s Pole Vault? The finals started at 12:15 Eastern and are still not finished 3 hours later.

It seems like they take a vault, then go inside for 20 minutes before returning. Come on. Snap snap snap!!!! Get with it. I want to see one right after another.

Other field events take place when athletes are racing on the track. Why not pole vault?

 

[soccerdad72]

What the heck is going on with the Women’s Pole Vault? The finals started at 12:15 Eastern and are still not finished 3 hours later.

It seems like take a vault, then go inside for 20 minutes before returning. Come on. Snap snap snap!!!! Get with it. I want to see one right after another.

Other field events take place when athletes are racing on the track. Why not pole vault?

It might be that the area they use to run up to the pole vault bar interferes with the track?

 

[RedAngie]

It might be that the area they use to run up to the pole vault bar interferes with the track?

The pole vault area is inside the curve of the track at one end perpendicular to the straightaways.

But I didn’t notice if the vaulters need to cross the racing lanes.

In any case, it’s kind of frustrating waiting so long to see the result.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Oklahoma City??? Does someone think there are no rivers in California???

Okay, I guess they have to build a dedicated "river" for the kayak events, but still, why not do it near Los Angeles???

I'm with you. Softball too - there are plenty of facilities in So Cal for softball. Of note, the entirety of Orange County, except maybe Huntington Beach or San Onofre for the surfing, will NOT be hosting events. Ask anyone outside So Cal and they do not know that Orange County is a separate place from Los Angeles. Going to LA? Surely you are headed to Disneyland...in Orange County. It's a weird disconnect.

As for the rapids events, yes, OKC has the existing facility and they are very committed to having facilities that will continue to be used post Olympics. Yeah, and FOR SURE that would get used in So Cal. Seems like a no-brainer to build it. but no. They are selling it as OKC is a reasonable 2.5 hour flight away - easy peasy. Again the disconnect is pretty mind boggling.