Official Paris Olympics 2024 thread

[Big D]

Trying to watch the ladies sevens, the handling and decision making is appalling

It's really bad 7s.

[David in Gwent]

Deleted.

[Big D]

I hate to be critical because there's a lot of effort gone on and pressure of the Olympics etc but the quality in that game was terrible.

GB got what they deserved.

[Openside]

Trying to watch the ladies sevens, the handling and decision making is appalling

It's really bad 7s.

Utterly painful to watch.

[Slick]

I hate to be critical because there's a lot of effort gone on and pressure of the Olympics etc but the quality in that game was terrible.

GB got what they deserved.

Having played a fair bit of 7’a, as I’m sure a lot of us has, I do find it hard to be critical. Fucking awful sport

[Openside]

What happened to head guards in the boxing?

[yermum]

What happened to head guards in the boxing?

Gone for men. Women still have them for some reason

Headgear increases the risk of concussion but reduces cuts and broken noses. So it’s basically optics that we don’t want to see women boxers covered in blood

[Openside]

And another one.
Eccles loses to the Pole.

Just came onto say the same - pointless sport if the results are a mystery

Olympic boxing is best avoided for your blood pressure and sense of fairness.

Fucking hell Orie has just been knocked out having spent 3 rounds battering his opponent - waste of time!!

[Sandstorm]

Awful GB tackling.

[Openside]

What happened to head guards in the boxing?

Gone for men. Women still have them for some reason

Headgear increases the risk of concussion but reduces cuts and broken noses. So it’s basically optics that we don’t want to see women boxers covered in blood

Cheers

[Lobby]

I hate to be critical because there's a lot of effort gone on and pressure of the Olympics etc but the quality in that game was terrible.

GB got what they deserved.

I think you have every right to be critical. I watched all of the quarter finals and GB looked to be by some distance the worst prepared and coached team on display, especially given the quality of the players available to them. They were utterly clueless in both defence and attack and were unable to maintain any sort of structure to their play after more than one pass. The contrast between the GB USA game and the following game between France and Canada (an absolutely epic match) was like night and day.

Sure Ireland and China were thrashed, but they were playing NZ and Australia, the likely finalists, and they did at least look as if they'd played sevens before and knew what they should be doing.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Trying to watch the ladies sevens, the handling and decision making is appalling

It's really bad 7s.

We've had the exact same thing with the XVs, and oddly if given the the chance they'll get better at this too

[Uncle fester]

Trying to watch the ladies sevens, the handling and decision making is appalling

Watch a team other than Ireland is my advice.

[Big D]

Trying to watch the ladies sevens, the handling and decision making is appalling

It's really bad 7s.

We've had the exact same thing with the XVs, and oddly if given the the chance they'll get better at this too

Olympic 7s has been around for a while now and whilst GB should get better, they've played better 7s in previous Olympics and will play better in the future.

That doesn't change the fact that they played really bad 7s rugby in the QF.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

It's really bad 7s.

We've had the exact same thing with the XVs, and oddly if given the the chance they'll get better at this too

Olympic 7s has been around for a while now and whilst GB should get better, they've played better 7s in previous Olympics and will play better in the future.

That doesn't change the fact that they played really bad 7s rugby in the QF.

Across the board, Wales, Scotland and England need a real think about whether 7s can continue as such an afterthought. We're letting down those who are taking it seriously, I'm not perhaps sold that suddenly means RL9s comes to the fore, nor even an abridged NFL model, but we're in a variety of ways not allowing access to better players that's clearly needed to do better.

I suspect the defence will be we cannot afford to more given the priority of paying wages in mens XVs, but we are choosing quite that level of priority

[Jock42]

I'm not sure how but I appear to be invested in clay pigeon shooting.

[Sandstorm]

I'm not sure how but I appear to be invested in clay pigeon shooting.

Infinitely more interesting to watch than the fucking iQFoil sailing event. What a joke.

[Blackmac]

Just came onto say the same - pointless sport if the results are a mystery

Olympic boxing is best avoided for your blood pressure and sense of fairness.

Fucking hell Orie has just been knocked out having spent 3 rounds battering his opponent - waste of time!!

It was a poor decision but actually not as bad a some of the others.

[Blackmac]

Bloody yank and Chinese swimmers walking into the swimming with artic style parker jackets on must be one of the stupider things at the Olympics.

[Blackmac]

I was wrong. The stupidest thing is that two allegedly female boxers, previously banned from competing by the IBA after tests proved they were biological males are competing. Just watched the Algerian one batter the living shit out of a poor Mexican opponent.

[SaintK]

Well done Mr Wiffen
Gold and OR in 800m freestyle final for Ireland

[Insane_Homer]

Wiffen with an amazing win in the pool this evening for Ireland. Superb.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

I was wrong. The stupidest thing is that two allegedly female boxers, previously banned from competing by the IBA after tests proved they were biological males are competing. Just watched the Algerian one batter the living shit out of a poor Mexican opponent.

First bout is on Thursday. Lord knows why they decided this was a good idea.

Zambia fielded a couple of males in their womens soccer team as well. At least it's less likely to actually cause a dangerous situation there.

[BnM]

Fab few mins, a gold in the Pool and Murray/Evans survive match points again

[BnM]

3 regions need to get their act together for the 7s. Women were poor and men on their summer hols.

[Uncle fester]

Well done Mr Wiffen
Gold and OR in 800m freestyle final for Ireland

Didn't see that coming but very welcome.

[Uncle fester]

I was wrong. The stupidest thing is that two allegedly female boxers, previously banned from competing by the IBA after tests proved they were biological males are competing. Just watched the Algerian one batter the living shit out of a poor Mexican opponent.

IOC don't recognise the IBA I believe.

[Uncle fester]

If it hasn't been mentioned yet, it is fücking sweltering over here.

[Blackmac]

I was wrong. The stupidest thing is that two allegedly female boxers, previously banned from competing by the IBA after tests proved they were biological males are competing. Just watched the Algerian one batter the living shit out of a poor Mexican opponent.

IOC don't recognise the IBA I believe.

Yep, that seems to be it.

[Dinsdale Piranha]

I was wrong. The stupidest thing is that two allegedly female boxers, previously banned from competing by the IBA after tests proved they were biological males are competing. Just watched the Algerian one batter the living shit out of a poor Mexican opponent.

IOC don't recognise the IBA I believe.

Yep, that seems to be it.

They unrecognised the IBA a few years ago for being useless corrupt fuckwits - which is a fair point.

However it's the IOC so it's useless corrupt fuckwith all the way down.

[Big D]

Well done Mr Wiffen
Gold and OR in 800m freestyle final for Ireland

Didn't see that coming but very welcome.

Surely he must have been one of the favourites? 800m and 1500m world champion, short course world record holder and was dominant in the U23 euros last year too.

[Big D]

Without intending to start a political discussion, is there a generally accepted rule where individuals from NI represent Ireland and members of teams (rowing and hockey) represent GB or have a choice?

Or is it a case of sport dependant like how the IRFU covers the island?

[Lobby]

Without intending to start a political discussion, is there a generally accepted rule where individuals from NI represent Ireland and members of teams (rowing and hockey) represent GB or have a choice?

Or is it a case of sport dependant like how the IRFU covers the island?

As I recall, athletes from NI can choose to compete for Ireland or for GB. Hence there were two NI swimmers who got gold medals yesterday - Wiffen in the 800m and Jack McMillan as part of the GB relay team.

[Uncle fester]

Without intending to start a political discussion, is there a generally accepted rule where individuals from NI represent Ireland and members of teams (rowing and hockey) represent GB or have a choice?

Or is it a case of sport dependant like how the IRFU covers the island?

It depends and the status of the governing bodies is key. For example, if an Ulster player decided their wanted to play with team GB, they would be going into conflict with their employer, the IRFU.

Boxing is also an all island body and very well run so Belfast boxers would be harming their chances by competing with UK.

Hockey also all-island but Ireland are relatively weak and wouldn't have a realistic chance of medalling.

I wouldn't know too much re other sports but ultimately the Good Friday agreement is about the principle of a person's right to choose their own banner and identity. If somebody from NI wishes to exercise their right to compete with team GB, off they go but it will exercise yahoos on both sides.

[Uncle fester]

Well done Mr Wiffen
Gold and OR in 800m freestyle final for Ireland

Didn't see that coming but very welcome.

Surely he must have been one of the favourites? 800m and 1500m world champion, short course world record holder and was dominant in the U23 euros last year too.

It's Ireland. It's in our nature to flop on the big stage.

[Big D]

Without intending to start a political discussion, is there a generally accepted rule where individuals from NI represent Ireland and members of teams (rowing and hockey) represent GB or have a choice?

Or is it a case of sport dependant like how the IRFU covers the island?

It depends and the status of the governing bodies is key. For example, if an Ulster player decided their wanted to play with team GB, they would be going into conflict with their employer, the IRFU.

Boxing is also an all island body and very well run so Belfast boxers would be harming their chances by competing with UK.

Hockey also all-island but Ireland are relatively weak and wouldn't have a realistic chance of medalling.

I wouldn't know too much re other sports but ultimately the Good Friday agreement is about the principle of a person's right to choose their own banner and identity. If somebody from NI wishes to exercise their right to compete with team GB, off thetly go but it will exercise yahoos on both sides.

Cheers. My wife is Northern Irish and she wasn't sure. She is from a fairly heavily protestant town but have a swimmer repping Ireland this year. She has qualified for her semi I think.

[Big D]

Didn't see that coming but very welcome.

Surely he must have been one of the favourites? 800m and 1500m world champion, short course world record holder and was dominant in the U23 euros last year too.

It's Ireland. It's in our nature to flop on the big stage.

He mightily impressive.

[Enzedder]

Yee vs Wilde for the triathlon gold.

To me, Yee is running smoother. 2kms to go

[Enzedder]

Wilde blows out with 400 to go.

Great run Yee

[Oxbow]

Tremendous finish by Yee.