Counting down the Olympics

[Carlee10]

Dang....the women's team got second. They had some mistakes, and they just couldn't get it. Oh well, they still got a medal, and that counts for something. Did anybody see the clip of the Hungarian weightlifter who completely twisted his arm out of his socket, or the other man who tore his calf muscle once, then tried to lift again? Those were not fun moments.

[jimbot]

No i have not seen those, I'm sorry for those guys. fours years of training to end in a pulled musle or dislocated arm.

My favorite moment was when the guy won Toga's first medal ever in white water kayaking. (Great sport there...)

[mathking]

Since Jane brought up the question of finding graciousness, I think that Tyson Gay's comments after getting 5th in the 100 m semi-final were quite gracious. Particularly when you consider the circumstances. He was frank about feeling devastated, but offered no excuses or whining. He offered his congratulations to those who qualified on. When you spend literally years focused on one single event, disappointment can be profound. He showed how to handle it with dignity. I also saw a volleyball match in which one of the Chinese men turned to the referee after a ball had been ruled out and gestured that he had touched the ball and it should be a point for the other team. Or one of the American women gymnasts, who would not respond to baiting to try to get her to say one of the Chinese gymnasts was under age, saying "Well, I don't look like I'm 20." Or watching the women's marathon and seeing a runner turn to a competitor from another country (both of them a couple minutes off the lead) and yell at her not to drop back. The second women, who had been slowing down, sped back up and ended up finishing a little ahead of the first woman. Or all the silver medalists turning to smile and congratulate the gold medal winners.

I mention this because of some of the recent threads about robotics being a sport. As FIRST grows it becomes more sports spectacle like. So let's try to remember the good examples we see here in the Olympics, since they are so accessible now.

[JaneYoung]

Closing ceremony coming up soon....wow, that went by fast.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I can't believe how tough the Brazilians are in volleyball. Both the men's and women's finals matches were extremely close. I was cheering for both sides. Brazil is going to be tough in the future. Looking forward to hearing the Brazilian National Anthem in the future.

"Pátria amada, Brasil!"