Conversation:

Congratulations Canada, ~jwf~. I saw highlights. First goal was excellent.

Blimey that was good. GB retaining their title in the fours rowing. And the guys so effusive in their thanks of all the people who made it possible over the last 4 years. You can't do these things without the help of others in the background, we'll never know about.

I've been fairly restrained on this thread - being strongly concerned this time with putting on a great games for the rest of the world..and supporting all nations. And its genuine. Loved sports GB aren't any good at like fencing.

But a great surge of patriotism came over me...and the Aussies were smashed How sweet that is...bring on the dressage

The womens team pursuit team are just sensational: 6 races and 6 world records.

We clearly are the best in the world at cycling and rowing these days.


Happy days

When I say 'we' of course I do of course mean team GB - they - it's not like I helped or participate in any way - other than revelling in it obviously.


I recall the days when we were unbeatable forever at middle distance runnning - let's keep the pressure up. The swimming has clearly dipped this time.

I don't see why people are reticent about the "we". It's our taxes, our education system, our society as shaped, voted for and financed by us that creates the platform these people perform upon. The entire sporting system in the UK requires a collective will to create and sustain and collectively, we can be proud of the fruits of our labours.

I've seen a couple of very awkward BBC post-event interviews today with those Team GB athletes who didn't do well, and I found it really embarrassing. I don't want to intrude on their dissapointment, no would I want them to say anything they might later regret. Are they all obliged to speak to the BBC, win or lose? It seems so.

I must say I'm not one for those interviews, especially if they have lost. I look forward to the first athlete that cracks.

"How do you feel after losing all your hopes and dreams??"
"Absolutely ing gutted, how do you think I feel, you inconsiderate moron?"

One of the 400m hurdles chaps looked very close to that: when asked how he felt about Dai Greene nearly missing out he came awfully close to saying "I don't care about him"

Yeah but that's the business they're in. Have to talk to the media - win or lose? That's the game - so tough.

And I stand by the I'm not really one of the we - taxes Does that count for Man U or Livepool or Chelski fan from Mauritius when they say 'we'
(and assuredly they will)

That interview with the 400m hurdles guy who screwed up was cracking frankly. Not for him obviously but- did he have passion? Was he accepting his failure

Hell yes. Hell no

Respect? Hell yes

Man U & the like are directly funded though, so not quite the same thing.

However, if we accept the premise that we are social animals, our innate tendency to group together is one of the things that drives our society. Surely those that cannot comprehend or acknowledge this are, by definition, sociopaths.

Does that make me a sociopath? I was thinkng more along the lines of "I haven't tortured my body/ trained my arse off" for 10-20 years and also don't remotely have any kind of sporting talent to touch an olympic qualify event - so really *we* is OK as long as one doesn't pass judgement over those who have

I thought John Inverdale was very good interviewing the two distraught silver-medallist rowers, reassuring them they hadn't let anybody down. Because he was absolutely right and I hope they'll come to see it for themselves. If they'd taken drugs or bashed another competitor over the head then yes, they would have let people down. But they did their absolute best and that's never anything to be ashamed of, no matter where they were finally placed.

Team GB seem to be getting gold at a rate of about one every 15 minutes at the moment . I'm looking forward to the Big Ben Goldometer tonight!

Mol

Mo Farah has just run 10k faster than I can cycle it, even with a huge gravity boost on my side. Wow, just wow.

Mo farrah, what a finish!

Bronze medallists- I was moved to tears at Alan Campbell in the single sculls- he really showed that they put absolutely everything into their performance. And how proud was sir Steve Redgrave of all of those fabulous rowers? But I struggled to find footage of Campbell last night (I'd heard it on the radio and been following on the Bbc text live update), though we had endless interviews with Rebecca Arlington, who also won bronze, to the exclusion of others, I felt.

Here you go Beatrice:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/athletes/f0967f35-3ef5-4847-8d41-c68409c36dd1

It's a nice touch having Steve Redgrave down there: I can only imagine how powerful having a legend of the sport carrying you down and offering encouragement would be.

Ta!

That Russian bronze medallist in the heptathlon is Brienne of Iarth, surely #gameofthrones

What a brilliant day! 6 golds and England knocked out on penalties

BBC does satire on The Games:
(Some knowledge of history required)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19094768

In part:

>> Even the media has not been untouched by controversy. A number of pundits have been sent home in disgrace following their apparent widespread use of cliches.

The official broadcast partner B.C.BC has confirmed that the there were numerous instances of "At the end of the day" and "He'll be looking for a win in this one" and the culprits have been stripped of their accreditation. <<


~jwf~