Olympic Games - Rio 2016 - XXXI Olympiad

[Corona Man]

Gracenote virtual medal table has Australia getting 17 gold 12 silver and 13 bronze 42 medals over all. The update the table every month with current results from around the world so it worth noting that he USA are yet to hold the swimming selection trials. Once these are held in late June the tally will be a little more accurate.

USA G 41 S 23 B 29 T 93
China G 31 S 27 B 22 T 80
Russia G 21 S 23 B 24 T 68
GB G 17 S 16 B 16 T 49
Aus G 17 S 12 B13 T 42
Ger G 15 S 15 B 18 T 48

I am very excited to be heading over to Rio for the first 7 days of the games. 17 sessions in 7 days with 2 big hope of seeing aussie gold. Jess Fox in the canoe slalom and Kim Brennan (Crow) in the rowing. Also have tickets to swimming, basketball, beach volleyball, hockey, rugby 7s and tennis.

Biggest issues for me at the moment are transport to and from the events looking like a nightmare and the high possibility of being mugged at some stage.

Nice one TB. Great life experience coming up for you. Enjoy Rio, the games, and stay safe.

[Dogwatcher]

I'm gonna watch my formal school mate Chelsea Jaensch in long jump.....the rest meh don't care

That name caught my eye as I was going through the list of selected athletes. I didn't realise she was a local.

Do you know much about her that you would care to share?
Is she the current national Champion in long jump?

Here you go, two stories on Chelsea:

https://www.bunyippress.com.au/tag/chelsea-jaensch/

There will be three former Trinity College students competing at these games, with Jaensch and the Scotson cycling brothers, Miles and Callum, also competing. Also, Gawler lad Jack Bobridge is also competing, he went to Craigmore Christian School and was actually the neighbour of the Scotson boys.
Not sure how much of a chance of a medal Jaensch is, but it's remarkable she's qualified, but the Scotsons and Bobridge are a very good chance.
It's the first time in many games that Australia has sent two female long jumpers.

[Corona Man]

This weeks instalment. 3 of the lesser sports perhaps?

HANDBALL

One for the Crows fans…….Here you are allowed to just chuck the bloody thing.

Said to be a mix of soccer, basketball and water polo (without the pool), the fast-paced action of handball has long been dominated by the Europeans. No teams outside of Europe have won the men’s Olympic gold medal while only South Korea in 1988 and 1992 managed to kick the Europeans off the top of the podium in the women’s competition.

The French men's team and Norway's women's team will both be looking for a slice of history as they look to be the first teams to win three straight Olympic gold medals in the sport.

A player can only hold the ball for three seconds at a time and may only take three steps each time they’re in possession. Keep an eye out for changing interpretations on this rule as the games unfold.

No team has ever won three Olympic gold medals in a row in handball. The French men's team and the Norwegian women's team will be looking to be the first to achieve a golden three-peat in Rio.

No Australian teams in action here, so no medals.



HOCKEY

Australia has had great success in hockey at the Olympic Games. The men have won nine medals including one gold (2004) and the women three gold. The women have not been on the podium since Sydney 2000 and the men were chasing more than the bronze from 2008 and 2012. Rio 2016 will hopefully be the Games where the Australian men and women fire at the same Games.

Our mens team, the Kookaburra’s are led by Eddie Ockenden, Simon Orchard & Chis Ciriello. Main threats to our medal chances include, India, Pakistan & Holland.

Our womens team, the Hockeyroo’s are led by Casey Sablowski, Jodie Kenny & Emily Smith. Once again our main medal rivals include India, and those always pesky Kiwis.

Excellent medal prospects here for Australia.


JUDO

Having been developed in the late 19th century in Japan, Judo had long been dominated by its inventors prior to the 2012 Games. The Japanese won almost half of the gold medals on offer since Sydney 2000 but could only secure one gold in London. This signalled a shifting of the tides as European athletes flexed their muscle to blow Olympic competition wide open.

There are 7 weight divisions for both men & women. Australia is expected to have 5 athletes on national duty in Rio. At a recent warm up event in Mexico no Australian featured in the placings.

No realistic medal chance here

[Dogwatcher]

Nice previews, CM.

In the Bball, you mentioned Lauren Jackson - she's recently ruled out attending her fifth games. Which is a shame, as she is an Aussie champ. The female version of Andrew Gaze in what she's done for the sport in this country.

Also, you mentioned Elyse Perry featuring for the Matildas. I'm not sure that she will - she didn't appear in any of the Olympic qualifiers, nor did she feature in the games played in Australia over the past week. I'd suspect she ain't in the frame. Which is a shame, I like looking at her.

[Dogwatcher]

I can't see former Beastie Boys rapper Mike Diamond making the trip to Rio, either.

Here's the latest:

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/ri ... pde7o.html

[Corona Man]

I can't see former Beastie Boys rapper Mike Diamond making the trip to Rio, either.

Here's the latest:

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/olympics/ri ... pde7o.html

I am keeping my eye on that one. I have pre written some of my previews including some for Shooting. Mr Diamond gets a mention....guns, drink driving, boxes of Ammo etc.... what could possibly go wrong!

[bennymacca]

top stuff CM, i want daily updates during the olympics too

[Corona Man]

This weeks instalment...

MODERN PENTATHLON

Running, swimming, fencing, shooting & riding horses… that’s modern then is it?

How about we replace these events with (something a bit more modern) - Downloading Porn, Call of Duty, Bathroom Reno’s, picking up on Tinder & knocking up a tasty Risotto all while sporting a hipster beard, and commuting to & from the games village on a “fixie”…

Australian, Alex Watson was disqualified from the Modern Pentahlon Olympic competition in 1988 after a few too many Ristretto’s one morning. So the IOC will turn a blind eye to female Chinese swimmers who look like Johnny Weissmuller…. But don’t go for a morning caffeine fix in this sport….FFS!

Brother and sister duo Chloe and Max Esposito will be looking to win Australia’s first ever Olympic medals in modern pentathlon when they pull on the green & gold in Rio.

This years Olympics will see the modern pentathlon competed in the same arena in just one day of competition. Previously this event was contested over 4 or even 5 days.

Traditionally this event is dominated by the Europeans, can’t see that changing looking at the world rankings.

No medals here for Australia.


ROWING

Anyone know what the commentators mean when they say “he leads by a canvass”…. No me neither. Don’t mind the rowing, even though it comes over all a bit Oxford & Cambridge at times. Don’t know why anyone would knowingly want to be referred to as a cox.

Sweep rowers use a single oar and compete in crews of two, four or eight. Scullers have an oar in each hand and compete in singles, doubles and quadruples. In Olympic events on the Eight have a cox.

For the lightweight events (the lightweight women’s double and the lightweight men’s double and four) the average weight of a men’s crew must not exceed 70kg with the maximum weight for crew members being 72.5kg. For women the average weight of a crew must not exceed 57kg with the maximum weight for crew members being 59kg.

Australia is expected to have around 45 athletes competing in Rio. Aussie teams who perform well are almost certain of landing a lucrative contract to be the face of tinned fruit in this country.

Confident that Rowing will yield some medals for the Aussies in 2016.

RUGBY (SEVENS)

It will be great to see ex League star & former San Francisco 49’er Jaryd Hayne live out his boyhood dream of representing Fiji in the “Sevens” at the Olympics. I don’t follow rugby (of any persuasion) but that seems so odd to me. Whatever.

The Australian womens team head to Rio with excellent medal prospects.

Each side has seven players on the field and five substitutes on the bench. The match consists of two seven minute halves with the exception of the gold medal match which will have two ten minute halves. So there you have it, the rules change at the pointy end… sound familiar?

In the mens side of things the tradition rugby nations will most likely dominate – Great Britain, France, New Zealand etc

Some medal prospects here for Australia.

[Corona Man]

Russian track & field team banned and will not compete in Rio.

[bennymacca]

Russian track & field team banned and will not compete in Rio.

would have been a farce if they didnt get banned

[Jim05]

Russian track & field team banned and will not compete in Rio.

would have been a farce if they didnt get banned

Think we are kidding ourselves if we think they are the only ones on it. The Yanks are probably just on better stuff.
Just make it a free for all, I'd pay to watch that

[Corona Man]

This weeks instalment.

SAILING

One of the great spectator sports. Who’s leading? ****** if I know they are sailing 5 k’s off shore.

Australia was on top of the sailing world at the London 2012 Games after winning three gold and one silver medal. With some strong form behind them in 2015 there is no reason while the Aussie sailors can’t replicate their recent success in Rio.

The events are - Men: Windsurfer - RS: X, One Person Dinghy – Laser, One Person Dinghy (Heavyweight) – Finn, Two Person Dinghy – 470, Skiff - 49er
Women: Windsurfer - RS: X, One Person Dinghy - Laser Radial, Two Person Dinghy – 470, Skiff - 49er FX
Mixed: Multihull - Nacra 17

I get seasick on the pop-eye, so it’s not really my bag. Still, hats off to the girls & boys who enjoy this type of thing though.

Good medal prospects here for the Aussies.


SHOOTING

Much interest surrounds Michael Diamonds selection, pending the outcome of court proceedings. I mean - Guns, alcohol and an AVO – what could possibly go wrong?

Olympic shooting consists of 15 events (9 men and 6 women) across the three disciplines of rifle, pistol and shotgun.

Australia’s shooting stars will be looking to get back on target (pun intended) in Rio after missing out on an Olympic medal for the first time in four Games at London 2012.

Could the Aussie team be improved by the inclusion of some of the Carlton Crew? Even if they can’t hit the target/s, we know they can at least eliminate the opposition. Can we have Ivan Milat on standby perhaps?

Traditionally a sport the Europeans dominate, however the Asian countries have become more competitive in recent times. Why the yanks don’t do a lot better is intriguing though, given their rampant gun culture.

If you watched American snipper and enjoyed it, well the shooting bits anyway, tune in for this.

Some Australian medal prospects here.


SWIMMING

My big hope is that Misty Hymen once again makes the US swim team. I could just stare at a Hymen, forever.

Personally I feel there are too many swimming events that have little real difference – that’s why someone can win 5 gold medals at an Olympics….

Bring back the water obstacle race. Lets see how Eric the Eel handles that, it could be 2020 by the time he completes the course.

There are four different strokes in swimming as well as the individual medley and relay events. Men and women contest the same Olympic distances with the exception of the 800m freestyle (women only) and 1500m freestyle (men only). Australia is expected to be represented in every event.

Freestyle- 50m, 100m, 200m , 400m, women's 800m, men's 1500m
Backstroke- 100m, 200m
Breaststroke- 100m, 200m
Butterfly- 100m, 200m
Individual Medley- 200m, 400m
Relays- 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, 4x100m medley
Open Water- 10km

The recent “Hackett Nipple Cripple” is just part of the ongoing bad behaviour from the Aussie Swim team over many years. In fact that’s more interesting than some of the events. Ever watched the 1,500 meters? It’s 14 or 15 minutes of blokes swimming up & down a pool…. Riveting stuff.

To be fair I don’t mind the swimming, at the Olympics, despite everything I have just said. And at every Olympics we look to our swim team to get the medal tally off to a flying start. We have great medal prospects here, and hopefully some Gold, Gold, Gold.

Emily Seebohm (Johnny’s girl) along with the Campbell sisters will hopefully lead the Australian medal charge.

[heater31]

This Olympic Golf tournament is getting more of a joke the closer we get to the opening ceremony.

South Africa have their third choice selection make himself unavailable. The team Captain Gary Player has joked on twitter that he is in the selection frame for the games.

Have always maintained this Olympic Golf should have been amateurs only!

[Corona Man]

Have to think that sports like golf, and even Tennis, if the best don't turn up to compete.... kick them out.

I agree Amatuers would most likely be very keen. The timing of the USPGA is right around then (Olympics early August) as well, so that will surely have an impact.

[JK]

Sally Pearson ruled out of the Games

[bennymacca]

Sally Pearson ruled out of the Games

Damn, I liked her almost incoherent ramblings.

[Corona Man]

Sally Pearson ruled out of the Games

Damn, I liked her almost incoherent ramblings.

Not a patch on Jana Pitmans incoherent ramblings.....she is a mile in front.

[bennymacca]

Pearson was quite endearing. A space cadet for sure but I liked her.

Pittman seemed like a massive tool

[Corona Man]

Pearson was quite endearing. A space cadet for sure but I liked her.

Pittman seemed like a massive tool

Pitman = Precious

[Corona Man]

Only 36 days until it kicks off in Rio.... here are the next 3 sports.

SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING

Will be held in Rio.

Here’s everything you need to know about Synchronised Swimming:-












TABLE TENNIS

In Sydney 2000 - Miao Miao lead the way for the Aussies, and she proved to be no pussy.

There are four Olympic table tennis competitions: men’s singles and teams and women’s singles and teams. In singles all events follow a knockout (single elimination) format with each match consisting of the best four out of seven games to at least 11 points, where the winner must win by at least two points. Players have two serves in a row, except when the points score reaches 10 all, after which the serve alternates each point at the end of each set the players will swap sides.

The Thai womens team should be a very strong unit, ping pong balls over there are just a part of everyday life.

Australia will be represented by 5 Athletes in Rio. Medals are not a realistic chance here for us.



TAEKWONDO

Contrary to rumours – Tom Jonas will not be lining up in Rio, although he did come under the notice of national selectors following his hit on Andrew Gaff.

I would suggest if you see any Taekwondo “live” on Seven during the coverage, that some one in the production area has made a horrendous error. I mean, who on earth would want to see a “different” sport from the usual fare?

Taekwondo athletes compete according to their respective weight categories. To progress into finals, competitors move through a single elimination tournament with a double rep echarge for the bronze medal contest. For an athlete to make it to the gold medal match, he or she must have progressed through the preliminary rounds undefeated; whereas the bronze medal matches will be between two players who have each lost one contest.

Lauren Burns (Australia) won an Olympic taekwondo gold medal after the sport was introduced to Olympic competition at the 2000 Sydney Games.

For Rio 2016 Australians, Carmen Marton qualified in the -67kg division, Caroline Marton in the -57kg division, Hayder Shkara in the -80kg division and Safwan Khalil in the -58kg division.

Can’t see any medal prospects here for the Australians.