Your Olympics

rolf_f

Seems like a few of us have managed to see something of the Olympics so maybe a thread of personal experiences and pics is of order - whether or not cycle related.

I went to the morning Velodrome session on Saturday. It was a bit of a duffer as far as the billing went but it was the only one I managed to get an option for in the second round.

Session was a teensy bit marred by the Sprint qual being an odd number meaning that Kenny got a free pass to the 1/8 - so I didn't get to see him. The injury was exacerbated by another pull out giving Bauge a free pass. Now why they couldn't then have just re-jigged it so both did the 1/16 I don't know but it was a disappointment. Anyway, the atmosphere was great even if slightly lost at the track ends where there are only two rows but the view was superb - what other Olympic sport gets you this close to the riders? And you really can't appreciate the speed they go from the TV pics. I reckon I'll be having to have a go at track cycling. It was also nice to see the support that anyone who put a good show on got irrespective of Nationality.


Viviani looks cool in practice as only an Italian can!

Bauge warms up - looking intimidating!

Bauge tries to do something Kenny can - and fails! (See his blur - it's not a WR blur!)

Kenny tweaks his toe straps (you can see how seriously BC take it - even his wheel stickers are aligned! )

Jason Kenny looking like he's just achieved a world record 200m

Ed Clancy on his way to qualifying top for the Omnium

Dmitriev outsmarts Zeilinski in the sprint 1/16

German chicks warming up behind some Dairy Milk

Finished up spending some time watching the rowing and Jessica Ennis throwing javelin in Park Live (centre) which was really pleasant.

All in, a fun trip, cheap as chips train travel and good organisation. With hindsight I'd have gone for even pricier tickets and maybe managed to get an afternoon event but I'm so pleased I got there anyway. So, what was your Olympic experience like?

Twostage

Good pictures. Nothing like being there is there ? (I wasn't ).

rjsterry

Here's some pics from my visit to the Men's Road Race. The family drove down, while I cycled, and we met up round the back of Headley at one of the impromptu car parks, and walked to the end of Church Road, where a large crowd had assembled with bikes of all shapes and sizes piled against every tree in sight. Some enterprising spectators had arrived with a hydraulic platform, to get a better view, while just through the trees, Headley Cricket Club had been turned into a campsite with refreshments, and a big screen. Didn't have a perfect view as we arrived a little late, but the atmosphere more than made up for this, and I could see enough. Quite an international crowd as well considering the location.

Team GB do their best HTC Columbia impression, sadly to no avail


While the rest of the peloton enjoy the countryside

veronese68

I watched men's and women's road races. It rained on those of female persuasion, I got wet. Thouroughly enjoyed it all the same.

Photo taken by a friend of mine. More here.

fizz

We had tickets for Saturday 4th Velodrome evening session, really enjoyed it

jejv

BMX.
Feck.
You have an bike that's sized for a five-year-old, with a 54" gear and 180mm cranks, which you have to turn at 180rpm.

Even though when you tried it before you ruptured your spleen for the second time, and had it removed, or maybe just broke your neck.


Not Olympic, but my image of the summer is this:

rolf_f

Oh come on - is that it?! Did no-one else go to the Olympics? Did no-one actually see any of the non cycling events? No trips to Eton Dorney or to see the mad horses clippy clopping at Greenwich? There's got to be some nice storys or pics before we get totally mired in post Olympic gloom (ignoring the preposterous Ch4 adds that try to make out that somehow the Olympics were a warm up for the Paralympics!)

I'll post a gratuitous pic of a German chic being as noncholant as it is physically possible to be whilst doing 40mph on rollers to inspire you lazy gits

spen666

Rolf F wrote:

.....
Session was a teensy bit marred by the Sprint qual being an odd number meaning that Kenny got a free pass to the 1/8 - so I didn't get to see him. The injury was exacerbated by another pull out giving Bauge a free pass. Now why they couldn't then have just re-jigged it so both did the 1/16 I don't know but it was a disappointment. ....

If had re jigged it as you suggest, there would have been too few people in next round.

Eg if you have32 riders in round, race off would mean 16 go through to nest round ( the number you need)

If 31 riders you have 15 heats & 1 bye = 16 in next round

if you have 30 riders you have
14 heats & 2 byes = 16 in next round
if you had 15 heats, then only 15 are in next round ie not enough

rolf_f

spen666 wrote:

If had re jigged it as you suggest, there would have been too few people in next round.

D'oh! Of course you are right. Obvious when you look at it the right way round. No matter how many pulled out, the number of heats has to reduce by the same amount. I'm a fool :oops:

clarkey cat

here's my contribution - Bradley Wiggins going super fast on his way to winning gold

:oops:

Wrath Rob

Currently going through my photo's. I've got some from the men's road race and some from the men's sprint finals and Jason Kenny receiving his gold medal. Once I process them a little I'll stick them up. I've got a great picture of Nibali glaring at me

Paul E

Both semi finals for the ladies hockey which included hospitality at team GB house which was lovely and the food was nice.

Applespider

Rolf F wrote:

Oh come on - is that it?! Did no-one else go to the Olympics? Did no-one actually see any of the non cycling events? No trips to Eton Dorney or to see the mad horses clippy clopping at Greenwich?

I had an awesome Olympics! My only regret is not getting any track cycling tickets but I did see lots of other stuff...

I was in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies (and in a role that meant I could watch the show when I wasn't performing) which was an absolute blast. I was one of the first people into the Stadium on Opening night and one of the last to leave on Closing night... and I did cry when the cauldron was extinguished.

And I went to the men's road race, rowing, fencing, diving, hockey, beach volleyball, basketball, handball, more basketball, table tennis, triathlon (only for a few minutes!), taekwondo, water polo and the last night of the athletics. Best overall moment was probably screaming Mo Farah to victory in the 5000m on the last Saturday night. And the most disappointing was seeing the road race in the Mall from what would have been a perfect seat to enjoy a sprint finish; and not least because the coverage was so bad that it wasn't even fun to follow on the big screen.

Wandering around the Park was fun and stopping to watch events at Park Live. And dropping into Tap East, the bar in Stratford City, that always had some interesting people to talk to (volunteers, coaches, athletes) as well as excellent beer.

My view at the Opening


The road race medal presentation


Women's synchronised diving


Hockey goals


The velodrome and basketball arena in the Par


The beach volleyball venue (it was nuts and a lot of fun!)


Some actual sport at the volleyball (now if this was a Girls in the Olympics thread, I've got a few that I could post) but instead I'll go for an action shot


Watching the cycling at Park Live


Handball - this sport was nuts!


Women's basketball


The view of the Stadium on Super Saturday in red white and blue


Chinese table tennis players with mad skills!




Jade Jones getting her taekwondo gold


Water polo was seriously nuts... not sure what you had to do to get a foul - actually drown someone?


Mo Farah hits the front - way too excited to take pics after this one!


Usain Bolt prepares for the relay


The end of the relay...


Mo gets his gold medal


My view of the Closing Ceremony




Yes please

Wrath Rob

Will post some more later but from the velodrome:



and

rjsterry

Applespider wrote:

Olympics stuff

That is just showing off.

greg66_tri_v2.0

I have a ton of photos on the PC, but am out of the country at the mo. Will post them when we get back. We had a good bunch of tickets in the end, thanks to some last minute success on the ticketing website: beach volleyball, swimming, more swimming, gymnastics, women's football, athletics (super Saturday), more athletics, handball, boxing, plus the freebies: the road races, the men's tri, the men's marathon and the women's 10k swim (not all of us went to every event). Oh, and the BT London Live concerts in Hyde Park on the opening and closing ceremony nights.

Applespider

rjsterry wrote:

Applespider wrote:

Olympics stuff

That is just showing off.

I know :twisted:

Would this make you feel better?



And to keep us PC

Twostage

These pictures are brilliant, you are closer to the action because the person taking the picture is so close. I think the one of Brad only half in the frame is great, so fast you can't photograph him.
Excellent.