Rio BMX and MTB **spoilers**

ddraver

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

AndyRAC wrote:

Daz555 wrote:

I see XC MTB and think "why was this picked over downhill?"

Is there any sensible reason why DH isn't in the Olympic cycling programme? I understand XC being in, even if it can be slightly uninteresting; and is the poor relation compared to DH - Which is quite often spectacular!

I'd love to see CX in the Winters, but do enough countries participate? Probably not.....

CX is a no-go for the Winter Lympix cos the criteria for a sport to be eligible is that it's played on snow or ice

A "mountain olympics" would be fun...

PuttyKnees

ddraver wrote:

AndyRAC wrote:

Daz555 wrote:

I see XC MTB and think "why was this picked over downhill?"

Is there any sensible reason why DH isn't in the Olympic cycling programme? I understand XC being in, even if it can be slightly uninteresting; and is the poor relation compared to DH

Because if you look outside of the very narrow world of British Mountain Biking, XC is very popular

Yeah this. Also, whilst most people who ride a mountain bike think of themselves as rivalling Gwin in both style and difficulty, they're actually riding XC somewhere from 2000. XC is often ferociously difficult - I don't think it can get any more difficult without requiring protection.

Enjoying Hoy talking about BMX. I heard a great story about him and some of the other sprint guys being taken to the BMX track, and with Hoy being a BMXer in a previous life fancied styling it up. It didn't end well ... he apparently somewhat underestimated how much power he had developed!

Omar Little

Daz555 wrote:

Makes no sense for the track programme which is, like swimming, contained in one building with relatively small numbers of attending fans to be so constrained with its events. As a minimum I'd add the IP and the fabulous Kilo back into the programme:

Individual Sprint
Team Sprint
Individual Pursuit
Team Pursuit
Kilo
Keirin
Omnium

Would be great to have the full WC programme (adding Points and Scratch as well) but I doubt that will ever happen but can we PLEASE have Kilo and IP back PLEASE!!!!!

I agree more events would be good but would start with adding mass start races first rather Pursuit and Kilos - they can be hugely exciting come the medal race however before that they are often pretty dull and drag on forever (particularly if you are at the velodrome watching it) before that. Points and Madison much more fun.

jscl

I'm so frustrated by the lack of any GB representation at Rio for the Women's BMX. Simply because there were 'little prospects' of a medal, they have really failed to support women's BMX in recent times.

ddraver

PuttyKnees wrote:

ddraver wrote:

AndyRAC wrote:

Daz555 wrote:

I see XC MTB and think "why was this picked over downhill?"

Is there any sensible reason why DH isn't in the Olympic cycling programme? I understand XC being in, even if it can be slightly uninteresting; and is the poor relation compared to DH

Because if you look outside of the very narrow world of British Mountain Biking, XC is very popular

Yeah this. Also, whilst most people who ride a mountain bike think of themselves as rivalling Gwin in both style and difficulty, they're actually riding XC somewhere from 2000. XC is often ferociously difficult - I don't think it can get any more difficult without requiring protection.

Enjoying Hoy talking about BMX. I heard a great story about him and some of the other sprint guys being taken to the BMX track, and with Hoy being a BMXer in a previous life fancied styling it up. It didn't end well ... he apparently somewhat underestimated how much power he had developed!

A mont or so ago me and a mate were in Montgenevre a week before the French Nationals. They had staked out the XC course so we went and had a play. I confess that I rode really very little of it. Ok so I expect it needed to bed in a lot but Jaysus!

Given that we had spent the rest of the day riding the nominally DH trails with the lifts it was a real eye opener!

Pross

Phillips qualifies in 10th which I assume will make for tough progression.

Garry H

Richmond Racer 2 wrote:

Garry H wrote:

Why do they even have what basically amounts to a child's sport in the Olympics. They should ditch it in favour of more track events.

You're going to LOVE skateboarding in the Tokyo Games then

Snowboarding on wheels. I'm ok with that.

PuttyKnees

Pross wrote:

Phillips qualifies in 10th which I assume will make for tough progression.

Hoy was emphasizing that it wasn't the end of the line if you qualified low, I guess because once other riders are around you it's how you start and racecraft that matters more than how you go in the rest of it. All the same, it does suggest Phillips has lost a bit since he got injured (unsurprisingly).

Daz555

PuttyKnees wrote:

Pross wrote:

Phillips qualifies in 10th which I assume will make for tough progression.

Hoy was emphasizing that it wasn't the end of the line if you qualified low, I guess because once other riders are around you it's how you start and racecraft that matters more than how you go in the rest of it. All the same, it does suggest Phillips has lost a bit since he got injured (unsurprisingly).

I think he put his time down to a single mistake he made on one of the jumps.

ddraver

First practice day for the XCO, a lot of "me with Peter Sagan" posts appearing from the pure XCers

above_the_cows

Pross wrote:

My big issue is that cycling has to drop one discipline to make room for another whilst swimming appears to have a virtually limitless programme. If one athlete can win 6 or 7 medals in a single Olympics then the sport has too many similar events. I know we always have this discussion but no event should be there if the Olympics is not the pinnacle of that sport (I would include the cycling road race in that), it should also be a sport with global participation. However, I try to avoid saying a sport should be removed because I don't like or understand it.

This. Why can't cycling just have more events? I know it's a cost/time thing but the desire is there and would it really make the Olympics longer to just have a few more days in the velodrome? I sought of get the MTB Downhill, because there is no way the Netherlands could ever have the Olympics if that were an event.

And I didn't know squash wasn't an Olympic sport. It seems nuts to me that it isn't.

tailwindhome

Garry H wrote:

Why do they even have what basically amounts to a child's sport in the Olympics. They should ditch it in favour of more track events.

It's the first sport outside of football that I've shown my 6yo boys and they haven't said "So?"

edit to correct typo :oops:

TheBigBean

Above The Cows wrote:

And I didn't know squash wasn't an Olympic sport. It seems nuts to me that it isn't.

The position on squash is odd. From memory it has lost out to tactical voting (because baseball was removed), wrestling (on its reapplication), rugby 7s, golf, baseball (on reentry), karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding. They've even offered to supply free glass-backed courts.

Part of me thinks they should just go to Rio / Tokyo and hold a free tournament at the same time. The other part of me thinks they should give up and recognise the direction of travel of the Olympics to high profile money generating sports, and focus their efforts on widening participation, and if possible, increasing spectators through other means.

Pross

The thing with surfing, skateboarding, to an extent BMX together with a lot of the new sports at the Winter Games is that their inclusion seems to go against their principles of being free-spirited sports. I'm sure most of them have come about from people wanting a past-time that is free of rules and regulations. No doubt free running will become an Olympic event at some point! Squash seems to fit far more with the Olympic movement (I'm not a squash player but can see its merits).

mrfpb

Some horrible crashes this afternoon. Phillips is out on the first corner of his first run. NL rider walking to the finish with half a bike.

Garry H

Pross wrote:

The thing with surfing, skateboarding, to an extent BMX together with a lot of the new sports at the Winter Games is that their inclusion seems to go against their principles of being free-spirited sports. I'm sure most of them have come about from people wanting a past-time that is free of rules and regulations. No doubt free running will become an Olympic event at some point! Squash seems to fit far more with the Olympic movement (I'm not a squash player but can see its merits).

Didn't they trial squash at some stage?

Watched some of the taekwondo last night. Not to take anything away from the skill of the athletes, but how the bell did that manage to stay in the Olympics?

Pross

I'm struggling with the Tae Kwon Do I have to admit. It seems very different to what is taught in local classes. For a combat sport I'd prefer kick boxing instead.

ocdupalais

Pross wrote:

I'm struggling with the Tae Kwon Do I have to admit. It seems very different to what is taught in local classes. For a combat sport I'd prefer kick boxing instead.

I agree.
The women's semi-final seemed to be essentially 2 women picking fluff off each other's socks for 10 minutes with squealing whenever they thought they'd got a bit...

RichN95.

Pross wrote:

I'm struggling with the Tae Kwon Do I have to admit. It seems very different to what is taught in local classes. For a combat sport I'd prefer kick boxing instead.

Kicking people in the head is what girls from Rhyl do anyway. I'm not sure we should encourage them with medals.

norvernrob

Pross wrote:

I'm struggling with the Tae Kwon Do I have to admit. It seems very different to what is taught in local classes. For a combat sport I'd prefer kick boxing instead.

A workmate is a something-dan Tae Kwon Do instructor, apparently the move to electronic scoring in the Olympics has pretty much ruined it as a spectacle. Everything relies on the front foot and there are barely any combinations or back foot attacks.

What I'm seeing on TV bears no similarities to the stuff I see him post on FB where he's doing awesome flying kicks etc.

Pross

RichN95 wrote:

Pross wrote:

I'm struggling with the Tae Kwon Do I have to admit. It seems very different to what is taught in local classes. For a combat sport I'd prefer kick boxing instead.

Kicking people in the head is what girls from Rhyl do anyway. I'm not sure we should encourage them with medals.

It's a step up though as in this case the opponent isn't lying paralytic in a pool of their own vomit and there's no hair pulling.

Garry H

Pross wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Pross wrote:

I'm struggling with the Tae Kwon Do I have to admit. It seems very different to what is taught in local classes. For a combat sport I'd prefer kick boxing instead.

Kicking people in the head is what girls from Rhyl do anyway. I'm not sure we should encourage them with medals.

It's a step up though as in this case the opponent is lying paralytic in a pool of their own vomit and there's no hair pulling.

Now that would draw the crowds!

hypster

There's a lot of Olympic events that I can appreciate the skill involved but just don't contain any spectacle for me. Judo, Tae Kwon Do, GR wrestling just seem a yawn-fest. Would they even show TKD if we didn't have a medal contender?

At the other end of the scale the BMX racing is almost too frantic and dangerous to really appeal as well and having eight going in each race just seems a recipe for disaster for me. It should be 4 max as per Winter boarder cross I think if it's going to be there at all.

Daz555

The randomness of BMX generated as a result of crashes is probably smoothed out a bit over a whole season of events or even the World's every year. On a 4 year cycle though the carnage of the event seems too much. Does not work for me I'm afraid.

kingstongraham

hypster wrote:

There's a lot of Olympic events that I can appreciate the skill involved but just don't contain any spectacle for me. Judo, Tae Kwon Do, GR wrestling just seem a yawn-fest. Would they even show TKD if we didn't have a medal contender?

Went to see the wrestling in 2012, and it was awesome. And virtually no equipment needed, so any country has a chance.

Pross

Daz555 wrote:

The randomness of BMX generated as a result of crashes is probably smoothed out a bit over a whole season of events or even the World's every year. On a 4 year cycle though the carnage of the event seems too much. Does not work for me I'm afraid.

Agreed. It seems pointless training for 4 years and getting wiped out by someone else on the first corner. They could at least introduce a repercharge system.

Tashman

Pross wrote:

Daz555 wrote:

The randomness of BMX generated as a result of crashes is probably smoothed out a bit over a whole season of events or even the World's every year. On a 4 year cycle though the carnage of the event seems too much. Does not work for me I'm afraid.

Agreed. It seems pointless training for 4 years and getting wiped out by someone else on the first corner. They could at least introduce a repercharge system.

Is this not why they use the 3 race points accumulation?

PuttyKnees

KingstonGraham wrote:

hypster wrote:

There's a lot of Olympic events that I can appreciate the skill involved but just don't contain any spectacle for me. Judo, Tae Kwon Do, GR wrestling just seem a yawn-fest. Would they even show TKD if we didn't have a medal contender?

Went to see the wrestling in 2012, and it was awesome. And virtually no equipment needed, so any country has a chance.

I watched some of the women's freestyle wresting this morning and it was great to watch. No idea how that differs to GR wresting though.

The_Boy

PuttyKnees wrote:

KingstonGraham wrote:

hypster wrote:

There's a lot of Olympic events that I can appreciate the skill involved but just don't contain any spectacle for me. Judo, Tae Kwon Do, GR wrestling just seem a yawn-fest. Would they even show TKD if we didn't have a medal contender?

Went to see the wrestling in 2012, and it was awesome. And virtually no equipment needed, so any country has a chance.

I watched some of the women's freestyle wresting this morning and it was great to watch. No idea how that differs to GR wresting though.

Greco Roman only allows the use of the upper body. No attacking the legs, using the legs to facilitate in attack or defence etc. The whole 'parterre' business is also one of the more comically homoerotic aspects of any sport going.

Freestyle makes for the better spectator sport, imo - at least to my watch-it-every-four-years, inexpert eyes. It might well be that GR holds more appeal for the purists *shrug*

PuttyKnees

That and the 'checking for oil' move.