My hopes for the Olympics....

[king chillout]

....I hope it's over very quickly.

fucking boring load of drug taking cheating wankstains.

[bolix]

Is there a drug you can take for smog?
Every chinkie cooks on a little coal stove......if it's humid you can barely breathe.

[bolix]

Very impressive and spectacular opening ceremony to be fair......we're cynical and miserable with it but there's no doubting that the Chinese enthusiasm is genuine. It'll be a struggle for us to match this in 2012......I should think we're already worried.......today's ceremony alone cost £50 million!!

[Timbo]

....I hope it's over very quickly.

There I was thinking the Olympics had a fixed schedule. Silly me.

[bolix]

I'm sure there's a drug that can make it disappear completely

[plastic_manc]

zzzzzzzzzzz Olympics this, Olympics that

cant get away from it, even the radio won't stop banging on about it

[Sky Blue Steve-o]

Well it is historically the biggest and most important sporting event in the world. So it's hardly surprising.

[Nick]

I love the olympics

[SkyBlueNiall]

surely anyone that likes sport would love the olympics?

the only time anyone gives a crap about sailing, shooting, judo, diving etc etc

it's great.

I havn't watch rowing for 4 years but i cant wait for it. a very special event.

[plastic_manc]

some of the events aren't bad, but its overhyped and too many crappy events

glad the footie season is starting, thats far more important than some american running the 100m 0.000001 sec faster than last year

[the boss]

I'd love to be there in that rain this morning thats what you call a storm

[TruthFinder]

....I hope it's over very quickly.

There I was thinking the Olympics had a fixed schedule. Silly me.

Not if the muslims hellbent on causing mayhem and destruction get their way.

TruthFinder.

[AD]

Wahey - Coventry won a silver in the 400m Individual Medley

[plastic_manc]

Wahey - Coventry won a silver in the 400m Individual Medley

lol, saw that too, zimbabween (sp?) i think

[king chillout]

There is only one swimming event I have got any time for....syncronised swimming.

I can just about swim, so the way they do what they do, in time and upside down while trying not to drown, and smiling all the time, is nothing short of a miracle.

Any **** can swim from one end of a pool to the other.

[skyblueluke]

I can just about swim


Any **** can swim from one end of a pool to the other.

Not you apparently

[dog rout 21]

surely anyone that likes sport would love the olympics?

I fucking hate the olympics and love sport, this is exacerbated by the stupid fucking splits in the office who've been getting up extra early to watch olympic breakfast and talk about swimming and showjumping all fucking morning.

[The Englander]

Phoning your mum during an event your competing in? Is it any wonder we don't win as many medals as countries that take their fucking sport seriously?

[bolix]

I think things will change over the next four years.
There will (probably for the first time) serious money invested in developing certain athletes and even certain sports......we're a joke and the vast majority know it. Our lack of prowess is an accurate reflection of our cynicism and 'who gives a fuck" attitude. I'm as bad as anyone......couldn't give a stuff about it but big business will realise that the next few years offer a massive opportunity and if nothing else a culture of professionalism will be engendered.

[Sky Blue Steve-o]

We're not that bad - certainly not a "joke".

Look at the current medal table:

1. China (22 medals) - huge population compared to us
2. USA (27) - again, massive population, better climate for certain sports
3. South Korea (12) - I know nothing about Korea!
4. Italy (10) - similar size to us, with a better climate for many Olympic sports
5. Australia (12) - better climate and more of a sporting culture
6. Germany (6) - bigger than us
7. Japan (7) - bigger than us
8. Russia (10) - huge population
8. Great Britain (7)

We're 3rd in Western Europe, with a similar medal count to Germany and Italy. The bigger countries will always do better - they have more athletes to choose from. Plus, the vast majority of Olympic sports are fringe sports in this country, while they're massive overseas.

Considering the size of our country, and the climate compared to a lot of other countries, top 10 in the medal table is probably a pretty good effort. We will never be able to compete with the likes of USA, China and Russia. Our performance should be measured against similar sized countries such as Germany, Spain, France, Poland and Italy. We're not doing to bad compared to these.