2020 Olympics (in 2021)

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I think that public success of any kind is going to have an impact. The question is how to make sure it is a positive one, rather than a negative one.

The issue with the Olympics is pressure to perform which is, I think, why you sometimes see unheralded, unexpected athletes winning medals, like the swimmer from Tunisia. They are under little pressure because no one at home or abroad actually thinks they will win anything. It is also why experienced athletes who are clear medal hopefuls having moments like Biles did. I mean, was Penny Oleksiak under anywhere near as much pressure in Rio, where she was an unknown new kid on the block, as she has been in Tokyo? How much pressure will be on Maggie Mac Neil in 2024 now that she is known be "world class"?

Audience and media expectations get a lot of the blame for that pressure cooker environment. I highly doubt that in the days before television and global telecommunications networks, when folks at home might not even know the result until a day or two after the event, there was as much pressure as we see today.

I think we (meaning both audiences and media) need to find the line between celebrating athletes' accomplishments and pressuring them to deliver more accomplishments.
 
Mrs.Anteater said:
Can it even be true or is it even possible that one can become a multiple medal Olympic winner and stay mentally and physically intact?
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It is said that power collecting modes can corrupt something ... the something may have alien attributes and thus a virtue of the unknown ...

Dispositioned idealism? It is said a devilish power collects these bits unseen by the hierarchy! This is a negative power that may oppose the positive power and thus eclectic Electra! She may be shockingly all over the place ... potentially as a light particle! These may convert to photons in the abstract ... yet too small to observe ...
 
Mendalla said:
I think that public success of any kind is going to have an impact. The question is how to make sure it is a positive one, rather than a negative one.

The issue with the Olympics is pressure to perform which is, I think, why you sometimes see unheralded, unexpected athletes winning medals, like the swimmer from Tunisia. They are under little pressure because no one at home or abroad actually thinks they will win anything. It is also why experienced athletes who are clear medal hopefuls having moments like Biles did. I mean, was Penny Oleksiak under anywhere near as much pressure in Rio, where she was an unknown new kid on the block, as she has been in Tokyo? How much pressure will be on Maggie Mac Neil in 2024 now that she is known be "world class"?

Audience and media expectations get a lot of the blame for that pressure cooker environment. I highly doubt that in the days before television and global telecommunications networks, when folks at home might not even know the result until a day or two after the event, there was as much pressure as we see today.

I think we (meaning both audiences and media) need to find the line between celebrating athletes' accomplishments and pressuring them to deliver more accomplishments.
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Imagine an unknown, like the lost psyche finding a Nietzsche to occupy in chaos ... disturbing even the deeper philosophers ...

Then many powers deny thought as a bad item to be included with fixation and institution of the trend to denial! The very concept of mental process will raise opposition ... due to those feeling free naught'o ... what a naught'o? That is when there is too much nothing is being gathered and something being made of it ...

It may resemble the mythical snake heh of Greek that is said to go round biting its own end as Ouranos ... as lined up in a curved Queue all bent out of shape because of indelible desires ... further abstracts? Thus anon ... it is coming ... and a mass finds it unbelievable as if we weren't there before!

Surely what was a great unknown will be disposed of and rejected ... given our history of dealing with great unknowns!
 
Speaking of Olympic success, Penny Oleksiak got her 7th medal (in only two Olympics) to become Canada's most decorated Olympian. And it came in the 4x100 medley with Maggie Mac Neil and Kylie Masse also adding to their medal total.

Then today's events ended with the men's 100m on the track, with Lamont Jacobs of Italy winning the gold and Andre de Grasse getting bronze to become Canada's first male medalist at these Games.

Some other milestones to date at these Games:

Katie Ledecky of the US now has the most individual gold medals of any female swimmer

Emma Mckeon of Australia has won the most medals by a female swimmer at a single Olympics.
 
After back to back bronze medals in 2012 and 2016, the Canadian women's soccer team is finally in a final, guaranteeing at least a silver. They beat their longtime nemesis the US in the semis by a score of 1-0 (hey, this is soccer). The goal came on a penalty kick by Jessie Fleming, who grew up here in London and first played in the local Nor'West Optimist soccer league. She was also a runner in high school. When not kicking balls for Canada, she plays pro for Chelsea in the UK women's league.
 
Mrs.Anteater said:
So, have the men’s games not started yet or why do we only hear about women winning?
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Oh, the men's games are happening. Just no Canadian men are winning. Save Andre de Grasse. I'm sure if you were to follow US or Russian or European media, you would be hearing plenty more about men winning. Still not sure why our women are doing so much better than our men this year, but I don't really care. I'll celebrate winning athletes of any biological sex or gender identity.
 
Posted this on my writing board but thought people here might like it, too. It's about the women's soccer win.

So, personal connection here. Many years ago, when my son was a wee one, he played Northwest Optimist kids soccer here in London, and I volunteered as a coach. Coaching kids that age is basically herding cats, so my minimal knowledge of footie didn't matter much (my brothers played minor soccer but I didn't). Apparently another player in that league around that time was named Jessie Fleming. She scored the winner yesterday. Not sure if we ever met, but it is possible. Wonderful to think that one of those kids scrambling around the field chasing the ball is now playing for Chelsea (Fleming plays pro in the UK since women's pro soccer is basically non-existent in North America) and winning Olympic medals.
 
Simone Biles came back last night to compete in the balance beam and, to the delight of all I think, got a bronze, finishing just ahead (less than .2) of Canadian Ellie Black who was also making a comeback after missing the all-round due to an ankle injury. Chinese gymnasts took gold and silver.

In his main event, Andre de Grasse set a new Canadian record (19.73 seconds) in the semis of the men's 200m race on the track. And his teammate Aaron Brown was only .26 seconds behind to also make the final. Final goes tomorrow. de Grasse finished just behind track legend Usain Bolt in Rio so a gold is not out of the question for him this time. In fact, dare I hope to see both Canadians on the podium?
 
Decathlon is underway. Damian Warner smoked his 100m heat, earning 1066 points. Long jump is next. He and his partner, who used to compete in hurdles at the national level, had a baby earlier this year and he is so cuuute.
 
Interesting interview with a lawyer on information morning today about sexism in the Olympics and the background of needing TV viewer quotes. I’ ll post it once on the website tomorrow.
 
De Grasse seems to be hot at these games. He took gold this morning in the 200m. Not a total surprise since he was second to Bolt in Rio in that race, but it is about time Canada's latest great sprinter had some Olympic gold in his display case.

Warner's first day of decathlon seemed to go well and Lepage, the other Canadian in the event, is doing pretty well, too.
 
Mendalla said:
but it is about time Canada's latest great sprinter had some Olympic gold in his display case.
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It was nice to hear him describe how he did it, as well. He said he started the race, started pumping his arms and just relaxed into it.
 
And Damian Warner is now in the record books and history books. First Canadian gold in decathlon, with a final score of 9018 points. New Canadian record (he set the old one just a short time ago). New Olympic record. He is one of only four men to break 9000 points in decathlon.

London, Ontario is really going to have to throw one heck of a party soon. Maggie Mac Neil (3 swimming medals), Susanne Grainger (gold with women's eights rowing team), Jessie Fleming (either gold or silver with women's soccer team and scored the winning goal in the semifinal), and Warner all hail from London.

On top of that, the Canadian men's 4x100 team is in the final but it was hardly a breeze. 5th going into the final leg of the semi, but Canada's anchor was 100m bronze medalist and 200m gold medalist Andre de Grasse and he made up the time. Canada finished 2nd in a photofinish, with China winning.
 
Soccer gold for Canada! Sweden went ahead 1-0 early, then Jesse Fleming tied it. In penalties, they were tied 2-2 after 5 mandatory kicks, then Canada won it in the first sudden death kick.
 
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