London 2012 Olympics: China's Yi Siling wins first gold medal of the Games

[Speeder 2]

To the best of my capabilities, here are my predictions on China Vs USA final medal count:

China:

36 Gold (could be 35 or as high as 37. The minimum would be 32)
35 Silver (could be slightly less, when the bronze are > 28)
28 Bronze (could be slightly more, when the silver are < 35)

Total Medals: 97 (could be as high as 99)


USA:

35 Gold (could be as high as 38. So either 35 or 38, with 35 slightly more likely)
35 Silver ( slightly more or less)
39 Bronze ( slightly more or less)

Total Medals: 109 (max)


My model suggests that Total Medal Count winner will go to USA almost for sure, while the Final Gold Medal Count would be neck-to-neck with very very very thin margin.

 

[theniubt]

Fact is that if the situation was reversed, the ones who will be complaining would include the US media.

Swimming is indeed a big sport, but changing rules to shred medals on China-favored sports, especially when those sports don't include many medals in the first place??

Way to kiss the US's ***

 

[888jamie888]

Fact is that if the situation was reversed, the ones who will be complaining would include the US media.

Swimming is indeed a big sport, but changing rules to shred medals on China-favored sports, especially when those sports don't include many medals in the first place??

Way to kiss the US's ***.

Which rules have been changed exactly?

 

[Jackdaws]

It is a fact that the sport heavily favors the Western nations. The biggest example I can think of is hockey. For years India and Pakistan were the tops dogs in the sport - however, when grass was replaced by Astroturf - kaput went Indian and Pakistani hockey. Sports associated with leisure in the West - beach volleyball, trampoline (which I think is downright ridiculous), handball are included in the Olympics but sports like carrom, kabaddi and other Asian sports are not.

 

[Banglar Lathial]

It is a fact that the sport heavily favors the Western nations. The biggest example I can think of is hockey. For years India and Pakistan were the tops dogs in the sport - however, when grass was replaced by Astroturf - kaput went Indian and Pakistani hockey. Sports associated with leisure in the West - beach volleyball, trampoline (which I think is down ridiculous), handball are included in the Olympics but sports like carrom, kabaddi and other Asian sports are not.

One of the rare occasions on which I can agree with an Indian in this forum.

It is a fact that the sport heavily favors the Western nations. The biggest example I can think of is hockey. For years India and Pakistan were the tops dogs in the sport - however, when grass was replaced by Astroturf - kaput went Indian and Pakistani hockey. Sports associated with leisure in the West - beach volleyball, trampoline (which I think is down ridiculous), handball are included in the Olympics but sports like carrom, kabaddi and other Asian sports are not.

One of the rare occasions on which I can agree with an Indian in this forum.

 

[888jamie888]

It is a fact that the sport heavily favors the Western nations. The biggest example I can think of is hockey. For years India and Pakistan were the tops dogs in the sport - however, when grass was replaced by Astroturf - kaput went Indian and Pakistani hockey. Sports associated with leisure in the West - beach volleyball, trampoline (which I think is down ridiculous), handball are included in the Olympics but sports like carrom, kabaddi and other Asian sports are not.

Well astroturf, is far easier to maintain is it not? That's a bit of a poor excuse, are you sure, your players just aren't as good?
If your good players then you will have adapted to a new surface (which is pretty similar) after several years.
Hasn't China won all the trampolining?
I consider table tennis to be a leisure sport, indeed, that was how it was invented. Some guys messing around after dinner or something. Shall we get rid of that?
The sports you mention I have never heard of. Sorry. Bear in mind to be included they have to be practised in something like 75 countries I think.

 

[Jackdaws]

Well astroturf, is far easier to maintain is it not? That's a bit of a poor excuse, are you sure, your players just aren't as good?
If your good players then you will have adapted to a new surface (which is pretty similar) after several years.
Hasn't China won all the trampolining?
I consider table tennis to be a leisure sport, indeed, that was how it was invented. Some guys messing around after dinner or something. Shall we get rid of that?
The sports you mention I have never heard of. Sorry. Bear in mind to be included they have to be practised in something like 75 countries I think.

Astroturf would be easier to maintain in a country like Britain or Netherlands or Germany but the prohibitive costs were not maintaining Astroturf, the prohibitive costs were laying Astroturf across the length and breadth of the subcontinent. Kids who would play in the villages and small towns in the maidans were not equipped to handle the Astroturf.

I don't blame you for not hearing of them. But go to a village in India or Pakistan and ask them if they have heard of Equestrian or Canoe Slalom and don't you think you will draw blank stares too?

Now take Basketball. Who but the Americans are going to win it? So essentially the competition is open for the Silver. The dice are completed loaded in favor of the Western countries.

 

[888jamie888]

Astroturf would be easier to maintain in a country like Britain or Netherlands or Germany but the prohibitive costs were not maintaining Astroturf, the prohibitive costs were laying Astroturf across the length and breadth of the subcontinent. Kids who would play in the villages and small towns in the maidans were not equipped to handle the Astroturf.

I don't blame you for not hearing of them. But go to a village in India or Pakistan and ask them if they have heard of Equestrian or Canoe Slalom and don't you think you will draw blank stares too?

Now take Basketball. Who but the Americans are going to win it? So essentially the competition is open for the Silver. The dice are completed loaded in favor of the Western countries.

Yet you have perfectly manicured grass pitches?
What about the kids in indian slums who play cricket on any old piece of ground? Yet some of them turn out alright.
Grass to astroturf really isn't a big step.

Are the games you speak of played internationally in loads of countries? probably not. Besides I think if you showed someone canoe slalom, they would know straight away what the goal is.

The US are good at b-ball yes. If a country wants to take that gold, then by all means, get training.
Most of the popular sports were invented in the west, therefore it makes sense that we should be good at most of them.

 

[Banglar Lathial]

What makes you say those sports are specialist? We are best at those events, therefore we win most of our gold from them.

Most people do not play those sports anywhere outside a few Western countries, and outside Olympics, people would not even bother to watch those events on TV during leisure. Anybody including Westerners could be best in any sports, that's not the issue. The issue is that Western specific 'minor' sports are included in Olympics by the IOC, and events like swimming and athletics award upward of 70 golds in total, probably. That's quite unbalanced. In order to balance the current medal distribution, I suggest some possibilities like 30+ gold medals for Kung Fu, Karate and other martial arts. This number could be raised if East Asians want their nation to be on top, or if Iranians and neighbours want their nations on top, they could lobby for 30+ gold medals in 105+ kg weightlifting, and so on.

Your 30+ medals for kung fu or whatever is ridiculous, so I'll ignore that.

That is a good idea to counterbalance the lopsided medal distribution currently in place, like 30+ gold medals from swimming.

China added some sports for Beijing. That is merely your opinion. I don't think they are biased. The IOC has members from loads of countries.

Having members from loads of countries mean nothing. All the decision making power, all the laws, the headquarters, and so on, are firmly placed in the West.

Sure, if Chinese chess meets the requirements, it could be added.But seeing as you just complained you didn't know what slalom was, that would be pretty hypocritical.
So simply because you don't do them, we should cut them down?

I don't know Chinese Chess or those East Asian martial arts either. Still I suggested that they be included because balance in the medal distribution needs to be restored. Other Asian, African sports could also be included. Central Asians could lobby for some Wrestling rules that are different from the Greco-Roman ones, for example.

 

[Jackdaws]

Yet you have perfectly manicured grass pitches?
What about the kids in indian slums who play cricket on any old piece of ground? Yet some of them turn out alright.
Grass to astroturf really isn't a big step.

Are the games you speak of played internationally in loads of countries? probably not. Besides I think if you showed someone canoe slalom, they would know straight away what the goal is.

The US are good at b-ball yes. If a country wants to take that gold, then by all means, get training.
Most of the popular sports were invented in the west, therefore it makes sense that we should be good at most of them.

No Indian kid from the slums has ever made it to the Indian cricket team. Closest is probably Vinod Kambli. The guys who make it have trained on proper pitches. But if you notice, most are hopeless fielders because they are not used to throwing themselves around on account of lack of grass.

A surface makes a big difference. Just ask Nadal and Federer.

Most of the popular sports were invented in the West?? The correct statement would be - most of the sports included in the Olympics were invented in the West.

Anyhow this is a circular argument. In my opinion - there are very few truly international sports - Soccer, Cricket, Tennis, Golf, Hockey and Rugby come to mind. The rest are popular in certain enclaves in some part of the world or other. Olympics tend to represent Western enclaves more. The 75 country requirement is also daft. A sport played in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland would qualify as 4 countries across which you can drive down in less than a day; a sport played in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Maharashtra would qualify as 1 nation.

 

[Bhairava]

Why isnt Kabaddi included in Olympics.

A sure Gold medal once every 4 years for us.

 

[Jackdaws]

Most people do not play those sports anywhere outside a few Western countries, and outside Olympics, people would not even bother to watch those events on TV during leisure. Anybody including Westerners could be best in any sports, that's not the issue. The issue is that Western specific 'minor' sports are included in Olympics by the IOC, and events like swimming and athletics award upward of 70 golds in total, probably. That's quite unbalanced. In order to balance the current medal distribution, I suggest some possibilities like 30+ gold medals for Kung Fu, Karate and other martial arts. This number could be raised if East Asians want their nation to be on top, or if Iranians and neighbours want their nations on top, they could lobby for 30+ gold medals in 105+ kg weightlifting, and so on.




That is a good idea to counterbalance the lopsided medal distribution currently in place, like 30+ gold medals from swimming.




Having members from loads of countries mean nothing. All the decision making power, all the laws, the headquarters, and so on, are firmly placed in the West.




I don't know Chinese Chess or those East Asian martial arts either. Still I suggested that they be included because balance in the medal distribution needs to be restored. Other Asian, African sports could also be included. Central Asians could lobby for some Wrestling rules that are different from the Greco-Roman ones, for example.

True - how is synchronised diving a sport? Have you ever seen anyone ever practice it? Two dudes diving in sync simultaneously into a pool is not a sport - it is an ad for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

 

[888jamie888]

No Indian kid from the slums has ever made it to the Indian cricket team. Closest is probably Vinod Kambli. The guys who make it have trained on proper pitches. But if you notice, most are hopeless fielders because they are not used to throwing themselves around on account of lack of grass.

A surface makes a big difference. Just ask Nadal and Federer.

Most of the popular sports were invented in the West?? The correct statement would be - most of the sports included in the Olympics were invented in the West.

Anyhow this is a circular argument. In my opinion - there are very few truly international sports - Soccer, Cricket, Tennis, Golf, Hockey and Rugby come to mind. The rest are popular in certain enclaves in some part of the world or other. Olympics tend to represent Western enclaves more. The 75 country requirement is also daft. A sport played in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland would qualify as 4 countries across which you can drive down in less than a day; a sport played in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Maharashtra would qualify as 1 nation.

Okay, what about Pele? Grew up playing with a home made ball in the streets.
Does it? Those tennis guys perform on all surfaces.
No, I mean the worlds most popular sports were invented in the west. name me one which wasn't.

Tis true, it's not perfect. But I don't think sports are biased towards the west.

 

[theniubt]

Which rules have been changed exactly?

Here's an example

China success 'devastating', says table tennis chief

 

[Banglar Lathial]

Here's an example

China success 'devastating', says table tennis chief

This should shut the Westerners up. Somebody claimed that IOC is not Western, and has loads of members from other countries. As I have said, IOC is firmly placed in the West, with all decision making power, legislative power, executive power etc.

How pathetic can they be to limit the number of Chinese gold medals without doing the same for USA and other countries by clipping useless medals from swimming and canoeing slalom etc?