Olympics - big names

Apparently team GB already have 8 in isolation, and there have been positive tests recorded in other parts of the village. Seems a bit late to cancel it now.

Possibly unsurprisingly, the South African football team had 2 players and an official test positive in the village.

I think the Brits were pinged as close contacts after someone on their flight to Japan tested positive. I guess athletes who are flying in late and not spending lots of time in the holding camps are likely to be at risk of having to isolate after their flights in. I assume most of the road cyclists will be flying in this week from countries with much higher infection rates than Japan.

Given how the athletes are living in close proximity by sport, it’s difficult to see how positive tests aren’t going to take whole teams out of the Games for certain events.

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I really hope it doesn’t turn into a farce with medals going to whoever isn’t isolating.

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Memories of the Aussie short-track speed skater who won gold after the faster guys took each other out earlier in the race and left him as the only man standing :roll_eyes:

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Yeah but that’s standard for short track speed skating. Think Elise Christie and all the hype she failed to live up to.

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At least that was a racing incident. The danger is most of the competitors don’t get that far. And how long before they start to ‘interpret’ the isolation rule when someone big gets pinged 5 days before their event. “We’ve reviewed the data, 5 days isolation will be OK”.

I actually think icgaf about anything apart from the men’s road race this year. Last time around it was the Triathlon.

As a kid I used to hoover it up; but there’s so much more going on in the Internet age.

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I think the time difference is going to make this Games a bit of a PITA to follow. I don’t know that there’s anything that I particularly want to stay up all night to watch, so you’re getting highlights first thing in the morning for most sports.

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100% this. Last time it was annoying in Rio but I wanted to watch Phelps and so won get up early. This time the time zone is even worse and there is nothing I’m going to change my schedule for.

I hope BBC or similar do a fairly decent highlights show

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He’s also an excruciatingly bad/ boring interviewee

It’s certainly not capturing many people’s imagination is it? … presume the BBC will be sending out their whole crack plundit team

Could be good though. Looking forward to seeing how the GB women do in the 800 & 1500m - they’re absolutely flying at the moment

Should just enter as a Scots team considering the lack of contribution the rest of the 4 nations make to that team.

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Stephen Bradbury. Total legend. :+1: :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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I’ve never been interested in summer games outside of track cycling.

Winter games are where it’s always been at for me.

Presumably apart from Keely Hodgkinson of England who beat both the Scots in the trials :wink:

I’m not sure that they are - I think a lot of the studio-based punditry is going to be done in the UK. I’m sure a lot of the commentary can be done from the UK too, as with the Tour and the cricket tours of India.

They probably only need to send the people who will do the face to face interviews after the events.

Yes most of the coverage will be done from the studios in Salford

Interesting article here about coverage of the climbing:

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Someone always emerges as the story. Prior to Beijing, Bolt was ‘only’ a medal contender, he ended as a global superstar.

The biggest danger is some events lose their big names due to COVID, and the winner doesn’t get the credit. I’m sure they will fudge to try and limit this, but it will happen. Also, how many who would have been favourite’s last year haven’t got the form this year? Looks that way in triathlon with Zaferes and Luis struggling.

For the Brits, Asher-Smith could be the big winner, hopefully Peaty gets the plaudits he deserves and the usual chance for the low profile sports to step up.

The tour has finished, need something else to occupy the void. I’m looking forward to it.

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Ah missed her in the run up. It looked like the Scots womens team were going to dominate the middle distance.

Seoul or Sydney was probably the last time we had this kind of time difference? The infamous Seoul Men’s 100m!