Yeah and I’ve been a victim of that too (at the vastly lower level of the local 3rd/4th cat races!) but it’s not really the way you want to see a race progress.

Men’s Omnium is good fun, enjoying this.

Brilliant assassin ride from Walls in the devil there!

And my 10am meeting has just been cancelled! 🙂

when is the final race? I may need to cancel some meetings myself.

Fair bit still to go – keirin final, points in the omnium plus the minor sprint final races. Think we’re here till 11.

i mean final omnium race

Think it’s next (if you’re watching BBC1). Schedule says 0955 but I guess they’re a bit behind after the Dutch rider’s crash earlier.

This surprised me. Has it really never happened before?

Makes note for Tricast bet in 2024 😉

You’d have thought that Matt Walls might have been a bit closer marked! He’s done a phenomenal ride. 🙂

Looking forward to seeing Laura Kenny in the Women’s Omnium as well. Be a bit of a change for GB after routinely getting Gold in the Pursuit to be picking up Golds in the Omnium which was never really focussed on as much.

Is there a better Olympic spectacle than the weightlifting? Where else can you see the competitors compete for second place#. Finish their competition and then watch the star come out and win Gold o first lift, then obliterate records at a whim. You owe it to familiarize with the rules and watch on catch up. Just remarkable.

We’ve watched a couple of the different sessions, now watching the 109kg+ men on catch-up. It’s great, MsBeej is very into it.

I’ve been watching the Men’s Skateboard on the Beeb. Ed’s commentary sounds like a round of Mornington Crescent. It’s all nonsense to me.

My footnote was lost. But for those that don’t know, in weightlifting you post the weight you plan to lift. The weight standard then increases, so you have to attempt at least the standard. You get three lifts. Now for mind games, one lifter can hold out until the standard gets high and come in for their first lift. There are two lift types and you have a Snatch weight, a clean and jerk. And the sum. Weight records were reset a few years ago.

In the 109+ kg there is a current star, Lasha Talakhadze who’s first lift is already proposed as higher than the rest. And if he walks on and lifts that weight, he wins gold essentially competing against himself. He’s 10% better than the nearest competitor. That good.

Nothing else like it.

The cynic in me thinks we’ve seen plenty like it before @TiRed. The Armstrong era for instance.

Well Lasha served a two year ban for stanazole. I’m under no illusions about the cleanliness of weightlifting, boxing and powerlifting. These are second only to rugby for UKAD. But still a spectacle.

I’m a big rugby fan, always assumed that a significant proportion are on gear….however aren’t quite a lot of them just caught using the old ‘Colombian Marching Powder’?

I did enjoy watching the weightlifting tbf!

Colombian Marching Powder tends to be the preserve of motorsports participants. Steroids for weights and rugby, EPO for cycling. A lot of other sports are also steroid positives, sometimes for contamination. Needless to say this is one of my other hobbies/busman’s holiday.

On another note, I’ve managed to watch the speed clmbing and the leading from the mean’s climbing yesterday, ahas anyone got a link to coverage of the buoldering?

iPlayer?

I’ve been watching the Men’s Skateboard on the Beeb. Ed’s commentary sounds like a round of Mornington Crescent. It’s all nonsense to me.

There speaks someone who’s never played SSX Tricky.

whether he’s ripped to his tits on whatever or squeaky clean, that’s still quarter of a tonne he’s throwing above his head.

Just cannot take the race walking seriously, looks suspiciously like a jog at times.

We ended up watching a bit of the 20km whilst trying to find the climbing. It’s utterly ridiculous, like you say, they seem to jog whenever they think a judge isn’t looking! The bloke in second place was practically running at one point…..and even if they do stick to a ‘walk’ it’s just ludicrous, surely the point of a race is to get there in the fastest time,ie by running!

It’s like having a Road Race category where everyone has to do it on a shopping bike.

That’s too similar to real bike riding, the rider with the most power would still win.

What we need to see is everyone on a 1:1 ratio fixed gear bike, where you have to stand up the whole way.

That or a 20 mile, flat, granny gear race

On another note, I’ve managed to watch the speed clmbing and the leading from the mean’s climbing yesterday, ahas anyone got a link to coverage of the buoldering?

iPlayer?

Nope, I’ve skimmed through the two broadcast streams on iPlayer, perhaps I skimmed too fast but I saw the speed climbing then the next climbing coverage was the lead 🙁

Womens Madison is on, Kenny and Archibald are flying. Great sport.

Hard to see anything other than that pairing being fast though… Especially Archibald, she’s a super long track rider.

GB have won 9 out of the 10 sprints so far. Absolute masterclass.

Amazing performance.

Bit crashy this Madison isn’t it?!

It’s such a rarely ridden race (and it’s also difficult to ride in team training as you obviously need a reasonable bunch) so there’s little expertise in it. Which then manifests itself as crashes. 🙁

When I was racing track, it was hardly ever allowed as it was deemed so dangerous. Which paradoxically made it more dangerous because no-one had any practice at it. Did it a few times in carefully managed training sessions, it’s fantastic fun.

Love watching it though.

Seeing Cav and Wiggins at the last night of the 6 days in London was my biking highlight of my life.

GOLD!

Laura Kenny, first ever British athlete to win Gold at three consecutive Olympics, five Golds altogether. Archibald was so dominate, so strong. Amazing athletes.

Seeing Cav and Wiggins at the last night of the 6 days in London was my biking highlight of my life.

I was there and I lost my voice for about four days, I just shouted myself hoarse.

Laura Kenny, first ever British athlete to win Gold at three consecutive Olympics

First ever? Steve Redgrave won 5 consecutive golds? Or is it first female and/or cyclist?

Female

Sorry, I meant to say first female to win three consecutive.

looks suspiciously like a jog at times.

The very first slow mo shot showed the walker with both feet off the ground. three of those and disqualification for lifting. I think the entire field were lifting continuously. I switched over to NewsNight.

Gotta love the photographers trying to keep with the athletes on a victory lap 🤣😂

Sheesh, what a lottery modern pentathlon is. The poor German was well in the lead coming into the show jumping and drew the equine equivalent of Kevin the Teenager out of the hat. Complete nightmare and had to retire as did the other contestant who rode the same horse. Apparently you get 20 minutes after the draw to get to know the horse then 5 practice fences before the real thing. Brutal if you pick a duffer.

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned but I’m watching the women’s beach volleyball.
Talk about skimpy outfits… they’re basically wearing thongs!
I think I’m right in saying the men wear shorts and a vest, not sure why the women can’t.
They look pretty sunburnt too.
By and large I am enjoying the Olympics though especially Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald’s gold this morning.

not sure why the women can’t.

BLame the FIVB, they actually set limits on what the women can wear inclduing the maximum size that the material can be at the narrowest point where it crosses the hip (6cm IIRC).

Just watched Lauren price being interviewed by prince thingmy what an inspirational athlete. International footballer, world champion kick boxer and now Olympic boxer. Wouldn’t mess in her taxi.

@nbt
I am going to take up beach volleyball. The FIVB would soon change their policy if they saw me in one of those outfits!
Seriously though, I wasn’t suggesting the competitors themselves chose the cut of their outfits. I was just a bit taken aback because they seemed even more minimal than usual and such a contrast to the men.
Not sure how the German gymnasts got away with it either but good on them for doing so. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/57961055