Various 2012 Olympic news

[gruffalo]

'BOA's Lord Moynihan says 'one idiot' can ruin a London 2012 event'

He shouldn't be so harsh on himself

[mump boy]

Trickstat
Thankyou for that rational response.
I will develop my point further for you.
If it is the Saudi culture that for (religious?) reasons women do not take part in sport that is surely for them only to change, is it not?
If women are not raised to do sport in Saudi Arabia then it would be very unlikely for them to be able to reach Olympic standards anyway. It is likely to be for cultural and reigious reasons that this is the case. How can we , or anyone else, critisize them, or ostrasize them, for their beliefs?
You may not agree with them in their views on women and sport, but should you ban them as a nation from the Olympics?
Lobby for change by all means (via politics), but banishing Saudi Arabia from the Olympics is surely not the way to go.
That is my point. Is it offensive to anyone?
I haven't even expressed a personal view on whether I agree with their views on women in sport, I'm just making a generic point.

Cultural relativism at its worst, of course we can criticize them for misogyny

There is BIG difference between nobody reaching the required standard and a blanket policy that they wouldn't be selected, whatever their standard, because of their sex.

[BigGut]

It is likely to be for cultural and reigious reasons that this is the case. How can we , or anyone else, critisize them, or ostrasize them, for their beliefs?

Steve,

What about those women in Suadi Arabia who do not share these religioius beliefs. If there is a christian lady in Saudi Arabia who believes that there is nothing wrong with wearing tiny lycra running gear and competing in sport she is prevented from doing so. That is descriminatory in itself. It is forcing the religious beliefs of those in control of the state on those who do not share them. They are ostracizing, actually it's worse they would be punishing, a woman for wanting to do sport. How is that compatible with the Olympic ideal?

Your argument seems to be that they should be allowed to dictate what a woman should believe, rather than allowing the woman to hold her own beliefs and be allowed to express them through sport.

[trevorp]

...It is likely to be for cultural and reigious reasons that this is the case. How can we , or anyone else, critisize them, or ostrasize them, for their beliefs?...

Cultural relativism at its worst, of course we can criticize them for misogyny...

Absolutely! However, having followed and read Steve's posts on this, I don't gain the impression that he is a relativist, but rather that his question was ironic/rhetorical.

Egregious as this case may appear, and loathsome as the Saudi regime undoubtedly is, I tend to agree with Steve that using sport to effect change rarely, if ever, works and is unfair to athletes whose only offence is to hold the wrong passport. While there might be satisfaction to be gained from making some sort of gesture to indicate disapproval, a regime that deploys 'Morality police' to prevent schoolgirls from leaving a burning building because they were 'immodestly' dressed is unlikely to pay much attention to public opinion in the decadent West.

[BigGut]

Trevor,

Can I ask why you believe it OK that a woman who wants to compete at the Olympics is prevented from doing so because of somebody else's morality. Forget trying to change Saudi Arabia, if they don't want to change they won't, but they shouldn't be part of the Olympic movement.

[trevorp]

Trevor, Can I ask why you believe it OK that a woman who wants to compete at the Olympics is prevented from doing so because of somebody else's morality. Forget trying to change Saudi Arabia, if they don't want to change they won't, but they shouldn't be part of the Olympic movement.

I don't believe that it's OK. I also don't believe I posted anything that should enable you to make such an inference.

[BigGut]

OK, so given that you clearly don't agree that his is OK, how on earth can you say that they should be part of the Olympic family?

[d pickup]

'Heathrow's Ability to Handle Olympic Crowds in Question'

see
www.nbcsandiego.com/news/sports/Heathro ... 06695.html

[d pickup]

'Keeping the London Games on the Move'

'Commuters and Visitors Alike Might Consider a Detour to the Pub to Help Ease Congestion.'

see
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... lenews_wsj

§§§

'China seen winning medals race'

'Coe predicts China will outperform the United States to win the medals race at the London Olympics.'

see
http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_/id/ ... e-predicts

§§§

'Hi-tech tests to catch Olympics drug cheats at London 2012'

see
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/12/sport ... index.html

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'Sleeping pods fitted at data centre for London 2012'

see
www.computerworlduk.com/news/infrastruc ... ndon-2012/

§§§

'London takes inspiration from Barcelona for legacy'

see
www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/davidbond/2012/04/l ... _from.html

[Kermit]

Olympics 2012: branding 'police' to protect sponsors' exclusive rights

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/ap ... CMP=twt_gu

Victoria Pendleton will not be able to tweet about tucking into her Weetabix on the morning of race day, or post a video message to fans from her room in the athletes' village.

Pub landlords will be banned from posting signs reading: "Come and watch the London Games from our big screen!"

Fans in the crowd won't be allowed to upload snippets of the day's action to YouTube – or even, potentially, to post their snaps from inside the Olympic Village on Facebook. And a crack team of branding "police", the Games organisers Locog have acknowledged, will be checking every bathroom in every Olympic venue – with the power to remove or tape over manufacturers' logos even on soap dispensers, wash basins and toilets.

[d pickup]

'At last! The London 2012 Olympic slogan is to be revealed to an expectant world'

Interesting and plenty of digs here about past slogans.

see
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9201 ... world.html

§§§

'London protesters gear up for the Olympic Games'

Some feel there is plenty to protest about too.

see
www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/region ... protesters

[Guto Nyth Bran]

Looks like Jamaican Sherone Simpson may miss the Olympics.
The 100m silver medallist from Beijing pulled up with about 50 m to go of a 400.
She was stretchered off the track Saturday night at the meeting in Kingston where Usain Bolt made his season debut in the 4x1.
Yohan Blake started off with a big 9.90 WL.

[d pickup]

'It's the race of his life and Coe is on the final bend as Olympics loom'

see
www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/arti ... Games.html

[mump boy]

Some people on here will probably find a way to make this a negative but this is pure class

http://www.uka.org.uk/media/news/april- ... c-tickets/

[Charlie Boy]

The families should get tickets, some of the parents and even partners sacrifice a lot so the athletes could train. Why should they not be rewarded with seeing them compete at the pinnacle of their sport.

I for one applaud UKA.

[jjimbojames]

The families should get tickets, some of the parents and even parents sacrifice a lot so the athletes could train. Why should they not be rewarded with seeing them compete at the pinnacle of their sport.

I for one applaud UKA.

This. A great move by UKA

[d pickup]

'Olympic venue in row over security against legal photography'

see
www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/apr/16/02 ... hotography

[d pickup]

'London 2012 anti-doping laboratory receives seal of approval'

see
www.london2012.com/news/2012/04/london- ... f-appr.php

[d pickup]

'O2 Olympic venue in row over security against legal photography'

see
www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/apr/16/02 ... hotography

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"London 'to hit revenue targets'"

see
www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/artic ... 595701A000

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'LOCOG defends role of embattled Olympic sponsors'

see
www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/news/rss/11 ... -sponsors/

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'Sebastian Coe marking London Olympic countdown'

see
http://www2.counton2.com/sports/2012/ap ... r-3615837/
---
100 facts about the Olympics

see
www.thisislondon.co.uk/olympics/olympic ... 53789.html

[d pickup]

'Britain warned that marathon lines at airports could dampen London's Olympic spirit'

see
www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/s ... 3235.story

[d pickup]

'Missiles at residential flats during Olympics?'

see
www.itv.com/news/2012-04-29/army-may-st ... -olympics/

[d pickup]

'London 2012 Olympics: British athletes react with disappointment to outlawing of BOA drug cheat bylaw'

Me too.

see
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9235 ... bylaw.html

[d pickup]

'Sebastian Coe is working to make London Games a winner'

see
www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-oly-sebast ... 3399.story

§§§

'U.K. doctors blast McDonalds' Olympic sponsorship'

see
www.13wham.com/news/world/story/U-K-doc ... px?rss=105

[Mr Halibut]

'London 2012 Olympics: British athletes react with disappointment to outlawing of BOA drug cheat bylaw'

Me too.

see
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympi ... bylaw.html

That's a great picture of Carl Myerscough.

[Geoff]

'London 2012 Olympics: British athletes react with disappointment to outlawing of BOA drug cheat bylaw'

Me too.

see
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympi ... bylaw.html

Interesting that all three current British international athletes support Dwain Chambers! The guy is obviously well liked with most of the British athletics team supporting him. Many feel he has been punished enough, even persecuted, and it is this that divides opinion and not the debate on length of bans - most want 4 years or longer and all feel two years is too short.

[d pickup]

'London 2012 Olympics: British athletes react with disappointment to outlawing of BOA drug cheat bylaw'

Me too.

see
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympi ... bylaw.html

Interesting that all three current British international athletes support Dwain Chambers! The guy is obviously well liked with most of the British athletics team supporting him. Many feel he has been punished enough, even persecuted, and it is this that divides opinion and not the debate on length of bans - most want 4 years or longer and all feel two years is too short.

Geoff
Dwain maybe a nice guy, popular, supported by some, and I don't support witchhunts, but my sentiments are with for instance Radcliffe, Sotherton, Black.

BOA has been out of line with much of the rest of the world, and such anomalies do exist. Hopefully all the world will move to uninamity and more severe bans - or how else, pragmatically speaking, are the law abiders going to prevail? Punishment, however severe, won't stop some people from being 'naughty' of course, but it might help the situation a bit as a deterent, and make the right sort of statement.

[Geoff]

'London 2012 Olympics: British athletes react with disappointment to outlawing of BOA drug cheat bylaw'

Me too.

see
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympi ... bylaw.html

Interesting that all three current British international athletes support Dwain Chambers! The guy is obviously well liked with most of the British athletics team supporting him. Many feel he has been punished enough, even persecuted, and it is this that divides opinion and not the debate on length of bans - most want 4 years or longer and all feel two years is too short.

Geoff
Dwain maybe a nice guy, popular, supported by some, and I don't support witchhunts, but my sentiments are with for instance Radcliffe, Sotherton, Black.

BOA has been out of line with much of the rest of the world, and such anomalies do exist. Hopefully all the world will move to uninamity and more severe bans - or how else, pragmatically speaking, are the law abiders going to prevail? Punishment, however severe, won't stop some people from being 'naughty' of course, but it might help the situation a bit as a deterent, and make the right sort of statement.

Interesting that even some of the athletes you have mentioned support a stronger deterrant but feel Chambers should be allowed to compete. If you read Jason Henderson's blog he points out the blurring between the byelaw and Chambers as an individual. Most of the British team support both!

WADA will likely move towards a 4 year ban but I doubt it will be an automatic one as they will want to reward athletes who come clean and tell all. So it could be 4 years with time off for good behaviour rather than 2 years with time added on. How much of a reduction is the key question but I suggest no more than a year. I can see problems with trying to get a ban for just the Olympics although it will be seriously discussed. Unfortunately, all this has to stand up in the courts otherwise we have a repeat of what we've seen over the past few months but I do feel there is a worldwide desire to get tougher. Another area to pursue is to sanction countries and/or governing bodies as has happened in sports like weightlifting. I do feel we have less dopers in athletics now than at any other time in the past but there will always be a few.

[sidelined]

I don't think a ban is enough. Athletes who get the maximum ban should also be fined and/or made to repay prize money for the previous couple of years. I think that would be a powerful deterrent.

[d pickup]

I don't think a ban is enough. Athletes who get the maximum ban should also be fined and/or made to repay prize money for the previous couple of years. I think that would be a powerful deterrent.

sidelined
Interesting thoughts of yours. The IOA must think creatively and provide a range of deterrents, as is the case with the law courts dealing with the range of criminal activity. Knowing their pockets are going to be hit might do the trick with some.

[bevone]

The sad thing is the comments I get from other sports who are condemning Dwaine and then saying that they are not surprised that the current athletes support them because they are all cheats as well. We know that isnt the case but I think the fact that many of them are just happy to welcome him back without reservation, what does that say abotu themselves.I was chatting last night with an athlete who supported the reinstatement but woudlnt like it if he was in his event - blatent double standarad and a stadard that too mnay athlets have. Edgar seems to be bothered about the relay - has he no aspirations for the individual or is it a case like many of the sprinters are happy to go as a relay member and just to say they went to the bg show. I noticed the tv went to speak to HAA and he did metion that this may loose him a spot on the team and he wouldnt be happy bout that - the truth is that someone will not make the team because of him but you could argeu why will there possibly be 3 30 year old in it anyway. Where is the young talent? NObody says anything about Myerscough BTW!

There are too many mixed messages here - what ever happened to cheats never prosper - you could also say everyone deserves a 2nd chance. On the basis that Carl and Dwain were banned a long time ago my personal stance is that I can justify my support but that I have looked at the facts and had my reservations. The fact about Dwain is that he would have got away with it had a rival coach not basically dobbed on the lot of them.

I am proud that our BOA has stuckits neck out and tried to hold the moral high ground but what has this earned them, they have been ordered to pay considerable costs. This is another example of where doing the right thing is wrong and also sends out the wrong message. I would like to see drug bans extended to 5or 6 years if not for life. The problem is that there is no real deterrent and I wonder how the likes of HAA and Edgar feel if they are not selected for the Games and Dwaine is?