All flagged up and raring to go
Originally uploaded by athens2004blog.
Evenin' all. We're just back from the hockey at the Helleniko complex - where sports such as baseball, softball and basketball also happen (and where, curiously, the food is considerably better than at other Olympic venues. Mmm, great spinach pie and lovely pizza.)
Anyway, we went to see Britain play Pakistan in the final group game of hockey. Neither team could quailfy for the knock out stages, but Pakistan decided they'd hammer us anyway.
The extremely well-spoken folk who made up the GBR supporters were awfully disappointed that Pakistan hammered us 8-2. I wasn't too bothered a) because hockey isnt really my sport b) because we'd already been knocked out and c) because the GB fans had been particularly rude to a Pakistan fan whose seat one of them was sitting in ('What's your problem?' screamed one when the confused looking man went to get a steward after the GB fans wouldn't let him have his seat, insisting he went to sit in one of the empty seats nearby. Um, I'd guess that his problem was that he'd been directed to the seat shown on his ticket only to find someone sitting in it and shouting at him in a language he didn't understand!).
Still, it was fun to watch the game played as well as the Pakistan team were playing it and their fans were in enjoyably jubilant mood (to give them their due the GB fans did shake hands with lots of the Pakistan supporters at the end).
Right, to the competition. Remember, it's guess the winning time of the 4x400m men's relay. Giles in Manchester, UK got in first with 2:55:69. KJ in the USA says 2:54:87. Dawn's gone for 2min 54.18 sec, which would be a new world record (she thinks her US countryfolk will do it). Ginger from Seoul agrees and says 2min 54.14. And Rachel in California is yet another confident yank - 2min 54.17. Keep those guesses coming.
Right. It's only 10.33pm here and that early night I've been needing (fell asleep on the metro today) is screaming my name. We've got a baseball semi tomorrow lunchtime, then our first athletics tomorrow night. With Kelly Holmes having just won GB's first track gold of 2004 in the 800m and decathalete Dean Macey now up into fourth before the last session of the decathalon tomorrow night, it's shaping up nicely...
4 comments:
Hi Kit,
Terribly disappointed to see the Canadian women lose to the USA in the quarter finals in beach volleyball. Were you there? But hey, Canada got it first Gold of the games in gymnastics (a Calgary boy no less). Oh, and thanks for the picture of the entertainment at the beach volleyball. My guess for the latest competition is 2:54:95. An Olympic record, but not a world record.
Bob from Calgary
OK KIT - YOU GOTTA GET THE SCOOP - Here's the athlete ban that CNN and others have been reporting: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64650,00.html
08:45 AM Aug. 20, 2004 PT - Athletes may be the center of attention at the Olympic Games, but don't expect to hear directly from them online -- or see snapshots or video they've taken. The International Olympic Committee is barring competitors, as well as coaches, support personnel and other officials, from writing firsthand accounts for news and other websites. An exception is if an athlete has a personal website that was not set up specifically for the Games. The IOC's rationale for the restrictions is that athletes and their coaches should not serve as journalists -- and that the interests of broadcast rightsholders and accredited media come first.
Anne Nonn.
Well, first of all congratulations for Kelly Holmes, she was amazing! (though being the sophisticated sportsfan I am, I was rooting for the very pretty Slovenian that got third...) All in all I think the UK has done very well in these games so far, to the surprise of most British media that seemed almost keen on disaster up untill last week.
Now with the competition: after seeing the Americans sweep the 400m, I will also cast my vote for them but I doubt they 'll manage a world record (with a white guy being their best? Come on!). I think that a time of 2:55:24 should do it.
Dennis, Greek in the UK
Let's bet a 2:54:21 ... even if it's too fast for me. Are they REALLY drug controlled? look at the 100m competitors: they look like bulls. Anyway, say hello to Robin!
Post a Comment