Thanks for that one steve, absolutley hilarious.

Excellent.

Some people just seem to be interested in tearing stuff down.

And when did the French get so good at swimming?

Simple question : what is the point to it? Governments spend billions trying to secure the venue for their country, then spend billions more adapting the infrastucture and building projects, security,compensate people displaced.... and all for what? Groups of three people stand on podium, get a medal,have a couple of years on the advertising circuit, make a lot of money, fade away,with all that money. A couple of months everyone forgot who won what,or which country they came from. Who's going to remember China's Yi Siling airgun gold medal? I won't.

..... the same could be said for many other things. So what's the point in eating, sleeping, making a home for ones self and one's family. Going to work, going to school ... etc etc etc.

Personnaly I think it's a great way to celebrate peoples dedication to their sport. They don't all go on the "advertising" circuit.

Most athletes do what they do for the love of the sport and for the love of participating and competition.

It actually makes me sad when I see folks being so negative all the time. Why can't we just enjoy things for a change instead of picking holes in everything and tearing things down all the time.

(I'll go back to my hole in the ground now )

I truly enjoyed watching the equestrian cross country today. Very exciting, and the thought that went into designing all the jumps was evident. The USA commenters couldn't get over how quirky they were.

Loved the canal jump, with a canal boat in the centre, thought that was really cool.


These Olympics are throwing up some real surprises, from 15 year old swimming sensations to the New Zealand rowers shattering Redgrave's record. For me, cocks ups aside, yesterdays gymnastics was amazing but after watching Tweddle on those bars I am really excited to see the women today.

Have you seen Barcelona and seen the legacy there where the athletes blocks are now apartments and areas were regenerated? There's a bigger picture to look at

They are entitled to their opinion, just as you are, not everyone is into sport. Personally, I will watch some of it but think the whole show has got far too large and expensive with the sponsors calling the tune. Every country tries to outdo the other and spends money that it's hasn't got or that could be better invested. Lots of the sites are built at huge expense and then just left to rot, it's money down the drain. Look at parts of the sites in Beijing and Greece. (says it could have cost Greece up to 20 billion, imagine if Greece had got it this year!). Hopefully London will make better use of the facilities after it's all over, at least some pretty run areas will have been regenerated.
http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2012/07/2...eshow/#slide/1
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012...-athletes-home

Agree, and it looks like London will be better used after the games, but we'll see. I haven't been to Barcelona, but seemingly parts of the Olympic site are pretty desolate and unused.

that part of East London has been contaminated land for decades, no one has had guts, the money, the motivation until now to do something about it.
a few days ago I watched (on Spanish TV) very interesting programme about how they had taken all the soil and decontaminated on site, ISTR the actual lost soil was about 5%. Far better than the other systems where you dump it in an old quarry and leave it to the great-great grandchildren to worry about.
Interestingly (or not - dependent on who you are), the lead engineers for this project as interviewed were both women.

I trust this will become a living legacy to a bit of sensibility when it is all over and the icing has been removed from the cake.

the bronze fish that is incorporated in with all the bars and restaurants beside the marina is/was a fine crowd puller, many people still want to have their fotos taken with that in the background. I have seen coaches pull up there (causing traffic jams) to visit that area.

Some of the sporting facilities in Montjuic are rarely used, but the Olympic village and port near Poble Nou helped regenerate the whole side of that city.

Barcelona is a different case though, it was a city that had been neglected for 70 years and the Olympics helped bring it to the fore again

As for London, I have no idea, I havent seen any of it yet

A lot of them are seats allocated, free, as per IOC rules, to competeing nations, and they are trying to get a lot of them freed up so they can sell them, on line, to the general public.

Well better that, than they continue to be sold by spivs from the respective countries of certain Olympic officials in the Olympic Park.
On the plus side the police have already arrested some of them as its illegal anyway.

A good result for GB in the equestrian event with a silver I see.

Yes, one had £23000 worth and got fined £500

A victory for the justice system!