The 2016 Olympics thread...

[Agent 86]

Rory McIlroy showed today why he best to stick to playing golf and not talking. He has hit the sport of golf back out of bounds as far as the Olympics are concerned. Officials would like to choose a club for Rory, one that would split his head open no doubt.

Rory McIlroy has delivered the most withering criticism of golf’s inclusion in the Olympics, suggesting the sport was irrelevant in the context of the Games and also admitting he was “not sure” whether he would even be watching it.

Golf returns to the Games for the first time in 112 years in Rio but the four-times major winner last month declared himself unavailable citing concerns over the Zika virus and the associated health risk he was unwilling to take. The world No3 Jordan Spieth followed suit joining McIlroy, the world No1, Jason Day, and No2 Dustin Johnson in missing the event.

At Royal Troon , where Rio matters completely overshadowed the buildup to Thursday’s Open, McIlroy was irked by being asked Olympic questions. After ambivalence towards whether he would be an interested onlooker, McIlroy when asked which events at Rio he would watch said: “Probably events like track and field, swimming, diving, the stuff that matters.”

What an idiot.

[The Cat]

Golf should be nowhere near the Olympics. Or Tennis. Or Football etc.

[Ginge]

Golf should be nowhere near the Olympics. Or Tennis. Or Football etc.

Was just coming in to type exactly the same. Also add darts to the list, thankfully it isnt in anyway, nor should it be, I wonder how much money the WDF waste per year on this lost cause?

In fairness to the tennis players though, seems they are all bothering this year though in the main. Only one of the Top 16 at the cut off ruled himself out (Dominic Thiem).

[The Cat]

I still like the idea that the Olympics should be the pinnacle of the included sports.

I'll give the tennis players credit though that they do look bothered for the most part.

[Ginge]

I still like the idea that the Olympics should be the pinnacle of the included sports.

I'll give the tennis players credit though that they do look bothered for the most part.

And the tennis at the Olympics doesnt have ranking points this time around so even more kudos to them.

Thiem has probably pulled out because he has run himself ragged the early part of the year, has won a few little events to boost his ranking, so dont begrude him the rest. I bet he hasnt run his mouth off about it like Rory has, the little prick.

[Agent 86]

Rory probably best to get his Caddy do the talking and he concentrate on hitting balls into holes with a stick.

The crowds at the underwater polo are expected to be huge this Olympics.

[Ginge]

Looks like the male tennis players are starting to take the lead of the male golfers.

Two top 16 players now pulled out because of the Zika virus, more may follow.

[Booji Boy]

Looks like the male tennis players are starting to take the lead of the male golfers.

Two top 16 players now pulled out because of the Zika virus, more may follow.

Ive a feeling ND, AM and RF will all be there.

[Ginge]

Looks like the male tennis players are starting to take the lead of the male golfers.

Two top 16 players now pulled out because of the Zika virus, more may follow.

Ive a feeling ND, AM and RF will all be there.

Oh yeah those three will, along with Nadal if he is fit

Wouldnt surprise me if one or two others pull out a bit further down the rankings, though. Raonic pulled out last week, and so did Berdych but he is a cunt by all accounts so meh.

[Ginge]

Surely Russia have to be out of the Olympics in every sport given todays revelation.

[nikkiboy]

Surely Russia have to be out of the Olympics in every sport given todays revelation.

Do you ban current sportsmen for the misdemeanours of their predecessors?
Probably a warning and increased testing for Russian participants.

[Agent 86]

Surely Russia have to be out of the Olympics in every sport given todays revelation.

Do you ban current sportsmen for the misdemeanours of their predecessors?
Probably a warning and increased testing for Russian participants.

Precisely, if you were a sportsman, and clean of drugs, trained all your life for this Olympics and you are banned because of some cheats, how'd you like it. Banning the whole country is wrong. Test each sports person, its the only fair way for the guys that have done nothing wrong.

[Ginge]

Athletics schedule

http://media.aws.iaaf.org/competitionin ... e3636c.pdf

Finals such as the mens triple jump in the early afternoon UK time, mens 100m final at 2.25am UK time...

[Rout]

Its a tough one this Russia thing. I am the first to say innocent till proven guilty and that should mean not punishing potentially clean athletes.

Chances are excellent though that they are in the minority and that the culture has become so strong there that they are all at it, albeit many probably without realising they have done wrong or what they are doing wrong because its all they have ever known.

All in all I think they only option available is to ban Russia from both Olympics and get the situation properly sorted out. No one person is bigger than the greatest show on earth and its going to put the credibility of the whole olympics in question if they take any other course of action.

The IOC and WADA need to have a good long look at themselves though. This scam took place right under their noses, undermining the job they are there to prevent.

[Booji Boy]

Looks like the IOC want Russia there now. No surprise there.

[Ginge]

CAS upholds the ban on the Russian athletics team. That will be the green light now to ban the rest of the Russians from the other 20-odd sports.

[Skewball]

Surely Russia have to be out of the Olympics in every sport given todays revelation.

Do you ban current sportsmen for the misdemeanours of their predecessors?
Probably a warning and increased testing for Russian participants.

Its not their predecessors. Been going on right up until this last year. It's the here and now.

They have to be banned, its sad for the few but vital for the many that Sport takes a stand.

[ssjsa]

Good to see that the retesting of samples from the Beijing and London Olympics, uncovering positive results against banned substances. Hope this serves as a message to all the drug cheats, that whilst you may get past existing test results, you wil, be found out in the future.

[Angela_ZB]

So happy we have a boxer again for the first time in 24 years. Still a shame baseball will not be back in 2016 en we have to wait till 2020.

[Agent 86]

So happy we have a boxer again for the first time in 24 years. Still a shame baseball will not be back in 2016 en we have to wait till 2020.

Baseball is a cool game to sit down and watch. But as an Olympic sport? Why not hang the gold medal around the Americans neck now. I suppose we could say the same about Basketball, and the rest of world have caught up to them in the past, but takes an inhuman effort to beat them. Althou earning what they do, a gold medal at the Olympics probably means nothing to them.