The Olympic Trivial Thing Thread.

[Mad Doug Biker]

Not sure that it is entirely appropriate of the Guardian to provide a mouse-over to the shooting results on the word "rifle" when describing how he got his jaw smashed by soldier of the Sudan army.

Regardless, I'll be cheering him on as I will be the other 'indies' and the people like Patrick Lawino.

 

[fimm]

The helmets without vents are some sort of more-aero thing.
I was amused by the existence of an Austrian beach volleyball team, until my (half Austrian) boyfriend pointed out that Austria has lots of nice lakes, some of which have beaches, and better summer weather than the UK..

 

[sheddy]

mentioned elsewhere, but whose idea was it to play the Benny Hill music in between the ladies beach volleyball sets ?

 

[rikki]

mentioned elsewhere, but whose idea was it to play the Benny Hill music in between the ladies beach volleyball sets ?

Thought that was weird even when it was playing during coverage (sic) of the men's beach volleyball

 

[Night Train]

Watching the rowing earlier, NT and I swear that some of the bikes being ridden on the path in the background (coaches/trainers?) had forks on back to front.

I managed to get a photo from this morning's qualifiers. Seems like a job lot of white bikes with back to front looking forks.

 

[rikki]

My experience of major regattas (a long time ago) is that they got a job lot of bikes for coaches to ride along the tow-path. These bikes were abused and then stolen. Seriously - we had to go round and untie them from the boat trailers at the end of the regatta.

 

[Arch]

Looks like someone bought a job lot from Asda, and followed the one instore when putting them together..

Seems odd to have so many wrong, but I guess if one person is assembling them all, and has the wrong idea.... They ARE wrong, aren't they?

 

[ArDee]

When geese fly in that sort of formation, it's partly because the trailing birds get an aerodynamic advantage from the leading ones. Of course, they take turns to even the effort out. Does the same apply in the water, or are the dynamics different? Do the lane dividers do anything to dissipate any differences in pressure?

Unfortunately, the same doesn't apply in the water once you get more than a certain distance behind the wave from the swimmer in the lane next to you affects your stroke/ breathing, etc. and slows you down.

 

[ArDee]

The Queen coming out of the helicopter - did she jump or did bond have to push her?

 

[Cheddar George]

The table tennis bats are taken from the players half an hour before the game for testing (flatness, stickiness and other technical stuff like that.....), they only get them back just as the match is about to start, each one sealed in a box. It looks a bit like a pizza delivery.

 

[Night Train]

Just watching the mens 4 rowing and the GB team have their oars set left, right, right, left along the boat whereas the other teams have their oars left, right, left, right.
Would that make a difference?

 

[Cheddar George]

Just watching the mens 4 rowing and the GB team have their oars set left, right, right, left along the boat whereas the other teams have their oars left, right, left, right.
Would that make a difference?

I noticed this in the Eights yesterday, do you get left handed or right handed oarsmen ?

 

[Speicher]

I was watching that, Night Train. Apparently the man in the bow* and the man behind in front of him changed places because of the weight distribution. It was said that this change could make them faster.

* The bow is the front of the boat but they are going backwards, so which is the bow?

This was an excellent way to start the week. Sunshine, strong men and women having a row.
Not forgetting Stephen Redgrave.

 

[Ludwig]

Quality of the seats are superb

 

[rikki]

The bowman is the rower at the front of the boat. They are all facing the stern (except the coxswain).

If the boat is "bow-rigged" the oars are set so that the stroke (No 8) is rowing with his oar on the bow side, and the bowman will have his oar on the stroke side. They are still called the stroke and bow respectively.

The reason for the change is probably weight distribution. But is could be to change things around and have a particular person in the stroke seat or the bow seat.

You may also see a boat (probably a four) with a "tandem rig" with 2 oars together on the same side of the boat.