Olympics Thread
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Seth Godin today
https://seths.blog/2024/08/the-paradox-of-lottery-thinking/
And the poll he references
Amazing
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I saw those results - the highest ranking sports were the ones perceived to involve the least athleticism. Shooting, archery and then at 10%, table tennis and badminton. Having played badminton to a decent level when I was younger, I can guarantee that the 10% who believe they could qualify for the Olympics have never played it. The Olympians are impossibly good, I've played against guys who made national squads when they were younger and they strolled around making me run to all corners - I didn't get a single point unless they messed around.
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I saw those results - the highest ranking sports were the ones perceived to involve the least athleticism. Shooting, archery and then at 10%, table tennis and badminton. Having played badminton to a decent level when I was younger, I can guarantee that the 10% who believe they could qualify for the Olympics have never played it. The Olympians are impossibly good, I've played against guys who made national squads when they were younger and they strolled around making me run to all corners - I didn't get a single point unless they messed around.
@KiwiPie said in Olympics Thread:
I saw those results - the highest ranking sports were the ones perceived to involve the least athleticism. Shooting, archery and then at 10%, table tennis and badminton. Having played badminton to a decent level when I was younger, I can guarantee that the 10% who believe they could qualify for the Olympics have never played it. The Olympians are impossibly good, I've played against guys who made national squads when they were younger and they strolled around making me run to all corners - I didn't get a single point unless they messed around.
oh god same! i was a decent jnr at our club, went to my first tournament against real decent players, and i distinctly remember the "coach" offering to by me something if i could even get a point off this girl. I did not.
That stat simply cannot be right, people can not be this stupid.
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@KiwiPie said in Olympics Thread:
I saw those results - the highest ranking sports were the ones perceived to involve the least athleticism. Shooting, archery and then at 10%, table tennis and badminton. Having played badminton to a decent level when I was younger, I can guarantee that the 10% who believe they could qualify for the Olympics have never played it. The Olympians are impossibly good, I've played against guys who made national squads when they were younger and they strolled around making me run to all corners - I didn't get a single point unless they messed around.
oh god same! i was a decent jnr at our club, went to my first tournament against real decent players, and i distinctly remember the "coach" offering to by me something if i could even get a point off this girl. I did not.
That stat simply cannot be right, people can not be this stupid.
@mariner4life said in Olympics Thread:
@KiwiPie said in Olympics Thread:
I saw those results - the highest ranking sports were the ones perceived to involve the least athleticism. Shooting, archery and then at 10%, table tennis and badminton. Having played badminton to a decent level when I was younger, I can guarantee that the 10% who believe they could qualify for the Olympics have never played it. The Olympians are impossibly good, I've played against guys who made national squads when they were younger and they strolled around making me run to all corners - I didn't get a single point unless they messed around.
oh god same! i was a decent jnr at our club, went to my first tournament against real decent players, and i distinctly remember the "coach" offering to by me something if i could even get a point off this girl. I did not.
That stat simply cannot be right, people can not be this stupid.
When I was 17, I was the best under 18 singles player in our small English town (maybe the 5th best in the county of Shropshire). There was an under 18 match between West Midlands (Birmingham etc) and Leinster of Ireland in our town and I was called in as a late sub for West Midlands when someone got injured. So embarrassing, I think I only played doubles but lost every game around 15-5 as all the 3 other players on the court were so much better than me.
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i would love to say i would just transition to being a woman and enter those events
but
have you seen their fucking running times? I would be the real life equivalent of when Cartman entered the special olympics and got smoked.
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@Donsteppa said in Olympics Thread:
The archers are insanely accurate too for what's involved.
Met a couple of Aussie archers who competed in the national championships here and were trying to crack the Aussie team. The mental and physical ability was pretty amazing. Their physical training is focused on knowing how to calm their heart rate and control certain muscles to steady their body and then perform.
Most people can’t sit still for 30 seconds.
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Archery on TV is made to look easy by the camera. It's a close up of the archer, and then cut instantly to the arrow thudding in to the target. It looks like it is 10m
The distance is either 50 or 70m. And if you watch that arrow for it's full flight, they aim way the fuck up and it arcs. It's frankly incredible.
And has anyone ever tried to pull even one of those even one of those modern bows? -
Archery on TV is made to look easy by the camera. It's a close up of the archer, and then cut instantly to the arrow thudding in to the target. It looks like it is 10m
The distance is either 50 or 70m. And if you watch that arrow for it's full flight, they aim way the fuck up and it arcs. It's frankly incredible.
And has anyone ever tried to pull even one of those even one of those modern bows?@mariner4life said in Olympics Thread:
Archery on TV is made to look easy by the camera. It's a close up of the archer, and then cut instantly to the arrow thudding in to the target. It looks like it is 10m
The distance is either 50 or 70m. And if you watch that arrow for it's full flight, they aim way the fuck up and it arcs. It's frankly incredible.
And has anyone ever tried to pull even one of those even one of those modern bows?I saw a social post on this and was amazed at how far the target actually was. It's definitely quite deceiving when watching on TV.
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@mariner4life said in Olympics Thread:
Archery on TV is made to look easy by the camera. It's a close up of the archer, and then cut instantly to the arrow thudding in to the target. It looks like it is 10m
The distance is either 50 or 70m. And if you watch that arrow for it's full flight, they aim way the fuck up and it arcs. It's frankly incredible.
And has anyone ever tried to pull even one of those even one of those modern bows?I saw a social post on this and was amazed at how far the target actually was. It's definitely quite deceiving when watching on TV.
@Canes4life said in Olympics Thread:
@mariner4life said in Olympics Thread:
Archery on TV is made to look easy by the camera. It's a close up of the archer, and then cut instantly to the arrow thudding in to the target. It looks like it is 10m
The distance is either 50 or 70m. And if you watch that arrow for it's full flight, they aim way the fuck up and it arcs. It's frankly incredible.
And has anyone ever tried to pull even one of those even one of those modern bows?I saw a social post on this and was amazed at how far the target actually was. It's definitely quite deceiving when watching on TV.
Whereas the shooting targets look really small and close
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Among the most brutal is when something like the marathon ends in a sprint finish. The men's race wasn't close this time, but seeing the women effectively have to kick on and then sprint it out among five of them over the last 2-3kms... sheesh.
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Reminds me of that video of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce running the parents race at her kids school day winning a 100m sprint by about 50m. Apparently she wasn't going to run until her husband did poorly in the dad's race and one of the other mum's did some trash talking.
I always love watching the decathlon, since they're generally pretty far off the pace of the specialists and even their times/distances are amazing.
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Archery on TV is made to look easy by the camera. It's a close up of the archer, and then cut instantly to the arrow thudding in to the target. It looks like it is 10m
The distance is either 50 or 70m. And if you watch that arrow for it's full flight, they aim way the fuck up and it arcs. It's frankly incredible.
And has anyone ever tried to pull even one of those even one of those modern bows?@mariner4life said in Olympics Thread:
Archery on TV is made to look easy by the camera. It's a close up of the archer, and then cut instantly to the arrow thudding in to the target. It looks like it is 10m
The distance is either 50 or 70m. And if you watch that arrow for it's full flight, they aim way the fuck up and it arcs. It's frankly incredible.
And has anyone ever tried to pull even one of those even one of those modern bows?They always get that wrong in medieval movies/tv shows. You know when the baddies are about to storm the castle and the good guys have the bows drawn back ready ? I’m pretty decent at chin ups/pull ups but to hold a bow like that for ANY length of time is fucken hard work
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Reminds me of that video of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce running the parents race at her kids school day winning a 100m sprint by about 50m. Apparently she wasn't going to run until her husband did poorly in the dad's race and one of the other mum's did some trash talking.
I always love watching the decathlon, since they're generally pretty far off the pace of the specialists and even their times/distances are amazing.
@Cyclops said in Olympics Thread:
Reminds me of that video of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce running the parents race at her kids school day winning a 100m sprint by about 50m. Apparently she wasn't going to run until her husband did poorly in the dad's race and one of the other mum's did some trash talking.
> I always love watching the decathlon, since they're generally pretty far off the pace of the specialists and even their times/distances are amazing.
An argument could be made for them being the best all round athletes at the game I reckon given all the disciplines that they are so good in. The fact this chick won an Olympic gold in the men’s event just illustrates what a crazy world we live in.
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@WillieTheWaiter said in Olympics Thread:
@Bovidae said in Olympics Thread:
@WillieTheWaiter Does the Netherlands have the latest bikes/tech? Just wondering after they beat GB in the men's team sprint.
yep they ride Koga frames - made there. Frame about 10,000 quid. More in line with what you'd normally pay for a top end frame - the other prices you hear are just hte 'pre olympic' prices - rules are they have to be available for purchase.. they just jack the price right up so no one buys them.
Aussie frame for example will be sub 10k nz post olympics
a lot of the cost is in the custom handlebars - up to 20k alone for top guys to have them moulded to their position
I heard the Chinese had 3D printed handlebars. Considering Rocket Lab's ability to employ CAD CAM and 3D printing tech to make rockets much cheaper than their competitors, perhaps cycling NZ should call him for advice about how to 3D print their next bikes? Would look awesome to have them as a sponsor on the side of their bikes too
@WillieTheWaiter said in Olympics Thread:
@Bovidae said in Olympics Thread:
@WillieTheWaiter Does the Netherlands have the latest bikes/tech? Just wondering after they beat GB in the men's team sprint.
yep they ride Koga frames - made there. Frame about 10,000 quid. More in line with what you'd normally pay for a top end frame - the other prices you hear are just hte 'pre olympic' prices - rules are they have to be available for purchase.. they just jack the price right up so no one buys them.
Aussie frame for example will be sub 10k nz post olympics
a lot of the cost is in the custom handlebars - up to 20k alone for top guys to have them moulded to their position
I heard the Chinese had 3D printed handlebars. Considering Rocket Lab's ability to employ CAD CAM and 3D printing tech to make rockets much cheaper than their competitors, perhaps cycling NZ should call him for advice about how to 3D print their next bikes? Would look awesome to have them as a sponsor on the side of their bikes too
just chucking this here cause had an interesting chat over the weekend.
was talking to the guy that runs a company out of cambridge selling elite level track cycling equipment (great nz story they had their equipment on loads of medal winning bikes).
Anyhoo - they have a bike in development in conjunction with the NZ team - still a couple of years away so will be for the next olympic cycle. Reckons it will be better than what the poms were on - thinks he's got some design opportunities for improvement
Most interesting part was he was saying by his calculations we missed out on Gold medals in the womens team sprint and womens team pursuit by having slower frames.
Shaane was floating around with her medal as well - very cool and weighs a ton!!
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Bikes should either be IOC standard or Modern Pentathlon lottery
Any other scenario is science + money over athletic ability
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Bikes should either be IOC standard or Modern Pentathlon lottery
Any other scenario is science + money over athletic ability
@MiketheSnow said in Olympics Thread:
Bikes should either be IOC standard or Modern Pentathlon lottery
Any other scenario is science + money over athletic ability
Pentathlon lottery would be awesome. Imagine the look on the face of the British rider when their bike gets picked by another rider!
