Careful swimming in the Olympics.  Apparently they want to host them in the Seine, and French protestors are planning to defecate in it on the day the politicians are taking a dip to demonstrate its cleanliness.  No word on whether it would continue when it's Olympians instead of politicians, but I wouldn't want to risk it.

To be fair, the river has been considered too polluted for swimming for over a century, and it's unlikely that it will be actually safe in time for the Olympics.  The politicians taking a quick dip once demonstrates safety (ie fails to) in the same way that drinking one glass of water from Flint demonstrates that it's safe for the community.  The Olympians will be spending more time than that in the water, just as the residents of Flint will be using more than one glass of water.  Crapping in the river on the day of the stunt is a bit like putting a month's worth of lead into the glass before handing it to the politician, hoping to derail the stunt.

I won't "to be fair" the idea of doing it to the Olympians, and AFAIK they aren't the target of the protests, but now that the idea of doing it is out there, it's a risk.
 

Last edited by Happy Monkey (6/17/2024 1:13 pm)

griff wrote:

We watched the early heats.

They call them heats because swimmers must swim like hell to keep warm.

 

Friend's son made it to the final!  lane 7, so 6th seed but.... exciting

At lower levels, USA swimming enforces dive-over starts for most races (not backstroke) to get through the events faster.  That means, when you finish, you tuck yourself under the starting block and stay in the water until the next race has started, then you get get out.  And do it fast.

monster wrote:

At lower levels, USA swimming enforces dive-over starts for most races (not backstroke) to get through the events faster.  That means, when you finish, you tuck yourself under the starting block and stay in the water until the next race has started, then you get get out.  And do it fast.

interesting factoid

Well I don't think the swimmers I know made it -they almost did, but the Ann Arbor runner I almost know did make it.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/other/2024/06/24/ann-arbors-hobbs-kessler-punches-ticket-to-olympics-in-1500-meters/74200381007/

he followed my kids through elementary and high schools, with the same teachers... and his mom was the winner of the category I ran in at my half marathon this month.  I mean she'd gone home, done the laundry, calculated an extra digit of Pi by the time I finished and wouldn't know me from a blob of jelly on the sidewalk but... ya know

My kids' high school apparently was home to another 2024 Olympian -a speed climber.  Just graduated a couple of weeks ago.  I feel so old...

nice....  

Hobbs qualifies in a second event too!  Run, Hobbs, Run!

The women's gymnastic team outfits are always a big deal for the committee to choose.
They even give each design a name but I suppose it makes communication easier talking about the 8 designs with the athletes, designers. and manufacturer.
Of course you can't buy them but the manufacturer said if they were for sale they'd be about $2000 each.
Each of the women gets 8 outfits and the committee takes along some spares.

Since the women gymnasts come in a bunch of shapes and sizes I guess they might be tailored.
They sure don't want them to be uncomfortable, restrictive, or falling off.
 

Go, Hobbs, Go!!!!!

https://www.mlive.com/sports/2024/08/hobbs-kessler-advances-to-1500-meter-run-semifinals-at-paris-olympics.html