2024 Paris Olympics megathread

[Sheilbh]

The bbc mentioned it's Irelands best iirc ever too.
Events bloat?
Or else... Who is doing much worse than normal?

No Russian or Belarusian athletes and the UK is doing worse (similar medal haul, fewer golds).

[Josquius]

The bbc mentioned it's Irelands best iirc ever too.
Events bloat?
Or else... Who is doing much worse than normal?

No Russian or Belarusian athletes and the UK is doing worse (similar medal haul, fewer golds).

I've heard America does things just based on number of medals.
Which I do have some sympathy for.
Sure a gold is better than a silver but by such a level a country with a few more golds is higher than one with twice as many overall (looking at the Dutch here)?

[Sheilbh]

Could be wrong but I think that was a change made in American reporting of medals after they were overtaken by China on golds

Although I think they should do it like a league table - gold = 3 points etc

[Admiral Yi]

Could be wrong but I think that was a change made in American reporting of medals after they were overtaken by China on golds

That's my impression as well.  Growing up it seemed they always reported ranking by gold.

[Valmy]

Could be wrong but I think that was a change made in American reporting of medals after they were overtaken by China on golds

Although I think they should do it like a league table - gold = 3 points etc

No, people have been giving us shit about this since at least Barcelona 1992.

Could be wrong but I think that was a change made in American reporting of medals after they were overtaken by China on golds

That's my impression as well.  Growing up it seemed they always reported ranking by gold.

I distinctly remember it being total medals going back to at least when I was a teenager.

[Valmy]

I've heard America does things just based on number of medals.
Which I do have some sympathy for.
Sure a gold is better than a silver but by such a level a country with a few more golds is higher than one with twice as many overall (looking at the Dutch here)?

Personally I could see weighing golds higher, like Sheilbh suggests, but I just think it is idiotic to act like Bronze and Silver Medals do not exist because they clearly do. The Olympics is entirely organized around the concept that 2nd and 3rd place are also champions, obviously not as prestigious as Gold, but still.

So I just reject the perverse and unnatural notion that only gold matters in the Olympics. If that was true there would not be Silver and Bronze medals.

[Sheilbh]

That's not how it's counted though. It's you count golds first if there's a tie-break (like this year US and China) then silvers, then bronzes.

It's not just gold numbers.

[garbon]

What is this closing ceremony?

[garbon]

Actually is this what happened because of Christian complaints?

[Valmy]

That's not how it's counted though. It's you count golds first if there's a tie-break (like this year US and China) then silvers, then bronzes.

It's not just gold numbers.

How it is counted wrong? Yes. We do total medals which isn't perfect, but vastly preferable to just pretending this isn't the Olympics but some other event where only first matters.

[The Brain]

The Olympics is entirely organized around the concept that 2nd and 3rd place are also champions, obviously not as prestigious as Gold, but still.

Someone never got picked first in school.

[Josquius]

I would agree with the points system for medals.
We could even compromise on golds being special special and give gold 4, with 2 and 1 for silver and bronze.

Which does remind me of the interesting contrasts in reactions of athletes finishing 2nd and 3rd.
To some it was a disaster. They had absolutely failed. Others were ecstatic. They'd won.

[The Brain]

So many obvious Christian references in the closing ceremony. Come on guys, we get it.

[Valmy]

So many obvious Christian references in the closing ceremony. Come on guys, we get it.

 

[garbon]

Aliens and a bee make the Olympic rings?