Perhaps if they had interviewers who didn’t act like early-years star-struck teenagers, it would help.
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Catching up on today’s climbing session, more cerebral than the speed sport, interesting that the contestants chat together on approaches to the boulders before starting. Together against the wall as well as each other.
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Talking Beeb isnt Laura Kenny just the most natural and likable character, as well as informative.
Bruce
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Of course, she’s a cyclist - you wouldn’t expect anything else! 
So, two blokes contest the women’s 66Kg. final … … … really? 
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Pleased to hear that Breaking or whatever it is that they have called Breakdancing will not be at the next Olympics what an absolute load of nonsense.
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Bouldering is all about dexterity, finesse, power and strength. The routes are often short but very demanding. Lead is endurance, strength and while the individual moves may not be as hard as bouldering, they are still very demanding. Both require good problem solving!
Talking through boulder problems with other climbers is quite common… most of the time, it’s not about beating someone else it’s about you and the boulder and the feeling of one’s own achievement. You get just as big a buzz when someone else solves a problem as you do when you solve it yourself!
Everyone has different strengths, style and build so the way one climber solves a problem isn’t always the best for someone else.
I have a very long reach and tend to power through moves more… love small crimpy holds where someone with a shorter reach will use more finesse and balance.
They’ve done a fantastic job with the climbing this Olympics… great venue and route setting! Really enjoyed it!
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We watched the bouldering with interest. I’d not realised that climbing could be a spectator sport.
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In defence of some of the ‘new’ and more niche sports it seems to me the atmosphere at the skate park, climbing, BMX etc has been great, and the competitors appear to have a geuine joy in the competition and the performances of each other. A bit of relief from the egos and posturing in athletics for exanple.
Bruce
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Watched a few mins of it last night. Entirely subjective as to who wins a contest.
Very true… I really enjoyed watching the Skateboard - Park and BMX…. Really fast and amazing to watch. Seeing how they respect each other and enjoy the success of their competitors is very refreshing. Those with the climbing have been stand out events this time round!
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I do not think you are correct. How do you know the individuals are male?
I feel sorry for the boxers at the heart of this controversy. As far as I can tell the Algerian boxer was born female, has lived her entire life as a female. She may indeed have some intersex chromosome attributes but she is NOT a transgender person passing themselves off as a natural female. She has done nothing wrong, she has not taken performance-enhancing drugs or indeed testosterone.
The problem is that 2 governing bodies have come to different conclusions about the individual boxers’ status. It is they (and others) who need to come together and agree on what the rules are. It is they who are at fault not the individual boxers.
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So a silver in the Taekwondo but I’m no wiser on the scoring system or even why it exists as a sport.
Been a very good games after an interesting opening ceremony. Think the U.K. did well in the medal table. £ for £ Australia possibly the best but I’m always left thinking after the games that you only need 1 great athlete in the pool or in the gymnastics to skew the table. The swimmers and gymnasts as brilliant as they are just keep getting different ways to win a medal. A marathon runner gets one shot.
Pidcock (especially) and Yee remain the best moments for me. Golf, football, tennis have no business in the olympics. Break dancing, just why. And they keep trying to bring darts in!!!
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I enjoy the taekwondo but each to their own.
It’s been a great Olympics, GB has done well with a good total of medals and in some more unusual sports. The only snag is the Gold count is fewer than in previous games but that’s sport.
Australia has done the opposite and had an exceptional games with a lower overall medal count but more golds. I think it may be a record amount for them.
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Chromosomes.
Billberries
Slightly damp eyed watching Denise Lewis sign off
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The declared intention was to spread the medals across more sports (participants). So I think we did just fine. I don’t think we had an acknowledged world beater in any discipline. We have in the past.
I can’t let go of the fact that the swimmers and gymnasts (velo cyclists to a lesser extent) just keep getting chances to win medals. If the Decathlon/Heptathlon were in the pool/gym each discipline would get a medal, the combined events would get a medal & there’d be some kind of mixed relay.
They’re all fantastic athletes by the way.
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Much as I celebrate a GB win the pleasure of the Olympics is just as much in the general variety and excellence on show. Sports you’d never watch for 4 years that just amaze with their skill level. I am happy to enjoy seeing great competition and the generally joyous reactions of athletes of any origin who perform to their best, whether that is enough for a medal or not.
Highlights for me the gymnastics, track cycling, lead climbing (who knew!), that WR in the women’s 400m hurdles but above all Tom Pidcock starting from 12th to lead and then puncture and fight back again to win on the final lap. The only event that had me yelling at the TV.
The swimming does seem endless, no sign of it being reduced though. Tennis, golf and football still seem out of place but most of the ‘new’ events appeared to be a success. I wonder if the tide is turning against equestrian sports, or maybe that is just me. We haven’t heard much about doping, which is either good or bad depending how you look at it.
I think Paris has been a good Olympics. Fingers crossed for LA capturing the mood of celebration and unity in 2028. For a few short weeks this messy and fractious world feels a bit more hopeful during the Olympics. Papering over the cracks maybe, but it gave me a lift.
Bruce
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