The totally off-topic thread

[medhead]

You would think I should know which sport is associated with Laser class? Can't be bothered looking it up but I am guessing it is sailing.

Sailing. Watch out for 470s, 49ers and another that I can't exactly remember.


Sent from the Throne

 

[straitman]

You would think I should know which sport is associated with Laser class? Can't be bothered looking it up but I am guessing it is sailing.

Good guess.

 

[straitman]

Let's hope....... it's very shameful being an Aussie in London right now!! At least I'm working with mainly Aussies, so can't cop any stick at work

Why shameful :?:

On a medals per capita basis NZ is winning and after this one Oz must be 2nd or third.

 

[Flashback]

Just do as in Rome - support the Britons! Better than risking getting ribbed or beaten up! (OK, not as bad as a football match and cheering for the wrong team in the wrong colours in the wrong stands....)

I support 2 teams... Australia and whoever is playing against Team GB :mrgreen:

You would think I should know which sport is associated with Laser class? Can't be bothered looking it up but I am guessing it is sailing.

Correct.

 

[Flashback]

Why shameful :?:

On a medals per capita basis NZ is winning and after this one Oz must be 2nd or third.

Can usually rub in how well we're doing... not quite so this year Ashes included....

 

[medhead]

Why shameful :?:

On a medals per capita basis NZ is winning and after this one Oz must be 2nd or third.

1 per 11 million. What's the population of the UK, 60mil? 16 golds means they're still way ahead.


Sent from the Throne

 

[straitman]

1 per 11 million. What's the population of the UK, 60mil? 16 golds means they're still way ahead.


Sent from the Throne

I never said UK were not ahead.

... and it's 2 for 22M in Oz case.

 

[medhead]

I never said UK were not ahead.

No you said australia must be second or third. All I'm saying is we're nowhere near second or third.

... and it's 2 for 22M in Oz case.

Which is the same as 1 per 11 million if we think back to what we learned about fractions at school.


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[anat0l]

I never said UK were not ahead.

... and it's 2 for 22M in Oz case.

Private Maths'n'Stats (also called PMS ) is on the case... :mrgreen:

[B][U]Country       Gold  Pop      Golds per M-capita  1 Gold per...[/U][/B]
China          31   1347.4M      0.023007        43.47M people
USA            28    314.1       0.089144        11.22
UK             16     62.3       0.256822         3.89
South Korea    10     48.6       0.205761         4.86
France          8     65.4       0.122324         8.18
Italy           7     60.8       0.115132         8.69
Kazakhstan      6     16.7       0.359281         2.78
Germany         5     81.9       0.061050        16.38
Russia          4    143.1       0.027952        35.78
Hungary         4     10.0       0.400000         2.50
North Korea     4     24.6       0.162602         6.15
Netherlands     3     16.7       0.179641         5.57
South Africa    3     50.6       0.059289        16.87
New Zealand     3      4.4       0.681818         1.47
Japan           2    127.5       0.015686        63.75
Romania         2     19.0       0.105632         9.47
Denmark         2      5.6       0.357143         2.80
Belarus         2      9.5       0.215263         4.65
Cuba            2     11.2       0.178571         5.60
Brazil          2    192.4       0.010395        96.20
Jamaica         2      2.7       0.740741         1.34
Poland          2     38.5       0.051948        19.25
Ukraine         2     45.6       0.043860        22.80
Ethiopia        2     84.3       0.023725        42.15
Australia       2     22.7       0.088106        11.35

My office mates and I were talking about this over lunch and decided to do the math over it. We just crudely used the medal tally on Channel Nine's WWOS, grabbed the populations from Wikipedia and rounded off the figures roughly. So this was the result, and I added the one medal Australia just got in the sailing.

The figures are somewhat farcical. Fundamentally, the "population" should not be used; instead it should be the size of the competing Olympic team, or (much more difficult) an estimate of the viable population of the country who could plausibly be an Olympian (so to speak).

 

[TonyHancock]

The figures are somewhat farcical. Fundamentally, the "population" should not be used; instead it should be the size of the competing Olympic team, or (much more difficult) an estimate of the viable population of the country who could plausibly be an Olympian (so to speak).

I think it is harder than that. The stat that blows me away is Russia. I know that years back it was The USSR, but even so those states combined with Russia is still a big step back from 1988. Is it down to better drugs detection or the amount of money spent to buy medals? (Look at Germany too.....but the old East German coaches admitted to steroi_s use for their athletes.)

 

[Deleted member]

So Jamaica are looking good

 

[Deleted member]

How does this stack up on overall medal count? ( silver and bronze as well)
Edit

Here is a link to GDP, team size, population etc.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/datablog/2012/jul/30/olympics-2012-alternative-medal-table

 

[drron]

I just like the contrast in media treatment of Olympians.In Australia if a favourite gets beaten the headline would be ----- loses final.In Japan when their breaststroker was going for his third gold but only got bronze it was ... wins bronze.
One event they keep showing are the last swimming relays.The Japanese women got bronze but the event is replayed over and over-at the race conclusion the Japanese swimmers were celebrating more than the Americans.just a totally different attitude.

 

[medhead]

A timely reminder in the letters page today from Pierre de Coubertin (founder of the IOC) "The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."


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[amaroo]

the Japanese swimmers were celebrating more than the Americans.just a totally different attitude.

Another difference is that they seem to celebrate after securing the medal.....as opposed to thinking it's in the bag & then walk away post race with a different colour or nothing!

 

[Julesmac]

I just like the contrast in media treatment of Olympians.In Australia if a favourite gets beaten the headline would be ----- loses final.In Japan when their breaststroker was going for his third gold but only got bronze it was ... wins bronze.
One event they keep showing are the last swimming relays.The Japanese women got bronze but the event is replayed over and over-at the race conclusion the Japanese swimmers were celebrating more than the Americans.just a totally different attitude.

I think we are having to take our turn at being humbled (or so all my English relos tell me, dammit!). No doubt at all, that Team GB is getting an enormous lift from hosting the Games - witness Andy Murray beating Federer. And we had the same in Sydney. But it really irritates me that our media reports anything but a gold medal as somehow being a failure. We should not be downplaying down the great efforts of our athletes, regardless of where they finish; I think every one of them is trying their hardest against the best in the world. A newsreader on Ch 9 a couple of nights ago reported the day's swimming competition as being 'the worst failure in the pool since ....... (some year). Honestly? And I think we actually did win a couple of medals that night! Another reporter asked a medallist if he was 'disappointed' he'd only won bronze. Realistically, we Aussies have been blessed by having some freakishly awesome athletes in the past. Fingers crossed that we continue to enjoy more of the same.

 

[anat0l]

I think we are having to take our turn at being humbled (or so all my English relos tell me, dammit!). No doubt at all, that Team GB is getting an enormous lift from hosting the Games - witness Andy Murray beating Federer. And we had the same in Sydney. But it really irritates me that our media reports anything but a gold medal as somehow being a failure. We should not be downplaying down the great efforts of our athletes, regardless of where they finish; I think every one of them is trying their hardest against the best in the world. A newsreader on Ch 9 a couple of nights ago reported the day's swimming competition as being 'the worst failure in the pool since ....... (some year). Honestly? And I think we actually did win a couple of medals that night! Another reporter asked a medallist if he was 'disappointed' he'd only won bronze. Realistically, we Aussies have been blessed by having some freakishly awesome athletes in the past. Fingers crossed that we continue to enjoy more of the same.

The irony is that when the swim team comes back to "face the music" as it were...

• At least one organisation is going to use the Olympic "failure" to justify why we need more money invested in elite sport, and
• At least one organisation is going to use the Olympic "failure" to question why we have so much money invested in elite sport.

 

[Deleted member]

You know , It amazes me (as an expat Kiwi) why there needs to be any gnashing about the performances. NZ have done OK and Oz not as well as usual, big deal, Oz have scored a good medal haul. delivered some personal best results and had a couple of Bombs, so have the Kiwis (look at valarie Adams) , I thnk we all (as a country) need to draw a deep breath and say good on you for trying. How good are you all for just making the team. well done NZ , well Done Australia, well done everyone (except drug cheats and the like)

 

[RB]

This was from the Sydney Daily Telegraph when Leisel Jones was in the news re her weight
"That's what journalists do.They ask questions. If you want to read "positive" and "supportive" stories, feel free to knock yourself out with a bunch of Herograms."-I am not sure Andrew Webster (journalist) will look back at that in 20yrs & be proud of his career

 

[SeatBackForward]

Well in my opinion, sport is ultimately a pasttime, and not being good at sports is a real "first world problem" (as so aptly used around here). I don't see how failure at Olympics can be used as justification to take more money from society, money that should be used in a way that benefits everyone.