Comments | sagacious_c: In the zone

sagacious_c

In the zone

Aug 12, 2008 20:38

The Olympics zone, that is. I'm totally consumed with watching the coverage. I think partly because I can (i.e., no school, not traveling for work)... The last time I watched the Olympics this devotedly was 1992 for the games in Barcelona. One of my cousins was staying at our house for a couple of weeks and he, my brother and I would watch ( Read more... )

olympics

Comments 10

alexiscartwheel August 13 2008, 01:46:48 UTC

Oh, man, the men's gymnastics final was so much fun to watch. They were just so crazy excited to be there and to win the bronze! I laughed when one of them said they were going to go for a celebratory swim in the river.

Also, the Hamm twins went to the same university as me. I've seen them on campus before. :D

Unfortunately, that story doesn't seem all that surprising. These days, the gymnasts don't look so emaciated; like you said, it's okay for them to actually look strong. I'm sure they're still under a tremendous amount of pressure, but at least there's better awareness.

sagacious_c August 13 2008, 03:08:44 UTC

How cool that you went to the same school as the Hamms!

Yeah, big time amounts of pressure... It's also crazy when you think about how dangerous gymnastics is -- they're all flirting with paralyzing neck injuries and pretty much always do have other injuries. Look closely at the athletes and notice the bandages and tape on their ankles and knees. (LOOK FOR ME BECAUSE MY CABLE IS OUT AND I CAN'T WATCH ANYTHING AND WANT TO MAIM COMCAST!!!!!)

alexiscartwheel August 13 2008, 03:19:36 UTC

Go Bucks! :D

At least they're having the girl with a sprained ankle sit out tonight. I admit I understand that compulsion to push yourself to perform when you're ill or injured, since I've definitely done that before, but it's so dangerous if that becomes normal. But there's pressure when you're on a team like that not to give in to weakness is very high.

I don't know tons about gymnastics, but I can tell that some events are obviously more taxing on certain joints than others, because they tape up different things for each event. Shawn Johnson finished her vault and immediately starting taping up her wrists for the bars.

sagacious_c August 13 2008, 03:29:02 UTC

There's also the pressure of your coaches (their financial success depending on their athletes' success) and everything your family has done to get you where you are... Remember Kerri Strug in the 1996 Olympics doing the vault even though she'd totally screwed up her ankle, and then landing on one foot? It was a picture-perfect moment of Olympic triumph, but actually kind of modus operandi in the gymnastics world.

Maybe it's good that I can't watch the gymnastics tonight because I'd be having major anxiety attacks... Especially when they're on the balance beam, aka EVIL.

thatlibrarylady August 13 2008, 04:48:01 UTC

I love watching the Olympics and I am not even a sports fan. It's just so easy to get caught up in all the excitement. I'd probably watch all day if I didn't have to do stupid stuff like go to work :)

The men's gymnastics team finals were so thrilling. Team USA was awesome. I was very impressed that the Houston Chronicle used their story as the big story on the front page. Too many times I think the media loses sight of the fact that any Olympic medal is a significant accomplishment.

sagacious_c August 13 2008, 11:23:50 UTC

That's cool that the Houston paper did a big story on them! I'm guessing because that one guy (Horton?) is a Texan? He was by far the funniest guy on the team -- totally cracked me up.

What a contrast between the men's and women's gymnastics teams -- the stories have been framed as the men surprising everyone by capturing bronze and the women "settling" for silver. I hate how expectations can screw things up.

petitecrivan August 13 2008, 05:38:14 UTC

We called one of them Prince Harry, because that's who he looked like. I THOUGHT THAT TOO. So cute. They all are. And they did SUCH an awesome job!!!

sagacious_c August 13 2008, 11:25:26 UTC

I know, it made me really happy to watch them. Apparently Prince Harry is a local boy (from a DC suburb). When he's not busy waiting in line be the British monarch, that is. ;)

j_forias August 20 2008, 21:57:19 UTC

"OMG, I love Gym Nerds!!!"

You are, without doubt, the coolest person ever. :D I love the fact that there are people on the world who love Gym nerds. But then, I'm a bit odd...

sagacious_c August 21 2008, 23:54:31 UTC

How perfectly apt that I can be deemed "the coolest" for so firmly embracing my nerdaholicism. (Wow, I've been making up false words left and right lately!)