2012 Summer Olympics - Worst Games Ever Edition - Part II
 

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Here's the link to Part I: http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/sh....php?t=1236531

To start things off... Now I can't wait for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, just for that rematch against the USA.

Watching the replay of the gold medal women's soccer game. US got away with a very obvious handball...

Hope Solo was awesome this game though.

That save in the 83rd minute, my god!

I don't understand why that Japanese player didn't just put the ball on the ground. If she did, it would've been a goal.

USA was obviously the beneficiary of some corrupt FIFA shenanigans going on...



Non- Call 1


Non-Call 2

And yet this WAS a penalty giving them a chance to tie Canada:



Someone wanna tell me the difference between exhibits 2 and 3? Exactly. i call shenangians.

It's 100% obvious that the Americans are held to a different officiating standard than the rest.

I would be happy to... but I don't have a good look at the Heath handball- the one you provided shows her arm in an anatomically "normal position" with her trying hard to move it out of the way... but I assume there is another angle that shows something different vs the angle of the Neault handball I have seen has her hand out away from her body and knocking the ball down while she turns away from the ball. The first one appears to show intent to avoid handling the ball from a natural position while the other shows a lack of control of body position... but again, i haven't seen a good angle on the USA one.

What a gutsy performance by the CAN team today to defend for that long against a good French team. Just WOW

Christine Sinclair should carry the flag for the closing ceremony. There's not a better option right now, and there probably won't be.

I'd argue for the only Canadian athlete to bring home a gold medal, Rosie MacLennan.

While our medal count so far, 16, is bang on with AP predictions going in, team Canada was predicted to bring home 4 or 5 golds. It seemed like our favorites under-performed, had mishaps or brought home silver or bronze when they were favored for gold. On the other hand, we got some surprise bronze medals from underdog athletes. Rosie was a bit of an underdog who grabbed gold, but Karen Cockburn was a medal favorite who finished just off the podium.

I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get more than 2 silvers out of rowing, which used to be Canada's strength. Our swimming program obviously needs some focus and investment. We're not even on the map when it comes to Athletics, with Derek Drouin pulling off a surprise bronze in high jump, but otherwise Canada was skunked. We aren't going to improve our medal count in future Summer Olympics if we don't improve in the two biggest medal categories, swimming and athletics.

Finally managed to watch the replay of the gold medal game.
Someone said that Japan is the Barcelona of Woman's Soccer...
I agree.
I love the ball movements by the team.
Very well coached, and some very talented players.

Hope Solo was very good in this game.
Lost a bit of respect for her after the game against Canada, since she looked like she was looking for a call after every goal, but she really proved she was one of the best in the world in this game.

I saw that bear tackle only through the replay.
During the play, my attention was on the goalie.
I am just an amateur, but I think it was so chaotic that people can miss that one.

For the handball, I don't see any differences between that one and the Canadian one.
Watching that was like adding salt to injury.
It just made the screwjob felt even worst.

Still, it was better reffed than the Canadian game, and the two teams earned everything on the field.
Kudos to a great effort.

You'd think we'd be able to generate good swimmers. Track I can understand because it's not a cold climate thing but anyone can go indoors and swim. Gotta improve that.

too much competition in swimming... With the dominance of Americans and the chinese in the pool, you see countries like australia struggle even with massive investment of funds and infrastructure

if canada wants to excel in a particular area, it should be rowing / kayaking... We already have a lot of talent, historical interest and success, and it's not a sport monopolised by the big sporting powers

Australia has had success in the pool in the past when they first started to invest heavily in that sport, but they seemed to trail off this time around. It's already been pointed out that Canada has a lack of suitable swimming facilities, let alone funding. China and USA just racked up the medals in the pool. There has to be a way to catch up to them.

It also seems like Europe has caught up to Canada in rowing, canoe and Kayaking, which was our traditional strength. I was expecting a better showing than that.

It seems like overall the whole 'Own the Podium' thing faded from public interest once Canada pulled off our gold rush at home in Vancouver 2010. We'll probably do well and finish top 3 in the medal count in Sochi 2012, but Rio 2014? Medal count wise, we've been stuck in the mid-teens rut for the past few Summer Olympics, and that will probably continue.

Japanese dominated the States possession wise in that game and probably deserved the game with a call or two going their way(sounds familiar) Also not surprising to see Hope Solo dominate, she probably started up those PED's she tested positive for 30 days ago again.

Simple solution, go around to elementary schools and pluck out kids with bodies built for swimming. Send them to luxurious private schools where they study during the day and then practice swimming every single night. Push them hard and make them understand their only goal in life is to win gold. If they train every day for 12 years they will be ready for the Olympics for sure.

Bronze for Weinberger in the 10k swim.

Great swim by Melloulli of Tunisia.

trust me when i say that canada will never match the funding/infrastructure/enthusiasm for swimming that a country like australia has and look where they are, which is why we shouldn't make it a massive priority if the big powers like the united states and china are going to put their near limitless resources towards getting gold medals in the pool

we should also remember that own the podium was a pretty big success by finishing #1 in medal rankings (ioc gold rankings) in vancouver and could easily challenge for #1 again in sochi

honestly, a top 12 finish in overall medals in the summer games is a pretty good accomplishment in a country that has way more interest and elite athletes in winter sports

We were ranked number 30 in points about 24 hours ago. Behind many countries we should be ahead of and likely dont have the same resources as canada.

Top 12 in total medal count means nothing.

MacLennan winning the gold medal is a great accomplishment, but my lasting memory from this olympics will definitely be Sinclair carrying the underdog Canada team against the best team in the tournament, the "hated" Americans, and doing anything it took to try to win that game. To score a hattrick on the big stage is just incredible. Her reputation prior to the Olympics was already pretty big, but now it will just balloon up.

That game itself symbolized everything that she has meant to that program. That team has come a long way in developing better players over the last several years, but make no mistake, the team goes as she goes, and that cliche has never been more true as it applies to here. I'm happy she was able to at least get a bronze, as it validates all the work she's put into the team.

Irrelevant if some of those countries pour alot more money in spite of that (ie., letting their people suffer by pouring money into this instead of things like infrastructure)

Or if they dont pour a lot of money into it and still win.

Either way it only reaffirms canadians apathy towards excelling in sports other than ice hockey.

And if they don't want to, they don't love their country, and should be punished!

Don't know what you guys see in Hope Solo. Alex Morgan is hotter IMO

I'm still partial to Kara Lang, but I digress.

Seconded!