Is making a horse dance really an Olympic Sport?

Jimod

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Aug 9, 2010
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For me, the most pointless sport in the Olympics is, men's beach volleyball. I mean, who on Earth wants to see that!
 
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mike killay

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Feb 17, 2011
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I am beginning to think that there is little point to the modern Olympics.
It is now quite obvious that winning medals is more a matter of money than sport.
How can a poor country compete?
What is the actual point of a country spending oodles of cash to produce a handful of super athletes?
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
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I am beginning to think that there is little point to the modern Olympics.
It is now quite obvious that winning medals is more a matter of money than sport.
How can a poor country compete?
What is the actual point of a country spending oodles of cash to produce a handful of super athletes?
Fully agree, it's all about money, politics and hubris, another way for politicians to have something to swagger about while also keeping the mass of the people occupied.

Those politicians use the olympics to encourage us to participate in activities for exercise and health, including advising sufficient daily walking is good enough exercise. Just so long as the walking isn't in large groups carrying placards and heading for parliament!
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Yamdude

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 20, 2013
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I see there's severe budget cuts to the paralympics and they've been substantially downsized.
I hope it doesn't effect us..... Out paralympic teams are our secret weapon in the olympics.
If you believe the government, the media and the opinion of a lot of the public, most of our disabled are benefit scroungers that are faking it.
So we should be creaming in those gold medals.
 
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tillson

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 29, 2008
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I am beginning to think that there is little point to the modern Olympics.
It is now quite obvious that winning medals is more a matter of money than sport.
How can a poor country compete?
What is the actual point of a country spending oodles of cash to produce a handful of super athletes?
I'm not so sure. In some of the more technical sports like the track cycling, money can give a helping hand towards success. In the true man / woman v the clock, the true measure of the athlete, the poorer countries can shine.
 

tillson

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 29, 2008
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I'm not sure what's going on with the team GB homecoming. It seems a bit strange to be hosting it in Manchester, I think that London is the place for this type of event.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,273
30,656
I'm not so sure. In some of the more technical sports like the track cycling, money can give a helping hand towards success. In the true man / woman v the clock, the true measure of the athlete, the poorer countries can shine.
I wish that were completely true, but it often isn't. The rich countries send their athletes to Mexico and Peru for many weeks of high altitude training. The rarified air at high altitudes produces a large increase in their blood's red corpuscle count, greatly increasing the capacity to feed oxygen to the muscles.

That effect lasts for some while, so when they come back shortly before the Olympics they've had a substantial performance enhancing boost, rather like using performance enhancing drugs.

And of course the rich countries can buy in their athletes from poorer countries to compete for them instead, we do it all the time. We've often raided South Africa for them, examples include runner Zola Budd (real name Zola Pieterse) and cricketer Kevin Pietersen, and there are many others.
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,273
30,656
I'm not sure what's going on with the team GB homecoming. It seems a bit strange to be hosting it in Manchester, I think that London is the place for this type of event.
The problem is that London has just had the last Olympics with the subsequent celebration, so it might look too London centric having it here again so soon.
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,273
30,656
But London is the capital city and it seems logical to hold celebrations of this type in the capital.
Yes I agree it would make more sense. I think the Manchester decision is partly the London reason I gave, but also the politicians trying to be more inclusive about the regions.

It's been going on for years, the NEC at Birmingham for example and more recently the BBC's TV centre move to Salford. Gradually these key functions are being shared out.
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oldgroaner

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 15, 2015
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I nominate my favourite Dangerous pursuit, riding Bromptons down a 1 in 3 hill with hairpin bends, winner survives to reach the bottom .
Make it a mass start with politicians and Bankers on the bikes.
In the Spirit of watching Eddie the Eagle ski jumping.
Blood sports always draw the crowds.
 

oldgroaner

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 15, 2015
23,461
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I wish that were completely true, but it often isn't. The rich countries send their athletes to Mexico and Peru for many weeks of high altitude training. The rarified air at high altitudes produces a large increase in their blood's red corpuscle count, greatly increasing the capacity to feed oxygen to the muscles.

That effect lasts for some while, so when they come back shortly before the Olympics they've had a substantial performance enhancing boost, rather like using performance enhancing drugs.

And of course the rich countries can buy in their athletes from poorer countries to compete for them instead, we do it all the time. We've often raided South Africa for them, examples include runner Zola Budd (real name Zola Pieterse) and cricketer Kevin Pietersen, and there are many others.
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Do you think if we sent the "Three Brexiteers" there it would help?
Stimulate the brain cells and all that?
 

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