You can click the photo to go to the page with the caption. It's three South African swimmers who'd just won the 4x100m freestyle relay and denied Michael Phelps his eight golds. Clearly I'm unpatriotic, but good for them!
I didn't expect the Canadian to try to stir things up.
Keep in mind that Phelps and Thorpe will meet only because Phelps decided to challenge Thorpe in Thorpe's specialty. Thorpe isn't even contesting the 200 IM after Phelps destroyed him in the event last year.
Still, if our neighbors to the North need to back the Australians if they're to have something to celebrate, well, far be it from me to deny them...
The male American swimmers seem like huge jerks. After losing the 100 breast to world-champion Kosuke Kitajima, Brendan Hansen said to a reporter something like, well that's the great thing about the Oympics: anyone has a shot at winning. As if Kitajima were just anyone! And as if anyone beating him were evidence of the grand capriciousness of sport!
Kitajima's scream after his victory was a bit weird, though.
At the time I thought Hansen's remark meant something like "no matter what's happened in the past [i.e., my world record], the race comes down to what happens now, and at this moment Kitajima had a little bit more." But I couldn't find the transcript in thirty seconds, so that's just recollection.
I'd only heard about the after-the-split minor dolphin, not the start-of-the-race big dolphin. I now think Kitajima is George Bush and Hansen is Al Gore, though I still think Hansen is probably a jerk.
As they were introducing the swimmers before the 100 breast, lovely wife took a good look at Kitajima and said "oh MY, now THAT is why swimmers make better eye candy than gymnasts."
And, as we all know, the purpose of the Olympics is to provide two weeks of eye candy.
Amen, brother! But who are those guys? You'd think with so many outlets to show the Olympics, NBC would tell you which channel is covering what, when.
I just saw some men's doubles badminton on MSGOP. But, it had Americans in it, and they were winning, so I guess that made it worthy of airing. Ugh.
Posted by LarryB | Link to this comment | 08-15-04 2:44 PM
You can click the photo to go to the page with the caption. It's three South African swimmers who'd just won the 4x100m freestyle relay and denied Michael Phelps his eight golds. Clearly I'm unpatriotic, but good for them!
Posted by Bob | Link to this comment | 08-15-04 2:53 PM
Missed the link. Thanks.
BTW - the guys losing at badminton were South African, so I guess this balances things out for them.
Posted by LarryB | Link to this comment | 08-15-04 3:12 PM
[redacted]
Posted by [redacted] | Link to this comment | 08-15-04 3:23 PM
Whooo! Skin suits! Much better.
Will you post a shot of Ian Thorpe, when he, too, stomps all over Phelps this week?
Posted by girl27 | Link to this comment | 08-15-04 5:50 PM
Couldn't you have dug out that photo of Wonkette and Washingtonienne to get your homoerotic fix?
Posted by Adam Kotsko | Link to this comment | 08-15-04 7:54 PM
I didn't expect the Canadian to try to stir things up.
Keep in mind that Phelps and Thorpe will meet only because Phelps decided to challenge Thorpe in Thorpe's specialty. Thorpe isn't even contesting the 200 IM after Phelps destroyed him in the event last year.
Still, if our neighbors to the North need to back the Australians if they're to have something to celebrate, well, far be it from me to deny them...
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 08-15-04 10:10 PM
There's a decent short overview of the three contenders in the 200 Free, if you're interested.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 08-15-04 10:21 PM
Anyone else notice the weird untanned patch across Left Guy's upper chest and shoulders?
Posted by Bob | Link to this comment | 08-16-04 7:51 AM
The male American swimmers seem like huge jerks. After losing the 100 breast to world-champion Kosuke Kitajima, Brendan Hansen said to a reporter something like, well that's the great thing about the Oympics: anyone has a shot at winning. As if Kitajima were just anyone! And as if anyone beating him were evidence of the grand capriciousness of sport!
Kitajima's scream after his victory was a bit weird, though.
Posted by Bob | Link to this comment | 08-16-04 8:01 AM
Kitajima cheated.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 08-16-04 9:10 AM
Yeah, the dolphin kick that pushed him ahead after his second-place split. But still.
Posted by Bob | Link to this comment | 08-16-04 9:18 AM
At the time I thought Hansen's remark meant something like "no matter what's happened in the past [i.e., my world record], the race comes down to what happens now, and at this moment Kitajima had a little bit more." But I couldn't find the transcript in thirty seconds, so that's just recollection.
Peirsol calls out the dolphin kick here.
Posted by FL | Link to this comment | 08-16-04 9:36 AM
I'd only heard about the after-the-split minor dolphin, not the start-of-the-race big dolphin. I now think Kitajima is George Bush and Hansen is Al Gore, though I still think Hansen is probably a jerk.
Posted by Bob | Link to this comment | 08-16-04 9:41 AM
As they were introducing the swimmers before the 100 breast, lovely wife took a good look at Kitajima and said "oh MY, now THAT is why swimmers make better eye candy than gymnasts."
And, as we all know, the purpose of the Olympics is to provide two weeks of eye candy.
Posted by Ted K | Link to this comment | 08-16-04 1:00 PM