Rio Olympics
 

Stupid Question: Why was Rio granted to be a Olympic Game host with all the 3rd world problems going on down there you would think host county's had clean water to hold the games in?

A bunch of crooks on the committee. Pretty unreal to be honest how bad this actually is.

Rio is seeming like more and more of a Sh*t show than any other olympics. From what I've seen reported, it would never be a place I want to go.

Wonder how many athletes will be mugged.

WWE is more legit than the Olympics. Sham.

Ralph did you see the 60min special about Russian Anti-Doping! OMG total sham. Russia seems to have developed a culture of cheating. Governent backed programs designed how to circumvent the detection process. In Shoci they wanted Gold so bad they decided to pull out all the stops

I doubt the US and other countries are much better... Maybe better at not getting caught :)

Having been the US head coach for 3 Olympics for speedskating, I can tell you that "winning" the bid to host an Olympic Games is VERY political. South America has never hosted an Olympics until Rio. Host cities have to prove in their bidding process that they have the resources and abilities to create a safe and strong infrastructure to host the Games. Rio was probably the strongest of South American cities in the bidding process. Every Games has it's issues, and Rio is no different. But the media would like you to believe that the issues are bigger than they really are. Security is always an issue at an Olympic Games, but remember that Atlanta in 1996 was the victim of a bombing attack that took the lives of many. No city is immune to that.

As for the Russians and their state wide doping program, that's a whole other can of worms. And really, it comes down to a cultural mindset that is bred from a young age. The Russians were always ahead of the world in sports science, dating back to the 60's, maybe even earlier. The former East Germans and Chinese "cloned" their programs which also proved successful, for a while. However, while US individual athletes have been caught doping as well, those were individuals who made the personal decision to cheat. It's not a statewide systematic program.

In eastern Europe, the mindset is that they aren't cheating, they are just optimizing their athletic potential & opportunities. So in reality, they honestly don't see anything wrong with it. Again, it's a cultural mindset. While in the US, again, you may have some individuals who choose to cheat, but the vast majority believe in clean sport. 99% of the US athletes feel that the shame they would bring upon themselves and their loved ones are enough to be a deterrent.

The IOC, international & national federations have to stand up tall to take a stand against countries who willing to take the risk and cheat the system. But when the IOC refused to vote for a blanket band on Russia for their huge systematic doping program, they sent a message to all sports that they aren't willing to police their own product. Very sad for the majority of athletes who choose to compete clean, and coaches who are strong advocates against the doping system.

Like the US road cycling team who were blood doping in 84....

The pom endurance athletes are up to something fishy at the moment IMO, they are dominating across endurance sport and well to be frank poms are great at inventing sports but crap and playing them. Maybe Ketones or something else not yet banned, maybe micro dosing EPO and doing mini transfusions. I guess we will find out in 10 years.

My primary sport is cycling so my attitude towards elite "clean sport" is shaded pretty grey.....

True, members of the 84' US cycling did blood dope. But if my memory serves me correct, that didn't become illegal until after the Games.

Yes 100% true. Legal but was it ethical? Maybe. That's why it is shade of grey. Corinthian spirit? Certainly no.

Report says some venues are like swimming in a Toilet and that 40 to 50 times the legal limit exist at popular beaches like the coppacabana and ipinima . Open water swimmers rowers and sailing terms have stated taking antibiotics to fend off potential water born viruses. Great job IOC

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/experts-...head-of-games/

nothing like taking antibiotics to ward off viruses:rolleyes:

Another issue is that at the time the games were awarded to Rio, the Brazilian economy was in great shape and there was no reason to think they couldn't get the venues completed, etc. In the time since, their economy has gone in the toilet (see what I did there?) because they're primarily a petro based economy and when the price of oil collapsed it took them down with it. And as usually happens when they economy goes south, political strife ensues, and that's exactly what has happened. They are trying to remove the President and it's political chaos at the moment.

Personally I haven't watched more that 5 minutes of any Olympics in the last 20 years. TV has ruined it by trying to make stars out of the athletes based on their looks, etc. Remember the "Dan & Dave" campaign that Reebok put together ahead of the 92 games - only to have to scrap it when "Dan" failed to qualify - LOL .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_%26_Dave

I'm pretty sure there is no any clean sport when sportsmen can earn over 1M per year. Too big money can't to be with no control. Just business - nothing personal.

Darren, definitely not ethical! Agree with you 100% on that.

Hey Grant, from my experience, the media makes situations out to be much worse than they actually are. Controversy sells stories, but right now, all the athletes and coaches want to focus on is their final preparations for their events. Let the Games begin!

Great point, Big D!

Alex, most Olympic athlete's, especially in winter sports don't even come close to making a million dollars. In fact, in the US, most athletes live below the poverty level and pay to train and compete in their sport.

There are VERY few who make a 7 figure salary, and that's mainly off of their endorsements after they have already won gold. But even now, winning a gold medal doesn't guarantee financial freedom when the Games are over. At least in the US.

The studies are telling the story in this case. Read the article. I wouldn't let my dog swim in that.

Ryan I know you have first hand Exp with your coaching in the Olympic's, I agree with you on the Media front. But It looks like even the Sand is dirty via tests. Did you read the artical? Say's that Brazilians have developed natural antibody's to fight against high levels of fecal mater in the water. They said 3 tea spoons of water in a swimmers mouth is enough to send people to the hospital! UMMMMM No thanks! 60 times the Safe level Dammm

I think this is Rio's was of hedging their bet. Brazilian athletes can ingest the water while foreigners can't LOL

The Olympics were a financial disaster for Greece. Beijing had to stop traffic in an attempt to clear the smog. The Winter Games in temperate Sochi was a 51 billion political scam/failure who's burden is now placed on the taxpayers. Rio seems to have all the above problems. Then there is the media, the story tellers, ready to profit on anything they can sell to the viewers. Finally the athletes. Those who compete for their love of their sport, those who all are ecstatic about the experience and proud to represent their countries regardless of all the crap that goes on around them. I hear that the Olympic village sex scene is crazy.

What to make of all of this....

Hey Grant & Paul, yes I read the article. When I read "AP tests", that made me even more suspect of this article. A media outlet conducting and promoting their own tests, that's like the rooster guarding the hen house, haha.

Having talked with some of the USOC personnel recently, when it comes to the water quality for some of the water events, every precaution has been considered and taken from an athlete & team perspective. Obviously, the swimming events won't be held in that stuff.

As screwed up as the IOC can be at times, I just don't believe that they would put athlete's & staff in that kind of danger. But hey, what do I know. :D

Tim, about 10k condoms are usually available in the Olympic village's medical building. But how all these people are supposedly having sex in the village is beyond me because each building & rooms are basically unfinished, walls are thin and there's people constantly roaming the halls. You rarely get any privacy there, LOL.

I mean global problem and not Olympic athlete's only - whole system. It's different for each country but so many people who came to sport to earn money and price is high. Yes there is many who get penny for own talent but always will be a lot of crooks around star who will eat pie.

I agree Alex!