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The problem with third world countries as hosts...
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My first thought was, what a great idea! Let's return the golden rings to the origin. Makes sense right? Then I realized....if it takes a whole ton of coordination to pull of the most basic 1/2 iron distance IM (tm), I wonder what goes into an Olympics?

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/summer/athens/2004-03-20-swimming-roof_x.htm

I think next time around they should try Haiti for the winter Olympics. That would be make for a revolutionary biathlon! Run…Duck…Run….

mobiusnc

"Swaying to the rhythm of the New World Order,
Counting the bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums" - APC
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [mobiusnc] [ In reply to ]
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They have been having all kinds of problems with the organization and construction projects. I understand that the main stadium isn't going to be finished until less than one month before the games start. And I'm talking main construction, not finish work.

What scares me the most, though, is that Greece has a very bad reputation when it comes to security.

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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [mobiusnc] [ In reply to ]
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While I wouldn't put Greece into the category of third world countries, I agree that it wasn't the best decision to give the games to Greece based on their recent history. We all know that the O-Rings are not necessarily awarded to the best locale for the games/athletes but rather the best political ideal at the time (ie. 2008 is in Beijing, home of an outstanding human rights record)
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [Allan] [ In reply to ]
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As far as I am concerned, I have far less problem accepting the Olympics being in Greece (which is not a 3rd world country...) than having the Olympics in a country that pretty much violates all human rights and has been having a lot of problem keeping its athletes drug free (which is an understatement for a country which seems to have fairly similar doping programs as the ex East Germany)...
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [mobiusnc] [ In reply to ]
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I guess I have to disagree. All the objections you raise are valid. Conditions will not be ideal. No roof on the swim venue. Bad transportation problems for spectators. Not enough hotel rooms. Even, horrors, nonideal broadcast conditions.

Too damn bad. They could drop the Olympic swim competion into my local 50 meter pool tomorrow. If they did, they same athletes would show up and the same athletes would win. Same holds true if they drop the marathon onto my neighborhood 2.5 mile circle. I really don't care if NBC or the VIPs are happy. I don't care that lots of money won't be made.

I am glad the Olympics are in Greece. Maybe the venue will help us remember what they are supposed to be about.

The security concerns you mention are a different matter. I don't have an answer for that.
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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Hey Francois you're sounding kind of cynical. Don't you believe that all of those Chinese women that smashed the world records in every middle distance track event (events that had previously been held by eastern block athletes on the juice themselves) did it by any method other than hard training? I heard that they were on some good programs with special "supplements" (some type of magic herb). Funny how the same programs didn't work for their men at the same time though..........

As for human rights, many Canadians were disappointed that Toronto lost the bid to Beijing for that very reason (plus it sure would have been nice to drive down the road 1.5 hours to watch the games!)
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [Allan] [ In reply to ]
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Well, Paris was very surprised to have lost as well...actually, we thought if we'd lose it would be to Toronto...then it was Beijing! Wtf???
Their athletes actually got tested positive for some, others got arrested at airports...remember that chick that arrived in Sydney with growth hormon, epo etc...in 2000??
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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"Well, Paris was very surprised to have lost as well...actually, we thought if we'd lose it would be to Toronto...then it was Beijing! Wtf???"

Here in Sydney we thought we'd get it twice, as a backup location when the IOC realised Athens wouldn't be ready in time ;-)

"Their athletes actually got tested positive for some, others got arrested at airports...remember that chick that arrived in Sydney with growth hormon, epo etc...in 2000??"

Yep, I also remember the Chinese swimmers with V-backs that I'd never before seen on a bloke, let alone a "female".
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [mobiusnc] [ In reply to ]
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It's all about the history. Do you think the original Olympics had a fancy roof for their events? I'm guessing they didn't. Do you think they had wide roads to run in? Probably not. Athens is just trying to get back to its roots. The only reason they've done as much as they have is so all of the elitist countries of the world show up.
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [WebSwim] [ In reply to ]
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yep, I remember as I was still living on the Gold Coast at that time...maybe we would have stayed until then, if Sydney had it a second time! :-)
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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My hunch is that China's going to be more or less clean in the near future. Maybe a drug case or two where there's pressure for individual provinces to get people onto the national teams. But nothing on the national level itself, and the national level is going to strongly suggest to the previnces to keep things clean. China badly needs for the chatter surrounding their Olympics to be "the wonderful, proseprous, and beautiful city of Beijing" and they're putting billions on the line to make that happen. Between what happened at FINA worlds in Perth a couple years back, and the investigations at the Salt Lake City Olympics, it's been shown that at least once in a while, the cheaters can get caught. And China has too much face to lose if they get caught systematically doping again.

I will agree that their human rights record is abysmal.

As for pool conditions, the fan in me wants them to be perfect. Look down the list of likely swimmers, and the talent level is amazing. I want to see great duels in the water. I want to see every record in the book go down. (and from what we've seen in 2003, no record is safe)
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [FLA Jill] [ In reply to ]
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I agree, the fan in me really wants to see perfect conditions. While conditions may be equal for all athletes, these gus and gals have just trained for the previous 4 years with the olympics in in mind, they deserve to compete in the most optimal setting. Especially since world records and the money that comes with them are on the line.
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [mobiusnc] [ In reply to ]
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my sister - admittedly a non-athete - was living in beijing last summer and said she can't imagine any sort of athletic endeavour (let alone the olympics) happening there. the air was dirty enough to cut with a knife, sanitation was poor and infrastructure anarchic at best. maybe i'll wait another 4 years for my olympic push. . .

____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [adampom] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
It's all about the history. Do you think the original Olympics had a fancy roof for their events? I'm guessing they didn't. Do you think they had wide roads to run in? Probably not.


Yeah, but they also wrestled nekkid, and who wants to see that? ;)

__________________________________________________
Happy trails,
Chris
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [Francois] [ In reply to ]
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"Well, Paris was very surprised to have lost as well...actually, we thought if we'd lose it would be to Toronto...then it was Beijing! Wtf???
Their athletes actually got tested positive for some, others got arrested at airports..."



I totally agree with you on this one :-) Once a significant number of athletes from a particular country are found to be positive, that country should be disqualified from all future bidding. Of course as long as MLB and the NFL are still operating the US is "sh*t outa luck" too...

mobiunc
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [tricyclist] [ In reply to ]
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"Yeah, but they also wrestled nekkid, and who wants to see that? ;) "

Isn't women's wrasslin' now an Olympic sport?
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [ajfranke] [ In reply to ]
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Good point. In fact I have a really nice 2 meter swimming venue right in my bathroom and it's even got a roof. I'm just not sure I can fit the underwater camera in with the Thorpedo's feet. Know where I can get an application for the 2012 games or did I miss the deadline?

:-)

mobiusnc
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [cerveloguy] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah, women wrestlers at the olympic level are real hot. Almost as hot as super drugged up chineese swimmer chicks, or most female track riders.

Any way, the local sorority mud wrestling contest would make for a far more spectator pleasing event.
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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [adampom] [ In reply to ]
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True. But they I think they are compensating for the lack of venues with other amenities. Did you see the aid stations they have planned for the marathon? Sure beats accelerade...

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Re: The problem with third world countries as hosts... [ajfranke] [ In reply to ]
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<<The security concerns you mention are a different matter. I don't have an answer for that.<<

A friend is the Communications Director for the IOC in Zurich. Here's a message that he sent me about 3 weeks ago when another tri list was discussing a rumor about the Olympics moving to Sydney.
clm

To: Cathy Morgan <ironclm@mac.com>
Original-recipient: rfc822;ironclm@ma

Personal message snipped....

And can you please forward the following to the list.

"A former TRI-DRSer writes:

[The following are my own views and do not necessarily
represent those of my employer.]
There is no consideration of any plan to move the
ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games to Sydney.
Greece is deploying over 50,000 security personnel for
the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games, with a security budget
some three times higher than that of Sydney (over 800
million USD). Efforts are being coordinated and advice
is being given by a seven-country team that includes
the US, with State Department officials expressing
satisfaction at the preparations.
Athletes will be arriving at the new airport in
Athens. The old one is now the centrepiece of a
phenomenal urban renewal story, which has seen the
creation of a canoe/kayak slalom facility, as part of
a huge sports park, right in the middle of a
formerly-neglected residential neighbourhood.
Having just returned from eight days working with my
colleagues on the local organising committee, I look
forward to this Summer's Games as fervently as ever.

I attended the triathlon test event last October,
swimming the Olympic course. It is magnificent. I
bumped into Les from the ITU this week and the course
will be excellent.

I would be delighted to meet up with anyone from the
list who is coming over. Oh, and by the way, the 2006
ITU Worlds will be in my home town. Woo Hoo!" (clm's note: That would be London.)

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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