Summer Olympics

A phenomenal weekend of Gold medals for Team GB and not forgetting the Silver and Bronze winners too, from a team that for the best part of a century considered one gold medal a triumph. But what it shows is how funding and training can unlock talent and nurture it over time, with the funding going into facilities, trainers, equipment and in the case of cycling, technology. One wonders how many other Olympic teams would do better if they also had a system in place that identifies and nurtures talent -the absence of any major Brazilian in these games is an example of how a very rich country has failed its own citizens, not least when the headline news over the last year has concerned its venal and corrupt political class.

On another issue, one wonders why the US Gymnast Gabby Douglas has been the target of such vitriolic abuse for not putting her hand over her heart when the US Anthem was played. The remarkable thing is that anyone noticed as I was under the impression the Olympics is not broadcast live in the US where most people show no interest in it.

Excellent thought provoking piece on National Public Radio today about 'Intersex Athletes' with focus upon South African female runner Caster Semenya . Prior medical tests have determined her ambiguous gender with high testosterone levels which give her an unfair advantage over other women athletes.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch...campaign=world

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Originally Posted by sukumvit boy

Excellent thought provoking piece on National Public Radio today about 'Intersex Athletes' with focus upon South African female runner Caster Semenya . Prior medical tests have determined her ambiguous gender with high testosterone levels which give her an unfair advantage over other women athletes.

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Thanks for the link to an interesting article. This is quite different from the deliberate attempt the old Soviet bloc countries used to make to 'firm up' their female athletes in power sports like the discus, shot put and javelin. Also, I don't think many intersexed people ever perform well enough at sport to reach the Olympic level so this is an unusual, probably unique case. I am not sure what fairness means in this case if the Olympic authorities can insist an athlete modify their personal biology, that seems to me too invasive a 'request' just to compete in a race. You could look at some female weight-lifters and boxers but not ask them to change their diets or personal biology if that is a factor in their success. A lot of women 'look like men', I see them every day even in my small town. If the concern is that she has an unfair advantage and nothing reasonable can be done about it, either Caster Semanya must compete or be banned.

Thanks for your always interesting comments and observations , Stavros.
Thing is , it is neither unique nor unusual , which is why the IOC made a 'wet squib' attempt to deal with these issues in 2012 ,than due to "personal biology" invasion decided to shelve the problem. And as you mentioned , rightly so.
Fact is , genetic mutations exist in 1 in 200 live births and sex chromosome mutations account for as much as 90 % of those.
The general public mindset greatly underestimates the frequency of these abnormalities , partially because they remain hidden from view .
The recent rapid growth of the science of genomics , on openness to discuss gender identity issues and the Olympics have now intersected at a 'critical point' where it is necessary to make an informed and fair decision.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_chromosome_disorders

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Originally Posted by sukumvit boy

Thanks for your always interesting comments and observations , Stavros.
Thing is , it is neither unique nor unusual , which is why the IOC made a 'wet squib' attempt to deal with these issues in 2012 ,than due to "personal biology" invasion decided to shelve the problem. And as you mentioned , rightly so.
Fact is , genetic mutations exist in 1 in 200 live births and sex chromosome mutations account for as much as 90 % of those.
The general public mindset greatly underestimates the frequency of these abnormalities , partially because they remain hidden from view .
The recent rapid growth of the science of genomics , on openness to discuss gender identity issues and the Olympics have now intersected at a 'critical point' where it is necessary to make an informed and fair decision.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_chromosome_disorders

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I agree with what you say but my point was that this is unusual -and probably unique- in the Olympics rather than society as a whole- but on the basis that previous cases did not concern the intersexed but athletes whose biology was changed through deliberate chemical experimentation.

Your correct that Yanks are generally disinterested in the Olympics except when it comes to our amazingly beautiful lady runners, lead by Brianna Rollins.Attachment 957931

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Originally Posted by flabbybody

Your correct that Yanks are generally disinterested in the Olympics except when it comes to our amazingly beautiful lady runners, lead by Brianna Rollins.Attachment 957931

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Yeah, but c'mon, the runners are totally hot.



on a different note...I always thought Ryan Lochte was a douche...guess I was right.

...and how cool was it when Ms Rollins and the other two American cuties finished 1-2-3 in the 100m hurdles ?

Gorgeous Deajah Stevens went to high school in Bayside, Queens.
She trained running along dirt track by Cross Island pkwy

Attachment 957959

everyone's favorite. Allyson FelixAttachment 957977