2021 Tokyo Olympics

User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6474
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by caltrek »

I have to admit, my knowledge of TikTok is approximately zero, so I am going by trust that Vox is getting it right.

Olympics TikTok is One of the Best Parts of the Games
by Rebecca Jennings
July 27, 2021

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2021/7/27 ... ctok-tokyo

Introduction:
(Vox) The Summer Olympics are underway, but according to a great many people, including nearly 80 percent of polled Japanese residents, they shouldn’t even be happening at all. After being postponed from 2020 — the first time in Olympic history — citizens of Japan have urged the 2021 events to be rescheduled until cases are under control. At least two dozen athletes have been forced to drop out due to Covid-19 diagnoses, and those that remain virus-free are still subject to temperatures in the 90s with “air so thick it felt as if you had to chew it before you could breathe it.” Oh, and now there’s a possible tropical storm headed toward Tokyo.

There is still one part of the 2020 Olympics that is just as delightful as we all wish all of it could be: athletes on TikTok. These are the first Games during which TikTok has existed, so naturally, a bunch of the athletes are making the most of it. Take Team USA rugby player Ilona Maher, who’s built a 300,000-strong following showing the intricacies of the Olympic dining hall trash system, being horny for all the “tall foreign demigod lookin athletes,” and testing the durability of the infamous cardboard beds with “various activities.” Then there’s Kendall Chase, whose video on the OlympiGays of the USA women’s rowing team has gone very viral, and Erik Shoji, the American volleyball player who’s been documenting his Olympic-level meals.

As social media has done for celebrities before them, TikTok is helping audiences put faces to the names and teams on their TV screens for the next few weeks. In other words, it’s helping to humanize the athletes. Two of the top comments on one of Maher’s videos were, “I forget that they’re normal people sometimes and I love it,” and, “The olympics is so much more fun now that tiktok is a thing.”

That internet fame, in turn, is almost certainly helping athletes who aren’t one of the five or so that become household names during Olympics season — Simone Biles or Katie Ledecky, for instance — get recognition for themselves and their sport.
The remainder of the article includes a discussion of the strain hosting the Olympics can place on the host country. As usual, low-income folks can be expected to bear the brunt of the burden.
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6474
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by caltrek »

Simone Biles Drops Out of Olympics Team Gymnastics Final as Russian Athletes Upset USA
by Jacob Pramuk
July 27, 2021

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/27/simone- ... at-us.html

Introduction:
(CNBC) Russian gymnasts upset the U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo on Tuesday after American superstar Simone Biles withdrew from the competition.

Biles, the reigning all-around Olympic gold medalist and one of the faces of the American contingent in Japan, left the team final after a disappointing vault performance with what USA Gymnastics called “a medical issue.” Biles “will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions,” the U.S. gymnastics governing body said.

Biles later told NBC’s “TODAY” she is “in shape” and feels “good” physically. She said she felt increased pressure as one of the most well-known athletes at the games.

“Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and the moment,” she said. “You know, coming here to the Olympics and being the head star of the Olympics is not an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time, and we’ll see.”

The Russian Olympic Committee won the team gold medal with a score of 169.528. The U.S. claimed silver with a tally of 166.096, while Great Britain took the bronze at 164.096.
caltrek's comment: She may have failed to live up to the hype given to her by sports commentators, but any way you slice it, she has had an amazing career. I just hope the pressure didn't get to her, although physical injury would not be any fun either.
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6474
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by caltrek »

More on SImon Biles,

Simone Biles withdraws at Tokyo Olympics
by Nancy Armour
July 27, 2021

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/o ... 383082001/

Extract:
"This Olympic Games, I wanted it to be for myself," said Biles, a four-time gold medalist in Rio.

"I came in and felt like I was still doing it for other people," she said, fighting back tears. "That just hurts my heart that doing what I love has been kind of taken away from me to please other people."

In warmups for vault, the U.S. women’s first event, Biles bailed on an Amanar. The 2½-twisting somersault is one of the most difficult vaults being done, but is so second-nature to Biles she could probably do it five minutes after getting out of bed.

When it came time for her to compete, she bailed out mid-air, doing only 1½ twists.

"I have to do what’s right for me and focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being," Biles said. "That’s why I decided to take a step back."
caltrek: It is what I feared, she seems to have cracked under the pressure. I think a big culprit here is all of the advertising hype centered around Biles. That hyperbolic "law of gravity doe not apply to her" ad replaying constantly on TV. I'm sorry, she is Simon Biles, not Wonder Woman or Superwoman. Sure, no one was holding a gun to her head to accept the big ad bucks. Still, all of those corporate and advertising executives didn't have to make those presumably lucrative offers in the first pace. Anyway, that is my two cents.
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
User avatar
Yuli Ban
Posts: 4631
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 4:44 pm

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by Yuli Ban »

Image
And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future
User avatar
Yuli Ban
Posts: 4631
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 4:44 pm

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by Yuli Ban »

caltrek wrote: Wed Jul 28, 2021 12:32 am More on SImon Biles,

Simone Biles withdraws at Tokyo Olympics
by Nancy Armour
July 27, 2021

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/o ... 383082001/

Extract:
"This Olympic Games, I wanted it to be for myself," said Biles, a four-time gold medalist in Rio.

"I came in and felt like I was still doing it for other people," she said, fighting back tears. "That just hurts my heart that doing what I love has been kind of taken away from me to please other people."

In warmups for vault, the U.S. women’s first event, Biles bailed on an Amanar. The 2½-twisting somersault is one of the most difficult vaults being done, but is so second-nature to Biles she could probably do it five minutes after getting out of bed.

When it came time for her to compete, she bailed out mid-air, doing only 1½ twists.

"I have to do what’s right for me and focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being," Biles said. "That’s why I decided to take a step back."
caltrek: It is what I feared, she seems to have cracked under the pressure. I think a big culprit here is all of the advertising hype centered around Biles. That hyperbolic "law of gravity doe not apply to her" ad replaying constantly on TV. I'm sorry, she is Simon Biles, not Wonder Woman or Superwoman. Sure, no one was holding a gun to her head to accept the big ad bucks. Still, all of those corporate and advertising executives didn't have to make those presumably lucrative offers in the first pace. Anyway, that is my two cents.
Avoided this fate:

And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future
User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6474
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by caltrek »

Olympic Athletes See More Sponsorship Opportunities
by Hope King
July 29, 2021

https://www.axios.com/olympic-athlete-s ... e7aad.html

Introduction:
(Axios) Tokyo 2020 athletes are cashing in on more personal sponsorship opportunities compared with past Games.

Why it matters: Marketing deals are an important income stream for competitors, nearly 60% of whom say they are not financially stable.

What they’re saying: Restrictions "unfairly hinder Olympians' ability to monetize themselves at the peak of their marketability," Patrick Quinn, a 20-year sports marketing consultant and agent, tells Axios.
  • From advertisers and media to agents and the service industry, a lot of money is made from the Olympics — but the people who have the hardest time making income from it are the athletes, he adds.
The big picture: In context of the seismic revamp of the NCAA's amateurism bylaws a few weeks ago, "there's no such thing as an amateur athlete anymore," says Quinn, who was an alternate on the Olympic luge team in 2006.
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6474
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by caltrek »

Well, this (see below) shows how deep the talent pool is in the United States for female gymnastics:

U.S. Gymnast Suni Lee Wins Olympic Gold in Individual All-around

https://www.axios.com/suni-lee-gymnasti ... 4bff3.html

Introduction:
(Axios) U.S. gymnast Sunisa "Suni" Lee won Olympic gold on Thursday in the individual all-around event.

The big picture: Simone Biles, who withdrew from the event to focus on her mental health, cheered from the stands with the rest of the women's gymnastics team as they watched Lee and teammate Jade Carey compete. Brazil's Rebeca Andrade won the silver and Russian Angelina Melnikova took the bronze.
  • Lee, a first-time Olympian, was among the top contenders heading into Thursday's event. She helped lead the squad to silver in the team event earlier this week.
  • Lee made history this year as the first Hmong American to compete at the Olympic Games, Axios' Shawna Chen writes.
Edit: I had to refresh my memory concerning Hmong immigrants in the United States:
Hmong Americans (RPA: Hmoob Mes Kas, Pahawh Hmong: "𖬌𖬣𖬵 𖬉𖬲𖬦 𖬗𖬲") are Americans of Hmong ancestry. Most Hmong Americans are those that immigrated to the United States as refugees in the late 1970s, and their descendants. Some refugees fled Laos due to their cooperation (or perceived cooperation) with the United States' Central Intelligence Agency operatives in northern Laos during the Vietnam War.[3] Over half of the Laotian Hmong population left the country, or attempted to leave, in 1975, at the culmination of the war. About 90% of those who made it to refugee camps in Thailand were ultimately resettled in the United States. The rest, about 8 to 10%, resettled in countries including Canada, France, the Netherlands, and Australia. According to the 2010 US Census, the population count for Hmong Americans was 260,000.[4] Hmong Americans face disparities in healthcare, and socioeconomic challenges that lead to lower health literacy and median life expectancy, and per capita income.[5]
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_Americans

There is (or at least was) actually a small community of Hmong that have taken up residence nearby to where I live. I have to admit, I have never interacted with them very much.
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
User avatar
Time_Traveller
Posts: 2023
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 4:49 pm
Location: Clermont, Indiana, USA, October 7th 2019 B.C.E

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by Time_Traveller »

Team GB win triathlon relay as Jonny Brownlee ends jinx and finally gets gold
Sat 31 Jul 2021

The curse is over, the set complete. For nine long years, Jonny Brownlee has not dared touch his brother Alistair’s Olympic gold medals, because he feared it would jinx his own dream of reaching the highest step on the podium.

But on a sweaty and entrancing morning at the Odaiba Marine Park, Jonny finally bounded out of his brother’s shadow and into history as Team GB won the first Olympic triathlon mixed relay by 14 seconds from the United States, with France third.

“Olympics? Completed it,” Brownlee said, the gold glittering around his neck adding to his individual bronze from London 2012 and silver medal from Rio 2016. “It feels absolutely amazing. It’s my third Olympics and I’ve finally got gold.”

“It’s also the first ever mixed team relay in triathlon so we’ve made history in that too. It’s capped off my Olympic career amazingly.”

It was a thrilling race, with each athlete having to complete a 300m swim, 6.8km bike, and 2km run before tagging off to their next teammate, but Team GB were always in pole position.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... laims-gold
"We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories...And those that carry us forward, are dreams."

-H.G Wells.
User avatar
Time_Traveller
Posts: 2023
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 4:49 pm
Location: Clermont, Indiana, USA, October 7th 2019 B.C.E

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by Time_Traveller »

Team GB smash world record to win Tokyo 4x100m mixed medley relay gold
Sat 31 Jul 2021

Another day and, incredible to say, another gold for Great Britain in the Olympic swimming pool. This one in the mixed 4x100m relay, which the quartet of Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Anna Hopkin won in a new world record time of 3min 37.58sec.

It was Britain’s fourth swimming gold medal of the week, which is as many as the team won at the Olympics between 1988 and 2016, and their seventh swimming medal overall in Tokyo. The last time a Games went this well the men were wearing wool bodysuits and waxed moustaches, and the women weren’t allowed to compete at all. If they win one more medal on Sunday, it will be their most successful swimming Games ever.

It was the first time this mixed relay has featured on the Olympic programme, and the novelty made for an array of different approaches as each of the teams tried to figure out the best strategy. The USA, who looked the strongest team, were the only ones who put a man, Caeleb Dressel, on the final freestyle leg. It was asking a lot of him, given he had already won the 100m butterfly final in a world record time, as well as a 50m freestyle semi-final, earlier in the session. “GB,” he said afterwards, “that was insane.”

China, who came second, and bronze medallists Australia also picked swimmers who had been in action already that morning. The British had an advantage because their swimmers were all relatively fresh. It wasn’t an accident. Guy had been due to compete in the 100m butterfly alongside Dressel, but pulled out to concentrate on the relay. The decision paid off, because he turned in a split of 50sec dead, which put the team in first place, but it came at the cost of a shot at winning his first individual medal. If he had been able to replicate that kind of time from a standing start in the individual final, he would have won bronze.

“It did hurt pulling out from the butterfly,” Guy said, “but I made the compromise and I got a gold medal and a world record, so I’ll take that.” His sacrifice gave the team an edge their closest rivals did not have. It also vindicated the decision to leave out Duncan Scott, despite his red-hot form. “I’ve been racing with Jimmy for 10 years,” Peaty said, “and one of our biggest strengths is that we’ve got heritage, and brotherhood, that no other team has.” Peaty swam a barnstorming breaststroke leg of his own, in 56.78sec. He swept past the USA’s 17-year-old 100m champion Lydia Jacoby, who bravely ploughed on even though her goggles had come off.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... relay-gold
"We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories...And those that carry us forward, are dreams."

-H.G Wells.
User avatar
caltrek
Posts: 6474
Joined: Mon May 17, 2021 1:17 pm

Re: 2021 Tokyo Olympics

Post by caltrek »

Will the Tokyo Olympics be a Superspreader Event?
by Dylan Scott
July 30, 2021

https://www.vox.com/coronavirus-covid19 ... ta-variant

Introduction:
(Vox) The Toyko Olympics appear unlikely to be a “superspreader” event, experts say — but that may be little comfort to people in Japan, where a combination of the delta variant and low vaccination rates is driving a new surge in Covid-19 cases.

Japan is currently living through its fifth wave since the start of the pandemic, while the Summer Olympics are finally being held after a one-year delay. The average number of daily new cases jumped from 1,400 in late June up to more than 5,700 as of July 29, nearly matching the previous peaks in May and January.

Those rising rates likely reflect a new wave of cases around the world, and in Asia especially, rather than anything specific to the Olympics. In fact, adjusted for population, Japan’s latest wave tracks quite closely with new cases across Asia. The infections currently being reported were also contracted up to two weeks ago, before the start of the Games, though personnel had begun to arrive.
caltrek's comment: I find the article to be fairly convincing as to the danger, or lack thereof, of holding the Olympics at this time in Tokyo. Still, I really can't blame locals for being alarmed about the dangers.
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
Post Reply