• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

Olympic Games Update

Speaking as someone who is educated with Horse riding, it was very bad from what I saw haven't seen it all though.
I don't know the history of the horse nor how they pick the horses.

But IMO it's a flawed event really, and gives Show jumping a bad look.
Some of the riders can't see a stride and bury their horse into the fence, the talented horses will bail them out.

You just need to look at the riding positions and style between the professional show jumpers and Modern Pentathlon.
I guess that's the issue with having so many different events.

They would at least be better off letting them ride the horses before the event though.
 
I don't know the history of the horse nor how they pick the horses.
Sourced by the event holders I belive, however they are all of certain quality. Basically all the horses should be capable of a clear round. The issue is completely with the riders.
 
Gotta say; 20 Golds and 62 total medals is already better than I expected from GB.
We had that big increase in funding (and success) in time for London 2012; which held over to 2016, but I was expecting a drop down to about where we were in the build up - so around the same level as in Beijing (19 gold from 51 total).
 
Last edited:
Getting hype for Harrington's fight at 6 tomorrow. She's the 1 seed so even though the Brazilian has looked better so far it's not a foregone conclusion by any means. Two legitimate gold medals would be a first since 1932 and make it a super successful games.
 
Gotta say; 20 Golds and 62 total medals is already better than I expected from GB.
We had that big increase in funding (and success) in time for London 2012; which held over to 2016, but I was expecting a drop down to about where we were in the build up - so around the same level as in Beijing (19 gold from 51 total)
It's interesting seeing our strengths change, as well - we used to be so dominant in track cycling and rowing but now we're picking up a lot in the pool and on BMX(!)

Just the general shift across the olympics in general is interesting - America not winning gold in the athletics for the first time in...ever? I can't remember how long MJ said it was, but it was a long old time (if not since the modern olympics began)
Jamaica not medalling in the mens 100, 200 or 4x100 either
 
Gotta say; 20 Golds and 62 total medals is already better than I expected from GB.
We had that big increase in funding (and success) in time for London 2012; which held over to 2016, but I was expecting a drop down to about where we were in the build up - so around the same level as in Beijing (19 gold from 51 total)
I think we are one the best post host nations you usually expect massive increase then sudden dip. To keep the same standards as a team over 9 years is pretty impressive.
 
It's interesting seeing our strengths change, as well - we used to be so dominant in track cycling and rowing but now we're picking up a lot in the pool and on BMX(!)
I can't remember where I've seen it (may even be here) but we're currently leading the "eclectic table" with medals in the most different disciplines


Back to the Modern Pentathlon - Personally, I love all the combined events; fell in love with pentathlon in London - given its purpose, I don't mind the lottery with the horses. It's supposed to represent a soldier caught alone behind enemy lines (pre-WWI); so sword-fight, swim a river, steal a horse, run away whilst laying down cover fire. If anything, I'd suggest that to simulate horse-theft, they should get less than 20 minutes with the horse - but have free choice of 8-10 horses available (but not one of the previous 2 taken). Equally, it should probably be a shortened steeplechase, rather than showjumping (equally the swimming would be better in open water, and the fencing could maybe be "knife" rather than "sword" - or better yet MMA - though that would be too brutal to be part of a mutli-event). Of course, taking events out of the stadium would not be spectator friendly
 
I can't remember where I've seen it (may even be here) but we're currently leading the "eclectic table" with medals in the most different disciplines


Back to the Modern Pentathlon - Personally, I love all the combined events; fell in love with pentathlon in London - given its purpose, I don't mind the lottery with the horses. It's supposed to represent a soldier caught alone behind enemy lines (pre-WWI); so sword-fight, swim a river, steal a horse, run away whilst laying down cover fire. If anything, I'd suggest that to simulate horse-theft, they should get less than 20 minutes with the horse - but have free choice of 8-10 horses available (but not one of the previous 2 taken). Equally, it should probably be a shortened steeplechase, rather than showjumping (equally the swimming would be better in open water, and the fencing could maybe be "knife" rather than "sword" - or better yet MMA - though that would be too brutal to be part of a mutli-event). Of course, taking events out of the stadium would not be spectator friendly
Its going to be a very different event in 3 years with the entire thing over in 90mins.
 
Bronze but so so close to silver in the 1500!

0.04s between 2 and 3, a PB for Kerr by 2.5s
 
Sourced by the event holders I belive, however they are all of certain quality. Basically all the horses should be capable of a clear round. The issue is completely with the riders.
I'm definitely not an expert on horses (think I rode a pony when I was like 6 that was led by someone with a rope). My question is, did anyone else manage to successfully complete a run with that horse, because I know another rider also failed with the same horse earlier. Basically if no one was able to control that horse, then for me there is an issue with the horse that is beyond reasonable and completely out of the competitors control. Essentially the competitors who were assigned that horse may have had their competition ruined through bad luck and chance rather than skill. For me they should be allowed to ride again if there was clearly an issue with the horse that was beyond normal. It's different than for example knocking a ball on because it takes a dodgy bounce. It's unfortunate, but with a rugby ball you can expect it to possibly bounce funny. However it doesn't ruin your match completely.

Now in terms of Annika Schleu specifically, even if she was given the opportunity to ride again, she should have been disqualified anyway for how she treated the horse as there was no excuse for that.
 
My question is, did anyone else manage to successfully complete a run with that horse, because I know another rider also failed with the same horse earlier.
The beeb said yesterday that the horses run through the course multiple times pre olympics to make sure they can complete it all with different riders
They also said that there are reserve horses that the athletes can choose to swap to if they're not happy with the horse they're assigned (but they're not experienced at the Olympic course so it's more of a risk)
 
So take my knowledge with the pinch of salt of what I learned in the last 24 hours. The first run wasn't apparently the complete disaster that was the Germans in that it became a mess at the end due the ridership who messed up a jump and made him run through a fence. After that the horse was all over the place. As evidenced.

So if anything it's an issue of horse reuse and being spooked from a previous rider rather than a horse being inadequate.

But yes there should be a better system. But with 20mins to get to know the horse and we don't know at which point in those 20mins Saints Boy clearly wasn't going to perform. Just it was by the start.
 
#bringbackgrandstand

Its great to watch the elite at the Olympics every few years , to see something different. To watch less accomplished competitors on a more regular basis is something totally
different. An hour of watching people fall off bikes, skateboards and cliffs would soon become boring. Anyway ,we've already got 'You've been framed'.
 
Its great to watch the elite at the Olympics every few years , to see something different. To watch less accomplished competitors on a more regular basis is something totally
different. An hour of watching people fall off bikes, skateboards and cliffs would soon become boring. Anyway ,we've already got 'You've been framed'.
I'd take the BMX and climbing I was less impressed with Skatebording which was impenetrable to the uninitiated with no fixed scores for degree of difficulty and falls not really penalised due to amount of chances. Need to take a huge leaf from the snowboarding groups.

I'd love to see more Triathlon, Track Cycling, Swimming, Diving and other sports on TV more often. Just general more Olympic sports on TV please. I really enjoy curling but we only get it every 4 years.
 
At least this Olympics has been a resounding success for GB. 63 medals, with 20 Golds. Anymore on the last day? Can't believe it's all over tomorrow.
 
At least this Olympics has been a resounding success for GB. 63 medals, with 20 Golds. Anymore on the last day? Can't believe it's all over tomorrow.
Mens Keiren and Women's Omnium are our only two realistic chances I think.
 

Latest posts

Top