Beijing Olympic Games 2008

We've had a couple of disappointments - judo, fencing and archery have all seen low returns on expectations, but based on the semi-final just run, we're a shoe-in for at least one rowing gold, the promising cycling events haven't started yet and we've got two medals in the pool which we weren't expecting, plus an excellent canoeing result. Plus none of the athletics events have started yet, nor have we seen the results of the Murray brothers, the badminton pair, another turn in the pool by Adlington, it's all still to come. This is still only day 5 of 15 remember !!

Check out Day 8 on this page: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/7519642.stm

As I understand it, despite a few disappointments, we're actually doing better than expected so far. As the previous post said, GB's best events are yet to come, for example we haven't had any of the rowing finals or indoor cycling yet.

Yep, this weekend is when the medal count should start rising. There's the conclusion of the sailing too, which usually brings in a couple of golds.

It's a shame really the track cycling has been moved to the second week - not sure about Athens but I know back in Sydney it was one of the first events and really got the team off to a boost. Hopefully London 2012 can take things like that into account in their scheduling of the next games.

It seems that this board is just another place for the frustrated to let fly. Never mind, they'll get used to life in time.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Pool mystery goes on.
Sharron Davis clearly said, on air on the BBC, that there were stories that the pool was 4cm too short. This was on sunday. Anyone else catch these remarks?

Are you sure it wasn't just said in jest?

Considering the media are taking every opportunity to bash Beijing I'm sure they'd have picked up on it if there was any truth in it.

Well it certainly isn't a place for you to reproduce your blog. This is a place of discussion. You just want to monologue.

I suggest you come to the Edinburgh Festival and perform a one-man show.

Then you can be ignored by a million show-goers.

According to something on 5live a few minutes ago the opposite is true, the pool is wider than usual. There's a lane 0 and a lane 9, which stops the waves from the swimmers rebounding back off the sides. The improved lane ropes are also helping make for a smother swim

ITV News' John Ray has been arrested, roughed-up, and then released by police while covering a pro-Tibetian protest in Bejing today. Aparently the cameraman who has footage of the arrest works for Channel 4 News. Despite it all being ITN, they say they'll have the pictures first.

Reading this article from Sky News about it, particularly the bit at the end, it seems pratically nothing has changed with the way the authorities do things over there.

Yep - I think it has to be a joke based on the huge number of records being smashed. Others are attributing it to the Speedo suits that many winners are wearing, and also most have praised the wider pool (the extra lanes on the edges reducing disturbance)

The Lane 0 / Lane 9 thing is nothing new - it's been the international standard for a few years now.

I know it's 3am in the morning or whatever over there but can somebody wake Jake Humphrey up. He sounds half asleep.

Who's that bloke reporting for ITV Regional News? I presume he's on all the ITV PLC regional news programmes?