Medal prediction

[flamer]

45 to 26. Only 21 athletic events remaining after this. Realistically US have a fair chance in 12 of these events max. I doubt they will get more than 7 golds in the remaining athletics. China still has 4 in diving/table tennis.

Yay. Awesome if China won. I guess its just their home advantage.

[yittz]

Yay. Awesome if China won. I guess its just their home advantage.

It's hard to say how much home advantage worth. It's useful knowing the home grounds well and having background cheering, but extra pressure gets to some of the local athletes.

I think most of the climb is due to funding (Great Britain is another example - look at their cyclists and rowers). Beijing Olympics ground might have its foundations drawn years ago, but athletes have been appropriately developed even before that.

If you look at the winners, a lot of them were expected to win and have won championships/ranked top seed before that. We have top seeds in both mens and womens beach volleyball - I mean wtf... call me ignorant, but I didn't even know China had many beach areas (does the Bund count in SH?).

[999roses]

I can understand someone saying "home advantage" when it's like 25 vs. 23 gold medals. But when it's like > 15 gold medal difference, uhhh....right.

Yeah, of course there is, but I'm kind of sick of everyone using that as an excuse to discount all the hard work the athletes put in. If this was the case, then we shall see if Great Britain can win the Olympics in 2012.

Oh and btw, China is winning in other events other than the "safe" ones like diving, table tennis. For instance, Yin Jian just won the 1st gold for China in sailing.

And things can happen *touch on wood* where the "safe" ones fail too. But I'm still hoping for a diving sweep....

[Sugar]

Watched his routine today and I was wondering... doesn't it hurt whenever he caught the bars with his armpits? And I think he performed that a few times.

I think it does hurt.. maybe that is why some wrap some bandages around ther arms? :-D



People can say it is home advantage, some can say that judges are being biased, besides for some few weird judging, I think most of the Chinese atheletes deserve their golds. I watched the diving, the the chinese were really on top. US have no reason to complain/ I remebre one dive where the US teams had two men COMPLETELY out of SYNCH ( they were perpendicular to each other).

I guess some people forgot that China have 1.3 billion people vs 350 Milliion for the US. THere is a higher chance to find really talented people. And the athletes live by training.

[sarakoth]

I think it does hurt.. maybe that is why some wrap some bandages around ther arms? :-D



People can say it is home advantage, some can say that judges are being biased, besides for some few weird judging, I think most of the Chinese atheletes deserve their golds. I watched the diving, the the chinese were really on top. US have no reason to complain/ I remebre one dive where the US teams had two men COMPLETELY out of SYNCH ( they were perpendicular to each other).

I guess some people forgot that China have 1.3 billion people vs 350 Milliion for the US. THere is a higher chance to find really talented people. And the athletes live by training.

You also have to consider that a lot of China's talent is stuck unnoticed in its thousands of rice villages. The talent pool is bigger, but probably not too much bigger.

[Sugar]

You also have to consider that a lot of China's talent is stuck unnoticed in its thousands of rice villages. The talent pool is bigger, but probably not too much bigger.

so that another way of saying that chinese people have the most gifted population around the world?

[teenu]

I would love to see China lead the gold medals tally. But Ive heard that the next few days are going to be in favor of the US cause of athletics, basketball, etc etc. Right now the difference is 19, but can the US really catch up with such a huge differemce??????????

[sarakoth]

so that another way of saying that chinese people have the most gifted population around the world?

No. It's another way of saying that "bigger talent pool" isn't really a valid excuse for China doing so well. That's my opinion and it may differ from yours.

[ChanceEncounter]

Most of the Olympic events are fringe sports in the US. Not true for many other countries.

Also consider that the US government basically gives no funding for Olympic athletes. Any sponsorship they have is private or corporate. Even for the Atlanta games, the government paid next to nothing for Atlanta to hold them. The city had to get funding from private sources and corporate sponsorships.

What China is doing now is similar to what East Germany did in the 1970s. They have powerful, state run programs targeted at finding and cultivating elite Olympic athletes.

Most athletic kids in the US dream of playing in the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc.

Then you have to factor defections. Many country's swimmers and track teams practice in the US. They attend college in the US, but then play for different nations because the US is so loaded in those few events, but simply can't send more than X number of delegates.

[AndyChrono]

Since 1988, the U.S has usually gotten around 35-38 Gold Medals and somewhere between 90-100 total medals in each Olympics. This year they seem on pace to get around the same. There was the one they hosted in Atlanta 96' where they got 44 Golds but I chalk that up to home court advantage.

That being said, Team China is performing beyond expectations. I don't know what events are left, but 50 Golds is not out of the question. The U.S has a few 'guaranteed' Golds left like Softball, Beach Volleyball, and Mens/Womens Basketball. The mens 400m looks pretty solid as well. So look for the medal gap to close. But in the end, the U.S should still only get their usual 35-38 Golds that they have averaged at foreign Olympics, so China should still win the Gold count handily.

[jadebunny9]

Watching the women's beach volleyball gold match now.....it seems pretty close and both teams seem almost equal. Tian and Wang have won over May and Walsh before.....perhaps they can pull that off again here?

[Ren Ying Ying]

the americans won...again

though what i think would be really interesting to watch is if the US & China will have a women's volleyball showdown. I want to see Lang Ping coach against the Chinese team. How...strange .

[jadebunny9]

It is certainly strange. One of China's most famous athletes coaching for another team.

Anyone been following the table tennis matches? One of my secret wishes (well, not so secret anymore, I guess) is to be like one of them. Muahahahhaha... *dreams on*

[999roses]

the americans won...again

though what i think would be really interesting to watch is if the US & China will have a women's volleyball showdown. I want to see Lang Ping coach against the Chinese team. How...strange .

I thought she already did...and helped the US beat China's volleyball team

Chen Ruo Lin, go go go! I want the other girl, Wang, to beat the Mexican girl too! (the Mexican girl that the Chinese coach helped train lol)

[Ren Ying Ying]

I thought she already did...and helped the US beat China's volleyball team

Chen Ruo Lin, go go go! I want the other girl, Wang, to beat the Mexican girl too! (the Mexican girl that the Chinese coach helped train lol)

you're right! i think they did already play each other. i forgot. but i meant for the gold medal game. it just makes things so much more interesting.

i remember the commenters also said that the north koreans also used chinese coaches. they're everywhere!

[999roses]

LOL and just because of the fact that she's coaching, I want Cuba to WIN over US. I wonder if they've played yet.

[Ren Ying Ying]

LOL and just because of the fact that she's coaching, I want Cuba to WIN over US. I wonder if they've played yet.

playing. why the US lose? Lang Ping must still prove herself to be a superior coach .

If you look at the winners, a lot of them were expected to win and have won championships/ranked top seed before that. We have top seeds in both mens and womens beach volleyball - I mean wtf... call me ignorant, but I didn't even know China had many beach areas (does the Bund count in SH?).

i heard they were sent to LA for training .
though, i suppose hainan has nice beaches (that's where they got the sand for the olympics from)

[jadebunny9]

It was live last time I checked, but I doubt USA will lose.

[999roses]

playing. why the US lose? Lang Ping must still prove herself to be a superior coach .

Meh, it's not ALL her. The team has to be good too =P

So yeaaa, they won *rolls eyes*.

So if China wins over brazil...I dun get it, this is only semi-finals right? So I guess they still have to fight for bronze (China) and gold (US) respectively? Who are they gonna compete against?

This is confusing me!

(BEIJING, August 21) -- Helped by errors on the Cuban side, the United States outmuscled their opponents 25-20, 25-16, 25-17 to reach the finals of the Women's Volleyball tournament with their confidence sky high. The United States will face either China or Brazil in the finals on August 23.

Huh?! I thought US faced China already?! Yeaa, they did! On August 15...and US beat them....so why would they face them again? *so confused* Well, if it's true, then Ying Ying can have her dream come true.

[Ren Ying Ying]

Meh, it's not ALL her. The team has to be good too =P

So yeaaa, they won *rolls eyes*.

So if China wins over brazil...I dun get it, this is only semi-finals right? So I guess they still have to fight for bronze (China) and gold (US) respectively? Who are they gonna compete against?

i'm assuming if China beats Brazil...it will be another showdown between US & China. i suppose once it gets to elimination mode, previous games don't count. for example, the US had lost to Cuba earlier in the games.