Paris 2024 | Olympics

[Angela Channing]

I'm always surprised more countries haven't copied our lottery funding Olympic model giving how successful it's been over the years.

Maybe prioritising elite sport at a time when 300,000 children in the UK are living in poverty isn't the right choice for other countries.

 

[Whovian]

Maybe prioritising elite sport at a time when 300,000 children in the UK are living in poverty isn't the right choice for other countries.

That's why we fund it through the lottery system which you can choose not to partake in if you don't agree with what the money gets spent on rather than direct taxes. And even then only 20% of lottery spending goes on sport, and even then much of it goes on local community sport projects often in deprived areas - with a smaller amount of funding for elite sport. It's hardly being prioritised when 40% of lottery spending goes on health, wellbeing and charitable causes - including children's charities.

Not that'll stop you from whatabouting and trying to denigrate it.

 

[Angela Channing]

That's why we fund it through the lottery system which you can choose not to partake in if you don't agree with what the money gets spent on rather than direct taxes. And even then only 20% of lottery spending goes on sport, and even then much of it goes on local community sport projects often in deprived areas - with a smaller amount of funding for elite sport. It's hardly being prioritised when 40% of lottery spending goes on health, wellbeing and charitable causes - including children's charities.

Not that'll stop you from whatabouting and trying to denigrate it.

I have no problem with Lottery money going to sport but I think at a time when schools are being forced to sell off their playing fields and local councils are being forced to close leisure centres the money would be better off funding facilities for ordinary people so many more people can benefit from it. Lottery money is public money so it would be better going to fund sport that more people have access to rather than a tiny number of elite sportspeople, many of which, like Charlotte Dujardin, are already from wealthy backgrounds. That's why other countries don't follow our funding model.

 

[Frank Underwood]

The more i watched it, the more i hated it and stuck with it in the hope it MIGHT get better

The woke nonsense of the cat walk and P**s take gender crap wokery of the last supper really annoyed me - lets take the P out of christianity - thats fine but they wouldnt dare do it with another religion, let me think............ .... Je suis Charlie - remember that! because if they did France and not just Paris would be burning and rioting.

I can only hope that LA in 2008 do better than this, it wouldnt be hard

I went to bed really annoyed!! and Id wasted 3 plus hours of my life for utter drivel.

I don't care if people find this stuff entertaining, but I think this is the wrong venue for it. These irreverent displays keep getting shoehorned into these mainstream events.

The woke say they're bringing attention to marginalized groups, but there are many people in those communities who don't want to be associated with these bizarre acts.

 

[Whovian]

The treatment of the triathletes in this Olympics leaves a lot to be desired. Cancelling the event hours before its due to start and threatening to make it a duathlon.

 

[Yesterday from the Beatles]

I've read a few articles online where people have made a similar point but was the opening ceremony actually making fun of Christianity?

And I have read other articles that share your opinion. But, was The Last Supper from the Simpsons, or Leonardo's “original” event? Was it in the Bible too?

I thought it was more a parody of Leonardo's painting The Last Supper.

Do you mean they made fun of painting techniques, frames, colors, etc.?

The painting is not a religious symbol, it's an artist's rendition of an event described in the Bible.

The painting shows the 1st Eucharist (which is more than a symbol for Christians) but I get it, the painting itself is not a symbol, so it's fine to do whatever you want with the symbols on it.


But let's leave Christianity aside. I had a picture of myself that people made fun of, but now I realize they were making fun of a friend who took the picture instead of me who was in the picture.

Sorry if I sound offensive, but based on the readings from this forum, every possible "liberal" idea is like a dogma to you. We're all just people, and ALL people sometimes make mistakes. Don't you think so?

 

[Angela Channing]

And I have read other articles that share your opinion. But, was The Last Supper from the Simpsons, or Leonardo's “original” event? Was it in the Bible too?


Do you mean they made fun of painting techniques, frames, colors, etc.?


The painting shows the 1st Eucharist (which is more than a symbol for Christians) but I get it, the painting itself is not a symbol, so it's fine to do whatever you want with the symbols on it.


But let's leave Christianity aside. I had a picture of myself that people made fun of, but now I realize they were making fun of a friend who took the picture instead of me who was in the picture.

Sorry if I sound offensive, but based on the readings from this forum, every possible "liberal" idea is like a dogma to you. We're all just people, and ALL people sometimes make mistakes. Don't you think so?

If I painted a picture of the Nativity and somebody took the mickey out of it, would they be ridiculing my artwork or would they be ridiculing my Christian religion? I think most people would say they were having a go at my attempt at art. Leonardo's The Last Supper is not a Christian relic and therefore is no more holy than any piece of art depicting a religious scene.

But I was wrong, the Paris opening ceremony didn't parody Leonardo's The Last Supper, the controversial section was in fact depicting The Feast of The Gods by Jan van Bijlert which is in the collection of a French museum in Dijon, hence why it was the inspiration. The opening ceremony scene shows Apollo, the Sun God, recognised by his halo and Bacchus by the grapes on his head and the same symbols can be seen in The Feast of The Gods but not in The Last Supper.

Everyone getting their knickers in a twist thinking they were making a comment about Christianity was wrong. Like you said, we all make mistakes.

 

[DallasFanForever]

Nice to see the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team take home the gold. A good bit of redemption for Simone Biles after having to withdraw after only the first event three years ago in Tokyo. Very happy for her indeed!

 

[Whovian]

Great to see Alex Yee get a gold medal in the men's triathlon. Also a bronze earlier for Beth Potter in the women's event.

Focus for both of them now on the mixed relay next week.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Great to see Alex Yee get a gold medal in the men's triathlon

Im just home from work and looked at the brief highlights of this on iplayer

looks a great swim, bike, run - hope no one got a dodgy stomach for swimming in the Seine (Dont fancy it myself!)

Congrats to Mr Yee and the relay swimming was so exciting last night - yee ha!

 

[Whovian]

Im just home from work and looked at the brief highlights of this on iplayer

looks a great swim, bike, run - hope no one got a dodgy stomach for swimming in the Seine (Dont fancy it myself!)

Congrats to Mr Yee and the relay swimming was so exciting last night - yee ha!

The women's event was a mess a bit with the drenched roads seeing so many riders crash/fall off on the cobbles. The dry roads made the men's race better if a little less interesting!

Next event of interest for me is the men's 20km race walk which kicks off at 06:30am tomorrow - although no Tom Bosworth - shortly followed by the women's 20k racewalk at 08:20am.

Callum Wilkinson goes for Team GB in the men's - although his PB is several minutes behind the best. There's no Brit competing in the women's event.

 

[Emelee]

Sarah Sjöström won the first gold for Sweden in the 100 meter free style swimming. A distance that she hadn't even planned to compete in, but changed her mind at last minute.

 

[tommie]

Well, this is a fucking shitshow - apparently someone thought it was a good idea to allow males to compete against women in one of the most physical contact sports there is where raw strength absolutely matters: boxing.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1818959981527417058

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1818961378780094862

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1818963023094026248

Congrats to the people arranging this competition since this will now backfire against everyone involved and overshadow everything else!

 

[Frank Underwood]

Well, this is a fucking shitshow - apparently someone thought it was a good idea to allow males to compete against women in one of the most physical contact sports there is where raw strength absolutely matters: boxing.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1818959981527417058

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1818961378780094862

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1818963023094026248

Congrats to the people arranging this competition since this will now backfire against everyone involved and overshadow everything else!

It's odd that the woke think it's okay for men to hit women after all. But then they've always been walking contradictions. They're usually the first to say "trust science" too.

 

[CeeCee72]

So, both of these boxers competed in 2016 and failed to medal. They were both disqualified from the last world championships for testosterone levels (which regardless of whether they are trans or not, should have, IMO resulted in a DQ from the Olympics), but do we KNOW they are trans women? Or is it possible they are biological women who take steroids/testosterone? From what I read, they both deny being trans women and so does their federation.

Again, if they failed the hormone test at the worlds (for whatever reason), I don't think they should be allowed to compete at the Olympics - just trying to get some clarification.

 

[CeeCee72]

It's odd that the woke think it's okay for men to hit women after all. But then they've always been walking contradictions. They're usually the first to say "trust science" too.

Excuse me - who exactly is defending this? I haven't seen it.

 

[CeeCee72]

Anyway, getting back to the games themselves...

I have particularly enjoyed swimming this year. The Americans and the Australians have clearly lost their iron grips on the sport and it has made it so much more fun to watch.

 

[Frank Underwood]

Excuse me - who exactly is defending this? I haven't seen it.

Some people are so hyper-focused on inclusivity that they believe trans/"high T" individuals should be allowed to compete against biological women in sporting events.

 

[CeeCee72]

Some people are so hyper-focused on inclusivity that they believe trans/"high T" individuals should be allowed to compete against biological women in sporting events.

I mean, I get that - but I haven't seen anyone defending what happened in this particular match.

The Olympics have a huge problem with both hormones and doping. I really just want some clarification here. The IOC should be forced to release whatever tests they used to clear these two boxers compete.

 

[CeeCee72]

Back to swimming - my favorite thing this year has been watching Phelps watch Marchand swim and win. One great athlete cheering on and being genuinely happy for the next generation of greatness.