Australia, U.S. swimmers face strong rivals at Games

Tuesday 05th August, 11:43 PM JST

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huberts2 at 10:46 AM JST - 6th August

To exprinceska

You ought to be ashamed; and you are also showing your ignorance. Thorpe has been absolutely cleared of all newspaper (one newspaper ) gossip and satisfied all testing and analysis. Do you want to share the penalties which the French newspaper will pay for defamation?
pathat at 10:50 AM JST - 6th August

Rajakumar:

What is your point, other than thinly-veiled grumbling about the U.S.?

Japan, under a provision since abolished, used its prerogative as host of the Games in 1964 to get judo introduced-not only to show some Japanese culture to the rest of the world-but also to help it improve its medal chances.

Japan used its money and influence to get women`s wrestling introduced for increased medal opportunities.

All countries want to see certain sports they are traditionally strong in in the Olympics to enable them to move up the medal standings.

Japan so desperately is working to get baseball and softball readmitted as sports in 2016 because it has so few other medal opportunities in large numbers besides swimming and judo. The slogan, "Baseball in 2016," is part of the advertising on the Nippon Professional Baseball site, for example.

If you look carefully at the history of swimming in the Olympics, you will find that other countries have done very well, even better at times, than the United States.

Perhaps with a lot of the same successful techniques and training regimens being used the world over, as well as the same equipment, there might not be much of a gap between the best anymore.

My guess is that the U.S. will win the most medals in swimming again. Australia and Russia will do well, too. Some other countries will surprise, but, Japan, outside of Kosuke Kitajima and couple others, will disappoint. Anyway, we will see how things play out soon.
TonyUS at 01:20 PM JST - 6th August

A lot of hype, let's just see what happens.. :) I am a little bias though. I do not want to see China go away with the highest total.. hahah

It seems to me it would just be fulfilling the CCP goal of trying to use the Olympics as a show of superiority as was stated earlier in reports of the mentality of the communist leadership, in line with Nazi Germany.. Why China has such mentality among its leaders?????? They have a long way to go to become a normal country seen from the outside.
ExPrinceska at 01:25 PM JST - 6th August

You ought to be ashamed; and you are also showing your ignorance. Thorpe has been absolutely cleared of all newspaper (one newspaper ) gossip and satisfied all testing and analysis. Do you want to share the penalties which the French newspaper will pay for defamation?

sorry but I read the story in the newspapers about Thorpe. Am I guilty that it was written scandalous things about him?!?!??!
huberts2 at 03:52 PM JST - 6th August

exprinceska Yes of course you are. Your words, "I am disappointed with thorp who used doping and retired to cover the drug scandal." You didn't just pass a tedious blogger's opinion, you stated that as a fact. Obviously someone else in a newspaper office once threw away a line about Thorpe and now you and a few others believe. You have continued the "lie". Your only defence is that apart from you almost everyone else knows he did not use drugs and others are less likely to be influenced by your ignorance - consequently damage to him from your 'factual' statement may be less and your penalty reduced.
ExPrinceska at 08:21 PM JST - 6th August

Huberts, Thanks for the explanation. I think I would like mostly the representatives of coutries not so strong in swimming to win, and also I will cheer for the American and Russian team because I find American and Russian swimmers more charismatic. Also it would be good if Japanes swimmers win some medals. Last Olympic games Kitajima won spectacularly. It will be nice competition.
roomtemperature at 03:29 PM JST - 7th August

"Some other countries will surprise, but, Japan, outside of Kosuke Kitajima and couple others, will disappoint. Anyway, we will see how things play out soon."

And in the meanwhile you keep wishful thinking, don't you Pathat.

YOU complain about others grumbling? OMG, the joke of the day!!
ChimpsAhead at 03:37 PM JST - 7th August

I don`t have any doubt that the US will complete an almost clean sweep of medals in the swimming events. Also from news i have heard, the US team is the only one that is likely to be drug free.
dennis0bauer at 03:41 PM JST - 7th August

There are always strong rivals every 4 years
ChimpsAhead at 03:43 PM JST - 7th August

I still feel US will dominate the womens and mens events.
Storenose at 11:26 PM JST - 7th August

It is too bad we don't have Thorpe with us this time, but the rest of the team is looking very strong.
ExPrinceska at 11:31 PM JST - 7th August

I really wonder what Australia will be able to do without Thorpe. Who is the star of the Australian team now?
JackDorff at 02:20 PM JST - 8th August

Exprinceska - Did you read the article?

Grant Hackett - 1500m freestyle world record holder chasing his 3rd straight 1500m title. Star material perhaps?

Without Thorpe, Australia will probably still get a few medals. Probably not as many as the US, but more than New Zealand.
TheCode at 02:35 PM JST - 8th August

ChimpsAhead:

I don`t have any doubt that the US will complete an almost clean sweep of medals in the swimming events. Also from news i have heard, the US team is the only one that is likely to be drug free.

Actually, U.S. swimmer Jessica Hardy was already caught doping, and thus will miss the Beijing Olympics.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/olympics/view/doping-cheats-caught-before-they-get-to-olympics
ExPrinceska at 03:47 PM JST - 8th August

Thanks JackDorff, I will watch for Grant Hackett. The article says he is the captain of the team, the captain is usually the oldest athlete, not obligatory the one in best shape, that is whay I asked who is the greatest star in the team.