I do find it amusing that Sky Brown is part of Team GB. She was born in Japan, to a Japanese mother and British father. She's lived her whole life in Japan and the US. She's spent no time in the UK whatsoever, but is eligible to represent GB as she's half-British, she opted to ride for Team GB as apparently our skateboard association is more chilled than the Japanese association. The cynic in me thinks it's probably easier to succeed as well, given Japan appear to have a lot of good skateboarders.

I find it a bit weird that the commentary said something about them (Brown and the 12 year old silver medalist) not being big and strong enough to achieve the biggest tricks. Does that not mean there are better athletes who can?! I've found the skateboarding grossly underwhelming frankly. The failure rate on tricks is really high, and even when they land them it's moderately underwhelming! Contrast with the BMX, which is mental! 

At this point, I can say with a high degree of certainty that my days of even attempting that are well and truly over 

It's been a bit heatwavy the last couple of days (37C+ in the Tokyo area, hitting 40 in some parts of Japan), the good news is it will cool down a bit in the next few days, the bad news is because Tropical Depression of Interest Beta has graduated into Typhoon Number 10, currently on track to arrive in the Tokyo area on Sunday:



Not looking to be a strong one, but early days yet.

Also Team Covid has had another excellent day, smashing through the 5,000 barrier in Tokyo and breaking the record yet again.

That's not good. We've had our worst day in Sydney, too.

My 'soapbox' was my pride and joy. My Mum sent me to the Post Office and I carefully parked it like a car next to the kerb. When I came out I found some  had reversed over it and smashed it to bits along with buckling every wheel :'( :'( :'(

Meanwhile........................

Huge congrats to Matthew Walls on his gold in the men's Omnium - a gruelling schedule of 4 races.
Huge commiserations to Katy Marchant who fell out of the women's Kierin through no fault of her own. I hope she's not too sore.

Quote from: njee20 on August 05, 2021, 08:06:31 AM
I do find it amusing that Sky Brown is part of Team GB. She was born in Japan, to a Japanese mother and British father. She's lived her whole life in Japan and the US. She's spent no time in the UK whatsoever, but is eligible to represent GB as she's half-British, she opted to ride for Team GB as apparently our skateboard association is more chilled than the Japanese association. The cynic in me thinks it's probably easier to succeed as well, given Japan appear to have a lot of good skateboarders.

I find it a bit weird that the commentary said something about them (Brown and the 12 year old silver medalist) not being big and strong enough to achieve the biggest tricks. Does that not mean there are better athletes who can?! I've found the skateboarding grossly underwhelming frankly. The failure rate on tricks is really high, and even when they land them it's moderately underwhelming! Contrast with the BMX, which is mental!

I agree that the skateboarding events are pretty underwhelming especially when compared with the BMX freestyle. Of the sports that are effectively showing off, the BMX freestyle came out tops for me for its scariness, athleticism, and skill followed by the 10m diving. Fabulous!!

Webbo

I don't mind the skateboarding - might be something to do with confiscating skateboards during my teaching career... bit of the culture may have rubbed off on me!

Agree that the high diving has been good. 

Your soapbox story brought tears, Mick - they're running down me legs 

Quote from: njee20 on August 05, 2021, 08:06:31 AM
I do find it amusing that Sky Brown is part of Team GB. She was born in Japan, to a Japanese mother and British father. She's lived her whole life in Japan and the US. She's spent no time in the UK whatsoever, but is eligible to represent GB as she's half-British, she opted to ride for Team GB as apparently our skateboard association is more chilled than the Japanese association.

I am amazed by her, quite simply...
...as someone whose father was born in North India (and fought for King & Country - and Empire...) and whose mother was born in Scotland...
...making me "the only Englishman in the family..."
For my Party Trick, I like to put on a 'fake' (or 'faux') Jamaican accent...
...and say "Me born in Kingston...
...upon Thames..."

I had always thought that I was exotic...
...but clearly, I'm not.

On a slightly more serious point, I have been very impressed with her, when she's been interviewed on BBC TV. She has shown a certain maturity, particularly about how (and why) the games had been postponed.

I was also impressed by her Bronze winning routine: on the first two attempts she fell off on a critical manoeuvre... but succeeded on her third attempt. She really epitomised the: "If at first you don't succeed; try, try (try) again...!".

My day job is working in a Secondary school, which has 'Perseverance' as one of its school values. She really does embody that value - particularly how she came back from that horrific fall, while training (they keep showing the clip of how she went careering off during the training routine - but spare us how she landed...

Finally, my thanks to railsquid, for all the weather forecasts...
...it makes me feel like I'm actually there...

Charles.
(International Man of Mystery?)

Quote from: LeftToMyOwnDevices on August 06, 2021, 12:42:08 AM
Finally, my thanks to railsquid, for all the weather forecasts...
...it makes me feel like I'm actually there...

A relatively cool 33deg in the early afternoon, some sporadic cloud cover building up which may take the edge off the blazing sun later on.

For tomorrow (Saturday), let's take a look at the rainfall forecast for 9pm in the evening:



with the eye of the tyhoon clearly visible and the band of heavy rain (the yellow blobs to the northeast) these things usually push ahead of them just brushing the Tokyo area.

The first Olympic women's Madison proved to be an awesome, bonkers event with a couple of nasty crashes but was won in the most emphatic style I have ever seen by Katie Archibald and Laura Kenny for Team GB. They won 10 of the 12 sprints. I have seen many Madisons over the years and remember a great one with Sir Bradley Wiggins partnered by Mark Cavendish, but Katie and Laura just obliterated everyone else to get gold.

Quote from: Webbo on August 05, 2021, 10:38:56 PM

I agree that the skateboarding events are pretty underwhelming especially when compared with the BMX freestyle. Of the sports that are effectively showing off, the BMX freestyle came out tops for me for its scariness, athleticism, and skill followed by the 10m diving. Fabulous!!

I missed the diving BMXs! 

I'm imaginging some sort of combo event, like the biathlon - BMX freestyle and 10m diving.

Great to see the Madison back on the billing, utterly bonkers event. Superb riding by Katie Archibald and Laura Kenny. Tickled me that Achibald looked like she was wearing a pair of £5 reading glasses under her super dooper aero helmet; but I guess if it works!

Stunning gold medal winning performance by Jason Kenny in the mens' kierin, especially as myself and many others had thought his back legs were gone in earlier races.
I was unsurprised his wife, Laura, failed in the omnium. She finished 6th but, after such emphatic riding in other events, the cruel and brutal regime of the omnium (4 events in a 3 hour period) was just too much. I bet they can't wait to get home now.

Quote from: Newportnobby on August 08, 2021, 09:42:02 AM
Stunning gold medal winning performance by Jason Kenny in the mens' kierin, especially as myself and many others had thought his back legs were gone in earlier races.
I was unsurprised his wife, Laura, failed in the omnium. She finished 6th but, after such emphatic riding in other events, the cruel and brutal regime of the omnium (4 events in a 3 hour period) was just too much. I bet they can't wait to get home now.

Don't think it helped she was involved in a big crash in the scratch race, otherwise think she may have at least won a medal.

That's all folks for at least another 3 years. It was great fun!!

And, I look forward to the BMX bikes running off the 10m diving platform being included in the next Olympics.

Webbo