Olympic Games and Poland

[Jaga]

We are still waiting for the first medal for Poles. By the way, this year the first gold medal was won by Czechs!

Here are the articles about Poles in previous olympic games:

culture.polishsite.us/smtravel.html#SPORT

[Jaga]

Guys,

still no any medals for Poles. Our lead swimmer Otylia Jedrzejczak is not doing well. She had a car accident about 2 years ago. She was driving. In the result of the accident her brother died. I think that after this accident she lost a will to win....

you can read more about her in previous olympic game here:
culture.polishsite.us/articles/art253.html

I also modified the main website with links to the Polish sport:
culture.polishsite.us/

[jimpres]

Has anyone seen the Kangi (Chinese) Characters that represent the word 'Poland' or 'Polish'?
I tried to google it and could not find it. They must exist since the opening ceremony had
the signs.

[Jaga]

Finally we got the first gold:
Tomasz Majewski of Poland caused an upset when he claimed gold in the men's shot put on day one of athletics action at Beijing's National Stadium.

Here is more about him with the picture:
news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/athletics/7563929.stm

[Jaga]

Poles also received silver in fencing in Men's Team Epee

[Jaga]

Sunday was good for Poles. We received one more gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals.

This is what we have for now:

silver:
Fencing Men's Team Epee ANDRZEJUK Robert, MOTYKA Tomasz, ZAWROTNIAK Radoslaw, WIERCIOCH Adam

SILVER
Weightlifting Men's 94kg KOLECKI Szymon

BRONZE
Wrestling Women's Freestyle 72 kg WIESZCZEK Agnieszka

SILVER
Rowing Lightweight Men's Four PAWLOWSKI Lukasz, PAWELCZAK Bartlomiej, BERNATAJTYS Milosz, RANDA Pawel

GOLD
Men's Quadruple Sculls WASIELEWSKI Konrad, KOLBOWICZ Marek, JELINSKI Michal, KOROL Adam

GOLD
Athletics Men's Shot Put MAJEWSKI Tomasz

We are 16 in rank now

[kaima]

Gold medals per million population

28 Poland 3 3 1 0.0779

28th Place
3 Gold
3 Silver
1 Bronze
0.0779 Gold Medals / million population
_ _ _ _ _ _


Total medals per million population

Rank G S B Total Total Medals
/Million


46 Poland 3 3 1 7 0.1817

46th place
Gold 3
Silver 3
Bronze 1
Total 7
Total / Million Population 0.1817

simon.forsyth.net/olympics.html

[Jaga]

Kai,

we do not want to train the sportsmen like Eastern Germany which was forcing women to get pregnant just before the olympid to improve their condition....

I did not realize that we received today extra gold and extra silver

It is nice to receive lots of medals but it is not the most important thing in the world.

[kaima]

I can well understand that, Jaga. I am happy that the American reportage seems much better than it was 12 or 20 years ago. Intermixing politics and the Cold War in the Olympics was one thing, but what bothered me most was a spell when it seemed the moron sportscasters declared everyone not in the gold as 'losers'. Taking the very best of the world's athletes and making such repeated declarations time after time, even when 0.01 second separated performances, reflected a real moronic perspective. That happily seems to be in the past today.

My biggest surprise has been seeing so many world records broken!

Kai

[Jaga]

Kai,

it is still nice to have the olympic games but now it seems that in order to win you do not only need to practice but you have to have a perfect body proportons and a special costume, at least for swimming.

[Jaga]

another Polish gold:

Gymnastics Artistic Men's Vault BLANIK Leszek

silver:
Athletics Men's Discus Throw MALACHOWSKI Piotr

[Jaga]

Here is a picture of Polish silver weight lifter:
www.sport.pl/sport/1,92385,5603483,Kolecki_telewizyjnym_hitem_pierwszego_tygodnia_igrzysk.html

[kaima]

Hi Jaga -

Yes, it is interesting to see how the sports change with technology. Of course, I hate to see top scores depending upon high tech textiles or other props. The one redeeming feature would be if all competitors had the choice and opportunity to utilize the same technology if they chose. Then the results return to the best athlete, the best performance of the day, and the ever present luck.

The site I quoted with medals per million citizens is just one more way to juggle statistics. People are still fascinated with it. Honestly, I might have looked up the USA, but already forgot where we stand, I find it so unimportant.

One writeup I did enjoy was on the winning times of the American swimming phenom (phenomenon) Phillips and the record times today and back in the '70's when Spitz won so many golds.

My guests from Slovakia will be around another ten days, then peace returns to my life. I have been watching an hour or two of the Olympics most evenings, and was a bit surprised by their attitude. While it is easy to accept a lack of interest (I myself follow no organized sports or team), but I was surprised at them making fun of my interest in it. I used to think young people tended to be more tolerant of various practices than older people, but that does not seem to be the case!

Kai, Who enjoys watching some of the world's best athletes compete every four years.

[karl]

Aug 20, 2008 12:27:34 GMT -7 kaima said:

Hi Jaga -

Yes, it is interesting to see how the sports change with technology. Of course, I hate to see top scores depending upon high tech textiles or other props. The one redeeming feature would be if all competitors had the choice and opportunity to utilize the same technology if they chose. Then the results return to the best athlete, the best performance of the day, and the ever present luck.

The site I quoted with medals per million citizens is just one more way to juggle statistics. People are still fascinated with it. Honestly, I might have looked up the USA, but already forgot where we stand, I find it so unimportant.

One writeup I did enjoy was on the winning times of the American swimming phenom (phenomenon) Phillips and the record times today and back in the '70's when Spitz won so many golds.

My guests from Slovakia will be around another ten days, then peace returns to my life. I have been watching an hour or two of the Olympics most evenings, and was a bit surprised by their attitude. While it is easy to accept a lack of interest (I myself follow no organized sports or team), but I was surprised at them making fun of my interest in it. I used to think young people tended to be more tolerant of various practices than older people, but that does not seem to be the case!

Kai, Who enjoys watching some of the world's best athletes compete every four years.

Haa, yes Dear Kai

You know, you are to miss those two young people after the 1st day they are departed...For they have left their mark upon you with their company whilst they were with you.

Young people have that tendency to do just that, they break up a persons peace and tranquility, they are bothersome with their nuisance. They never agree to your wishes, and in this stead, determine that you abide by their desires. They are always bored, and never happy.

But, they love you and this is their mark. Yes, I think perhaps they will be missed, and as so of them, for they will miss their wonderful uncle who cared so much for them as to protest of any possible harm that would befall of them.

Yes Kai, and now...the solitude of the trail, the forest wind, the shisssk of ski on snow, will bring no more of the pleasure of the past. For now, it will be of your thoughts of those precious moments in time now past, will return of memories to enjoy with.

Karl

[Jaga]

Kai,

I am surprised to hear that your guests are not interested at all in olympic games. They should at least support their team!

Maja Wloszczowska, Polish cyclist received silver, German lady, Sabine Spitz, got a gold.

Below is more:

1st Ld: Spitz claims Germany's first cycling gold at Beijing Games


www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-23 12:47:47 Print

BEIJING, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sabine Spitz claimed Germany's first cycling gold at the Beijing Olympics after winning the women's mountain bike cross country here on Saturday.

Spitz dominated the race from the first lap to the last, clocking in one hour, 45 minutes and 11 seconds to take the gold.

Crossing the finish line, she got off her bike and took it above her head to give herself a spectacular celebration with the German flag on her back.

Maja Wloszczowska of Poland took the silver in 1:45:52, while the bronze medal went to Irina Kalentyeva of Russia in 1:46:28.

Six-time World Cup champion Marie Helene Premont of Canada took the lead from the very beginning, but it was German veteran Sabine Spitz who broken out at the end of the first lap to establish the lead.

The Athen's bronze medallist demonstrated her climbing skills and endurance to expand her lead to more than one minute after three laps, followed by a group of six riders with Chinese medal hopeful Liu Ying placed fourth.

The Germany's women cyclist of the year kept her leading position for the fourth and fifth lap as Maja Wloszczowska pulled out to get the second place, followed by Catharine Pendrel of Canada and Russian Irian Kalentyeva, while Chinese Liu Ying fainted to the six.