2021 Summer Olympics (Tokyo)

Bondi77

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I am not sure how many nationalities are on this board but I just wondered if the TV coverage in your respective country only really focused on the events where you had good representation or gave all the events equal exposure?
I appreciate that some nationalities may have very small teams and therefore little representation.
 

Heardy

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I do hate it when commentators and ask athletes about a relative who has just died and how proud they’d be etc., feel like they through the athlete under the bus.

They’re baaically saying “come on, please cry for the camera.”

Congrats Lauren, deserved Gold!!
 

Kopral Jono

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I am not sure how many nationalities are on this board but I just wondered if the TV coverage in your respective country only really focused on the events where you had good representation or gave all the events equal exposure?
I appreciate that some nationalities may have very small teams and therefore little representation.
Here in Indonesia it couldn't be better. Every single event is available on demand online in HD for a very small fee and TV coverage hasn't been too bad, either, giving most of the events equal exposure regardless of representation.
 

Wilt

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If there was ever a British sportsman who deserved to be Knighted…. it has to be Jason Kenny.

Truly amazing.
 

Eendracht maakt macht

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Great olympics for the Netherlands! Mainly enjoyed ‘our’ athletic medals.
 

El Zoido

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The Olympics goes by so quickly, the last day is always quite sad. Thank god the football season is back next weekend.
 

Bertie Wooster

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I do hate it when commentators and ask athletes about a relative who has just died and how proud they’d be etc., feel like they through the athlete under the bus.

They’re baaically saying “come on, please cry for the camera.”

Congrats Lauren, deserved Gold!!
Yeah, it's very manufactured and emotionally manipulative by the TV - both for the sports star and the viewer.

It's all part of the X Factor style presentation of it to make people 'invested' in these sports and athletes for 2 weeks every 4 years.

TV obviously fears / knows that viewers will be lower if they just focus on the elite level sporting contest side of it in sports people don't usually watch; rather than by ramping up the back stories / emotional / patriotism side of it all to get people fleetingly invested in the sports and the competitors.

I like watching some of the sports, and appreciating the ability of the competitors, but I find the cheap X Factor style 'ramping up the emotion and back stories for good TV' hard work.
 

Massive Spanner

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She was awesome and deserves her Gold

On the other hand it's Irelands 3rd medal in the whole games.

That is abysmally poor for such a developed country
Probably because most of our infrastructure revolves around our two national sports as opposed to sports that have any relevance on the world stage.
 

Bertie Wooster

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I'm pleased to see USA finished ahead of China. :)

I like USA anyway, and the fact athletes from other countries go to USA universities / use USA sporting facilities to help them become better athletes - and then compete against the USA for medals - just highlights the difference in the two countries when you watch about the Chinese government's ruthless and barbaric pursuit of Golds solely for PR reasons.

The way China run their Olympic schools - treating children like commodities just to deliver Golds and then be abandoned when they're no longer useful - is an outrage.
 

Deery

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Yeah, it's very manufactured and emotionally manipulative by the TV - both for the sports star and the viewer.

It's all part of the X Factor style presentation of it to make people 'invested' in these sports and athletes for 2 weeks every 4 years.

TV obviously fears / knows that viewers will be lower if they just focus on the elite level sporting contest side of it in sports people don't usually watch; rather than by ramping up the back stories / emotional / patriotism side of it all to get people fleetingly invested in the sports and the competitors.

I like watching some of the sports, and appreciating the ability of the competitors, but I find the cheap X Factor style 'ramping up the emotion and back stories for good TV' hard work.
I’d disagree people watch the Olympics because the majority of them love sports, a 20 second interview doesn’t determine whether people with watch an event or not going by what you’re say X-factoring it up is drawing the crowds which I think is nonsense it’s the elite competition and a chance to see a sport that you commonly wouldn’t see..
 

Bertie Wooster

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I’d disagree people watch the Olympics because the majority of them love sports, a 20 second interview doesn’t determine whether people with watch an event or not going by what you’re say X-factoring it up is drawing the crowds which I think is nonsense it’s the elite competition and a chance to see a sport that you commonly wouldn’t see..
But why wouldn't you usually get to see it?

These sports aren't only contested at the Olympics! They're competed at throughout the other 4 years as well.

The reason they don't get much coverage / audience outside the Olympics is because there just isn't the interest in those sports to follow them just for the sporting contest themselves. It's the fact 'it's the Olympics', and the relentless bombardment of patriotic / emotional / 'look how much it means to them' that draws many viewers in for those 2 weeks.

If the emotional / patriotic side of it wasn't ramped up to 11, and they just focused on the sporting side, then most people wouldn't be bothered that a person they've never / barely heard of has won at a sport they never / barely show an interest in throughout all the other competitions that take place in those sports in the intervening 4 years.
 

Balljy

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I'd also like to see one based on wealth/living standards. That seems to be the most important indicator.
On the link you can see the medal table weighted by GDP by clicking on the view on the left hand side.
 

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Deery

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But why wouldn't you usually get to see it?

These sports aren't only contested at the Olympics! They're competed at throughout the other 4 years as well.

The reason they don't get much coverage / audience outside the Olympics is because there just isn't the interest in those sports to follow them just for the sporting contest themselves. It's the fact 'it's the Olympics', and the relentless bombardment of patriotic / emotional / 'look how much it means to them' that draws many viewers in for those 2 weeks.

If the emotional / patriotic side of it wasn't ramped up to 11, and they just focused on the sporting side, then most people wouldn't be bothered that a person they've never / barely heard of has won at a sport they never / barely show an interest in throughout all the other competitions that take place in those sports in the intervening 4 years.
That’s extremely patronising for the athletes involved. If you were anyway aware there’s coverage on BBC2 most weekends of a lot of these sports and the diamond league as well as red button then there’s Eurosport too that cover a lot of the specialised events. Too say people wouldn’t be bothered about the Olympics I think is your opinion and not the opinion of many people watching, of course they’re going to add a little extra patriotism and back story to warm you too the athletes but that’s not the be all and end all.
 

PoTMS

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Lauren Price is one phenomenal athlete. Is there anything that girl can't do? Huge props to her and her grandparents.
 

Wibble

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We'll owe Japan a debt of gratitude. Bloody brilliant games in very difficult circumstances.
 

Deery

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We'll owe Japan a debt of gratitude. Bloody brilliant games in very difficult circumstances.
I really enjoyed them even though BBC1 didn’t have all the coverage it’s the most I’ve watched at a games so far..
 

McGrathsipan

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According to these guys we’re doing ok.

Thrilled for Kelly. The scenes from her street have made my week/month/year.
I had a tear in my eye - I am not going to lie.

For her and the work she put in I am thrilled. What an amazing woman she is - inspirational.

What bugs me is that people are claiming it and claiming her all over the place, twitter, Linkedin etc.

She did the work and the achievement is all hers - she put in the hard work, blood sweat and tears. She is the champion and I hope she can cash in from it. Maybe Eddie Hearn can get her a few pro fights in the womens boxing world - help her to get a few quid in the bank.

Imagine a double header in the Aviva with Katie and Kelly on the card!! That would be a good night
 

Samid

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Get in, best Nordic country. Finished ahead of Sweden and Denmark at our second priority olympics. Focus shifts to defending our winter games title in half a year’s time.
 

Bertie Wooster

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That’s extremely patronising for the athletes involved. If you were anyway aware there’s coverage on BBC2 most weekends of a lot of these sports and the diamond league as well as red button then there’s Eurosport too that cover a lot of the specialised events. Too say people wouldn’t be bothered about the Olympics I think is your opinion and not the opinion of many people watching, of course they’re going to add a little extra patriotism and back story to warm you too the athletes but that’s not the be all and end all.
Re: coverage - it was you who said in the post I was responding to that the Olympics was "a chance to see a sport that you commonly wouldn’t see".

That seems a strange comment given your response above now highlighting the opportunities people do have to commonly see those sports outside the Olympics if they were interested enough to do so.

I'm aware the Athletics is on BBC2 (and I watch some of it), and Eurosport shows some of the sports - I assumed you, like me, was basing it more on the audience numbers and media attention most of those sports garner for why people 'commonly wouldn't see' them outside of the Olympics. Because, as you now state, they're there if people want to see them, and the media want to talk about them, throughout the 4 years between Olympics.
 

Deery

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Re: coverage - it was you who said in the post I was responding to that the Olympics was "a chance to see a sport that you commonly wouldn’t see".

That seems a strange comment given your response above now highlighting the opportunities people do have to commonly see those sports outside the Olympics if they were interested enough to do so.

I'm aware the Athletics is on BBC2 (and I watch some of it), and Eurosport shows some of the sports - I assumed you, like me, was basing it more on the audience numbers and media attention most of those sports garner for why people 'commonly wouldn't see' them outside of the Olympics. Because, as you now state, they're there if people want to see them, and the media want to talk about them, throughout the 4 years between Olympics.
What’s strange is you suggesting we only watch a world wide celebration of sports because one of their grannies died.

I said not commonly seen because there is sports like table tennis that wouldn’t be seen as TV friendly and gives you a chance to enjoy it.

It’s because we live in a society that is so much football orientated that the masses choose to spend more time watching that.

Still doesn’t take away from the spectacle that is the Olympic Games..
 
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Adam-Utd

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We'll owe Japan a debt of gratitude. Bloody brilliant games in very difficult circumstances.
Agreed, they managed to put on a great show while struggling with a major pandemic. As far as I know it’s all ran very smoothly.

Glad it all went ahead as every athlete has trained so hard for it, I’ve always loved the olympics but it felt well needed this year.
 

Bertie Wooster

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What’s strange is you suggesting we only watch a world wide celebration of sports because one of their grannies died.

I said not commonly seen because there is sports like table tennis that wouldn’t be seen as TV friendly and gives you a chance to enjoy it.

It’s because we live in a society that is so much football orientated that the masses choose to spend more time watching that.

Still doesn’t take away from the spectacle that is the Olympic Games..
I never said 'only' watching it for that. It's certainly not the reason I watch it. And I imagine there's plenty others who also watch it for the sports - if for nothing else to get their sport fix outside the football season

I said the TV channels know what they're doing by playing up the 'Team GB / patriotism / emotional' side of it. Because that does also help to draw in - and keep for those 2 weeks - a lot of 'casual' TV viewers who aren't huge sports fan, let alone those particular sports.

In the same way as the Euro's and World Cups gets a lot of people watching and cheering on England who don't usually follow football - some of whom even spend a lot of the time grumbling about how much it's on TV and how much media coverage it gets. Yet, come tournament time, they get sucked into the whole collective / patriotic 'get behind England' vibe.

That happens. It doesn't mean there aren't also many existing sport / football fans who watch it. Or that I'm 'patronising' footballers by acknowledging it. And I'm just saying the same about the Olympics. And that the media know they have to ramp it up even more because there isn't as big an initial core following of those Sports as there is with football.
 
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Bertie Wooster

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We'll owe Japan a debt of gratitude. Bloody brilliant games in very difficult circumstances.
I thought it would be a disaster. Ive found I loved every minute of it.
The only thing I was 'worried' about was too many positive covid tests turning it into a farce. Which, thankfully, hasn't happened.

I wasn't worried about the lack of crowds. As long as the top competitors performed, I was stlll expecting it to be every bit as good as other Olympics, and it has been.

At the next Olympics, we'll get the usual 'Sport is nothing without fans in the stadium' - but, as this Olympics has shown, the competitors are the main thing and it can be just as compelling to watch as a viewer with or without fans.
 

Agent Red

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Russia Today having a total meltdown about not winning either of the rhythmic gymnastics golds. One of their editors has tweeted that people should go and spit at the judges and that she wishes she worked for the GRU (to get revenge). Absolutely astonishing the way their official coverage reports this stuff, let alone the hypocrisy of them complaining about cheating!

Anyway great games overall and I hope the consensus in Japan is that it was ultimately worth it. They would have been a fantastic host city had fans been allowed but it sounds like in spite of that all of the athletes felt welcomed and still had a special games. Plus for many of them Paris is too far away, so it’s great that they still got their shot rather than being totally denied by Covid.

Only three years to wait until the next one is the upside!