Summer Olympics-- favorite events to watch

[Tiger1]

I am looking forward to women's gymnastics, men's swimming-- in the past, I just watched those two. However, this summer, I am also going to watch equestrian. I am not familiar with the sport-- what events/athletes is the current buzz?

Something I have always been curious about, where are the vet(s) stationed during the actual events? You know how for humans, the ambulances are stationed at a certain location, where are the emergency vet vehicles stationed? At the Olympics, what is the veterinarian team composition-- head vet, assistant vets, nurses...?

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[msmrtrthnyllb]

Table tennis is always entertaining.

 

[jeeney]

both men's and women's gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, track & field events, swimming, volleyball...

 

[DrDRBaker2B]

I'll be watching my softball! 😍Last time they will be playing in the Olympics thanks to being kicked out of 2012 London. 🙁

Go USA!!!!

Might catch some men's swimming too 😉

 

[WishingnHoping]

Of course the equestrian sports!!!! There's dressage, show jumping, and eventing. I'm primarily focused on the eventing portion. It's interesting because they have shortened the format and there has now been a lot of controversy (and horse deaths, riders injured). There used to be long format with lots of galloping but now they took out the steeplechase portion and it's become much more technical and much different.

In eventing there are a series of jog-ups where the vet inspects them before they can proceed into competition. 🙂

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eventing

 

[PAThbrd]

All the horses have to pass a jog before each phase of competition. There should be vets on site for every dressage and show jumping round, and on cross country there should be vets at the start box and at the finish to do PEs and there should be an equine ambulance staffed with a vet + others ready to go to anywhere on course. I believe there will be vets in the cool down area - there is a special air conditioned cool down areas with misters and fans due to the high heat and humidity in Hong Kong. One of the equine magazines - either The Horse or Equus - has a run down of the prep for the equine olympic events in their may issue. Most of the teams (ie each country) send their own vet team for their horses too. So the olympics will probably be overflowing with vets 🙂

I love watching the equestrian events and beach volleyball.

 

[twelvetigers]

I've always liked watching the men on the rings, mostly because it looks SO HARD... I also like the women's gymnastics, especally the... uh... parallel bars? I'm 100% not a gymnast. But I *can* touch my nose with my big toe. 🙂

 

[Rebeki]

Definitely any of the equestrian events that are televised! Also, gymnastics.

 

[CalpardNY]

In addition to most of the ones mentioned above (gymnastics, swimming, equestrian, etc), I am a big fan of rowing. But it helps that i was on my college crew team for 4 years as a cox and a rower - and rowing is a sport that takes on a whole new meaning once you are part of it.

I have a good friend from college who has been living in Beijing and has gotten some tickets to events, including rowing - I am so jealous! 🙁

 

[Tiger1]

Thanks PATHbrd and WishingnHoping for explaining the equestrian sport and vets' roles. Right now, I plan to flip through the equestrian events while packing and unpacking for my August move. [Note to self: Make sure to contact ComEd for electricity in the new apt.] I'll start by focusing on the surrounding commentaries and what the vets are doing, maybe something unexpected/exciting will happen and I will be hooked to the buzz of an event/athlete/incident. I can't wait till August-- Vet School, New environment/life, New people and the 2008 Summer Olympics!!!

 

[Kylana]

I usually watch show jumping, but I've never managed to find dressage or cross country on TV - are those parts even televised!?

But I'm more of a winter olympics fan -Hockey!!!!😍

 

[weirdhobo]

Water POLO!!!!
Table Tennis

too bad neither are shown too much on NBC :s (doesn't have cable)

 

[littlehooves]

No, unfortunatly the equestrian portions (eventing and dressage) aren't normally televised- sometimes you get the one hour special coverages- they did that last olympics for eventing. But you can order special horse channels and all the stuff is televised...in the UK I'm pretty sure stuff like Burgley and other big events are televised on normal channels.

 

[WishingnHoping]

Well, poo. The Olympics have lost a bit of their glimmer to me now since, at least for eventing, we lost one of the greatest contenders (the US, that is) this morning. A PONY (yes, a PONY) was at the top of the sport of eventing and was euthanized this morning due to catastrophic injuries to one of his hind legs. I was really looking forward to seeing him at the Olympics! What a loss, too. I can't imagine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUOfjZChU9s
Here's a video of him at Rolex this year conquering the stadium course. What a great little guy!!!

 

[VAgirl]

there is a special air conditioned cool down areas with misters and fans due to the high heat and humidity in Hong Kong.

Are the equestrian events in a different location than the other events?😕 (I'm rather in the dark...I didn't really know there were equestrian events in the Olympics.😳)

 

[littlehooves]

omg Wishingnhoping...Teddy's been PTS?.....holy geez that little guy's amazing. Thanks for posting the vid -I watched this once (someone elses camera) and could never find the YouTube vid again. RIP Teddy! 🙁
And yes, the Equestrian stuff is at a different venue in Hong Kong- they've built a really amazing facility. Horses were in the Olympics around the time of track and field....chariot races you know. 😉
stuff on the equestrian venue: http://en.beijing2008.cn/cptvenues/venues/equ/

 

[runnerDC]

Women's and men's marathons...

 

[Moonpaw]

I don't know if this will be true for the Summer Olympics, but when the Winter Olympics were on two years ago, I would plunk myself in front of the TV for three hours a night to watch anything NBC saw fit to air. And I don't even watch TV that much!

 

[Tsuky2008]

I've always liked watching the men on the rings, mostly because it looks SO HARD... I also like the women's gymnastics, especally the... uh... parallel bars? I'm 100% not a gymnast. But I *can* touch my nose with my big toe. 🙂

Men compete on the parallel bars, and women's gymnastics has the uneven bars 😀

As a former gymnast and diver, I will be glued to the TV screen watching gymnastics and diving!!

I also love beach volleyball, swimming, and everything equestrian, but I'm not as intense when I watch these, and I usually don't yell at the TV as much as gymnastics or diving where I love to play judge! "What was THAT!? That was a terrible Yurchenko! Oh what the hell!?" 😉

 

[twelvetigers]

That's right. I thought I was off somehow... I think the uneven ones are cooler because of the insane dismounts. That, and how hard they swing themselves on those bars! Yikes! Definitely not for the meek, or for poor ol' tig. I have enough trouble walking.

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[imagine21]

Any part of the equestrian events that are covered and, of course, K1- aka Single Kayaking - if you've never watched, it is great to watch these single man boats maneuver rapids-my cousin Scott Parsons will be in Beijing; he was part of the US Olympic team in Athens 2004 as well. Go Scotty!!!

 

[PAThbrd]

Oooh, forgot to add... one of our classmates is going to the olympic trials for the womens swim team, if she makes it, ill definitely be watching that, too 🙂

 

[JIKJen124]

Search the "sister networks" for the equestrian events. Usually they are on, but at odd hours - yay for TiVo!

As for me, I'll be tuning into swimming and diving, gymnastics, rowing and of course equestrian.