who will be watching the opening ceremony


Olympic Opening Ceremony
Fri 8 Aug, 12:45 pm - 4:45 pm 240mins

From the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, Sue Barker and Huw Edwards introduce live coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the XXIX Olympiad.
Eight is a lucky number in China and the ceremony starts at 8.00pm local time (1.00pm BST) on the 8th of the eighth 2008. A global audience running into billions is expected to watch one of the greatest shows on earth. The Chinese have promised to stage a fantastic spectacle at what is being widely seen as China's 'coming out party'. There's live coverage of all the glitz, glamour and pageantry, alongside the parade of teams and the formal opening of the Games.

With commentary from Hazel Irvine and Carrie Gracie. Also in HD. [S]

what a waste of time and money. everyone knows that whoever wins is on performance enhanced drugs, so why don't they either allow everyone to use drugs legally or scrap the whole competition?

what a waste of time and money. everyone knows that whoever wins is on performance enhanced drugs, so why don't they either allow everyone to use drugs legally or scrap the whole competition?


Are they!?

I'll be at work, might put it on in the kitchen. :)

what a waste of time and money. everyone knows that whoever wins is on performance enhanced drugs, so why don't they either allow everyone to use drugs legally or scrap the whole competition?What a ridiculous statement.

Drug testing has been part of the Olympics since 1968 and in Olympic final events, the competitors who gain the first four places, plus one other usually chosen at random, are subjected to a drug test. So anyone found cheating will get busted. I think you'll find its the minority not the majority.

I bought a Freesat box on Saturday to be able to watch the opening ceremony in HD. A bit more thought would have told me I'd be at work when it was all happening! :mad:

What a ridiculous statement.

Drug testing has been part of the Olympics since 1968 and in Olympic final events, the competitors who gain the first four places, plus one other usually chosen at random, are subjected to a drug test.


So those races back in the '90s, where people tested clean but have since been proven to have been on drugs at the time - those never happened, then? :suspect:

So those races back in the '90s, where people tested clean but have since been proven to have been on drugs at the time - those never happened, then? :suspect:I think we'll find the testing methods have improved significantly since then don't you? And the point I was trying to make was that suggesting every winner would be drug enhanced was ridiculous. Unfortunately there is too much at stake these days for sport to be ever totally clean, someone will always take their chance.

I think we'll find the testing methods have improved significantly since then don't you? And the point I was trying to make was that suggesting every winner would be drug enhanced was ridiculous.

Not as ridiculous as admitting that several athletes have an unfair advantage because of drugs, but still insisting on a naive belief that athletes who can beat the ones who are cheating, can do so without cheating.

what a waste of time and money. everyone knows that whoever wins is on performance enhanced drugs, so why don't they either allow everyone to use drugs legally or scrap the whole competition?

Exactly. There should be two tiers, one sponsored by the biochemical companies (like the constructors in F1) and the other kept clean. Seriously, I'm not even joking. It could improve investment into performance enhancing drugs that might have 'civilian' applications, make competition more fun and WAY more fair.... it'd be brilliant.

Edit - I'm totally cynical about the use of drugs in athletics. I assume as a matter of course that any winner has used them at some point, with only one or two (totally arbitrary) exceptions... Johnathon Edwards (coz he's a good little christian boy) and Michael Johnson (just coz he's too cool) are the only ones I can think of. The rest of em? Druggies all.

Not as ridiculous as admitting that several athletes have an unfair advantage because of drugs, but still insisting on a naive belief that athletes who can beat the ones who are cheating, can do so without cheating.So you're also suggesting EVERY athlete that wins at the Olympics will be drug enhanced?

I am sure the that any athlete who wins a medal through cheating will be stripped of the medal and will have to pay back any winnings
the ioc said
More than 4,500 tests will be administered — 25 percent more than were conducted in the 2004 Games in Athens and 90 percent more than the number of tests in Sydney in 2000.
In a change of policy, athletes will be tested whether they are at an Olympic venue, the Olympic Village or a far-away training facility

now away from drugs it was nice to see paula radcliffe at bejing also we lead the rankings in a fair few sports so hopefully team GB should come back with plenty of gold medals

now away from drugs it was nice to see paula radcliffe at bejing also we lead the rankings in a fair few sports so hopefully team GB should come back with plenty of gold medals
Having looked at our potential medal hopes GB do seem to have the opportunity to grab quite a few medals this time round. Fingers crossed they live up to expectations. :thumbsup:

I'll watch the usual suspects. 100 metres, 110 metres Hurdles, Soccer, Basketball, Tennis. That should be it. :)

I have a niggling feeling that politics will be a major Gold Medal winner at these games.
Having said that, I am a Track & Field person and will be hopefully looking forward to those events.

I have never seen such terrible refereeing as I have just seen by the Saudi official in the Brazil v Belgium game. Two sent off for Belgium with little or no contact for the second yellows. Lousy.

I think we'll find the testing methods have improved significantly since then don't you? And the point I was trying to make was that suggesting every winner would be drug enhanced was ridiculous. Unfortunately there is too much at stake these days for sport to be ever totally clean, someone will always take their chance.


Second point - agreed

first point - did you read about the guy in this years Tour? it took approximately (from memory) 8-10 tests to bust him - even he admitted he should 've been caught earlier. testing methods might have improved, but so have the substances in terms of masking ability.

Just set it up in the office for my team to watch using a plasma and spare laptop so I can use bbc iplayer :)

Hey Thanks for the link,
Some news:-
--China allowed Internet facilities during Olympic games,
--Football games of Olympic is started before inauguration ...

Well I think its awesome watching athletes at the peak of physical fitness and at the very top of their particular sport competing, especially when you consider many have trained for years for what often boils down to a few races.

Great coverage on bbc too.

We just won a gold medal as well, in the womens road race.

Nicole Cooke

We just won a gold medal as well, in the womens road race.

Nicole Cooke

In terrible conditions as well :)

In terrible conditions as well :)

Yes its bouncing down with rain, not good to do a 75 mile race.

Think I was posting on the wrong thread...

Yes awful weather in Beijing!

GB female rowers did well today also-was just watching the womens archery-unfortunately just missed the bronze. I'd love to have a go at that. :)

Britain is currently in 3rd position in the medals table our team keep winning gold medals in the rowing sailing and cycling:thumbsup:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/medals_table/default.stm

Great achievment, we`d be level with the US if you took Phelps out. Still more to come with another gold guarenteed in the ladies cycling thingy event.