The Olympics

[Byron]

What a pity - I didn't see the US competitor hiking up his speedos like the surf boat Aussies do down at Bondi etc.

I don't know enough about the Olympic Rules to know whether double suits are allowed to be worn - but they certainly used to be (and maybe less so now) in club matches and Turbo was always the brand for the water polo players (but maybe AussieBum comes into the picture more nowadays).

We have swimmer members on this board but I don't think I've heard yet from a guy who participates in water polo.

[California Dolphin]

I love the W-Polo events (Exclusively Speedos) , but I hate the swimming events (Exclusively Jammers) .

[kumu]

I was glued to the TV for the mens' synchronized platform diving. Stunning athletics, athletes, and speedos. I was pulling for Garcia and Sanchez from Mexico, they placed second after China, US 3. I caught a bit of womens' water polo and there is no doubt the women water polo players are a bit chunky. I saw one diving competition once, not the Olympics, where one of the divers actually wore board shorts, that didn't seem to catch on and I hope it never does.

[Byron]

Yes - remarkable come-back by the Mexican guys in the synchro diving and a great attempt on the degree of difficulty - I am sure many would have wished to see Gold for them.

CD is right - there is a disappointing and total "uniform" now of black jammers on the starting blocks (correction: just one guy yesterday actually stood out in light blue).

[kumu]

Saw some of the US-Roumania water polo match today. Again stunned by the speedos, they do not look doubled up. The announcers again mentioned how rough the game is, they likened it to hockey for roughness, they pointed out the players might be the best conditioned athletes of any sport. It would be nice if the Olympics and this kind of coverage increases interest in the sport, and helps convince American Youth that it is just fine to wear speedos.

[kumu]

More mens' diving tonight, I thought the Ukranian suits were real attractive, a nice blue front and yellow back. That would be a nice suit to get.

[Byron]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5...oilo1_1280.jpg

Here are three guys with whom I would not argue too much for possession of the ball and pretty certainly French - but whether those eye-catching suits are/were for the national w-p team I am not sure (there is a line of text I believe but very much undecipherable on that print).

[NJHunkguy]

Originally Posted by Byron

Nice suit !!

[California Dolphin]

On the subject of the Olympics, I watched a volley ball game I believe was between the U.S. and Russia. Then about 2 hours later, there was a track meet.

In both events, all the guys were wearing what looked like traditional pre -90s shorts!!!

[kumu]

Its also interesting to see a video of a basketball game from the '80's, the shorts really are short, higher than mid thigh, they are so short they remind me of speedos. I guess it was the baggy gang clothing fad that got basketball shorts past knee length, it can't be efficient. Nothing lasts forever. That fad has overstayed its welcome.

When we read history of the original olympic games in Greece the competitors were all male and competed nude, women were not allowed to view the games, their men feared they would be so smitten by the sight of fit young lads that they would never relate sexually with their husbands again. And we know ancient Greece had different standards on homosexuality than the modern world, it wasn't merely tolerated, it was celebrated--in the right context. Those athletes, those finely tuned young athletes, the mind reels.