Go Togo!

[bazodee]

Togo has won its first Olympic medal. Shall I mention that Canada has yet to win any medals ....

"Grimm won the singles kayak with a total time of 171.70, ahead of France's Fabien Lefevre.

The bronze medal went to Benjamin Boukpeti, who gave Togo its first Olympic medal ever.

Boukpeti, who was born in France and competes for Togo because his father immigrated from there, made the semifinals in single kayak slalom four years ago."

[MarleysGh0st]

Boukpeti, who was born in France and competes for Togo because his father immigrated from there, made the semifinals in single kayak slalom four years ago."

France gets a free <grumble>® for this one.




Edited because, unlike ending prepositions, I really do care about spelling errors.

[Nit Picker]

Boukpeti, who was born in France and competes for Togo because his father immigrated from there, made the semifinals in single kayak slalom four years ago."

France gets a free <grumble>® for this on.

I know you didn't mean to end your sentence with a preposition.

[MarleysGh0st]

Boukpeti, who was born in France and competes for Togo because his father immigrated from there, made the semifinals in single kayak slalom four years ago."

France gets a free <grumble>® for this on.

I know you didn't mean to end your sentence with a preposition.

What if I did?

[Nit Picker]

France gets a free <grumble>® for this on.

I know you didn't mean to end your sentence with a preposition.

What if I did?

Then I'll be around to point out your oversight.

And maybe call the Spell Police.

[andrewjackson]

I think we're going to see quite few first time medalists this year.

Through 4 days, 46 countries have already won at least one medal.

Total of medal-winning countries for previous Olympics:

2004 - 74
2000 - 80
1996 - 79
1992 - 64
1988 - 52
1984 - 47


There are 204 countries competing overall. That's an increase of 2 from 2004. "Countries" here means entities participating independently in the Olympics. Obviously several of them are not countries in the normal sense.

[bazodee]

I think we're going to see quite few first time medalists this year.

Through 4 days, 46 countries have already won at least one medal.

Total of medal-winning countries for previous Olympics:

2004 - 74
2000 - 80
1996 - 79
1992 - 64
1988 - 52
1984 - 47


There are 204 countries competing overall. That's an increase of 2 from 2004. "Countries" here means entities participating independently in the Olympics. Obviously several of them are not countries in the normal sense.

You mean, like Canada ...

[a1mamacat]

Togo has won its first Olympic medal. Shall I mention that Canada has yet to win any medals ....

Personally, I suggest that you not!

[a1mamacat]

I think we're going to see quite few first time medalists this year.

Through 4 days, 46 countries have already won at least one medal.

Total of medal-winning countries for previous Olympics:

2004 - 74
2000 - 80
1996 - 79
1992 - 64
1988 - 52
1984 - 47


There are 204 countries competing overall. That's an increase of 2 from 2004. "Countries" here means entities participating independently in the Olympics. Obviously several of them are not countries in the normal sense.

You mean, like Canada ...

Got your gun taken away at the border we?

[etaoin22]

While many countries may have competitors who win medals, the impression of the numbers which I get is....

Return to pre-1980 situation.

Two political superpowers who choose to support massively athletic programs which show up in the Olympics, as part of political competition. And who perhaps are ahead of other countries in doping pharmacology, win most of the medals.

That being said, the spectators whose spectating is being shown on North American TV, which may or may not be a representative sample of all, appear to have learned their cheering lessons. They appear much less boorish than, in particular, those who attended Atlanta 1996.

[andrewjackson]

Now up to 50 different countries winning at least one medal.

Tajikistan won their first medal ever, a bronze in judo.

[andrewjackson]

The total is now 52 countries that have won at least one medal in these Olympics. Lithuania and Armenia both picked up their first medals on Thursday.

No additional new all-time medalists but Mongolia who had won 16 silver and bronze medals in previous Olympics finally won a gold medal in judo. They had the most medals without a gold. I'll have to do some checking to figure who hold that mark now.

[andrewjackson]

That was easier than I thought.

The Philippines are now the country with the most Olympic medals, 9, without a gold.

[ulysses5019]

Now up to 50 different countries winning at least one medal.

Tajikistan won their first medal ever, a bronze in judo.

At least they kept theirs:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/o ... ml?cnn=yes

[andrewjackson]

Now up to 50 different countries winning at least one medal.

Tajikistan won their first medal ever, a bronze in judo.

At least they kept theirs:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/o ... ml?cnn=yes

Sweden has lots.

And rejecting medals has a long history. The most famous is probably the U.S. basketball team in 1972 who didn't even go to the podium for the ceremony. Their medals are still in a vault in Switzerland.

Muhammad Ali supposedly tossed his gold medal into the Ohio River. He got a replacement in Atlanta in 1996.

[TheConfessor]

Togo has won its first Olympic medal. Shall I mention that Canada has yet to win any medals ....

"Grimm won the singles kayak with a total time of 171.70, ahead of France's Fabien Lefevre.

The bronze medal went to Benjamin Boukpeti, who gave Togo its first Olympic medal ever.

Boukpeti, who was born in France and competes for Togo because his father immigrated from there, made the semifinals in single kayak slalom four years ago."

This teaser appeared in the print version of The Onion before the kayak finals were held. There doesn't seem to be an article connected to it. I guess it was thought to be funny, but it was actually surprisingly prescient.
http://www.theonion.com/content/from_pr ... ne_olympic

[silverscreenselect]

I've consulted with a number of kayaking experts, and they carefully reviewed the performance of the bronze medal winner from Togo. They have come to the conclusion that he made a number of technical mistakes during his run which cost him time and if he hadn't messed up, he could easily have won a silver or gold medal.

He should be ashamed of himself for letting his entire country and all the Togo dimmzys like that.

[ulysses5019]

I've consulted with a number of kayaking experts, and they carefully reviewed the performance of the bronze medal winner from Togo. They have come to the conclusion that he made a number of technical mistakes during his run which cost him time and if he hadn't messed up, he could easily have won a silver or gold medal.

He should be ashamed of himself for letting his entire country and all the Togo dimmzys like that.

Country? Togodimmzys? I had him at 8 to 1 for the gold.

[andrewjackson]

Up to 54 medaling countries after Friday's competition. Norway gets two medals in swimming and Ethiopia gets one in women's distance running.

[andrewjackson]

I didn't keep up this thread over the weekend because I had to go back to Indiana for a funeral and I have virtually no internet access at my parent's house.

Anyway, after 13 days of the Olympics we are up to 79 countries with at least one medal. That's just one short of the record of 80 set in 2000.

First time medal winners:
Togo
Tajikistan
Bahrain
Afghanistan
Serbia

First time gold medal winners:
Mongolia
Panama

Serbia is an interesting case. They had previously competed as Serbia in the 1912 Olympics but after that as part of Yugoslavia and then Serbia & Montenegro.

[christie1111]

Anton Fokin of Uzbekistan winning a bronze in men's gymnastics adds to the first for a country.

Unless I mis-heard that last night.

[andrewjackson]

Anton Fokin of Uzbekistan winning a bronze in men's gymnastics adds to the first for a country.

Unless I mis-heard that last night.

Maybe in gymnastics. Uzbekistan has won 5 medals in this Olympics so far including one on the 2nd day. Overall, Uzbekistan won 5 medals in 2004, 4 in 2000, and 2 in 1996. They also won 1 medal in the Winter Olympics in 1994.

[danielh41]

Shall I mention that Canada has yet to win any medals ....

Yahoo shows that Canada has won 13 medals, two of them gold... http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijin ... dQiukTv5V4

[bazodee]

Canada had not won any medals as of the date of the original post.

The Netherlands Antilles has won its first medal as well.

[andrewjackson]

Canada had not won any medals as of the date of the original post.

The Netherlands Antilles has won its first medal as well.

For this Olympics? I don't see them listed.

They won a silver in 1988.