Tag: Olympics

Here is the live stream schedule for the Olympics. Opening ceremonies are tomorrow but the games have already begun. The Torch has now reached Rio.

The media seems intent to run down Rio as host city to the Olympics. I'm seeing articles with headlines like No Game: The Olympics, Rio and Terror, Rio 2016 will be a Brazilian carnival of greed, doping and tear gas, For Olympic athletes in Rio, a lack of buzz over Zika concerns. There's even this Henny Penny articley: Freak 15-foot waves flood TV broadcasting building on Rio’s Copacabana Beach sparking fears it could collapse into the sea

I'm a big fan of Rio and Brazil, I was there in 1977. Yes, things change in 40 years, but the natural wonders of the country remain. [More...]

Michael Phelps has won his 19th Olympic medal setting the Olympic record for the most medals.

NBC continues to confound viewers-- now the LA Times reports it's live feed of Phelps' race wasn't even live -- it broadcast the results on the live feed before the race was over.

With about 50 meters left in the race, the network sent out an app notification with the outcome. I was still watching Phelps swim, supposedly "live," after a notification on my iPad had already told me the race's result.

I haven't even been able to get NBC's live feeds on my laptop even though I'm a Comcast/Xfinity subscriber at the requisite level. I get directed to NBC and never get past the screen that says "who is your cable provider?" This has been happening for four days now.

Why is one network allowed to buy the exclusive rights in the first place? Whatever happened to competition?

Update: 10:49 MT: Rio takes it.

Watch announcement live here.

The 2016 Olympics will not be taking place in Chicago. The city has been eliminated from consideration in the first round of voting. President Obama was flying back to the U.S. when the vote took place.

Chicago spent $50 million on the failed bid. The delegation was led by Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, with a personal visit by President Obama. Did our over-strict airport policies play a role in the rejection?[More...]

Here's a thread for the Olympics in case you're watching. I am.

There are also China protests going on around the world.

A Japanese newspaper is reporting that China has declared that those suffering from leprosy, AIDS and other ailments may not enter the country during the Olympics. Yohei Sasakawa, a human rights activist, philanthropist and the World Health Organization's special ambassador for the elimination of leprosy, is asking China to change its policy.

According to Sasakawa, China has published a "guideline to Chinese law for foreigners coming to, leaving or staying in China during the Olympics," which states that, "anyone with listed diseases such as yellow fever, cholera, VD, leprosy, infectious pulmonary tuberculosis or AIDS will be prohibited" from entering the country during the games.

99% of the world population is believed to be immune to leprosy:

Leprosy is a chronic bacterial disease that mainly affects the skin and nerves. Left untreated it can result in deformity. It is cured using multi-drug therapy and is only very slightly contagious, and 99 percent of the people in the world have a natural immunity to it, according to the Nippon Foundation.

More...

Once again, Obama takes a cue from Hillary Clinton.

Last Wednesday, April 2: Obama says he's conflicted on Olympics

"I am of two minds about this, ...On the one hand, I think that what has happened in Tibet, China's support for the Sudanese government in Darfur, is a real problem." Still, Obama said, "I am hesitant to make the Olympics a site of political protest because I think it's partly about bringing the world together."

Monday, April 7, Hillary Clinton calls for Bush not to attend the opening ceremonies.

I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government.

This Wednesday, April 9: Obama says to put boycott of Olympic opening ceremonies on the table.

"If the Chinese do not take steps to help stop the genocide in Darfur and to respect the dignity, security, and human rights of the Tibetan people, then the President should boycott the opening ceremonies.

Comments now closed.

Hillary Clinton today on the Olympics:

The violent clashes in Tibet and the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur are opportunities for Presidential leadership. These events underscore why I believe the Bush administration has been wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China. At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government.

I encourage the Chinese to take advantage of this moment as an opportunity to live up to universal human aspirations of respect for human rights and unity, ideals that the Olympic games have come to represent. Americans will stand strong in support of freedom of religious and political expression and human rights. Americans will also stand strong and root for the success of American athletes who have worked hard and earned the right to compete in the Olympic Games of 2008.

What's Obama's position? He's conflicted.