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Tag: London 2012 Olympics

  • London 2012 Soccer Google Doodle is a PK Simulator

    Google has unleashed yet another time-wasting Olympic Google doodle upon web browsers everywhere. While Google has created a different Google doodle for each day of the London 2012 Olympics, the past few days have featured an easy to learn, yet difficult to master mini-game based on an Olympic sport. Yesterday’s doodle saw players navigating rapids in a slalom canoe.

    Today’s doodle features a simulated penalty kick shootout in which the player takes on the role of goalkeeper. The game is vastly simplified, as players can only move left to right and jump. Three goals scored ends the game and the total number of balls deflected counts toward a possible three medal tiers. The shots come faster as the game progresses, so just the same as the past two days, quick reflexes and spot-on timing will be required to achieve three medals. A helpful feature players might not realize at first is that their computer mouse can be used for faster, smoother left-right movement.

    As for real Olympic soccer, the U.S. women’s soccer team won their third Olympic gold medal in a row after beating Japan 2-1 in the championship match on Thursday. U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo is being singled out as saving the game for the U.S. after a magnificent save in the 85th minute of the game.

    The Olympic men’s soccer competition is still ongoing, and the bronze medal match between South Korea and Japan will take place at 2:45 pm EDT this afternoon. The gold medal match between Brazil and Mexico is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 10:00 am EDT.

  • London 2012 Artistic Gymnastics Men’s Rings: China Might Win It Again

    The Olympics are upon us and Google has seen fit to grace us yet again with another Google Doodle celebrating various events throughout the games. Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the Artistic Gymnastics competition, specifically the Men’s Rings category.

    Thanks to Google’s Knowledge Graph, we also get to see how the Men’s Rings competition is unfolding. The qualification results are in and its looks like China’s Yibing Chen is leading the pack. Unfortunately, the U.S. did not qualify in the top eight, but our very own Jonathan Horton is in the reserve at number 10.

    London 2012 Artistic Gymnastics Men's Rings

    If you watch the Olympics religiously, you have probably already seen the amazing talent shown in the Men’s Rings competition. It’s an amazingly difficult sport and it’s a sight to behold. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can check out the Men’s Rings Final on August 6.

    While you wait, check out Yibing Chen’s gold medal performance at the Beijing 2008 Olympics games. It’s looking like Chen will win again this year if he can pull off the same kind of amazing performance that he did four years ago.

  • Allyson Felix or Jenba Tarmoth – Which USA Track Star is going to the Olympics?

    Coming into the the women’s 100 meter event at U.S. qualifying, there were three positions open on the team. The first three to finish that race would make the team. But after the race was run, there is still no clear third place winner, and the final US Olympic team may have to be determined by a coin toss.

    Both Allyson Felix and Jenba Tarmoth hurled their bodies across the finish line at precisely the same moment in the qualifying race. How precise? Down to a thousandths of a second: 11.068 seconds.

    Carmelita Jeter and Tianna Madison placed first and second, so their spots are definitely secure, but the US Olympic Committee now faces a tough decision in who gets the third spot. It’s literally too close to call. And with the ever growing technology used in the modern olympic era, that is saying something. Even a camera recording at 3,000 frames per second could not distinguish a clear winner.

    The Olympic Committee finally decided to introduce new rules that they think is fair in this situation — One of the athletes could resign, giving their spot to the other competitor (athlete’s train a lifetime for their chance at Olympic glory, so this option is unlikely). If no one relinquishes their spot, then they have a choice. They can run a tie breaking race or flip a coin. If both choose the coin toss, then that is how it will be decided. If they cannot come to a consensus, then they must race for the final spot. If neither of them make a choice, then by default, they flip a US quater to determine the winner.

    Right now both of them have other races to run, so neither has made a choice, but it will be exciting to see what they finally choose. I have to think that with all they have on the line, they would never leave anything to chance, and choose to run a deciding race. It would be a shame to look back and wonder what might have been if a coin toss ultimately decided your fate.

    [via: CNN]

  • David Beckham Olympic Torch Sees Huge Auction Bids

    The torch that was carried by David Beckham as part of the 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony is getting some huge bids at the official London Olympic Auction Site. According to The Daily Mail, The auction only went up last night and already the bid is up to £5,250.00, which translates to over $8,000 US dollars. Not bad for an opening that started at £50.00 and still has 13 days to go. Did we mention they only cost £500 to produce? That’s already quite a profit.

    The aluminum torch, which won Design of the Year at the London Design Museum, is accompanied by a metallic shard signed by the football (soccer) player.

    It is being sold through the London Olympic Organising Committee (LOCOG), who is selling a lot of Olympic memorabilia for the games. They describe it as “a piece of history from the unforgettable journey of the Olympic Flame through more than 1,000 cities, towns and villages in the UK over the course of 70 days, shining a light on the very best of Britain.”

    The site will also sell of the baton for the men 4 by 100 relay and tennis balls from the Olympic tournament. This direct commercialism has seen its fair share of critics, who argue the Olympic Games are becoming nothing more than a cash grab opportunity for countries lucky enough to be selected to host the event. LOCOG argues that the funds raised are going to be used to offset the cost of hosting the games. They deny that they are following in the footsteps of torchbearers who have taken to eBay to sell their piece of Olympic history.

    london2012.com/auction is selling 20 torches from participant who donated them to the Olympic Committee after carrying them. The torches were offered to participant at a reduced cost of £199 for them to keep as a momento. The one for sale were declined by the participants or donated by celebrities.

    Beckham was the first to carry the torch when it arrives in Great Britain on May 18.

    The 2012 London Olympic Games begin July 27.