Australia and the 2004 Olympic Games - Waltzing Matilda

[cass]

Well the girls kick it off.....literally.
the Australian women's soccer team, The Matildas, play the first event for Australia at the Athen's Olympic games on Thursday.

GO GIRLS!!!
They aren't feeling too confident. They play Brasil first up.
They did beat Mexico recently...you never know, anything can happen.

So Oi Oi Oi....this should be fun
Australians all let us rejoice.........

 

[Luthien Black]

Yay, I hope the girls kick ass! I can't wait for the Olympics, especially the swimming. I get a bit over excited, though. And if I watch it too closely I start breathing in time with the swimmers! I hope we get another Stephen Bradbury-type incident!!!

 

[cass]

woops. I jumped the gun there....the starter's gun?
the soccer games were today...or last night...or whatever time it is wherever they played.
The Matildas lost to Brasil as predicted 1-0
The boys had a draw though

My favourite part of the Olmypic games is the equestrian events. The cross-country scares me a bit, it's such a relief when the horses get home safe from that. I saw a photo the other day of our team and their horses and they are looking mighty fine. Give their feet wings and keep them safe please.
Andrew Hoy is riding at his 6th Olympics this year...so I've come up with a new chant
Aussie Aussie Aussie...Hoy Hoy Hoy


on a slightly less jovial note, there was a worker's union rally in Athen's yesterday to commemorate the deaths of the people who worked to get the stadiums ready on time. One worker died in the lead up to the Sydney Olympics, but it seems many people have died in Athens.

I'l probably just watch the half hour highlights program each day and as much of the equestrian events as I can. I know my mum will be glued to the TV, for every event, she loves it, especially the swimming. She gets so excited **hands out earplugs to the neighbours**

PS: just as long as you do keep breathing Luthien Black...enjoy the events
I wonder which U2 song will be used by the broadcasters?
There's always a U2 song

 

[Luthien Black]

Don't forget The Dream. Have to watch The Dream.

As for which U2 song...Where The Streets Have No Name is always a popular choice. Every sporting event, there it is again!

 

[cass]

I love Roy and HG..a lot, but their Olympic Show is on a bit late for me. I'm sorry to miss it.

I'm sure there will be incidents...my claim to fame is having gone to school with Kerry Saxby( the walker) She arrived at my high school when I was in about Y9. She bumped me out of my position on the swimming team. Seeing as she went on to become a world champion (walker , not swimmer) I'll forgive her...and myself. So I was watching ( to see kerry) when the Jane Saville incident happened....
there's always an incident
main thing is they get through the whole event safely.

 

[cass]

I talked to my mum on the phone today...as I suspected, she is excited.
She is delighted that Petrea Thomas finally won a gold medal, our local Madame Butterfly and I could hear the admiration in her voice as she spoke about the smooth swimming style of one of the Americans.
The soccer team had a win too.

 

[cass]

she won another one!!! even better, an individual medal.

I was watching the last few minutes of the Oz vs Greece basketball game this morning and the regular morning show cut in. I wasn't quite sure what it was at first. They started with clips of Olympic sports AND...... Where The Streets Have No Name

 

[Luthien Black]

I was so excited to hear Petria won an individual medal. And the girls' win in the relay was fantastic!!

I was so amused when I heard Where The Streets Have No Name - I think I heard it in the rowing or something. Then later on I heard Elevation!! It's the U2 Olympics!!

 

[cass]

I was watching some of the highlights this morning and remembering how excited mum gets watching the swimming events. If I could, I'd love to go up and stay with her while the Games are on. She is hilarious to watch...not so much to hear, she gets loud
the best medicine...imho

there will be a big welcome home for Petria after this.
Phelps is the name of the swimmer mum was ohhing and ahhing about. She said he hardly makes a ripple....like Thorpey

 

[Luthien Black]

I must admit I get over-excited watching the swimming. Especially really close races.

My only problem is that the coverage is AWFUL!!! I saw the 400m freestyle coz I was out, but it's practically impossible to see anything else. The live finals are on in the middle of the night, and the replays are on in the morning when I'm at uni. What use is that???!!!

 

[cass]

well that wasn't quite the wonderful experience I'd hoped for
Spur of the moment I decided to visit my parents to celebrate dad's birthday. i stayed overnight and was having a lovely warm sleep full of sweet dreams when I was jolted awake with...

"HE'S CATCHING UP! GO THORPEY GO GO!!

GO

THE AMERICANS WON!"

It was 4 am!
mum was trying to be thoughtful, wearing headphones and had the volume down on the TV, but that just made her shout louder I will have to be awake until at least midnight tonight and I'm tired already. My parents are very elderly, luthien black, so they get to have "nanna naps" later in the day. The live Olympic timetable suits them....but not the rest of their street I'm sure!

woops, Andrew Hoy fell of...I don't like that cross country much.

GO THE MATILDAS
and go Brent Livermore

 

[Luthien Black]

I'm sorry you got woken up. They are playing Elevation on the replay right now!!

I was SOOOO tempted to stay up and watch the 200m final, but I had uni the next day. I watched some of the equestrian, saw Andrew fall

Who's Brent Livermore? I know the name, but can't place him...

I can't believe the events I've started watching. I watched the shooting, very exciting, and last night I watched the baseball. It's all so exciting!!

I love the way the Olympics bring people together. Like when I was walking through the railway station in the city the other day, and everyone was standing around watching the swimming on the big screen, even though it was only a heat, just coz there was an Aussie in it!! At uni people keep going into the library to watch it on this little tv set up for the librarians.

 

[cass]

Brent Livermore is the captain of the Australian men's hockey team and he hails from my area. He missed a goal shot in the...ummm can't recall which year that was, the one before Sydeney I think. he really really punished himself over it, the miss cost them a medal. Field hockey is VERY popular where I live and they are about to name the new state of the art synthetic field after him...even better if he's there wearing an Olympic medal.

I won a soccer ball and shirt at a carnival a couple of weeks ago. I just received them last night....the shirt has number 40 on the back..perfect!
40 the U2 song , not my age

I remember people sneaking in tiny transistor radios to listen to the Melbourne Cup when I was in school. Sports mad Aussies eh?
I have to go now...to the local primary school "Olympic Games". My friends 6 year old son is representing Mexico and he's asked me to barrack for him.
Ole !

Cheers Luthien Black

 

[Luthien Black]

Lol! Saw photos of the kids in my mum's class doing "olympics". They're so cute! Hope Mexico did well it the medal count.

Thanks for clearing up the Brent Livermore issue. I'll be cheering hard (two wins away from the semis - just heard on the news).

We're guaranteed a medal in the softball. How cool is that! Sorry, I'm listening to the Olympic wrap up on the news, and just responding to everything they say!

I remember when the Melbourne Cup was on people would beg to be able to watch or listen to it - and I'm in SA!! Not that it's ever been my thing...

Go the swimmers... not long left for them! Apparently the men are annoyed coz the women have more medals!

 

[cass]

the women

 

[cass]

PS: I only watched the events at out local Olympics...they had rowing and equestrian, hoops and brooms I didn't stay for the medal presentation, I'm not sure how our team fared.
My friend is named Joey, so the chant was Go Mexijo.
Made me realise how beautiful the Brasilian flag is. The kids had painted them , about 12 countries. They looked good all assembled but I don't have a camera.
I just got back from U 16 soccer, we lost 3-0

 

[Luthien Black]

They're all over. Our best Olympics ever, how fantastic is that!!! Some great highlights for silver on the last day - especially Mathew Helm's near-perfect 99.96 for the last dive of the competition, and the boys in the relay. Yay!!!

 

[cass]

hi Luthien Black...it was enjoyable. I liked some of the little tribute videos made for some of our athletes. I saw one for the female beach volleyball player with the injured shoulder. They played U2's Pride for her. I also saw Elevation used in that way but can't recall now who it was for. Very touching anyway.

My friend phoned this morning to tell me Mexico won the "olympics" Ole! They were the only team that didn't cheat. The captain of the 6 member nation teams had to keep their scores and I'm pleased to say the Mexicans were honest. I told my friend before the games commenced that Mexicans are good at diving. "I thought they were good at dancing." she replied
Yep , it has been a lot of fun.
They are trying to decide how to welcome home our local champions, Petria Thomas, Nathan Bagley and Brent Livermore. Party Party Party
I mainly listened to random events on the radio. Some of the commentators became so excited. I saw some equestrian, some kayaking ( canoeing is an extraordinary event) I saw the Brasilian men win the beach volleyball, some of the men's triathalon and I watched some rhythmic gymnastics on the weekend.


On a more personal note, my son's Under 16 soccer team came 3rd out of 11 teams in the local winter competition. We are in the fsemi-finals this week. It's the last year as juniors for some of them. GO THE BEARS!

...for we are young and free....
our land abounds with nature's gifts
of beauty rich and rare......oi oi oi