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Friday, August 22, 2008

Get Ready for LiveSlogged Synchro!

posted by on August 22 at 12:33 PM

Yes, tonight brings us to our first and no doubt last ever liveblog of Olympic synchronized swimming. We have an expert, Jen Graves, who spent 15 years in the sport and is personally acquainted with several ex-Olympians. We also have an inexpert, me, who spent 9 years in the infinitely more dangerous, difficult, and taxing sport of artistic gymnastics and is not personally acquainted with a single ex-Olympian of any sort. Graves will provide intelligent commentary. I will mock ceaselessly. Be here at 12:30 am to witness the carnage.

And because she’s a sweet, sweet, woman, Ms. Graves has given me some pointers on how to mock without looking like an idiot, in the form of a Newsweek guide to spectating synchro. Dumb questions, according to Graves, include:

2. Why is there a solo event if it’s “synchronized” swimming?

Ah, yes. You feel clever, right? Please consider that a person can be synchronized with a piece of music before you speak of this commonly posed “mind bender.”

I beg to differ. The floor exercise, in gymnastics, is performed to a piece of music. But we do not call it “synchronized floor exercise.” Conversely, imagine if synchro diving was one person diving in time to a piece of music instead of two people diving simultaneously. Stupid! Solo synchro should be called water dancing, to correspond to ice dancing in the winter Olympics.

Smart questions, according to Graves, might include:

3. Why isn’t that American girl wearing noseclips like everybody else?

I know! Christina Jones, one half of the American duet that finished fifth this week in Beijing, does not wear anything to keep the water from going up her nose while she’s upside-down underwater. She’s one of only a few swimmers known to do this, but it’s not unheard of.

This is a smart question? My god, Graves, we are going to be giving each other black eyes by the end of the night!

RSS icon Comments

1

I am looking forward to this.

Posted by Gloria | August 22, 2008 12:42 PM
2

First, Liveslogging the plastic bag debates. Now, liveslogging synchronized swimming. Next up, Brendan Kiley liveslogs Charles Mudede eating a cheese sandwhich.

Is there some kind of prize for the most boring liveslog?

Posted by Clint | August 22, 2008 12:49 PM
3

When will waterboarding become an Olympic sport?

Posted by RonK, Seattle | August 22, 2008 12:52 PM
4

@2

OMG you read the cheese sandwich one?

Was just like being there!

Posted by Tired Of Being Rich | August 22, 2008 12:55 PM
5

The best and the most boring was obviously Charles Mudede liveslogging War and Peace.

Posted by annie | August 22, 2008 1:01 PM
6

STFU, haters. This is going to rule.

Posted by Abby | August 22, 2008 1:02 PM
7

@3 - probably won't happen, since very few countries would compete in this other than the US.

@6 for the win.

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 22, 2008 1:03 PM
8

#7, ah, yes, but is the sport to WATERBOARD or to be WATERBOARDED?

Posted by w7ngman | August 22, 2008 1:11 PM
9

Gawd help me, I am going to definitely reas/watch this if I am home.

Posted by Original Monique | August 22, 2008 1:16 PM
10

@8 - hmm, that would expand the eligible countries quite a lot, so that's possible.

But how would you train, and would people in GITMO have to compete on the US team or the Cuban team or their home countries team?

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 22, 2008 1:53 PM

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