Zombie

Ditto. If you're a guest, and the family dog sitting on your lap drops a silent-but-deadly, should you: 1. shriek in horror, chuck the mutt to the floor and tell them what it's just done? 2. swiftly vacate the chair and move somewhere else so you won't be blamed? 3. just sit there, try to look normal and hope as the smell disperses your hosts and other guests won't be able to guess where it came from? 4. pretend to have some sort of mini-stroke so no-one will notice in the confusion?

That's what's called a 180. Maybe best to ease off the soda for a while ... As for your TV that's just a shame if you didn't get to see it properly.

What is your problem Y_B. Hmm? If you have something to say then say it.

That's 'cos there was none. International Gymnastics Federation rules require that an appeal fee must be paid in order to file a protest so the Japanese officials got up the cash and the proper forms to appeal. Originally Uchimura was credited not with a dismount but with a fall. A gymnast receives no points for a fall. However, even a clumsy exit from the horse, as long as the gymnast gets two feet down, counts for some points. Had Japan lost the appeal, the money, however much it was, would have stayed with the gymnastics federation but Japan won the appeal when it was ruled that Uchimura had dismounted and should have been awarded .700 additional points. That correction moved Japan from fourth to silver-medal position. But none of that matters 'cos Louis Smith's still the hotter dude! I think we need another pic of those pecs ... Dang - couldn't he have worn a tighter singlet - this one is just soooo baggy

Yeah, I think maybe you didn't get to see what we saw. In the UK we had the benefit of 24 live TV channels throughout the Olympics showing every minute of every event in HD with no commercial breaks so we probably got to see a lot more than you were able to in the US. I was able to watch the whole of the team gymnastics event and even the BBC commentators (experienced in gymnastics and the rules) agreed that Japan's appeal was right and correct. How even-handed is that!

Boudia could be attacked for only just qualifying - he barely made it into the semi-final, his dives were way off medal standard (any colour) and he was right at the bottom in 18th position. But none of that matters. Because in the Saturday final all of the 10m medal winners performed an astonishingly good set of six dives. Boudia's dives were simply consistently brilliant - breathtaking - in that final. So Daley has nothing to be ashamed of winning bronze in such company. We can all be armchair critics - it's the easiest job - but if none of us has performed at the top as an elite athlete then we've no idea what it's like to be such a person, to live such a life, and to perform such incredible feats when required and under such intense pressure. Best to leave all the snarking and carping to the tabloid rags. All it does in this thread is demean the poster. Btw, hh5, the Japanese deserved their silver medal in the team gymnastics - they were fully entitled to the additional points under the rules. Judges don't make up the rules and where an appeal is permitted (which it isn't in every sport e.g. football) they will consider the appeal in accordance with the rules. That is what happened and the British team had no problem being relegated to bronze from silver as a result. I know what you mean Paya. His coach slapped his buttocks during the final as "encouragement" and he was real uncomfortable when his coach hugged him real tight when he won. BUT he's lookin' real comfy here with his "partner" Nick McCrory ... ... and wot's Nick's hand up to here .... and wot the $@#%'s Nick got in this trousers ...

OK, thanks for that. It does appear to be deliberate but if this is so clear cut I'm surprised there's not been a request for sanctions against Tancredi - there would have been several HD cameras taking footage from different angles. And if Carli Lloyd was hurt by this that she hasn't made a formal complaint. (see Deeply Disturbing for more stomping action)

If you're going to include video evidence you might make the effort to find a decent quality clip that actually shows what happened instead of this shaky footage that seems to have been shot by an out of focus 1980s camcorder vaguely pointing in the direction of a dodgy laptop computer with a dead sound card

OK, I am mildly uncomfortable about men boxing. However, I accept that physical aggression is part of being male. And male pugilism has been around at least 2,000 years as a "sport", which seems to support this. I also accept that male boxing has been and is a way to channel young male aggression in structured and controlled boxing clubs, especially for young guys in socially deprived areas to have an alternative to the violence of "gang" culture and, maybe, the chance - however remote - of a career. But there are physical, physiological and emotional difference between males and females, as well as the level of testosterone (which is linked to inherent male aggression). As to sexism - well I have to put my hands up here. I feel as queasy about this as the prospect of infantrywomen going into battle. But I also accept there were female warriors in the ancient world, including Boadicea (or Boudicca) in Britain. Despite this, however, to me it just seems "wrong". But that is just my personal opinion I don't deny the delight of Nicola Adams at winning Gold and her exuberant smile. I just wish she'd won gold for something else.

Tangled telephone cords. My last visit to my Mum's I had to turn the hand thing 20 times to unravel it. And when I'm in other people's homes I have to physically restrain myself from doing the same

Britain has just won Gold in women's boxing. This is the first Olympics it has been a medal event. I didn't watch it and I'm not celebrating. It makes me queasy. Am I alone? Unreasonable? An old-fashioned reactionary? Sexist? Note to Mods - if you feel this is contentious, and not just an exchange of views and thoughts, please relocate!

Commiserations wildone This was mentioned in the UK press http://www.guardian....l/rss (Football) Refs make wrong decisions all the time in team sports. Soccer / football and rugby are rife with them. The Old Men of FIFA had to be dragged kicking and screaming into agreeing goal line line technology only because so many major matches - including internationals - had been thrown by wrong ref decisions proved to be so by HD TV slo-mo playback. As for appeals at London 2012, its interesting that when Japan's gymnastics team appealed against the judge's decision last week to place them 4th (no medal) and Britan 2nd (silver) the judges immediately agreed to go into a huddle, replay the TV tapes, agree they had made a mistake and then change their decision and award Japan 2nd (silver) and Britain 3rd (bronze). I'm glad this happened - Japan deserved silver There'll always be scope for error / subjectivity / bias ... until the robots take over

Soooo, is sexy Yohan Blake, The Beast, going to beat Usain Bolt and win the 200m Gold tomorrow? I can't wait! .

Video won't play in UK But found this hot pic of Mohawk Guy Edit to add: ooops nearly forgot, well done NASA - great job!

Good for you Benji. I'm so glad it went well. I'm sure you feel a whole lot better for it too

Thanks for posting this Lacey. Although I'll never know what it's like to have those feelings about myself it's easy to connect with his emotions and his honesty and fluency was remarkable. There's an excellent film about an FTM boy and his search for love called Romeos [2011]. Not only will it answer a lot of questions it's just a great movie http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1830792/

Holy cr*p - number two's about to go off!!!

Isn't this mostly driven by Twitter and YouTube now?

Latest on London 2012 legacy is all venues apparently now have agreed futures e.g. the Swimming pool and Velodrome will continue as major training / events venues and for the local community. The "village" will become housing - about half low cost / affordable housing. According to London2012 "The Stadium is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate a number of different requirements and capacities in legacy. It will retain athletics at its core, and also be a venue for other sporting, cultural and community events." The top section is designed to be removed and recycled leaving a more appropriate 25,000 capacity. The plan was to share the stadium with a local football club but they're still squabbling over that. The Olympic Park will see more development around these venues.

Don't most people who follow sport do so mostly on TV? Does that mean they feel less "personally" involved just because they're not physically there? But it's OK, Y_B. I get it. You're not impressed by Phelps. Maybe you'd prefer it if he hadn't been the most successful athlete at London 2012. And yeah, my comment was an overblown cliché, but I admit I've been caught up and gripped by so many of the fantastic events and athletes in this Olympics (OK it helps that it's a "home" games and that everything is being shown live on 24 channels of widescreen HD TV). And people will still be talking about this guy long after you and I have turned to dust and been forgotten. Just sayin

No, it's the end Bill. Way to go - right at the top! As the man said after his final race (yet another Gold!): "I've been able to do everything that I wanted ... If you can say that about your career, there's no need to move forward. Time for other things." It's been a real privilege to watch his final races.

Nice piece Ashi. It's good to get your perspective on the ceremony and to have your background on San Francisco, the city you love **Spoiler Alert** Somebody whispered to me that Her Majesty didn't actually leap from that helicopter clutching her handbag. I reprimanded him for spreading malicious gossip

Yeah, good call Y_B. The guy's completely washed up. What a national embarrassment ... London 2012 Gold -100m butterfly Gold - 200m Individual Medley Gold - 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Silver - 100m butterfly Silver - 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Still to race - 4x100m relay Phelps has just gone to flab, flapping around like a drowning gutbucket ... And his poor Mum, the shame and humiliation ... Oh, and Tyler Clary? Um, that would be one medal (gold). Still pretty impressive but is that a smirk on his face or a look of wonder?

I've never been impressed with US advertising. As so many of you have already said these ads are offensive because they're cr*p. Advertising says so much about the company so if companies want to go down this route they'd better get it right. Here's an example of how it can be done with style and wit:

Well done Chad le Clos! Gotta say I was moved by his emotion on the podium as his lower lip wobbled and tears began to flow Michael Phelps is his hero - I can't imagine how he must have felt at that moment. And Phelps was so gracious in defeat, staying with Chad and showing him "how it's done" afterwards with the press and public. But Chad is a serious hottie I think I'm in love ...