The Birmingham 2022 Non Athletics Thread

[marra]

If this wasn't a home games I doubt Peaty would have taken part. I wonder whether he'll risk going to the Euros now or take extra time to rest up properly?

[Grassmarket]

That would be sensible but he might take the attitude that he’s only a couple of weeks from his true form.

[marra]

Phenomenal WR from the Aussie women in the 4x2. Titmus is a machine.

[marilyn1]

If this wasn't a home games I doubt Peaty would have taken part. I wonder whether he'll risk going to the Euros now or take extra time to rest up properly?

Totally A guy for whom the third race was too much. He would not have raced if the CG was anywhere else. Crazy to even think about the Euros. He needs a full winter training before next years Worlds.

[Ursus]

A lot of people elsewhere making a big deal of Peaty losing.

It’s nothing of the sort.

Same as with Warholm in Eugene, hats off to him for taking part at all when he could easily not have and probably shouldn’t have. As marra says the home element was likely overriding.

If anything, this is more likely to reignite his fire.

[marra]

His interview after the 50 heats makes me pretty confident he's not going to Euros. And I don't blame him. He basically said he's going to take a "good long break and then go into the winter" after these Games.

Oddly enough, this actually makes me more excited for what the next 2 years might bring. Obviously Father Time has to catch up at some point but I think a super motivated Peaty in Paris is a very dangerous thing, not just for Gold but for his own records.

[RunUnlimited]

Agreed. Peaty will now be on a mission, and that's going to be a scary prospect for his international and national rivals in the lead up to Paris 2024.

Also he probably saw the excellent form Wilby showed in that final and thinks that the European title will stay in British hands, even in his absence.

[marra]

I think Wilby is a great competitor and will always be a medal threat but you have to presume he's tapered fully for this meet and likely would be up against it at the Euros against Kamminga and Martinenghi. A bronze in Rome would be a fine return.

[RunUnlimited]

Yeah, good point. Kamminga and Martinenghi are serious competitors indeed. But I think Wilby is will be still a prospect for gold too.

[fchd]

Well done to Guernsey, women's singles bowler Lucy Beere has made the final, guaranteeing the island their first medal since 1994.

[PotterHoppo96]

Bowls looking very open in terms.of medal winning countries this year

[Grassmarket]

I have enjoyed them a lot this time. Probably a function of old age that you suddenly get interested in bowls. Also comfy slippers.

[RunUnlimited]

Laura Kenny, in no kind of form this year, and seemingly contemplating retirement, has turned back the clock on the same track where it all began for back in the London 2012 Olympics as a fresh faced 19 year old, in a GB cycling team at the height of its powers, and has won gold for England in the Scratch race.

[marra]

Not to be "that guy" but she'd already been a World and European champion by the time London came about.

Okay, being that guy a bit.

[RunUnlimited]

D'oh! My old man brain forgetting that detail. Thanks for the reminder.

[marra]

Just had chance to catch up with the race. The crash made it a weird race - Megan Barker is probably cursing it more than most. A fantastic team effort from England - whether intentional or not, they had a great lead out train set up which put Laura in a perfect position to win the sprint.

Given everything else that has happened to Laura in the last couple of years, great to see her back on top.

[marra]

England's gymnasts are having a whale of a time. 7 golds already and very solid chances of adding more tomorrow.

[Grassmarket]

Tuesday's medals.

08:30 Lawn Bowls Men Pairs Medal Rounds
09:30 Weightlifting Women 76kg Final
11:00 Badminton Mixed Team Bronze Medal Match
11:00 Table Tennis Men Team Event Bronze Medal Match
11:45 Lawn Bowls Women Fours Medal Rounds
13:00 Artistic Gymnastics Men Vault Final
13:30 Table Tennis Men Team Event Gold Medal Match
14:00 Weightlifting Men 96kg Final
14:05 Artistic Gymnastics Men Parallel Bars Final
14:05 Artistic Gymnastics Women Balance Beam Final
15:40 Artistic Gymnastics Men Horizontal Bar Final
15:40 Artistic Gymnastics Women Floor Exercise Final
16:00 Basketball Men 3x3 Bronze Medal Match
16:15 Lawn Bowls Men Para Pairs B6-B8 Medal Rounds
16:30 Basketball Women 3x3 Bronze Medal Match
17:00 Basketball Men Wheelchair 3x3 Bronze Medal Match
17:00 Judo Men -73kg Medal Rounds
17:00 Judo Men -81kg Medal Rounds
17:00 Judo Women -63kg Medal Rounds
17:00 Judo Women -70kg Medal Rounds
17:30 Badminton Mixed Team Gold Medal Match
17:30 Basketball Women Wheelchair 3x3 Bronze Medal Match
18:30 Weightlifting Women 87kg Final
19:07 Swimming Women 100m Breaststroke Final
19:13 Swimming Men 200m Backstroke Final
19:20 Swimming Women 200m Butterfly Final
19:30 Basketball Men Wheelchair 3x3 Gold Medal Match
19:43 Swimming Women 100m Freestyle Final
19:49 Swimming Men 100m Butterfly Final Final
20:00 Basketball Women Wheelchair 3x3 Gold Medal Match
20:21 Swimming Men 50m Breaststroke Final
20:39 Basketball Men 3x3 Gold Medal Match
20:45 Swimming Men 100m Butterfly S10 Final Final
20:51 Swimming Women 200m Individual Medley SM10 Final
21:00 Basketball Women 3x3 Gold Medal Match
21:15 Swimming Women 800m Freestyle Final
21:36 Swimming Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Final

[marilyn1]

Duncan Scott is amazing. Fastest 200 split in the 4x200m relay tonight and the guy's being swimming his brains out the last 3 days. However if he competes in a number of events in the Euros, he will have Popovici and the French world .medley champ to contend with.

[Grassmarket]

Now that Katinka Hoszu is winding down her career, he obviously feels there's a gap there for someone to do every single event.

[marra]

Both England's 3x3 basketball teams are in the final. The men just won a nailbiting SF 13-12 over Canada.

I know it isn't one for the traditionalists but it was a full crowd that were loud and noisy. And, not for nothing, it is a relatively easy sport both to host in events like this and also to play. Hopefully we'll build on this and get a team into the Paris games in 2 years.

[Grassmarket]

Yeah, full scale bb depends on having a strong pro league, which we don’t have. But maybe it’s worth financing 3x3 teams.

[alfie]

Have been enjoying a variety of sports so far - though shuffling sleep breaks given events take up much of the night here is a bit of a struggle

Re a couple of stars mentioned above . In many ways Kenny and Peaty had very similar issues coming in to these games : both were almost certain anyway to be suffering something of an anti-climax reaction a year after Olympic success - and since both have really "won everything- repeatedly " it is hardly surprising that this was going to take a bit off their motivation. Then add in all the injury/health/personal matters that have affected them and it would have been remarkable if they hadn't been vulnerable this time around. But the other side to this is that defeats in their first events here seem to have been exactly the spur needed to re-ignite their competitive passions and ensure full commitment for Paris ... so actually have done them - and their fans - a great service !
Kenny immediately back with a win - even if she is not at her best at the moment ; and Peaty surely has a strong chance of winning the fifty based on his semi final swim. Even if he doesn't it seems clear his plans have been clarified by the events of this week so a good thing he took part despite a very reasonable excuse for giving the event a miss.

Aussies doing what they do in the pool : one of the main reasons they always do so well at Commonwealths is their ability to pick up masses of gold in a sport which has a lot of medals on offer. England should probably try and engineer a way to get more gymnastics into the programme 😊

[Grassmarket]

Peaty was always in a precarious spot. In a purely timed event, there are always going to be younger, faster, hungrier guys coming to steal your crown. But in events where skill, experience & judgment count, like mass start racing, you don’t have to be the absolute fastest.to win.

[marra]

Think Sam Williamson is going to be a big threat to Peaty in the fifty. That being said, I would be more surprised if Peaty finishes off the podium in this than in the 100 unless he completely falls apart.

[MysteryBrick]

Jake Jarman having a helluva week. For context, his 14.916 score in the Vault would have won Gold in Tokyo.

[marra]

Joe Fraser deserves a bunch of credit as well. 3 golds himself when he's clearly not 100%. What a performance from the whole artistic team - 10G, 5S, 1B. Outstanding. They have kept us in with a shout of claiming the top of the medal table almost single handedly!

[Grassmarket]

Gymnastics has been a huge triumph. OK, they still have a Europeans and a Worlds (at home) to come this year, but a Commonwealth Games is always about bringing stars through for the next Olympics, and they have surely done that.

[MysteryBrick]

The thing I find exciting is that some of the scores are *good*. Not just Commonwealth good, but World Class good!