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I thought I'd start a thread where anyone can comment on the games and their favourite performances.

I'll kick it off with the 4x400m mixed relay. Here is the final leg in which Femke Bol runs one of the greatest anchor legs of all time - perhaps on a par with Kriss Akabusi's legendary 1991 World Championship performance, where he chased down Antonio Pettigrew of USA who had earlier won the Gold medal in the individual 400m (Pettigrew later admitted to doping and was stripped of many of his medals).

Here is both of performances, beginning with tonight's mixed relay...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/videos/cpe331w1wj1o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkLSnPkqIrs&ab_channel=AthletixStuffChannel

Good idea to start a thread, Brendan.
I can't watch BBC videos here, only the crappy NBC, but they did show the whole race (since it was just over 3 min).
Incredible Bol comeback over the last 150-200m.
I think I saw somewhere that it was the 3d fastest womens 400m relay leg since the 1980s (nobody gives much credence to that decade because of GDR/Eastern bloc doping).

Mens 10000m was an excellent race, though I could only watch snippets.

Sha'Carri got silver in women 100m behind Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia(!).

That's a shame not being able to watch the BBC's coverage (have you a VPN?)

Sha'Carri had a poor start... another one, tightened up and never really recovered. I don't think it's a coincidence that she won her WC Gold from lane 9 where there was no pressure.

That's not to take anything away from St Lucia's Julien Alfred who was just outstanding - truly, she was grace personified tonight

Exciting women's road cycling race.
Outsider Kristen Faulkner (USA) stunned by taking gold ahead of (silver) Marianne Vos (NL), "the GOAT of women's cycling" and (bronze) reigning World Champion Lotte Kopecky (BEL).

Looks like a slow day in athletics except for finals of women's HJ and the marquee men's 100m.

I've been avidly watching the rowing as I have a 21 year old son who rows for GB and is hoping to be in with a chance at the 2028 Olympics.
My particular interest was in the men's 8 crew.
4 of the rowers and the cox row for the same club as my son, so of course we know them. I also, by pure chance, bumped into their coach recently in the Tesco's supermarket in Henley on Thames, near where I live. I chatted to him in the aisle by the tonic water 😆
So I was utterly delighted when they won gold! 🥇

Agreed, an absolute shock, Vos has been the dominant force for in women's cycling for so long now - you just don't expect her to ever lose.

The men's 100m was a good race but I'm not a fan of all the peacocking that seems to infect every male competitor, plus it's become so hackneyed and cliched - like, change the record someone!

I was enthralled by the women's high jump and the serene Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR). She recently broke the world record, one that had stood for 37 years, at a Diamond League meeting and was again the class of the field here. This was my event when I started secondary school, and to say I was obsessed would be a gross understatement. I was only 5ft in the first year but was able to jump 5'6", which sent the gym teachers into a tizzy. I used to train 5 nights a week after school and, at the weekends, tried to replicate the apparatus by stacking a couple of mattresses in our back garden, much to the annoyance and exasperation of my mum. Alas, given that you land on your neck, it just wasn't enough padding - and then everyone else had a growth spurt... except me 😥

Jossy, our rowers have done brilliantly and I really wish your son all the best. My dad lived in West Molesey so I know Henley-on-Thames well, they have such a rich history in rowing, not to mention being home of the Royal Regatta.

Thanks jossy and brendan for the background info!

Yes, I'm happy that Mahuchikh won the women's HJ...only became aware of her after the recent awesome WR. But she squeaked by the Aussie on fewer misses in Paris. Interesting that two other Ukraine and Aussie competitors shared the bronze.

Today in athletics the women's 5000m (East African derby) and 800m (GBR's Keely Hodgkinson the big favorite).

Hi Geeker,

Yaroslava was run close, for sure, winning on count back. I actually had the sound muted after becoming totally exasperated with the commentary of Steve Backley (ex-UK javelin thrower and 3 time Olympic medalist). One interchange went something like: Backley 'this was her failing her third attempt' - co-commentator "er.. no.. this is only her second attempt", Backley 'Ooh, that's a fail at 1.98' - co-commentator "no... that was 2m", Backley "this puts her in the lead with a jump of 2.02" co-commentator "NO.. that WAS 2m" .

I mean, come on Steve, it's happening right in front of you mate - I couldn't take it anyone and just muted the sound. These girls deserve so much better:-)

Really looking forward to Keely in the 800m tonight, let's hope she can keep it together and run her best race.

The men's 1500m should be good as well with the match up of Ingebrigsten and Kerr although to be honest, I'm not overly keen on either of them.

Geeker,

It's funny you should draw attention to the omitted U in 'favourite', I'd considered doing similar in my post but couldn't think of a witty enough tag to accompany it.

I don't know if you saw Buddy's post in last week's IQ thread, but he included a link covering this very topic (and others) in an SNL skit:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYqfVE-fykk

Yes, yes, yes!!

Keely wins a superb 800m Gold as do the Uk's brilliant women sprint cyclists in the velodrome.