Great Britain finally tops Olympic table!

[mrswdk]

Fourth place is often described by athletes and commentators as the "worst position to finish" at the Olympic Games.

A lifetime of preparation can amount to missing the podium by a fraction of a second on the track, a finger length in the pool or a stumble on the gym apparatus.

As Rio 2016 enters its fifth day of competition, Great Britain are 11th in the medal table, with six medals.

But for fourth-place finishes, and the heartbreak that ensues, British athletes are out on their own.

Of the completed events, Team GB competitors have finished six in fourth place.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/37035068

[waauw]

The british athletes use brazilian water for their morning tea.

[Symmetry]

I think we're currently fourth overall in the medal tables, to be fair, but yeah, lots of fourth places too. Pretty amazing groundwork for 2020. The Russian's are pretty close though, so we'll see if they have had what it takes for them to win.

[notyou2]

so we'll see if they have had what it takes for them to win.

Enough steroids?

[Symmetry]

so we'll see if they have had what it takes for them to win.

Enough steroids?

Well spotted. Missed that, but maybe it was a Freudian Slip. Russia is certainly struggling having to compete with only semi-clean athletes.

I think GB is now up to third on the medal table though.

[Symmetry]

Now second overall!

[Bernie Sanders]

[Symmetry]

Overtaking the Chinese.

[betiko]

Pretty crazy well done GB.
I think on our side we could be aiming for 4th place on the table, germany and russia are not that far. But 6th place isn t bad so far.
The uk second is really impressive

[BIG_John]

Looks like GB is in third place.

[Symmetry]

Pretty crazy well done GB.
I think on our side we could be aiming for 4th place on the table, germany and russia are not that far. But 6th place isn t bad so far.
The uk second is really impressive

It's been pretty remarkable. Makes me proud of our island

[BIG_John]

Now second overall!

GB looks like they are still in third place overall medals.

[Symmetry]

Now second overall!

GB looks like they are still in third place overall medals.

Possibly- depends on whether you consider gold and silver better than bronzes

[riskllama]

Now second overall!

GB looks like they are still in third place overall medals.

Possibly- depends on whether you consider gold and silver better than bronzes

who doesn't?

[BIG_John]

Either way the United States is racking the medals up left and right so it doesn't matter to me. Just hope GB can beat china and remove them from second place.

[saxitoxin]

When do the Olympics start?

[betiko]

Either way the United States is racking the medals up left and right so it doesn't matter to me. Just hope GB can beat china and remove them from second place.

If you look at is as the european union you guys are totally spanked, which is the right comparison in terms of population and zone of influence. We have like twice your medals. And i m not counting the second place brexiters.
Europe dominates real bad in sports, sorry merica !!!!!

[mrswdk]

Either way the United States is racking the medals up left and right so it doesn't matter to me. Just hope GB can beat china and remove them from second place.

If you look at is as the european union you guys are totally spanked, which is the right comparison in terms of population and zone of influence. We have like twice your medals. And i m not counting the second place brexiters.
Europe dominates real bad in sports, sorry merica !!!!!

I assume by this you mean because the EU contains more than twice as many people as the US but has less than half the influence, so it works out as roughly even between the two?

[betiko]

Either way the United States is racking the medals up left and right so it doesn't matter to me. Just hope GB can beat china and remove them from second place.

If you look at is as the european union you guys are totally spanked, which is the right comparison in terms of population and zone of influence. We have like twice your medals. And i m not counting the second place brexiters.
Europe dominates real bad in sports, sorry merica !!!!!

I assume by this you mean because the EU contains more than twice as many people as the US but has less than half the influence, so it works out as roughly even between the two?

EU population = 439 million (would be 501 if it wasn't for the brexit)
NAFTA population= 476 million

EU medals = 46 gold 42 silver (would be 61 gold 58 silver if it wasn't for the brexit)
Nafta medals = 28 gold 23 silver

so yeah, totally ass kicked by europe as always, try again north america. even USA+UK can't deal with the EU.

[mrswdk]

The population of the US is 320 million. The population of the EU is 507 million. Even excluding the UK from the EU as you are doing, the EU still has 443 million people and is therefore significantly bigger than the US in terms of population.

It is also infinitely smaller than the US in terms of power and/or influence.

So, as I said, you are correct if by 'comparison in terms of population and zone of influence' you meant 'way more people but way less influence'.

[betiko]

The population of the US is 320 million. The population of the EU is 507 million. Even excluding the UK from the EU as you are doing, the EU still has 443 million people and is therefore significantly bigger than the US in terms of population.

It is also infinitely smaller than the US in terms of power and/or influence.

So, as I said, you are correct if by 'comparison in terms of population and zone of influence' you meant 'way more people but way less influence'.

lol, if you want not to do it by Nafta (USA+canada+mexico); the EU still has a much better medal rate than the US.
If we compare france's medal rate by inhabitant to the US, we're at least 60% better.
The UK is significantly better than the US in that aspect too; and the EU as a whole is much better than the US in terms of medals/population.
So yeah, really nothing to brag about for americans.

a lot to brag for brits though.

[mrswdk]

The population of the US is 320 million. The population of the EU is 507 million. Even excluding the UK from the EU as you are doing, the EU still has 443 million people and is therefore significantly bigger than the US in terms of population.

It is also infinitely smaller than the US in terms of power and/or influence.

So, as I said, you are correct if by 'comparison in terms of population and zone of influence' you meant 'way more people but way less influence'.

lol, if you want not to do it by Nafta (USA+canada+mexico)

What does NAFTA have to do with anything? I know the EU has a big fat hard on for subsuming every national entity it possibly can, like The Blob That Ate Everyone, but as a general rule of thumb that's not how a free trade agreement works in the rest of the world. The US, Canada and Mexico are all still distinctly separate entities.

I suspect we're now about two posts away from betiko claiming that the EU kicks everyone else's asses when it comes to archery, because South Korea has managed a clean sweep in archery golds at Rio 2016.

[saxitoxin]

Who has more medals I wonder, the World Postal Union or the World Trade Organization?

[saxitoxin]

Wait - according to this ...

https://www.rio2016.com/en/water-polo-standings-wp-men

... the EU got to enter 5 teams in Water Polo and the U.S. only got to enter 1 team.

Betiko - I challenge you to arm wrestling! We'll play by EU Rules:
- You will arm wrestle me, AoG, nietzsche, mrswdk, and Symmetry
- If one of us beat you, you lose to all of us
- You only win if you beat all five of us

(obvs AoG is going first for us since he vigorously exercises his right arm three times a day)

[betiko]

Wait - according to this ...

https://www.rio2016.com/en/water-polo-standings-wp-men

... the EU got to enter 5 teams in Water Polo and the U.S. only got to enter 1 team.

Betiko - I challenge you to arm wrestling! We'll play by EU Rules:
- You will arm wrestle me, AoG, nietzsche, mrswdk, and Symmetry
- If one of us beat you, you lose to all of us
- You only win if you beat all five of us

(obvs AoG is going first for us since he vigorously exercises his right arm three times a day)

Challenge accepted ; you will all get your ass kicked as
1) I'm from the EU
2) I'm french

Only brits are a challenge cause they are proving they are better in sports. The US are extremely lame as they are supposed to have at least +50% medals.