UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has taken part in the World Championships Chat. We've had over 10,000 comments since day one. It's been a fantastic way to watch the swimming and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Let's do it all over again for the next big competition.
Friday 22 July 2011
Watch World Swimming Championships Live Video and Chat
In a Speed Endurance first, we will not only be showing the live racing but also hosting a live chat throughout the World Swimming Championships. Use the chat to get those burning issues off your chest before, during or after racing.
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has taken part in the World Championships Chat. We've had over 10,000 comments since day one. It's been a fantastic way to watch the swimming and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Let's do it all over again for the next big competition.
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UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has taken part in the World Championships Chat. We've had over 10,000 comments since day one. It's been a fantastic way to watch the swimming and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Let's do it all over again for the next big competition.
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This is a great idea! Are the live stream/chat active for the prelim sessions too?
ReplyDeleteThanks John. That's the plan. The video should be fine for all sessions (I've been studying the TV schedules!).
ReplyDeletePrelims are going to be 2am-4am or 5am London time, so my attendance might not be 100%, but hopefully the chat will still work.
Brilliant Tom, cheers for providing this! Reckon will be massively appreciated by a awful lot of people out there - can't wait for the chat comments when Cielo's being stared down at the blocks by all his rivals lol
ReplyDeleteQuestion on the live stream - will it be accessible to viewers in America? (I know the BBC blocks their online feeds abroad due to the licencing, don't know bout Eurosport's policy)
There won't be LIVE broadcasts of any sort shown on the telly here in the States unfortunately - NBC will be televising the finals only, and for just Day 1, 7 & 8...whilst Universal Sports TV (if you can get it at all) will have only the finals on *14 hours* after the fact!
One can pay to watch both the heats and finals live on Universal online (for a very reasonable US $9.99 fee), but imo the quality of the American commentaries tend to be quite a bit behind their British counterparts.
Whilst Rowdy Gaines does know his stuff, he frequently gets wrapped up going on and on about his favourite American swimmers (Phelps, Soni, Missy etc) or pet topics, often to the detriment of adequately crediting the other international competitors or providing a balanced presentation of the personalities and strategies that shape up as the event unfolds.
And don't get me started on the 2nd commentator who's usually culled from a broadcaster whose specialisation patently lies in an area other than swimming... He inevitably displays a transparent lack of understanding of the sport, reveals his blatant bias/patriotism by getting over-excited and over-crediting the American swimmers (for example reporting that his fellow countryman/woman's the first or 2nd to hit the turn or leading in the midst of a race, whereas it's obvious to even an untrained eye that this is indeed not so!). Let's not forget either Andrea Kremmer congratulating Rebecca Soni on her *backstroke* victory in Rome - though believe it or not she's much better than that attractive blonde who reported from poolside during Pan Pacs (they need to bring Summer Saunders back for these post-race interviews).
Sorry for the rant, just had to get that off my chest - the American commentaries sometimes got so dodgy at Beijing that I had to switch to the BBC or to the Aussie broadcast!
~Alistair
Alistair, are you an English teacher?
ReplyDeleteWhat a fine piece of writing!!
After reading it, I feel like I just took a writing course.
After so many "your alright"s and "who's is that"s, your post reads like a Shakespeare, except I can actually understand yours.
(By the way, did I use the quotation marks correctly there??)
Also is the American commentary that subpar?
I haven't listened to any other English ones (would LOVE to try out Brits or Aussies, but don't know where to get them), so I have nothing to compare it to.
I think Ted Robinson is doing the play-by-play, and yes he's usually a baseball/football/tennis guy, although he's been doing the Olympics for many years, too.
Since Andrea Kremer is also back, I hope they do a better job this time.
(Not that I would notice! Apparently)
And Tom, what a wonderful idea!
Hope I can stay awake as well.
Here's to an exciting week ahead!
Thank you for your kind words Robin...and sorry for mis-spelling Andrea's surname with a double M! btw I'm actually a musician by trade lol
ReplyDeleteI should apologise (a mite ;) for the harshness of my words and tone in that rather verbose discourse with regards to the American broadcasts, as I'm sure these hard working professionals have the best of intentions and do cater well to their intended audience. "Flag waving" is of course natural and inevitable, and does creep into the play by play comments of announcers no matter from what country they originate, including the BBC.
My personal frustrations have been that the NBC/Universal swimming commentaries have generally been much more partisan than say those from the BBC, and that the 2nd commentator is usually someone who is an expert in a completely different area of the sports world. It would be fab if NBC were to team Rowdy up with someone also from the swimming community, such as Summer Saunders, Janet Evans, Garrett McCaffrey...or even Gold Medal Mel :D
Cheers,
~Alistair
Oh no no no no no. No problem at all, Alistair.
ReplyDeleteOne thing the American sports fans do all the time is complaining about the broadcasters (both their own and the opponents').
I was just stunned by how eloquently you expressed it, without using any of the "homers," "epic fail," "brutal," and "their terrible."
And I'm dead serious!
If you ARE an American, there is hope for us yet.
If you are a foreigner (Brit, perhaps??) living in the States, please help us.
My opinion has always been that as long as the networks feel that their guys are doing an adequate job, they won't change a thing (barring contract disputes and etc.)
How else to explain the longevity of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver on Fox baseball coverage?
The fans have been crying out for years, and yet there they are again, season after season.
Even after Phelps' heroics, swimming would not be high on their list to find a better caller for, I don't think.
Mainly because a) their guys doing okay, and b) swimming is on TV once a year, so who cares, right?
But if you wrote them a letter, I think you have a great shot at convincing them, with your epic grammar and massive array of vocabulary.
although I agree that Rowdy and Dan Hicks are -much- more partisan than commentators from other countries countries. My favorite (or rather least favorite) example, at Santa Clara during Park's 400m Rowdy says "The top time of this year is about Sun Yang of CHINA (great emphasis suggesting surprise or shock) witha 348.1, he's going to be close to that (but he was 3.5 seconds off". I think the NBC reporters choose a few creditted swimmers and do not follow the stars rising out of other countries like China.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the NBC commentary is still one of my favorite because Dan Hicks does a great job of commentating dramatically, which makes things very fun to watch. Also, when a break out star comes through there's more emphasis afterwards.
I also wonder, Tom, is the live stream available to viewers of other countries? Also, will the stream be saved and can we watch it after the fact (kind of like the Russian live stream)
Robin & Anon -
ReplyDeleteNever begin a sentence with "And' . It is a mortal sin to begin a paragraph with And.
The Aust broadcasts switched to a new provider but luckily Nicole is still boss. Their supporting commentators & interviewers are oung & are building up their knowledge.of swimming. Elsewhere they do the Australian football!
They have a lighter less jingoistic approach than the former broadcast team.
My view is that I think Aust have done an improved preparation with a happier team all around.
Now let the comp begin & lets see where the marbles end up.
Rowdy is the worst, he is so rabid when an american is swimming. And that's an understatement.
ReplyDeleteOh to Robin, it seems you are an observer of how english should be written even on the net, and I agree with you about alastair's impeccable english I enjoy it.
And I do apologize if my english is very subpar :(
It is my fourth language to learn.
Start Lists have finally been published!
ReplyDeletehttp://theswimmerscircle.com/blog/featured/fina-releases-psych-sheets-for-2011-world-swimming-championships/
aswimfan, your English is just dandy, man.
ReplyDeleteA fourth language! That's amazing.
I envy you. Wish I could speak a couple more.
Alistair's English is great, isn't it?
Boy oh boy, wish I could write like that, too. :D
To Anon, thanks for the tip! I won't forget.
Almost time, people!!
Looking forward to a week of fantastic swimming.
I've found a solid British Eurosport feed (it has been working for the last few days), I'll post the URL before the swimming starts. It won't matter which country you are in to view it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tom.
ReplyDeleteEurosport schedule here - http://tv.eurosport.co.uk/
A live feed! That's great.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much.
I'll get real excited once the prelims start, but right now, the Norway tragedy has shaken me pretty hard.
Perhaps the last country people would associate with violence, and something like this is committed by one of their own.
Can't believe it.
I hope no one here has been directly affected by it.
God be with the victims, survivors, and their families and countrymen right now.
I've some questions about the live chat. Im posting where it says "send questions or comments", but my comment doesn't show up until I refresh and the chat doenst refresh on its own. Is it supposed to be like that?
ReplyDeleteRobin - thank you for your humanity.
ReplyDeleteThere is a bigger world than swimming.
Also a bad meet is not a reason for a swimmer to go thru hell for .
It is just a sport & a % of any team will be below their best.
OMG I just saw a shot of the Russian Iron Maiden t-shirt dude commentating on the diving! I love him.
ReplyDeleteLive video and chat only without live video. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you come back when the swimming is actually on Anon?
ReplyDeleteWhere is the live video? Was here yesterday and it was fine -- but seems to have disappeared now.
ReplyDeleteSo ... was the 200 free a disappointment ?
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding...I loved seeing Lochte win..Hardest working man in the sport. Not looking forward to Phelps going down in the 200fly...did you see the last 10 mtrs of his semi race...needs to put in some work before he shows up for international meets
ReplyDeletePhelps going down in the 200 fly? Not so fast...
ReplyDeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteWhy are you putting the live chat on STANDBY MODE???????
ITS IN THE MIDDLE OF PRELIMS AND WE ARE DISCUSSING PHELPS IN 100 FLY.
Could you please activate the live chat... please???
ReplyDeleteThis is maddening... to watch live, and NOT being able to discuss the swimming as it goes
ReplyDeleteTom, I cannot believe you put the live chat on the standby mode, preventing us from discussing prelims as it goes live :((((((((
ReplyDeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteThe prelims ar estarting already. saturday morning.
could you please open the live chat. its still on standby
Thanks again for hosting the chats Tom! I couldn't join in over the weekend but I was relying on you lot for updates during Sun's 1500m. What a great championships - roll on 2012!
ReplyDelete