The Games of the 28th Olympiad...that Never End

Why is there an Olympic event in speedwalking? After fast-forwarding through it, I was then absolutely appalled that there was a gold medal round in TRAMPOLINE! Seriously? I'm with darling FarmWife and her disgust with the television coverage of the Women's Marathon in it's entirety.

I admire the athletes competing, but c'mon y'all...Trampoline? When did jumping and flipping on a giant springy surface become a respectable sport?

I have learned much this Olympics, as we've been using our DVR to record that which is televised on NBC and USA. We are by-passing the other 3 channels of coverage because really, who has time and motivation to watch 1300 hours of coverage? For instance, did you know that indoor track cycling is a sport of tactical advantage, and not just speed? Or, did you know that in rowing, there are repechages that allow a team a second chance to qualify for the next level? Did you know that there are substances out there that can stop trembling that are, therefore deemed illegal by the IOC?

Do you remember Mark Spitz (admittedly, this was before my time) having such a crazy hairdo and wild mustache? I was quite surprised at my being so ok with athletes making use of technology to make them more aerodynamic, streamlined, and give them a bit of mechanical advantage...and yet, we turned away an amputee from our track team because of his "mechanical" advantage...what's wrong with that picture?

Ehh...perhaps I have simply decided that 2 weeks of athletic events is about 10 days too much for me...I'd much rather have them cover the events such as gymnastics, swimming, and beach volleyball, and be done with it...