Things I've been wondering about the Olympics

[alarimer]

1. Water Polo.

Where do these players play between Olympics? Now it looks like fun but is there some professional water polo league out there anywhere? Beach volleyball players have the AVP tours. But I wonder about other team sports like indoor volleyball and water polo.

2. Team Handball

This is remarkably like water polo, only without the water. I went to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta (had a great time) but I couldn't afford tickets to the popular events so I ended up at team handball and some of the early rounds of baseball, volleyball (indoor) and rowing.

3. Beach Volleyball

Correct me if I am wrong but May/Walsh have won 50% of the gold medals in women's beach volleyball. It was irritating that the announcers kept saying they were the winningest team in beach volleyball in Olympic history. Which is true but that history only goes back to 1996. A small quibble.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Questions of my own:

1. Why do runners in the track and field events have to start from that awkward crouching position?

2. What is it about Jamaica that makes such a small country produce such great track stars?

3. I understand the physics of pole vaulting, but not the physics of the high jump. How can a person jump nearly his own height without a pole?

[SoxFan]

2. Water polo clubs

Seriously.

When an athlete finishes his or her NCAA eligibility, they join an amateur program.

http://www.usawaterpolo.org/NationalTeams/MensNationalTeam.aspx
http://www.usawaterpolo.org/NationalTeams/WomensNationalTeam.aspx