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 Flame +131.28571% |
 Dream Team +126.95238% |
 Mr Prawn +109.91667% |
 Calculatrix +106.28571% |
 Cuz Bill +77.28351% |
 Zach Zabriskie +61.78571% |
 Lord Playfair +50.33333% |
 Cousin Dolores +12.53747% |
 Richard Laughton +8.74206% |
 Chuck the Czech +7.58840% |
 Lady Pippa Jones +6.01555% |
 Ubehebe +4.44588% |
 Green Tea +2.31561% |
 Not Alice -8.05106% |
 Logs4symmetry -8.29762% |
 John Ross -14.99809% |
 Whitney Portal -19.30874% |
 |
Flame wins the eternal glory of winning a contest at Laughton.org and this wristwatch, a prize inspired by NBC's broadcasts of the Olympic Games in the USA. Celebrating beets in the way that only a wristwatch can, it's a promotional product for Schrute Farms, the fictional beet farm and bed-and-breakfast on NBC's The Office that - according to rumor - is destined to be the setting of its own spinoff series in 2013. Yes, we do our research. The watch comes in its own tin, and a warranty/instruction brochure is included. |
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Second-place contestant Dream Team wins something to help her attain the top position in our next contest. The Fantod Pack by Edward Gorey is a tarot-style card deck that may be useful for predicting the outcome of future sporting events. Featuring such individual images as loss of hair, thwarted ambitions, and shriveling, it expresses the disappointment of finishing in second place while simultaneously reminding the owner that things could be even worse. |
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Third-place contestant Mr Prawn wins a container of Zany Zinc colored sunscreen. After carefully checking the inventory, the crack contest staff assures him that yellow was the zaniest color available. |
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Medals per Day | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Medals per Day | |
| United States of America | 46 | 29 | 29 | 104 | 6.50000 | People's Republic of China | 38 | 27 | 22 | 87 | 5.43750 | |
| Great Britain | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 4.06250 | Russian Federation | 24 | 25 | 33 | 82 | 5.12500 | |
| Republic of Korea | 13 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 1.75000 | Germany | 11 | 19 | 14 | 44 | 2.75000 | |
| France | 11 | 11 | 12 | 34 | 2.12500 | Italy | 8 | 9 | 11 | 28 | 1.75000 | |
| Hungary | 8 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 1.06250 | Australia | 7 | 16 | 12 | 35 | 2.18750 | |
| Japan | 7 | 14 | 17 | 38 | 2.37500 | Kazakhstan | 7 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 0.81250 | |
| Netherlands | 6 | 6 | 8 | 20 | 1.25000 | Ukraine | 6 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 1.25000 | |
| Cuba | 5 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 0.87500 | New Zealand | 5 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 0.81250 | |
| Islamic Republic of Iran | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 0.75000 | Jamaica | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 0.75000 | |
| Czech Republic | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0.62500 | Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0.37500 | |
| Spain | 3 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 1.06250 | Brazil | 3 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 1.06250 | |
| Belarus | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 0.81250 | South Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | |
| Ethiopia | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | Croatia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0.37500 | |
| Romania | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 0.56250 | Kenya | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 0.68750 | |
| Denmark | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 0.56250 | Poland | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | |
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | Turkey | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0.31250 | |
| Switzerland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.25000 | Lithuania | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0.31250 | |
| Norway | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0.25000 | Canada | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 1.12500 | |
| Sweden | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | Colombia | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0.50000 | |
| Georgia | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | Mexico | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | |
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | Slovenia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | |
| Serbia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | Argentina | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | |
| Tunisia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.18750 | Dominican Republic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0.25000 | Uzbekistan | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0.25000 | |
| Latvia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | Algeria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | |
| Bahamas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | Uganda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | |
| Venezuela | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | Grenada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | |
| India | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | Mongolia | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | |
| Thailand | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.18750 | Egypt | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | |
| Slovakia | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.25000 | Armenia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | |
| Belgium | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | Finland | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | |
| Chinese Taipei | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | Estonia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | |
| Malaysia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | Bulgaria | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | |
| Puerto Rico | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | Indonesia | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | |
| Portugal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | Montenegro | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | |
| Botswana | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | Cyprus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | |
| Guatemala | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | Gabon | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | |
| Republic of Moldova | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | Qatar | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | |
| Singapore | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | Greece | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | |
| Morocco | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | Saudi Arabia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | |
| Kuwait | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | Bahrain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | |
| Afghanistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | Tajikistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | |
| Hong Kong | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | |||||||
| +8.74206349% | Tiebreaker: 02:08:48 | Entry #1 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Milton, Ontario, Canada | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Denmark | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 0.56250 | +28.57143% | |
| Argentina | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | -33.33333% | |
| Mexico | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.18750 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | +133.33333% | |
| Switzerland | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.25000 | -33.33333% | |
| Canada | 3 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 1.12500 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 1.12500 | 0.00000% | |
| Romania | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 0.56250 | +12.50000% | |
| Norway | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 0.62500 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0.25000 | -60.00000% | |
| Georgia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0.37500 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | +16.66667% | |
| Kenya | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 0.87500 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 0.68750 | -21.42857% | |
| New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0.56250 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 0.81250 | +44.44444% | |
The way I see this contest, it is like a horse race. The big winners from the past are likely going to be the losers by the percentage calculations - possibly having a negative value [USA: (110-112)/112*100)= -1.7] whereas the little guys will surge [THA: (8-4)/4*100=+100]. Good luck everyone! | ||||||||||||
| +77.28350453% | Tiebreaker: 02:05:48 | Entry #2 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Bristow, Virginia, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Great Britain | 19 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 2.93750 | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 4.06250 | +38.29787% | |
| Australia | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 | 2.87500 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 35 | 2.18750 | -23.91304% | |
| United States of America | 36 | 38 | 36 | 110 | 6.87500 | 46 | 29 | 29 | 104 | 6.50000 | -5.45455% | |
| Japan | 9 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 1.56250 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 38 | 2.37500 | +52.00000% | |
| Kenya | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 0.87500 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 0.68750 | -21.42857% | |
| Canada | 3 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 1.12500 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 1.12500 | 0.00000% | |
| Islamic Republic of Iran | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 0.75000 | +500.00000% | |
| India | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | +100.00000% | |
| Mexico | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.18750 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | +133.33333% | |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0.37500 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0.37500 | 0.00000% | |
No chance again this year | ||||||||||||
| +7.58840156% | Tiebreaker: 02:06:56 | Entry #3 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Chantilly, Virginia, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| People's Republic of China | 51 | 21 | 28 | 100 | 6.25000 | 38 | 27 | 22 | 87 | 5.43750 | -13.00000% | |
| Russian Federation | 23 | 21 | 28 | 72 | 4.50000 | 24 | 25 | 33 | 82 | 5.12500 | +13.88889% | |
| Georgia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0.37500 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | +16.66667% | |
| Ukraine | 7 | 5 | 15 | 27 | 1.68750 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 1.25000 | -25.92593% | |
| Belarus | 4 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 1.18750 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 0.81250 | -31.57895% | |
| Romania | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 0.56250 | +12.50000% | |
| Poland | 3 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0.62500 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | 0.00000% | |
| Hungary | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 0.62500 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 1.06250 | +70.00000% | |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.37500 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0.62500 | +66.66667% | |
| Slovakia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.25000 | -33.33333% | |
No comment | ||||||||||||
| -14.99809066% | Tiebreaker: 02:06:10 | Entry #4 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Mongolia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.25000 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | +25.00000% | |
| Germany | 16 | 10 | 15 | 41 | 2.56250 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 44 | 2.75000 | +7.31707% | |
| Kazakhstan | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 0.81250 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 0.81250 | 0.00000% | |
| Turkey | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0.31250 | -37.50000% | |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | -60.00000% | |
| Indonesia | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | -60.00000% | |
| Cuba | 2 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 1.50000 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 0.87500 | -41.66667% | |
| Brazil | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 0.93750 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 1.06250 | +13.33333% | |
| Jamaica | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 0.68750 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 0.75000 | +9.09091% | |
| Spain | 5 | 10 | 3 | 18 | 1.12500 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 1.06250 | -5.55556% | |
Make it up as you go along | ||||||||||||
| -8.05105956% | Tiebreaker: 02:07:32 | Entry #5 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Carney, Maryland, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| United States of America | 36 | 38 | 36 | 110 | 6.87500 | 46 | 29 | 29 | 104 | 6.50000 | -5.45455% | |
| Slovakia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.25000 | -33.33333% | |
| Switzerland | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.25000 | -33.33333% | |
| Lithuania | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0.31250 | 0.00000% | |
| Germany | 16 | 10 | 15 | 41 | 2.56250 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 44 | 2.75000 | +7.31707% | |
| Cuba | 2 | 11 | 11 | 24 | 1.50000 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 0.87500 | -41.66667% | |
| Canada | 3 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 1.12500 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 1.12500 | 0.00000% | |
| Kenya | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 0.87500 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 0.68750 | -21.42857% | |
| Jamaica | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 0.68750 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 0.75000 | +9.09091% | |
| Great Britain | 19 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 2.93750 | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 4.06250 | +38.29787% | |
| +131.28571429% | Tiebreaker: 02:02:02 | Entry #6 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
 Louisville, Nebraska, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0.43750 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | +42.85714% | |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | +50.00000% | |
| India | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | +100.00000% | |
| Islamic Republic of Iran | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 0.75000 | +500.00000% | |
| South Africa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | +500.00000% | |
| Singapore | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | +100.00000% | |
| Israel | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00000 | -100.00000% | |
| Croatia | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0.37500 | +20.00000% | |
| Serbia | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | +33.33333% | |
| Ireland | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | +66.66667% | |
| +106.28571429% | Tiebreaker: 02:03:00 | Entry #7 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Arlington, Virginia, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Israel | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00000 | -100.00000% | |
| Singapore | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | +100.00000% | |
| South Africa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | +500.00000% | |
| Austria | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00000 | -100.00000% | |
| Greece | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | -50.00000% | |
| Croatia | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0.37500 | +20.00000% | |
| Islamic Republic of Iran | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 0.75000 | +500.00000% | |
| India | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | +100.00000% | |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | +50.00000% | |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0.43750 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | +42.85714% | |
I hope there are some pleasant surprises. | ||||||||||||
| +126.95238095% | Tiebreaker: 02:03:30 | Entry #8 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Niagara Falls, New York, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0.43750 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | +42.85714% | |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | +50.00000% | |
| India | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | +100.00000% | |
| Islamic Republic of Iran | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 0.75000 | +500.00000% | |
| Sweden | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0.31250 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | +60.00000% | |
| Greece | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | -50.00000% | |
| Ireland | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | +66.66667% | |
| South Africa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | +500.00000% | |
| Singapore | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | +100.00000% | |
| Israel | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00000 | -100.00000% | |
| +109.91666667% | Tiebreaker: 02:06:15 | Entry #9 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Where am I? | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Hungary | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 0.62500 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 1.06250 | +70.00000% | |
| Romania | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 0.56250 | +12.50000% | |
| Greece | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.12500 | -50.00000% | |
| Sweden | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0.31250 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | +60.00000% | |
| Islamic Republic of Iran | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 0.75000 | +500.00000% | |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | -60.00000% | |
| Morocco | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | -50.00000% | |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.37500 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0.62500 | +66.66667% | |
| South Africa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | +500.00000% | |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | +50.00000% | |
Mr Prawn went trawling through the Olympic medal tables from 2004, 2000 and 1996 looking for teams that usually do better than they did in 2008. | ||||||||||||
| +12.53747279% | Tiebreaker: 02:07:10 | Entry #10 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Baltimore, Maryland, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| United States of America | 36 | 38 | 36 | 110 | 6.87500 | 46 | 29 | 29 | 104 | 6.50000 | -5.45455% | |
| Australia | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 | 2.87500 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 35 | 2.18750 | -23.91304% | |
| Great Britain | 19 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 2.93750 | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 4.06250 | +38.29787% | |
| Norway | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 0.62500 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0.25000 | -60.00000% | |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.37500 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0.62500 | +66.66667% | |
| Poland | 3 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0.62500 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | 0.00000% | |
| Brazil | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 0.93750 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 1.06250 | +13.33333% | |
| Ethiopia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0.43750 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | 0.00000% | |
| New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0.56250 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 0.81250 | +44.44444% | |
| Japan | 9 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 1.56250 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 38 | 2.37500 | +52.00000% | |
| -8.29761905% | Tiebreaker: 02:10:00 | Entry #11 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Ashtabula, Ohio, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| India | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | +100.00000% | |
| Estonia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0.00000% | |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | +50.00000% | |
| Latvia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.18750 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | -33.33333% | |
| Finland | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | -25.00000% | |
| Indonesia | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | -60.00000% | |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0.25000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00000 | -100.00000% | |
| Turkey | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0.31250 | -37.50000% | |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0.43750 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | +42.85714% | |
| Slovenia | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0.31250 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | -20.00000% | |
Arithmetic percentage changes overweight increases in the average score. OK, you can compensate for not using natural logarithms by monitoring my progress instantaneously. | ||||||||||||
| -19.30874090% | Tiebreaker: 02:05:44 | Entry #12 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
somewhere on Rt.190 | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0.43750 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | +42.85714% | |
| Jamaica | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 0.68750 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 0.75000 | +9.09091% | |
| Thailand | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0.25000 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.18750 | -25.00000% | |
| Tajikistan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | -50.00000% | |
| Ethiopia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0.43750 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | 0.00000% | |
| Israel | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00000 | -100.00000% | |
| Slovakia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.25000 | -33.33333% | |
| Great Britain | 19 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 2.93750 | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 4.06250 | +38.29787% | |
| France | 7 | 16 | 17 | 40 | 2.50000 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 34 | 2.12500 | -15.00000% | |
| Indonesia | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | -60.00000% | |
Way to go, Wiggo! | ||||||||||||
| +2.31560711% | Tiebreaker: 02:03:20 | Entry #13 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Los Angeles, California, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| People's Republic of China | 51 | 21 | 28 | 100 | 6.25000 | 38 | 27 | 22 | 87 | 5.43750 | -13.00000% | |
| United States of America | 36 | 38 | 36 | 110 | 6.87500 | 46 | 29 | 29 | 104 | 6.50000 | -5.45455% | |
| Russian Federation | 23 | 21 | 28 | 72 | 4.50000 | 24 | 25 | 33 | 82 | 5.12500 | +13.88889% | |
| Great Britain | 19 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 2.93750 | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 4.06250 | +38.29787% | |
| Germany | 16 | 10 | 15 | 41 | 2.56250 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 44 | 2.75000 | +7.31707% | |
| Jamaica | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 0.68750 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 0.75000 | +9.09091% | |
| Kenya | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 0.87500 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 0.68750 | -21.42857% | |
| Ethiopia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0.43750 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | 0.00000% | |
| Canada | 3 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 1.12500 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 1.12500 | 0.00000% | |
| Spain | 5 | 10 | 3 | 18 | 1.12500 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 17 | 1.06250 | -5.55556% | |
| +61.78571429% | Tiebreaker: 02:04:57 | Entry #14 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Perth, Australia | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Morocco | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | -50.00000% | |
| Finland | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | -25.00000% | |
| South Africa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | +500.00000% | |
| Lithuania | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0.31250 | 0.00000% | |
| Argentina | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 0.37500 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.25000 | -33.33333% | |
| Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0.37500 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0.37500 | 0.00000% | |
| Mexico | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.18750 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | +133.33333% | |
| Malaysia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | +100.00000% | |
| Portugal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | -50.00000% | |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 0.43750 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 0.62500 | +42.85714% | |
| +4.44588261% | Tiebreaker: 02:04:20 | Entry #15 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
37N 117W | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Japan | 9 | 6 | 10 | 25 | 1.56250 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 38 | 2.37500 | +52.00000% | |
| Australia | 14 | 15 | 17 | 46 | 2.87500 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 35 | 2.18750 | -23.91304% | |
| Germany | 16 | 10 | 15 | 41 | 2.56250 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 44 | 2.75000 | +7.31707% | |
| Great Britain | 19 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 2.93750 | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 4.06250 | +38.29787% | |
| Italy | 8 | 10 | 10 | 28 | 1.75000 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 28 | 1.75000 | 0.00000% | |
| United States of America | 36 | 38 | 36 | 110 | 6.87500 | 46 | 29 | 29 | 104 | 6.50000 | -5.45455% | |
| Russian Federation | 23 | 21 | 28 | 72 | 4.50000 | 24 | 25 | 33 | 82 | 5.12500 | +13.88889% | |
| Republic of Korea | 13 | 10 | 8 | 31 | 1.93750 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 1.75000 | -9.67742% | |
| People's Republic of China | 51 | 21 | 28 | 100 | 6.25000 | 38 | 27 | 22 | 87 | 5.43750 | -13.00000% | |
| France | 7 | 16 | 17 | 40 | 2.50000 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 34 | 2.12500 | -15.00000% | |
| +6.01555268% | Tiebreaker: 02:07:42 | Entry #16 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0.37500 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0.62500 | +66.66667% | |
| Brazil | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 0.93750 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 1.06250 | +13.33333% | |
| Belarus | 4 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 1.18750 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 0.81250 | -31.57895% | |
| Romania | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 0.56250 | +12.50000% | |
| Canada | 3 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 1.12500 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 1.12500 | 0.00000% | |
| France | 7 | 16 | 17 | 40 | 2.50000 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 34 | 2.12500 | -15.00000% | |
| Ukraine | 7 | 5 | 15 | 27 | 1.68750 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 1.25000 | -25.92593% | |
| Germany | 16 | 10 | 15 | 41 | 2.56250 | 11 | 19 | 14 | 44 | 2.75000 | +7.31707% | |
| Great Britain | 19 | 13 | 15 | 47 | 2.93750 | 29 | 17 | 19 | 65 | 4.06250 | +38.29787% | |
| United States of America | 36 | 38 | 36 | 110 | 6.87500 | 46 | 29 | 29 | 104 | 6.50000 | -5.45455% | |
| +50.33333333% | Tiebreaker: 02:09:19 | Entry #17 | ||||||||||
| 2008 Results | 2012 Results | |||||||||||
Orkney Islands, Scotland | Country | G | S | B | T | MPD | G | S | B | T | MPD | Change |
| Austria | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00000 | -100.00000% | |
| Belgium | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.18750 | +50.00000% | |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.31250 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | -60.00000% | |
| Chile | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00000 | -100.00000% | |
| Estonia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0.00000% | |
| Hungary | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 0.62500 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 1.06250 | +70.00000% | |
| Mexico | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.18750 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0.43750 | +133.33333% | |
| Morocco | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.12500 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.06250 | -50.00000% | |
| South Africa | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.06250 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0.37500 | +500.00000% | |
| Sweden | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0.31250 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0.50000 | +60.00000% | |
Lord Playfair has spent many years mastering the ancient and deadly martial art of the Scottish Highlands, Kungle MacPhoo, which he uses to enforce rules and settle disputes online. As Contest Manager at Laughton.org he is ineligible to receive a prize even if he outscores everyone else. | ||||||||||||
To the degree possible using the London 2012 Mascot Editor, avatars reflect the actual appearance of the associated contestants.
The challenge is to predict which countries will improve their medal count in the 2012 London Olympics over the 2008 Olympics on a percentage basis. Simply choose ten countries that each won at least one medal in the 2008 Olympics. Your score will be based on the difference between the number of medals your countries win in this year's Olympics and the number of medals they won in 2008. All medals count equally in this contest whether gold, silver, or bronze.
Official medal counts from the 2012 London Olympics will be compared against 2008 results. The percent gain (or loss) will be computed for each country on your list, and then all ten percentages will be averaged to compute your score. Highest score wins. That's all!
OK, that's not all. To be perfectly clear, the formula for computing each country's percentage gain is:
| (medals in 2012) - (medals in 2008) | x 100 |
Fortunately for you, the crack contest staff at Laughton.org does all the calculating, but we won't divide by zero, so you may only choose countries which earned at least one medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Our official source for the list of eligible countries is the Medal Tally page of the China Daily. For current results our official source will be the London 2012 website. The results of this contest will be final at the conclusion of the Olympic closing ceremony. Even though medals may be revoked months or even years after the competition, Laughton.org will not alter the standings in its own contest after the Olympic torch is extinguished.
In addition to choosing ten countries, each player will provide a prediction for the winning time of the men's marathon. In the event of a tie in the medal score, the winner will be the player whose prediction is closest to the actual time, regardless of whether the prediction is higher or lower than the winning time. In the highly improbable event that a tie remains after the tiebreaker is considered, the player whose entry was received earlier by Laughton.org will be the winner.
As usual, we'll post the roster of contestants on this page and update their standings throughout the Olympic competition. However, if we computed percentage gains and losses compared against the final results from 2008, almost all scores would be negative until the last few days of competition. Such a display would infuriate contestants, and Laughton.org is eager to prevent its first online riot. Therefore, to make interim results more meaningful and less provocative, we will calculate a running medals-per-day (MPD) rate for each country and compare it against the corresponding rate during the 2008 Olympics to determine the country's percentage gain or loss. As the 2012 Olympic competition in London progresses, each country's MPD will be recalculated using partial days and all interim scores will be recalculated in double precision at whatever intervals prove to be convenient for the crack contest staff. Only days on which medals are awarded will be used for calcluation purposes, and - in a stroke of luck of Olympian proportions - the number of days is 16 for both the 2008 and 2012 games.
Send your entry by e-mail to contest@laughton.org in the following format. Failure to adhere to the format may cause your entry to be rejected.
If the Subject line of your message does not contain the words "contest entry" your entry may be blocked by our spam filter, so this is not the place to get creative.
Player name is the identifier which will be displayed on the contest page next to your results. It may be any name you choose, even if it's your real name (we don't make much use of reality here at Laughton.org, but don't let that stop you). Please use no more than 32 characters.
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Location is the city, state, province, and/or country where you live or work, or it may be the city, state, province, and/or country where you'd like people who read this page to think you live or work.
Countries are the ten countries you've chosen for your entry. Please put one per line in your e-mail. You may use full names or the official Olympic abbreviations as shown on the China Daily's medal tally page.
Tiebreaker prediction must be in hh:mm:ss form. To assist you in making your prediction, we'll inform you that the winning time of the men's marathon was 02:06:32 in 2008, 02:10:55 in 2004, and 02:10:11 in 2000.
Comments are comments. Perhaps you have something to say about the Olympics, sport in general, Laughton.org's contests, or the Internet as a whole. Your comments are unlimited, but the patience of the crack contest staff is not, so lengthy texts may be edited, truncated, or deleted. Furthermore, racist, sexist, or otherwise scurrilous comments are prohibited. We run a family-friendly site, so we cannot go into detail about what happens when players submit offensive comments, but we can assure you that such players do not win contests at Laughton.org.
An example of a properly formatted entry appears at right. Only one entry is permitted per e-mail address. If you have more than one address, you may submit one entry from each; if you do, please use a different Player Name for each. Should you submit an entry and then want to revise it, simply submit a new entry from the same address; the new entry will overwrite the previous one. And please type legibly.
Entries must be received no later than July 24, 2012. There will be no extensions. That's all.
No extensions.
At the end of the 2012 London Olympics, the winning player will receive a small prize and the eternal glory of winning a contest at Laughton.org. If there are many entries, second- and third-place prizes may be awarded. Such prizes will be even smaller than the first-place prize and may result in only temporary glory.