Great Britain today celebrates its highest gold medal total at an Olympic Games since 1908, and they're still going. Meanwhile, Team Apterous's latest competitor tries what should be, but isn't, the newest Olympic sport...
C1: Champion Anthea Rata (1 win, 93 points) made an impressive score yesterday on her debut, spotting the nine-letter word ELONGATED.
C2: Challenger Grant Waters provided us with this picture, which we'd all assumed didn't exist - a non-rubbish version of that blurry one. The flange of apterites that has been alluded to over the past few days are still in the audience, and a hasty application of ink has transformed the "GO GRAEME" sign that they were kind enough to make into one that says "GO GRANT".
DC: Susie Dent and Mark Foster.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T M C L E A O S U
R02: Q R S E A I M E T
R03: D Z T I O S P E I
R04: F R B U O I K N A
R05: 50, 100, 4, 6, 7, 9. Target: 408.
TTT: GAGEHOUR - "Guess how old someone is, it'll do you good."
R06: R N G E I A R D E
R07: L M S R L O I A E
R08: S L N Y I E O I T
R09: G W N S A O E C A
R10: 25, 6, 5, 6, 1, 7. Target: 624.
TTT: FOULCOPS - "It's how you were served mashed potato at school."
R11: T P B E I R N E L
R12: D F R I A O T A X
R13: H R D G E A U N O
R14: 100, 6, 3, 5, 7, 3. Target: 454.
R15: E M U S B R A I N (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T M C L E A O S U
C1: LACTOSE (7)
C2: mascule
DC: MUSCATEL (8) SOULMATE (8)
OT: CALUMETS (8) CUSTOMAL (8) LEUCOMAS (8) OSCULATE (8)
Score: 7–0 (max 8)
I told you this was a good idea. Don't let anyone tell you that the Countdown team never listen to our suggestions. But the bad news from the point of view of Team Apterous is that red flag means Grant's opening word isn't valid, so it's first blood to Anthea.
Round 2: Q R S E A I M E T
C1: STEAMER (7)
C2: STEAMIER (8)
DC: EMIRATES (8)
Score: 7–8 (max 16)
But a slip from Anthea means Grant gets off the mark and is now in front.
Round 3: D Z T I O S P E I
C1: DOZIEST (7)
C2: DOPIEST (7)
DC: DEPOSIT (7) TOPSIDE (7)
OT: IODIZES (7) POSITED (7) ZOISITE (7)
Score: 14–15 (max 23)
A few sevens available, and both contestants find one.
Round 4: F R B U O I K N A
C1: BRINK (5)
C2: FRANK (5)
DC: UNFAIR (6)
OT: FUNKIA (6) KORUNA (6)
Score: 19–20 (max 29)
Fives each, and Mark finds UNFAIR. FUNKIA is a plant, and KORUNA is the currency of the Czech Republic.
Round 5: 50, 100, 4, 6, 7, 9. Target: 408.
C1: 408. 4*100+9+6-7 (10)
C2: 408. 4*100+9+6-7 (10)
Score: 29–30 (max 39)
And a straightforward numbers game means there's still only one point in it at the anecdote. Mark talks about life in the Olympic Village.
Teatime teaser: GAGEHOUR -> ROUGHAGE
Round 6: R N G E I A R D E
C1: REREADING (18)
C2: REREADING (18)
DC: GARDENER (8) REGAINED (8) GRENADIER (18)
Score: 47–48 (max 57)
Wahey, Grant and Anthea bag 18 points each. The "GO GRANT" letters get waved about a bit.
Round 7: L M S R L O I A E
C1: MORALISE (8)
C2: MORALISE (8)
Score: 55–56 (max 65)
MORALISE is the only eight there, but both contestants spot it. Grant's defending his lead, but for how much longer?
Round 8: S L N Y I E O I T
C1: OILIEST (7)
C2: TONSIL (6)
DC: NOISILY (7) LIONISE (7)
OT: SENILITY (8)
Score: 62–56 (max 73)
Anthea regains the lead with OILIEST as Grant can only find TONSIL.
Round 9: G W N S A O E C A
C1: WAGONS (6)
C2: WAGES (5)
DC: CONGAS (6)
OT: CANOES (6) CONGES (6) GASCON (6) GENOAS (6) GOWANS (6) OCEANS (6) SOCAGE (6)
Score: 68–56 (max 79)
And Grant's stuck on five in this round as Anthea goes twelve in front. Team Apterous have got a bit of work to do...
Round 10: 25, 6, 5, 6, 1, 7. Target: 624.
C1: -
C2: 624. (6-1)*5*25-(7-6) (10)
Score: 68–66 (max 89)
And Grant spots the numbers to close the gap. Anthea's strength is on the letters, so regaining that lead is going to prove tricky.
Teatime teaser: FOULCOPS -> SCOOPFUL
Round 11: T P B E I R N E L
C1: TRIPLE (6)
C2: pinter
DC: REPTILE (7)
OT: PERLITE (7)
Score: 74–66 (max 96)
A further setback for Grant and Team Apterous as he gets his second red flag of the game and Anthea goes further in front.
Round 12: D F R I A O T A X
C1: AFRAID (6)
C2: AFRAID (6)
DC: ADROIT (6)
OT: ADRIFT (6)
Score: 80–72 (max 102)
Maxes for both players, and Anthea still holds on to her eight-point lead.
Round 13: H R D G E A U N O
C1: UNHEARD (7)
C2: UNHEARD (7)
DC: GURNED (6) AGROUND (7)
OT: GROANED (7) GUERDON (7) NURAGHE (7) RONDEAU (7) ROUGHED (7) ROUGHEN (7) UNDERGO (7)
Score: 87–79 (max 109)
Anthea's only lost two letters rounds in as many games, so if Grant's going to regain the lead it was probably going to be on numbers. Both players spot the max again in round 13.
Round 14: 100, 6, 3, 5, 7, 3. Target: 454.
C1: -
C2: 455. 5*100-(7*6+3) (7)
RR: 454. (100-(3/3+7))*5-6 (10)
Score: 87–86 (max 119)
But Grant's solution isn't perfect, so all he can do is close the gap down to one point.
The lights dim... the audience falls silent... the Olympic flame itself flickers momentarily in recognition of the occasion...
Round 15: E M U S B R A I N
C2 buzzes on 11 seconds to say SUBMARINE which is correct.
Final Score: 87–96 (max 129)
Grant grabs it on 11 seconds, the audience cheers and applauds, and the constituent parts of the "GO GRANT" sign get waved once again. Team Apterous celebrates another victory. And although we have a natural tendency to cheer on apterous players, let's not take anything away from Anthea - she's been quite a strong letters player, and if her numbers had been as good as that she would have beaten Grant and a lot of other players too. Join James tomorrow to find out if Grant can get another win.
Further summaries are at:
http://www.apterous.org/cdb/series.php?series=67
