Rachel Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 The women's Super-G final was crazy. A skier from the Czech Republic came out of nowhere to win, and her response at the end of the run (disbelief and incomprehension, for quite a while) was fantastic. I saw that, she was ranked pretty low so figured she had no shot. Apparently she is a snowboarder too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIN MOUSA Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 I saw that, she was ranked pretty low so figured she had no shot. Apparently she is a snowboarder too. And she's better at snowboarding than skiing. Competing in two sports at a single Olympics is impressive enough, but winning the one that is not your best? Next level. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 And she's better at snowboarding than skiing. Competing in two sports at a single Olympics is impressive enough, but winning the one that is not your best? Next level. No kidding, a true athlete! I read that when she saw her name go to the top of the leader board she asked her coach is that was right. I’d just like to be competitive in one sport on a local level. 😊 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Here is the story of biathlon. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Is anyone else a little wigged out by the backwards skiing in Freestyle skiing slopestyle? Going into a jump backwards just scares me, and landing backwards is wild, too. :leaving: It's very exciting, but totally counter-intuitive for me. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Oh, and one of the Swiss freestyle skiers has the world record for fastest backwards skiing - 131 km/hr or 81 mph. All I can ask is, "Why?!!!" :scared: 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Is anyone else a little wigged out by the backwards skiing in Freestyle skiing slopestyle? Going into a jump backwards just scares me, and landing backwards is wild, too. :leaving: It's very exciting, but totally counter-intuitive for me. Earlier today on one of those jumps the guy was way high up and landed wrong, on his tailbone. He stood up afterword, but I was shocked he hadn’t broken his back. That fall had to have hurt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Am I the only one who isn’t watching? :leaving: I’m not. It’s basically different kinds of sliding. I’ll watch skating that involves choreography, but after that I’m out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 I’m not. It’s basically different kinds of sliding. I’ll watch skating that involves choreography, but after that I’m out. she said, proving she obviously doesn’t watch the Olympics. :lol: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Who was watching Shaun White in the halfpipe final? We were screaming so loud when his score came up! And it's so fitting that he won the 100th all-time Olympic gold for Team USA!!! Shaun White freaks me out a little because it’s weird to see a dude walking around with my hair. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 (edited) Here is a story of commitment to exercise, I guess. The father to Swiss freestyle skier, Muller, cycled from Europe to Korea to meet his son at the games. He quit his job last year so he could do the bike ride. I think it might be neat to start giving awards for some siblings, parents and grandparents of olympic athletes. There are some really interesting stories out there. Cross-country skier Klaebo, was trained solely by his grandfather for most of his life. Edited February 18, 2018 by wintermom 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 For those of you who watched the team figure skating event and saw the Canadian dance pair, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, skate their long program to the song "Roxanne," here is a video describing how they chose the music and story, and how the choreography was developed. It's very interesting the depth of thought and planning so many people put into a few minutes of skating. Happily, we'll all get to watch it again in the skate dance event!! https://olympics.cbc.ca/news/article/virtue-and-moir-face-epic-ice-dance-battle.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 (edited) I'm enjoying the crowd at the Freestyle skiing men's aerials event as much as the skiers themselves. There are some crazy coloured hair, hats and personalities. :laugh: Edited February 18, 2018 by wintermom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 (edited) It’s 7:20, is anyone watching figure skating now? It’s supposed to be on NBC but isn’t. Before I sign up for a free trial to a service I’m checking to see if I’m just being impatient. Edit: signed up for YouTube tv. Hopefully I’ll get to watch some ice skating or ice dancing! Edited February 19, 2018 by Rach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 I think that it will be on at 8:00 pm. Right now speed skating is airing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 (edited) I think that it will be on at 8:00 pm. Right now speed skating is airing. You're lucky! It's curling on the air now. Someone mentioned their dh thought figure skating was like watching paint dry. He needs to check out curling before he makes that claim. This sport is actually watching dried paint under the ice. :lol: Edited February 19, 2018 by wintermom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 (edited) Here is a very cool little test of a biathlon's focus while shooting (not for the faint of heart). All swearing is in Norwegian, so don't translate. :laugh: It is very funny. www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3IC3dw1Vls Edited February 19, 2018 by wintermom 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 It’s 7:20, is anyone watching figure skating now? It’s supposed to be on NBC but isn’t. Before I sign up for a free trial to a service I’m checking to see if I’m just being impatient. Edit: signed up for YouTube tv. Hopefully I’ll get to watch some ice skating or ice dancing! If you download the NBC Olympics app or log in on the website, you can watch different things live or see previously aired events on demand. You have a limited amount of free viewing and then just log in with your YouTube trial info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 If you download the NBC Olympics app or log in on the website, you can watch different things live or see previously aired events on demand. You have a limited amount of free viewing and then just log in with your YouTube trial info. Somehow I watched one brief clip and used up all my free viewing? YouTube rescued me! Now to just remember to cancel next Sat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 I'm getting increasingly annoyed at the poor sound quality from the figure skating reporting. I get it's a huge ice hall but the acoustics are so poor. Or maybe it's just in the CBC feed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Um CBC didn't preview the video and did a full close up of the French couple's wardrobe malfunction, complete with nipple :ohmy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMommy Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Um CBC didn't preview the video and did a full close up of the French couple's wardrobe malfunction, complete with nipple :ohmy: Saw the same on the NBCSN coverage. I feel so bad for that woman! And if they hadn't replayed it, I would have thought it was just a minor costuming error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Eek. The poor woman. Would be safer if they had flesh-colored coverage like some of the other skaters have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 You're lucky! It's curling on the air now. Someone mentioned their dh thought figure skating was like watching paint dry. He needs to check out curling before he makes that claim. This sport is actually watching dried paint under the ice. :lol: But curling can be a lot of fun. You just have to get into the action. When the stone is released, you jump up from your chair and simulate the sweeping motion, then you bend way down and sit on your haunches watching the stone get to the button. It provides wonderful evening exercise. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 (edited) But curling can be a lot of fun. You just have to get into the action. When the stone is released, you jump up from your chair and simulate the sweeping motion, then you bend way down and sit on your haunches watching the stone get to the button. It provides wonderful evening exercise. I know that watching and playing curling appeals to a lot of people. (I'm from western Canada where curling rivals hockey in popularity) However, compared to most other winter olympic sports it is not as fast and exciting. And I don't like sweeping for practical purposes at the best of times. I need to avoid all the dust and cleaning so I have time and energy to go ski. ;) Edited February 19, 2018 by wintermom 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 I'm getting increasingly annoyed at the poor sound quality from the figure skating reporting. I get it's a huge ice hall but the acoustics are so poor. Or maybe it's just in the CBC feed? The sound on the NBC feed was fine. I must have gone to bed before the French couple performed. How mortifying for that girl! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 (edited) I think it's really cool that the top 3 skate dance pairs all train in Montreal (Canada, France and US), and they all work with the same couple; Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon. I just wonder how that plays out on a weekly basis, though? Are they friends, rivals, or just tolerate each other's presence? Edited February 19, 2018 by wintermom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I think it's really cool that the top 3 skate dance pairs all train in Montreal (Canada, France and US), and they all work with the same couple; Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon. I just wonder how that plays out on a weekly basis, though? Are they friends, rivals, or just tolerate each other's presence? I bet it’s a combination of all three. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 whoa, the poor US ice dance pair actually fell :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMommy Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 whoa, the poor US ice dance pair actually fell :( She looked absolutely gutted. :( 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Heart breaking for them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 whoa, the poor US ice dance pair actually fell :( They didn’t miss a beat in getting back to the performance though. I was disappointed for them, she was crushed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 The French ice dancing couple was amazing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 (edited) I need to go to bed but the final Canadian Team was wonderful too! Edited: they won gold and definitely deserved it. Edited February 20, 2018 by Rach 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 What an exciting event! Tessa and Scott really nailed their skate. What a pleasure to watch. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 O, Canada! Absolutely beautiful in every aspect. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMommy Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 The ice dancing podium ended up exactly the way I hoped it would! I'm not even a huge fan of ice dance, but I love Virtue and Moir...they're so much fun to watch. It's hard to imagine the sport without them. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 (edited) The sound on the NBC feed was fine. I must have gone to bed before the French couple performed. How mortifying for that girl! Yes, I hate that this is how she'll be known, diminishing her work on the ice. Just like that Canadian pairs skater who got her face sliced by her partner's skate in side by side camel spins. Edited February 20, 2018 by Angie in VA 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Yes, I hate that this is how she'll be known, diminishing her work on the ice. Just like that Canadian pairs skater who got her face sliced by her partner's skate in side by side camel spins. I think within the skating world, the pair's actual skating will be remembered, and good lessons learned about fastening costumes. Outside that, social media will move onto other things very quickly. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 That’s why I like figures - the underlying technique is important, as is precision. Just being able to spin (and travel, it is amazing how many top tier skaters have mediocre quality spins in terms of mass centering) and execute a jump isn’t skillful in the same way. The sport lost some of its holistic quality and has gotten really overly focused on tricks, to the detriment of edgework in some cases. But that’s just my opinion as an old, long retired amateur skater. No, I agree, too. In general I think this kind of emphasis on tricks and spectacle has become a problem in quite a few of the sports. You ca see it too in which sports are being promoted and new ones admitted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Has anyone mentioned Elizabeth Swaney? She basically gamed the system and traveled to qualifying competitions with few competitors in order to get a spot on Hungary's team (she's American, but her grandparents are from there). She didn't violate any rules and can claim to be an Olympic athlete, but she also looked rather ridiculous competing on the halfpipe against people who actually looked like they deserved to be there. I've seen heartwarming stories about international competitors who hardly even knew how to swim competing in the Olympics before and didn't have a negative reaction, but this feels different to me. She says it's an honor to compete in the Olympics, but to me there's nothing honorable about what she did, though I admit she is certainly persistent. It sounds like they're going to make changes to the qualification process as a result. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIN MOUSA Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 (edited) Has anyone mentioned Elizabeth Swaney? She basically gamed the system and traveled to qualifying competitions with few competitors in order to get a spot on Hungary's team (she's American, but her grandparents are from there). She didn't violate any rules and can claim to be an Olympic athlete, but she also looked rather ridiculous competing on the halfpipe against people who actually looked like they deserved to be there. I've seen heartwarming stories about international competitors who hardly even knew how to swim competing in the Olympics before and didn't have a negative reaction, but this feels different to me. She says it's an honor to compete in the Olympics, but to me there's nothing honorable about what she did, though I admit she is certainly persistent. It sounds like they're going to make changes to the qualification process as a result. I saw that, and I agree that it doesn't seem to fit the spirit of the Olympics. I can't help but thinking that the time and money she spent traveling to so many small competitions could have been used to train for the events and put an honest effort into the sport and competition. Maybe honest isn't the right word; she was obviously within the rules. Maybe a wholehearted effort? Edited February 20, 2018 by JIN MOUSA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 She didn't violate any rules and can claim to be an Olympic athlete, but she also looked rather ridiculous competing on the halfpipe against people who actually looked like they deserved to be there. I kind of like the joke that keeps going around though that in each competition there should be a 'normal' person trying to do the thing the athletes are doing - just to provide a bit of perspective. She kind of served that role. I think whether it's Eddie the Eagle or the Jamaican Bobsled team etc, it's nice to get some "non favourites" out there. The passport/citizenship swapping thing is going to be just a bigger thing I think. I heard during the snwoboarding competitions something to the effect of that one of the athletes representing Ireland was American but couldn't make the US team. Korea has a Russian cross country skier. Not sure how/why he immigrated there but there you go.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 No kidding, a true athlete! I read that when she saw her name go to the top of the leader board she asked her coach is that was right. I’d just like to be competitive in one sport on a local level. 😊 She kept shaking her head and laughing, saying "Naw, naw." I think when someone at the finish line told her she thought they were making fun of her. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 I kind of like the joke that keeps going around though that in each competition there should be a 'normal' person trying to do the thing the athletes are doing - just to provide a bit of perspective. She kind of served that role. I think whether it's Eddie the Eagle or the Jamaican Bobsled team etc, it's nice to get some "non favourites" out there. The passport/citizenship swapping thing is going to be just a bigger thing I think. I heard during the snwoboarding competitions something to the effect of that one of the athletes representing Ireland was American but couldn't make the US team. Korea has a Russian cross country skier. Not sure how/why he immigrated there but there you go.... There is a lot of it. Chris Reed was an American who became a citizen of Japan in order to compete with a Japanese partner. In pairs and Ice Dancing this isn't too uncommon simply because there are far fewer of these skaters available to partner up than singles skaters. I read one article that said that 6% of the athletes at these games are competing for a country in which they were not born, so ie. are naturalized citizens. Although, some do not have to change depending on the home country's rules. Mexico only requires that one prove direct Mexican heritage so in the case of one American whose mother was formerly a Mexican citizen, he can compete for them. Currently my sister has dual citizenship, US/France so were she an athlete, she would be eligible to compete with either one. Our friend's child has French, Netherlands, and Canadian citizenship until he turns 18. He is a competitive swimmer in Canada and potentially good enough to compete at the Olympic level by 2020. That gives him three options. In reality, citizenship is just an accident of the birth lottery. For previous generations, the foregone conclusion was "loyalty above all else" pretty much to your birth nation. But I think in this global economy with ease of travel, far greater opportunity for mobility, and facing the fact that a "born" citizen never made a choice to be American, or French, or Chinese, this will be very popular in countries with a lot of depth to their olympic teams making it likely that world class athletes can end up off the roster for the "home team". 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 In reality, citizenship is just an accident of the birth lottery. For previous generations, the foregone conclusion was "loyalty above all else" pretty much to your birth nation. But I think in this global economy with ease of travel, far greater opportunity for mobility, and facing the fact that a "born" citizen never made a choice to be American, or French, or Chinese, this will be very popular in countries with a lot of depth to their olympic teams making it likely that world class athletes can end up off the roster for the "home team". and maybe in this way it will continue to be part of the Olympics peace promotion too ? Some of the ultra rah rah nationalism of the olympics bugs me, kwim? I'd kind of like to see more athletes just competing as athletes.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 There have been a lot of athletes that are actually from one country competing for another. Some have ties to that country, but some of the ties seem to be a stretch. There are also a lot of athletes that train in other countries. One of the figure skating coaches works with teams from 5 countries, they are train in the US in the same rink. Several other figure skaters train with the same coach in Russia. Some countries require you to be a citizen to compete under their flag but not all do. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/02/08/sport/winter-olympics-athletes-switching-nations-pyeongchang/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 There have been a lot of athletes that are actually from one country competing for another. Some have ties to that country, but some of the ties seem to be a stretch. There are also a lot of athletes that train in other countries. One of the figure skating coaches works with teams from 5 countries, they are train in the US in the same rink. Several other figure skaters train with the same coach in Russia. Some countries require you to be a citizen to compete under their flag but not all do. https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/02/08/sport/winter-olympics-athletes-switching-nations-pyeongchang/index.html Yup. Seems like the Detroit Skating Club has many athletes training here from all over the world. I can only imagine how hectic a time this past week and half has been for those coaches! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Getting a chance to compete in the Olympics is just as much a political game as it is an athletic success. It can be just as political to get a place on the Pee Wee AAA hockey team in one's hometown, or a place on any US college basketball team. Why should Olympics be any different? It's about the money and power, and countries and individuals will use the rules - or simply break the rules - to try and do what they want to do. I have to say I smile really big every time I see that Russian athletes have no gold medals. :D Whatever craziness the IOC has done and continues to do, they did the right thing banning proven doping regimes. And I scratch my head about why a curling athlete would need doping? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 And I scratch my head about why a curling athlete would need doping? No kidding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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