2014 Winter Olympics - Sochi

  • Thread starter Jimlaad43
  • 164 comments
  • 6,475 views
prisonermonkeys
Had to laugh at the Australian commentators - they were ready to award the Australian competitors gold, silver and bronze before the mens' boardercross had even started
Click to expand...
As @aarror said, this is far from an Australian only thing. I have been watching alot of BBC coverage, and they had just about printed the newpapers heralding their win in the skeleton before the games had started (to her credit, she did win). Then during the ice dance last night, every pair in the back half of the ton ten was instantly compared to the Brits (who I think came 10th). And you wouldn't believe how tightly they are clinging onto Torvill and Dean.
Im certain the Americans do it, and probably several other countries too.
 
aarror
Yeah, the Canadian press are like that as well. Figure skater Patrick Chan finished second after making a couple of mistakes in his program. Instead of congratulating him on winning a silver medal, they pressed him with stupid questions like "do you think you could have done more?" And "are you disappointed?". Even getting to the Olympics is a huge accomplishment, none of these athletes "failed" just because they didn't medal, although try telling that to the press.
Click to expand...
At least there is a precedent for success in Canada - you naturally have the conditions for winter sports. My understanding is that Chan is pretty good, in a sport that is very technical, so it's the kind of question you can understand them asking.

But it is another thing entirely to award the position of flag-bearer - one of the highest honours for an athlete - to a guy who has never finished an Olympic event. Lydia Lassila should have been out flag-bearer; Lassila blew her ACL in Turin, recovered in time for Vancouver where she won gold, and then retired to start a family before deciding to return for one more Games where she tried a trick that has never been attempted in the womens' aerials, and is extremely supportive of the other athletes.
 
Yeah but "Chumpy" Pullin has won back-2-back world championships, that's a awesome achievement, and Lydia hadn't done the quadruple somersault with 3 twists before the Olympics. But then some people would argue that Torah should've been the flag bearer because she smashed it in Vancouver and is a world champion.
 
And as he proved, World Championships do not equal success in the Olympics. If ever there was a case of counting your eggs before they have hatched, it was making Pullin flag-bearer. It is typically an honour reserved for the most successful Olympic athletes, not the people you are expecting to win medals and who have a slick media campaign. Both Lassila and Bright would have been a better choice than Pullin, and there would probably be half a dozen others with more credentials than him.

Talking up your athletes might be something every country has indulged in, but we seem to have turned it into an Olympic sport itself.
 
But in today's conditions, it phenomenal that anyone made it to the finish of any races, so all to represented your country's so well, and to all Olympic athletes :cheers::cheers::cheers:
 
Ach, you guys have an unfair advantage because of all the snow you get over there in.... oh snap.
 
Amazing that Ole Ejnar Bjørndalen (Norway) won his 13th Olympic medal today, and thereby becoming the most winning Winter Olympics athlete... Very impressive. 👍
 
Great Britain's men's curling team just won their semi-final against the Swedes and are though to the Gold medal match, guaranteeing at least a silver medal!

The ladies team are in the bronze medal match...
 
Until a few days ago I thought it was crap and boring, but that was great!, I enjoyed that!
 
Curling is never boring when Eve Muirhead is playing!

Shame they lost, but then again, Canada were hot favourites, having not lost a single match in the Round Robin. Apparently Muirhead's stone hit a piece of debris in the first end and that cost them two points, which they never amde back, so I reckon they were pretty unlucky... a bronze medal would be a great achievement though.

The British Men's team did brilliantly - they too were up against the top side from the Round Robin... let's hope they can hold it together for the final!!
 
MASSIVE congratulations to Eve Muirhead and the girls on the bronze medal, I didn't watch it but I caught the result on Twitter and I've just seen the highlights, such a tight match!

That means that this is the best Winter games for Team GB since 1924 with a gold and two bronze and we are guaranteed at least a silver when the mens curlers play their final tomorrow..

...the match is live on BBC two from one o'clock...
 
The Russians are brought up in this and gymnastics. Almost daily training regime for hours on end. Congrates to her though. We brits need to try more on winter sports, eddie the eagle is a bad image for us, curling is like our cycling in the summer.
 
Well what about the Skeleton? we have won gold in that in the last two games despite not having the proper facilities....
 
Anyone watch the Ski-cross this morning? The first race that the BBC showed(quarter final), the top 3 all crashed coming off the massive jump at the end leaving last place to come through and win, but this was the photo finish for the second qualifying spot...

1897801_428135393998665_2088640075_n.jpg

The far guy got it, IIRC.
 
Akmuq
The far guy got it, IIRC.
Click to expand...
Best photo finish ever!

The guy in the yellow bib got it (hand), red next (foot), then black (knee/shin/foot). Quite good to see the yellow guy make it - he was clear second and only fell to avoid running over the previous leader when he bailed (red).

Also, epic comeback by Canada's women's hockey team. 2-0 down with 4 min to go. Win in overtime!
 
Akmuq
Anyone watch the Ski-cross this morning? The first race that the BBC showed(quarter final), the top 3 all crashed coming off the massive jump at the end leaving last place to come through and win, but this was the photo finish for the second qualifying spot...
Click to expand...

Ski Cross during the Vancouver Winter Olympics was the highlight of those games for me. And I'd watch it again this year if they pushed the event schedule back by a few hours. I've already missed the Men's event, and the Women's final takes place in half an hour. BBC should have the highlights at least.
 
Canada comfortably beat Britain in the mens curling gold medal final 8-3, they had too much for the team but Team GB still get a Silver...
 
MUSC4EVER
Well what about the Skeleton? we have won gold in that in the last two games despite not having the proper facilities....
Click to expand...
Well we do in Bath Spa Uni. Amy Williams used to own a flat in bath which liz yarnold now rents because both trained there. The have alot of unique sports training facilities there which arent anywhere else in the UK. Half pipe, freestyle and slope styles are trained in few places globally with most of the snow events having little brit participation.
 

Similar threads

prisonermonkeys
Trouble in Paradise: protesters attempt to hijack Olympic Flame
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
Thiele
Thiele

Latest Posts

Back