Beijing Winter Olympics 2022

[MusicTurner]

The first male snowboard runs are really magnificent, and we have extremely entertaining & well-informed television reporting about it & the special culture surrounding it, from a former participant.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The first male snowboard runs are really magnificent, and we have extremely entertaining & well-informed television reporting about it.

I'm not sure where they are showing that here...maybe online?

I woke up early here and turned on the t.v. to see a repeat broadcast of the women's snowboarding.  A New Zealand girl managed to snatch the gold from an American girl on the last run.  You wouldn't have noticed her disappointment though as the three top women were all piling on top of each other at the end!   

[MusicTurner]

I'm not sure where they are showing that here...maybe online?

I woke up early here and turned on the t.v. to see a repeat broadcast of the women's snowboarding.  A New Zealand girl managed to snatch the gold from an American girl on the last run.  You wouldn't have noticed her disappointment though as the three top women were all piling on top of each other at the end!   

Yes, I missed the women's run but will look for highlights. Our TV hosts diasgreed with  the extremely high points given for the winner of the first males run, the 2nd run is ongoing.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Yes, I missed the women's run but will look for highlights. Our TV hosts diasgreed with  the extremely high points given for the winner of the first males run, the 2nd run is ongoing.

Interesting!  Who is in the lead so far?  IAlso, I remember hearing that this will be Shaun (sp?) White's last Olympics.

Currently watching some of the men's figure skating (repeat).  Beautiful performance by a Japanese skater named Kagiyama!

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

+1 for Winter vs Summer Olympics and + 1 for curling. 

That being said, my favourite events are figure skating (all combinations) and speed skating (again, all combinations).

I know you aren't asking me, but my number one interest is in curling. My favourite sport to watch and play.

I am from the province of Manitoba, where it is the Mecca of curling in the world. 

I grew up in a very small town of < 50 people and even our town had a three sheet curling rink, and it still does.

Other events I am really looking forward to watching are short track speed skating, snowboarding races and hockey.

Augh!  I was cheering for Canada in the mixed curling...was pulling for you guys.  What a close match between you and Italy!  I woke up this morning and went to see what was on, and curling it was.  Never seen them have to measure it before now.  Well done by the Italian team.

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Love this story of good sportsmanship:  way to go Slovenian team!

https://olympics.com/en/news/how-alert-slovenian-physio-saved-norway-biathlon-mixed-relay-beijing-2022

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Very impressed with how the women's Canadian hockey team has been playing; they just beat the Swedish team 11-0!

Sad to follow the story of the teenage Russian female figure skater--who has been skating brilliantly at the Olympics including being the first female skater to perform a quadruple jump at a competition.  She's only 15 years old, but apparently it's come to light that she failed a drugs test taken at the end of December.  She, it seems, tested positive for a medication which is used to treat angina, but WADA has decided to ban it in that it can be a performance enhancer (allows more blood flow to the heart which could help with endurance).  So, they've held off awarding the team medals (ROC had won the gold) whilst they are looking into this.  In the meantime, she is still doing her training sessions not being sure whether or not she'll be allowed to compete.  So many questions here:  If indeed she did test positive, why the heck did it take so long for this to come to light?  And if she was taking this medication (and didn't need to take it for valid medical reasons--don't know yet as to the details here and also whether or not she could have been given a TME for it), who the H*#L was giving it to her?!  Coach and/or parents?  And to a child?!!!   

There's more detail her:  https://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-olympics/60329120

Her name is Kamila Valieva.

Any favorite stories that impressed the rest of you?  There are lots of them out there, I'm sure. 

PD

[Herman]

The IOC has become a farce and I can't bring myself to participate on the sportswashing of regimes I find highly problematic.

Aye.

[The new erato]

Aye.

Indeed.

Of course, some of the problem is that these arrangements have become som bloated that (to some degree) it is only regimes with political motivations and a blatant disregard for costs and the wellbeing of their own inhabitants that want to arrange them. In democratic regimes there are a growing resistance to accept the costs.