The Olympic Games

[C4Real]

Been loving the Olympics this year. Totally got into the women's curling final today. I thought Canada had it! I couldn't believe it when they didn't pull it out. I'm looking forward to the men's curling which is scheduled to air in a few minutes here but I have no idea who's competing. Short track has been a lot of fun to watch too. Was sorry to see Apollo DQ'd tonight in the 500 but at least he pulled out a bronze for the US team in the relay.

I hope the hockey game between Canada and the US is a good game on Sunday. I'm really looking forward to that. Go USA!

[Spoose]

The women's curling game was a heartbreaker for sure! As a skip, I can't imagine what Cheryl is going through right now...having two (relatively) easy shots for the gold and missing them both. It was great to hear her teammates after the game saying nothing but words of praise for their skip. They said that she was the only reason they were at the Olympics in the first place, so they were very proud of their silver medal. Still...would have been nice to see them wearing gold! Oh well....it just means the incredible late Sandra Schmirler is still our only golden girl!

The men's curling is on today--Switzerland vs Sweden for bronze and Canada vs Norway for gold! The gold medal match is a re-match of the 2002 Olympic final...different players except the skip for Canada. He lost the gold medal final by an inch and has vowed redemption since. It's fitting that he plays Norway for the gold again. I have a feeling he'll get his redeption (despite the crazy Norweigan curling pants!)

[football_chick]

This is an excerpt from an article I read online... I thought it was funny:

But on Sunday, there might still be some debate about who owned the podium during the Vancouver Olympics.

How appropriate, then, that the US and Canada will hold a friendly hockey game at noon Sunday to decide the matter.

If America wins, Canadians will have to send all their firstborn sons to Texas and stop using the letter “u” in color. If Canada wins, America has to replace the stars on Old Glory with maple leafs and Don Cherry gets to kick Stephen Colbert in the shins repeatedly without being assessed a two-minute minor for roughing.

Rumor has it that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had planned on coming to Vancouver to attend closing ceremonies as well as Russia’s expected gold-medal hockey match. When Russia lost to Canada in the quarterfinals, 713-3 (it felt like that, at least), he backed out.

What about the closing ceremonies? The Olympic spirit?

Be serious. This is hockey.

[sweetpea]

There have been several times in the past that Ono has benefited from similar calls, in fact just the other day he did. He said afterwards that this is the nature of the sport. I truly don't think the Canadian judge deliberately DQ'd him to benefit our skaters, and because I like him so much it makes me sad that this has been suggested and that the media will probably pick it up and run with it, to the detriment of both the countries involved.

[Broadway]

There have been several times in the past that Ono has benefited from similar calls, in fact just the other day he did. He said afterwards that this is the nature of the sport. I truly don't think the Canadian judge deliberately DQ'd him to benefit our skaters, and because I like him so much it makes me sad that this has been suggested and that the media will probably pick it up and run with it, to the detriment of both the countries involved.

Ohno has even himself said that he believes it was a factor but yes, he knows that he has benefited from similar calls in the past.

And yes, watching the video back looking at the contact between Hamelin and the South Korean skater there's just as much questionable contact there from Hamelin pushing him in the side and then skating into his balance arm. But them's the brakes in this sport and there's no begrudging the results.

[RealityLovesMe]

Ohno has even himself said that he believes it was a factor but yes, he knows that he has benefited from similar calls in the past.

And yes, watching the video back looking at the contact between Hamelin and the South Korean skater there's just as much questionable contact there from Hamelin pushing him in the side and then skating into his balance arm. But them's the brakes in this sport and there's no begrudging the results.

In short track, the entire race is like a Hail Mary pass. You have no control over anything because someone can always knock you down or disqualify you for no reason.
Looking back at the reffing at these Olympics, all three of the questionable calls made did benefit the Canadians. The Koreans were disqualified and the Canadians were bumped up to a silver, JR Celski knocked out a Canadian skater when the Canadian skater was not in qualifying position but he was still advanced, and then there was Apolo's DQ last night. It isn't fair but there are a lot of other things about short track that are not fair. I think that is just the nature of the game.

[brunette trixie]

The Olympics remind me of how it must have been when the circus cames to town in the years before tv. You get to see all this amazing stuff and amazing people and then they're gone until the next time the circus comes to town.

I have thoroughly enjoyed these Winter Olympics and I think Canada did a really good job hosting. The medal counts and who wins what doesn't matter much to me, I just love seeing the greatest athletes in the world do their very best.

[karalott]

Whenever the Olympics is held in one's host country, there's always going to be claims of being bias and playing favorites so the home reps can get as much glory as possible. There were a lot of accusations during the Salt Lake games that the American athletes were being given an unfair advantage by judges and refs because of it being held in the U.S.; same with the Chinese gymnastics team in Beijing winning the controversial gold.

I think Apolo's comments were probably out of frustration, but I do agree re-watching the race, I'm not entirely sure the South Korean skater simply lost his balance and fell on his own. It was very close.

Already getting excited for the 2012 games. I'm sad going into tomorrow that's it's all over

[RealityLovesMe]

Whenever the Olympics is held in one's host country, there's always going to be claims of being bias and playing favorites so the home reps can get as much glory as possible. There were a lot of accusations during the Salt Lake games that the American athletes were being given an unfair advantage by judges and refs because of it being held in the U.S.; same with the Chinese gymnastics team in Beijing winning the controversial gold.

I think Apolo's comments were probably out of frustration, but I do agree re-watching the race, I'm not entirely sure the South Korean skater simply lost his balance and fell on his own. It was very close.

Already getting excited for the 2012 games. I'm sad going into tomorrow that's it's all over

Yeah. When you are the host nation, you've spent a lot of money on the games. You better try and squeeze as many golds out of the situation as you can! I'm being serious! Host nations don't do better in home games just because they have the crowd on their side. They are allowed to qualify more teams to the games, they have more of their referees and judges involved, they bar all athletes from using Olympic facilities except for their own, etc. Squeeze! Right now it happens to be Canada. I think Canadians are getting their money's worth. (Although they have more golds than last time, they haven't improved the overall medal count much).

I'm sad the Olympics are ending too! But the summer games are far more exciting! Michael Phelps won't be going after 8, but 2 of our girls took first and second place in the individual all-around in the last gymnastics world championships! One of our girls took the gold in the vault as well! Let's not talk about men's gymnastics though.

[GuardianAngel]

Yeah. When you are the host nation, you've spent a lot of money on the games. You better try and squeeze as many golds out of the situation as you can! I'm being serious! Host nations don't do better in home games just because they have the crowd on their side. They are allowed to qualify more teams to the games, they have more of their referees and judges involved, they bar all athletes from using Olympic facilities except for their own, etc. Squeeze! Right now it happens to be Canada. I think Canadians are getting their money's worth. (Although they have more golds than last time, they haven't improved the overall medal count much).

I'm sad the Olympics are ending too! But the summer games are far more exciting! Michael Phelps won't be going after 8, but 2 of our girls took first and second place in the individual all-around in the last gymnastics world championships! One of our girls took the gold in the vault as well! Let's not talk about men's gymnastics though.

I really have to disagree with you. All you have to do is go back to stats and figures and you will see the host nation in many instances, summer and winter are not neccessarily the top country for the most medals. Suggesting that medals are squeezed by biased judges for the host nation, I think is a slap in the face to the athletes.

2006 Turin Italy 11, Germany with the most medals at 29.
2002 Salt Lake City USA 34 Germany with the most medals at 36

Canada 17 in 2002 24 in 2006 and 2010, right now 23 with the most Golds than any other country. That's an improvement, and to me, its not about the numbers.

I don't think there is one Canadian out there that says, or expects, Canada to be the leader in medals, or wishes judges are biased and cheat our way to the podium.

There are always discussions about unfair judges, biased judges etc. If I were an athelete, I certaintly wouldn't want to win a medal based on political reasons after years of hard work of getting to the Olympics.

If you get involved in the bribes, and the he said she said, its a lost cause. This reminds me, of the bidding for St Lake City, some IOC members took bribes from members of the Salt Lake City bid committee, for the 2002 Winter Olympics, so the votes would go to the Americans. This is also the case for 2012 London, bribes being offered so more votes go to London. So in 2012 are we to think everytime a Brit gets a medal its been squeezed?

Its best not to get involved otherwise you loose focus on the whole meaning of Olympics which is for the athletes.

Ohno won gold last week, when the 2 Koreans took a spill. Otherwise it would have been a 1 2 3 sweep of the Koreans. I didn't hear anyone say, geesh that's too bad, Ohno had to win like that, if those Koreans didn't spill, no way would he have won. He has had other calls to his advantage, more than you may realize. He also won a gold in Salt Lake City when another Korean was disqualified, talk about controversy, no one felt the Korean should have been disqualified. Its been Ohno against the Koreans for quite some time now, talk about politics.

So call it sticking up for my country, call it what you want, but if you're going to compare, then compare with all nations and you will be surprised at your findings. JMO