I watched bits and pieces of coverage today and catching up tonight, so here are few notes along the way, …

Snowboard Half-pipe

Watching replays of Shaun White’s snowboard run and also watching video of him on skateboard half pipe, I am very impressed by the athleticism, imagination and enthusiasm displayed by the young, gangly redhead.  Kudos also to two-time medalist Danny Kass who scored his second Silver.

Markku Koski of Finland took Bronze while another Finn, world champion Antti Autti dropped to 5th.  Finland may be the best per capita Winter Olympians, – maybe.

The best Canada could muster was 11th with 2 other not making it past qualification. Now, I can’t do *anything* like those tricks, but 11th?  Seems Canada would do better considering the succes in related freestyle skiing disciplines and the prolifieration of snowboard culutre in Canada. Comments?

The American women carried the Snowboarding mojo into today with Gold (the funloving Hannah Teter) and Silver (the saucy Gretchen Bleiler) and SLC Gold Medalist finishing in 4th after a wee fumble on her 1st run and a crash on her 2nd run after enormous airs.  The rolling Norweigians scored another medal with Kjersti Buaas winning Bronze.  note: Maybe it is the Norweigians who are the best Winter Olympians?  Someone needs to do some math here.

This sport has evolved so fast since debuting in 1998, the riding is so good now and the bar is raising so fast.  17ft walls of pipe, 18th ft airs, linking 720, 900s, reversing 540s – form, style amplitude in spades – really unbelievable how much the sport improves each Olympics. Canadian women finished scattered in the 20s up to 15th.  This event was one my faves to watch in SLC 2002.

Like White, 19yr old Teter got a real-time victory lap to whatever they want as they ride down to claim the Gold Medal.  Whoa, can you write a funner ride?  What a thrill for those youngsters with so much in front of them (Tony Hawk is still an innovative skateboarder in late-30 so White could be doing both for decades still). Unbelievably, Hanah Teter rode so loose and smooth and high that she almost accidentally scored a higher score than her first run.

Long Track

Jeremy Jeremy Jeremy, … and even worse, 9th in the 500m (by the way, ESPN has Wotherspoon listed as USA) not even close and then an smiley American wins – couldn’t it have been veteran Shimizu or anyone?  Argh.  I dig the event and think doing the 2 races (the event is determined by the combined time of 2 runs) in one day is sensible though the racers may not like it.  Who’s the Canadian hope for 2010?

Biathalon

What a wild sport! and very popular in Europe.  Looks totally fun, like aerobic-paintball – the Russians dominated the women’s event though there are a lot of medals in this sport with different lengths and variations.  A Canadian Woman finished back in the pack with 3 penalties (i believe this means a missed shot requiring an extra km or so of skiing) – I’ll learn more about this sport.

Facilities

After much pre-games negative blather about not being finished in time, the facilities look great on TV – in particular the downhill ski hill was beauty and long track speed skating oval and cross country ski areas too.  I think being on the ground before hand, it is easy to see all the stuff not finished.  But, only the parts which appear on TV is *really* important (heh) and the rest of the “uncompleted” parts are draped over with bunting and decoration.

News Coverage

A note for my Olympic Flashback file: Once you are there, and the events are on, you are running on adrenaline and excitement and are just focused on the amazing sports in front of you and hardly aware of the rest of the commotion – you are in the center of the universe and the rest of the world is just taggin along.

That being said, I found the “big news stories” for Canada in 02 didn’t hit the street buzz as fast as it did the TV coverage.  Examples are both the Sale/Pelltier issue and the Wayne Smackdown – we were so caught up in events  that we didn’t know what was up for a day or two when the buzz got so huge and strangers stopped us to tell us how upset they were about the incident and we were like, “what?”, and then the Wayne incident was the buzz at the next game.

But, we were only catching a little bit of grating Bob Costas in the US-centric delayed coverage in the evening wrap up.  This time maybe different with more communiation abilities but who knows, public may travel faster on the ground.

The newsmedia doesn’t seem to like to create controversy, but sure likes covering any hullabaloo going on.  As such, the sensational story of the day is (duh) covered to death – like is the case the alleged Gretzky gambling conspirisy which is being blown WAY out of proportion.

I say, shut up already, let the courts do their business and the athletes tend to theirs and move on already!  Seeing Wayne being grilled by the same stupid questions over and over after he politely explains the situation and asks for questions about Team Canada Men’s Hockey and nobody can muster a hockey question, instead another inane gambling-related question.  Ashamed, these reporters should be ashamed and obliged to turn in their hack credentials and find a new profession with nothing to do with hockey, or interpersonal relations for that matter.

Luge

Women Luge too, several luges crashed which looks really unpleasant terrifying really. The sport would be fun for amateurs with some kind of easy-luge for beginners.

The track is tough with harsh corners and hard ice.  Really the sliding sports are better on TV then in person as the luges move so incredibly fast that you can hardly process what is going on and before you can blink they are rumbling down and around the next turn.

Some Canadians representing – Red Deer’s Regan Lauscher 25, Meaghan Simister 19, from Regina, the cool and tough Alex Gough 18, from Calgary. But the event is tense and ugly after a few wrecks and trouble in general.  Go Alex Gough!

Curling

The Curling tourney got underway today and I saw breifly…

- the Shannon Clyde Rink losing a defensive battle against Norberg of Sweden in a good game despite missing a team member to illness.

- the Newfoundlanders representing Canada curled well and beat Germany after falling behind 2-0 early.

These may be replayed in full later …

All for now,

Greetings this Sunday Morning!

Just a couple of observations from last night’s and this mornings events from coverage I’ve managed to catch – augmented by a few notes by Dan Funboy.

Besides Jennifer Heil’s awesome performance and Women’s Hockey rolling over Italy (as I type they are leading Russia 10-0), i enjoyed an inspired performance by Italian long-strack speed skater (insert name here), who absolutely looked like he was being pushed by the Italian crowd.  Great to see the homer country get on the medal board early too.

More about Speed skating, that hotshot American kid is fast and determined, watch his technique, a double push but they’ll likely talk about this on TV-coverage.  CBC has Catroina LeMay Doan doing color commentary and she was quite good (though she looks rather soccer-mom-ish now – cause well, … she probably is) but she called on Canada to support more and help the athletes to “own the podium” (the Canadian mantra).

_{Catriona Lemay and husband, Doan at Soldier Hollow Cross Country venue, Winter Olympics 2002 – photo Dave Olson}

Of course, in egalitarian and thrifty Canada, most folks want the money spread around so each athlete can get a piece of the pie but, later as the Federal Sport Minister pointed out, they is better return on investment (judged by medals won) but entirely supporting elite athletes with best chance of medaling.

Digression … CBC has some versatile announcers to be sure, and I love a Saturday without Bob Cole and Harry Neale (retire for Pete’s sake), Ron Maclean is a national treasure, Steve Armitage is pretty good at everything but not great at any one, Brian Williams is Canada’s excessively perky Regis.

Claudia Pechstein and Daniela Anschuetz Thoms just skated the 3000m.  Claudia won in 2002 and Canada’s Cindy Klasussen holds the record and skates.  Not Claudia’s best race, a NED 19 year old sits in first.

_{Claudia Pechstein, basking in Gold Medal joy and sitting in on drums with Acoustica at the Thuringen House, SLC 2002}

_{Firecracker Danilea Anschutz of the German long-track speed skating team partying down at the Thuringen House, SLC 2002}

Continuing update … Cindy is underway and flying so far, hope she keeps the pace, still under the time, drafting off her pairing (NED Groenewold) down the stretch, smart … still belowthe target after 2 laps – still looking relaxed and solid, 4 laps now and she is bonking, and slipped and Groenewold wins the heat as Klaussen lost it, tightening up on the last lap. Sits in third but still 4 skaters to go including Canada’s Christina Groves and Clara Hughes.

Freisinger skates now with Groves and neither skaters finished top 3.  Clara set to start vs. Sablikova of CZE.  False start and then away clean.  The races have been fast and racers bonking at end so Clara must skate her pace.

Well no go for Sarah but Cindy finishes in Bronze position (same finish as SLC 2002) while the young Nederlander scores Gold.  Both Germans were shut out.

BTW, i really don’t like hearing about athlete’s “faiths” on air, i think that is a personal issue and the fact that she is a Mennonite doesn’t add to the athletic coverage.

Back to Women’s hockey vs Russia 11-0 now halfway through the 3rd.  In training, the women played 22 games vs. Alberta men’s midget teams (not *really* wee folks, just young men) and finished 10-10-2 and increased their physical game with more rough and tumble play.

It is amazing to see the veterans players for Canada against the Italian women last night (replayed from yesterday).  The Italians were tiny and young and looked dazzled by the burly and experienced Canadians to say the least.  Major props to the Italians who battled through to the end.  Heck, I wouldn’t want to have Goyette or Wickenheiser bearing down on me (yikes!).

Vicky Sunohara and Cherry Piper are my favorites.  Sunohara was awesome, gritty, smart player at Nagano and is Piper is wee but a battler and has great hands around the net.

_{Cherry Piper with newly won Gold Medal at the M’s Gold Medal Curling match at SLC 2002}

12-0 now vs Russia, kinda a joke and an awkward situation for Canada to not let up and if they do, the gain lazy habits in front of net and on backcheck etc.

While Canada continues to roll, a note on downhill skiiing which demostrates the unpredictibility of sport with the hotshot Americans finishing out of medals with a darkhorse Frechman taking gold and Austria and Switzerland taking Silver and Bronze.  Manuel Osborn-Paradis wa the top Canucks finishing in 13th place Canucks while teammate Francois Bourque came in 16th with a strong finish.  The last Canadian also placed top 30, John Kucera came in in 27th place 2.75 sec off the winning time – just wait for 2010.

Cross-country skiier Beckie Scott finished in, what is likely a disappointing 6th, but in a 2002 Bronze finish, she managed to move up 2 places with positive doping test so maybe she’ll manage to gain a few places again.

Digression … is that Personal Digital Recorders (i.e. Tivo, Replay etc.) are excellent for the Olympics – why is Canada slow to adopt this tech just now available (as mentioned in the ubligoutous commericals)?  I have a Replay TV but no way to subscribe in Canada and I am trying to set it up just to pause and record what i am watching at the moment.

Next up on CBC, Short Track Speed skating and Jeff Christie Luging.

Go Canada!