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I seem to recall there was an entertaining Lounge thread on the previous winter games, so I thought I would start off another.
In recent years I have found myself enjoying the winter games more than their more high profile summer equivalent, despite knowing very little about any of the sports.
I assume Britain will be in with a chance in the curling again.
Watch the mixed curling yesterday we won our two games I watched. This morning at 9. am on BBC 2 GB v Sweden in the curling.
I’ll always prefer the Summer Olympics but the winter version is always good fun. I never watch any of the sports outside the games but always enjoy the curling the most. The sliding events and speed skating are great to watch too.
Apparently GB as a whole are in with a good chance of a strong medal haul.
I too enjoy dipping into sports at both the winter and summer games that I never otherwise watch. Curling is intriguing and quite engrossing, and I enjoy a bit of Bobsleigh too. If one admires enormous thighs then speed-skating satisfies.
I enjoy the sports where they actually race against each other as opposed to the clock; the snowboarding and skiing races are great fun
I’m glad to finally have an European event. It’s only 116 decisions compared to the 328 we had Summer Olympics two years ago. Plenty of time to find the fav sport and I’m quite happy to see the NHL players back on European soil.
I like the bobsleigh as well. It looks spectacular. And it was the source of one of Britain’s rare Winter Olympics gold medals, albeit “before my time”.
I expect I will watch some of the cross country skiing events. Although watching the competitors hauling themselves up slopes via their skis and ski poles is exhausting just to watch.
I like watching the classic speed skating but I don’t really like the short track events. The latter are undeniably exciting but it looks to me like the outcome is often down to luck.
There was a British girl a few years ago who crashed out of at least two finals and was mocked on social media. But to my mind she could easily have won a gold medal or two with a bit of luck.
Elise Christie I believe you are referring to. As you say, it’s a bit too much of a lottery. I can’t imagine dedicating my life to it then getting taken out on the first corner and game over. The Australian Steven Bradbury was a famous beneficiary of speed skating chaos. He was so far back that he was able to merrily glide past everyone else for gold when they all took each other out.
On the subject of socal media mockery, I would love to see any of the keyboard warriors get up and do any Winter Olympic sport. The vast majority are not for faint hearted! I always thought the mocking of Eddie the Eagle was somewhat unfair, if anyone fancied getting up and doing a better job I’m sure they’d have been welcome. He certainly did a damn sight better than I ever could.
I like the bobsleigh as well. It looks spectacular. And it was the source of one of Britain’s rare Winter Olympics gold medals, albeit “before my time”.
Not (quite) before my time and I vaguely recall all the well-deserved hoopla following the victory. Nash and Dixon were in the army and the latter was an aristocrat, later becoming the 3rd Baron Glentoran, and happily still alive in his 92nd year.
A nice example of the sporting ‘corinthian spirit’, which also applies to the unfairly ridiculed Eddie the Eagle.
Hope they both enjoy the latest renewal.
I saw some of the opening ceremony, good to hear John Hunt commentating. He will apparently be doing the luge this weekend, from the commentary box I hasten to add.
Tony Nash, Britain’s gold medal winning driver in the two man bobsleigh in Innsbruck in 1964, died four years ago not long after the last games.
Look at what the sled looked like in those days! It really was a sport for devil may care types back then.
Good to hear John Hunt is involved again. He has commentated on the “sliding events” at previous games.
https://www.teamgb.com/article/remembering-tony-nash/54NK77HFktlRTSa137b1lJ
Surprisingly the helmets actually look quite well made for the time. Even now you require a large amount of fearlessness in most events. I’d probably fall over delivering a curling stone.
They appear to be no more than the motorcyclists’ half-helmets which were introduced in the ’60s, offering greater protection than the usual ‘pudding basin’ helmet with just leather strapping covering the sides of the head
Helmets weren’t made mandatory for motorcyclists until 1973, believe it or not
Watching the Curling, it strikes me that it must take some skill not to touch the moving stone with the brush. Does this happen occasionally and if so does it constitute a ‘foul’ with the stone being cancelled?
Looks like there will be every chance of an early handshake here absent a big score from Canada soon.
On the subject of touched stones, I have found the following from Canada’s Collingwood Curling Club:
A moving stone is considered “burnt” if the delivering team touches the rock before it has come to rest. This can be a touch from a brush by the sweepers, a foot, or any piece of equipment such as a hat or glasses.
Note: if the curler delivering the rock retouches the rock after it is initially released, e.g. to try to put a curl on it or more speed, IT IS NOT CONSIDERED BURNT if the re-touch occurs before it touches the hog line.
If the moving stone is touched before it touches the far Hog line, it must be removed from play immediately. There is no other option.
If any moving stone is touched inside the far hog line at the playing end, you must let the rock come to rest. The non-offending skip has 3 options.
Let the play stand.
The burnt rock is removed from play and all other rocks affected AFTER the infraction is committed are placed as close as possible to their original position.
The non-offending skip can place all stones affected as close as possible to where they would have ended up if the infraction had not occurred.
This rule applies to all stones set in motion and not just the delivered stone.Surprisingly complicated! I don’t recall seeing it in my quadrennial viewings but by definition these are the planet’s finest curlers so I suppose infractions are expectedly lower.
Certainly it is highly skilled but at least no helmet is required! I’d love to give it a go.
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