[Mikitivity]

Last night I was watching the Olympics. I like the Winter games more than many of the summer game events. What is particularly interesting is that since I live an hour from Lake Tahoe, that many of the US atheletes are actually from nearby. I don't know any of them, but it is interesting hearing where everybody is from.

Last summer I visited the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. One day I'd like to travel to the games and watch a few events.

[Mikitivity]

Today I'm bouncing back and forth from my PC (in addition to reading NationStates posts, I'm preparing some of my brother's old toys to sell on ebay) and the TV. I just watched the USA Women's Hockey team defeat Germany.

It looks to me like Norway is ahead in the medal count!
http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/IDF/MDL/MDL_Big.html

[Baranxtu]

I just watched the opening; and that was strange. Kinda Abba meets Twin Peaks or something. Who was the DJ?


And c'mon, Austria, you can do better! Go, go, go :clapurhands: !

[Jonquiere-Tadoussac]

Canadian Womens Hockey is cleaning up. 16-0 over Italy yesterday, and 12-0 over Russia today.

[Mikitivity]

Jonquere-TadoussacFeb 12 2006, 02:44 PM Canadian Womens Hockey is cleaning up. 16-0 over Italy yesterday, and 12-0 over Russia today. [/quote]
Aren't they favored to win the Gold, with USA possibly getting the Silver?

But those scores are amazingly high! O_O It certainly doesn't bode well for the rest of the world!

[Groot Gouda]

Hockey? Hockey? Come on! The women's 3000 metres was definitly a highlight!

(wanders off humming "Gold" by Spandau Ballet) :yeah:

[Mikitivity]

Groot GoudaFeb 12 2006, 03:30 PM Hockey? Hockey? Come on! The women's 3000 metres was definitly a highlight!

(wanders off humming "Gold" by Spandau Ballet) :yeah: [/quote]
*snicker*

Didn't the Netherlands also get a Silver last night in the Men's Speed Skating event?

[Fonzoland]

Bah. I just checked, there is ONE athlete from Portugal, and he was born in the USA...

It is not like we have a proper winter, you know?

[Mikitivity]

FonzolandFeb 12 2006, 05:02 PM Bah. I just checked, there is ONE athlete from Portugal, and he was born in the USA...

It is not like we have a proper winter, you know? [/quote]
Adopt a few other countries or athelets then.

[Jonquiere-Tadoussac]

Quote:  Adopt a few other countries or athelets then.[/quote]

That's all Canada seems to do for the summer Olympics. Our team usually seems to have at least 25% immigrants from other countries... and we still suck out. Sumnmer's not our time, apparently winter isn't Portugal's.

(edit)
Of course, there was that Jamaican bobsled team, so who knows.

[Keeslandia]

I absolutely LOVE the Winter Games. Went to the Salt Lake games 4 years ago and it was the best trip of my life. Meeting & mingling with people from all over the world, watching the sports I love (those that require playing on snow or ice).

It's a great event!

[Antrium]

baranxtuFeb 12 2006, 04:19 PM I just watched the opening; and that was strange. Kinda Abba meets Twin Peaks or something. Who was the DJ? [/quote]
I agree, the '80s songs during the parade of nations (and during the women's moguls skiing event if I remember right) were a little strange...when I think of Olympic music, that's not what comes to mind :blink:

[Mikitivity]

I missed most of the opening cermonies.

For those of you outside the US, what sort of television coverage are you getting? The US coverage is limited. I only got a bit of the hockey and ski jumps.

[Jonquiere-Tadoussac]

The CBC is carrying clips from a lot of stuff. I've seen hockey, skiing, skating (speed and figure), hockey, luge, and hockey. There's mostly focus on Canadian athletes, but they're doing highlights of a bunch of events.

[Groot Gouda]

MikitivityFeb 13 2006, 01:39 AM Didn't the Netherlands also get a Silver last night in the Men's Speed Skating event? [/quote]
Yup, the 5000 metres. Used to be one of the "goldmines" for the dutch, but we're not doing too well lately. Might go better on the 10000. Most, if not all, of our medals come from skating. That's what we're good at.

[Antrium]

The US has the most gold medals But Norway still has more medals in general.

I was shocked when Apolo Anton Ohno fell in the semifinals...too bad because he is the only person I can remember from the 2002 Olympics :blink:

[Baranxtu]

I was honestly shocked when I watched figure skating and saw Zhang Dan fall. That was ugly.
I mean, I flinched when I saw that.
Ouch.

[Mikitivity]

I never like seeing anybody really mess up ... in events like figure skating it seems so hard to tell one from the other (for me) unless somebody messes up, but I still love watching. I always wish that I could fly around like that!

I'm toying with the idea of buying some tickets now for Vancouver 2010. For me, I could easily fly to Seattle and then drive to Vancouver.

[Jonquiere-Tadoussac]

Quote:   I was honestly shocked when I watched figure skating and saw Zhang Dan fall. That was ugly.[/quote]

I just saw that on a rebroadcast. Both my wife and I winced in sympathy.

Wouldn't mind hitting the 2010 Olympics, but we're probably going to be much further from there than we are now. Edmonton is only about 12 hours from Vancouver, but the plan is to move to the other end of the country. May just have to fly out... the chance to see Olympic hockey in person is just too good to pass up.

[Keeslandia]

Definately recommend Vancouver. I know I'll be going. I REALLY wanted to go to Torino this year, unfortunately, RL just got too busy. However, in 2010, nothing will keep me away.

[Antrium]

baranxtuFeb 13 2006, 05:27 PM I was honestly shocked when I watched figure skating and saw Zhang Dan fall. That was ugly.
I mean, I flinched when I saw that.
Ouch. [/quote]
I didn't see that until last night...I was really amazed that she was able to go back on the ice, and even more amazed that they won silver. It was a great performance except for that fall, so I'm glad they got it.

In 2010, I'll be in college...so I doubt I will be able to afford to go to the Olympics

[Jonquiere-Tadoussac]

Vancouver 2010 should be great... they're already about 25% overbudget... So well within the normal Olympic standards.

I'd really like to go and see some live championship hockey. I know I'm repeating myself, but...

[Mikitivity]

Repeating is OK. I think the olympics are exciting. I was watching the men's figure skating and think it is better without the music and comments. Though I'm not sure that the Russian guy really was better than whomever it was who was swashbuckeling at the beginning of the program.

At least they seem to be showing most everybody.

[Jonquiere-Tadoussac]

Quote: I was watching the men's figure skating and think it is better without the music and comments.[/quote]

Comments I can give you, but the music? The choreography is "supposed" to match up with the music, so wouldn't it lose some of the point if you didn't have it. Otherwise, it'd be like going to a ballet and just watching a bunch of people prance around on stage with nothing in the background. You'd miss some of the point.

[Mikitivity]

Jonquiere-TadoussacFeb 17 2006, 06:11 PM Quote: I was watching the men's figure skating and think it is better without the music and comments.[/quote]

Comments I can give you, but the music? The choreography is "supposed" to match up with the music, so wouldn't it lose some of the point if you didn't have it. Otherwise, it'd be like going to a ballet and just watching a bunch of people prance around on stage with nothing in the background. You'd miss some of the point. [/quote]

But they also have people talking telling us what is happening, and by habit I listen to them instead of watching the performance. 'sides, it seems like most of the guys are already dressed ballet style!