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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho-dee-do-dah-day boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom
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Feb 25, 2010 - 04:16pm PT
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Lindsey Vonn broke a fingernail.
Brwahhhhhhhhh.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 25, 2010 - 04:38pm PT
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I didn't realize what a huge points spread there is going into the women's free skate tonight:
http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-figure-skating/schedule-and-results/ladies-free-skating_fsw010101pB.html
Joannie Rochette from Canada is in third, two points behind the Japanese girl in second but a huge seven points behind Yu-Na from Korea. The fourth and fifth place girls are seven points farther back. It looks like the only "battle" will be for the silver medal.
So maybe Joannie can do like Elizabeth Manley, and come from third to take the silver.
Do it for your mom, Joannie!!!
Now, Bring on Kevin Martin and the curlers!!!
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Feb 25, 2010 - 04:51pm PT
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America seems to like Bronze but the only thing that matters is Gold. No, the "Own the Podium" slogan implies that gold, silver, and bronze all get counted (they're all on the podium), so USA is still whuppin everyone else's ass by Canada's own admission.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 25, 2010 - 05:43pm PT
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Just back from lunch with my father and an aunt - he is 84 today.
Riley, to be quite specific, I'm a Canadian and was born here, as were both of my parents. My ancestry is 1/4 Norwegian, 1/8+ Swedish, 1/8+ hybrid American, and half north German. Which makes me a pretty typical Canadian, but with close ties to family in Norway. I've spent some time in Norway climbing, going to school, visiting relatives, and teaching climbing, and can get by in Norwegian.
I throw in the information about medal rankings so as to add another perspective. IMHO, there's too much facile nationalism (and simple commerce) associated with the Olympics, and it should be downplayed. And any statistician would tell you that medal rankings purely based on number of medals/country are meaningless - as they say, god always fights on the side of the heaviest artillery. Factoring in number of top 10 finishers, population of each country, GDP per capita, and perhaps something like percentage of population living in or within 100 km of areas with a mean winter temperature of freezing or below gives a more balanced perspective on this. That it happens to highlight Norwegian achievement is all the better, but I'd do it if Fiji was in first.
It's best if all athletes do well, and do their best, regardless of where they're from.
The Finnish lack of results is rather surprising. Like Norway, a small country that usually does very well in the winter Olympics.
As for boorish behaviour by some drunk Canadian hockey fans - well, as I said earlier, I'm no fan of hockey, and believe that its place in the Olympics should be similar to that of soccer in the summer. That is, hold a separate world championship from time to time, and at the Olympics only allow players under 22 or 24. As it stands, it's almost like there's a hockey championship happening, associated with a lesser event called the Olympics. Many Canadians have greatly exaggerated views as to the importance of hockey and our national psyche, and at present are acting out a somewhat childish anti-Americanism in their behaviour.
And although curling is a fun social game, it is out of place in the Olympics.
It was relief to go to the Scandinavian Centre yesterday and see something other than hockey on Danish and Swedish TV.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 25, 2010 - 06:36pm PT
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Hey Anders,
Look at the Merricans - taking gold and silver in the Nordic Combined. What happened to you Scandinavians?
Well, that's eight golds for them to our seven. But Kevin Martin is looking pretty darn good. And Cheryl *always* looks good!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 25, 2010 - 06:48pm PT
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Well, Marit Bjørgen won her third gold medal today, in a relay.
Also, Jacques Rogge, the head of the IOC, said today "Women's ice hockey must improve if it is to remain on the Olympic program".
Current medal standings - the five countries with the most medals.
USA 8G, 10S, 12B = 30
Germany 8G, 11S, 7B = 26
Norway 7G, 6S, 6B = 19
Canada 7G, 6S, 2B = 15
Russia 3G, 4S, 6B = 13
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 25, 2010 - 07:42pm PT
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Hey wanker!
Looks like you Norwegians are gonna meet us in the Gold medal round of curling. At least, they'd better win up three points going into the tenth end.
So, um, care to make a little carbonated liquid wager?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 25, 2010 - 07:53pm PT
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Alexandre Bilodeau is donating $25,000 of his prize money from winning the mens' moguls to the Canadian Association of Pediatric Health Centres for Cerebral Palsy Research. (His brother Frederic has cerebral palsy.)
Jenn Heil, who won silver in womens' moguls, is donating $25,000 to Plan International's "Because I am a Girl" campaign, which focuses on educating girls in developing nations.
And Clara Hughes, who won a bronze medal in womens' 5,000 m speed skating, is donating $10,000 to the Take A Hike Foundation, which gets troubled youth outdoors.
(I keep looking for a photo of the two Bilodeaus at the finish, but can't find one. It was on TV, and a fine bit of poetry.)
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hafilax
Trad climber
East Van
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Feb 25, 2010 - 08:39pm PT
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Canada wins women's hockey!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 25, 2010 - 08:49pm PT
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Which begs the question - does anyone really care?
I feel more excited by the girls' bobsled wins, why knott girls' hockey? Anyway, congrats to the girls!
Eight golds, eh? I don't hear any of you Merricans putting any beers on the line over total golds....
They're putting the silver medals on the Merrican girls, not a smile to be seen. They're all fighting back the tears. Good effort, girls - be PROUD of your silver! It's a medal!
OK, there - assistant captain Chu gave a big smile and a wave. Oooh, supercute blonde smiling too. There we go, Brianne - good on you.
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golsen
Social climber
kennewick, wa
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Feb 25, 2010 - 08:58pm PT
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My ancestry is 1/4 Norwegian, 1/8+ Swedish, 1/8+ hybrid American, and half north German.
Whats a hybrid American? Is your gas green? Or do you run on electrical power?
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 25, 2010 - 10:07pm PT
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Well, buddy blew it - Kyle Nissen in aerials. Went from first place to fifth place. No medal there tonight.
Well, on to the free skate, for some real courage and drama, no doubt.
Not that it wouldn't take huge burly brassy balls to do those insane jumps on skis. I got sweaty hands just looking at the take-off ramp!
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 26, 2010 - 12:09am PT
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Well, Joannie Rochette managed to hang in there and get her bronze medal. Congrats! Yu-Na Kim was simply amazing, a true champion.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 26, 2010 - 12:13am PT
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Joannie Rochette of Canada has won the bronze medal in women's figure skating, to an enraptured audience. Yu-Na Kim (South Korea) won the event, and Mao Asada (Japan) was second. There was little doubt that Kim and Asada would somehow be first and second, but Rochette's poignant performance was her best ever at the world level - four days after her mother died.
Rochette skated second-to-last, after Kim and Asada, and at that point was in third. The emotional pressure on the last skater must have been immense.
As for Canada v Norway in the men's curling final - pretty hard to know what to think. The unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible, possibly?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Feb 26, 2010 - 12:13am PT
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Holding the GS in those conditions yesterday was a travesty.
They would never run a World Cup race in those conditions.
The same holds true for the Nordic Combined today.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Feb 26, 2010 - 12:26am PT
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It seems to me that the women's figure skating had a lot of great life lessons to teach both genders this year. Joannie Rochette skating four days after her mother's unexpected death and the girl from Georgia falling four times on the ice and still continuing to the finish with great artistry.
And you guys still prefer curling? Huh?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 26, 2010 - 12:31am PT
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Hey, don't look at me.
At least figure skating is intensely athletic, even if the judging is notoriously subjective.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Feb 26, 2010 - 01:02am PT
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The new judging system seems to have solved most of the subjectivity problems.
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Feb 26, 2010 - 01:05am PT
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Incredible heroics on the Vancouver Ice tonight. Man those ladies can skate!
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