[Closed] The Winter Olympics thread

Going to be watching and enjoying all of it, with perhaps the exception of the figure skating. Particularly following the ice hockey and will watch the mogul boy's and girl's with complete and utter awe and admiration whilst holding my knee's in empathy. 🙂

Been looking forward to it for a while now. The Beeb sports site has some good vids on each discipline too.

Did you see the couple of mins on BBC News this morning of the lad who went straight through to the finals in the Boarder SlopeStyle?
A
Maz
Zinga 8)

Doesn't look like this has been posted yet: https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/british-olympic-organisation-accept-emily-sarsfield-s-invitation-from-fis-to-participate-in-the-ski-cross-event-at-the-2014-winter-olympics-in-sochi

She's the sister of a friend of mine. I'll let you read up on the link posted but time is running out for her.

She is easily good enough to compete and the offer has even been made to the BOA that she will pay her own way at the Olympics too but even that has been ignored. 🙁

Easily the most entertaining Olympics.

Cannot wait for most of it to be honest.

The real story so far has got to be the Jamaica bobsleigh team. Outsiders actually qualified and then turned up in Russia without any equipment due to it going missing, meaning they miss the 1st practice.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/winter-olympics/26051530

They should make a film 😆

Just watching slopestyle repeats. Brilliant.

And why the hell would anyone have a problem with Ed Leigh's commentay? Knows his stuff, not a prat, enthusiastic...certainly could be worse.. if it was 99% of other commentators.

The hockey for me, best team game on the planet (imo). I'll be rooting for Canada but Ovechkin's lot will be going balls out for gold.
I love the long track speed skating too, graceful yet powerful, the biathlon is just nuts & can't understand how those lot can be puffing & chuffing one second then holding a rifle stock still the next, awesome athletes.

Yeah I got up early and watched all the slopestyle mens and womens. Amazing Stuff, Jamie Nicholls representing yorkshire landing that massive 1440 got him a ticket straight into the finals. Was feeling pretty proud as I've seen him ride at castleford a fair few times. Will be getting up early for the semis and finals on saturday too. Now we've seen style and nice spins awarded well and triple corks are not the be all and end all, Jamie could well be in with a good medal chance, he's got a triple cork in his arsenal as well, depends if he wants to pull it out.

Worth a watch: [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-olympics/26063907 ]http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-olympics/26063907[/url]

+1 Ed Leigh - he's done a great job so far, him and Tim make a good team. It's pretty funny when they pull each other up on calling the wrong moves.

For me, it's all about ski cross! Such an utterly loony race, and great TV too.

Ski Cross rocks. I'm gutted it came along after I finished racing 🙁

As a keen Rugby Player and racing DH and Super G it would have been right in the middle of my skill set !

As with the summer games I'll only avoid events that are judged rather than scored.

"I'm not watching any of it.. due to Putins state sponsored demonisation, arrest, harassment and even torture of gay people...

Did you give the same treatment to China? "

Is China's governmets attitude to homosexuality the same as Putin's then?

I'm not watching it due to Putin's attitude and also the marked failure of our athletes to sign up to the "principle 6" campain.

Those not watching in protest, I'd be more impressed if they actually went to Sochi and protested in front of the cameras. Not watching is utterly meaningless.
And I'll be watching pretty much anything that's on, I enjoy all of it, even the curling! Discipline agnostic, that's me! 😀

Those not watching in protest, I'd be more impressed if they actually went to Sochi and protested in front of the cameras.

Not watching is utterly meaningless

To you maybe..

And the people you are protesting against 🙁

"And the people you are protesting against "

except it's not it is keeping the issue on the agenda and massively embarresing for Putin and the Olympic sponsors look at how the media coverage is constantly refering to it .

Let's not let stupid things like morals or human rights get in the way of some winter sports eh..
Enjoy.. 😀

There was an article in the local (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) newspaper whose sports reporter is in Sochi to cover the Olympics. He found a Pittsburgh themed bar there! 😯 Very odd...

[url= http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/5524461-74/pittsburgh-sochi-bar#axzz2sUT5rl1f ]http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/5524461-74/pittsburgh-sochi-bar#axzz2sUT5rl1f[/url]

[img] http://triblive.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=Kmk82G4y1SRfzgwoypfoGc$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYu_31JxbkypGGqq3_KzwdQVWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_CryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg [/img]

[img] http://triblive.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=r5G1E_zPg7fOIYFKeBmAJ8$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYsfMicAOJpfwu25HidRISmyWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_CryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg [/img]

I will watch, because the Olympics is about much more than Sochi, Russia or Putin. If it were the festival of Sochi laid on by Putin then perhaps. But it's not, it's the world's most prestigious sporting event, irrespective of where it is. Shitbag politicians don't change that.

Mainly looking forward to the alpine skiing.

DH is always a great watch and the skier cross is fantastic viewing too. Se of the crashes on there are fantastic comedy. Most looking forward to the Slalom and GS. I used to race with Dave Ryding (who will be competing in those disciplines) so I'll be watching with great interest.

Going to try and watch a bit of everything really!

I felt the need to stand up for my sideways standing brethren and agree with Jmoid, Ed Leigh is a great pundit to have on the beeb for boarding. He knows the tricks , the riders and he gets genuinely and enthusiastically excited at a good run. Anything, anyone as long as it's not bloody balding.

I have been looking forward to this for the last year! Iv even worked my schedule around it.

Curling. Watching the BBC programme writhe the girls team in the gym. They worked hard mind they do shove big bits of granite around.

Do the Russians know that some of the athletes will be gay?

"And the people you are protesting against "

except it's not it is keeping the issue on the agenda and massively embarresing for Putin and the Olympic sponsors look at how the media coverage is constantly refering to it .

But not watching any of it won't make any difference at all.

The media coverage might, but not watching it won't.

Each to their own though I suppose.

Watching the BBC programme writhe the girls team in the gym.

That could make curling more interesting....! 😉

I knew it was pricey but
"at £30bn, the cost of these Games is more than the combined total of all other Olympic Winter Games to date."
😯

Loving Googles "controversial" stance against Russia's anti-gay laws today...

POLITE REMINDER

Leaving aside the corruption and vileness of Russia, let's try and keep this one on the sporting front shall we?

So, what are you looking forward to?

Naysayers, lobbyists and protesters need not apply. There's a special discount today only on starting your own thread. Thank you.

Thanks, Scuttler. Valid point, well made!

Cool. Nice that it came up at the top of the page where everyone can notice it 🙂

Can't wait for these games to start, looking forward to the sbx and alpine disciplines. TBH I'd rather the press (and riders to be fair) got down to the actual racing and stop all the politicking.

Actually watched the team figure skating last night.

It was excellent, the Russians were amazing.

Going to leave work a bit early to watch the opening ceremony this afternoon, and then look forward to some great events this weekend.

There's snowboard dual slalom - that's damn impressive. Watching these guys laying down in corners while skittering right on the bitter edge of distaster carving on a 45 degree slope of sheet ice. The second run of each pair is also sort of a head to head race - if I read the rules correctly.

Keep seeing people mention ski cross - so they do boardercross on skis now do they..? 😆

Keep seeing people mention ski cross - so they do boardercross on skis now do they..?

Just a bit...

[img] [/img]

I love the Winter Olympics

Its the essential craziness of most of the events that appeals

Luge, Bob, Skeleton - bonkers

Ski Jumping - mad as a bag of badgers

Alpine Skiing - mental

Snow and Boardercross, the maddest of the lot

Ice Hockey

[img] [/img]

Yes I know, it's a picture from a film, but it's a good picture!

Keep seeing people mention ski cross - so they do boardercross on skis now do they..?

Yep, and pretty much everyone I know, from either side of the snow fence, found that the ski version at the last WO was the best sport there! It's utterly batshitmentally awesome!

What country does Wolverine's brother play for?

Ireland by the looks of things

The Skier Cross and Snowboard Cross should be a good watch, Some of the booters are bloody huuuuge, my favourite are the hip jumps on the apex of a corner, so much chance of carnage!
Pity that Palmer didn't make the cut for the USA, my money is on Jacobs to take the win by a country mile, that kid is super talented and super fast.

Half pipe

[img] [/img]

Have the Russians perfected cloning technology? Only I'm watching the opening ceremony and I'll swear it's the same white-booted lady leading out all the teams.

Oh, and loving the American outfits...

Righto, that's TWO British guys in the final of the snowboard slopestyle, Jamie Nicholls went straight into the finals from the qualifiers, and Billy Morgan only bloody just finished TOP of the semi finals.

08.45 today if you want to show support.

Play it cool rodders, play it cool...

How huge iss that terrain park, and how big do they go!

It's like looking down the hahnekham downhill. This slopestyle stuff makes me scared just to watch. When you think how big a tiddly little jumps feels to us mortals, those jumps are immense. Mega cocones!

Up before 8am on a Saturday when I'm not at work to watch the slope style! Should be great.
Men's DH is always the highlight for me but loads of other stuff will have me glued to the tele.

And why the hell would anyone have a problem with Ed Leigh's commentay? Knows his stuff, not a prat, enthusiastic...certainly could be worse.. if it was 99% of other commentators.

Are stupid clothes compulsory for snowboarding?