Perception of the Winter Olympics

Whats the perception of the winter Olympics outside of Vancouver, there's a lot of moaning here (in Vancouver) about greenest olympics claims and the cost to the province. My opinion is that these people should STFU and enjoy it. Wondering if any of that comes across in the foreign media and if the same complaints will come out about London in 2012.

So new rail link from the airport – damm good idea after the f'in mess it was last time I was there, new road to whistler can only be good

exactly, still the moaners like to come out and say those tax dollars could have been spent on some other pish!

As a resident of London I would be quite happy if the 2012 games were not here as would many of my friends.

Yeah, the new rail link which can't even handle the pre-Olympic traffic :slow clap: 😉

Liking the medals idea: made from the recycled precious metals in old motherboards (I gather). Each one unique.

There are always moans about the cost of Olympic Games but I don't think Vancouver / Whistler will be in the same boat as Athens.

rs – we haven't really heard ANYTHING about the winter olympics, it's almost like it's been forgotten…

i don't suppose there's much room in the sports news for something so trivial as the olympics when there's so much association football to talk about.

all the football all the time always and forever

I'm still waiting for the build-up on TV…….

Have you got snow on grouse yet or is it still green?

Not noticed much of a build up myself, just about aware it's happening.

Got totally addicted to the Biathlon last time, so I'll want to see that.

I thought it was unfortunate that Vancouver got the games at all (no offense to the beautiful Vancouver). I just thought that Quebec City made a better bid back in the 1990s and lost out, so felt a bit bitter.

But really, I don't care about all the rubbish rhetoric that surrounds the Olympics no matter where they're held. The winter games themselves, on the other hand, are one of my favourite sporting events in the world.

TBH – I hadn't realised it was on this winter

But I guess every country that hosts this sort of thing has a lot of homegrown vocal opposition to it

And it'll never be as entertaining as the 'Winter Olympics' we've just had here in the UK 🙂

Big feature on it in my latest engineering magazine, a lot of green tech has gone in to the stadiums which looks really interesting. I think it will impress people once it get's good exposure. And apparently some top secret canadian tech programme for the last 10 years to ensure you canucks come top of the medal table!

TBH I wish I was there. My dream was to work out there on some eco stuff, watch the olympics, do some boarding, then ride it all in the summer 🙁 😥 I'll go round to my mates now and watch it on his HD projecter, closest I'll get.

We hardly send any athletes, so it's not well publicised over here.

I was over in France and watching Eurosport a few weeks ago there was wall to wall adverts and every sport is referring to the fact it's an Olympic year, and reigning Olympic champions etc etc.

I'm looking forward to the 2012 Games here personally. There's a vast amount of work going in to make it run smoothly, and I think it'll be largely successful!

Whistler is bankrupt

OK it will still be operating so dont worry about your bikepark.

It's had no real coverage over here yet so only fans of it seem to know it's on.

As for the London games, I'm happy enough with the idea of hosting them, I'm not happy at all with all the spending on purpose-built temporary venues when there are very good permanent ones within acceptable distance where olympic spending would bring far greater long-term benefits. Woolwich Barracks is the prime example of that when Bisley is barely outside the M25. And then there's all the crap over levelling Eastway and quite what legacy will be left for MTB racing in the capital[/url].

There were other issues surrounding the Bisley site though, it was well accepted by the ODA that Woolwich Barracks was not ideal!

I'm well looking forward to Vancouver, and I *love* the mascots.

There's been adverts running on the BBC for a few weeks now, similar kind of animated style to their summer games graphics.

Doesn't get loads of coverage here a. cos we're not really a wintersports nation and b. we won't win many medals so the papers aren't interseted. Now if there was snow football……

Shelley Rudman and Kristan Bromley have good chances in the Skeleton Bob, maybe a gold for Shelley which would be ace.

I love wtaching the ski jumping. Balls of steel them guys who do it!

We hardly send any athletes, so it's not well publicised over here.

A few more than in recent years – at least in some sports. There are 3 XC skiers going this time, the first we've sent since 1994 I think. Not medal hopes, but they're all still in their teens and there of right having got decent World Cup results, so there is hope for the future.

I'm sure there will be a bit of ramping up of publicity in the next week, and decent coverage when it's on. Was actually surprised to see trailers for it as early as they were!

As a resident of London I would be quite happy if the 2012 games were not here as would many of my friends.

No-one is forcing you to live in London.

flatfish – Member
Have you got snow on grouse yet or is it still green?

The snowboarding half pipe and moguls are on Cypress and it's pretty green. VANOC have had to spend weeks trucking snow from other mountains. A bit of a joke really when they could have held those events in Whistler too where there is always plenty of snow. All the local mountains are missing snow this year. I was cycling high up on Seymour yesterday (not CBC….) and there was snow on the entrance to the trail but it was clear all the way down. Normally there's snow halfway down the mountain.

I think the Olympics would probably be better received generally if they just re-adjusted their ideas of how much it should all cost a little. I'm not a fan, but equally I've nothing whatever against them except the sheer waste involved. It's impossible to believe that the same amount of sporting whatever couldn't be had for much, much less wonga. 🙂

As we're not an Alpine country it's hard for the non-snow sporty types to get excited about it all.
However I am one of those snow sporty types and simply can't wait.

We've got some medal hopes with the snowboarding 4X, Skeleton and bobsleigh.

Bring it on ( ooh mustn't wish my life away).

Ihaven't heard about any of the moaning about cost or crappy transport or lack of snow unitll now, so I'm well looking forward to it. I'm gona spend a fair few nites sat in front of the tv watching as much as I can :-)!

+1 for the ski jumping , mens downhill and skier x

all good, even better in HD on eurosport …… " slopes off feeling smug"

igmc

No-one is forcing you to live in London.

Perhaps not but what I do for a living tends to take place in London and I like riding a bike to work.

I am with BigDummy on this one, I think the IOC has become arrogant in what they expect nations to spend on what is frankly three weeks of sport. How can it may sense to build a 80,000 stadium for £500 million and reduce it to 25,000, it just doesn't make sense to me. It is going to cost over £9 billion for what true legacy? And why does tennis need to be in it and perhaps soon golf, I just don't understand it.

Who's fave to win the hockey gold? That's what I'd like to know.

Fave at Hockey would have to be Russia

here in Calgary people look back on it very fondly and say what a fantastic time it was for the city, they are also huge fans of Eddie the Eagle