The Winter Olympics thread

Ice bowling rules. Fact. ‘mon the curlers.

Great last end in the curling this morning, hope that confidence carries them through the semi. Really tough games for both the women and men though.

Christie bossing it in the speed skating too, was like watching some of the British cyclists on the track. One move and it’s all over.

Leigh and Co. really, really need to stop trying to do Warner style metaphor.

They are mainly similes but they do grate.

No, I’ve not checked – IU’ve been browsing my TV guide which shows me when things are repeated on the red button – I’ve added 301 as a channel so it appears in my guide and I can schedule recordings. I think there’s a second red button channel too now? NOt sure what’s on tonight as I’m at work at the moment so can’t check

edit – ah, that link from NickJB shows what’s coming up.

They don’t seem to have any intention of showing the snowboarding.
Who do I complain to?

Gits! they kept it secret, its gonna be on soon.

Is there no skier cross in these Olympics?

Finland beat Russia 😆 that has made my day, don’t know why they are calling the result a surprise, hyva Suomi 😆

Yay! Men’s curling – silver at least 😀

Yay, it’s skicross day!

Jeeesus, they are going huge off the final kicker.
Sore knees tomorrow!

Despite the course looking really slow today

More exciting than wearing honey underpants and being strapped to an anthill. Outside a hungry bear’s lair.

watched the boardercross highlights on iPlayer last night and have to say they were pants. this has to be one of my favourite sports to watch and the coverage left me cold – maybe there just wasn’t enough – it was only a couple of minutes long.

ocrider – Member
Yay, it’s skicross day!

Balls! I couldn’t see this in any of the schedules! BBC have made a right mess of this Olympic coverage.

Is it just me- this years Snowcross course isn’t as tight/twisty? as the last one? Its more ‘straight’ with longer steeper slopes?

One thing I spotted when the snowboarderist version was on;

Pierre Vaultier, Serre Che local no less, rides goofy. It looked to me as if there was a slight advantage to a goofy rider on some of the bigger, more powerful turns, as he was on the toe edge for those. Now, I’m deriving this mainly from being A- Rubbish at snowboardering but also B – Being a pretty good wakeboarder. I find it a whole lot easier to put in a big, powerful long turn on my toe edge than my heel, just feels like I can control the edge far better. (Am also naturally goofy when boarding).

Any tea tray types got anything more experience/knowledgeable/scientific to add to that?

Ouch!

What a photo finish!

Apparently half of the Ukrainian athletes have gone home early 🙁

A spokesman for Ukraine’s national Olympic committee tells BBC Sport that up to half of their 45 athletes at the Sochi Winter Olympics are returning home following the latest violence.

The girls are closing in on bronze, but anything can stll happen! 😯

Well, 3 medals for the French, none for any beards or moustaches and there were a few fine ones in that competition.

Flashy, dialling up the forward lean on the front foot helps strengthen heelside turns.

French TV went predictably nuts with a 1-2-3 and a shout of “qui” when the Canadian fell. Its great to hear enthusiastic commentators and they’ve been that way throughout, bbc take note.

What is it with the Womens Curling make-up. Looks like someone stole their eyeliner and replaced them with black marker pen. #Chav.

nordic combined (i tjink) no snow anywhere except on the xc track, thats a great job from pisteurs

Ski cross was awesome.

Also watched the ski halfpipe highlights – the overly excited French coach was hilarious “OUIIII!”

Anybody else watching bowls on ice? What on earth with that last stone – both teams were sweeping!

Not watching, but isn’t the other team allowed to sweep once the stone passes the centre line?

I find it a whole lot easier to put in a big, powerful long turn on my toe edge than my heel, just feels like I can control the edge far better.
Any tea tray types got anything more experience/knowledgeable/scientific to add to that?

very much so – your ankles come into play more on your toe edge (and your toes) so you’ve got more suspension, more control and more grip. heel turns rely on your knees more and it’s harder to control your weight distribution.

EDIT: having said that I don’t think that’s why Vaultier won – he was soo smooth, so confident, he hardly put a foot wrong

Ski cross – now that was quality. Just can’t get into the judge scored sports (slope style etc) as proper sports. Ski cross has it all but still seems to keep a great attitude between competitors. Favourite sport of the games for me.

Yes – it had and was just rolling the last bit, but presumably if one team is sweeping they think it’s to their advantage to do so…

Makes for interesting waxing apparently, as the snow is very “artificial” with unnatural levels of salt – both Norwegian relay teams had a complete disaster, though to be fair that was mostly on the classic legs where waxing is a lot more difficult, and this is all skate.

Thanks brakes, thought that was the case. Wake bindings operate on a similar level to snowboard ones, so that rings true. I certainly feel I can drive harder through the toe edge, better balance etc, and the course just seemed to me to have more turns which were favourable to a goofy rider.

Toe edge FTW!

(Link above is from some lovely closed toe boots I really want to try!)

Oh, and this is just awesome.

TeamGB just won a medal in the curling and you’re talking about wakeboarding?!?

Anyway, massive congrats to the ladies curling team, half of them from my home town 😀

This morning’s viewing has been excellent. SkiCross was brilliant then a medal in curling. Fabulous

wife misreported start time of curling match. gutted to miss it.

would have to look at the last stone/end as to why they’d sweep it through – common enough in first 9 ends, no idea on last end — unless it’s to stop them having a stone to rest against.

Does this mean we now have a record amount of medals?!!!!?!!

Britain have equalled their best ever Winter Olympics performance, matching the total medal haul of Chamonix 1924

from the Beeb

Plus we have a guaranteed medal tomorrow in the mens’s curling, right?

Yup – guaranteed silver 🙂

Did I just hear the commentator mention Eve Muirhead’s lovely eyes?

I think we better send Cougar round 😉

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-olympics/26269641

(also loving the “Sir David Attenborough’s curling commentary” video on that page)