Cortina d'Ampezzo-Milan Winter Olympics

[Tricycle Rider]

That interesting you have that connection!

Yes, life has been a journey and I'm a transplant to the West, and on the Olympic note while it's no longer the CSSR I still cheer for the Slovaks in sports because I grew up and played with some of them as a Czech kid, so yay for Slovakia in these Olympics too! (Younger people don't have that kind of connection post the split, so I understand if the Slovaks don't cheer on the Czechs nowadays.)

Back to the 'lympics Czechia are playing Canada in hockey right now and Czechia is leading 2-1, it's only the second period though, so plenty of time for Canada to come back.

 

[kingjr]

2-2 now after several minutes of intense pressure from Canada

 

[Tricycle Rider]

2-2 now after several minutes of intense pressure from Canada

I imagine the final score will be something like 4-2 Canada, 3-2 at the very least.

 

[Sciatic]

Very happy for Shiffren. Dominant win with a 1.50 margin. Her legacy as one of, if not the best, female skier of all time is already secure, but in her own country most casual fans and commentators judge her on her Olympic performances. She couldn't help but feel the pressure of expectations after failing to finish an event in the last Olympics. I think that's why we saw not so much joy, as relief, after she crossed the line and knew she'd won.
Of course, we never really know what athletes are like personality wise, but I do pick up from Shiffren that amidst her success she still pays attention to her teammates and competitors. You could see how happy she was for Larsson (whose bronze was a surprise) and recognized what a big deal that was for the Swede when they embraced in the finish area. It was funny to see Larsson was so nervous she couldn't even watch the last few skiers coming down until she knew she had the podium place!
Also glad to see Rast get her silver. She has been right on Shiffren's heels throughout the WC season, often just fractions behind.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

3-2 Czechia in the hockey game with 6mins to go... I don't even dare to dream, I'm sure Canada will come back and we'll be going into OT which Canada then will win.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Swift move by Suzuki to equal the score. Both teams had chances to score the winner afterwards, but it has gone to OT.

 

[Sciatic]

3-2 Czechia in the hockey game with 6mins to go... I don't even dare to dream, I'm sure Canada will come back and we'll be going into OT which Canada then will win.

What a tense game! I tuned in with about 12 minutes to go. Czechia almost had it in regulation, but Canada got that 3rd goal that was a combination of talent and luck. No way any goalie could have stopped that.

 

[Sciatic]

Swift move by Suzuki to equal the score. Both teams had chances to score the winner afterwards, but it has gone to OT.

Wow, Czechia had two decent shots on goal at the beginning of OT that was their chance.

 

[kingjr]

3-2 Czechia in the hockey game with 6mins to go... I don't even dare to dream, I'm sure Canada will come back and we'll be going into OT which Canada then will win.

Sports can be painfully predictable at times… just like the slalom and biathlon today (from a German perspective)

 

[Tricycle Rider]

What a tense game! I tuned in with about 12 minutes to go. Czechia almost had it in regulation, but Canada got that 3rd goal that was a combination of talent and luck. No way any goalie could have stopped that.

Yeah, good save by the Canadian goalie, and congrats to the Canucks! And good showing by the Czechs also.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Sports can be painfully predictable at times… just like the slalom and biathlon today (from a German perspective)

It probably wouldn't have gone any better if Preuß and Dürr had swapped places.

 

[Sciatic]

Gained greater appreciation for biathlon relays this week--fortunes can change so rapidly during the course of the race. I did think the chasing team might catch France on the 3rd leg because one would expect Michelon to get tire-d

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Gained greater appreciation for biathlon relays this week--fortunes can change so rapidly during the course of the race. I did think the chasing team might catch France on the 3rd because one would expect Michelon to get tire-d

The most decisive relay moments this far have still been Ebba Andersson's crashes, but I haven't seen any of the figure skaters attempt a front flip yet so she got them beat.

 

[Sciatic]

Yeah, good save by the Canadian goalie, and congrats to the Canucks! And good showing by the Czechs also.

Too bad, would have loved to see them pull the upset. They played great though-- a couple of inches decided the final goals and saves.

 

[Oldman]

Very happy for Shiffren. Dominant win with a 1.50 margin. Her legacy as one of, if not the best, female skier of all time is already secure, but in her own country most casual fans and commentators judge her on her Olympic performances. She couldn't help but feel the pressure of expectations after failing to finish an event in the last Olympics. I think that's why we saw not so much joy, as relief, after she crossed the line and knew she'd won.
Of course, we never really know what athletes are like personality wise, but I do pick up from Shiffren that amidst her success she still pays attention to her teammates and competitors. You could see how happy she was for Larsson (whose bronze was a surprise) and recognized what a big deal that was for the Swede when they embraced in the finish area. It was funny to see Larsson was so nervous she couldn't even watch the last few skiers coming down until she knew she had the podium place!
Also glad to see Rast get her silver. She has been right on Shiffren's heels throughout the WC season, often just fractions behind.

Shiffren was very real when the burden of the last Olympics came off her back. She kept her goggles on, hid her face until she could have a quiet cry on her Mom's shoulder. She's always seemed sincere and seeing Ptrova in the final run list should refresh memories of the friendship they had while beating each other daily. Ptrova was beaming to be there after years of injury recovery.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Too bad, would have loved to see them pull the upset. They played great though-- a couple of inches decided the final goals and saves.

While Czechia didn't win I'm very happy with the outcome because going against the top seeded Canada it could have been 4-1 or 4-2 tops. So I'll merrily take the 4-3 in OT.

 

[Brullnux]

Hahaha, Lena Dürr is literally the worst choker of all time.

Dandjinou giving her a run for her money. Raced in 8 qualifiers, won seven; raced in three finals and came 4th, 5th, and 5th.

 

[kingjr]

Dandjinou giving her a run for her money. Raced in 8 qualifiers, won seven; raced in three finals and came 4th, 5th, and 5th.

Yeah, he looked unimpressive every time it mattered. Jens van't Wout, on the other hand, has been racing with the confidence of a true winner.

 

[Sciatic]

Shiffren was very real when the burden of the last Olympics came off her back. She kept her goggles on, hid her face until she could have a quiet cry on her Mom's shoulder. She's always seemed sincere and seeing Ptrova in the final run list should refresh memories of the friendship they had while beating each other daily. Ptrova was beaming to be there after years of injury recovery.

Well put.

 

[dougvdh]

While Czechia didn't win I'm very happy with the outcome because going against the top seeded Canada it could have been 4-1 or 4-2 tops. So I'll merrily take the 4-3 in OT.

It was a good game by both Canada and Czechia. Canada was clearly outshooting, but Czechia's goal tending was great, so it made a real battle. As a Canadian, I'm happy to see Czechia really put the pressure on since the it's never good going into the finals without having a good close match to test a team. Too bad about losing to Crosby to injury, though.

 

[KZD]

Sweden ties the match against the USA with 1:31 remaining in the 3rd period. We have another OT coming.

 

[Brullnux]

Klaebo should learn how to take skins off skis quickly, then he'd get another gold without having to do any new training. This ski mountaineering race is just run uphill for two minutes, change, and ski down a blue run. Barring the stairs you could do it in XC skis

 

[Brullnux]

I have also just seen that it didn't have to be this way! There's an individual race at the World Champs that looks a lot more like actual ski mountaineering – steep, long uphills without gimmicky plastic stairs and obstacles; mogul-filled blacks; and 1500m+ of elevation gain. Now that is actually worthy of a medal!

 

[kingjr]

I have also just seen that it didn't have to be this way! There's an individual race at the World Champs that looks a lot more like actual ski mountaineering – steep, long uphills without gimmicky plastic stairs and obstacles; mogul-filled blacks; and 1500m+ of elevation gain. Now that is actually worthy of a medal!

Yeah, this sprint format is pretty pointless and an absolute waste of the sport's potential.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I didn't think you could climb Stelvio in under three minutes. The W/kg must be through the roof!

I don't know what the usual distance for sprint races is, but since there aren't that many athletes here and they don't do any of those more or less pointless individual time trials like in snowboard cross, it shouldn't have been a problem to have made the course at least twice as long without the races becoming too time consuming.

The relay format sounds a little more interesting though.