Winter Olympics 2010, Vancouver

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'm sure Canada would agree with the Dutch!

Has anyone figured out a medal count that removed all judged events?

 

[python]

man's 50k xc is heating up. legkhov is pushing the pace but i think its too early with 8k to go. very exciting !

 

[Sam Allen]

I always thought that the country with the most Gold medals (then silver, then bronze) would win the overall ranking, applying a 'quality' ranking, instead of a quantity ranking, whereby the one wins with the most medals overall?

According to NBC this is the current ranking:

1) United States 9 14 13 36
2) Germany 10 12 7 29
3) Canada 13 7 5 25

According to dutch sources:

1 CAN 13 7 5 25
2 DUI 10 12 7 29
3 USA 9 14 13 36

Are there any 'rules' to declare a country the (un)official overall winner?

The BBC use the dutch system as well, so I would go with that. Didn't this happen in Beijing, China on more golds than the USA, but Americans won more medals?

 

[Ripper]

Yeeee Haaaa

Canada wins one of the most exciting Olympic Hockey Games!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Time to drink!!!!!!!

 

[Hugh Januss]

Canada wins one of the most exciting Olympic Hockey Games!

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Time to drink!!!!!!!

Your location is no suprise any longer! You guys were lucky! Pretty damn good game though.

Edit: I started drinking the second Squidney put the puck in.

 

[usedtobefast]

hockey? sorry, i grew up in texas. just don't enjoy it. good for canada, though.
i like that usa won 4 man bob. that looks like fun.

 

[Hugh Januss]

hockey? sorry, i grew up in texas. just don't enjoy it. good for canada, though.
i like that usa won 4 man bob. that looks like fun.

Best team sport ever! But then I grew up in midwestern NY state.

 

[pedaling squares]

Yeahhh!
Damn what a game! Huge respect to such a young US team. Back to my beer.

 

[Ripper]

Your location is no suprise any longer! You guys were lucky! Pretty damn good game though.

Edit: I started drinking the second Squidney put the puck in.

That was a great game! Both teams played very well, and the pace stayed high most of the game.

 

[Spare Tyre]

The BBC use the dutch system as well, so I would go with that. Didn't this happen in Beijing, China on more golds than the USA, but Americans won more medals?

Australians use the "dutch" system too.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Damn, I knew better than to look at this thread. I was hoping to watch the delayed version of the game. Glad it was good though.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Damn, I knew better than to look at this thread. I was hoping to watch the delayed version of the game. Glad it was good though.

Oops sorry, watch it anyway, it's good enough, it's worth it.

 

[pedaling squares]

Ugh. If Canadians want to apologize for anything, maybe we should start by saying sorry for these closing ceremonies. Exploiting every stereotype in Hollywood fashion.

 

[Ripper]

Damn, I knew better than to look at this thread. I was hoping to watch the delayed version of the game. Glad it was good though.

Alpe, the game is some great hockey. Really worth watching and worthy of the finale. Have a view even if you know the end!

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Sounds like a good game.

I thought the closing ceremonies were a little too sappy, playing into Canadian cliches almost. Then again, I'm one of those people who think BC is it's own thing and don't like it nearly as much as Alberta or the Yukon. Vancouver is more like Seattle or Portland, than Calgary or Edmonton. I once heard someone in Calgary tell me that as far as he was concerned, Canada ends where the Rocky Mountains end.

Thought the presentation for Sochi was unique and beautiful, if a little unfocused. I didn't quite get an identity from it. But I do think it's great the Olympics are headed to Russia again. Awesome to see Vladislav Tretiak and Irina Rodnina there.

In the end, I thought these Olympics were sub average, though not terrible. Crap weather, too many events that maybe don't belong, questionable judging, and for us in the US some of the coverage was lacking. It was good that they picked it up and realized XC skiing can be exciting. That was a nice boost. They got hockey and figure skating right. Skiing and luge/bobsleigh were okay. But too much Apolo Ohno, too much Lindsay Vaughn, way too much Bode Miller. Ugh. Maybe I'm just old, and miss the Cold War rivalry, but NBC has never seemed to capture the grandeur of the Olympics the way ABC did in my youth.

 

[Ferminal]

Couldn't get into the closing ceremony. Avril Lavigne doesn't help.

For me it was the first time I've closely followed the Winter Games. It was the first time we could get decent coverage so every single event was shown in full.

Enjoyed the XC and Biathlon, going to miss not being able to watch an event every morning for 1-2 hrs. Apart from that I didn't watch too much, a bit of skating, hockey and curling, but nothing else comes close to watching the guys and girls out on the tracks.

I agree with what was said earlier about some of the newer sports. Just because it involves snow/ice doesn't mean it should be in the Winter Games. The Summer Games have selection processes for a few sports which are not guarenteed inclusions, this doesn't happen here?

The funny thing was the amateur TV presenters from one of the broadcasters here talking up our future etc. Historically most of our medals have come from these newer events. The presenters are saying how great it is that we've had our best ever medal haul (3...) and how we can become a superpower in snowboard and freestyle events. The said that Australia might consider focusing its development programs on these events, and had the nerve to compare it to the way Norway focuses on the Nordic events. I care more about Ben Sim cracking the top50 than people winning gold in the equivalent of diving or gymnastics.

 

[Spare Tyre]

The funny thing was the amateur TV presenters from one of the broadcasters here talking up our future etc. Historically most of our medals have come from these newer events. The presenters are saying how great it is that we've had our best ever medal haul (3...) and how we can become a superpower in snowboard and freestyle events. The said that Australia might consider focusing its development programs on these events, and had the nerve to compare it to the way Norway focuses on the Nordic events. I care more about Ben Sim cracking the top50 than people winning gold in the equivalent of diving or gymnastics.

I saw one media report which described Australia as a new "force" in winter Olympic sports.

Some of the free-to-air coverage here in Australia was truly cringe-worthy. The network which has covered Olympics, summer & winter, for many years couldn't/didn't pay up the big bucks for the rights, and we had a different mob doing the coverage. Really disappointing and IMHO amateurish.

 

[lostintime]

Maybe the Olympics should try hosting the games in the middle of Winter (January would be good).... not the end. . It's spring already..... and no I don't go by official dates..... I go by the birds that return like clockwork for the spring .... and they started arriving over a week ago.

The corrupt leaders don't want the games to interfere with US Football, or World Cup Skiing ..... or whatever. Please ... make it a real Winter Olympics !

 

[Ripper]

Sounds like a good game.

I thought the closing ceremonies were a little too sappy, playing into Canadian cliches almost. Then again, I'm one of those people who think BC is it's own thing and don't like it nearly as much as Alberta or the Yukon. Vancouver is more like Seattle or Portland, than Calgary or Edmonton. I once heard someone in Calgary tell me that as far as he was concerned, Canada ends where the Rocky Mountains end.

Thought the presentation for Sochi was unique and beautiful, if a little unfocused. I didn't quite get an identity from it. But I do think it's great the Olympics are headed to Russia again. Awesome to see Vladislav Tretiak and Irina Rodnina there.

In the end, I thought these Olympics were sub average, though not terrible. Crap weather, too many events that maybe don't belong, questionable judging, and for us in the US some of the coverage was lacking. It was good that they picked it up and realized XC skiing can be exciting. That was a nice boost. They got hockey and figure skating right. Skiing and luge/bobsleigh were okay. But too much Apolo Ohno, too much Lindsay Vaughn, way too much Bode Miller. Ugh. Maybe I'm just old, and miss the Cold War rivalry, but NBC has never seemed to capture the grandeur of the Olympics the way ABC did in my youth.

I never watch the opening or closing ceremonies, they always tend to be too boring and odd for my taste. Not surprised about the cliches, sounds like BC's tourism ads! The NBC coverage was a bit lame; CBC seemed a bit better, but not by all that much.

Just need to be sure I understand you ... you like Alberta and the Yukon more than BC?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Just need to be sure I understand you ... you like Alberta and the Yukon more than BC?

Absolutely 100% correct. The Rockies are more scenic and beautiful on the Alberta side, with the possible exception of Robson. Calgary and Edmonton are nicer cities than Vancouver, people are more friendly and open. And that's true across the entire province. They also have a much more Canadian feel in Alberta, while much of BC seems like a hodgepodge, especially Vancouver. This is why I say they are more like Seattle or Portland. Great cities, absolutely. But I'll take Calgary over Vancouver in a heartbeat.

The Yukon is just spectacular. Awe inspiring grand landscapes across the entire province. Amazingly wild vistas. BC has scenery all right, it's beautiful, but not on that level.

 

[pedaling squares]

The Yukon is just spectacular. Awe inspiring grand landscapes across the entire province. Amazingly wild vistas. BC has scenery all right, it's beautiful, but not on that level.

I'll back Alpe on that one. Take your mtn or 'cross bike to Yukon and you'll have an experience you will hard pressed to match anywhere else. Some incredible all day adventures and multi-day trips. Wonderful people, tons of wildlife, it's just fantastic. Huge landscapes with only about 30,000 people, most of whom are in one city. Great local brewery too, the tour consists of some guy saying hi, pointing to a couple of vats, and drinking with you for an afternoon.

 

[Ripper]

Great local brewery too, the tour consists of some guy saying hi, pointing to a couple of vats, and drinking with you for an afternoon.

Now that's a tour I would like to go on!

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

Cologna, Bauer, Piller Cottrer, Hellner...

Northug is certainly out of contention.

Interesting to hear that, according to the commentator, the 'italians always have the capacity to rise to the occasion during these special events'

Good, old Conconi used to dope the italian skiers.

"Prof. Conconi has had an extraordinary career. On August 14, 1980, Prof. Conconi submitted a proposal to CONI (the Italian Olympic Committee), proposing that select Italian athletes be “assisted” by the staff of the university to improve their performances. He noted the sports that would benefit from such assistance as cycling, canoeing, rowing, long-distance skiing, speed skating, swimming, and wrestling. CONI accepted the offer.

According to the Head of Research of CONI, Sandro Donati (then an athletics coach for Italy and approached to participate in the programme), this assistance was basically blood doping. With his research funded by CONI (more than 2 million Euro over the years [8]), Conconi was able to achieve spectacular results with the athletes working with him, culminating at the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics where Italy sensationally emerged as a powerhouse in long-distance skiing (with a total harvest of 34 medals). It would later be documented that many of these athletes registered hematocrit values of greater than 50.0%; a strong indication of EPO use and measurements that today would have had them suspended from competition[9]."

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10163