Winter Olympics Torino 2006

[ssar]

Great to see the winter olympics underway!
Watched most of the opening ceremony - lovely!

The abseilers forming the shape of a dove was great.

Peter Gabriel was, in all honesty, a tad dissapointing for mine, but still good. With the entire planet as a stange, and singing such a moving and reputable song, he/they really could have made it something special. Still ok.

Earlier settled into the lounge to watch the sports, figure skating on first up, looking forward to the faster events!

Mmmmm.. snow.

[ssar]

Official Olympics websites:

http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/OlympicGames/home/

http://www.olympic.org/uk/index_uk.asp

for all the news, results direct etc.

Unfortunately, the TV coverage of the Olympics is mediocre at best here in Australia (with the exception of Sydney 2000 Summer games, for obvious reasons), so we only get to see nightly highlight packages the network with the rights to it puts together (this network has had the rights for the last few similar big events and has copped a lot of criticism, unfort we can't do much about it.)

I'll make the most of it regardless..

Man those LUGE sledders are hardcore.. 0-100km/h in a few secs, hitting over 130km/h top speed.. insane stuff.

Haven't seen any of the downhill yet, so hoping they show lots asap!

[Hali]

Anyone focus in on the girl in the white gown in the opening ceremonies? I don't think she wore anything underneath it! Thank goodness I have TiVo!

[ssar]

Great to see Aussie gold!
Dale Begg-Smith has won Australia's third ever Winter Olympics gold medal, with victory in the freestyle skiing moguls at Sauze d'Oulx at the Torino Games.
Candian born, 6yrs in Australia now, won it in great style.. awesome to see!

Also great to see Aussie Torah Bright get 5th in the women's halfpipe boarding event - if she didnt falter in her 1st finals run she could also have taken gold!

Saw highlights of the downhill yesterday.. man that is awesome! Love how they paint guide lines down the course - geez, that is the premier winter event, those guys go beyond the limit.

Mmmm.. snow.

[Hali]

Aussies shouldn't participate in the Winter Olympics. Candian born doesn't mean Aussie represent.

[ssar]

Aussies shouldn't participate in the Winter Olympics.

fu

[Minofagal]

i didn't know kangaroo boxing was an olympic sport :P

hehe jk

[Brandobaris]

I especially enjoy watching the mogul skiiers, and snowboarders, both of whom do the impressive jumps and flips and such.

The new snowboard racing event doesn't seem too exciting though. It seems kind of slow paced. They should have made it steeper. Now put four snowboarders on the downhill skiing slope, and that would have been interesting ;)

Now in regards to Australia, I think that's pretty cheesy to suggest that a medal is less meaningful because an athlete was born in a different country. Here in the United States I'm sure we have plenty of athletes representing us who were not born here.

[Ashiwi]

::sniffle::

I've found the only truly horrific thing about living in the country... Terrible reception of the channel the olympics is on!!!! WAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! Luckily I was never much into the winter olympics, but in two years, I bet I have satellite out here for that summer coverage.

As for a non-Aussie taking a medal at the olympics for Australia... I guess it depends on the reason he's living in Australia in the first place. In the US we're raised on the idea that it doesn't matter where they come from, as long as they live here now, and that works for just about any concept we apply it to. "Give us your tired, your poor, your athletic superstars" right? In spite of that, I still have reservations about importing foreign talent just to compete in the Olympic games. I imagine for many other countries, it would be a great concern... what's the point of the locals working their hearts out to try to compete if the country's only going to import from another nation for the position? Here in the states we devour stories about hometown boys and girls struggling against all obstacles to make it big in a worldwide event, and I'm sure other countries are looking for their native heroes to do the same.

[Kifle]

::sniffle::

I've found the only truly horrific thing about living in the country... Terrible reception of the channel the olympics is on!!!! WAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! Luckily I was never much into the winter olympics, but in two years, I bet I have satellite out here for that summer coverage.

As for a non-Aussie taking a medal at the olympics for Australia... I guess it depends on the reason he's living in Australia in the first place. In the US we're raised on the idea that it doesn't matter where they come from, as long as they live here now, and that works for just about any concept we apply it to. "Give us your tired, your poor, your athletic superstars" right? In spite of that, I still have reservations about importing foreign talent just to compete in the Olympic games. I imagine for many other countries, it would be a great concern... what's the point of the locals working their hearts out to try to compete if the country's only going to import from another nation for the position? Here in the states we devour stories about hometown boys and girls struggling against all obstacles to make it big in a worldwide event, and I'm sure other countries are looking for their native heroes to do the same.

Nah, all of the NHL superstars return to their home countries to compete in the olympics even if they've lived here since they were old enough to be in the NHL. I think the Canadian winning a medal for Aussie is pretty crappy imo.

[Ashiwi]

I know that this story wouldn't mean nearly as much to Chicago if the athlete had been an import, instead of a hometown boy.


http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/torino ... &type=lgns

[Brandobaris]

Way to get into the spirit of the games, people :P

[Ashiwi]

I think that IS part of the spirit of the games. Every time I watch the Olympics I cheer the hardest for the people who come from backgrounds that gave them more to fight against and more to overcome in order to get to compete. For me it's not the money that can buy the best athletes... it's the heart and the spirit of the people who work and struggle to get there, the desire and support of their neighbors who sacrifice and do without to raise the funds to send them, and the overwhelming pride and accomplishment of those who are "underprivileged," but who can still step forward and tell the entire world that it's not about whose talents you can buy... it's about how much determination you can give.

As far as I'm concerned, Eric Moussambani is an Olympic great, and will always be one of my heroes where the Olympics are concerned.

[teflor the ranger]

Honestly, many atheletes chose to compete for a country because another country may not have accepted them to their olympic team.

Frankly, it is the spirit of the olympics to promote cooperation and fellowship between nations through sportsmanship and the games. It's wonderful that we can compete from one side of the fence, yet live and work on another side because our societies are compatible enough to coexist without hatred - unlike some countries.

Anyhow, the Canadians, Australians, Britons, Greeks, Poles, and Americans going to the olympics for each other is not so much a surprise as it is a time honored tradition. After all, if America can't use our top American atheletes, some of the other countries could stand a loaner ;)

[Hali]

So, supposely, we can all move and get citizenship to a place like Jamaica and then apply to be on the olympic team. And since most of us ski recreationally, then we are almost guaranteed on their team!