Official 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games thread!

[PrincessKsMom]

US Speed skating team blaming their suits, the ice, and elevation for their poor performance.....

Can't you just say the other guys are faster than we expected??

http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/...hi-olympics-us-speedskating-changing-uniforms

According to the article The Wall Street Journal made the claim about the suits:

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal suggested that the inability of the Americans to get to the podium could have been as a result of the vents, which are meant to dump excess air but may have created drag instead.

As for training, yes I think it makes a difference where you train and what type of ice you train on, but that's the same claim that's been made by others in the skiing events and snowboarding, not just the Americans. At the end of the day it doesn't matter, but if they feel like it's their suits and it is all in their heads, who cares? Change the suits. Maybe it's like a rally cap or favorite t-shirt baseball players wear, maybe it will be enough mentally to help them out, even if there is no physical evidence there is a difference.

Not really sure why you seems to be concentrating on all the negative American aspects and really don't think it's negative. Many came down on Shaun White for quitting at the last minute, yet I don't think anyone came down quite as hard on Plushenko. And now DeclansDad is complaining about judging in skating instead of maybe the fact that the Canadian skater just didn't bring his best A-game. Can't have it both ways.

The Olympics doesn't have to be so negative. Why can't we all be proud of our athletes and all their sacrifices and hard work, regardless of where they finish. Does it have to be "our country is better than yours" at every event? I'm proud of all of them, regardless of what nation they come from or where they finish but I do find myself feeling the need to defend them and it's stupid.

 

[Planogirl]

US Speed skating team blaming their suits, the ice, and elevation for their poor performance.....

Can't you just say the other guys are faster than we expected??

http://espn.go.com/olympics/winter/...hi-olympics-us-speedskating-changing-uniforms

They changed the suits and it didn't help. I don't blame them for trying though.

 

[Bay Hill]

USA/RUS Sat morning @ 0730 EST

 

[declansdad]

According to the article The Wall Street Journal made the claim about the suits:

On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal suggested that the inability of the Americans to get to the podium could have been as a result of the vents, which are meant to dump excess air but may have created drag instead.

As for training, yes I think it makes a difference where you train and what type of ice you train on, but that's the same claim that's been made by others in the skiing events and snowboarding, not just the Americans. At the end of the day it doesn't matter, but if they feel like it's their suits and it is all in their heads, who cares? Change the suits. Maybe it's like a rally cap or favorite t-shirt baseball players wear, maybe it will be enough mentally to help them out, even if there is no physical evidence there is a difference.

Not really sure why you seems to be concentrating on all the negative American aspects and really don't think it's negative. Many came down on Shaun White for quitting at the last minute, yet I don't think anyone came down quite as hard on Plushenko. And now DeclansDad is complaining about judging in skating instead of maybe the fact that the Canadian skater just didn't bring his best A-game. Can't have it both ways.

The Olympics doesn't have to be so negative. Why can't we all be proud of our athletes and all their sacrifices and hard work, regardless of where they finish. Does it have to be "our country is better than yours" at every event? I'm proud of all of them, regardless of what nation they come from or where they finish but I do find myself feeling the need to defend them and it's stupid.

You read a lot into one simple little statement and I don't think anyone has said they weren't proud of the athletes.

 

[LBIJim]

I'm glad NBC featured the women's skeleton race tonight. But I know it's only because 2 US women were in the medal hunt and each of them had a "story."

ямес

 

[SkaGoat]

As for training, yes I think it makes a difference where you train and what type of ice you train on,

It didn't seem to make a difference in Vancouver.... Vancouver is also at sea level and US team did well. Plus every country has different training facilities. Canada trained in Calgary which is about 3,400ft above sea level. People gave White flack for the dubious reasons for withdrawing. Plushenko doesn't get as much criticism because his back is screwed up and you simply can't do the jumps required to compete with a messed up back. White's injured wrist had no effect on his slope style event.

But I must admit a lot of people around the world see Americans, and American athletes as arrogant (I'm not one of them). So when they don't do well people tend to pile on.

What has been happening to the American team as a whole is what happens to Canada a lot, your athletes excel at the world championships, and other small events, but can't put it together for the big show, Patrick Chan has won the last 3 world championships, and he couldn't pull out the gold at the Olympics, same thing used to happen to Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko and Brian Orser, they'd win at every level except the Olympics.

My problem is people trying to make excuses... just say we aren't executing.

 

[PrincessInOz]

.....what happens to Canada a lot, your athletes excel at the world championships, and other small events, but can't put it together for the big show, Patrick Chan has won the last 3 world championships, and he couldn't pull out the gold at the Olympics, same thing used to happen to Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko and Brian Orser, they'd win at every level except the Olympics.

At least you're consistent.


(Roll on the Glasgow Commonwealth Games! )

 

[PrincessInOz]

I'm just watching the encore presentation of the men's figure skating.


Wow! Talk about hard to get a landing to stick! You'd think they were all on thin ice or something!

 

[SkaGoat]

I'm just watching the encore presentation of the men's figure skating.


Wow! Talk about hard to get a landing to stick! You'd think they were all on thin ice or something!

I wonder if the temperature outside has something to do with it... it's very warm in Sochi. It is odd it was trouble for a lot of them. Patrick Chan seemed pretty disappointed.

 

[Jennasis]

Did they butter the ice for the men's figure skaters or something? Geez Louise! The guys were coming apart at the seams.

Really enjoyed the women's skeleton though. Happy for Pikus-Pace. After her horrible injury a few years ago, what a come back!

Just wanted to clarify that Shaun White didn't withdraw from slopestyle because his wrist "hurt". He withdrew because after he injured his wrist he was concerned he would injure himself again or worse and that it would cause him to be unable to compete in the halfpipe.

 

[LBIJim]

Wow!! That was some sorry men's figure skating tonight. Maybe they should just re-do the whole thing again tomorrow.

Most of the men usually wear some pretty bizarre outfits, but WTH was that Japanese skater wearing? Hideous, and not in a good way. Was he supposed to be Juliet during that routine?

Then he stumbles and opens the door for the Canadien Chan. And then Chan crashes into the doorframe!! GRRRR!!!

A tweet from 2010 bronze medalist Joannie Rochette concerning Chan:
"Il avait l'or sur un plateau d'argent. Il a pris le plateau."
(He had the gold on a silver platter. He chose the platter.)

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Wow!! That was some sorry men's figure skating tonight. Maybe they should just re-do the whole thing again tomorrow.

Most of the men usually wear some pretty bizarre outfits, but WTH was that Japanese skater wearing? Hideous, and not in a good way. Was he supposed to be Juliet during that routine?

Then he stumbles and opens the door for the Canadien Chan. And then Chan crashes into the doorframe!! GRRRR!!!

A tweet from 2010 bronze medalist Joannie Rochette concerning Chan:
"Il avait l'or sur un plateau d'argent. Il a pris le plateau."
(He had the gold on a silver platter. He chose the platter.)

Johnny Weir mentioned in a post-skate interview that he designed that outfit. 'Nuf said. I said to my daughter "is his costume Romeo on the bottom and Juliet on the top?"

 

[PrincessInOz]

Wow!! That was some sorry men's figure skating tonight. Maybe they should just re-do the whole thing again tomorrow.

Most of the men usually wear some pretty bizarre outfits, but WTH was that Japanese skater wearing? Hideous, and not in a good way. Was he supposed to be Juliet during that routine?

Then he stumbles and opens the door for the Canadien Chan. And then Chan crashes into the doorframe!! GRRRR!!!

A tweet from 2010 bronze medalist Joannie Rochette concerning Chan:
"Il avait l'or sur un plateau d'argent. Il a pris le plateau."
(He had the gold on a silver platter. He chose the platter.)

Nice! I like it.

 

[LBIJim]

Johnny Weir mentioned in a post-skate interview that he designed that outfit. 'Nuf said. I said to my daughter "is his costume Romeo on the bottom and Juliet on the top?"

Johnny Weir, huh? That figures. I think the judges should have deducted 50 points for that outfit.

Jim

 

[declansdad]

Very entertaining hockey game this morning.

 

[Shutterbug]

Just watched the USA vs Russia Mens Hockey...exciting game!

 

[BKMETV]

Great game...loved Oshie!

 

[mandy200587]

What a game in men's hockey, that was intense, stressful but exciting.

 

[LisaR]

What a game in men's hockey, that was intense, stressful but exciting.

I don't know why exactly, but I just haven't been able to get into these games as much as I have in past Olympics. But that game.......WOW! That was a great game to watch.

 

[mandy200587]

I don't know why exactly, but I just haven't been able to get into these games as much as I have in past Olympics. But that game.......WOW! That was a great game to watch.

I've had the same issue this year but this game was so worth getting up for.