Sochi 2014 - Winter Olympics

With less than a month to it begins I thought I'd start a thread on this.

I've always enjoyed the winter olympics and I'm really looking forward to it this time around. Let the countdown begin.

 

I love the World Cup and European Championships and enjoy the summer and winter Olympics, some more than others - so why am I hoping that Brazil won't be ready in time, that it won't snow in Sochi and that the whole Qatar thing will fall on its face and cause massive disruption to the football schedule across the world? Am I becoming an overpolitical miserabilist, or just somebody on the side of truth and justice?

 

overpolitical miserabilist definitely.


I always enjoy the bobsleigh & Skeleton as well as the Ski jumping. Nothing will ever come close to Calgary 88 however.
[video=youtube;A7MmJIy0bjo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7MmJIy0bjo[/video]

 

There is a good chance for a few medals this year. I'm really hoping GB Bobsleigh get on the podium somewhere this year, the Men's team were only 0.07 of the gold at the worlds last months. I may be slightly biased towards them as my old man is the team performance director. He is also a Hornet.

 

Is this him?

http://racer-ready.co.uk/2012/12/13...ks-about-where-gb-bobsleigh-is-at-the-moment/

 

That would be the man in question.

 

I did something!! :mengoal:

 

The Winter Olympics is bull****. These are pastimes, not sports.

 

I like curling.

 

I bet WADA love the snow boarding competitors, must keep them busy for a couple of years!

 

Sadly the Saudis are going to make it a blood bath.

 

Starts this week and I couldn't be more excited.

 

I'm probably not quite as enthusiastic as you ChrisG, but I'm also looking forward to the games. I'm just in awe of the work some of these people have to put in to be competitive. Particularly so for the British who normally have to contend with lesser training facilities, although I understand that has improved over the past few years. I saw the little tarmac/rail track (near Bath) that our guys/girls have to train on for the luge/ skeleton (whatever it's called), yet they are some of the best in the world.

 

Correct, it is near Bath. The work they put in is outstanding.

Here are a few links to hopefully get a few more as excited as I am.
http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/10953952.Sochi_preparations__in_good_shape_/

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/10976023.Team_GB_to_head_to_Sochi_in_confident_mood/

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/10927490.In_pursuit_of_an_Olympic_medal/

 

Ice Hockey will be the sport to watch (ok I'm biased I live in Finland) No team GB but all the NHL players (ie. best) will be there. Russia will be expected to perform big on home ice. Canada and Sweden will be the other favorites for a medal. Watch too out for Finland who regularly sneak into the medals at the expense of bigger nations.

Finn player to watch: the legend Teemu Selänne - its his 6th Olympics! he's now 43 still scoring in the NHL and has scored the most points ever in Olympic hockey (37 goals+assists).

 

I'm interested in the heavyweight snowball fighting. Should be awesome.

We've also got some world class snowman makers this year, so could get amongst the medals. Shame that our snow woman makers are still very much the poor relation.

Will also like to see which of the athletes can write a whole Shakespearian sonnet in the snow in one go. The world record of "Shall I compare thee to a..." is long overdue to be broken.

Ritchie Neville from Five looks a good bet for at least a Bronze for The Jump.

 

3/10

 

You just can't help yourself can you Moog; it would not be so bad if you were funny, which to be fair you quite often used to be, but now you just take the **** for the sake of it, very sad :dismay:

 

Think you should stand in the corner moog and think about what you have done.

 

The whole selection policy for the GB's winter olympic squad, and the BOA in general is a joke.

One of our top ski cross racers Emily Sarsfield has not been selected despite being her 34th ranking. This apparently isn't a "credible" achievement. Instead we're sending the likes of Chemmy Allcott, who's bound to get an injury as soon as she gets on a chair lift - some credible performance that'll be.

We're punching above our weight in alpine sports, but we're being held back by an organisation who's top dogs who have no real knowledge of the sport today.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-olympics/25882543

 

With Ski Cross being a fairly new Winter Olympic sport and no UK program for it it was always going to be tough for her to gain a place at the games. She was only invited by default anyways as other competitors pulled out. Chemmy Alcott's inclusion on the Ski program also led to another guy not getting a call up for the downhall team. Obviously they believe in Chemmy's ability to include her at the expense of others that may not have as much of a chance of her at getting a decent result. Obviously it is heartbreaking for those that don't make it but there are other reasons that contribute to this too.

A lot of work does go into the selection program but like any sport, there are chances of you not making the final cut.

 

As you're not on my ignore list, I will do so, for you.

 

I know it was only a default selection in the first place but it's either her or nothing. She's still a great skier and would have put everything into it. To give our place up to "more credible" athletes from other nations just doesn't seem right when we have someone like Sarsfield ready to go!

Dougie Crawford and TJ Baldwin don't make the cut as Chemmy is going. I think she's been selected purely for publicity and to be the 'face' of British Alpine skiing. I'll be eating my words if she does well, let alone finishes a race. She couldn't even do a fitness test for selection!

I've been into ski racing for a few years now, and working as a coach I've realised even more so how shoddy the organisation is in failing to recognise or utilise young talent.

 

And with funds for the Winter Olympics much less than those of the Summer ones resources were used better elsewhere where there was more of a chance.

You mention you work as a coach, have you had any involvement of the selection programme or any clue of it? I don't mean to sound patronising so I apologise if I do. Team GB's selection process and talent/recruit programme is not shoddy at all. I may be slightly biased on this front but the effort, time and commitment put into it is huge and very demanding, even for the coaches and selection panels.

 

I'm in Russia right now and it's a dour, cold, depressed version of the buzz which was around in London 2012.

 

I'm in Moscow, but there are still people with lanyards roaming around like stray cats and everyone asking you if you're a winter Olympian, when they realise you're not Russian.