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Post by arjan on Feb 13, 2010 12:06:39 GMT -5
Impossible to miss, the Olympics have begun.
Are you going to watch? What sports, or everything? Who are your favourites?
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Post by arjan on Feb 13, 2010 12:14:33 GMT -5
Let's start myself. I like the Olympics.
I will watch everything from speedskating. The times are variable, most distances start around 9-11 pm Dutch time. This won't stop me from watching all from begin to end. There's 10 distances, both male and female have 5: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m and female 3000m and male 10000m. Also male and female have a new discipline 'chase' with 3 members per country.
Dutch favourites include Sven Kramer, specially for the 5000 and 10000m but also an outsider on 1500. Female favourites include Annette Gerritsen and Laurine van Riessen on 1000 and 1500 and many outsiders. Ireen Wust is defending champion on 3000m but I doubt she will be able to repeat this success. She's more likely an outsider on 1500.
Apart from speedskating I may watch occasionly but the time difference prevents me watching much. In the evenings it's all speedskating and during the day there will be reruns of other sports but then I'll be at work. Honestly, at other sports the Dutch don't have that much chance on medals. Possible shorttrack skating or even bobsleigh where the Dutch team scored good lately.
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Post by arjan on Feb 13, 2010 15:00:43 GMT -5
Dutch favourites in speedskating:
Male, some top favourites 500m: none. Smeekens can skate top 8, top 3 seems impossible. 1000m: Kuipers, Groothuis are among many favourites 1500m: Kuipers, Groothuis are among many favourites and also Kramer skates here 5000m: Kramer is the one to beat. De Jong is one who could do this. 10000m: also Kramer but also don't forget De Jong.
For the ladies, well. Favourites yes, top favourites no. 500m: Gerritsen is possible for bronze, normally Wolf and Wang get gold and silver 1000m: Gerritsen, Boer, van Riessen, all possible 1500m: van Riessen, Wüst, possible 3000m: almost impossible despite the fact Wüst is defending champion 5000m: Groenewold, de Vries possible, mainly due to the fact not much women want to skate this distance Groenewold doesn's skate this distance. Voorhuis does.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 13, 2010 16:44:17 GMT -5
I'm currently watching the 5.000m on Dutch television.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 13, 2010 17:31:39 GMT -5
Well, Kramer did it. Congrats with the gold, Arjan! PS: Why no tennis tournament? Ice would be an interesting surface to play on and maybe Belgium could at least win one medal at these olympics.
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Post by erik on Feb 13, 2010 18:11:01 GMT -5
Quote by jhar26:
To quote John McEnore: "You can't be serious!" (LOL)
Anyway, back to the Olympics for a moment--I plan to watch the dowhill ski events, as well as the cross-country races, and probably more than a few of the luge, skeleton, and bobsled races, this in spite of that horrible and fatal incident on that bobsled track that claimed the life of that luger from the Georgian Republic.
Also, I plan on catching the long-track speed skating competition. The short-track ones, though fun, sometimes look like a demolition derby (IMHO).
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Post by arjan on Feb 13, 2010 19:08:23 GMT -5
Well, Kramer did it. Congrats with the gold, Arjan! Yes, he did it. An exciting race as his time did not seem unbeatable, but today no one could. Who ever put money on the silver for Lee became rich today, what a surprise.
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Post by profblues on Feb 13, 2010 20:21:25 GMT -5
Might watch the hockey. wish they had boxing.
not really a Winter games kind of guy.
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Post by egoodstein on Feb 14, 2010 1:02:35 GMT -5
I'll probably watch a bit of everything if I've time. Probably some of the figure skating (women anyway)-- though the newer scoring is if anything more confusing than old. The music though to me always sounds terrible in those arenas-- or else is pretty bad music ! Hope to catch some of the skiing and I like the speed skating too. Not quite into the 'roller derby' sort of short track stuff so much though. Ed
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 14, 2010 16:42:47 GMT -5
So far so good - go Valkenburg!
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Post by arjan on Feb 14, 2010 16:54:23 GMT -5
She may end in top 6, but normally at least 1 or 2 Canadians and Sablikova and Beckert will go faster. Though circumstances are difficult, tough ice which is in Valkenburg's advantage being used to 'work ice' contrary to the 'slide ice' of Calgary where the Canadians mostly train. And of course Groenewold and Wüst also have to skate. And how about Haugli. We'll see...
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 14, 2010 16:58:24 GMT -5
She may end in top 6, but normally at least 1 or 2 Canadians and Sablikova and Beckert will go faster. Though circumstances are difficult, tough ice which is in Valkenburg's advantage being used to 'work ice' contrary to the 'slide ice' of Calgary where the Canadians mostly train. And of course Groenewold and Wüst also have to skate. And how about Haugli. We'll see... I don't know the technicalities of the sport (work ice as opposed to slide ice) as well as you do, Arjan. I hear that the Groenewold girl at her best is a great skater but that she has had a difficut year behind her.
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Post by arjan on Feb 14, 2010 17:06:01 GMT -5
Yes, Groenewold won silver 4 years ago. But she has had surgery twice last year, first for her back (hernia) and then in her stomach something. That doesn't help your physical condition. Plus she's 33 or 34, she wanted to end her carreer with gold today (good to set a goal), however with her physical circumstances she'd be pleased with any medal now.
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Post by arjan on Feb 14, 2010 17:08:59 GMT -5
I don't know the technicalities of the sport (work ice as opposed to slide ice) as well as you do, Arjan. Well, if you have slide ice you just have to give less force to move so you can use long strokes. On work ice you have to set more force so your strokes must be shorter and takes more strength. Just remember the Polish girl from the 1st pair who fell on the finish line. She didn't even slide but stopped almost immediately. On smooth, slide ice she would have gone on, sitting on the ice, towards the boarding.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 14, 2010 17:10:48 GMT -5
Yes, Groenewold won silver 4 years ago. But she has had surgery twice last year, first for her back (hernia) and then in her stomach something. That doesn't help your physical condition. Plus she's 33 or 34, she wanted to end her carreer with gold today (good to set a goal), however with her physical circumstances she'd be pleased with any medal now. Well, let's keep our fingers crossed for her. She's in the first race after they mop the track. That's an advantage, right?
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Post by arjan on Feb 14, 2010 17:14:45 GMT -5
Yes, it can be. The delay now isn't helping though. The outerlane is brushed one time more then the innerlane and that is causing problems so they wait a little longer...
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 14, 2010 17:22:43 GMT -5
Not a bad effort, but no medal I think.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 14, 2010 17:28:10 GMT -5
I don't know the technicalities of the sport (work ice as opposed to slide ice) as well as you do, Arjan. Well, if you have slide ice you just have to give less force to move so you can use long strokes. On work ice you have to set more force so your strokes must be shorter and takes more strength. Just remember the Polish girl from the 1st pair who fell on the finish line. She didn't even slide but stopped almost immediately. On smooth, slide ice she would have gone on, sitting on the ice, towards the boarding. Very interesting, thanks!
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 14, 2010 18:08:07 GMT -5
That start from Wust was suicidal. Had she started a bit more conservative she might have challenged for a medal.
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Post by arjan on Feb 14, 2010 18:10:17 GMT -5
Quite predictable result really... Sablikova, Beckert, Groves. Sometimes just happens what you expect to happen. Netherlands 7, 10, 11. As stated earlier in this thread this distance was the least likely to get Dutch success...
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 14, 2010 18:18:43 GMT -5
Well, you can't win 'em all and all tose Dutch girls pushed themselves to the limit. Can't ask anything more than that really. Sablikova was impressive.
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Post by arjan on Feb 14, 2010 18:36:24 GMT -5
She was, as she's been the past years. On the 5000 she's also the big favourite though then again she'll get competition from Beckert and the Canadians, mainly Hughes. But tomorrow first the 500m for men. Starts very late AND has 2 heats, but is relative short so I guess I will tape it and watch tuesday morning during extended breakfast
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Post by erik on Feb 14, 2010 20:33:15 GMT -5
In Nordic Combined (Ski Jump + 10K Cross-Country Race), Johnny (no relation to Mickey ) Spillane captured the Silver Medal for the United States. Our country has never medaled in this event in any Winter Olympics prior to this.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 15, 2010 5:22:04 GMT -5
In Nordic Combined (Ski Jump + 10K Cross-Country Race), Johnny (no relation to Mickey ) Spillane captured the Silver Medal for the United States. Our country has never medaled in this event in any Winter Olympics prior to this. Cool. I can't remember the last time Belgium won a medal at the winter Olympics.
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Post by arjan on Feb 15, 2010 5:52:43 GMT -5
In Nordic Combined (Ski Jump + 10K Cross-Country Race), Johnny (no relation to Mickey ) Spillane captured the Silver Medal for the United States. Our country has never medaled in this event in any Winter Olympics prior to this. Cool. I can't remember the last time Belgium won a medal at the winter Olympics. Bart Veldkamp won bronze at the 10000m once for Belgium. Of course he also won gold the same distance for Holland a few years earlier And there must have been some shorttrack medals for Belgium...
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