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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 4:10:28 GMT -5
IOC What a bunch of wimps. IOC to investigate Canadian women's hockey team for celebrationBy Chris Chase sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/IOC-to-investigate-Canadian-women-s-hockey-team-?urn=oly,224338 The International Olympic Committee will investigate the actions of Canadian women's hockey players who celebrated their gold medal victory Thursday night by swigging beer and smoking cigars on the ice in Vancouver. A number of players, including 18-year-old superstar Marie-Philip Poulin, were drinking alcohol on the ice following the team's 2-0 defeat of the United States. (The legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19.) Players lingered for more than 70 minutes after the awards ceremony reveling in the arena, which was empty except for media and arena staff. (Click here to view a slideshow of the celebration.) Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, said that drinking in public was "not what we want to see" from athletes at an Olympic venue. The organization will investigate the actions and will speak with the international hockey federation and Canadian Olympic Committee and ask them to "act accordingly." Steve Keough, a spokesman for the Canadian Olympic Committee, told the Associated Press, “We condone celebrations. … We don’t condone actions of irresponsibility. I think Canadians understand it’s quite an emotional moment for our team. It was not our intention to go against any IOC protocols.” To be sure, the Canadian women's hockey team should have acted with more class and been a little more discreet with its celebration. But to do something drastic like ban the team from the Closing Ceremony or force them out of the Olympic Village would be an overreaction. In past Olympics we've seen steroids, political boycotts, cheating and judging scandals. A few puffs of a cigar hardly seems to be in the same league.
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 4:30:01 GMT -5
Tonight the team pursuit starts. Quarterfinal, 4 races. Winners go to the semi finals. Women only skate the quarter finals, Men both quarter and semi. Tomorrow the women skate the semi and then it's time for the finals.
Startlist for the quarterfinals:
Women: 1. Japan - South Korea 2. Russia - Poland 3. Germany - Netherlands 4. Canada - USA
Men: 1. Canada - Italy 2. Norway - South Korea 3. USA - Japan 4. Netherlands - Sweden
Tough draw for the Dutch ladies. They can only hope Friesinger is in worse shape then Groenewold. Canada - USA is a tough draw for both. If the semi's are between winners 1 and 2 and winners 3 and 4 I expect Japan in the finals, against either Germany or Canada.
The Dutch men should be able to win from Sweden if they don't fall like 4 years ago. Italy is defending champion but I doubt they're as good as then, I think Norway - South Korea is a very interesting race given the good results of the Koreans in the Olympics.
The women quarter finals start around 9.30pm European time.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 4:58:00 GMT -5
As always - thanks for the preview, Arjan. It's always more interesting to watch after someone who really knows the sport has shared his thoughts on what to expect and who to look out for.
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 5:22:13 GMT -5
In past Olympics we've seen steroids, political boycotts, cheating and judging scandals. A few puffs of a cigar hardly seems to be in the same league. Not too mention the current troubles with failing ice clean machines, calling back a started skiier, and what more.
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 5:23:18 GMT -5
As always - thanks for the preview, Arjan. It's always more interesting to watch after someone who really knows the sport has shared his thoughts on what to expect and who to look out for. Nice Though my insights have not always proven to be correct, but hey, it's the Olympics. Expect the unexpected
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 5:34:34 GMT -5
As always - thanks for the preview, Arjan. It's always more interesting to watch after someone who really knows the sport has shared his thoughts on what to expect and who to look out for. Nice Though my insights have not always proven to be correct, but hey, it's the Olympics. Expect the unexpected Well, it's not possible to always be correct. If the unexpected never happened there would be no need for competition.
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 5:36:30 GMT -5
And the bookmakers would make huge losses
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 5:40:44 GMT -5
In past Olympics we've seen steroids, political boycotts, cheating and judging scandals. A few puffs of a cigar hardly seems to be in the same league. Not too mention the current troubles with failing ice clean machines, calling back a started skiier, and what more. Exactly. Let those athletes celebrate the way they want to. I hate all that "good role model" crap that forbids them from having a little fun. If they want to have a drink or a smoke, let them. Who cares? If it was up to the IOC I guess athletes would only be allowed to celebrate by eating an apple and drinking a glass of milk.
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Post by erik on Feb 26, 2010 9:47:00 GMT -5
Quote by jhar26:
I think it was how prominently that sort of celebration was shown on TV that will end up being a problem for some, but not all, of us imperialist Yanks (LOL). I'm pretty sure the Soviets felt the same way after our squad beat theirs at Lake Placid thirty years ago.
Anyway, onto bigger and better things.
Bill Demong captured America's first-ever Gold in Nordic combined (in this case, Large Hill + 10K Cross Country), with his fellow American Johnny Spillane capturing the Silver. Up to these games, America had never medalled at all in any cross-country ski event at any Winter Olympics.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 12:38:41 GMT -5
Quote by jhar26: I think it was how prominently that sort of celebration was shown on TV that will end up being a problem for some, but not all, of us imperialist Yanks (LOL). I'm pretty sure the Soviets felt the same way after our squad beat theirs at Lake Placid thirty years ago. Anyway, onto bigger and better things. Bill Demong captured America's first-ever Gold in Nordic combined (in this case, Large Hill + 10K Cross Country), with his fellow American Johnny Spillane capturing the Silver. Up to these games, America had never medalled at all in any cross-country ski event at any Winter Olympics. Congrats, Erik.
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 13:13:12 GMT -5
Well done indeed.
Speaking of which, what happened to South Korea? I never knew they were that big in wintersports. Sure, shorttrack and speedskaters on the 500m an occasionally 1000m. But now. They won gold and silver on the long distances in speedskating, and now even a Korean girl wins the figure skating. And there's a lot more occasions I see the Korean flag.
By the way, also don't forget North Korea. The female speedskater at the 500 and 1000m could been even better if she'd been more familiar with her own capabilities. Promises something for the next years, though I doubt of she will be allowed to participate in world cups or world championships.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 15:24:11 GMT -5
Well done indeed. Speaking of which, what happened to South Korea? I never knew they were that big in wintersports. Sure, shorttrack and speedskaters on the 500m an occasionally 1000m. But now. They won gold and silver on the long distances in speedskating, and now even a Korean girl wins the figure skating. And there's a lot more occasions I see the Korean flag. By the way, also don't forget North Korea. The female speedskater at the 500 and 1000m could been even better if she'd been more familiar with her own capabilities. Promises something for the next years, though I doubt of she will be allowed to participate in world cups or world championships. Yeah, I've noticed the two Korea's doing great as well. Unfortunately I didn't see the figure skating. I saw that womens Ice Hockey final though. The main reason why Canada won that match is their goalie. She was terrific.
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 16:02:53 GMT -5
Easy victory for USA and Netherlands Next round is them against each other. But first it's the women. Dutch tv also shows the races of Nicolien Sauerbrij on the snowboard. She's almost in the semi finals, in the 1st heat her opponent fell.
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 16:09:36 GMT -5
And Sauerbreij made it So, at least a 4th place and maybe the first ever non-ice related medal on the wintergames for the Netherlands ;D
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 16:50:26 GMT -5
Sauerbreij in the final... lost the first heat at 0.02... 2nd heat will be a thriller.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 16:50:37 GMT -5
Yeah, she's in the gold/silver medal race!
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 16:55:40 GMT -5
Results in the team pursuit: Women: 1. Japan - South Korea 2. Russia - Poland3. Germany - Netherlands 4. Canada - USA Men: 1. Canada - Italy 2. Norway - South Korea 3. USA - Japan 4. Netherlands - Sweden
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 17:06:44 GMT -5
YEAH !!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 17:11:55 GMT -5
GOLD!It's the 100th gold medal of The Netherlands on any Olympics. It's also the very first medal of any colour at the Winter Olympics that's won not on the ice. And what a medal.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 17:15:52 GMT -5
Congrats yet again, Arjan - AMAZING!!!
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 17:18:50 GMT -5
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 17:32:45 GMT -5
And a new deception for Kramer... lost to the USA. Tomorrow they must fight for bronze against Norway.
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Post by jhar26 on Feb 26, 2010 17:39:58 GMT -5
And a new deception for Kramer... lost to the USA. Tomorrow they must fight for bronze against Norway. He's the Lindsey Vonn of speed skating, sorta. Both have done enough to justify the attention they get, but both have also shown that it always looks easier on paper than when you're actually have to do it. Still a good olympics for Kramer (and Vonn) though.
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 17:51:38 GMT -5
I don't think Kramer feels that way. Gold on the 5k, ok, but he will mostly feel like losing 2 or 3 other medals, gold or other. At least on the short term. Maybe in time he'll think back and appreciate the gold medal. However, he's still young and if all goes well he'll be there again in 2014 and 2018.
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Post by arjan on Feb 26, 2010 17:52:21 GMT -5
So, mixed emotions today. Skating was bad, snowboarding was great.
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