Discussing the 2010 Winter Olympics & Past Performances

  • Thread starter Thread starter Borg
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics, with participants sharing their excitement, reflections on past performances, and personal experiences related to winter sports. The conversation includes commentary on specific athletes, events, and the overall atmosphere surrounding the Olympics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express anticipation for specific athletes, such as Lindsey Vonn and her potential to achieve multiple medals, drawing comparisons to Michael Phelps.
  • Others share nostalgia for past Olympic performances, highlighting memorable moments and athletes from previous games.
  • A few participants mention personal experiences with winter sports, including competitive skiing and the challenges faced in icy conditions.
  • Concerns are raised about the impact of injuries on the excitement of the Olympics, particularly referencing Danny Davis and Kevin Pearce.
  • Some participants comment on the emotional impact of Olympic advertisements and the portrayal of athletes.
  • There are mentions of specific events and performances, such as Justyna Kowalczyk's achievements in cross country skiing and Seth Wescott's success in snowboard cross.
  • Discussion includes the state of Vancouver as a host city, noting both its challenges and improvements due to the Olympics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of excitement and concern regarding the Olympics, with some sharing positive expectations while others reflect on injuries and emotional responses. There is no clear consensus on the overall sentiment towards the event.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various athletes and events without resolving the implications of injuries or the emotional impact of the Olympics. The discussion includes personal anecdotes that may not fully represent broader perspectives on the games.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in winter sports, Olympic history, or personal experiences related to competitive skiing and snowboarding may find this discussion engaging.

Borg
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
2,349
Reaction score
5,128
The 2010 Winter Olympics are starting in one week. I thought I would start a thread for anyone who wants to comment on it - what you're looking forward to, past winter olympics, etc.

Vancouver has been having warm weather and has to http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/34964456/ns/sports-olympic_sports/". We've got plenty in DC this weekend that they could have. Come and get it - we won't mind at all. :wink:

My wife showed me a video of a beautiful performance from 1984 that left a great impression on her (and the judges).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2zbbN4OL98
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
Looking for Lindsey Vonn to pull a Michael Phelps...and maybe a US 4-man bobsled gold.
 
The Olympics lost most of my excitement after Danny Davis and Kevin Pearce got injured.
 
I don't know that I'm going to survive the heart-string-tugging advertisments for the event. I mean adorable looking children and Donald Sutherland telling you it's time to believe. How do you not choke up?
 
I'm looking foward to watching the TV coverage, not only for the competition, but also to see Vancouver again. I spent a day there a few years ago, and I wish I could have stayed longer.
 
Vancouver is running into big debts and rains every week in winter are bit depressing.. but it is turning into a modern city (better public services: transit) maybe because of Olympics.
 
Seth Wescott (Maine native) won gold in the snowboard cross. There have been only two golds awarded since that sport was added, and both belong to him!
 
Shaw White is locking out his competitors in Olympic Gold as well. Killer performance!
 
Blegh, I may watch the skaters, maybe not.
 
  • #10
I finally got to see NBC's badly-truncated presentation of the women's downhill, and was VERY impressed by most of the skiers. That was typical New-England style course conditions with icy hard-pack. Lindsey Vonn's decision to go with the longer men's downhill skis was a good one because icy washboard courses really beat up your thighs when you're trying to stay tucked, and by the time you hit the finish you're ready to collapse.

When I was in my senior year, and ski patrol member at Enchanted Mountain, our boss was a Class A skier from Vermont. He threw out a standing challenge that on Sunday afternoons, we would close a trail, and have a downhill competition. You paid 50 cents for a shot at him and if you could come within 1/2 second of his time on a 1.5 mile course (after a weekend of skiing on what was usually a very hard trail) you would win a (transferable) pair of lift ticket passes. I got a pair of passes once, and felt very fortunate to have done so. There were very few passes given out - there may have been one other pair given away that season.

I attribute my "success" to a pair of Fischer GS skis that were longer than normal, and that were laminated aluminum and steel with a wood core and neoprene bonding to smooth out the washboard. The skis had a waisted side-cut to help me carve on ice without throwing all kinds of rooster-tail. That wastes time and scrubs speed. If the boss would have helped me tune my skis and let me in on his waxing techniques, I might have been able to give him a run without the 1/2 second handicap. The only way I could afford low-grade "racing" skis was because of the discount offered to ski-patrol members that let us get equipment from the mountain-based shop at just a little over wholesale.

Edit: Especially if I had been able to race him fresh on Sunday afternoon without having put in 6-7 hours patrolling.
 
Last edited:
  • #11
Justyna Kowalczyk won silver in cross country sprint (or whatever it is properly called in English). Go Justyna, go!

Adam Małysz won silver on the first hill, wow, a year or two ago peple here started to say he should already end jumping. Next hill on the weekend.
 
  • #12
We already spoke about Anja Paerson crash in Lindsey Vonn thread:

She escaped without serious injury (...) She is bruised and has a sore left calf but nothing is broken.

That's good, it really looked terrible.
 
  • #13
Borek said:
We already spoke about Anja Paerson crash in Lindsey Vonn thread:

That's good, it really looked terrible.
It DID look awful, and it could have been much worse. She went into the last jump with her weight too far back, and had to try to correct in mid-air. If she was a lesser skier, she could easily have come out of that with major injuries.
 
  • #14
Borek said:
Justyna Kowalczyk won silver in cross country sprint (or whatever it is properly called in English). Go Justyna, go!

She added gold today. Wow, what a finish!
 

Similar threads

News Bush Honest & Trustworthy Until How Many Lies?
  • · Replies 65 ·
3
Replies
65
Views
12K