Official Torino 2006 thread

[Platypus]

3-You've really on 15 medals. I refuse to accept Dale Begg-Smith's gold, because he doesn't feel Australian. If someone came to Australia, became a citizen, and competed for us and felt and considered themselves Australian, great! Just look at Tatiana Grigorieva (polevaulter, silver in Sydney); we all love her, or Irena Lashko (diver, multiple olympic medallist). But you can tell he doesn't consider himself Australian, and it really sucks. I hope we get a medal in the ladies' aerials, because as far as I'm concerned, we're still waiting for our first.

I remember reading this one article that said, "Begg-Smith is as Aussie as maple syrup."

Pretty much. Whenever he's asked what he thinks of Australia, he says "Well, Australia has a really great programme. (or do you use program? Whatever)

The only reason he swithched is he had a blue with the canucks about not being able to run his company and train with the national team, and therefore, not be able to compete. He lives in Australia for a couple of months a year, mainly in the northern summer, but generally spends all his time in Vancouver or the mountains thereabouts.

[MHS2002]

Well, it's been an interesting games so far. 14 medals is very good, right on the heels of the US, although we dont have anywhere close to the amount of golds.

I am willing to answer any questions about curling, as I am an avid curler myself. Basically to score points, you have to get your rocks closer to the centre of the circles than the other teams rocks. It's really a lot of fun to play, but I can understand if it is boring to watch on TV.

And hugh, stop bashing  ice hockey, you don't see me whining about field hockey. Ice Hockey is a lot of fun, you should try it.

Ready for the big U.S.-Canada curling match (men's semifinals) on Wednesday?

[Hatman 🍁]

Well, it's been an interesting games so far. 14 medals is very good, right on the heels of the US, although we dont have anywhere close to the amount of golds.

I am willing to answer any questions about curling, as I am an avid curler myself. Basically to score points, you have to get your rocks closer to the centre of the circles than the other teams rocks. It's really a lot of fun to play, but I can understand if it is boring to watch on TV.

And hugh, stop bashing  ice hockey, you don't see me whining about field hockey. Ice Hockey is a lot of fun, you should try it.

Ready for the big U.S.-Canada curling match (men's semifinals) on Wednesday?

Should be fun. I wonder what happened with the women's team. They were supposed to do very well. When I watched the Canada-USA game, Johnson was making some weird calls. Not enough experience I guess.

 

And hugh, stop bashing  ice hockey, you don't see me whining about field hockey. Ice Hockey is a lot of fun, you should try it.

1-Keep calling it Ice Hockey and I have no real problem with you.
2-Field Hockey is Hockey. The original and obviously the best.

Don't push me, Hugh. I'll call it ice hockey if you call it field hockey. Neither is "original" because they evolved separately from one another.

BTW Begg-Smith is a jackass. He left the Canadian program because it was too difficult for him   Oh well, two new Canadians won medals, so I can't complain. Jeff Pain won a silver in Skeleton (former American) and a former Jamaican bobsled teammate won a silver for us in bobsleigh

[MHS2002]

Well, it's been an interesting games so far. 14 medals is very good, right on the heels of the US, although we dont have anywhere close to the amount of golds.

I am willing to answer any questions about curling, as I am an avid curler myself. Basically to score points, you have to get your rocks closer to the centre of the circles than the other teams rocks. It's really a lot of fun to play, but I can understand if it is boring to watch on TV.

And hugh, stop bashing  ice hockey, you don't see me whining about field hockey. Ice Hockey is a lot of fun, you should try it.

Ready for the big U.S.-Canada curling match (men's semifinals) on Wednesday?

Should be fun. I wonder what happened with the women's team. They were supposed to do very well. When I watched the Canada-USA game, Johnson was making some weird calls. Not enough experience I guess.

The women received a lot of attention in the States before the games, based in part on the looks of the Johnson sisters but also their silver at the last World Championships. I think a lot of people had the U.S. men doing poorly, with the women contending for a medal.

[Hatman 🍁]

Well, it's been an interesting games so far. 14 medals is very good, right on the heels of the US, although we dont have anywhere close to the amount of golds.

I am willing to answer any questions about curling, as I am an avid curler myself. Basically to score points, you have to get your rocks closer to the centre of the circles than the other teams rocks. It's really a lot of fun to play, but I can understand if it is boring to watch on TV.

And hugh, stop bashing  ice hockey, you don't see me whining about field hockey. Ice Hockey is a lot of fun, you should try it.

Ready for the big U.S.-Canada curling match (men's semifinals) on Wednesday?

Should be fun. I wonder what happened with the women's team. They were supposed to do very well. When I watched the Canada-USA game, Johnson was making some weird calls. Not enough experience I guess.

The women received a lot of attention in the States before the games, based in part on the looks of the Johnson sisters but also their silver at the last World Championships. I think a lot of people had the U.S. men doing poorly, with the women contending for a medal.

It appears the opposite has happened   It is quite strange, traditionaly American women have done well at the World Championships while the men not so much. However, I believe Pete Fenson was 8-3 last year at the Worlds, so they're still a good team.

[Platypus]

well, we won our first real medal; Bronze in the women's aerials. Australia's team trains (in part) by jumping into the Murray River.

It's such a shame Lydia I. popped her knee; the shrieks were pretty awful. My mum felt physically sick after seeing it, and she's an ex-emergency department nurse

It's also a shame that Jacqui Cooper, who set a world record in qualification, didn't get a medal; she has had such bad luck at the olympics and we were all hoping things would go right for her this time, but it wasn't to be

[Hatman 🍁]

Bittersweet day. Lost semis in women's curling but won the men's semis. Lost in hockey WTF   Four medals today for us- two gold (take that Australia!) ties us with the US in medals (18) with at least one more on Friday. So far this is our best Winter Olympics ever

[Platypus]

Four medals today for us- two gold (take that Australia!)

Just wait for the Commonwealth Games-Australia's hoping for over 200 medals.

[Hatman 🍁]

Four medals today for us- two gold (take that Australia!)

Just wait for the Commonwealth Games-Australia's hoping for over 200 medals.

Pfft, if it doesn't have hockey or curling, it doesn't count

[Platypus]

Four medals today for us- two gold (take that Australia!)

Just wait for the Commonwealth Games-Australia's hoping for over 200 medals.

Pfft, if it doesn't have hockey or curling, it doesn't count

It has hockey and lawn bowls, instead.

[Hatman 🍁]

Four medals today for us- two gold (take that Australia!)

Just wait for the Commonwealth Games-Australia's hoping for over 200 medals.

Pfft, if it doesn't have hockey or curling, it doesn't count

It has hockey and lawn bowls, instead.

Meh. I'd rather their more fast paced ice counterparts. Plus, there's no sweeping in lawn bowls.

[Platypus]

Well, we are almost at the end. Torino has been an OK host; certainly nothing has gone wrong besides the weather for a couple of events, but it was kinda bland. There was no real flair, which was a shame. Maybe the closing ceremony will be good.

[??????????]

I watched Cool Runnings this morning. Where was the Jamaican bobsled team? Did they do well?

[2952-0-0]

I watched Cool Runnings this morning. Where was the Jamaican bobsled team? Did they do well?

LOL!!! ^^^^ It was a real shock seeing Canada being beat by the Russians, having hammered the US back in Salt Lake (too bad they didn't freeze a loonie under the ice this time). Anyway, Jamaica didn't send anyone this time .

[Akno21]

Well, these games (and the Athens games too) have seemed unspectactular, to say the least. I'm looking forward to Beijing 2008, I have a feeling they will be one of the most important Olympiads in a long time. In terms of "bigness" it has the potential to be up there with Berlin 1936 and Lake Placid 1980. 

[afleitch]

it has the potential to be up there with Berlin 1936 

You got that right

[Platypus]

The only 'spectacular' Olympics in the last 20 years-Barcelona 1992; Lillehammer 1994; Sydney 2000. Sydney was obviously the best of the three, but Barcelona 'saved' the Olympics.

[afleitch]

The only 'spectacular' Olympics in the last 20 years-Barcelona 1992; Lillehammer 1994; Sydney 2000. Sydney was obviously the best of the three, but Barcelona 'saved' the Olympics.

For me Barcelona, from memory and in retrospect was a very 'artistic' games full of colour, spectacle and colour. Seoul was garish, Los Angeles too commercial and tacky and Moscow was dull.

[Akno21]

The only 'spectacular' Olympics in the last 20 years-Barcelona 1992; Lillehammer 1994; Sydney 2000. Sydney was obviously the best of the three, but Barcelona 'saved' the Olympics.

I only remember starting with Sydney, and my memories of that are very fond. It seemed like the Aussies really cared, and for the most part filled up the stands. Salt Lake was good as well, the last two Olympics have been lacking however.

[Platypus]

The only 'spectacular' Olympics in the last 20 years-Barcelona 1992; Lillehammer 1994; Sydney 2000. Sydney was obviously the best of the three, but Barcelona 'saved' the Olympics.

I only remember starting with Sydney, and my memories of that are very fond. It seemed like the Aussies really cared, and for the most part filled up the stands. Salt Lake was good as well, the last two Olympics have been lacking however.

We did. Here's hoping Smiggins Holes 2014 works out

(Smiggings Holes is a very low-budget ski 'resort' in the NSW mountains. There is a possibility of a serious bid some time in the distant future for one in the Victorian High Country, spread over Falls Creek, Mt. Buller, Lake Mountain, Mt Buffalo, Mt Bogong and Mt Hotham. The biggest problem is that you can't guarantee snowfall of a sufficient level to last the event with fresh snow.

Still, i'm looking forward to Melbourne 2032-failing that, Brisbane or Perth would have to do. Auckland might be able to get the games as soon as 2024; but Australia would have to wait until 2028 at the very earliest; we'll almost certainly get it again some time between 2032-2044.

[Jake]

Atlanta was pretty good, Sydney moreso, Athens wasn't all that great because of baseball and basketball sucking big time. Nagano was just all bad, SLC was decent, but Torino was the best out of those I've seen.

[Platypus]

Atlanta was pretty good, Sydney moreso, Athens wasn't all that great because of baseball and basketball sucking big time. Nagano was just all bad, SLC was decent, but Torino was the best out of those I've seen.

I can only remember a little bit about Lillehammer, but I can only remember good things.

Atlanta wasn't that great, really. Besides the whole bomb thing, it had no real spark. Salt Lake was actually pretty good, I think better then Torino, but Torino's opening ceremony was fantastic. Maybe I just have fonder memories of SLC because of Bradbury and Camplin


(Bad pun, my apologies)

[Hatman 🍁]

Awesome Olympics. Could have been better, had we not had 14 fourth place finishes (more than any other country), and instead had more medals as a result.

I love how Cindy Klassen had 2.5 times more medals than the entire country of Australia

I also enjoyed the closing ceremonies. I didn't realize they would devote the end to Canadiana. Good rendition of O Canada too. I liked  when they gave the Olympic flag to the mayor of Vancouver and he spun around in his wheelchair.

Didn't I see some crazy guy try to run to the microphone when the Torino guy was making a speech?


BRING ON VANCOUVER 2010!

[Jake]

Most Memorable Event:
- Hedrick winning the 5000m on the first day

Least Memorable Event:
-Nordic Combined (only sport I didn't watch)

Top Five Stories:
1. American Mens Speed Skating Dominance (3-3-1)
2. Ohno, Ahn, and Lee battling on short track (9 of 12 medals)
3. Bode getting drunk and going 0 for 5 (Freedom Fighter)
4. US Snowboarding Dominance (3-3-1)
5. Ice Hockey let down (Though I had picked Finland in the final)

[Platypus]

Um, the most memorable event is obviously the American snowboarding landing on her arse in the women's snowboard cross...