Winter Olympics

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KeithPratt
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Winter Olympics

Postby KeithPratt » 09 Feb 2018, 10:40

Much better than the Summer one. Ludicrous events, alpine festival and a great atmosphere. I went for 3 days to Nagano in 1998 and saw Ice Hockey, Bobsled, Ski Jumping and the Luge. It's brilliant. Try to get to one if you ever get the chance.

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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Penk! » 09 Feb 2018, 11:48

I quite enjoy watching skiing. I had a couple of students who were high-level skiers and we went to see them compete once when they had a tournament at the Stockholm slope. It's pretty dramatic with the snow and the mountains and all that, much more fun than normal athletics with a bunch of people running for 10 seconds and bulging out their eyes and Adam's apples. One of them went off to Italy for a week and won a junior World Cup thing so I expect to see her name at a Winter OS some time soon.

I like the bobsled as well.

Some of the other things are a bit niche though. Do they still do that skiing/shooting hybrid thing?
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby The Modernist » 09 Feb 2018, 13:21

I like the ski jump. especially when they crash.
Not bothered about the rest.

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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby The Modernist » 09 Feb 2018, 13:35

Actually on reflection I probably enjoy it a bit more than that suggests, but the (mild) appeal for me is chiefly aesthetic - the mountains, the alpine trees, the way the competitors are silhouetted against the ice and snow.

On a purely sporting level I find it much less satisfying. The main reason for this is so many events are about timing a single competitor against the clock, and that's just fundamentally less exciting than seeing athletes actually competing against each other in the same time and space. I mean a good 100 metres sprint can be very exciting to watch, but can you imagine how less exciting it would be if they just ran singly and were timed instead?

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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Goat Boy » 09 Feb 2018, 13:48

It’s shit. I might watch the hockey
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby KeithPratt » 09 Feb 2018, 13:52

The Modernist wrote:Actually on reflection I probably enjoy it a bit more than that suggests, but the (mild) appeal for me is chiefly aesthetic - the mountains, the alpine trees, the way the competitors are silhouetted against the ice and snow.

On a purely sporting level I find it much less satisfying. The main reason for this is so many events are about timing a single competitor against the clock, and that's just fundamentally less exciting than seeing athletes actually competing against each other in the same time and space. I mean a good 100 metres sprint can be very exciting to watch, but can you imagine how less exciting it would be if they just ran singly and were timed instead?


I get your point, but I think much of the appeal of the WO is the fact that the conditions are harsh.

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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Jumper K » 09 Feb 2018, 14:39

Going down the side of a slippy hill on sticks/planks or tea trays is not sport. It’s organised idiocy.

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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Diamond Dog » 09 Feb 2018, 18:38

I watch very little of The Olympics these days. I watch even less of the winter version.

Because it's all *bollocks*.
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Spock! » 09 Feb 2018, 20:40

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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Hightea » 16 Feb 2018, 00:02

I watch a bunch of the winter Olympics - downhill skiing, snowboard, luge, bobsled and curling(yes I'm crazy). However, its all on DVR so I can speed thru all the crap I just want to see the events. Also will watch the final few hockey games.I went to the Olympics as a kid when it was in Lake Placid. However, would never go know can't stand the Americans we see on the TV acting like jerks.

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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Geezee » 16 Feb 2018, 10:28

The Modernist wrote:On a purely sporting level I find it much less satisfying. The main reason for this is so many events are about timing a single competitor against the clock, and that's just fundamentally less exciting than seeing athletes actually competing against each other in the same time and space. I mean a good 100 metres sprint can be very exciting to watch, but can you imagine how less exciting it would be if they just ran singly and were timed instead?


Find this a bit of a curious comment - not that I've done the analysis but I'm pretty sure there are just as many events in summer olympics where athletes compete against the clock, or height, or length, in individual competitions etc. And in the winter olympics you have plenty of skiing sprints, snowboard competitions etc which all have athletes competing against each other at the same time. Either way, I think there's also great merit to the compete-against-the-clock competitions as well - to me there are few things as awe-inspiring as watching downhill - the sheer speed and height of their jumps - or as beautiful as slalom (just the sound and elegance of them clicking around each turn can make me shiver).
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Samoan » 18 Feb 2018, 19:01

The men's Giant Slalom has been magnificent.
I'm watching the replay so not sure yet who's going to take the medal places..
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Nikki Gradual » 18 Feb 2018, 22:16

It's fucking bonkers. It's like the Winter Olympics are controlled by a stoned committee that continually comes up with more and more ridiculous and dangerous stuff. And then when they have somehow contrived to have all the snowboarders 30ft off the ground, let's throw in gusts of 55mph side winds. I have absolutely zero interest in winter sports, but it's fabulous, like non-stop Who's Been Framed for two whole weeks.
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby The Modernist » 19 Feb 2018, 00:02

Geezee wrote:
The Modernist wrote:On a purely sporting level I find it much less satisfying. The main reason for this is so many events are about timing a single competitor against the clock, and that's just fundamentally less exciting than seeing athletes actually competing against each other in the same time and space. I mean a good 100 metres sprint can be very exciting to watch, but can you imagine how less exciting it would be if they just ran singly and were timed instead?


Find this a bit of a curious comment - not that I've done the analysis but I'm pretty sure there are just as many events in summer olympics where athletes compete against the clock, or height, or length, in individual competitions etc. .


And I don't rate those very highly as sporting spectacles either.

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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby PresMuffley » 19 Feb 2018, 01:27

Enough with the figure skating already!

I do wonder how the coverage varies in different countries. Maybe you all aren't bombarded by bios of every super heroic awesome American athlete competing.
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Geezee » 19 Feb 2018, 08:23

The Modernist wrote:
Geezee wrote:
The Modernist wrote:On a purely sporting level I find it much less satisfying. The main reason for this is so many events are about timing a single competitor against the clock, and that's just fundamentally less exciting than seeing athletes actually competing against each other in the same time and space. I mean a good 100 metres sprint can be very exciting to watch, but can you imagine how less exciting it would be if they just ran singly and were timed instead?


Find this a bit of a curious comment - not that I've done the analysis but I'm pretty sure there are just as many events in summer olympics where athletes compete against the clock, or height, or length, in individual competitions etc. .


And I don't rate those very highly as sporting spectacles either.


Fair enough - but your comment was that the Winter Olympics is "less satisfying" because of this - I'm not sure it's accurate that there are more of them. Personally I'd be curious to see "solo" 100m runs, in particular to see how it changes (if at all) the overall results (ie. if some are better because they are spurred on by being surrounded by the competition, or if others become better in isolation).
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby borofan » 19 Feb 2018, 16:25

PresMuffley wrote:Enough with the figure skating already!

I do wonder how the coverage varies in different countries. Maybe you all aren't bombarded by bios of every super heroic awesome American athlete competing.

If figure skating is a sport, so is ballroom dancing.
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby clive gash » 19 Feb 2018, 21:15

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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby Geezee » 20 Feb 2018, 12:15

borofan wrote:
PresMuffley wrote:Enough with the figure skating already!

I do wonder how the coverage varies in different countries. Maybe you all aren't bombarded by bios of every super heroic awesome American athlete competing.

If figure skating is a sport, so is ballroom dancing.


More of a sport than golf.
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Re: Winter Olympics

Postby borofan » 20 Feb 2018, 17:47

Geezee wrote:
borofan wrote:
PresMuffley wrote:Enough with the figure skating already!

I do wonder how the coverage varies in different countries. Maybe you all aren't bombarded by bios of every super heroic awesome American athlete competing.

If figure skating is a sport, so is ballroom dancing.


More of a sport than golf.

Isn't everything?
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