The Winter Olympics 2022

[rogerzilla]

I find freestyle skiing and pretty much all snowboarding a bit silly, with points for showing off.  I prefer the racing or timed events.  Ski cross is good fun, though: a bit like BMX racing.

[Beardy]

I agree Rog, if it needs to be judged to award points, it’s not really sport. I note in the paper this morning there was an article about how the slope style folk are up in arms about the judging, saying it’s illogical and inconsistent with the camera work being crap and no playback being available to the judges.

I mean, curling is a bit daft, but it is at least an actually completion.

[Jaded]

Curling daft?!?

It is the most sensible sport there!

[Cudzoziemiec]

Nah, that's the set and blow dry.

[Mr Larrington]

Curling is just bowls made complicated.  Imagine bowls where your team-mates were allowed to attack the green with lawnmowers?  No, because that would be silly.

[spesh]

Curling is just bowls made complicated.  Imagine bowls where your team-mates were allowed to attack the green with lawnmowers?  No, because that would be silly.

 

Not as silly as petanque with plate compactors.

[rogerzilla]

Or archery with big fans.

[andyoxon]

At least there's a power station next door to help with artificially generating all that snow....
https://twitter.com/BullandBaird/status/1490851374078251009?s=20&t=ldwL_ppG8qRs5RtpR8Mm5Q

[Legs]

Well, that's resolved one potentially tricky situation in the figure skating...

[Jaded]

BBC quote:

"One of the most uncomfortable, unpleasant periods of sport you will see."

[Jaded]

Hooray for

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the men curlers

[Wowbagger]

Hooray for

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the men curlers

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Is that what you wear in bed?

[Jaded]

Hah! As if!

[Jaded]

Hooray for

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the women curlers

[Ivo]

Appaling level of Eurosport comments during the 1000m speedskating. He had absolutely no clue about racerules so completely missed the mark during the final race.

[Beardy]

I must admit 9 was confused by what happened and the subtitles weren’t exactly helpful. I gathered it was something to,do with crossover etiquette/ rules but that was about all.

[Ivo]

I must admit 9 was confused by what happened and the subtitles weren’t exactly helpful. I gathered it was something to,do with crossover etiquette/ rules but that was about all.

If both riders are at equal level at the crossover the inner rider has to yield. (Logically since in order to arrive equal at the crossover the outer rider has to be ahead while crossing the finish line 100m earlier). While crossing the finishline Verbij knew it would be tight squeeze, tried to accelerate but remarked that he was about level entering the crossover area. He then had 3 choices: continue, hit the other rider and be DQ'd; accelerate further and having to fully brake at the end of the crossover or stop skating, give way and call it a day. None of the available choices did help him for a good time.
This does happen from time to time, especially when there's a fast starter paired with a fast finisher.

[Beardy]

Thanks for the explanation.

[rafletcher]

I find freestyle skiing and pretty much all snowboarding a bit silly, with points for showing off.  I prefer the racing or timed events.  Ski cross is good fun, though: a bit like BMX racing.

Both board cross and ski cross are brilliant entertainment, in particular the mixed board cross. The parallel slaloms are ok too.

[Russell]

I'll admit to not taking a great deal of interest in the Olympics but have heard that equipment in the sliding sports are being blamed for not being as advanced as other nations.  If this is the case is there an argument for standard bobsleighs, skis, skates etc being issued by the organisers?

I think there's a precedent for this is the summer Olympics where Laser dinghys are supplied.

[Beardy]

The solo bob is a standard item manufactured by a single company. That was a discipline introduced this year I beleive, so perhaps it might start a trend.

The Olympic classes of dinghy have always been strict one design although the laser company took this to extremes when they introduced their first boat stating that only they could manufacture them. A number of other one manufacture classes have sprung up since then because it really levels the playing field at club level. I believe that laser themselves provide those used in the olympics and they are allocated by lot to the individual sailors.

[rafletcher]

I'll admit to not taking a great deal of interest in the Olympics but have heard that equipment in the sliding sports are being blamed for not being as advanced as other nations.  If this is the case is there an argument for standard bobsleighs, skis, skates etc being issued by the organisers?

I think there's a precedent for this is the summer Olympics where Laser dinghys are supplied.

you’d need to introduce standard waxing for skis and boards too, which would have helped the French woman’s board cross competitors, as their tech had clearly got it wrong.

I think it’s a good idea myself.

[rogerzilla]

4 man bob today.  Great fun.

[Ivo]

I'll admit to not taking a great deal of interest in the Olympics but have heard that equipment in the sliding sports are being blamed for not being as advanced as other nations.  If this is the case is there an argument for standard bobsleighs, skis, skates etc being issued by the organisers?

I think there's a precedent for this is the summer Olympics where Laser dinghys are supplied.

Skates are very personal. I'd dare to state that the top end skates in speedskating are in principle all as fast. You'll have to choose the skate fitting best to your style and feet. Also the exact rounding of the skate has to fit to your technique.
Suits can be different but not to the extend that it makes a major difference, as long as a good taylor is employed to ensure that the suit fits exactly to the skaters body. Mind you, they are ultra tight, you're kind of shoehorned into them.

[Jaded]

I'll admit to not taking a great deal of interest in the Olympics but have heard that equipment in the sliding sports are being blamed for not being as advanced as other nations.  If this is the case is there an argument for standard bobsleighs, skis, skates etc being issued by the organisers?

I think there's a precedent for this is the summer Olympics where Laser dinghys are supplied.

you’d need to introduce standard waxing

Difficult to police, either with the skin suits, or the modern loose cool kit.