So how about the winter Olympics? Regrettably I must say that I have not been able to devote as much attention to them lately as I’d like…although deciding between phonology homework and the speed skating finals is pretty darn tough. I am a fan of the Olympic Games for the same reason many other people are, international unanimity attained by celebrating the triumphs and lamenting the disappointments some of the world’s finest men and women athletes. In case anyone is interested, here are the current medal standings for the top 5 countries as of 02/17/10:
Germany: 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze = 9 Total
United States: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze = 8 Total
France: 2 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze = 7 Total
Canada: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze = 5 Total
Korea: 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Bronze = 4 Total
Now we all like to get excited about figure skating, hockey, snowboarding and downhill skiing, but what about the other 11 events? I’d like to take the time to highlight the top 5 (in my opinion) under-recognized events of the Winter Olympics:
5. Skeleton: To start, a skeleton slider grasps the handles on either side of the sled, runs as fast as possible, then dives head first onto the sled. Sliders lie on their stomachs and steer by shifting their bodies very slightly.
4. Bobsleigh: To start, the racers push off as fast as they can for approximately 50 meters, then jump into the bobsleigh for a seated descent down the track. The driver steers down the track, while, at the end of the run, the brakeman stops the sled.
3. Biathlon: When the athletes ski into the shooting range, they must put down their ski poles and take five shots at a metal target. The hit area size changes depending on whether the athlete is shooting in a prone or standing position. A missed shot means either one minute of added time or skiing a 150-metre penalty loop.
2. Nordic Combined: The jumping portion occurs first followed by a free technique cross-country race. The break between the races can be as little as 35 minutes, or as long as a few hours. The winner of the Nordic combined event is the first athlete across the cross-country finish line.
1. Curling: The game is played on ice, and the two teams take turns pushing stones towards a series of concentric rings or circles. The object is to get the stones as close to the center of the rings as possible. Team members sweep the ice clean in front of each stone to control the stone’s direction and speed. The team with the most points — more stones closer to the center of the rings — is the winner.
Happy watching!
Now we all like to get excited about figure skating, hockey, snowboarding and downhill skiing, but what about the other 11 events? I’d like to take the time to highlight the top 5 (in my opinion) under-recognized events of the Winter Olympics:
5. Skeleton: To start, a skeleton slider grasps the handles on either side of the sled, runs as fast as possible, then dives head first onto the sled. Sliders lie on their stomachs and steer by shifting their bodies very slightly.
4. Bobsleigh: To start, the racers push off as fast as they can for approximately 50 meters, then jump into the bobsleigh for a seated descent down the track. The driver steers down the track, while, at the end of the run, the brakeman stops the sled.
3. Biathlon: When the athletes ski into the shooting range, they must put down their ski poles and take five shots at a metal target. The hit area size changes depending on whether the athlete is shooting in a prone or standing position. A missed shot means either one minute of added time or skiing a 150-metre penalty loop.
2. Nordic Combined: The jumping portion occurs first followed by a free technique cross-country race. The break between the races can be as little as 35 minutes, or as long as a few hours. The winner of the Nordic combined event is the first athlete across the cross-country finish line.
1. Curling: The game is played on ice, and the two teams take turns pushing stones towards a series of concentric rings or circles. The object is to get the stones as close to the center of the rings as possible. Team members sweep the ice clean in front of each stone to control the stone’s direction and speed. The team with the most points — more stones closer to the center of the rings — is the winner.
Happy watching!
Emily
photo courtesy of: http://642blog.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2010-torch.jpg
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