2022 Winter Olympics

[nodakfan17]

Is Team Snowboardcross a real thing or just something they made up for the olympics? Seems like most of the winter sports that have been added the last few games are just taking a sport they already had and adding a minor twist to it.

Yeah, it’s apparently a thing on professional circuits.

 

Although it does seem like a ploy to manufacture more gold medals and increase TV drama. I noticed the Tokyo Olympics introduced a lot of new mixed gender relays / competitions and that’s apparently carried over to Beijing.

[CheezWizHed]

Snowboardcross was born out of the X-games I believe. Or maybe they just popularized it? This is one of the new ones I actually like. A lot like the short track speed skate race... so much can happen in the race.

[homer]

Erin Jackson's live gold medal was something this morning. A fun race, and a great story.

 

Crazy that she literally had never ice skated until 6 years ago. Video of her first steps on the ice:

[nodakfan17]

Erin Jackson's live gold medal was something this morning. A fun race, and a great story.

 

Crazy that she literally had never ice skated until 6 years ago. Video of her first steps on the ice:

Yeah, that’s pretty wild. Neat story.

 

I don’t know what’s more impressive: the fact that she won an Olympic gold medal with only 6 years of experience on ice or the fact that she qualified for the 2018 Olympics with less than 2 years of experience on ice?

[LouisEly]

Not that surprising. It's a sport that's not very accessible so limited competition. And I've always felt that if someone is going to be elite in a sport, they're going to be elite within 2-3 years of picking up the sport. Think of Lo Cain - didn't start playing baseball until a sophomore in HS, and is good enough to get drafted three years later. You're not going to find an elite pro athlete who was an average person at that sport for years (while Michael Jordan didn't make the varsity team as a sophomore in HS, few sophomores do - he was still pretty darn good for a sophomore).

[Jimbo]

I remember watching Erin Jackson back at the 2018 Trials stunning the community by beating out long time veteran Sugar Todd for the final spot and leaving Todd in tears, less than one year in the sport. I had something else going on Sunday morning, but made sure to record it. It was on top of my list.

 

I only found out late last week Sofia Goggia was to miss the Olympics. Breezy Johnson out as well. Should have been bigger news. Remarkable that Goggia makes it out to take silver.

 

I like how NBC inserts a map of the sledding course while the sledders make their runs. I've been wishing for some type of graphic for some time.

 

I like how NBC is utilizing a split-screen for commercials during live events.

 

Women's hockey, it's USA-CAN again late Wednesday night. At least I won't be up until 3 am like I was four years ago. I know they beat FIN today, but anyone know the atmosphere of the game? Thinking of Decker being carted off last time.

[thebruce44]

Not that surprising. It's a sport that's not very accessible so limited competition. And I've always felt that if someone is going to be elite in a sport, they're going to be elite within 2-3 years of picking up the sport. Think of Lo Cain - didn't start playing baseball until a sophomore in HS, and is good enough to get drafted three years later. You're not going to find an elite pro athlete who was an average person at that sport for years (while Michael Jordan didn't make the varsity team as a sophomore in HS, few sophomores do - he was still pretty darn good for a sophomore).

 

Okay...But she wasn't just drafted, she won a gold metal in 6 years and was in the Olympics in 2 years. How you can say this is not surprising is beyond me. In your example, Lo didn't become elite in the upper reaches of his sport until he was 29.

[LouisEly]

If you're good enough to be drafted in baseball, you're elite. There's just a lot more competition in baseball than speedskating to get to the highest level.

 

If even 1/100th of as many people competed in speedskating as baseball I would agree with you. But I'd be shocked if there were more competitive speedskaters than Major League baseball players. Think about it - do you know anyone who ever competed in speedskating? Probably not.

[PeaveyFury]

I’m don’t think I buy the logic behind ‘not many people do it so it’s easy to become elite’.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

If you're good enough to be drafted in baseball, you're elite. There's just a lot more competition in baseball than speedskating to get to the highest level.

 

If even 1/100th of as many people competed in speedskating as baseball I would agree with you. But I'd be shocked if there were more competitive speedskaters than Major League baseball players. Think about it - do you know anyone who ever competed in speedskating? Probably not.

 

It's not just Americans. Jackson beat everyone in the world at this event. Speed skating is practically the Dutch national pastime. In a short time, she became better than a bunch of people who have been trying to perfect this their whole lives.

 

I don't think the difficulty of speed skating translates that well to TV. There's clearly a legit, genius-level skill happening when you can achieve what Jackson did, especially when you also consider that no American reached her level of success in decades. If it was anywhere near easy, she wouldn't have been the first American to win that event in 30 years.

[LouisEly]

She was an elite athlete and skater long before she ever tried speedskating - she won gold in the 500m inline skating race at the 2008–09 Junior World Championships and at the 2014 Pan AM games. She wasn't just some random person who picked up skating on a whim.

[stoutdude04]

Tough one for USA hockey last night. Slovakia ties it with less than a minute when the puck hits the skate of the guy on the doorstep and hes able to tap it in falling over.

 

Not capitalizing on a 5 on 3 in the 3rd and then another man advantage with 4 minutes left stung. Going ng 0 for 5 in a shootout is no good either.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Yeah, another Olympic heartbreak for men's hockey. I really don't like the Olympic format. To go from 3 zero-stakes games to one all-or-nothing one isn't great. I understand why they do it, but I wish it were more like curling, where you have to be really good in group to make the medal round.

 

Speaking of curling, US men will have a win and in tonight against the worst team in the group. Women got off to a strong start but look ready to be eliminated as I type.

[stoutdude04]

Yeah, another Olympic heartbreak for men's hockey. I really don't like the Olympic format. To go from 3 zero-stakes games to one all-or-nothing one isn't great. I understand why they do it, but I wish it were more like curling, where you have to be really good in group to make the medal round.

 

Speaking of curling, US men will have a win and in tonight against the worst team in the group. Women got off to a strong start but look ready to be eliminated as I type.

 

It would be kind of fun to have 8 teams and you play each team once with the top 4 advancing to the semis or 1 play 2 and 3 play 4 or something. I realize it's a lot of games, but the one and done in hockey is tricky, BUT everyone has it.

 

That 17 year old from Slovakia has a nice shot and some silky mitts.

[homer]

Not that surprising. It's a sport that's not very accessible so limited competition. And I've always felt that if someone is going to be elite in a sport, they're going to be elite within 2-3 years of picking up the sport. Think of Lo Cain - didn't start playing baseball until a sophomore in HS, and is good enough to get drafted three years later. You're not going to find an elite pro athlete who was an average person at that sport for years (while Michael Jordan didn't make the varsity team as a sophomore in HS, few sophomores do - he was still pretty darn good for a sophomore).

 

It probably depends on the sport.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Yeah, another Olympic heartbreak for men's hockey. I really don't like the Olympic format. To go from 3 zero-stakes games to one all-or-nothing one isn't great. I understand why they do it, but I wish it were more like curling, where you have to be really good in group to make the medal round.

 

Speaking of curling, US men will have a win and in tonight against the worst team in the group. Women got off to a strong start but look ready to be eliminated as I type.

 

It would be kind of fun to have 8 teams and you play each team once with the top 4 advancing to the semis or 1 play 2 and 3 play 4 or something. I realize it's a lot of games, but the one and done in hockey is tricky, BUT everyone has it.

 

That 17 year old from Slovakia has a nice shot and some silky mitts.

 

Yeah. The other thing is the shootout/3v3 OT. I remember knowing we were toast in 2010, even after the awesome late goal to tie. 4-on-4, and Crosby did Crosby things. Again, it makes total sense, and yeah. Same rules for everyone, but it just bugs me that group games mean so, so little.

[stoutdude04]

And just like that, Canada is out as well.

[thebruce44]

If you're good enough to be drafted in baseball, you're elite. There's just a lot more competition in baseball than speedskating to get to the highest level.

 

If even 1/100th of as many people competed in speedskating as baseball I would agree with you. But I'd be shocked if there were more competitive speedskaters than Major League baseball players. Think about it - do you know anyone who ever competed in speedskating? Probably not.

 

Actually, yeah, I grew up with someone who was a competitive speed skater with Olympic aspirations. And she worked/trained way harder than the other best athlete at our school who ended up having a successful pro sports career.

[LouisEly]

If you're good enough to be drafted in baseball, you're elite. There's just a lot more competition in baseball than speedskating to get to the highest level.

 

If even 1/100th of as many people competed in speedskating as baseball I would agree with you. But I'd be shocked if there were more competitive speedskaters than Major League baseball players. Think about it - do you know anyone who ever competed in speedskating? Probably not.

 

Actually, yeah, I grew up with someone who was a competitive speed skater with Olympic aspirations. And she worked/trained way harder than the other best athlete at our school who ended up having a successful pro sports career.

That makes one of us, and I've lived in 11 different cities in 7 different states in three different time zones including NY, LA, and Chicago. I've met a helluva lot of people.

 

As for your second point, that is my point - natural talent for a sport is more important than how hard you train.

[homer]

If you're good enough to be drafted in baseball, you're elite. There's just a lot more competition in baseball than speedskating to get to the highest level.

 

If even 1/100th of as many people competed in speedskating as baseball I would agree with you. But I'd be shocked if there were more competitive speedskaters than Major League baseball players. Think about it - do you know anyone who ever competed in speedskating? Probably not.

 

Actually, yeah, I grew up with someone who was a competitive speed skater with Olympic aspirations. And she worked/trained way harder than the other best athlete at our school who ended up having a successful pro sports career.

That makes one of us, and I've lived in 11 different cities in 7 different states in three different time zones including NY, LA, and Chicago. I've met a helluva lot of people.

 

As for your second point, that is my point - natural talent for a sport is more important than how hard you train.

 

It's kind of a gray area and depends on the sport. You should read The Sports Gene by David Epstein.

[yourout]

Probably not going to happen for the USA women's hockey team. Canada's just too much better.

[stoutdude04]

Probably not going to happen for the USA women's hockey team. Canada's just too much better.

 

Were they though? Granted - the US didn't get a lot of great looks, but they had a bouncing puck hit off the bar in the first and all 3 goals from Canada were kinda soft.

[CheezWizHed]

If you're good enough to be drafted in baseball, you're elite. There's just a lot more competition in baseball than speedskating to get to the highest level.

 

If even 1/100th of as many people competed in speedskating as baseball I would agree with you. But I'd be shocked if there were more competitive speedskaters than Major League baseball players. Think about it - do you know anyone who ever competed in speedskating? Probably not.

 

Actually, yeah, I grew up with someone who was a competitive speed skater with Olympic aspirations. And she worked/trained way harder than the other best athlete at our school who ended up having a successful pro sports career.

That makes one of us, and I've lived in 11 different cities in 7 different states in three different time zones including NY, LA, and Chicago. I've met a helluva lot of people.

 

As for your second point, that is my point - natural talent for a sport is more important than how hard you train.

 

There is a pretty good chance that those of us that lived in Milwaukee area during the 90s knew a speed skater. It was the training grounds for the US with Dan Jensen and Bonnie Blaire headlining it there. I knew someone at the very lower levels, but mainly because we would go to the free skates open to the public. Knowing a speed skater was like finding a burger&custard restaurant...they were on every corner.

 

I moved away in the mid-90s, so I'm not sure what that scene looks like anymore.

[thebruce44]

Think about it - do you know anyone who ever competed in speedskating? Probably not.

 

Actually, yeah, I grew up with someone who was a competitive speed skater with Olympic aspirations. And she worked/trained way harder than the other best athlete at our school who ended up having a successful pro sports career.

That makes one of us, and I've lived in 11 different cities in 7 different states in three different time zones including NY, LA, and Chicago. I've met a helluva lot of people.

 

As for your second point, that is my point - natural talent for a sport is more important than how hard you train.

 

There is a pretty good chance that those of us that lived in Milwaukee area during the 90s knew a speed skater. It was the training grounds for the US with Dan Jensen and Bonnie Blaire headlining it there. I knew someone at the very lower levels, but mainly because we would go to the free skates open to the public. Knowing a speed skater was like finding a burger&custard restaurant...they were on every corner.

 

I moved away in the mid-90s, so I'm not sure what that scene looks like anymore.

 

Pretty much nailed it. Plus, with the Pettit Ice Center, MKE became a destination for up and comers. But whatever, LouisEly is clearly an authority on this topic due to being so well traveled.

[BillScottCanRake]

There is a pretty good chance that those of us that lived in Milwaukee area during the 90s knew a speed skater. It was the training grounds for the US with Dan Jensen and Bonnie Blaire headlining it there. I knew someone at the very lower levels, but mainly because we would go to the free skates open to the public. Knowing a speed skater was like finding a burger&custard restaurant...they were on every corner. [laughing]

 

I moved away in the mid-90s, so I'm not sure what that scene looks like anymore.

 

My daughter played a hockey game at Petite in the early 2010s. We arrived a couple of hours before the game, and when we arrived a speed skating competition was in progress. I have no idea what level, but my wife and I got to watch them up close for an hour or so while my daughters team got ready to play. It was pretty fun, and even though I have no idea how skilled they were it was pretty impressive.

 

The hockey game was played on a rink inside of the speedskating track. By the time her game started, the competition was over and they had an open skate taking place on the track. It was just a bit before Christmas, and they were playing Christmas music over the sound system for the skaters on the track. It was one of the most memorable games I remember watching because it was so weird to hear Christmas music playing while this fast-paced, physical hockey game was going on.