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Post by Jeff on Feb 23, 2014 10:18:37 GMT
Yes Martin I didn't post yesterday as I was fuming and might have said something I regret. Skulduggery afoot methought ! Mind you, that was the third time the same skater had been disqualified from different races. Once I can understand since anyone can make a careless error but 3 times ? Either the referees don't like Elise or she's doing something wrong and needs to look at her technique.
Anyway despite that it is still GB's best medal haul since 1924 and if you didn't stay up late to watch the excellent skating gala last night then it's repeated at 2.30pm on BBC2 today, just before they show the closing ceremony. It's going to seem a long 4 years until the next one.
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Post by Libby on Feb 23, 2014 19:11:23 GMT
No, I have paid little attention to speed skating. Not something that holds my attention very well. But there's a difference between the athlete knocking someone over and the questionable scoring by the judges. In Adelina's case, I'm not saying she didn't deserve to win, or anything. And now I've seen an analysis of the medallists programs, and it appears Adelina's was technically more ambitious than Yu-na's or Carolina's, and she landed everyone. The stumble on one jump was a very minor mistake. And Adelina was more outgoing than Yu-na, so her presentation may have impressed the judges a bit more. Oh well, it was nice for her to be the first Russian gold medallist, and to do so in Russia as well. I'm ready to move on and am now anticipating the World Championships. The Worlds are often way different in Olympic years... many athletes skip it after the Olympics because of all the pressure, but something tells me a lot of them will be going to Worlds anyway. Those who want one last chance at redemption after their less than perfect Olympic program, some who are retiring and may want to just do one more Worlds, etc. I'm kind of hoping Meryl & Charlie go for one more World championship for good measure.  |
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Post by martindn on Feb 23, 2014 21:45:01 GMT
Where I grew up speed skating was something we all did. I even made my own skates, out of power hacksaw blades and remember racing with my bothers on the local frozen river in the very cold winter of 1962-63, the coldest winter of the 20th century in those parts.. We have a local speed skating championships,which can only be held in years when it gets cold enough for the fens to freeze over. But a guy from my village was champion several times in my youth. I found an article about it. www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/6956964/Speed-skating-on-frozen-Cambridgeshire-Fens-for-the-first-time-in-13-years.htmlMartin D |
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Feb 24, 2014 6:11:49 GMT
Where I grew up speed skating was something we all did. I even made my own skates, out of power hacksaw blades and remember racing with my bothers on the local frozen river in the very cold winter of 1962-63, the coldest winter of the 20th century in those parts.. We have a local speed skating championships,which can only be held in years when it gets cold enough for the fens to freeze over. But a guy from my village was champion several times in my youth. I found an article about it. www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/6956964/Speed-skating-on-frozen-Cambridgeshire-Fens-for-the-first-time-in-13-years.htmlMartin D Very interesting, Martin D! Thank you for sharing |
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Post by Jeff on Feb 24, 2014 11:54:55 GMT
Yes, the flame is extinguished and world has packed its bags and gone to the airport and the Games are over. But not quite ! The GB team is mounting a protest about Elise Christie. The Chinese woman took her out and was deservedly disqualified but the judge also disqualified Christie for an illegal move earlier in the race. I couldn't see anything wrong but I'm no expert. The trouble is the course is so tight that there is always some scrimmaging on the bends when elbows start flying and maybe the British girl was a little too aggressive. She'd had death threats on Twitter after a collision with a Korean in an earlier race which denied the Korean a win so maybe the Chinese skater exacted some retribution, who knows ?
The Koreans are also appealing against Yuna Kim's silver medal. Perhaps they feel that as the next hosts amending the result would be politically expedient but it would also be massively unfair on the Russian woman. It seems to me either you accept the impartiality of the judges or there's no point showing up. Of course all scoring is ultimately subjective but if everyone who loses out on a Gold medal appeals they'll still be arguing about it when the next Games come round in 4 years ! At some point they have to accept their fate and move on as we all do.
So I really enjoyed Sochi 2014. I didn't enjoy London 2012 as mum died just before and anyone who's bereaved will tell you if you're sad when everyone else is happy it just makes you feel worse ! (We played Hayley at the wake and then Hayley got married on Mum's birthday so I have 2 things to celebrate each year on Dec 29 ! It's as if some Big Guy in the sky was arranging it all !). Sorry Richard I'm off topic but I guess this thread is done with now anyway !!
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Post by martindn on Feb 24, 2014 21:54:33 GMT
Well, it is over now and I'm sure nothing that could change will make any difference. We cannot ever reconstruct or know how Elise would have done in the final, so no point in appealing in my opinion. Thoufh i can't imagine what Elise could have done wrong earlier, up to then she had mostly been bringing up the rear!
Yes, I enjoyed it too, despite being recently bereaved. But I don't mind others enjoying themselves. I might learn to do the same myself again someday. I'm determined to try anyway.
In fact my daughter said she finds the Winter Olympics more enjoyable than the summer ones, and she may have a point.
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Feb 24, 2014 23:39:32 GMT
I really enjoyed the Sochi games. However, as is custom, NBC aired bits and pieces of the opening and closing ceremony. I would have also liked to have seen more medal ceremonies. I'm sure the BBC and Canada's CBC had excellent coverage.
My favorite moment has to be the stunning hockey game between Russia and the USA, in which the USA won after an eight -round shootout. Great to have seen it live on TV. As this forum brings people from many talents and countries together,the same holds true for the Olympics.
Notably, many top athletes were defeated by their junior counterparts. The new slopestyle events were very successful.
I do have a great collection of Topps 2014 Winter Olympics trading cards, notably autographs of mogul skier Hannah Kearney and short-track speedskater J.R. Celski. I'm proud of owning a fabric swatch worn by Steven Holcomb, the card of which just 15 were made.
In just ten days Sochi will host the Paralympic Winter Games.
Thank you you to each and every athlete...your determination and devotion to sport will endeavor goodwill and peace.
Question for Libby... What was the music that Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov skated to in the pairs free skate? It's cool...sounds very Tchaikovsky.
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Post by Libby on Feb 25, 2014 5:38:41 GMT
CBC didn't show much stuff. Pretty much just hockey and curling. No skating. They only showed skating on TSN. I am fortunate enough to get CBC (CBUT over here), since I live close to Canada. And the rest of the season, they show most skating events, like the Worlds. But TSN seems to have the rights to certain events, like their National champs. and Skate Canada, and it seems, Olympic figure skating. But they usually show all the other Grand Prix events, Worlds, 4 Continents, etc. I depend on them more than NBC ever since Comcast got rid of Universal Sports.  NBC hardly shows anything, certainly no ice dancing unless Meryl & Charlie are in it (except the Olympics, obviously). In Europe and the UK, the good skating channel is Eurosport. I'm guessing BBC works a lot like NBC as far as sports go. Only the "big" events. Joe, it's actually Andrew Lloyd Webber! Jesus Christ Superstar. Their short program was Masquerade Waltz, which I believe is by a Russian composer, since they played it during the closing ceremonies last night. Maybe that's the one you mean? I'm sure everyone knows by now what my favorite moment was. i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif |
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Joe
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Post by Joe on Feb 26, 2014 0:08:57 GMT
Thanks Libby! It was the "Masquerade Waltz" by Aram Khachaturian (who, if I remember, also composed the "Sabre Dance") The NBC Sports network is airing several Return to Sochi specials...on Monday they replayed the Team Pair Short Program. |
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Post by Richard on Feb 26, 2014 8:17:30 GMT
Hello Libby and Joe!  Aram Khachaturian was actually from an Armenian family. Perhaps his most famous work is the Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from the ballet 'Spartacus', which was used as the theme tune for the BBC TV series 'The Onedin Line' back in the 1970s. The series was allegedly set in old Liverpool, but was actually filmed around Dartmouth in Devon. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aram_KhachaturianRichard  ' |
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Jillian
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Post by Jillian on Mar 4, 2014 10:10:10 GMT
Libby! You've got me hooked on watching the ice dancing! It's not really a thing in Australia and I've never watched it before, so it's quite exciting to see for the first time. I've been watching some of Meryl Davis' and Charlie Whites' routines. I also watched this video: So they've been skating as partners for 17 years and are still only in their mid twenties?? That's pretty incredible. I also instantly presumed that they would have to be married/together -- but apparently that's not the case. lol You think you almost would out of a convenience thing! P.S I really like this one: And this one... P.S Two worlds collided....  |
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Post by martindn on Mar 4, 2014 21:44:19 GMT
Perhaps a bit like out own Torville and Dean, who have appeared for several years in a pro celebrity ice dancing competiion on TV called "Dancing on Ice".. I think this years was the last one. But T & D are very special over here, even now!
Martin D
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Post by Libby on Mar 5, 2014 6:45:38 GMT
Okay, now you all see why there might be need for a skating thread? Though I guess for now it would still be on-topic in this thread, but the special skating thread would be more specific. Yes, I love all those routines, Jillian. Every routine since I became a fan the 2007/2008 season. Hey, guess what!!! Meryl & Charlie are both going to be on Dancing with the Stars!!! Another show I have to watch now! How will I decide who to vote for? If I vote for both, it might cancel them both out... Hey, isn't it almost cheating to be an ice dancer on DWTS?  Not that I'm really complaining. The last 2 skaters who were on the show did very well; Kristi Yamaguchi, '92 gold medallist, won the show, and Evan Lysacek, 2010 gold medallist, got 2nd place in his season. Incidentally, 2 other Olympians won the show, too: speed skater Apollo Ono (local athlete!) and 2008 gymnast Shawn Johnson. Oh, and here's the link you shared with me on twitter, Jillian, with the other photos of Meryl & Charlie at the Oscars: http://instagram.com/p/lE_UfRjEQf #  |
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NBC hardly shows anything, certainly no ice dancing unless Meryl & Charlie are in it (except the Olympics, obviously). In Europe and the UK, the good skating channel is Eurosport. I'm guessing BBC works a lot like NBC as far as sports go. Only the "big" events.
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