Winter Olympics - a complete shambolic shitbox of a competition
Rant On.
The Winter Olympics are a complete shambolic shitbox of a competition.
Lets start with the location. Bei fucking jing? Competing on a manufactured slope with a backdrop of cooling towers. I've spent a bit of time in Beijing and never ever in all my times there (across 4 seasons) did I ever think it would be a great place to hold a Winter Olympics. Yes, it's a big city & yet it gets seriously cold, but when you think of some of the great alpine destinations across the world, the Chinese capital has absolutely no right to be there. What next, a world cup in fucking Doha or something?
Secondly, the Olympics. Citius, Altius, Fortius. Swifter, Higher, Stronger. For the winter olympics I think we need a few more adjectives to describe this bullshit competition. Floppier, Twisttier, Curlier, Prettier, Danceir. I think of the likes of Herman Meier back in the day flying down the mountain right on the edge of what is physically possible, and then I compare to some of the crap being served up and I shake my grumpy old man head in disgust. There is a spot for all the x-games crap, and thats where it is. The X-Games. Make that bigger, instead of watering down the Olympics. I'm very happy for the kiwi lass who flipped 4 times to win a gold, but come on, OLYMPIC GOLD? Seriously? Still, at least we got to see how the world reacted, I suppose.
Next whinge, lets talk about Bobsleigh/Luge etc. For a start, this is just shithouse. There are only about 20 tracks on the planet and the sport is about your ability to steer down them. What. The. Fuck. You can get an Olympic medal for steering a fucking cart down a purpose built track? Wow, thats so impressive. Why not then have one for sledding? Done! You know what, lets mix it up a bit and add another medal where you lie on the sled differently! Yes!! Hardly a fucking sport for the masses is it. One that only what, a couple of hundred people globally have real access to & then there are 10 or so gold medals allocated? Come on, thats fucking stupid.
As for the Russian Olympic Committee. Jesus, where to start. You are allowed to compete, or you aren't. Oh, you are, just not under the Russian flag. Ok. Now, doping, no you can't do that either. Oh hang on, actually, it's ok to dope and compete. Don't worry. So what went from Russians banned from the Winter Olympics for doping, has now turned to Russians can dope and be allowed to compete at the Winter Olympics. Cool, that makes sense.
What a piece of shit event.
@nevorian said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@canefan said in Winter Olympics 2022:
I'm not at all interested in the winter Olympics. Maybe I should pay a little more attention....
Dutch speed skaters - just sayin
I need evidence
@no-quarter said in Winter Olympics 2022:
Moment of the Olympics so far (sound on for maximum effect)
i think id always assumed this was super common and they'd wear a cup or something
@kiwiwomble said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@no-quarter said in Winter Olympics 2022:
Moment of the Olympics so far (sound on for maximum effect)
i think id always assumed this was super common and they'd wear a cup or something
@kiwiwomble said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@no-quarter said in Winter Olympics 2022:
Moment of the Olympics so far (sound on for maximum effect)
i think id always assumed this was super common and they'd wear a cup or something
No better incentive to get it right.
@mariner4life said in Winter Olympics 2022:
All the hot Germans pose for Playboy
I remember one fine as fuck cross country/biathlon skier
And Katerina Witt
Sky is blue, sea is green, Russians are doping.
Edit (here is an article). The news here were saying that as the person supposedly involved is 15, the rules might not apply to her.
Edit edit (From Forbes), it seems that if it is the young girl, that she just can't be named. But, I guess that means she can have her medal removed?
SURPRISING FACT
Athletes under the age of 16 are considered a “Protected Person,” according to the World Anti Doping Agency code, meaning officials cannot formally identify a competitor who is guilty of a doping violation if they are under the age of 16.
Edit edit edit (from dailybeast, I removed her name just in case):
The failed drug test makes it all but certain that the Russians will be stripped of their gold medal, which would go instead to their American rivals.
But V%$#"’s age is a complicating factor because, under WADA rules, she is considered a “protected person” as she is under 16, which means that she cannot be held responsible for substances found in her doping samples and should not even be publicly named as a suspect.
That might explain why, when asked earlier Wednesday about the delayed ceremony, IOC spokesman Mark Adams portrayed it as primarily a “legal” issue that needed to be sorted out.
Figure skating medal ceremony cancelled due to positive doping result
The Winter Olympics medal ceremony for the figure skating team event was cancelled due to a Russian skater testing positive for a substance
Herald are naming, as from a Russian newspaper
15-year-old superstar in Olympic doping shock
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The 15-year-old figure skater who stunned the world is now engulfed in scandal.
@majorrage I actually kinda like the Winter Olympics, but that was a good rant, credit where it's due
@majorrage Great piece. For a multiple of reasons, I've watched less than five minutes of these Games. No disrespect to the athletes involved, but I don't seem to be missing much.
Good, GOM rant but I disagree with bits.
Firstly it's the IOC that needs a kick in the arse. They let the Olympics become all about chasing money and getting bigger and bigger until bowing to China as the only place willing to spend became their option.
Like the Summer Olympics I like seeing some of the 'fringe' sports and also like the Summer Olympics the sports themselves need to pare down the configurations.
I actually enjoyed watching a few nights of curling. The ability and fine control was really impressive. However, having mens, womens and mixed doubles all with complete round robin is overkill. The mixed doubles showcased that there is zero difference in gender ability. One comp, men and women together for the best curler is good enough isn't it.
I agree about all the slight variations down a bob track but enjoy seeing the sport itself. Going forwards, going backwards, doing it with one friend, doing it with three friends....yawn. Luge and Bob are very different so lets just have that.
I have a bias toward enjoying some of the more modern events but agree that Big Air is an X Games event. These sports open up the games to countries that aren't traditional NH snow sports countries with a long history of things like CC, Biathlon etc.
Using the other arguments though, these sports aren't bloated by any means and their nature discourages too many filler competitors. These no glory in falling over doing low level moves. There is a big difference in gender abilities so mens and womens slope and pipe is ample.
I understand that lots of people don't relate to snow/ice sports as participation is much lower than 'summer' disciplines.
I enjoy some of it but it isn't must watch material.
I just wish that the IOC swept the floor clean in both summer and winter and removed the bloatware.
The ROC thing is the biggest joke in the history of sport, and i can't think of anything that is close
A country is found to have systematically doped huge swathes of their athletes. So they were rightly banned.
Except they weren't really. Just their flag was. ooooohhhhh
And then, in a simply enormous shock, this country continues to dope. Including 15 year old girls. And what is done? Exactly fuck all.
The IOC is every bit as bad as FIFA and its time people started realising it.
Oh wait, a close joke is the countries that boycotted the China Winter Olympics by not sending officials. oooohhh
@mariner4life said in Winter Olympics 2022:
The ROC thing is the biggest joke in the history of sport, and i can't think of anything that is close
A country is found to have systematically doped huge swathes of their athletes. So they were rightly banned.
Except they weren't really. Just their flag was. ooooohhhhh
And then, in a simply enormous shock, this country continues to dope. Including 15 year old girls. And what is done? Exactly fuck all.
The IOC is every bit as bad as FIFA and its time people started realising it.
Oh wait, a close joke is the countries that boycotted the China Winter Olympics by not sending officials. oooohhh
It's all just window dressing. It's really all about the money
@mariner4life said in Winter Olympics 2022:
The ROC thing is the biggest joke in the history of sport, and i can't think of anything that is close
A country is found to have systematically doped huge swathes of their athletes. So they were rightly banned.
Except they weren't really. Just their flag was. ooooohhhhh
And then, in a simply enormous shock, this country continues to dope. Including 15 year old girls. And what is done? Exactly fuck all.
The IOC is every bit as bad as FIFA and its time people started realising it.
Oh wait, a close joke is the countries that boycotted the China Winter Olympics by not sending officials. oooohhh
Total fucking joke. You have to love the cheek of the Ruskies though - since we're not really banned, let's see how much we can get away with:
The CAS decided that Valieva should not be suspended for several reasons, including that, being under 16, she is a “protected person” under the doping agency’s rules, meaning that she may not have full agency over decisions about medications or other substances she may take. Also factoring in the decision is the fact that the positive test occurred on Dec. 25, before Jan. 27, which is when Olympic jurisdiction over doping testing begins. Finally, the results of Valieva’s positive test were not provided to RUSADA until Feb. 7, the day that Valieva competed in the finals of the team event, preventing her from having enough time to prepare a defense or other legal support. In that competition, she made Olympic history by becoming the first female skater to land a quadruple jump at the Games.
WADA notes in their rejection that Russia did not rush the test (and that there is nothing in the rules that automatically protects under 16s in the case of mandatory suspension):
According to information received by WADA, the sample in this case was not flagged by RUSADA as being a priority sample when it was received by the anti-doping laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden. This meant the laboratory did not know to fast-track the analysis of this sample.
WADA criticized the CAS’ decision, saying that the court “decided not to apply” the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code, which lays out regulations across sport, to the Vaileva case. The rules, WADA said, do not have exemptions for “protected persons” under 16 to avoid mandatory suspension in the event of a positive drug test.
@majorrage Amen brother.
The problem for me is there are too many events that are either time trials or individually judged events.
How many events are an actual race? By which I mean multiple people competing to cross a finish line at the same time. There's the snowboarding one and the short track speed skating and that's it, I think. The cross country? Think that's a time trial but maybe there's a race in there.
Everything else is all watching the clock, looking at splits, or trying to work out what the judges will think of X or Y. Which is fine for the odd event but it's everything and it's just so tedious.
@barbarian there was a cross country relay on the other day. That was true side-by-side racing and I really enjoyed it.
Personally I love Olympics and winter Olympics and don't mind the bloat. Even the judged events are good fun to watch since the technical difficulty is insane.
@barbarian said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@majorrage Amen brother.
The problem for me is there are too many events that are either time trials or individually judged events.
How many events are an actual race? By which I mean multiple people competing to cross a finish line at the same time. There's the snowboarding one and the short track speed skating and that's it, I think. The cross country? Think that's a time trial but maybe there's a race in there.
Everything else is all watching the clock, looking at splits, or trying to work out what the judges will think of X or Y. Which is fine for the odd event but it's everything and it's just so tedious.
I think from memory the biathlon too is treated as a race, although I havent watched one for a while
@bayimports I watched it the other day, it's a time trial because you lose 2 minutes if you miss a shot.
@barbarian said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@bayimports I watched it the other day, it's a time trial because you lose 2 minutes if you miss a shot.
there is a race, where you do a loop of a penalty box if you miss a target
i fucking love the biathlon, it's insane
Here, cross-country ski, then stop, drop your heart rate, and hit a target the size of a postage stamp. 5 times.
it's awesome
And the chicks are fine as a motherfucker
@bayimports said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@barbarian said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@majorrage Amen brother.
The problem for me is there are too many events that are either time trials or individually judged events.
How many events are an actual race? By which I mean multiple people competing to cross a finish line at the same time. There's the snowboarding one and the short track speed skating and that's it, I think. The cross country? Think that's a time trial but maybe there's a race in there.
Everything else is all watching the clock, looking at splits, or trying to work out what the judges will think of X or Y. Which is fine for the odd event but it's everything and it's just so tedious.
I think from memory the biathlon too is treated as a race, although I havent watched one for a while
Yeah it's a race and one of the hardest things to do. Try controlling your breathing and limbs after tremendous physical exertion. Most people couldn't go that fast, let alone hit the side of a barn.
Anything that's subjective sucks IMO. But that's modern Olympics for you.
@barbarian said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@bayimports I watched it the other day, it's a time trial because you lose 2 minutes if you miss a shot.
You're right. There are two versions at the Olympics - one in which they start at different times and the fastest time wins, and then a mass start where it's a race to the finish with penalty laps for missed shots.
Biathlon is terrific. These guys are legit world class cross-country skiiers and farking snipers to boot. The cool thing is that the result is always in doubt until the final shooting.
On the topic of GOATS, Ole Einar Bjørndalen is a biathelete whose name deserves to be thrown in.
@taniwharugby said in Winter Olympics 2022:
Silver for Zoi after she didnt quite manage to land her final jump, which she needed to given the Austrian got a 95 on the the run prior.
She's got the same Gold, Silver, Bronze set as Barbara Kendall.
Probably have a chance to add to those.
I presume those women's snowboarders are similar mini-sized as gymnasts - judging by how much taller the Chinese girl leading them to the dais was?
The Austrian who won the gold is quite tidy!
@barbarian said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@majorrage Amen brother.
The problem for me is there are too many events that are either time trials or individually judged events.
How many events are an actual race? By which I mean multiple people competing to cross a finish line at the same time. There's the snowboarding one and the short track speed skating and that's it, I think. The cross country? Think that's a time trial but maybe there's a race in there.
Everything else is all watching the clock, looking at splits, or trying to work out what the judges will think of X or Y. Which is fine for the odd event but it's everything and it's just so tedious.
Agree would like to see more races, imagine the downhill as a race. And yes too much reliance on judging, am sure there is not always consistency there
@mikethesnow said in Winter Olympics 2022:
I’ve really enjoyed it
Recorded everything that’s available on the BBC, then watched at various speeds to get to the heart of the competition
I’m currently in the land of Taff and I acknowledge that if I lived here I’d watch a lot of TV too.
To be fair, there is a winter storm so perhaps I’m not seeing her at her best.
@majorrage said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@mikethesnow said in Winter Olympics 2022:
I’ve really enjoyed it
Recorded everything that’s available on the BBC, then watched at various speeds to get to the heart of the competition
I’m currently in the land of Taff and I acknowledge that if I lived here I’d watch a lot of TV too.
To be fair, there is a winter storm so perhaps I’m not seeing her at her best.
The less visibility the better in some areas. Not a country of sweeping panoramas
@crucial said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@majorrage said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@mikethesnow said in Winter Olympics 2022:
I’ve really enjoyed it
Recorded everything that’s available on the BBC, then watched at various speeds to get to the heart of the competition
I’m currently in the land of Taff and I acknowledge that if I lived here I’d watch a lot of TV too.
To be fair, there is a winter storm so perhaps I’m not seeing her at her best.
The less visibility the better in some areas. Not a country of sweeping panoramas
Crucial, you are just flat out wrong here.
@majorrage said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@crucial said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@majorrage said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@mikethesnow said in Winter Olympics 2022:
I’ve really enjoyed it
Recorded everything that’s available on the BBC, then watched at various speeds to get to the heart of the competition
I’m currently in the land of Taff and I acknowledge that if I lived here I’d watch a lot of TV too.
To be fair, there is a winter storm so perhaps I’m not seeing her at her best.
The less visibility the better in some areas. Not a country of sweeping panoramas
Crucial, you are just flat out wrong here.
Only going by my experience.
@crucial said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@majorrage said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@crucial said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@majorrage said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@mikethesnow said in Winter Olympics 2022:
I’ve really enjoyed it
Recorded everything that’s available on the BBC, then watched at various speeds to get to the heart of the competition
I’m currently in the land of Taff and I acknowledge that if I lived here I’d watch a lot of TV too.
To be fair, there is a winter storm so perhaps I’m not seeing her at her best.
The less visibility the better in some areas. Not a country of sweeping panoramas
Crucial, you are just flat out wrong here.
Only going by my experience.
@mikethesnow said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@crucial said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@majorrage said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@crucial said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@majorrage said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@mikethesnow said in Winter Olympics 2022:
I’ve really enjoyed it
Recorded everything that’s available on the BBC, then watched at various speeds to get to the heart of the competition
I’m currently in the land of Taff and I acknowledge that if I lived here I’d watch a lot of TV too.
To be fair, there is a winter storm so perhaps I’m not seeing her at her best.
The less visibility the better in some areas. Not a country of sweeping panoramas
Crucial, you are just flat out wrong here.
Only going by my experience.
Fair dues
@bones said in Winter Olympics 2022:
So has Valieva been tested again since the failure result?
Or would she only be tested again if she medalled....
She has already medaled since the test that was positive
@crucial so that must result in a test then? Hopefully not mixing her meds with her grandpa's again.
@bones said in Winter Olympics 2022:
@crucial so that must result in a test then? Hopefully not mixing her meds with her grandpa's again.
I haven't tried to understand the detail but it doesn't matter what the Olympic test results are too much. The question is whether she should be competing at all after testing positive pre-Olympics I think.