Winter Olympics 2022

voodoo

Nevorian

@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

canefan

@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

Kiwiwomble

@no-quarter said in Winter Olympics 2022:

Moment of the Olympics so far (sound on for maximum effect)

https://twitter.com/Utwitily/status/1490768974249967623?t=fY1nies0aTSRE9GGcZv3WQ&s=19

i think id always assumed this was super common and they'd wear a cup or something

mariner4life

@kiwiwomble said in Winter Olympics 2022:

@no-quarter said in Winter Olympics 2022:

Moment of the Olympics so far (sound on for maximum effect)

https://twitter.com/Utwitily/status/1490768974249967623?t=fY1nies0aTSRE9GGcZv3WQ&s=19

i think id always assumed this was super common and they'd wear a cup or something

alt text

Crucial

@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.

Nevorian

Dutch speed skaters - just sayin

I need evidence

mariner4life

All the hot Germans pose for Playboy

I remember one fine as fuck cross country/biathlon skier

canefan

@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

gt12

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.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/feb/09/legal-issue-delays-beijing-medal-ceremony-for-russian-figure-skating-winter-olympics

Machpants

Herald are naming, as from a Russian newspaper

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/beijing-winter-olympics-2022-teenage-russian-superstar-kamila-valieva-caught-up-in-doping-scandal/QYANFDJFEABA3JLCEPLHSGTXJE/

MajorPom

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.

voodoo

@majorrage I actually kinda like the Winter Olympics, but that was a good rant, credit where it's due

gt12

@majorrage

Good rant. The Russian skater one does my head in. If there are going to be different rules for under 16s, don't let them compete at the Olympic Games.

sparky

@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.

Crucial

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.

mariner4life

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

canefan

@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

gt12

@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.

mariner4life

Russia take the piss because they've cottoned on to the fact that the rest of the world no longer has the sack to stop them.

The Silver Fern

Winter Olympics 2022