2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games

[YoninahAliza]

So I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread for the Sochi Olympic games which start today. I figure this can be a place to support and cheer on our favorite athletes and to talk about the games. I have some mixed feelings about this Olympics (some of the social/political issues) but at the same time I feel it is important to support the athletes who've worked so, so hard to get to this place.

And as the Google Doodle for today reminds us, "The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."
–Olympic Charter

So let the games begin!

 

[heelscatchfire]

thanks for the thread YoninahAliza!

Of course this years games are a bit over shadowed because of the political and social issues in the area and with the games themselves which is really unfortunate.

Here is some photos of the Opening Ceremony. I have to remind myself of the significant time difference for those of us in the US! http://www.sochi2014.com/en/photo-gallery-sochi-2014-opening-ceremony?photoid=0000002652

NBC is live streaming the whole event http://www.nbcolympics.com/

 

[lakomka]

I'm working in Sochi for Olympics and I must say I was almost crying during Opening Ceremony. Is it just because I'm russian, or the ceremony was simply breathtaking?
I feel really bad because of all bad press Sochi Olimpics got so far, but I hope with the start of the games everyone will look on the bright sides. And the bright sides are that Stadiums are great, transport working good and I'm seeing so many happy and smiling people around me!

My pic

 

[eternitygoddess]

I am SO EXCITED for women's figure skating!!!

 

[YoninahAliza]

Wow Lakomka- that sounds like a great experience for you! I imagine it is an amazing thing to be within the vicinity of any Olympic games and to experience the vibe of the games first hand.

I'm particularly looking forward to watching short track speed skating (gotta cheer on my favorite, J.R. Celski!), snowboarding, figure skating, hockey and luge (rooting for Erin Hamlin mainly). Although to be honest, I just love watching a majority of the sporting events, there's always something interesting going on. Right now I'm watching some of the men's slope style snowboarding event, it's so interesting to watch, definitely a cool new addition to the Olympics.

 

[heelscatchfire]

Lakomka, thats a great photo! It does sound like a great experience to be there. The Opening Ceremony was enjoyable.

 

[Juliax]

Loved the opening ceremony, very impressive.

A good deal of those "issues" and bad press surrounding Sochi is not true and/or is very exaggerated but Im not gonna dwell on that. Its a celebration of sports in the first line, everyone should be busy with their own country affairs,why not just enjoy the games as always and appreciate the sportsmen and all the efforts of Russia too as a host.

Here is a nice NBC promo, well done :



samuel erzerzer

Im looking forward to figure skating the most
Thank you for the thread.

 

[YoninahAliza]

The games have started out rather lovely, with the Canadian sisters Justine and Chloe Dufour-Lapointe winning gold and silver respectively in the moguls. That was super sweet to see the two of them together on the podium, I cannot even imagine what it must feel like to have a sibling competing with you, but I guess along with their sister Maxine, they are used to it.

Also really loved the mens slopestyle snowboarding event, with American Sage Kotsenburg taking home gold, Norway’s Staale Sandbech with silver, and Mark McMorris of Canada getting bronze. I really enjoyed seeing the three guys together, when they realized they had all place well, it was so sweet (from what I understand they all quite good friends, having come up in the snowboarding world together). Also, Sage seems like a totally chill guy from all the interviews, quite cute too.

 

[Annu]

Opening was pretty amazing. I love Olympics so I know what I'm gonna do next two weeks. I don't care so much my country's success but I love seeing people happy faces when they win or just make little bit better than they are expecting, knowing how much work they have done just to get games. I would love to be there myself.

Oh, I just wish they would have used nesting (is that really English word for those Russian dolls?) as mascots rather than animals. I loved all those colorful stuff beginning of ceremony and also nesting in snowboarding field, they would be more Russian for me, of course if they have reused Miska.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

My husband is obsessed with the Olympics! We know someone working there as well.

I did read something the other day that made me a little sad and of course hope it's not true, but I suppose it's always a risk with "judge" sports of any kind, not just the Olympics:

The French magazine L’Equipe is reporting that Russian and American judges have allegedly agreed to a vote-swapping deal and will collude against Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir from repeating their gold medal performance at Vancouver 2010.

According to the magazine’s unnamed “senior Russian coach” source, the terms of the alleged agreement will have the Americans assist Russia in the new figure skating team event while the Russians will back American ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

Both the Russians and the Americans will win a gold medal for these events, at the expense of Virtue and Moir.

The pressure is on Russia to perform well after failing to win a gold medal in figure skating events at the 2010 Games. For the Americans, Davis and White won silver in Vancouver, coming just behind their friends Virtue and Moir.

The Canadian ice dance duo are seen as strong contenders for the gold medal title, but it is expected to be a close finish against Davis and White.

This comes ten years after the Salt Lake 2002 figure skating scandal when Canadian pairs skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were nearly denied of a gold medal. After a media storm over scoring abnormalities, a French judge admitted that she had been pressured to vote for the Russian pair regardless of how the Canadians performed.

Sale and Pelletier were originally awarded silver, but it was later replaced with gold medal following the revelations of the fix.

The 2002 figure skating scandal led to the revamp of the judge’s scoring system in order to make it more objective. The new scoring system was established as the mandatory system for all international competitions beginning in 2006, including the Torino 2006 Winter Games.

vancitybuzz

SOCHI, Russia — Who says the United States and Russia cannot get along?

Forget the chilly relationship between President Obama and his counterpart, Vladimir V. Putin.

Forget the kerfuffle that has left American athletes without a certain Greek yogurt in the Olympic Village.

In ice dancing, the United States and Russia could not be chummier, according to a report in a French sports newspaper. Ah, Olympic ice dancing, an event with more scandals than sequins.

On Saturday, the United States Figure Skating Association denied as “categorically false” a report in the newspaper, L’Équipe, that America and Russia were conspiring to rig the pairs and ice dancing competitions at the Sochi Games at the expense of Canada.

A pause for explanation: There are two figure skating competitions at these Olympics. The new team event concludes Sunday. Then the traditional disciplines — men’s, women’s, pairs and ice dancing — will commence.

RELATED COVERAGE

With Team Skating, It’s Now Kiss, Cry, Squeeze InFEB. 8, 2014
Ashley Wagner Helps U.S. Advance in Team Skating EventFEB. 8, 2014
According to L’Équipe, which quoted an unnamed Russian coach, the United States intended to help Russia win the overall team event and the pairs competition. In return, Russia would make sure the Americans Charlie White and Meryl Davis won the ice dancing competition.

new york times

 

[pixiedust1603]

That would be an utter shame. Virtue and Moir take my breath away every time they perform.

 

[YoninahAliza]

I've herd some reports about this too (from the Canadian television network that I have access too. Which btw, I really love the way they are broadcasting of the games, it's so well done) but I seriously hope this is false reporting. People should win based on how well they performed not because of bribery. I was really young when the ice skating scandal happened but I remember it put a damper on things, no one wants a win to be surrounded by scandal.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

Pixie, totally agree about Virtue and Moir; I figure skated for 16 years so I relate best to the skating as a winter olympic sport, and I find those 2 so compelling to watch; their dance at the 2010 Olympics actually brought tears to my eyes! That said, no doubt Davis and White are a wonderful pairing too.

Yoninah, agreed. I am just hoping it's false.

 

[eternitygoddess]

^The Russian judges are DEFINITELY inflating the scores of certain native skaters (*cough*Julia Lipniskaia*cough*)

 

[Not Plain Jane]

I don't know, like I said before I hope it's untrue; however, it's certainly interesting that things played out as L'Equipe magazine predicted with the Russians winning the team skate.

 

[TianSoFine]

I have doubts about these allegations. I think it's pretty natural for skaters who are skating on home ice to receive scores that are a bit higher, especially with audience support. In Vancouver 2010, Canadian figure skaters seemed overscored as well.

And regardless of whether or not the accusations are true, I think the wins in the team pairs and ice dance were well-deserved. Russia had the best pair and US had the best ice dance. Virtue and Moir were good but they had a pretty big flaw before one of their lifts, and Davis and White skated so beautifully.

 

[eternitygoddess]

^It's not just a matter of questionable score inflation, it's also that judges are purposefully ignoring certain skaters' technical errors. The skating forums have been abuzz about this, and tv commentators have expressed confusion as well.

 

[lakomka]

I don't know, like I said before I hope it's untrue; however, it's certainly interesting that things played out as L'Equipe magazine predicted with the Russians winning the team skate.

I'm Russian. And of course I support my team, but it doesn't mean that I can't be objective. In pairs I will always support Tessa and Scott - they are the reason why I'm going to figure skating on 16-17. But do you really think that Russia could lose these new team competitions? We have like 11 or 10 points over Canada. And all skaters were really good in their programs. As a team Russia were the best. Who needs any special efforts from some political side when your team is the best?

And I disagree that Julia Lipniskaia didn't deserve her first place. SHe was beautiful and graceful and did her job

Plushenko on the other hand....

 

[MyNameIs]

Ugh, again with the sore loser whining. That Russian girl skated beautifully. All those tricks she was doing. I was in awe. I find ice skating boring, but even I couldn't resist.

As far as the Canadian pair goes, I was actually surprised they scored better than the Russian pair. They seemed fine and smooth, but not very challenging or exciting. Not compare to the Russian team.

Anyway, there are plenty to criticize Russia for, but sometime it feels like people are reaching for anything. The Opening Ceremony was wonderful. Truly magical. Say what you will about the behind the scene drama, but the final show was great.

If there is anyone that deserves blame it's the NBC for their awful coverage. I was hoping to watch some live events over the weekend. Nope. Ugh. I still watched some of it at night, but it's just not the same.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

Yes the Opening Ceremonies were beautiful.

And Tessa made a mistake in their short dance; she flubbed one of the twizzles.

I didn't see Julia Lipniskaia, so I can't comment, but you're right lakomka that Russia has a plethora of talented skaters.

Like I said (and note that I posted before the results even came about so nothing to do with losing) I hoped the conspiracy wasn't true. Of course there have been real judging conspiracies in skating in the past - fixes that were openly admitted as such. That makes it worthwhile to at least consider the merit if such a rumour breaks.

But we can definitely be our own judges with our own eyes, and I definitely think that this time Tessa and Scott were not as amazing in the dance competition. In 2010, they were transcendent. This time, they were very good, but they didn't blow me away.