2018 Winter Olympics

Claregaafan18

Very disturbing news coming out of the Court of Arbitration of Sport this morning with the Winter Olympics just a week away. 28 Russian athletes who had lifetime bans over drug cheating have had their bans overturned by CAS.

This is a kick to the teeth to the Olympic movement and makes a mockery of the Olympic brand. I feel sorry for the likes of the Sunday Times whose journalists have put their heart and soul into uncovering the dark secrets of this Russian state-sponsored doping program. On the other hand this will be seen as a victory for dopers and for Russian President Putin, who ignorantly said that Russia "did no wrong".

In total 169 Russian athletes with supposedly clean records are allowed to compete, but not under the Russian banner after the International Olympic Committee banned the country from competing in Pyeongchang.

Finally serious questions have to be asked about Thomas Bach who is the current president of the IOC. Many critics would see him as being too soft on Russia and critics would also argue about his relationship with Putin is too close.

blue note

I'm not all that disturbed by it. You can see from the fancy bears leak that basically drug cheating is prevalent in all countries. The western athletes seem more likely to do it with TUEs, but they're as clear as day just a sneaky way of using performance enhancing drugs. I wouldn't be surprised if a huge number of winter Olympics athletes suffer from asthma and hayfever and need sabutonal and cortozone to treat these illnesses.

Drugs in sport bother me a lot, but so does the hypocrisy of us blaming the dirty Russians for it all. They're probably one of the worst, but it would not seem fair to me if they're treated more harshly because of where they're from.

Claregaafan18

blue note wrote: »

I'm not all that disturbed by it. You can see from the fancy bears leak that basically drug cheating is prevalent in all countries. The western athletes seem more likely to do it with TUEs, but they're as clear as day just a sneaky way of using performance enhancing drugs. I wouldn't be surprised if a huge number of winter Olympics athletes suffer from asthma and hayfever and need sabutonal and cortozone to treat these illnesses.

Drugs in sport bother me a lot, but so does the hypocrisy of us blaming the dirty Russians for it all. They're probably one of the worst, but it would not seem fair to me if they're treated more harshly because of where they're from.

The last paragraph is so true. Believe me the Russian story is just the tip of an iceberg when it comes to doping. Come time I suspect more countries will be found out over this issue of state sponsored doping. Time will tell but if people think Russia were the only ones doing this then they should think again.

blue note

Claregaafan18 wrote:

The last paragraph is so true. Believe me the Russian story is just the tip of an iceberg when it comes to doping. Come time I suspect more countries will be found out over this issue of state sponsored doping. Time will tell but if people think Russia were the only ones doing this then they should think again.

Other countries have - look at the UK in cycling. Wiggans and froome both using TUEs in what a lot of people would consider questionable ways. Same in tennis, sharapova was using a tue for a performance enhancing drug for years. If she had stopped taking it when it became illegal she'd have done nothing wrong in many people's eyes. Now she's a poster star for the sport again having returned from a drugs ban.

I am bothered that the Russian athletes are allowed to compete in these circumstances. But I'm equally bothered that we're ignoring the questions over western athletes.

Claregaafan18

Obviously the whole doping issues have cast a shadow on the Winter Olympics.

However the show must go on as the old saying goes. Does anyone have any idea who are the athletes to look out for in Pyeongchang? I am always very intrigued with the speed skating, probably my favourite winter sport. Obviously the ice hockey, cross country skiing, biathlon, alpine skiing and ski jumping will always attract the casual armchair supporter like myself also. Here's hoping the 2018 Winter Olympics will be remembered for all the right reasons.

blue note

I love the one where 4 skiers are racing on the same track. That looks like great fun!

Fiery mutant

At this stage it would just be best to let them all take the drugs, and just see who can be the fastest cokehead in the world.

It’s gotten that bad that the Olympics and many other sports has lost all appeal.

citytillidie

blue note wrote: »

I love the one where 4 skiers are racing on the same track. That looks like great fun!

Ski and snowboard cross that is.

Here is a link for all sports that will give you the time it is on here

https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/game-time/results/OWG2018/en/general/competition-schedule.htm

Gizmo55

Just noticed we have all the Eurosport channels now on Virgin media. Won’t get a wink of sleep.

Skid X

I like how Steve Cram (first ever 1500 metres World Champion, former multiple middle distance events World Record Holder and Athletics commentator) also developed an interest in Curling and became the BBC's lead Curling commentator.

Gizmo55

Skid X wrote: »

I like how Steve Cram (first ever 1500 metres World Champion, former multiple middle distance events World Record Holder and Athletics commentator) also developed an interest in Curling and became the BBC's lead Curling commentator.

Ha. Have to say I like his commentary on most sports. This snowboarding qualification is nuts.

DunnoKidz

The Ice Dancers are incredible!

DunnoKidz

Claregaafan18 wrote: »

Very disturbing news coming out of the Court of Arbitration of Sport this morning with the Winter Olympics just a week away. 28 Russian athletes who had lifetime bans over drug cheating have had their bans overturned by CAS.

This is a kick to the teeth to the Olympic movement and makes a mockery of the Olympic brand. I feel sorry for the likes of the Sunday Times whose journalists have put their heart and soul into uncovering the dark secrets of this Russian state-sponsored doping program. On the other hand this will be seen as a victory for dopers and for Russian President Putin, who ignorantly said that Russia "did no wrong".

In total 169 Russian athletes with supposedly clean records are allowed to compete, but not under the Russian banner after the International Olympic Committee banned the country from competing in Pyeongchang.

Finally serious questions have to be asked about Thomas Bach who is the current president of the IOC. Many critics would see him as being too soft on Russia and critics would also argue about his relationship with Putin is too close.

Wait, isn't the Olympics motto "stay clean"? So, the team with the most doping history are (conveniently) welcomed to participate representing the symbolic "stay clean" flag? What hypocritical signal does that send out? ...Wonder who was paid off, for that to occur.

Joe_ Public

Glued to the speed skating today. Awesome sport.

blue note

DunnoKidz wrote: »

Wait, isn't the Olympics motto "stay clean"? So, the team with the most doping history are (conveniently) welcomed to participate representing the symbolic "stay clean" flag? What hypocritical signal does that send out? ...Wonder who was paid off, for that to occur.

I'm getting the athletes who were actually caught doping went through the disciplinary process? Unlike the athletes from western countries who were shown by the Russian hackers to have used TUE's in clearly dishonest circumstances. I think it would have been far more hypocritical to ban the Russian athletes who weren't caught doping just based on the fact that they were Russian while ignoring the fact that many of the western athletes were in essence caught cheating but nothing was done about it. There isn't even an interest in what I can see in cleaning up the TUE's.

Cork Boy 53

Shaun White, the "Flying Tomato", has won his third Olympic halfpipe gold medal today. He was under serious pressure going into his final run but pulled off a magnificent performance to finish as the champion.

citytillidie

Snowboard cross in the morning if your up early enough should be good

sligeach

I see the unified North&South Korean Ice Hockey team created history by scoring their first ever goal! Congratulations to....... sorry, give me a minute now, the Korean spelling is very difficult at times.......

Randi Griffin???

Sounds like a character from Family Guy.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2018-iceh-w-cor-jpn/ice-hockey-japan-win-as-unified-korea-enjoy-special-moment-idUSKCN1FY1BP

Gizmo55

Snowboard cross looks amazing. All the snowboard stuff is amazing really.

Gizmo55

Luge team relay is brilliant.

Cork Boy 53

The topless Tongan who carried his country`s flag in the opening ceremony finished third last in his cross country skiing race today. He competed in the Rio Olympics in taekwondo and now he says he wants to take part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, possibly in a water sport. Crazy character.

dastardly00

Great finish to the women's skeleton competition!!

Cork Boy 53

Good day for the British team with a gold and two bronze medals. However short track skater Elise Christie crashed out for the second time in two events. The Winter Olympics in 2014 and 2018 have both been disasters for her personally.

prunudo

The finish in the ladies super G was great, the look of shock on her face.
Maybe I'll give up snowboarding and start skiing!

Tin Foil Hat

Cork Boy 53 wrote: »

Good day for the British team with a gold and two bronze medals. However short track skater Elise Christie crashed out for the second time in two events. The Winter Olympics in 2014 and 2018 have both been disasters for her personally.

She has now been disqualified from 4 out of 5 events over the last two Olympics. 3 of those times for taking out other competitors. She's a menace on a skate track.

DunnoKidz

blue note wrote: »

I'm getting the athletes who were actually caught doping went through the disciplinary process? Unlike the athletes from western countries who were shown by the Russian hackers to have used TUE's in clearly dishonest circumstances. I think it would have been far more hypocritical to ban the Russian athletes who weren't caught doping just based on the fact that they were Russian while ignoring the fact that many of the western athletes were in essence caught cheating but nothing was done about it. There isn't even an interest in what I can see in cleaning up the TUE's.

Perhaps hypocritical was too strong a word but Oh the irony...
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/winter-olympics/winter-olympics-2018-russia-curling-meldonium-pyeongchang-a8216456.html ......in Curling!

....sorry, you were saying?

blue note

Haha! I saw that and had a double take. Curling? I play golf and people are surprised that PED's could be useful in that, but they could be very useful in golf. So perhaps it's my ignorance of what's required / useful for that sport. But nonetheless - CURLING!!!?????

But the article kind of reinforces my point to be honest. That drug was legal under the TUEs until the year Sharapova was caught. And Sharapova was far from the only one using it when it was legal as a TUE (I think the Williams sisters, among others, were too). It was a drug that was rarely used (it wasn't very popular for this purpose) to treat heart conditions for a 6 week period and Sharapova and others used it for years. When she had to explain it I think part of her explanation was that her family had a history of diabetes. It couldn't have been clearer that she was using it to gain an unfair advantage. Or maybe to keep up with the others who were using it too.

So use of this very drug was perfectly acceptable even though it's as plain as day used to boost performance, not to treat an illness. And loads and loads of athletes are doing this and there aren't even questions asked of them. WADA still have to deal with people who are breaking the rules in conventional ways, such as Sharapova or the curler. But they also have to start tackling athlete's use (misuse) of TUE's.

dastardly00

Did anyone watch the men's biathlon 15km mass start event?
Absolute class and nail-biting finish
http://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-olympics/42981535

I think if I could be a Winter Olympian I'd like to compete in the biathlon
There's something cool about the combination of skiing and shooting, probably from watching James Bond movies all my life!

Skid X

Germany and Canada have identical times after the final run of the Two Man Bobsleigh and will each get Gold, you don't see that very often.

sligeach

Winter Olympics: Worst skier in history finishes LAST as she could not do any tricks

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/freestyle-skiing-heaven-halfpipe-unconventional-swaney-071119547--spt.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lijLiBS7fI0

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lijLiBS7fI0

Reminds me of that African swimmer in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AO7iMw7-zM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AO7iMw7-zM

muppetshow1451

Not bad for a nation with only 5.2 million people to be on top with most medals won.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals