2018 Winter Olympics

aj89

Elise Christie - disqualified again!

dastardly00

Tin Foil Hat wrote: »

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.

Do you have any knowledge/info on how common it is for an athlete to be disqualified during speed skating? I'm just wondering if Christie is a complete enigma, or if it's not unusual for the top skaters to be DQ'd.

citytillidie

dastardly00 wrote: »

Do you have any knowledge/info on how common it is for an athlete to be disqualified during speed skating? I'm just wondering if Christie is a complete enigma, or if it's not unusual for the top skaters to be DQ'd.

I am guessing it is the pressure of the Olympics as she has no real issues winning the worlds which are not really on tv and only really heard of when it comes to the winter olympics

citytillidie

citytillidie wrote: »

I am guessing it is the pressure of the Olympics as she has no real issues winning the worlds which are not really on tv and only really heard of when it comes to the winter olympics

4 disqualifications and 2 crashes out of 6 events across 2 Olympics is quite the achievement.

In interviews this Olympics she sought to blame other people on at least 2 occasions also.

Spent more time crying or sliding or her ass.

The narrative on BBC was cringe. It's obvious that Clare Balding fancies her!

citytillidie

glasso wrote: »

4 disqualifications and 2 crashes out of 6 events across 2 Olympics is quite the achievement.

In interviews this Olympics she sought to blame other people on at least 2 occasions also.

Spent more time crying or sliding or her ass.

The narrative on BBC was cringe. It's obvious that Clare Balding fancies her!

Well of course she does well outside of the Olympics so the BBC and British media are going to build her up big as a great medal hope.

Some of the decisions in the short track are questionable, yesterday was a team relay South Korea girl feel over and took Canada out who took Italy out but it was China and Canada teams who got the pen

citytillidie

citytillidie wrote: »

Well of course she does well outside of the Olympics so the BBC and British media are going to build her up big as a great medal hope.

Some of the decisions in the short track are questionable, yesterday was a team relay South Korea girl feel over and took Canada out who took Italy out but it was China and Canada teams who got the pen

would agree re speed skating but the law of averages must surely come into things at some point to point to a pattern of bad tactics and cracking in the case of Christie. She seems too mentally brittle to handle the Olympics.
Apprently some Dutch skater/ commentator said that she skies like an out-of-control windmill.

huge crash in the ski cross on the big last jump just before the finish line.

https://twitter.com/Dani___Alves/status/966175968560910336

seemed to an above normal amount of crashes - not sure what the verdict is on the course.
amazing event to watch - those guys really push it on the jumps to try to gain ground.

Skid X

Ski Cross looks like a great spectator event - Lots going on, crashes, speed, jumps, floodlights, proper racing (not just time trials like the regular downhill ski-ing).

Skid X

Skid X wrote: »

Ski Cross looks like a great spectator event - Lots going on, crashes, speed, jumps, floodlights, proper racing (not just time trials like the regular downhill ski-ing).

one of the most exciting events at the winter olympics for sure. there is also snowboard cross but it's just not quite as exciting.

Joe_ Public

Can see the attraction of the cross events but the commentators are way too excitable, everything is incredible and unbelievable every second of the way. Same for the pipe events. Puts me right off them.

And whatever the rights and wrongs of Elise Christie’s skating technique, feel terribly sorry for her on a human level. Elite sport should be hard and unforgiving but I never imagined it could be that cruel. After she crashed in the 1000 there was a guy sticking a camera into her face while she was being loaded onto a stretcher, I thought she didn’t deserve that anyway.

DickSwiveller

Do any Irish athletes take part in the winter Olympics?

Joe_ Public

There was an Irish team of 5 athletes, they are all finished at this stage.

DickSwiveller

DickSwiveller wrote: »

Do any Irish athletes take part in the winter Olympics?

yes there are some representatives as mentioned above.
generally they are people of some Irish heritage who want to have an Olympics experience but wouldn't make the national team of where they live and who have no chance of a medal. If they had a chance of a medal they would be on the national team of their residence.

ironically with the Olympics (happens in the Summer Olympics also but to a great extent in the Winter Olympics) not all the top people by ranking in a sport discipline would not be there. but it is about country representation after all.

e.g. take the Austrian ski team - they can only have 4 skiers in an alpine ski event whereas it's pretty safe to say that the number 5 who would not be there is probably ranked higher than a lot of people from the minor countries.

the one time that Ireland nearly got a medal it was in the skeleton when the fabulously named Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdon Wrottesley came fourth. this was the year of the reintroduction of the event after over 50 years so Clifton saw an opportunity and cleverly trained for it.

Cork Boy 53

Joe_ Public wrote: »

There was an Irish team of 5 athletes, they are all finished at this stage.

I think there is still one Irishman due to take part in the 50 km cross country ski race at the weekend.

Joe_ Public

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Can see the attraction of the cross events but the commentators are way too excitable, everything is incredible and unbelievable every second of the way. Same for the pipe events. Puts me right off them.

And whatever the rights and wrongs of Elise Christie’s skating technique, feel terribly sorry for her on a human level. Elite sport should be hard and unforgiving but I never imagined it could be that cruel. After she crashed in the 1000 there was a guy sticking a camera into her face while she was being loaded onto a stretcher, I thought she didn’t deserve that anyway.

I could feel sorry for her but the way that she came out (or Clare Balding wishes ) and blamed other people a couple of times in interviews when she was disqualified or crashed (with no penalty on the supposed athlete at fault) put me right off her.

DickSwiveller

glasso wrote: »

yes there are some representatives as mentioned above.
generally they are people of some Irish heritage who want to have an Olympics experience but wouldn't make the national team of where they live and who have no chance of a medal. If they had a chance of a medal they would be on the national team of their residence.

ironically with the Olympics (happens in the Summer Olympics also but to a great extent in the Winter Olympics) not all the top people by ranking in a sport discipline would not be there. but it is about country representation after all.

e.g. take the Austrian ski team - they can only have 4 skiers in an alpine ski event whereas it's pretty safe to say that the number 5 who would not be there is probably ranked higher than a lot of people from the minor countries.

the one time that Ireland nearly got a medal it was in the skeleton when the fabulously named Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdon Wrottesley came fourth. this was the year of the reintroduction of the event after over 50 years so Clifton saw an opportunity and cleverly trained for it.

Thanks for the explanation. That is some name!

Cork Boy 53

glasso wrote: »

I could feel sorry for her but the way that she came out (or Clare Balding wishes ) and blamed other people a couple of times in interviews when she was disqualified or crashed (with no penalty on the supposed athlete at fault) put me right off her.

Didn`t someone on the BBC panel suggest that Christie could switch sports to long track skating or maybe track cycling?

DickSwiveller

DickSwiveller wrote: »

Thanks for the explanation. That is some name!

actually his full title is ....

Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdon Wrottesley, 14th Baronet, 6th Baron Wrottesley.

Has the education history to go with it!

Eton College, Edinburgh University and Sandhurst

And despite his upbringing he wasn't loaded really and had to raise money to support himself for his Olympics effort. Apparently when he went to Pat Hickey he was told that they should be going to him for money and didn't give him anything!
No doubt Pat has enjoyed quite a few jaunts over to the Winter Olympics along with some other Irish blazers.

Cork Boy 53

Cork Boy 53 wrote: »

Didn`t someone on the BBC panel suggest that Christie could switch sports to long track skating or maybe track cycling?

Long track skating might suit her better than track cycling I would say due to lower contact ratio.

Joe_ Public

glasso wrote: »

I could feel sorry for her but the way that she came out (or Clare Balding wishes ) and blamed other people a couple of times in interviews when she was disqualified or crashed (with no penalty on the supposed athlete at fault) put me right off her.

Maybe when some time passes and she has time and space to reflect, she’ll come to a different conclusion? I have to say I thought 2 of those collisions were unlucky for her but what do I know about it anyway? Tough and very admirable sport.

Joe_ Public

I think her own personal ambition was to go cycling but that has changed now as she says she wants to come back for redemption in 2022. Problem with long track is GB don’t have the facilities and going abroad presents funding issues.

Cork Boy 53

glasso wrote: »

Long track skating might suit her better than track cycling I would say due to lower contact ratio.

A number of athletes have taken part in both track cycling and speed skating in Summer and Winter Olympics, some of them winning medals in both, so it is possible to do the switch.

Joe_ Public

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Maybe when some time passes and she has time and space to reflect, she’ll come to a different conclusion? I have to say I thought 2 of those collisions were unlucky for her but what do I know about it anyway? Tough and very admirable sport.

maybe but it's bad form to do that even in the heat of the moment.
the damage is done.
it seems to be a sport where you have to manage aggression carefully and over 6 events in 2 Olympics she has failed at that.
Obviously she has won world titles but the Olympics is another level in terms of pressure and prestige.

Cork Boy 53

Cork Boy 53 wrote: »

A number of athletes have taken part in both track cycling and speed skating in Summer and Winter Olympics, some of them winning medals in both, so it is possible to do the switch.

yes the athletic ability is transferable - I meant that because of Christie's not-well-managed aggression that long-form speed-skating might suit her better than track cycling due to the fact that with most long-form skating you race in separate lanes. With a lot of track cycling events her behaviour could end up in a crash.

Cork Boy 53

glasso wrote: »

maybe but it's bad form to do that even in the heat of the moment.
the damage is done.
it seems to be a sport where you have to manage aggression carefully and over 6 events in 2 Olympics she has failed at that.
Obviously she has won world titles but the Olympics is another level in terms of pressure and prestige.

Paula Radcliffe and indeed Eamon Coghlan were the same. They won World and European titles in various distances, and in Radcliffe`s case held the world record for the marathon, but neither of them ever won any Olympic medals.

Cork Boy 53

Cork Boy 53 wrote: »

Paula Radcliffe and indeed Eamon Coghlan were the same. They won World and European titles in various distances, and in Radcliffe`s case held the world record for the marathon, but neither of them ever won any Olympic medals.

Radcliffe still has the world record for marathon - not going to say anything more about that!

Cork Boy 53

Marit Bjorgen from Norway became the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time today winning her 14th Olympic medal, a bronze in the team cross country sprint relay. She has another chance at the weekend to increase her total when she competes in the 30 km race.

Joe_ Public

Chinese skater sets 2 world records in men’s 500 in just over an hour. Two Koreans take each other out in final of women’s 1000.

In speed skating heaven here this morning!

Ardillaun

We Canadians have the curtains drawn and are in a very fragile state tonight after losing to the US in women's hockey and then to...I don't know if I can say it...Germany in the men's semis. The curling was a catastrophe as well. Fortunately, nobody else seems to have figured out the mixed curling yet so we got away with that, and the team skating. We also did well in the women's ski cross with gold and silver but what a crazy event that is. You'd want to bring a spare pair of knees with you.

Cork Boy 53

Ardillaun wrote: »

We Canadians have the curtains drawn and are in a very fragile state tonight after losing to the US in women's hockey and then to...I don't know if I can say it...Germany in the men's semis. The curling was a catastrophe as well. Fortunately, nobody else seems to have figured out the mixed curling yet so we got away with that, and the team skating. We also did well in the women's ski cross with gold and silver but what a crazy event that is. You'd want to bring a spare pair of knees with you.

Yes I saw the highlights of the hockey matches. The women`s final shootout could have gone either way but the Canadian men`s team really had a shocker going 3-0 down to the Germans before narrowing the gap. I know there is an issue with the top NHL players not being allowed to take part in the Olympics but even so that`s the ice hockey equivalent of China beating Brazil in football.