The Official Winter Olympics Thread.

[JUst retired]

Bit of a problem lads. They are having to import snow to Calgary. Hard to ski downhill on grass.
Could be more fun though.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Turns out we've 6 entrants across 4 sports

And the Aussies are acting the maggot 

Aussies object to Irish bobsleigh team

Tuesday, 9 February 2010 15:54
Ireland's women's bobsleigh team could lose their place at the Winter Olympics in the courtroom after Australia submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport insisting that they were the rightful recipients of a starting spot in Vancouver.

The Irish team, comprising of Claire Bergin, Aoife Hoey and Leona Byrne, are currently in Whistler training for the main event which is scheduled to take place on 23 & 24 February.

Hoey and Bergin captured the 20th and final spot in qualifying, outperforming their Australian counterparts in the process.

The Austrian team then withdrew from the Games and Ireland were bumped up to 19th in the rankings, with Japan offered the now vacant 20th spot as the top team in Asia.

This has caused consternation in the Australian Olympic movement as officials argue that they should be offered a similar path to Vancouver as the number one country in Oceania.

'I'm happy about the hearing,' said Fiona De Jong, director of sport for the Australian Olympic Committee.

'We were able to make our point, which I feel is pretty strong. There are five rings in the Olympic insignia and the continent of Oceania deserves to be there. These girls are the best in Oceania.'

Olympic Council of Ireland president Patrick Hickey is appalled that Ireland could yet be cast aside by CAS.

'It would be outrageous if those girls were stripped of their accreditation and sent back home to Ireland,' Olympic Council of Ireland president Patrick Hickey told Around the Rings, an Olympic publication, before the hearing.

'We're already suffering from the football (case) of Thierry Henry scoring a goal with his hand and eliminating us from the World Cup finals. And if something like this happened it would be catastrophe altogether.'

A decision is expected later today.

If Pat Hickey is going into any kind of hearing he may as well get his facts straight...twas Gallas who scored the goal agin Ireland!!

[Hardy]

Des Cahill is reporting this morning that our bobsleighing women are not in the clear at all. Apparently, the CAS ruled in favour of Australia's protest (supported by crying would-be-participants at the hearing) that they should be the 20th team and only "strongly recommended" that Ireland be included as a 21st team.

But now the Brazilians (I jest not) want the Irish out and themselves in, because of some other alleged irregularity, so there may have to be another hearing.

I'm firmly on board the Winter Olympics bandwagon now. Can't wait for the curling.

[Aerlik]

I love the bobsleigh having seen the event at the Nagano Olympics.  The speeds are unreal.  Also the ski-jump.  And I hope we have another Herman Meier to shout about.  What a man. 

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Bloody Brazilian woman are complaining about our girls now 

[Sandino]

I see. that a participant in the Luge has died today after a high speed crash in training. There seems to be major concerns about safety at this track.

[ziggysego]

Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili dies after crash

[Capt Pat]

Not a very clever design in terms of those taking part in the luge. No padding or any type of protection.

[J70]

The video of his fatal run is up on NBC's Olympics website. Shows a close-up of the poor lad pulling down his visor, getting set and then whole run, including the crash. He didn't have a hope as he crashed head-first into a big metal or concrete column along the side of the track supporting the roof. I'm as guilty as anyone as macabre curiosity got the better of me, but shouldn't NBC take the footage showing the last 40 seconds of someone's life down?

[Aerlik]

I've just been watching the opening ceremony.  Hats of to the Canadians...fantastic show.  Great mix of music, dance, lighting, culture.  K.D. Lang is some performer and Sarah McLaughlin (must be a Derry influence in there somewhere) was superb.  But yer man with the fiddle and the kilt doing his bit....

[Nally Stand]

J70 I agree the end should not be shown however on a point of note, if actually died several hours after in hospital. RIP

[Gabriel_Hurl]

I've just been watching the opening ceremony.  Hats of to the Canadians...fantastic show.  Great mix of music, dance, lighting, culture.  K.D. Lang is some performer and Sarah McLaughlin (must be a Derry influence in there somewhere) was superb.  But yer man with the fiddle and the kilt doing his bit....

That's a nod to the East Coast of Canada

[screenexile]

Did anyone watch the board cross event?? Amazing stuff very exciting and hugely dangerous you'd have to be crazy to take part in it! I love the way they find new more exciting events all the time.

[Gabriel_Hurl]

That was cracking Loopy - shaping up to be a great event so far

[mikasas]

The board cross isn't a new event, as far as I can remember it was at the past two games! Its a complete cracker though! 1 of the most exciting sports to watch! Will never forget the name Lindsey Jacobellis after the last games and her fall! Its on the BBC website-check it out! As for the Loopiness, did I miss something last nite?