The Official GMHockey 2010 Winter Olympics Thread - All Talk Here!

M_Christopher wrote:

Hoags wrote:I don't really blame the Hamelins ... they're good but just not that good.

The Koreans are skating machines , I don't think they're human (what do they feed them there).

And Ohno ... well he does his patented passing from behind. Maybe they should be more aggressive at blocking him (legally). Dunno.

I just don't think we're THAT good.

I don't know much about speed-skating but it seems in groups being the leader off the start doesn't end well.

that what always seems to happen most of the time

Hoags wrote:I don't really blame the Hamelins ... they're good but just not that good.

The Koreans are skating machines , I don't think they're human (what do they feed them there).

And Ohno ... well he does his patented passing from behind. Maybe they should be more aggressive at blocking him (legally). Dunno.

I just don't think we're THAT good.

Charles Hamelin is the WR holder at the 1000M. How is that "just not that good?"

sens4win wrote:

hemlock wrote:Tough break for the Hamelin boys. Ohno becomes the all time winnest Winter Olympic Athlete in U.S. history with that Bronze I believe.

As much as I am not one to crap on Canadian athletes, Charles Hamelin and Denny Morrison really have to be disappointed with their respective performances. Morrison finished 9th tonight. His PB is two and a half seconds faster than tonight's Gold Medal time. Hamelin didn't medal in an event he's the world record holder in. That's a tough pill to swallow as I bet the COC was counting on those medals to "own the podium".

that was a really disappointing run from the brothers, much respect for them but Canada could have used those medals, good job on them getting as far they did though. Koreans are really taking over in the skating this year

The scariest part about this is that going into these Games, they'd never medalled in Long-Track. They've got 4 medals in 5 events in Long-Track now. Yikes. A new world power is emerging very quickly here. Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, USA all better take notice (as if they haven't already). Apparently, speed skating in Korea is as or more popular than hockey in Canada. It's a religion there, much like swimming in Australia.

hemlock wrote:
Charles Hamelin is the WR holder at the 1000M. How is that "just not that good?"

He got beat by the Koreans and Apolo Anton Ohno again ...

(He choked)

I don't mean any disrespect to him ... but he lost.

Jeremy Wotherspoon is also fantastic skater, world champion and world record holder.

He never medaled again after Nagano. maybe the Olympics aren't our thing in skating ?

Hoags wrote:

hemlock wrote:
Charles Hamelin is the WR holder at the 1000M. How is that "just not that good?"

He got beat by the Koreans and Apolo Anton Ohno again ...

(He choked)

I don't mean any disrespect to him ... but he lost.

Jeremy Wotherspoon is also fantastic skater, world champion and world record holder.

He never medaled again after Nagano. maybe the Olympics aren't his thing in skating ?

Wotherspoon may not have the Olympic success of some other skaters, but when you look at his body of work, having nearly 70 World Cup victories to his credit, he's in the conversation of the greatest short to middle distance male speed skater, ever.

Losing to South Korea, in any short track distance is pretty well par for the course. They are the dominant power in short-track bar none (although China is starting to threaten their dominance). As much as I personally dislike Ohno, his record is not debatable. The winningest short-tracker in Olympic history with 7 medals. However, the most decorated short-track speed skater of all time (Olympic or World Cup) you ask? Marc Gagnon of Canada.

Cindy Klassen won 5 medals in 2006, along with Clara Hughes winning 2 and Kristina Groves another. True our men haven't shared the same success in long-track, but to say the Olympics aren't our thing is a tad erroneous.

Also, as a final point, now having two world class training facilities, at two different altitudes (it makes a big difference, especially for the longer races), Canada will continue to produce even more world class athletes, provided that the funding is there to support them.

Owned (on) the podium?

wprager wrote:Owned (on) the podium?

We're looking at virtually guaranteed medals I'd say in men's and women's curling, men's and women's hockey and ice-dancing pairs.

I don't mean a guarantee on those, but we have exceptionally overwhelming odds in our favor to at least get a medal out of those events.

PKC wrote:

wprager wrote:Owned (on) the podium?

We're looking at virtually guaranteed medals I'd say in men's and women's curling, men's and women's hockey and ice-dancing pairs.

I don't mean a guarantee on those, but we have exceptionally overwhelming odds in our favor to at least get a medal out of those events.

Well, I'd say the chances of winning the overall medal standings are slim, but that doesn't mean these games are a failure. We've got some medals to come for sure, like you said.

Definitely not a failure, as we've already got three medals on home soil/ice for the first time ever. That said, it's very disappointing when, time and again, we have athletes failing to reach the podium, who were either leading in the qualifyinf runs or had recently won World Cup events, or even whose Personal Best was significantly better than the Gold-winning time.

It's frustrating. I really thought we had a chance being in the top-three and, perhaps, even challenge for top-two. I never, ever dreamed of "Owning the Podium" -- to call that a "stretch goal" would be an understatement.

Maybe I'll just go watch the Canada/US women's curling match to feel superior again.

Anyone watching SkiCross? lots of crashes so far

Bramlet07 wrote:Anyone watching SkiCross? lots of crashes so far

im watching the alpine skiing its a medal event so i try to catch those and we have a canadian in second place so

just watching the skicross does any one no what that sound is that sounds like a toy car driving during every run? is that the camera on a track so it follows the skiir's?

sens4win wrote:

Bramlet07 wrote:Anyone watching SkiCross? lots of crashes so far

im watching the alpine skiing its a medal event so i try to catch those and we have a canadian in second place so

Well Semple looks out, and the Canadians are coming up in the skicross

not so many wipeouts in the skii cross as there were in the beginning

Bramlet07 wrote:

sens4win wrote:

Bramlet07 wrote:Anyone watching SkiCross? lots of crashes so far

im watching the alpine skiing its a medal event so i try to catch those and we have a canadian in second place so

Well Semple looks out, and the Canadians are coming up in the skicross

ya he is but we still have 3 more in that event

russian isnt as good as everyone thought they would be in my mind, tie 1-1 betwen russia and czech

delbosco to semis